Housewarming Gift – The Klutz in all of Us

If your friend or family member is buying a first home, here is a housewarming gift that is useful and humorous.  Buy a small tool box.  Get the latest Yellow Pages and add a pre-paid cell phone.  Put the Yellow Pages and the cell phone in the tool box and tie a ribbon around the box.  Voila. 

Instant Tool Kit  

It is funny but also useful as everyone can use a telephone and eventually start to fill the tool box with tools.  Have some fun giving a gift but remember not to clutter the new home with stuff that has no purpose.

Photo credit:  Ottawa Carleton Yellow Pages @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/23389883@N04/3780787945/

Ottawa Condos – Buying – You are an Owner

When I go out with first time Buyers, they are often interested in condominiums.  The reality is that the price point for many condos is attractive to first time Buyers.  If they are leaving an apartment and moving into an apartment condo it is important to stress that, while it may seem like an apartment, the Buyer becomes an owner.  It might also seem like the maintenance people work for someone else – the property managemetn company – but they work for you, the Buyer,  through the management company or condo board. 

Now that you know that you are the owner, take care of your investment.  Would you take $150,000 and give it to a stranger to manage and hope that you will have something left at the end of a few years.  Would you also give that same company the liberty (without investigating why) to call you up and demand a few thousand extra dollars to maintain your investment?  Of course not.  So, if you are buying a condo because you think that you can turn over all the responsability to someone else, I strongly advise you to think again.  Get involved in the condo board.  Go to the meetings.  Read the by-laws and the minutes carefully.  Watch for maintenance issues.  Keep track of the sales in your building. 

Take care of your investment. 

 Photo credit:  Appetizing young condos for sale @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaboutgeorge/2526632797/

Prosperity Goldfish – 8 Gold and 1 Black

Are you buying, selling or staying in your Ottawa home?  No matter what, who could not use more prosperity in their lives?

Are you attracted to fish and aquariums?   If so, buy 8 goldfish and 1 black goldfish to put in the aquarium.  In Feng Shui, 8 represents prosperity, thus 8 gold fish.  The ninth fish, black, represents bad luck and misfortune.  This fish will absorb or receive the bad luck in the house.  If one of the fish dies, replace it as quickly as possible. 

If you are not fond of aquariums, you can bring some of the same type of prosperity into the house with a poster showing the 8 gold and 1 black fish.  On the posters, these will be depicted as koi fish.  If you have no place for the poster, then you might want to put a fish ornament on your coffee table.  There are placement issues.  If you visit a shop selling Chinese artifacts or take out a library book on Feng Shui, you will get the information on where to place the aquarium or poster or fish ornament. 

 There is nothing fishy about prosperity.

Photo credit:  Koi are Koi @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/35188692@N00/2252690725/

 

For Sale By Owner in Ottawa

You are looking for a home in Ottawa.  You look on the MLS®.   You visit Open Houses and you check the sites for people who sell their homes on their own.  You, the Buyer, can do all of those things without having a real estate representative.  The For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes are interesting and somewhat tempting:

If you are buying a home, it is in your best interest to be cautious about buying a FSBO.  Not that you shouldn’t buy one but that you take your time and do your homework.  Make sure you have an inspection done.  If you do not have a real estate representative working with you, you may want to invest in having an appraisal of the home done.  Your mortgage lender may require that appraisal when they realize that it is a FSBO.  You will want your lawyer to be much more involved, including preparing the offer and helping you set your conditions for purchase and possession. 

FSBOs for Buyers and Sellers are sometimes the best options.  If you start having concerns as a Buyer, I recommend that you work with a REALTOR® who will help you through the buying process and help determine what is a fair market value for the home.   

Photo Credit:  For Sale By Owner @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/trommetter/29782314/

Five Things to do Before House Shopping

 

The dandelions are up and so are the For Sale signs.  You are suddenly overcome with the need to go house shopping.  It must be spring.  Here are five things to do before you start looking:

 

  

  1.  Find a real estate representative.
  2. If you are selling your house, have your agent do a market valuation of your home.
  3. Visit a mortgage broker or your bank to find out what types of mortgages and amounts are available for you.  How much can you spend – your current house, savings and mortgage combined.
  4. Narrow your search to the neighbourhoods where you are willing to live.
  5. Define your needs and wants – what you must have and what you would like to have.

Now you are ready to start shopping. 

 Photo Credit:  Dandelion @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/aegishjalmur/481516803/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Housewarming Gifts – First Time Homeowners

 

Give a book or two on house maintenance. 

 

 

 

  1. I have both of Mike Holmes’ books and they are good.  At least you know they have Canadian content. 
  2. There is also the Reader’s Digest book and, if you are at a bookstore, you will see a whole section of books on home repair and maintenance.  
  3. For new home owners, the building inspector likely left them with a binder full of home maintenance information and, if there are problems with the house, some ideas of what would be involved to fix the problems. 

The home inspection binder, the schedule of regular maintenance and a well written home repair book with diagrams are good starts to first time home ownership.  Don’t forget the Internet and the Youtube videos on home repair.  Your gift book and access to the Internet will set the right course for the new homeowner.

Photo credit:  Gift Box @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/monstershaq2000/3008436618/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

What the Ottawa House Inspector Saw – Filled Weep Holes

If you look at the photo, you will see that there appear to be two gaps where the mason did not finish his work.  It looks like the mortar fell out of from between the bricks.  Au contraire.  These gaps have a purpose but some homeowners do not know this and fill in the gaps.  At one inspection I was on with my Buyers, the home inspector noticed that the gaps had been filled in subsequent to building (different mortar) and advised the Buyers to chip out the filling.  Why?

Brick is porous and water can get behind the brick.  Think of a windy day with rain pounding on your brick wall.  Water will penetrate and accumulate.   The weep holes at the bottom of the wall allow this accumulated water to drain.  Without the gaps, moisture will stay locked in the gap space between the brick facade and the back up material.  This is where rot and mold will start.  If you have a brick veneer, look for weep holes every 24 inches and ensure that they are not blocked or that the landscaping has risen higher than the weep holes.  If there never were weep holes, it would be a huge job to have them installed so you might be best to leave your walls alone until such time as brickwork is required.  At that point, talk to the contractor about weep holes. 

It is impossible for the average home buyer to know everything about a house.  A home inspector gives the Buyer information about the house that can be used to make a purchasing decision.

Don’t shed tears because of blocked weep holes.

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Vacant Possession – Unoccupied Property at time of Possession

In the Agreement for Purchase and Sale, the Seller agrees to provide “vacant possession” to the Buyer at the close of the transaction. 

 Most Ottawa transactions close by mid to late afternoon.  This timing means that the Seller will have had to remove himself and his possessions by approximately noon on the day of possession.  Like most things, there is always an opportunity for things to go wrong.   For example, when the Buyer arrives at the new house and – SURPRISE – the Seller is still moving or, worse, the tenants have decided not to move and are still occupying the premises. 

If you are a Buyer, try to schedule your move to the day following possession.  While this is not always possible, it does provide you with some leeway if there are difficulties.  If you are a Seller and you cannot move out earlier, be prepared to pay any out-of-pocket expenses for the Buyers (hotel bills, moving van hold over costs, food etc).  The Buyer will have a right to make a claim for reasonable out of pocket expenses.

Vacant possession also means free of possessions not included in the purchase.  In almost every move I have made or witnessed, the Sellers leave behind things that the Buyers did not purchase.  In same cases, these are welcome (the shelving units in the garage, the area rug in the bedroom) and in some cases the sellers have left their trash in heaps along the side of the house, old broken bits of furniture in the basement and hideous and chipped yard ornaments.  The Buyer has to weigh the value of going after the Seller in small claims court or through other legal action, or just disposing of these possessions at the Buyers’ effort and cost. 

Perhaps you have bought a house with the understanding that, legally, there will be no tenants in the home on the day of possession. If the tenants are still there when you get possession, my best advice is to immediately consult your lawyer.  The laws tend to side with the tenants’ possession so you will best be served with sound legal advice. 

It will be in your interest as a Buyer to drive by the house a few days in advance and the day before closing to see if there is any movement of the Seller, the tenants and the possessions.

Vacant Possession is More than an Empty Promise

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Housewarming Gifts – The Plant

It used to be that you would bring a plant in a green plastic container to some one’s new home.  What plant?  Well, it was likely something still alive at the grocery store while you were on the way to the visit.  Now, assuming that you have have more than 5 minutes to pop into a place and get a plant, here are some things to consider:

Is it summer? Why not bring a little shrub in a pot?  Don’t get a hedge shrub or the new owner will wonder when the rest of the plants will be delivered.  I would go for an ornamental plant that can be planted near the front or back door (or even in the corner of the backyard).

Is it winter? Unless you are giving a potted Christmas tree that can be replanted in the yard in the spring, forget outdoor plants.  Three houseplants that I like are:  a Christmas cactus (it will give the owner the surprise of wonderful flowers right around December); a Cast Iron plant; or a spider plant (if there is room to hang it somewhere in the house).   The University of Alberta has a site for hardy indoor plants. A little web research and you will find a suitable gift with care instructions to provide at the same time.

What container?  Not everyone can keep a plant alive for a long time.  You might want to find a container that will last longer than the plant and will be used by the home owners again and again.  Think about old cooking or casserole pots, waste paper baskets, ice buckets, trays with pebbles, and so on.  The container is often more appreciated than the plant so spend some time thinking of something fun and interesting.

Plant a Welcome

 Photo credit:  Spider Plant @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/madaise/905387220/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

Paying to Buy a House – Inspections

Before you decide on your new house, please take into account the other costs that you will be required to cover, in addition to the price of the home.  These costs, if you don’t prepared for them, can be shocking.  One cost will be for the home inspection(s).  

Without fail – get a home inspection.  I may have said it before but the only people who do not need to get a home inspection are home inspectors.  Perhaps you are buying a new home and the builder said her/she would do the final inspection.  Don’t depend upon this.  Get your own inspector.  One fellow told me that he found 50 errors/faults in a brand new home.  The cost for an inspection, in Ottawa, varies but is usually in the range of $300 – $450.

Do you have plans to open up the ground floor?  Maybe you want to remove walls and if this cannot be done, then you do not want the house.  Before buying the house, have a structural engineer inspect the house to see what can or cannot be done.  It will be too late to find out you cannot open up the walls after you buy the house.

Septic Field and water tests for rural properties where there are wells and septic fields, you will want to have the water tested and see the papers for the septic installation.  If these give you concern, you may want to get an estimate from a company on the cost of replacements and/or drilling.

Other special inspections and that may be a good investment will be based upon the type and location of your purchase.  For example, you may find it necessary to test for radon gas if you live in the Kanata or Chelsea area.   Has there been termites found in your area?  These are not common in the Ottawa area but if there is evidence of insects, you might want to have a pest control company inspect the house to help you determine the extent and cost of eradication.

You may want a full and current survey to ensure that your future plans for the property can be implemented. 

If it is waterfront property, you may have the opportunity to purchase the land owned by the crown at the water’s edge (if not already part of the property).  You cannot call the waterfront your property unless you have purchased it.  Don’t be surprised to see picnickers having a day at your beach. 

If you don’t think you can get the answers to your questions or get the inspections done in a few days, ensure that you have allowed enough time on your conditional offer to get the information that you need. 

Tests may lead to certain remedial actions that you, as the purchaser, will be responsible for doing or will want to include as a condition in the Agreement for Purchase and Sale.

It may seem like a lot of money needs to be spent but, if you have any concerns, it will be worth the money and time.

Photo credit:  Septic tank @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheriffof0/2368582820/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

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