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/

Zingers #50 – Hindsight is 20/20

In the category of could have, should have and would have, put aside your regrets.  Learn from what went right or wrong and move on to next steps.  If you sold, remember what worked.  If you bought, love your decision.  Cognitive dissonance aside, reaffirm your choices.

Everyone will tell you horror stories.  Create your own fairy tale. 

Elmvale Acres – Sales in 2008

The affordable housing and proximity to the General Hospital make this a desirable community for first time home owners and employees in health care.  Of the 86 residential units sold, 55 were bungelows, 15 were split levels, 12 were two storey and 4 were 1 1/2storey homes.  Most had nice size lots and were built in the 1950s and 1960s.   

  

Residential Sales:  86 units as follows:

Condominium Sales:  4 units

These sales statistics are reflect only those sales made and recorded on MLS®.  Private sales and transfers are not included.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Photo credit:  J.B. Junson

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

 

Zingers #49 – As dead as a doornail

And that is dead.  When the deal does not go through, mourn for an hour.  You may have started dreaming and planning based upon that sale.  Now I want you to get your house ready for the next showing OR tune up the listing and restart the hunt.

It is not over until the REALTOR® sings.

Victoria Day – Ottawa

Happy Victoria Day

 

Photo credit:  J.J. Zinger

 

Instant Gardens in Ottawa

This morning I drove past the Parkdale Market, right across the street from my office at Royal LePage Office.  I know the old adage is to not plant your garden before the May long weekend but….  Almost all of the stalls are now open and there is a profusion of hanging baskets of flowers.  WOW. 

If your house is for sale, think about investing some money (around $100) in hanging flower baskets.  You can hang them from hooks from your fence or from the porch ceiling OR you can put the baskets in containers, such as the urns that are currently being sold.  The urns can sit on either side of the front door or can be on the deck in the backyard. 

Look for flowers that will give your house a terrific punch of colour. 

Hanging baskets give instant curb appeal.   

 Photo Credit:  Hanging Baskets @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gomattolson/562725786/

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

Zingers #48 – You are only a phone call away

You have put in an offer or a counter offer on a house with 24 hours irrevocable.  Can you head out to the cottage for 24 hours?  NO!!!  Stay in town and stay close to your cell phone.  Sometimes the turn around time on an offer is only a few minutes, then you only have a bit of time to decide to buy or not.

 Reach out and touch (your cell phone).

Centretown / Golden Triangle – Sales in 2008

This is MLS® district 4101.  The big sellers in this neighbourhood are proximity to the downtown area, University of Ottawa and the canal.  While Elgin Street provides shops, restaurants and bars for the area, it remains a relatively quiet place to live.  In 2008, the MLS® listings sold as follows:

 Residential Sales: 26 units as follows:

Condominium Sales – 27 units

 

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada

613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

Five Signs House Buyers are Serious

Your house is for sale and you would like to know if any of the people seeing your house are really interested in buying it.  Here are some signs:

  1. The Buyers and agents actually go in your house.  Yes, sometimes a house is so bad from the outside the buyers will refuse to go in and see the interior.  Getting the Buyers over the threshold is the first step.

2.  The Buyers stay longer than 5 minutes.  If the house is wrong for the Buyer, staying longer than 5 minutes does not happen.

3.  The Buyers have their agent call your agent with questions.

4.  The Buyers schedule a second visit, come back and stay longer.

5.  The Buyers make an offer.  Even if it is ridiculously low, this is still a sign that the Buyers are interested and this offer may just be the beginning of negotiations. 

Now that you know the Buyers are interested, it is up to you, the Seller to keep communications open, not take personal insult by what a Buyer offers and be ready to actually sell your house.

Photo credit:  Parliament Clock @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/aldaron/536362686/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 612-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

 

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