Zingers #110 – Freedom on Runway #2

Posted on August 11, 2010 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Valerie Zinger, Zingers | Leave a Comment

Are you looking at buying a house near a freeway or under a flight path?  Maybe you never entertain outside or have children who need to play in the yard.  Being near a highway or beneath the flight path is not likely to be an issue for you.  If you are annoyed with noise then locations near these are considered to be incurable defects. 

Don’t let  your peace be “leaving on a jet plane”.

Elmvale Acres Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

Posted on August 9, 2010 
Filed Under Comparable Properties Sales Statistics, Ottawa Neighbourhoods, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

As of this morning,  11 residential units are for sale in Elmvale Acres/Urbandale (MLS® areas 3701 – 3703).  Prices range from $309,900 to $559,900.  The average price is $368,400.  Ten of these units are detached and there is one semi-detached.    

In the past 90 days, 21 homes sold at an average sold price of $355,295 with an average DOM of 16 days.  The range was 3 to 98 days.   

These statistics do not include condos, multiple family dwellings and private sales.

The Ottawa House – Dehumidifier

Posted on August 6, 2010 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, The Ottawa House, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

Ottawa summers are very humid.  Just check the humidex and you will see that being located in a valley impacts the temperature and level of discomfort with June, July and August being the worst.  Now, if you are buying a house in Ottawa don’t be surprised to see a dehumidifier working non-stop in the basement.  In some houses, the owner has not run the line to the drain and there is a beeping sound because the tank is full.  On really hot days in summer, the tank can fill up overnight. Having a dehumidifier is essential.  Not using one can often lead to problems.

With moisture being a house buying issue, Buyers need to be aware that a running dehumidifier may be disguising problems that the owner has not be attending to over the past years.  Is there a musty smell?  Another sign is a lot of room deodorizers in the basement.  Can you see water forming on the windows?   Is there visible black mold in the corners of rooms or in the basement along the baseboards. Have the home inspector test for humidity levels.   If the level is above 45% and it is in the middle of winter then humidity is an issue resulting in bacteria, mold, mildew and wood rot. 

Watch and smell for all the warning signs of high humidity.

 Photo credit:  CIMG1106 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcasimir/3709152335/in/photostream/

Summertime Beach Humour

Posted on August 5, 2010 
Filed Under Ottawa Today / Interesting People, Places and Things, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

Q.  What did the pig say at the beach on a hot summer’s day?

A.   I’m bacon!

 

Q.  What washes up on very small beaches?

A.  Microwaves!

 

 Photo credit:  Pigging it. @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsie/3701921/

Zingers #109 – Houses are like fish

Posted on August 4, 2010 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Valerie Zinger, Zingers | Leave a Comment

 Sometimes a Buyer will find the perfect house on the very first appointment.  What happens?  Fear sets in that not enough time was spent looking and that there is no basis of comparison.  Maybe there is something better out there.  Some Buyers get the house and some Buyers think, years later, that that house was….

The one that got away.

Upper Hunt Club Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

Posted on August 2, 2010 
Filed Under Comparable Properties Sales Statistics, Ottawa Neighbourhoods, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

As of this morning,  2 residential units are for sale in Upper Hunt Club (MLS® area 2608).  Prices are just below $600,000 for these two units. Both are detached two storey homes that have been on the market for several months.  

In the past 90 days, 3 homes sold at an average sold price of $483,366 with an average DOM of 51 days.   

This is a very small MLS® area where there will be few houses available at any one time.  

These statistics do not include condos, multiple family dwellings and private sales.

Look what I found – The Red Apron – The best pre-made meals in Ottawa

Posted on August 1, 2010 
Filed Under Ottawa Today / Interesting People, Places and Things, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

For a couple of years, we have been bringing home meals from the Red Apron.  The meals for two usually cover supper and something left over for lunch.  The staff are friendly and informed and you can get the frozen food as well as taking your chances when you arrive on what is available fresh.  It is so good!  I have recommended it to friends and now to you. 

the red apron 
571 Gladstone Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5P2

Telephone  613-321-0417

E-Mail     info@redapron.ca

Consider living large in a small Ottawa space

Posted on July 30, 2010 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

Living big in a small space.  There are hundreds of websites that discuss how to de-clutter and decorate small spaces.  Before you get to the decorating, think about buying a smaller house.  How much space do you need? 

Unless you have a big family there is very little chance that you are going to need a living room, a family room, den and a recreation room.  On top of that new houses have enough room in the master bedroom to make a private sitting area.  The question should be private from whom?  If you have the empty nest, retired, never had children, single child situation then you might want to consider going small.  It need not be about the money.  Some very expensive homes in Ottawa are small, perfectly outfitted and located in prime locations.  You will not have the big house to clean or the huge yard to weed and mow.  These are the upside. 

My neighbour is in the process of moving from an 1,800 sq ft home to something over 7,000 sq ft.  She said that she has never had to de-clutter because she has always had space in her house to save things.  Now that she is moving, she will be able to keep everything.  The house is lovely and there will definitely be space to spread out and reason to buy new things.  Good for her but she is leaving the centre of town.  Everything is a trade off.

There is something out there for everyone.  Bigger is not always better.  Consider trading space for a “jewel” of a house. 

Photo credit:  The Doll House @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/morticide/3768730608/in/photostream/

Zingers #108 – Incurable defects

Posted on July 28, 2010 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Valerie Zinger, Zingers | Leave a Comment

 When you are looking for a home be aware of some defects that cannot be corrected or can be but with extraordinary expense.  Your home inspector will point out things that are most likely correctable.  However, what the inspector is not doing is looking at the location of the house, the size of the yard and the efficiency of the layout. 

Vaccinate yourself with knowledge about the house and location.

Embrun Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

Posted on July 26, 2010 
Filed Under Comparable Properties Sales Statistics, Ottawa Neighbourhoods, Valerie Zinger | Leave a Comment

As of this morning,  30 residential units are for sale in Embrun (MLS® area 602).  Prices range from $149,900 to $599,900.   The average list price is $315,294.  Included  are 29 detached units and 1 semi.  Of the 30, 20 are 2-storey homes, 7 bungalows, 2 split levels and 1 side by side.

In the past 90 days, 37 homes sold at an average sold price of $298,294 with an average DOM of 38 days ranging from 0 to 170 days.   Home sales ranged from $127,000 to $486,500. 

Embrun has become a bedroom community for Ottawa.  The land prices are less expensive and builders are keeping to mid-range prices.  Of the 37 homes sold, 22 were built at or after the year 2000.  As with the homes currently for sale, the homes sold were almost 100% detached units (only one semi-detached was sold).  In this current long stretch of high temperatures, being a throw from the Calypso Water Park is just one of the perks for being in Embrun. 

These statistics do not include multiple family dwellings, condos or private sales.

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