There is no Ottawa Real Estate out there for me…

Posted on March 19, 2008 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Moving to Ottawa, Valerie Zinger

Maybe you have not found “your” house.  You have been out looking on Open House days and with me at scheduled appointments.  So far, there is nothing for you.  I want you to hang on to hope.

No two houses are identical.  Even if built by the same builder and at the same time, each house is on a different lot.  At minimum, the view is slightly different and the address is not the same.   We might have to see a lot of houses that seem similar to find “your house”.

Over 14,000 Ottawa homes sold last year. Shopping for a house is a bit like shopping at Winners.  What you see is what is in stock.  There is no back room full of available houses waiting for the stock to go down before they come to the market.  It also means that a better house may be available next week or may never be available.  What we know is that just because we didn’t find something this week does not mean that there will never by anything right for you.  Each day new houses come up for sale on the MLS.  We are going to look at them until we find “your house”.

Bidding is a requirement.  Buying a house is a bit like going on EBay.  You have to put in an offer for the house to be in the running to get it.  If you don’t get it, then we keep shopping.  I want you to really like the house but not love it so much that you have to get it at all costs.  What do you think is a reasonable offer and have you any flex for a counter offer?  Pre-determine your maximum.  Stay cool in the offer - counter offer process.  This may mean that at some point you walk away from the house.  Okay, so this just means that we are back shopping. 

Self-qualify.  Each time we see a house, think: “Is this right for me?  What do I have to have?  Is there something that bothers me but that I can live with?  Should I adjust my list of “must haves and nice to haves”?   Think again about the neighbourhood.  “Am I prepared to go further out of the centre of Ottawa and get more house for the same or less money?”  ”Am I willing to do renovate in order to live closer to the centre of town?”  After a few visits, we will rethink your requirements and narrow the search.  I would like to set a target of 12 good visits of houses that meet your criteria and you will find something you want.

Don’t give up.  When we moved to Ottawa, my husband wanted to live in an older centrally located neighbourhood.  We spent the entire summer looking for a house.  I was ready to pack up and go back to Winnipeg.  I rethought my criteria several times.  First it was the sticker shock, then it was the crumbling condition of old houses, then it was hot water radiator heating and so on.  It was just too much.  At one point I was on the bus (yes, public transportation) going to work.  Suddenly, tears sprung from my eyes.  I was overwhelmed - no friends, no house, new job, no Safeway Lucerne yogurt and humidity to kill a westerner.  One day of tears and then we were ouStuck Accordina Bust continuing the search.  Three weeks after the bus meltdown, we found a house. 

There is a lot of stress in moving.  With my experience, I can help you through some of the best and worst of the search.  

Don’t Get Stuck in Your Thinking

Photo Credit:  Stuck Accordian Bus by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allie-in-wonderland/2102492616/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email: vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Comments

One Response to “There is no Ottawa Real Estate out there for me…”

  1. Daniel on June 9th, 2008 5:18 am

    I read similar article also named : Ottawa Real Estate, and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me

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