Financing, if needed, is a critical piece of the puzzle. Considering homes are not selling for the asking price and there are so many guidelines and restrictions imposed by lenders, you have to make sure you are selecting a mortgage agent or a bank specialist that is experienced and is working for you.  Don’t assume because they have a license or work for a national bank that they are experts. Get references and ask about experience. My usual recommendation is to always use a... [read more]

When purchasing a home there are costs associated with buying that are above and beyond a down payment.  These can include: Lawyer’s Fee: Approximately $1,500 to $3,000.  There is usually HST added to the fee quoted by lawyers for the service. HST on Mortgage Default Insurance: The cost of the mortgage default insurance will be tied into the mortgage payments.  Appraisal: Approximately $400.  Maybe substantially more for custom or rural homes.  Title... [read more]

You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms get the most return on your investment. Is this true? Kitchen renovations, if done properly, can add to the value of the home. Kitchens are where a lot of people spend time in the home and they are one of the most expensive areas of the home in terms of construction cost. Here are some things to consider if doing a kitchen renovation. If you don’t plan on selling your home soon your, kitchen renovation really may not add much value at... [read more]

I recently had some first-time home buyers looking for affordable homes in the Greater Toronto Area.  While they were on Realtor.CA, they started looking  on the outskirts of Toronto and found some great deals in Simcoe County.  They found homes that were priced $100,000 to $300,000 for a detached home which seemed like a great deal until we realized the homes were on leased land. What is leased land? It means that you don't own the land on which the home is situated. The... [read more]

If you're looking online for homes one of the best tools you can use is Google Maps. With Google Maps, you can look at the address and if you haven’t been to see the home in person, you can do an aerial view, a satellite view and neighborhood view and see things around it that you may not be aware of and save time in your carbon footprint.  With Google Maps, you won’t have to drive out to see your prospective home and notice that there's a huge transmission line in... [read more]