2 bedroom bungalow in good condition, ready to move-in! Full basement with family room, sunroom overlooking deck, nice big detached garage/workshop. Great opportunity! Call us today to check it out.
Ryan's Brantford Real Estate Market Update - March 2015 Edition
Here is a video update with interesting market statistics, for March 2015.
Prepayment Privilege
What is "Prepayment Privilege"? A clause in the mortgage that allows the mortgagee to put an extra payment on the principle, usually each year. This can save thousands in interest over the term of the mortgage.
This article that gives various statistics related to mortgages in Canada notes in #2 that only 1 in 4 first time homebuyers actually take advantage of this clause in their mortgage, even though many pay a higher interest rate when they agree to the mortgage terms to have this ability. Does your mortgage have this clause and do you take advantage of it?
Canadian Mortgage Trends - Article
New Listing - 52 Silver Lake Dr., Port Dover
This is a pretty awesome property for $389,900. It is unique in that it has no basement at all - Over 2000 sq ft of living space all on one level! 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, gorgeous kitchen open to 20x20 family room with gas fireplace & walkout to patio. PLUS a double garage & a double carport!
Call us today or contact your REALTOR® to book a showing.
What do you think of our new logo?
Congratulations to Juliana and family. In less than 2 weeks we found a buyer by using the local MLS, and it's Sold at a great price with no hassles!
SOLD! Congrats to Juliana @ 144 Hunter Way.
MOVE OUT when you list your house - Good Advice?
The short answer: YES! I always tell my Seller clients to get boxes immediately, and start packing, preferably BEFORE the listing takes effect, long before they actually move. WHY?
I reason with them that they are going to be moving anyway, so take this opportunity to pack up absolutely anything that they will not need over the coming weeks or months, and reduce the work that they need to do later. Now the home will also show better, making it more appealing to buyers! I would far rather see a neat stack of labelled boxes in the basement, garage, or even in the corner of the den or bedroom, than all sorts of clutter throughout the house.
Some experts, including REALTORS® are suggesting people MOVE OUT if they have another place to go. Stop cooking, take the pets elsewhere, therefore the house ALWAYS looks (and smells!) its best. Well this isn't always possible for sellers and may be a little extreme, but this is sound advice and the principle behind it mirrors the advice I give my clients.
Click the pic below for a news article from yesterday with the same advice.
Six Tips To Survive Showing Your Home and Making the Sale - metronews.ca article
Would you buy a TINY condo, if it was your only option to own vs. rent?
A condo developer in Surrey, BC, is designing and selling these 316 sq ft condos, starting at about $95,000. Tiny, yes. Affordable, yes. They are even offering a promotion covering a years worth of mortgage payments. Is it worth it to live in such a small footprint of an apartment, in order to enter the real estate market? Click below to read article in Globe & Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/good-things-come-in-small-packages-for-millennial-buyers/article23671953/
Is the LOWEST rate the most important part of a mortgage?
Today, various lenders have switched focus from battling for customers with the lowest rate, to advertising the "features" of the mortgages.
Some of these features may actually be important to you. For example, some lenders do not allow you to get out of your mortgage early, even if you're willing to pay the penalties. Others don't offer the ability to defer payments, should you find yourself in a bind and need a month off.
Check out this article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/rbc-bank-of-nova-scotia-shift-focus-from-mortgage-rates-to-features/article23678824/
New REALTORS® commercial "Hotel" strikes a chord with me!
Today the Canadian Real Estate Association has launched a new commercial on REALTORS® behalf. It really strikes a chord with me because I have seen this happen first hand!
A few years ago I represented clients purchasing a property that was "For Sale By Owner". The Seller of the property was SO confident that he could do everything himself that he didn't even take me up on my offer to review their paperwork on the property they were purchasing (Also FSBO)... at no charge! Guess what- due to mistakes and misunderstandings that REALTORS® would have caught immediately , the Seller's family ended up in this exact scenario! Our clients got their new home on time though, and moved in without any issues (Sorry sellers.... I tried to help!)
Check out the new commercial:
REALTORS® We Do The Homework™ Ad Campaign
At the Ontario Real Estate Association's annual meeting last week, the majority of REALTORS® in Ontario moved to continue the Ad campaign including the television commercials airing in Ontario. Have you seen them in the past? Check out the new ones and let me know what you think!
Virtual Tour - 144 Hunter Way
Here is a virtual tour of 144 Hunter Way, Brantford.
East Side Mario's Update
On Feb 17th I posted a blog entry about the terrible night we had when East Side Mario's Brantford totally botched a delivery order to our home, and the delivery person ripped my front door right off the house. Here is an update:
We received a letter from the owner a while after, deeply apologizing for the events. She continued that there was some lack of communication and she would ensure that they're staff understood how important it is that they let them know of issues. This is good. She continued to say that they had halted delivery service until such time as they could put in place a system that worked better. This is really good. This gave me hope that the Brantford business will improve.
They also included $75 in ESM certificates which is a nice gesture. However what I am most interested in was their explanation and efforts to make things right with their business.
So we will cautiously try the restaurant again, and hopefully our next post sings their praises! :)
What Happens to my Purchase Agreement Deposit?
This is a question that I am asked by clients regularly, and in the course of preparing an offer, we discuss the amount, purpose and eventuality of the deposit.
In most cases, the deposit is made as a sign of good faith, and on the closing date when the property changes hands, the deposit amount is taken off of the purchase price. It all happens in the background by the lawyer and is outlined on the statement of adjustments that the lawyer prepares.
However, what happens if the agreement doesn't close? In summary linked to below, the Purchase Agreement had a deposit of $100,000. The Buyer failed to close the deal on the closing date, and the Seller proceeded to find another party to buy the property. The court decided that the Seller would also get the deposit, since the Buyer broke the contract by not closing the deal.
This is the sort of issue that a Buyer needs to be clear about. Discuss the purpose of the deposit and what happens with it in various scenarios with your Realtor prior to the offer being submitted!
Click below for the article:
http://www.remonline.com/legal-issues-deposit-forfeiture/
Our Terrible Friday Night East Side Mario's Brantford Experience
This is a long account, but if you're interested to hear about Terrible Customer Service, Incredibly Long Wait Time, Cold Food, and a Delivery Person Ripping a Front Door Right Off the House, then you should read this.
This is an accurate account of how the evening of Friday February 13th, 2015 played out at my house.
6:00 - we decide to order some dinner instead of going out, and settle on East Side Mario's. They have a deal where you get a large pizza and a bunch of salads for $25, so we call and order. Kids pick a movie, we get comfortable, excited for our food to arrive.
6:45 - (45 minutes in) Someone from East Side Mario's calls us back, and says that they input the order wrong and prepared 2 small pizzas instead of 1 large, asks if that's OK. We say no problem, kids are really starting to complain about how hungry they are.
7:15 - (1 hour 15 minutes in) Still no order. We call to make sure everything is OK. We’re told that they are really backed up, but all the deliveries had gone out a few minutes earlier. To apologize they are including some vouchers in the bag.
7:30 - (90 minutes after ordering) A delivery lady shows up. I open the door and put the little lock on the mechanism that holds the glass storm door open. I take all the bags from her and thank her, and then she starts to pull on the door to close it for me. I told her it was OK I would do it... you just have to give it a little push and it unlocks and then closes itself.
She is so determined to close the door for me that she continues to pull harder on the door…
SHE PULLED IT RIGHT OFF THE DOOR FRAME!
I couldn't believe it. I grab the door so it would fall down and smash and try to prop it up as it was still attached at the bottom by the shock that pulls the door closed.
Delivery lady apologizes and runs off.
7:35 - By now everyone is so grouchy and hungry that we open all the food up. At this point we notice the $5 off voucher that is in the bag. What a kind gesture.
The pizzas are stone cold. The cheese even has that look that pizza cheese gets when you take the leftovers out of the fridge the next day. We microwaved it and ate anyway, my 7 year old daughter saying that this could be one of the worst nights of her life :)
I know this is long winded but its not over yet.
After eating a bit (I wasn't very hungry anymore) I gather a bunch of tools and bundled up to go out and fix the door. I couldn't leave it because a gust of wind could come along and pull the whole thing down and smash the glass. All of the nails had been pulled out of the door frame and the closing mechanism was all bent up. After a half hour of messing around in the -18c cold, I get it all fixed up. I go back in the house, frost bitten fingertips and all.
8:15 - My wife informs me that she had called East Side Marios while I was working, to let them know what had ensued, and they said they would mail us some more vouchers?!?!?! Anyhow they would have the owner call us back the next day, Saturday.
8:20 - The phone rings again, this time it is the guy from the delivery company. East Side Marios had given them my phone number! The guy sounded like a thug: I immediately was concerned that he would send some guys around with crowbars & baseball bats to "fix my door".
He proceeds to tell me that his driver is sitting right behind him, and that she has a different story: I had ripped my own door off its frame, and that when I did it she could see behind that the wood was all rotten! He asked me what I wanted him to do.
I told him that I was not going to argue with him and I did not know why he was calling me. The door had just been installed in the summer, there was no rotten wood. Beside, I had called East Side's for food, they had hired his company to deliver it, not me. I would take up my issues with them when they call me back Saturday. He mutters something about "whatever, he tried" and hangs up.
Saturday, Sunday & Monday all passed without a call from anyone wanting to make the situation right, and so today I decided to go forward with the post.
I run my own business as you know, and my livelihood is based on client satisfaction. When something happens that upsets a client, we immediately find a way to make it right. Shouldn't East Side Mario's be doing the same thing?
We don't go out to eat in restaurants a lot, maybe once every other week or so, and for a long time ESM's has been one of the few places that we enjoyed going.
Would you go back?
Pavol & Ibeth's Deli - Recommend Eats in Brantford!
Pavol & Ibeth's Deli - A Must Visit!!!
For a few years now my good friends & clients Pavol & Ibeth had a dream of owning their own deli, where they could serve their awesome home cooking that they are always praised for.
After some searching I found them a property with a good location, appropriate zoning, and great bones for their vision.
In September 2014, they purchased 18 Elgin St. Brantford. After extensive renovations to meet their desired standard of cleanliness & organization, "Pavol & Ibeth's Deli" opened.
In the 4 months or so they have been open so far they have already earned themselves a solid reputation for Awesome Food at great prices! It's now a weekly (or more!) stop for me!
Check out "Pavol & Ibeth's Deli" - 18 Elgin St. Brantford. You'll love it!