Well, here we are with the first month of 2010 already gone! My mum used to tell me "time waits for no man" and as usual the female is right. :>)
It's that time of year when I'm asked to talk about what I see in my High Definition Real Estate Crystal Ball. For those of you have read my blog or the article I recently published in the local paper, you will know to list early and plan to move before 1 July 2010. A similar 'prediction' was outlined in the Saturday Toronto Star ... so it must be true. :>)
The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) takes effect 1 July 2010 and mortgage rate increases may also be looming come the summer or fall. Hence, several Buyers made their move during the last quarter of 2009 (we had our best December ever), and many 2010 Buyers will do the same early in the year. So that leaves a forecast of a quiet summer in the Real Estate market, perhaps not just in this area but in many other parts of Canada as well. With that in mind, we have already listed homes in January and we have been in many other homes talking to owners who are getting ready to list soon.
As mentioned in our last Newsletter, we have introduced a local Business Directory. Please let us know if you would like a copy ... free of charge ... or if you would like to see a particular Business included.
Finally, if you know someone who is buying or selling this year we would really appreciate it if you would pass along our names so we may compete for their business.
I look forward to talking to you in the upcoming months. Cheers til then.
As mentioned above, the Quinte area enjoyed the best December on record in terms of sales. Specifically, there were 182 sales in December compared to 106 in the same month in 2008, a 72% increase. In terms of dollars, total sales were almost double that of December 2008. This is consistent with sales reports from other areas nationwide.
2009
2008
% CHANGE
Total # of Listings in December
277
208
33.0
%
Total # of Listings for the Year
7114
7717
- 8.0 %
Total # of Sales in December
182
106
72.0 %
Total # of Sales for the Year
2986
3005
-1.0 %
Total Sales $ in December
$34.8M
$17.6M
97 %
Total Sales $ for the Year
$584.4M
$573.3M
2.0 %
Information provided by Quinte
& District Real Estate Board
Saturday at the Movies We hope everyone who attended our Client Appreciation Event enjoyed Planet 51. Ticket distribution was hectic this year because there were only two shows instead of the usual four, and many clients needed to adjust their request at the last minute.
Florida Resort Giveaway Congratulations to Jessica and
Jason of Frankford, our winners of
the draw for a week's accommodation
at a Florida Resort. Just a reminder
that we accept names on an ongoing
basis for next year's draw so send
Donna
an email to keep your name on the
list for next time. Anyone who has
bought or sold Real Estate with Team
David Weir, or who has referred clients
to us, is welcome to participate!
Colin James
Kirk and Irene from Batawa were the
winners of 2 tickets to the Colin
James show at the Empire. Keep checking
back to our Giveaways
page for new contest offerings.
Digital
Camera Also from Frankford,
David and Isabelle were the recipients
of a digital camera for their participation
in our Client Satisfaction Survey.
We invite all Buyers and Sellers of
Team David Weir to let us know how
we're doing. Take a minute of your
time to fill out our survey
form and you'll also have a chance
to win a digital camera at the end
of the year.
A family that wants to put 5 percent down and spend $2,000 a month on a mortgage payment can buy a $550,000 home when interest rates are at 2 percent. When interest rates rise to 6 percent, a family with the same budget can only afford a $350,000 house.
Be sure to discuss your short and long-term options
with your Mortgage Broker when you are in
the market for a new mortgage or are ready
to renew your existing mortgage.
Are you in the market for a new cellular phone? Are you overwhelmed by the options available to you? What company? What type of phone? What plan works best for you. What features do I need or want? Check out Compare Cellular, a Canadian-based web site dedicated to third party comparison of cell phones, rate plans, long distance, roaming, and dealer location information and let us know what you think.
Over three million Ontarians rely on groundwater for their drinking water. The Government of Ontario is moving forward on a series of initiatives to preserve water quality, including new legislation, regulations, standards and requirements.
Private owners are required by regulation to ensure that nothing gets into water wells that could contaminate the water source.
Make sure your well is properly constructed and maintained.
Inspect your well at least once a year to see what repairs may be needed.
Have a sample of your well water tested at least three times a year.
Sample bottles are available from public health labs and local health units.
Get a list of labs that can test your water for chemical contaminants.
Disinfect all wells prior to use with a concentration of 50 milligrams of chlorine per litre of water standing for at least 12 hours.
Refer to the disinfection instructions which are part of the current well regulation.
Get a copy of the Water Well Record that was filed after the well on your property was built, or get a Licensed Well Technician to test and evaluate your well.
Properly plug and seal unused wells to prevent rapid movement of contaminants down into groundwater.
Dispose of hazardous materials properly, pump out your septic tank every two years, and plan on replacing your septic system leaching bed every 20-25 years.
All sellers want their homes to sell fast and to bring top dollar. Well, it isn't luck but careful planning and knowing how to spruce up your home that will produce these results.
Disassociate yourself from your home - let go of your emotions and think of your house as a 'product'.
De-personalize - pack up family photos and heirlooms/collections.
De-clutter - if you haven't used it in more than a year, you probably don't need it
Rearrange bedroom closets & kitchen cabinets - an organized house has more appeal
Rent a storage unit - almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces that hamper traffic flow, take extra leaves out of tables, & showcase the room's purpose
Remove or replace favorite items that you don't want to leave with the home i.e., an heirloom chandalier, ride-on mower, etc.
Make minor repairs - patch holes in walls, replace cracked floor tiles, fixed leaky faucets, re-paint to freshen or tone down paint colours
Make the house sparkle - clean, clean, clean ... inside and out
Scrutinize - check every room for perfection; put yourself in a Buyer's shoes!
Check curb appeal - don't let a messy exterior dissuade a potential Buyer from checking out the inside
For more information about each point above, be sure to read Elizabeth Weintraub's article in it's entirety. She claims you'll need about 7 - 10 days to prep your house and turn it into an irrestible and marketable home.
If your house is like most, the rec room can get cold in the winter, especially at the floor level. You've got a sub-floor, maybe some underlay and and carpet, plus a couple of space heaters ... and it's still cool! Chances are, most of your heat is collecting at the ceiling and warming the floors above.
Electric Heat? - with enough head space, you could install a ceiling fan to help re-distribute the air. Or, maybe install a fan upstairs to draw air up from the basement which would be replaced by warmer air from upstairs,
Forced-Air System? Direct your supply ducts from the ceiling to the floor level. You might install a small to medium-sized grille in a return duct to help redirect some warm air from the ceilings back to the floor. You can't give a furnace too much return air but you can affect the cold air circulation in another part of the house.
Gas or Oil? The return grille should be no less than 10 feet from the furnace, and not within the furnace room, to avoid drawing combustion air from the furnace.
Built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was lambasted by Parisians for its industrial ugliness. The only thing that saved it from being demolished in 1909 was its potential use as a radio tower during World War I.
•
The Hard Rock Café got its name from a now-defunct bar that appeared on the back of the Doors’ album Morrison Hotel.
•
Opossums don’t “play dead” — when frightened, they become overexcited and actually pass out.
•
Any month that begins on a Sunday will include a Friday the 13th. .
•
Montana is the only U.S. state that borders three different Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia & Saskatchewan).
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