My Real Estate STUNNER of the Week!

This is a definite one of a kind! Almost 100 acres, a 3700sqft home, a 4000sqft office space and a 1500sqft garage, oh and the swimming pond is amazing! This property is in Glanbrook in the Hamilton area. It might not be up to date with its decor but these things can change! The property is magical!

GetMedia (1).jpeg
GetMedia (3).jpeg
GetMedia (5).jpeg
GetMedia (6).jpeg
GetMedia (4).jpeg

To see more of this Stunner of the week click the link below.
https://tinyurl.com/y23odep4
Listing courtesy of Greg Guhbin Remax Escarpment

My Real Estate STUNNER of the WEEK!

This stunner comes to you from the exclusive neighbourhood of Rosedale in Toronto. Listed at just over
21 million, this amazing 17,000sqft home is a one of a kind. It was built in 2010 by a world renowned mathematician. It is the epitome of a minimalist architecture, very stark, cold concrete and clean lines.
6 Bedrooms
8 Bathrooms
Indoor Pool
9 Car Garage
$89,000 taxes…or $7400per/month. yikes!

c4425097_1.jpg
Blank Print Document (14).jpeg
Blank Print Document (15).jpeg
Blank Print Document (16).jpeg
Blank Print Document (13).jpeg

To see more about this listing click the link below.
Listing is courtesy of Janet Lindsay Chestnut Park Realty Toronto.
Click here to see more of this fabulous Toronto home.
https://tinyurl.com/y4twbum5

My Real Estate STUNNER of the WEEK!

Welcome to the this new segment, each week I find a house that is currently on the market and I share it with you. It has to be a STUNNER! so be prepared to have some crazy envy and potential jealousy!

10165 Cedar Crest Rd, Port Colbourne, $2,999,999.

Spectacular design is all I can say about this beautiful home and property. Sitting on the shores of Lake Erie in Port Colbourne this 3600 square foot home overlooks Reeb’s Bay. Three bedrooms, 3.5 Baths, 19 ft ceilings, gourmet kitchen, open concept main floor.

GetMedia.jpg


GetMedia+%282%29.jpg
LOVE THIS KITCHEN!

LOVE THIS KITCHEN!

Rustic Open Bar attached to kitchen…love this!

Rustic Open Bar attached to kitchen…love this!

GetMedia+%285%29.jpg
Open concept with Lake views…I’m dying here!!!

Open concept with Lake views…I’m dying here!!!

GetMedia+%287%29.jpg
GetMedia+%288%29.jpg
GetMedia+%289%29.jpg
GetMedia+%2810%29.jpg

Listed by Jennifer Bailey, DW. Howard Realty Brokerage.
See more here: https://tinyurl.com/y3dvt4ba

Whats Up CANADA DAY 2019!

Well with the latest win by the Toronto Raptors aren’t we all just feeling that much more Canadian right now! The 2Million plus that participated in the Raptors championship rally in downtown Toronto was something that has never been seen in this country!!! Simply Amazing!

This July 1st Lets celebrate Canada’s 152th Birthday in Style!

Here are some things to do in and around the Niagara Region:

St. Catharines Museum
If you’re looking to celebrate the history and heritage of Canada, the St. Catharines Museum will have activities and entertainment available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy cultural performances, carnival games, Vox Violins, Niagara Multi-Folk-Arts Song and Dance Ensemble, and much more.

Rennie Park
A location for the entire family, Rennie Park will have activities such as bouncers, rock climbing, pony rides, crafts, temporary tattoos and more. There will also be entertainment beginning at noon, with food and beverages available for purchase.

Morningstar Mill
Head down to DeCew Falls to check out the Morningstar Mill heritage. Tours on Canada Day run between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Fireworks
To conclude the night, Port Dalhousie Lions Club will begin fireworks at 10 p.m. from Henley Island. The public can enjoy the show from Jaycee Park or Rennie Park. Henley Island will not be open to the public.

Ravine Winery
The annual Ravine Vineyard Canada Day Bash, July 1, 2019. Free concert and Fireworks! Donations accepted for Gillian's Place. Food and booze tickets for purchase. Bring a lawn chair/blanket and sunscreen. Protect yourself!
Live music starts at 5pm...

Niagara Falls Grande Parade 2019
Starts at 11:00am Niagara Falls Canada Day Parade along Victoria Avenue to Queen Street, ending at Queen and St. Clair

City of Thorold
The annual Canada celebrations in Thorold will go all weekend long. Four days of music will accompany lots of family friendly events for kids of all ages. A wide selection of food trucks, lemonade and ice cream will also be available.


Patent, Latent and Psychological Defects

So you want to list your house and you want to know what types of issues you have to or do not have disclose to a potential buyer. We talk about 3 types of defects:

1) Patent Defects, these are problems with the house that are minor like a broken window, damaged drywall, possible asbestos wrapping around a pipe, knob and tube wiring, missing roof shingles and so on. None of these issues will make the house inhabitable right!

2) Latent Defects, Now these are major issues with a house or property that would make the house not safe to live in or an issue that would have to be seriously looked at. These can be anywhere from a foundation issue, mold behind walls, structural issues, grow op, or anything that is not visible or detected through a home inspection.

3) Phycological Defects, these are issues that can be deemed more of a stigma with a house or property. Things like Deaths, suicides or murders that have taken place at the home. Also issues with direct neighbours can be problems with buyers like, persons on parole, sex offenders, gangs etc…
These issues are not deemed to be ones that the seller has to disclose.

So at the end of the day patent defects or phycological defects do NOT have to be disclosed…UNLESS they are asked. Latent defects must be disclosed to the listing agent prior to listing. These problems will be disclosed to all agents and buyers that view the property.

We have so much information at our fingertips these days, so make sure you use them.
GOOGLE GOOGLE GOOGLE….use this amazing tool for street view, and satellite views. Google the address to see if any police reports were made on the house. Go tot he police station and ask them to run a check on a house. Knock on the neighbours and ask questions. Ask your insurance company to run a report on the house to see if any claims come up.

You can also write into the offer “Is the seller aware of any foundation issues, deaths, suicides or murders…If it’s in the offer the seller must tell the truth.

Hope this tip helps.

Have a great day!

Rich

March 2019 Stats!

Well the stats are in for March 2019 and it’s looking pretty good. It looks closer to a balanced market which is nice to see. We are still low on inventory though. In the city of St. Catharines as i write this there are 197 detached homes for sale! Thats it!! The average price of all the listings is $636,000. Highest priced home is in Port Dalhousie on the water at $4.0 Million. The lowest is at $199,00. There are 17 homes for sale in St. Catharines that are over a million dollars. Fun Fact did you know the highest price a home has sold in
St. Catharines all time is $2.7 Million.
Average price for the Niagara region is up for the month 3.6% coming in at $444,000 for a detached home.
359 Detached homes have sold in St. Catharines so far this year (day 99 of the year). Last year we sold just over 2000 homes. Looks like things are ramping up this month. We will see where the Spring market takes us.

How Long Will it Take to Sell my HOME???

How Long Will It Take to Sell Your Home?


When a home is ready to go on the market, homeowners always want to know how long it’s going to take to sell it. Your real estate agent, will give you an estimated time because they know all that’s involved in it. We know the average amount of days it takes to sell a place.

While you might think that selling a home quickly means you have to take a low ball offer, that’s not true. Moving a house on the market isn’t that difficult if you’ve prepared yourself with the knowledge that you need. 

You need to know the market first of all. You need to understand if it’s a buyers’ or a sellers’ market. Because if it leans the buyers’ way, then they have the upper hand. 

But if it’s a sellers’ market, then you do. You have to be able to adjust if it’s a buyers’ market. But keep in mind that if your home is what they’re looking for, a determined buyer will make the right offer. 

In a sellers’ market you can usually get the full asking price for your house because you’ll often have multiple potential buyers. The amount of time that it takes to sell your house is going to be determined by the location. 

Houses that are considered to be in prime locations are always going to sell faster than other homes. In areas where housing is limited and the demand is high, homes that are sell-ready often end up with a contract on them in a matter of days. 

Certain factors make a home more desirable - such as how close it is to a good school district or if it’s in an established neighbourhood. The price that you have your home listed at can either move it quickly or make it end up sitting on the market for months.  

It can be tempting to know that your house is worth $300,000 and to price it at a bit above that. But you’ll get more offers by pricing your home right at or just below what it’s valued at. 


If you price your home at $295,000, you’ll most likely end up getting more bids on it. Homes that are more affordable tend to move faster than ones that are more expensive. The shape that your home is in will also be a determining factor in how quickly it will move. A house that’s in great shape and looks good inside and out will sell faster than a home that needs some work. 

Comparative Market Analysis

Getting a Comparative Market Analysis to Price Your Home

A comparative market analysis is simply a collection of information about your house. It takes into consideration all the selling points - such as the square footage of your house, the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, the style of your home and what you have updated, as well as where the home is located.

We all have to have this in the back of our mind when selling…Buyers decide how much a home is worth, it’s my job to control how much they perceive it to be worth. We can analogize the SOLDs for days, but in the end the house is only worth what a buyer and seller are willing to pay and accept for the home.

Then we look at other homes that are like yours. This analysis looks at which homes sold and how long they were on the market. The purpose of having an analysis done is so that you can get an idea of the marketability of your home.

You’ll see how well other homes like yours have fared. In this analysis, you’ll see what the owner asked as the selling price of the home and what it actually sold for.

This lets you see what you can price your own home at and what you’ll most likely end up getting.

The Toronto real estate board or TREB has just passed a bill that will allow the SOLD price be public. We will most likely see the same situation here in Niagara soon. The difference will be that the SOLD price will only be available for the public to view for a maximum of 3 months.

You can also have your home appraised as it currently is. If you have a very unique home it may be hard to find similar homes that have sold, so an appraisal is sometimes a great tool.

You want to do an analysis because it gives you more knowledge when it comes to selling your home. A seller who knows the true value of his home can end up making more money when he puts it on the market.

5 Tips for showing your house.

The purpose of showing your home is to hook a buyer. You want the buyers to come through your house and be impressed - so impressed in fact, that they’re ready to make an offer. 


You’ll have one chance to make a first impression on the potential buyers and you want to make it count. Focusing on the outside is the first tip. Make sure that you don’t neglect the outside of your home. 


Curb appeal can make or break the odds of someone even bothering to get out of the car to come in. If they pull up and see a home with a lawn that obviously needs edging and has an unkempt flower bed, they’re going to wonder what else hasn’t been cared for properly. 


You want the outside of your home to be spotless. Clean the siding, the windows, and the doors. Make sure there are no dirt smudges, no cobwebs and that anything that needs painting has been spiffed up. 


The second tip is to take yourself out of the house. That means that you want to take out all the personal stuff. Remove the family photos from the wall or tables. You want the home to look neutral so that the potential buyers can look at your house and picture it as themselves living there. 


Everything should be as neutral as possible in terms of personal items. The third tip is to pare down all the extra clutter you see at first glance. If you look around, it’ll amaze you at how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. 


showing-etiquette.jpg

Some of it might very well be important, but that doesn’t mean that your potential buyers should see it. When you have a lot of clutter, it shrinks the living space of the house. 


It makes it look and feel cramped and smaller. Many homeowners get something called house blindness. They’ve lived in the home for so long with the same clutter that they don’t even really see it anymore. 


But a stranger will always notice. So clean out your house and make the space as big as possible. The fourth tip is that if you have a pet, no one who walks through your house should be able to notice it exists. 


That means no cat litter box, no dog to jump on anyone, no food sitting around in a dish. Your home should not have any pet odors. Having a clean house that’s odor free is a big selling point. 


You don’t want to lose a possible deal just because they can smell your pet’s presence or your pet makes a bad impression. The fifth tip is to stage your home. You can hire a professional or you can do it yourself. 


Stage your living areas in a way that shows off your home. You can rent furniture to make your home furnishings look good if you don’t use a stager. Someone who knows how to stage a house knows how to play up the best features of your home and knows what to bring in or get rid of to make the entire house appeal to a buyer. 

Where can I afford to buy?

ST. CATHARINES

St. Catharines is the largest city in the Niagara Region and the 7th largest city in Ontario. Population is close to 140,000. Largest employer is Brock University and the DSBN. Once a blue collar city with many car manufacturing plants mainly GM & TRW, times have changed. St. Catharines is an up and coming commuter city with the announcement of the GO Train service coming with on 5yrs.

The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $299,897
You will need an annual income of
$58,000. 
$15,000 down payment
$1800 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities.

__________________________________________________________________

NIAGARA FALLS

With a population of 83,000, The city is dominated by the Niagara Falls, a world-famous set of three large waterfalls on the Niagara River. The American and Horseshoe falls can be best seen from the Canadian side of the river, so the city has one of the world's major tourist attractions. The natural spectacle attracts millions of tourists yearly.

The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $325,347
You will need an annual income of
$68,000. 
$16,250 down payment
$1975 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities. 

______________________________________________________________________

FONTHILL/ PELHAM

is a community in the town of Pelham, Ontario, Canada. It has a few small industries, but is primarily a residential suburb known for its fruit orchards, nature trails, and neighborly attitude. As a bedroom community, most residents commute to Welland, St. Catharines and some as far as Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto daily for work.
The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $423,982
You will need an annual income of
$84,000. 
$21,250 down payment
$2415 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities. 

________________________________________________________________________

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE

One of the prettiest towns in Canada! Population is now at 16,000. In addition to the primary town site of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Old Town, the town also includes the villages of , Queenston, St. Davids, Niagara-on-the-Green and Virgil. It is well known around the world for the many award wining winery's. It is also home of The Shaw Festival Theatres. 

The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $625,591
You will need an annual income of
$250,000. 
$31,000 down payment
$3201 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities. 

____________________________________________________________________________

WEST LINCOLN

is a township in the Niagara Region. Main urban areas are located along the former provincial Highway 20. The administrative centre of West Lincoln is the community of Smithville, situated halfway between Hamilton and Pelham. Population is about 14,000. 

The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $423,862
You will need an annual income of
$84,000. 
$21,250 down payment
$2415 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities.

_____________________________________________________________________________

FORT ERIE

Fort Erie is one of Niagara's fastest growing communities, with a current population of about 30,000 and has experienced a high level of residential and commercial development in the past few years. Garrison Road (Niagara Regional Road 3) is the town's commercial corridor, stretching east to west through Fort Erie. Fort Erie is also home to the village of Crystal Beach and the lovely town of Ridgeway.

The Average Detached house price in 2016 was $272,982
You will need an annual income of
$54,000. 
$13,600 down payment
$1741 p/month
Please note the monthly calculation includes mortgage payment, property taxes and utilities. 

______________________________________________________________________________

If you would like more information about these numbers or about how to get started with buying a Home in the Niagara region please contact me anytime. 

richardhall@royallepage.ca

Direct: 905-650-7871