November Sales Back On Track After Slow 2008!

Wow! The numbers are in and it seems November was an AMAZING month for the Ottawa resale market! In November 2008 there were only 643 properties sold and this November there were 916 properties sold making it an increase of 42.5%!

Of those sales, 214 were in the condominium property class, while 702 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“The dramatic increase in sales can be explained by last year’s sales being affected by the crisis in the financial markets,” said Board President Rick Snell. “The five-year average for November sales is 809. Listing inventory remains at a low level and we are still in a seller’s market,” he added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in November in the Ottawa area was $313,370, an increase of 7.4 per cent over November 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $225,767, an increase of 1.7 per cent over November 2008. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $340,075, an increase of 9.8 per cent over November 2008.

We can only hope that our market remains strong coming into the New Year. There are no indications of it slowing down anytime soon!

It truly is the time to BUY or SELL! Call me if you have any questions.

Your Real Estate Professional,

Mary-Anne

KWO Training Department Helps Bailey!

In Hopes of finding a way to tie Mary-Anne Gillespie’s passion for training and giving back to the community together. The Training Department led by Mary-Anne at KWO has found a wonderful way to do both through training! One of their recent guest speakers, Ben Kinney happily agreed to auction off a dinner combined with a coaching session. They raised $1200 for that dinner; The Rushforth Team was the winning bid just barely outbidding the Pilon Hamilton Team. The training department gave $600.00 to KWCares and the other $600.00 to a charity close to Mary-Anne’s heart; The Ottawa Humane Society. Through their Buddy and Belle fundraising initiatives you are able to actually donate the funds to a specific cause and animal. On behalf of KWO, Mary-Anne selected a wonderful little dog called Bailey to help with his surgeries. Below you will see his story, the amount they donated on behalf of KWOttawa and of course......he is up for adoption so maybe we can find this little puppy a home for Christmas.

http://bit.ly/2HnxyG Here is Baileys Link and the donation.

The Ottawa Humane Society thanks the wonderful agents of KWO for giving not only in our community but for thinking of them with such a wonderful donation!
Thank you to everyone who supports these training events. Being able to do this creates a wonderful new purpose to training that we will carry into 2010. Feel free to share the link with your clients, friends, families and peers! It is a wonderful way to spread the word that we truly Care in our Community.

Olympic Torch Relay Coming to Ottawa!!!

This weekend, Saturday December 12th the Olympic Torch Relay will be making its way through our Nation’s Capital. This has been a long awaited journey for a lot of us and we cannot wait to take part in all of the festivities! The torch will arrive at noon on the 12th and depart the morning of the 14th. It will travel around the city covering roughly 75km, with more than 220 torchbearers.

On Saturday at 2:16pm, Mayor Larry O’Brien will host a ceremony at Ottawa City Hall to officially welcome the Olympic Torch Relay to Ottawa. Nineteen year old Ottawa resident, Melissa Brunet, has been selected as the City’s official Torchbearer.

The arrival of the flame will coincide with the 25th edition of Christmas Lights across Canada will be launched with an illumination ceremony on Parliament Hill. The festivities on Parliament Hill will begin at 5:45pm. Everyone is welcome at Parliament Hill to join the celebration for this special moment in the countdown to the 2010 Winter Games.

Here is a full schedule of where in Ottawa the torch will be visiting throughout its visit:

Saturday, December 12:
12:12pm : Arrive via Alexandra Bridge, Sussex Drive
12:48pm: Rockcliffe, Vanier
1:47pm: Byward Market
2:16pm Official Welcome to City Hall
3pm: Downtown
3:58pm: Queen Elizabeth Drive, Carling Avenue
5:36pm: Westboro, Wellington Street
7pm: Parliament Hill Festivities

Sunday, December 13:
7:30am: Ben Franklin Place, Centerpointe Drive, Baseline Road, Greenbank Road to Queensway
8:05am: Kanata via Eagleson Road, Hazeldean road, Terry Fox Drive and Palladium Drive
8:54am: Departure for Pembroke via Carleton Place, Arnprior and Petawawa

Monday, December 14:
6:50am: Capital Infocentre, Wellington Street
6:59am: Sandy Hill, University of Ottawa campus
7:15am: departure via Queensway for Orleans
7:25am: Orleans, Jeanne D’arc Blvd and St Joseph Blvd
8:01am: departure for Kingston via Rockland, Cornwall

...Another Buyer Picking Up a New Condo Downtown

Buying ahead of the market...2years ahead, was no problem for my client.

She is in a great location with excellent rent. So she viewed this as a wonderful investment opportunity. With continued growth and increase in costs of condos in downtown Ottawa, it’s almost a sure thing that the value will be substantially more 2 years from now. She went green and did not buy a parking spot. With Central condo’s this is more common than ever. Not to mention a parking spot costing onwards of $25,000.

The builder has a financial agreement to lock down today’s rates until she closes, that’s an opportunity even I couldn’t pass up. The ladies selling the Condo’s at Central in Ottawa with Urban Capital made this such a fabulous experience as well. They were high energy, non pressure and very much into making sure it’s all about the purchaser. Often as a Realtor we walk in and feel somewhat like a third wheel in new home developments. This was not the case. These ladies are the type that you know will be there helping your client until the end and then some more.

My client got to put her own red dot on the new condo she purchased and she will be part of a great experience, even though it’s years away. Having a happy client is all you can ask for in this business!!

Call me if you have any questions!

Your Real Estate Professional,
Mary-Anne

KWO Brings Holiday Cheer to Orleans Parade of Lights!!

On Saturday November 28th over 120,000 people came out to watch the Orleans Parade of Lights put on by the Ottawa Firefighter’s Association. This is the 12th year that the parade has been going strong and every year it continues to grow with more and more participants.

This year the Keller Williams team decided to build a float of our own. It was an incredible experience shared by our Agents, Staff and children. Our float had over 1500 lights on it, Xmas music, tree and a fireplace at the back. Most items were donated including the flat bed, driver and truck. It is a fabulous way to pick up food, toys and money for the needy with over 120,000 people watching and 81 floats.

Nothing feels more like Christmas than seeing the smiles on all the children lined along the streets waving and dancing to the music. We were truly honoured to represent KWO and be a part of something so amazing!

Mark Your Calendars Ottawa! Don't Miss the Olympic Torch Relay!

2010 is the year that millions of people have been awaiting! Finally the Winter Olympics are making its way back to Canada! As the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver get underway there is of course the traditional torch relay through Canada. The relay reaches over 1,000 communities and places of interest where the 12,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame. How amazing that almost 90% of Canada’s population will be within a one-hour drive of experiencing the Olympic Flame as over 45,000 km will be travelled!

The relay began on October 30th in Victoria and will be coming through Ottawa on Day 44, December 12th at 7pm.

The arrival of the flame will coincide with the 25th edition of Christmas Lights Across Canada will be launched with an illumination ceremony on Parliament Hill. The festivities on Parliament Hill will begin at 5:45pm. Everyone is welcome at Parliament Hill to join the celebration for this special moment in the countdown to the 2010 Winter Games.

This is truly a once in a lifetime experience for many people! Come on out to Parliament Hill on December 12th to share the magic with our Nation’s Capital!

Looking for a Simple Way to Transform Your Bathroom? D-I-Y!

A Simple Way to Transform Your Bathroom

Often, all you need to do to update your bathroom is to install a new vanity and repaint. The choice in colour and style for your new vanity is wide – you can go traditional or thoroughly modern. It's a good idea to look for something that is similar in size to your existing unit. With the addition of a matching sink and beautiful new faucet, your space will be transformed.

Before you get started the tools and materials that are required for this do-it-yourself project are; a pencil, tape measure, adjustable wrench, screw gun, vanity, braided line, and a chrome p-trap.

Now YOU can get started!

Step 1: Remove Baseboard
Carefully remove existing baseboard and set aside for reuse once vanity is in place.

Step 2:Vanity Placement
Measure to determine where your vanity will be placed relative to the existing plumbing.

Step 3: Install Vanity
Install the vanity using screws through the cabinet into a wall stud. Then place the counter and sink

Step 4:Attach Braided Lines
Using an adjustable wrench, attach the braided lines on the tap leads under the sink. Then attach the opposite end of the braided lines onto the shut off valve coming from the wall. Gently tighten.

Step 5: Install the P-Trap
Measure the distance to the wall from the centre of the tailpiece and cut the wall extension portion of the P-trap so that it fits into the PVC wall adaptor. Put the other end over the tailpiece at the bottom of the sink and adjust to ensure that everything is in line, then tighten both nuts.

Step 6:Test Water
Slowly turn the water back on with the taps open and check for leaks in the supply lines and P-trap. Re-tighten if necessary.

All it takes is 6 easy steps and your bathroom looks brand new!

Courtesy of Home Depot

October Stats Are In.. Another Fabulous Month

WOW... It continues to be an amazing month for the Ottawa Resale Market. Sales have been booming in past months with record breaking numbers! This is terrific for the Ottawa market and it looks as if it's just going to keep going and going.

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,202 residential properties in October through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 964 in October 2008, an increase of 24.7 per cent.

Of those sales, 270 were in the condominium property class, while 932 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

"Once again we saw record-setting sales numbers for the month of October. This brings our sales year-to-date to four percentage points higher than the same period last year. Ottawa's resale market has been buoyed by buyers taking advantage of low interest rates," said Board President Rick Snell. "Listing inventory remains at a low level, and combined with brisk sales, indicates that we are still in a strong sellers' market here in the capital," he added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in October in the Ottawa area was $318,655, an increase of 13.6 per cent over October 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $232,046, an increase of 14.6 per cent over October 2008. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $343,745, an increase of 13.3 per cent over October 2008. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

We cannot stress how happy we are to see such progress in our own market. These "tough" economical times are not affecting OUR market.. buyers are taking advantage of very low interest rates as seller's are getting top dollar for their properties.

NOW really is the time to BUY or SELL.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to call us.

Your Real Estate Professional,
Mary-Anne

Do It Yourself! Create a Mirrored Coffee Table

Looking for a unique piece to spice up your living room? You’ve looked everywhere and just can’t seem to find ANYTHING… DO-IT-YOURSELF! Create a focal point that reflects your creativity. Take a simple base such a build it yourself wooden box then you can add 12 x 12 mirrored tiles to make it shine, no cutting required!

Before you get going you’ll need a few tools and materials..
Tools Necessary: Table saw, mitre saw, trim router with ½” double fluted bit, 18-gauge brad nailer, hammer and nail set, paintbrush, cordless drill, caulking gun, putty knife (4” or larger)
Materials Needed: Carpenter’s glue, 24’ x 8’ sheets of ½” MDF, half round, 1 3/4 “, 5/8” 18-gauge brad nails, wood filler, primer, metallic paint, flat black paint, clear silicone, 1” #8 woodscrews, painter’s tape, 1 24” x 36” bevel edge mirror, and 10 12” x 12” bevel edge mirror tiles.

Step one: Using two 4' x 8' x ½" sheets of MDF ,(medium density fiberboard) cut two 24 7/8" x 36 7/8" pieces for the top and bottom; two 11 ½" x 36 7/8" pieces for the sides; two 11 ½" x 24 7/8" pieces for the ends; two 4" x 16" and two 4" x 29" pieces for the base. Use the off cuts to make four 2" x 2" mounting brackets, cut at 45° angles, to attach the base.

Step Two: Assemble the body and base , of the table using carpenter's glue and 1 ¼" 18-gauge brad nails. Mark the location of the brads so that once the glue is set you can countersink them in preparation for rabbeting.

Step Three: Rabbet the top and side edges ,with a 7/16" x 7/16" channel to accept half round and ensure that the edge of each mirror is flush with the surface.

Step Four: Mitre the top corners, of the half round and butt sides into mitre at each corner. Glue and brad nail to secure using 5/8" 18-gauge brad nails.

Step Five: Fill nail holes. Sand mitred corners to round over points, then prime and paint with two coats of metallic silver paint, sanding lightly between coats.

Step Six: Paint base with flat black (2 coats). When dry, countersink 1" #8 woodscrews to attach base to the body, offsetting 4" in from both the sides and ends.

Step Seven: Dry fit mirrors to top and sides, then apply clear silicone to attach mirrors to the table's body. Smooth out silicone with a putty knife to allow mirrors to sit flat. Use painter's tape to hold mirrors until silicone sets.

Seven steps later you’ve got a unique piece that you’ve created all by yourself. This project is probably about a medium as for the difficulty of it, but it’s worth the challenge!
Source: The Home Depot

September Resale Home Sales Highest On Record!

Ottawa Real Estate

September Resale Home Sales Highest On Record!

We’re now deep into fall with the cold breeze and Thanksgiving just around the corner and yes, the final stats of the Ottawa Resale Market for September 2009 are in!

Wow, another amazing month.

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,220 residential properties in September through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,204 in September 2008, an increase of 1.3 per cent.

Of those sales, 272 were in the condominium property class, while 948 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“September was another record-breaking month for Ottawa resale home sales, capping off a very busy and active summer for Ottawa Real Estate Board members,” said Board President Rick Snell. “Inventory levels rose from last month but remain lower than in September 2008, and that low supply coupled with continued strong demand for resale housing helped nudge selling prices higher,” he added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in September in the Ottawa area was $304,789, an increase of 5.7 per cent over September 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $241,458, an increase of 17.3 per cent over September 2008. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $322,960, an increase of 4.1 per cent over September 2008. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

Even with one of the lowest listing inventories we’ve seen there is still an increase in sales and price compared to last September. Supply in down and demand is up, take advantage TODAY!

Call me if you have any questions on Ottawa Real Estate

Your real estate professional,
Mary-Anne

Ottawa Real Estate

Ottawa Real Estate
August Resale Home Sales Remain Solid!

It looks like once again Ottawa's resale market has had an exceptional month. Not only a remarkable amount of ends sold but the price increase over last year shows that sales remain strong.

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,216 residential properties in August through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,181 in August 2008. This is an increase of 3 per cent.

Of those sales, 259 were in the condominium property class, while 957 were in the residential property class.

"August was another solid month for home sales in Ottawa. With strong sales and a listing inventory that is still very low, the capital remains in a seller's market position," said Board President Rick Snell. "Sales year-to-date are now up 2.6% over last year's sales for the same period, which reflects consumer confidence in the local real estate market."

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in August in the Ottawa area was $315,074, an increase of 12.3 per cent over August 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $225,167, an increase of 5.1 per cent over August 2008. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $339,406, an increase of 13 per cent over August 2008. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

It'll be interesting to see how the Ottawa Real Estate resale market continues to grow in the future as it just continues to grow stronger as the months go on. Even with such a low listing inventory the power is in the seller's hands. IT IS the time to SELL!

Your Real Estate Professional,

Mary-Anne

Ottawa Realtors Come Together For Great Training!

Ottawa Realtors Come Together For Great Training!

Keller Williams Ottawa Realty one of Ottawa's largest and most powerful real estate brokerage firms and #2 Best Place to Work for Women in Canada is at it again in leading the way. The firm has successfully beaten the odds and broken into Ottawa against older traditional brokerages who have long dominated the market.

One of the keys to their success is based on the fact that other firms are dealing with the average realtor age of between 55-61 year olds and Keller Williams Ottawa's average agent is between 35-41, a good 20 years younger and attracting mostly Generation X'er's. As a result the baby boomers have not been able to embrace technology, social media, the internet and the increase wealth of knowledge that today's consumer's demand. Today's consumers demand a realtor who can do research, negotiate effectively, market electronically, communicate almost instantly and network using the latest and greatest communication tools like Facebook, Twitter, Link-In and YouTube. With the rising purchasing power of the Gen Y's and Gen X'ers, they are becoming intolerant of the old school salesman and want the new age consultant. Keller Williams has been building a culture of new breed realtors across North America and as result the firm is the fastest growing brokerage on the planet and earlier this year surpassed RE/MAX in the US.

As in the typical Keller way, the Ottawa firm has flown one their fellow Keller Williams realtors Ben Kinney from Seattle, who has sold over 400 homes last year and has a team of 20 people and Ben has accomplished this using internet and social media to generate this business. Ben spent the entire day sharing how he does it, how to use forums such as Facebook, Twitter and Craiglists and how to meet the increasing needs of today's connected consumer. The seminar was attended by over 125 of Keller Williams Ottawa realtors plus over 30 realtors from other firms. This event could not have taken place without the Productivity Coach of Keller Williams Ottawa, Mary-Anne Gillespie, who sought after Ben Kinney for this amazing training event. This is only one of the many training sessions that are available to the agents at Keller Williams Ottawa Realty.

Another Terrific Month!!

The July stats have come in and it looks like there's once again another fabulous month for the Ottawa Real Estate Market.

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,577 residential properties in July through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,414 in July 2008. This is an increase of 11.5 per cent.

Of those sales, 339 were in the condominium property class, while 1,238 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“Ottawa’s resale housing market had another strong month in July, and strong sales in the past few months have brought year-to-date sales to 2.6 per cent higher than in 2008,” said Board President Rick Snell. “High demand combined with a very low listing inventory is creating a very strong seller's market with multiple offers and an increase in prices,” he added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in July in the Ottawa area was $300,016, an increase of 1.7 per cent over July 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $216,826, an increase of 2.9 per cent over July 2008. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $322,795, an increase of 1.2 per cent over July 2008. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

So it seems like during these economic “down times” the Ottawa Market is not being affected. To see this many sales during a year such as 2009 is a wonderful feeling!

Now is the time to SELL!

Your Real Estate Professional,

Mary-Anne

DIY: Make Your Own Desk

Ever bought a shelf or desk that was impossible to assemble? I especially hate it when you buy pieces in the finish you want and go to buy additional pieces and of course YOUR finish has been discontinued! Here are some simple instructions on how to build your own desk! When you build your own simple wood desk you have the opportunity to choose the size and finish that work best for you and your space.

Here are the tools and materials you’ll need to get started: table saw, mitre saw, drill, clamps, 18-gauge brad nailer, #8 countersink, putty knife, paintbrush, wood filler, paint, two 4’ x 8’ sheets ¾” MDF, carpenter’s glue, 1 ¼” 28-gauge brad nails, 3” #8 woodscrews, 1 ½” #8 woodscrews, 120-grit sandpaper.

Step one: From two 4' x 8' sheets of ¾" MDF (medium density fibreboard) cut a 28 ½" x 58 ½" piece for the top; rip six 4 1/8" wide lengths for the legs; and rip two 4" wide lengths for the apron.

Step Two: To make the legs, apply carpenter's glue to 2 of your 4 1/8" lengths and clamp. Then do the same with the other four pieces. Let dry overnight.

Step three: To construct the box , that will serve as the legs you'll need to trim the laminated pieces to a width of 4" and cut four 28 ½" and four 29 ¼" lengths.

Step Four: Assemble the LEGS, into a square using two 28 ½" and two 29 ½" pieces. Glue and screw together using 3" #8 woodscrews.

Step five: To make the apron, mitre your 4" rips at 45° and wrap the desktop. Glue and nail using 1 ¼" 18-gauge brad nails.

Step six: To make the apron, mitre your 4" rips at 45° and wrap the desktop. Glue and nail using 1 ¼" 18-gauge brad nails.

Step seven: Fill, sand, prime and paint with two coats, lightly sanding between.

No more running around town trying to find the perfect desk to compliment your workspace. Do it yourself and you’ll enjoy using it every time!

Source: The Home Depot

Do It Yourself! Plant Your Own Summer Salsa Garden

Put some sizzle in your veggie patch with the ingredients for a summer salsa – plant tomatoes, hot peppers, green onions and cilantro for a zesty harvest. This is an easy project for anyone to take on, it’s fairly inexpensive and has minimal steps. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll have a tasty salsa in no time!

Before getting started there are a few tools required for this project, you will need; a long-handled garden fork or cultivator, a garden spade, hand trowel, watering can, tomato cages, stakes or spirals. The materials required for your salsa are; a packet of coriander seeds, a cell pack of Roma type tomato seedlings, a cell pack of hot pepper plants, perfectly natural tomato fertilizer, perfectly natural garden & flower fertilizer and green onion sets.

Step 1: Prepare The Soil, in a sunny patch of the yard.

Step 2: Green Onions, or scallions, are the earliest of the ingredients to be planted. Purchase sets- young, ready-to-plant seedlings- in rows as soon as the ground is workable, spacing them 2.5-5 cm apart. Water well. Continue planting sets every few weeks for a succession of onions all summer.

Step 3: Coriander Seeds Can Be Sown, after the soil has warmed up. For a continuous harvest of tasty leaves, sow 1/3 of the seeds at a time, about every 2 weeks. Sow them in rows, about 1cm deep and 4cm apart. Water well.

Step 4: The Best Tomatoes For Salsa, are plum or paste types, which have fewer seeds and fleshier pulp than standard table tomatoes. Roma and San Marzano are readily available, but more unusual varieties such as the heirloom Amish Paste and yellow Banana Legs, which are typically available as seeds from specialty sources, can be fun to grow too. Purchase just enough for your family needs, a cell pack of six seedlings will go a long way.

Transplant seedlings into the ground once it has warmed up completely and all danger of frost is past. Remove the bottom few leaves from the stems before planting deeply into the soil. (Tomatoes grow roots along the length of their stems, so deep planting results in sturdy bushes) Space transplants between 30 to 45cm apart.

Step 5: Stake or Surround, each plant with a tomato cage. Water well.

Step 6: Young Pepper Plants, can be placed in the garden when the tomatoes go into the ground. Depending on your tastes, select hot varieties such as Cherry Bomb or milder ones like Garden Salsa. Plant them no deeper than the plants are growing in their pots. Water well.

Step 7: Water Regularly, and fertilize throughout the growing season.

There you have it! 7 easy steps and you’ve got a tasty salsa to enjoy all summer long with friends and family. It’s a fresh and inexpensive way to add something extra to those summer bbq’s! ENJOY!

Source: Home Depot Canada

June Numbers Are In…Another Record Breaking Month!!!

Just as we had expected June was yet another record breaking month for the Ottawa Real Estate Board. In June, members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,895 residential properties which only include properties listed on the Multiple Listing Service. In June 2008 the sales in the residential property class totaled 1,685 which is an overall increase of 12.5%.

Agents are however finding that the listing inventory is at a very low level, and this means we are experiencing multiple offers and competitive bidding on many properties.

“This is the third consecutive record setting month this year and the fourth month where sales exceeded the previous year’s sales,” said Board President Rick Snell. “Year-to-date sales as of the end of June are up one per cent over the same time period in 2008. We have seen a strong recovery from the slow start to this year,” he added.

According to our board statistics, the average sale price of residential properties sold in June in the Ottawa area was $306,924, an increase of 3% over June 2008. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $236,830, an increase of 8.3% over June 2008.

This is very exciting!!! Our Ottawa market just keeps getting better and is not showing any signs of that changing anytime soon! Now IS the time to buy or sell!

Call me if you have any questions!!

Mary-Anne

Ottawa Real Estate Doing Fabulous!

As we wait for our final statistics to our Spring Market of 2009 we are expecting another month of great record breaking sales.

In May the Ottawa Real Estate board members sold 1969 residential sales through the MLS system. This doesn’t include new home sales or sales that we represented privately. This is at an increase of almost 4% compared to last May of 2008.

An even more impressive number is that we actually have a 19% increase over the sales we produced in April. Making May a really strong spring month for our housing market in Ottawa.

“This was the best May on record for residential resale home sales in Ottawa,” said Board President Rick Snell. “Homes in every price range are selling well, from starter homes to luxury properties. Homebuyers and sellers are showing a lot of confidence in the Ottawa real estate market,” he added.

Our average sale price increased to $312,045 which is over a 5% increase from last year at the same time. Incredible increase!!!

So although the economy all over the world is being effected by change, our market is still going very strong.

Our interest rates are at an all time low and expected to go down further in August. So as rates go down and average home sale prices go up, this is a great time to be investing in the Ottawa real estate market.

Looking forward to our June numbers soon!

Your Real Estate Professional,

Mary-Anne

Price Adjustments- how to avoid the pitfalls of overpriced listings

Looking at the market statistics I realized to my surprise there was a huge number of overpriced listings sitting on the market. I established this by how many homes have been on the market for over 30 days without a single adjustment. Clearly, we either have unmotivated Sellers , or a lot of overpriced homes out there.
As a general rule, we should be getting 1 offer for every 10 showings. If you aren’t even getting 10 showings, then your home is likely too high. If you are also getting a lot of showings and no offers, then, it‘s still too high.
The challenge is though, once you have the listing, how to get that home adjusted? We all know as Realtor’s that it is very difficult to get that adjustment after you’ve listed the home. Especially if the motivation isn’t there.
We’ve changed our business plan a little. We try to only focus on listings that have motivated Sellers; Sellers who are really interested in selling their home and moving. Often the homes that are priced too high don’t have highly motivated sellers.
In the initial phone qualification we find out if they are motivated. Easiest way is to ask why they are selling. Once we establish a good motivation, we ask them if they understand that we are the real estate experts and they are hiring us based on our knowledge and ability to sell. This sets the mindset that we are professionals and that the advice we give is important to take.
In our listing presentation we cover the market and the homes that are priced “in” our market and the homes priced “on” the market. We run the numbers of average showings per week in that area and we also look at the competition. Knowing your stats and knowing what the competition looks like is crucial. We also make sure that most of our listings are staged professionally; at the minimum have a stager come into the listing presentation to make sure that they are told what sells a home physically and what buyers who are motivated would like to see.
You might find that you have a Seller that wants to “try” a price a little higher than you have recommended. In that case we always ask for an upfront adjustment dated 2 weeks after the initial listing date. This way, we are appeasing the owner’s price and we are also sticking to where we believe the price should be. There are far too many obstacles involved trying to go back for an adjustment.
If they agree initially on your price, we set a price adjustment for 3 weeks. We explain that we might not get to that point but that if the feedback comes in that the home is priced too high we need to keep up with the market. This way we are keeping the pricing ahead of the market.
On the first and fifteenth of every month we review our listings and select 1 that is most likely to move with an adjustment based on location and condition and set our goal to get an adjustment on that price.
Now if we’ve tried everything possible to get an adjustment and the owners simply won’t budge, then, you have to decide if you want to work with an unmotivated seller. With the cost of advertising and marketing involved in selling a home, it makes very little sense to keep the listing if the Sellers aren’t trusting your advice. Sometimes, it’s easier to let them down now than later.

THE 8 STEPS TO A FABULOUS OPEN HOUSE!

I love open houses. I love doing them and I love the results I get from them.
If you are just doing your signs out the day of your open house and sitting their for 2 hrs then you are clearly not working them to your fullest potential.
I'll be the first to admit that there are days that I really want to just sit for 2hrs and not be bothered. But....when I started getting such fabulous results; my mindset changed.
The first step when you have selected an open house is to put the information everywhere. Put it on your website and any other website you are listed on and put it on your mls listing in the remarks section. Make it known as early as possible that you are having an open house.
The Second step is to pull a list of all the private for sales in the area comparable to yours. Book appointments to preview them. Tell them you have a similar listing and want to check out the competition in case you have visitors interested. Of course you are going to use this introduction to see their homes and to also follow up with them to tell them how fabulous your open house was and ask how they are doing the following Monday. Your goal should be to try to list one of these a week.
The third step is to create a package of all the current listings in the area in case you have visitors wanting to look at bigger or smaller homes. Then create a package of recent sales in the area for those visitors who may not agree with the price or be familiar with the area. Being organized at your open house will make the buyers excited to work with you. Show them you know the market right this minute. Even keep your schedule clear for a couple hours to book appointments afterwards.
Fourth step is to get invites and walk them door to door in the area. Knock on tons of doors introducing yourself and inviting the neighbors to come visit. Perhaps have a wine and cheese open house. These are going to be future listing people!!
Fifth step is to look at MLS and see what other Realtors are having an open house and make sure you know so you can preview your competition and also support each other if needed.
Sixth step is to get your directionals noticed. Have them out a couple days before and tie balloons on them to attract more attention. Putting them out in the morning is only attracting a few hours of people. Having them out for a couple days will allow a lot more people to view them.
Seventh step is to host the open house and have survey's for people as they walk through. Get as much information as you can.
Eighth step is FOLLOW UP. Have thank you cards ready to send out within 24hrs of visitors and get on the call backs asap for feedback. We usually do calls that evening around 8pm for feedback.
A couple additional tips. If your open house is not busy....bring that private for sale list with you and make calls and schedule appointments to visit the privates after the open house.
Set a goal for appointments - I like to always try to get 2 in office appointments booked with buyers from each open house.
**Remember** Don't be a passive Realtor and have the hopes of people flocking to you without any effort. Customize your 7 steps and figure out how you can drive traffic to your open house!

Home Office VS Office Space

For the past 5 years I have worked from home. I enjoy it a lot because I have my beloved dog Eddie and cat Luke with me. Not to mention a great big office space where I can have the freedom to play music, grab a drink or a bite to eat and most importantly I can wear my sweatpants and no one knows any better. I’ve done really well working from home and my productivity has jumped about 20% every year. I admit that it is awfully fun to sit in the pool on a really hot summer day and answer my calls.
As my team grows and I started to coach more agents, I felt it was better to get an “office” in the office. Not to mention I kept listening to my boss tell me that I simply “need” an office. I decided to share it with two other agents and we agreed that I would likely only come in Mon-Fri 3hrs each morning for prospecting (which I take seriously). The other two agents were rarely in before 1pm, if at all so it seemed like a good trial for me.
I’ve now had one month in the office and have already decided it isn’t for me. There are many factors to look at when getting an office, in an office. If you are sharing, make sure you all have the same “goals”. In my case, my two office mates aren’t “prospectors” and are quite messy. I on the other hand am very organized and am goal oriented. Almost opposites. They like the energy I bring in so they are often coming in to catch some of it, which means…..they are in a lot more now. The location of the office is important too. Mine is located in the “bull pen”, so it’s the busiest place in the office. Since I do a lot of training and coaching, that means the door is always being used (even though there is a prospecting sign on it). Then there are the expenses, at home you don’t pay per use on anything. However, when in the office you are paying for photocopies, phones, printers, parking, gas, software and not to mention pretty high rent.
In order to work from home and enjoy the freedom, you really need to be focused. More importantly, you need to create a very personal office space. Paint it a separate color, make it your own and have a different feeling than your home decor. You have to be very organized as well. Have a goal board and set up hours. I lead generate from 0800-1100 and then take a couple hours off. Whatever you do, don’t work more than 8 hrs a day at your home office or else you will simply get sick of your home and that’s not good. When you take the hours off, make sure you are outside of your home. Go get groceries, garden, swim, walk the dog. Manage your time. This really is self explanatory.
At the end of the day, I’ve missed my dog snoring at my feet, my cat hitting the printer paper as it comes out. Having a fresh pot of coffee ready, staying in my pj’s while replying to emails on a snowy winter morning, and not having to think about traffic heading into work. The self discipline I need to implement is worth it to get these wonderful things.
If I need to socialize, I’ll go into the office. Otherwise, don’t fix something that isn’t broken was the lesson I learned.
I know there are a lot of Home Office Lovers Out there right now reading this and sipping their coffees in their Sweatpants!
Congratulations for being able to do it!

Home Staging in our Listing Presentation

Ever wonder why someone painted a color? Where did they get so much stuff? How you are supposed to tell the home owners during a listing presentation that the wall that holds all the photo memories of their family is way too cluttered right after they have personally explained each sentimental value of the picas. Most agents competing for that listing will not say a word (speaking of a competitive listing market of course), so, really why would they chose a listing agent who asks them to do work on their home or who perhaps thinks it’s too cluttered ect….wouldn’t it be much easier to select the agent who simply says it looks great.
We struggled with the element of presenting a stager. I tried on my own, relied on my own experience….and that worked sometimes but at other times I lacked the “sensitivity chip” that was clearly needed. We tried leaving the stager information in our listing kits and of course almost 90% of listings wouldn’t call, especially if they were going to be paying for it.
So, we decided to include it in our package and present right at listing time as well as having the Seller indirectly pay for it and create a win/win situation for everyone.
Statistically it’s proven that a house that shows well will sell quicker and likely get better dollar value. If you have the right stager, this can all be shown easily through their own presentation.
I’ll share what we do. In our listing presentation we have 3 options. If a Seller lists at 5% they receive a 1hr verbal consultation with a home stager to show the benefits of having the home staged. It only costs us about $75.00. At 5.5% a Basic Package with full consultations and reports and room by room redesigning advice is given. Then followed up with a post consultation. At 6% they receive an enhanced package which includes a design package and assistance from stagers throughout the entire process and return visits. There are more details for each package of course but this is the basics of it.
With including even a consultation in my listing presentation it at least sets me apart. If you pick the right stager they will work well with your clients. A good home stager should have before and after pictures and testimonials of how homes were on the market without staging and once staged sold ECT...
Even the basic package with a stager sets things in motion. The wheels start turning and home owners “want” their home to look that good.
With vacant homes it is almost essential to bring in furniture to make it looked more “lived in”. Some agents in my office go out and get the furniture themselves and put it in. I think the best use of your time though is to get a stager to do it. A stager can do it all and usually has great contacts in the furniture rental area so I just leave it to her.
The statistics for staged homes are amazing and often my clients are really impressed with the results.
We’re in Canada and home staging is just starting to take off here. Be careful though because you want to make sure your listing is priced right. Or perhaps you want to set up a clause in your listing that refunds the money if they cancel the listing. If you go with our method and are doing listing option 2 or 3 you really need to be sure your clients are going to stay with you.
Overall, by putting our stager in our listing presentation we are seeing a great amount of success. Of course not every client will fall in love with home staging, but, it’s starting to set us apart and our homes.
I think everyone should have a great home stager involved in their listings!

Multiple Offers: Price vs. Strategy

Multiple Offers. A question I have always wondered is…………when representing the Buyer is it the strategy of the agent or highest price that gets the house for the buyer? I say strategy 80%. Perception though seems to be that it is the highest price. Here’s my story. There were 3 offers on the table. The home was a higher end listing. Although it appeared to be in great shape it was over 10 years old so there could have been concerns. We were working with Buyer A. Buyer B and C were different agents with different companies. Client A did not want to go full price and wanted to include a condition upon inspection. Because the theory of being the highest price is what is known to us; many thought we had no chance at the offer. Here’s how we got the home. First; my clients and myself showed up at the home and we presented in person. Buyers B and C did not show up and their agents dropped off the offers and left. This showed motivation on our end and sometimes when you are dealing with people who have an emotional attachment to the house it pleases them that you showed up with your clients. It also allows for immediate changes to be made which is very powerful in multiple offer situations. Second; we made the inspection condition less than 24hrs. We had already booked an inspection for 0800 the next morning. Our position was that it was best for everyone to have an inspection. If we didn’t have a professional inspector looking at the home for the Buyers……..what would happen if on moving day they came in and noticed something? It reduced liability and gave peace of mind. We explained that often in multiple offers inspections get eliminated and that really creates future challenges. Not only did we present a very good point; we created a scenario that is really important but totally avoidable. Since the condition was so short it really wouldn’t waste much time. When it came to pricing; we were only slightly lower than the other offers but we used comparables and explained that the bank will look at the comparables too and rather than pay over asking we wanted to be assured the bank on closing would not provide any obstacles. With the current mortgage situations this really made sense to the logical side of the Sellers. Being that we were there and present and could sign off immediately to any small changes and that the Sellers did think having an inspection would be better for them and give peace of mind; our offer was accepted. Both other offers were higher and free of conditions. Maybe price wins at times…..but…..every home owner also wants to know that when they leave their home……nothing is going to come back and bite them. In this case the Sellers were the original owners so we knew that showing up would have pleased them on the emotional side. It set us apart. All in all if we as Realtors do a little research and go outside the box a little….I believe that it isn’t always about price but rather a good strategy will often win and save your clients thousands.