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
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, August 17, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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
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
Friday, July 24, 2009
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
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
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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
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
Monday, July 6, 2009
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
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
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