The Commission Free Way May Not Be The Best Way. – Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate
If you have been thinking of selling your home yourself here is a great video on one families experience and how they ended up using a Realtor to get the home Sold.
October 17, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, facebook, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, westvale | Leave a comment
Assessment Value vs Market Value – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for sale
The new assessments are out in the Kitchener Waterloo Region and i am getting the question is that what my house is worth? Have a look at the video to why assessment value is different from market value.
October 15, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, condo, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
How Long Will My House Take to Sell? – Kitchener Waterloo homes for sale
How long will my house take to sell? That is one of the most asked questions I get from consumers. It depends on several variables. Have a look at the video to hear my thoughts on Kitchener Waterloo average days and why.
September 20, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
August Stats are out and Kitchener Waterloo Home Prices still Strong! – Kevin Baker Remax Twin City
KITCHENER-WATERLOO HOMES SALES EASE IN AUGUST
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (September 6, 2012) –– There were a total of 495 home sales through the
Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) in August,
a decrease of 4.4 percent compared to the 518 homes sold in the same month last year.
On a year-to-date basis, residential home sales remain on par with last year – with a total of 4,492
sales recorded.
August’s residential sales included 322 detached homes (down 7.7 percent), 35 semi-detached (up
6.1 percent), 37 townhouses (up 32.1 percent), and 97 condominium units (down 4 percent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area rose 7.3
percent in August to $314,623, up from $293,303 one year ago. Condominium units increased 9
percent to $231,654, up from $212,513 a year ago. Single detached homes sold for an average price
of $354,064, a 7.6 percent increase compared to a year ago.
“While sales were down in August, we saw fairly strong price gains last month, says Sara Hill, president
of the KWAR. “This was helped along by the fact that 3 residential properties sold for over 1 million
dollars in August, compared to no sales in that price range last August.”
Also putting pressure on August’s average residential sale price was the increase in the number of
homes that sold for more than $400,000. 96 homes were reported sold that came in over $400,000,
representing an increase of 37 percent compared to the 70 homes that sold above that mark in
August 2011.
Information taken from Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board and MLS.
September 7, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: August, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwrealestatelife, loft, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate agent, real estate investing, Remax, sale price, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
Pricing your Kitchener Waterloo Home or Condo Properly – Kevin Baker Remax Twin city
Coming into a fall market it is more important than ever to price your home properly get maximum dollar and so that it doesn’t become stale in the buying public eyes. Have a listen to hear my thougths as to some things to look for when setting a price for you next home sale.
August 23, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home prices, home value, house prices, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, pricing your home, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | 1 Comment
New Mortgage Rules and how they affect you – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for sale
Last week the government mortgage rule changes came into effect. There were 2 major changes that are going to effect people and the amount that they will be able to borrow. Have a listen to the video to hear my thoughts.
July 16, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, Bank of Canada, banking practices, condo, condo buying, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, market update, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
May Market Update for Waterloo Region – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for Sale
STEADY STREAM OF HOME SALES IN MAY
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (June 5, 2012) –– Sales of residential properties via the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) were steady last month, keeping in line with the previous 5 year average for May.
Members of the KWAR sold 650 residential properties in May, a decrease of 3.4 percent compared to May of last year. On a year-to-date basis this brings the total number of sales recorded through the MLS® System of the KWAR to 2,844 a 2.7 percent increase compared to 2011.
May’s sales included 440 detached homes (down 1.1%), 117 condominium units (down 10.7%), 50 semi-detached (up 16.7%) and 38 townhouses (up 26.7%).
The average sale price of all residential sales increased 0.5 percent to $312,219 compared with May 2011. Single detached homes sold for an average price of $353,368, which is on par with May of last year. The average price of condominium units sold in May was $206,063 a 2.9 percent decline compared to last year.
The dollar volume of all home sales in May was $202,942,505, down 2.9 percent from year-ago levels.
“Sales in May demonstrate continued strength in the Kitchener-Waterloo housing market”, says Sara Hill, President of KWAR. “What we saw last month is a steady stream of homes sales, combined with an excellent selection of listings on the market, which helped to moderate price gains.”
The KWAR cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing long term trends, 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. Those requiring specific information on property values should contact a local REALTOR®.
June 14, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Resale vs Condo Conversion vs New Construction
If you are thinking of buying a condo there are 3 types to choose from. Here I talk about the differences between new construction condo’s vs condo conversions and the resale condo market.
June 4, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: condo, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Mulitple Listing Service (Mls) vs Exclusive or Selling Privately – Kevin Baker Kitchener Waterloo Realtor
I shot this video over a year ago and i think its does a good job of explaining the differences between listing “exclusively” or “Privately” vs the MLS system. Have a look to hear my thoughts on my experience with both.
May 2, 2012 | Categories: Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: exclusive, full time realtor, home buying, home value, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, mls, multiple listing service, private, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sale, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Market Value, Appraised Value and Assessed Value… What do they all mean? – Kitchener Homes for sale
The value of your home is different depending on who is looking at it. Have a look at the video I shot to explain the differences between the 3 very different types of values for your home.
April 27, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, banking practices, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lofts in kitchener, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Downsizing? Think about Uncluttering Your Life! – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for Sale
Uncluttering your Life!
Are you thinking of downsizing to a condo but stuck on what to do with all that extra stuff? Well you’re not alone. The downsizing population has enjoyed living in their large spacious homes that offer plenty of storage options. Over the years we can certainly collect a lot of things that don’t serve any purpose today. The biggest step for most of us is to be able to emotionally detach ourselves from our collection!
When moving to a condo you know that you will be able to live a lifestyle of freedom from all that hard outdoor work. So with that in mind you can easily step into your garage to target those snow shovels, snow blower, lawnmower, and collection of tools and trinkets that are adorning the shelves. Imagine the relief of purging all that extra stuff by donating or selling all the unneeded items.
Next is your basement, I am sure it has seen its collection of boxes and totes filled with different items that more than likely only serve as a reminder that you need to dust again.
Do we really need that second set of living room furniture? The extra end tables or set of 6 chairs from the old kitchen set? Let it go… it will be happy that it’s in a new home where it will be loved and used. The great feeling of donating to the less fortunate is another gratifying feeling of downsizing.
Have a garage sale, stop by the donation centres or pass it down to your children.
The magazine Style at Home offers 10 great tips for downsizing. Here are the Top5
- 1. Write a list of all the items you love and can’t live without
- 2. Start thinning out your belongings at least three months before the move.
- 3. Get a feel for the size of your new rooms by comparing them to rooms of similar dimensions in your present home.
- 4. Heavily edit areas with items that don’t have as much sentimental value.
- 5. Don’t throw anything in the garbage. Recycle, reuse,
So whether you are just thinking of downsizing or have already purchased that condo and getting ready for the upcoming move, hopefully these tips will save you time and stress!
Visit the link to view the complete list.
http://www.styleathome.com/homes/real-estate/top-10-tips-for-downsizing/a/308
March 21, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Random thoughts, Sellers | Tags: condo, condo buying, downsizing, home buying, home value, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Know Your Closing Costs and Planning For Them! – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for Sale
Closing Day is fast approaching and one of the most important things is to make sure you have planned for all the closing costs that come up when you are buying or selling a home. Have a look at the video I did to learn why this is a very important step in the process.
March 6, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: closing costs, condo, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home ownership, home value, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Make Sure Your Read and Understand the Closing Paperwork – Kitchener Waterloo Homes For Sale
It is vitally important that you understand the paperwork that you are signing when meeting with your lawyer prior to closing. Click on the video link to hear why.
February 23, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: closing paperwork, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lawyers, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, real estate, real estate investing, real estate lawyers, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Market Prediction for 2012- Kevin Baker
Hey Everyone, I attended a CMCH housing forecast last week and then on Tuesday of this week I listened to Craig Alexander, Sr. V.P. and Chief Economist for TD Bank give his predictions on where the housing market is going for 2012. Have a listen and hear my brief synopsis on the info I gathered.
January 27, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, facebook, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, Mortgage News, Prime rate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, waterloo region | 2 Comments
Make Sure You Buy The Right House To Fit Your Needs – Kitchener Waterloo Real estate and homes for sale
January 20, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Offer Price and Fair Market Value of a House – Kitchener Homes and Condos for sale
So you have found the right house…. now its offer time, but what price to offer. Here is where a Realtor can help. Knowing what fair market value of a home is extremely important in determining what to offer on the home of your dreams. You don’t want to overpay for something based on emotion. Watch the video to hear my thoughts on why this is an important consideration in your next home purchase.
January 10, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lofts in kitchener, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Do Your Due Diligence When looking for your next home – Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate
The buying process can be a confusion one at the best of times and its easy to forget things with all the stress of looking, doing offers etc. Make sure you make a list of wants, needs and the important things you are looking for in a new home. Have a look at the video to hear my thougths on some of the important ones.
December 29, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: due diligence, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Go Train Comes to Waterloo Region – Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate
Great news for the commuters of Waterloo Region.
Today marks the start of Go Train service from Kitchener to Toronto. This give commuters another option when it comes to travelling to and from Toronto.
Initially, the service will see two trains leave the Kitchener station every weekday morning, while two trains will return from Union Station in the afternoon.
The first train leaves Kitchener at 5:52 a.m., stops in Guelph, then times remain the same between Georgetown and Union Station. The existing weekday westbound 5:45 p.m. train from Union will now get to Georgetown at 6:46 p.m., Guelph at 7:18 p.m. and Kitchener at 7:42 p.m.
December 19, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: first time home buyer, home buying, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, real estate investing, toronto, transit, union station, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
25% of Homes are in the Newspaper or on Open house – Kitchener Waterloo Homes for sale
Did you know that less than 25% of homes that are for sale on the market show up in the paper or are open to the public on the weekend?
Watch this short video to find out the best ways to find your next place.
November 25, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: advertising, condo, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, lofts, lofts in kitchener, market update, newspaper, open house, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Market still going strong in Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge – Kitchener Waterloo Realtor Kevin Baker
Waterloo Region house sales gained momentum in October
Prices, meanwhile, remained stable, with slight year-over-year.
In Kitchener and Waterloo, the 470 residential sales in October represented a 4.9 per cent increase over the 448 sales in the same month last year.
The average price for all residential properties that sold in the Kitchener and Waterloo area was $304,379, up 0.7 per cent from a year earlier. Single-detached homes sold for an average of $332,358, up 0.9 per cent from the same month last year.
In Cambridge, 217 residential units were sold in October, up 8.5 per cent from the 200 homes that sold in the same month last year. The average price of all residential properties was $284,515, a 2.2 per cent increase compared to last October.
On a year-over-year basis, 5,574 residential units have sold in the Kitchener and Waterloo area in the first 10 months of the year, down two per cent. In Cambridge, 2,488 homes have changed hands so far this year, up 6.6 per cent from last year.
In the region as a whole, 8,062 residential units were sold in the first 10 months of the year. That represents an increase of about 1.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2010.
The strong sales in October point to a stable housing market in the area, said George Patton, president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors.
“Although all marketplaces are subject to month to month fluctuations, it is obvious that we have a strong, stable market in our region,” he said in a news release. “People have confidence in investing in the housing market in this area.
Info obtained from the Record.com
November 3, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwrealestatelife, loft, lofts, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
If your thinking of selling, does finishing a basement or deck make sense? – Waterloo Homes for sale
October 26, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lofts in kitchener, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
New Licensing Bylaw coming into effect for City of Waterloo – Waterloo Homes for sale -Kevin Baker
October 21, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, licensing, market update, real estate, real estate investing, rental | Leave a comment
Read the Condo Documents before you buy – Kitchener Condo and lofts for sale – 375 King street N
Yesterday I spoke with a friend of mine at 375 King street N, Waterloo and he was telling me about the board of his building trying to change the policies and making it student free. They still have to get 80% of the unit owners to agree but have a look at the video and hear some thoughts on why its important to read the condo documents before you buy
October 14, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, condo, condo documents, first time home buyer, for sale, full time realtor, home buying, home value, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, lofts, lofts in kitchener, real estate, Remax, special assessment, status certificate, waterloo ontario | 2 Comments
CONDO SALES REMAIN STRONG IN KITCHENER WATERLOO- Kitchener homes for sale
CONDO SALES REMAIN STRONG IN K-W
KITCHENER-WATERLOO (OCT 5th, 2011) – Residential sales to the end of the 3rd quarter of 2011 are behind last year by 2.9%. A total of 4,975 homes have sold to date this year through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS*) of the Kitchener – Waterloo Association of Realtors, compared with 5,126 during the same period last year.
Overall residential sales brought the dollar volume of $1,493,498,796, an increase of 0.8 % compared to a year ago.
While sales have been slightly behind last year’s results for most dwelling types, the condo market has been the notable exception. There have been 953 condo sales year-to-date, a 2.8 % increase compared to a year ago.
Stronger demand for condo’s has helped push up the average price up to 5% on a year to date basis. The average price of a detached home has increased 3.7% to $341,222.
Home sales were down last month by 4.7% over last year at this time. Interest rates continue to be low and its a great time for buyers who are entering the market for the first time, or those wishing to transition into a different kind of home, whether its trading up or downsizing.
October 7, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
KW Real Estate Life 