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
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
Do a Final Walk Through Before Closing and Why its so Important – Kitchener Homes for sale
So Closing day is only days away, the packing is still going on, you have boxes filling every room in the house. Your agent calls and asks if you would like to do a final walk through of the home. Even though you are crazy busy it is still a necessary and important part of the process. Have a look at the video to why…
February 15, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Video Blogs | Tags: condo, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, westvale | Leave a comment
Do a Home Inspection on Every House You Buy – Kitchener Waterloo homes for sale
Please make sure that when you are doing your offer to purchase with your Realtor that you include a clause that allows you the right to do a home inspection. Have a look at the video to hear why this is in important part of any offer.
February 6, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Video Blogs | Tags: condo, first time home buyer, home buying, home inspection, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, kwrealestatelife, real estate, real estate investing, realty, Remax, twin city, waterloo, 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
Mortgage Pre Approvals. Why they are a good idea! – Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate, Homes and condos online
Before you start your home buying search a great first step is to get a mortgage preapproval from your bank or mortgage broker. There are a few key reasons as to why. Have a look at this video to hear some helpful advice.
December 12, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Video Blogs | Tags: Bank of Canada, banking practices, condo, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lofts, market update, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Inspectors, Realtors, Mortage Brokers, Lawyers… Putting together the right group – Kitchener Homes for sale
Part 2 in my series on what buyers should be aware of when looking for a new place. Make sure you put together a great group of professionals to help you with the process. Have a look at the video to hear my thoughts….
December 9, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Video Blogs | Tags: condo, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home inpspectors, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, lawyers, loft, market update, mortage brokers, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, teamwork | 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
Special Assessments when buying a condo or loft – Kitchener Condos for sale
August 24, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: assessment, condo, condo buying, first time home buyer, home buying, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, loft buying, lofts in kitchener, real estate, Remax, special assessemnt, status certificate, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Mortgages…Read the documents before you sign – Kitchener Homes for sale
Make sure you always read the paperwork before you sign any mortgage or legal documents. Have a look at the video to see my thoughts….
June 27, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Video Tour of 193 Springfield Cres, Waterloo
May 15, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, home buying, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
April Showers bring a slight slow down in Activity
The month of April showed a slow down in activity vs. the previous year. Keep in mind the weather has been terrible and we are still competing with the brisk PRE-H.S.T. market of 2010. See below for the report from the Kitchener-Waterloo Real estate board.
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (May 4, 2011) –Sales of residential properties via the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) were slower than usual for April.
There were a total of 614 residential properties sold last month, a 14.4 percent decrease compared to April of last year, and 47 sales shy of the previous five year’s average.
“Given the record breaking wet weather that dominated this past April, it is probable that this had the effect of slowing the start of the spring selling season,” says George Patton, President of KWAR. “Add to this the distraction of the royal wedding and people’s attention being given to the federal election and you have ample reasons for buyers lowering their home searching priority.”
April’s sales included 416 detached homes, 120 condominium units, 45 semis and 30 townhouses.
“Once again we are noting a shift in where the activity is taking place on the price scale,” says Patton. “Last April 35% of the homes sold for more than $300,000, this past April the number of homes selling above that price point made up 43% of the total homes sold.
The average sales price of all residential sales increased 5.6 percent to $310,704 compared with April 2010. While single detached homes sold for an average price of $350,442, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to last year. In the condominium market the average sale price in April increased 11.3 percent to $214,113 compared to the same month a year ago.
May 4, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: first time home buyer, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Thinking of buying new?
Here is one Option… East forest homes are one of the largest local builders in the region. Have a look at this video to hear more.
April 21, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo | Tags: first time home buyer, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, new construction, real estate investing | Leave a comment
Interest Rate announcement last week and what it means for Canadians
Here are some brief thoughts on the Fed’s announcement to keep rates at the same levels.
April 19, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video Blogs | Tags: Bank of Canada, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwrealestatelife, market update, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario | Leave a comment
Pricing your Home Effectively – Kitchener Homes for sale
Here is a quck video on pricing your home properly in this brisk spring market. If you have any questions feel free to email me at kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca
April 12, 2011 | Categories: Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized, Video Blogs | Tags: first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
Kitchener Waterloo Market Update for March
KITCHENER-WATERLOO’S REALTORS® POST SOLID HOME SALES IN MARCH KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (April 5, 2011) –Sales of residential properties via the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) ran slightly above the five-year average for the first quarter.
During the first quarter of 2011, there were a total of 1474 home sales, 10.4 percent below last year’s record for the same period.
“Residential real estate sales in the area continue to perform well,” says George Patton, President of KWAR. “We’ve not set any records yet this year, but a stable market is a good market.”
Home sales for the month of March totalled 608 units, 15.4 percent lower than the same month a year ago —also a record breaking period. Of those sales, there were 385 single detached homes, 116 condominium units, 61 semi-detached and 40 freehold townhouses.
Patton says he is paying attention to see what effect the recent mortgage rate increases by several of Canada’s big banks will mean for the typically busy spring real estate market. “By historical standards, mortgage rates are still pretty low,” he said. “With the economy continuing to strengthen, the housing market should stay balanced.”
While the most popular price range selling in March of last year was in the $225,000 to $250,000 category, making up 16.7% of the residential market, this month’s sales activity shifted to the higher price ranges, with nearly 15% of sales occurring in the $300,000 to $350,000 price range.
This has pushed the average sales price for all residential properties in the month of March up 5.4% to $298,671 compared with the same month a year ago. However, on a year-to-date basis, the average sale price has increased more gradually with a one percent increase to $290,148 relative to last year.
April 6, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: first time home buyer, fun fact, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, market update, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
KW Real Estate Life 