What are the advantages to using a REALTOR® in purchasing or selling a home?
When you are selling your home, a REALTOR who knows the local market can help you set a fair market price. You want to get the most for your home, but overpricing can prolong the time it sits on the market making it even more difficult to sell. A REALTOR can help you show your home to potential Buyers to its best advantage. They will advise prospects of all aspects and conditions of your home, and protect you from later objections. An Agent can also help you with the home-buying process. Buying a home can be financially intimidating, but a REALTOR can help you determine how much home you can afford and show you some financing methods. The goal of home ownership remains one of the most commonly shared ones, and a REALTOR can show you how to make it achievable. A REALTOR is familiar with all the local and current real estate values, taxes, costs, and services that could affect your purchase. Your REALTOR can show you the homes best suited to your needs, and can also suggest simple changes that could make a home a good choice. It helps to have some one both objective and knowledgeable when looking at a home to buy!
What is title insurance? How can it help me ?
There are a range of policies that can vary, depending on the insurer and who the policy is intended to protect. Typical risks that are covered are; the title to the property becoming unmarketable for some reason, violations of zoning by-law, construction liens that may be discovered, or a document relating to the title is not registered properly or mistakenly registered against the title. There are many more risks that are covered, mostly Title Insurance protects the marketability of the title to a property. What are the benefits? Purchasing title insurance can sometimes eliminate the need for a new survey of the property by a lender, which saves money. It can increase the marketability of a property by assuring potential buyers and their lender that the title is protected. It can also insure over title problems at closing, that may affect the timely closing of a property. Title insurance is purchased through your lawyer, there are several companies offering this type of insurance to homeowners.
Is right now a good time to buy? What about sell? Should I wait?
The real estate market in Canada is levelling off after a few years where prices just kept going up. Our area the market is doing great. The market has increased 1.5 % over the last year. Homes that are priced right are selling. Interest rates are at a low so its a great time to get in on the real estate market. Considering that other investments are a little bit more risky, and some people have lost money lately, real estate remains a solid investment. One thing has remained constant about real estate in Canada – over the long term, it has not only given us the pride of home ownership, but it has paid off as an investment.
I want to buy my first home, what's the first step?
So you've been saving money for a down payment, your tired of giving your money away renting every month. What do you do now? The very first step is to start looking at financing. My recommendation would be to contact a few different lending sources. Start with your bank. There are also mortgage brokers and private lenders who deal in mortgages. Feel free to contact me if you feel you need some help in choosing a few to talk to. I love to answer questions and will do my best to point you in the right direction. When meeting with these lenders, its very important to find out, what will the interest rate be on their loan and do they have any prepayment privileges ?( these can save you a lot in the future if you take advantage of them). After you have found a lender you are comfortable with, and you know how much you want to spend; you can finally begin to start looking at property. That's where a good real estate sales person like myself can be indespensible. I can help you find a home within your budget, that meets your specifications, and protect your interests throughout the buying process. As a buyer there is no additional cost to use a REALTOR, the cost is usually paid by the seller from the proceeds of the sale. If you are interested in buying a home, even if its not one of the homes listed here, feel free to give me a call. There's no obligation, I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
