The local improvement in economic conditions appears to have led to fewer Power of Sale properties in October. Active listings under Power of Sale as of November 15th totalled 11 versus 12 in mid-October. Of these, 10 are in Kitchener and 1 in Waterloo.
Properties bought under Power of Sale in October declined to 10 versus 17 in September. Of note, there ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on November 17, 2009
As Realtors, we often struggle with how to describe rundown homes without offending the seller. Everyone has heard the real estate euphemisms "needs TLC"(tender loving care) and "lots of potential".
While researching the history of a home a buyer has interest in, I came across this subtle gem from 1995. In the Realtor remarks, the listing salesperson indicated the "owner retired ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on October 25, 2009
As of October 15th, there were 12 active residential MLS listings under Power of Sale in Kitchener-Waterloo. This marks a slight increase over the 11 in September. Of note, 2 were in Waterloo and the remaining 10 in Kitchener.
As for sales, September saw 17 residential properties sold under Power of Sale in K-W through the Multiple Listing Service. ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on October 21, 2009
The Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board reports 375 sales in K-W for September 2009 which represents a 15% decline over the 441 sales reported in September 2008. Of note, the end of $0 down and 40 year amortization program was rapidly approaching in September 2008 and sales were artificially high as a result. The median price for September 2009 sales in K-W was a September record ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on October 4, 2009
A recent headline in the Toronto Star read "Credit Card Defaults at Record Level". It indicated a record level of accounts being written off as uncollectable for 3 straight quarters.
So what does this have to do with real estate? Most real estate buyers will need a mortgage. As part of the approval process, the lenders will turn to a credit reporting agency to determine ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on October 2, 2009
As of September 15, 2009 there were 11 active listings under Power of Sale in K-W. This represents a significant decline over the 19 in mid-August. Of note, all 11 were in Kitchener. As expected, the active market resulted in the sale of 16 Power of Sale properties in August versus 9 in July. The low level of homes for sale will continue to mean Power ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on September 18, 2009
Real estate sales have defied expert predictions as evidenced by Vancouver sales rocketing ahead 117% year-over-year http://tinyurl.com/lmpz9g However, markets are local in nature so let's look at the Kitchener-Waterloo market year-to-date and where the market is heading in the months to come.
Year-to-date MLS sales to the end of August '09 totalled 3422 versus ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on September 16, 2009
The Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board has released August 2009 sales data. In K-W, there were 482 sales matching a record set in 2007. The average price declined from August 2008 by slightly more than $10 000 and the median price dipped to $237,200 versus $242,000 in August 2008. Condominium sales were up 67% over August 2008 as record interest rates improved affordability. ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on September 3, 2009
With the real estate market having improved considerably since May, I thought it time to revisit the topic of million dollar home sales reported through MLS in Kitchener-Waterloo. Year-to-date, there have been 2 sales including the one pictured above. It has over 8000 sq ft of living space and sits on 1.5 acres in scenic Hidden Valley. There are currently 18 active listings ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on August 31, 2009
I get asked this question often by buyers and sellers of new or newer homes. Why should I spend $400 for a home inspection? Isn't it covered by the Ontario Tarion warranty program? My answer is always the same...spend the money. It will give you peace of mind and may save you grief at resale time. I recommend taking a home inspector along for your pre-delivery ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
@ 12:00 AM
on August 26, 2009