When I was a kid, I used to read a series of mystery books involving the Hardy Boys. Each book would see the brothers tackle and solve a mystery. Real estate doesn't have many but recently, when a client took possession of their resale home, a mystery ensued.
Remember the excitement of buying your first home? As a Realtor, the experience ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on January 21, 2011
While November has a reputation for dismal weather, real estate sales in the Twin Cities this past month were bright and sunny. Residential MLS sales for Kitchener-Waterloo totalled 365 in November versus 413 for November 2009. For those keeping track, this represents a 12 per cent decline. However, it's interesting to note that in November, ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on December 2, 2010
Power of sale activity on the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board rocketed higher in June 2010. Active MLS residential listings in mid-July totalled 18. This represents a sharp increase over the 13 and 10 active listings in mid-June and May respectively. Of note, 17 are located in Kitchener and 1 in Waterloo and the great majority of listings are concentrated under ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on July 16, 2010
This is a popular question from my first-time buyers. So what is title insurance? It's an insurance policy that protects residential property owners and their lender against losses related to the property's title or ownership. Likely the biggest reason to get title insurance is protection against title fraud. For a complete primer on title insurance in Ontario, visit ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on July 12, 2010
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
on November 17, 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
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
on October 2, 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
on August 26, 2009
Residential real estate in June 2009 provided a bit of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy economy. Kitchener-Waterloo shows approx. 569 sales through the Multiple Listing Service which surpassed June 2008's total of 564. Of note, 75% of sales were under $300 000 and new construction accounted for only 6% of the totals. The average days on the market ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on July 3, 2009
In my last post, we looked at the consequences of higher interest rates upon the renewal of your mortgage. Here are 10 tips designed to protect you from becoming overextended financially in this event.
1. Don't buy too much home. Avoid the temptation to overspend based on what you qualify for. Downsize your expectations and upgrade when you have more equity. Remember ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on July 3, 2009