CENTURY 21 John DeVries Ltd. - Blog

Father's day Open House

bani.ahara@century21.ca — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

WOW! is all I can say about this beautiful home! It is a hidden treasure! If you are looking for a resort living and yet be minutes from Kanata and Ottawa, this is the house for you. I am hosting an open house this Sunday - June 16th 2-4 pm, come and see this beauty! 1527 Bearhill Rd (off March Rd) - exit 155 Queensway West

Resort style bungalow on beautiful 2 acre lot with heated, in-ground pool and breath taking landscaping. Must see! Walk to Greensmere Golf Course. Click on the link below for details on this home: http://www.century21.ca/gladys.baart/Property/ON/K0A_1L0/Carp/BEARHILL/1527

Ottawa Real Estate Board May Report.

david.armstrong@century21.ca — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

As the weather heats up the real estate market has cooled slightly. This is a reflection of the mortgage rule changes that occurred in late 2012 and were designed to have just this impact on the real estate market. It's also the impact of the uncertainty in the job market, specifically the Federal Government in Ottawa.

But it's by no means doom and gloom. The unit sales for all property classes is down 4.6% compared to May 2012 but with 1804 units sold is above the 5 year average of 1802. Nobody has been complaining about the down real estate market for the past 5 years and there is no reason to start now. To see the full Ottawa Real Estate Board Market Report for May 2013 click here.

Condominium sales are down 9.9% and prices are down 2.3% but this is most likely a reflection of intense competition from new condo developments many of which don't get sold through the MLS system. Older condo buildings are having to compete with more modern buildings offering higher ceilings, in unit laundry, modern facilities and modern features. It makes it more challenging to sell the older units but people who want space for a more reasonable price will be buying in the older buildings.

The average sale price for residential units excluding condos is up 2.3% over May 2012, again emphasizing that the real estate market is ok. With interest rates remaining low, many Canadians stating that they plan to buy and a good inventory of homes to choose from, I expect the market to remain balanced but for sellers this will mean that homes sales will take a little longer to happen and you must price your home competitively, stage it well and be prepared to negotiate when a buyer steps up or your home may sit on the market.

Need more detailed information about your local market. We are happy to provide you with a no obligation Marketing Evaluation.

Christ Church Huntley to Celebrate 175th Anniversary

connie.rivingtonhowie@century21.ca — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

One of the benefits of living in a small town is your access to tradition! I am lucky to live in the Village of Carp, now a suberb of Ottawa. There are many traditions here to enjoy. Some of the most notable are the Carp Fair, the Drive-In Bingos, the Opening of the Outdoor Rink, the Carp Farmer's Market and the Euchre Events. The original settlers of the area also had traditons. Theirs were mostly centered around the church. Today the local residents are proud of their churches and their history.

This year, Christ Church Huntley will celebrate its 175th Anniversary.

My ancestor, John Cavanagh, donated the land on which the church and cemetry are built. As part of the donation he was granted the right to sit in the first pew on the right hand side of the church. In those days, this was the most expensive seating in the church. This seating tradition is still upheld today by his direct descendant, Mary Cavanagh and her family.

My husband, Steve Howie and I were fortunate to be wed in the church in 1991. Steve grew-up in Stittsville and I grew-up in Carp. My Mother said we were following tradition as her Great Grandmother from Stittsville, was wed in the church 100 years before to a Cavanagh from Carp.

There are many events planned to celebrate this happy anniversary. I hope you will join in the celebrations - whether you are new or old to the area. That's the great thing about traditions - they can be carried-on or can be declared the first of many.

Sat. May 25, 2013 6 PM Anniversary Dinner & Dance
Carp Ag. Hall. Tickets $30.00,
Children 12 and under and under $15.00. (Tickets available at the Parish Office). The Bishop and many of our previous Rectors will be joining us for this special event!

Sun. June 2, 2013 2:30 PM Christ Church 175th Anniversary Cemetery Service. Reception. Historical Displays in the Church.

Sun. Nov. 10, 2013. 10:00 AM Christ Church 175^th Anniversary Service.
Bishop & Mrs. Chapman attending.
Reception. Historical displays in the Church.

Sun. Sept. 8, 2013. 175^th Anniversary GOLF TOURNAMENT at Glenmar Golf Course. More details available soon from Barb Downey and committee. Info: 836-4213

The Parish Office can be reached at 613-839-3195, huntleypriest@bellnet.ca and www.huntleyparish.com

Ottawa Real Estate Board April Report

david.armstrong@century21.ca — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

An upswing in sales for the April market

Ottawa, May 3, 2013 - Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,573 residential properties in April through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with 1,568 in April 2012, an increase of 0.3 per cent.

“The Ottawa market is doing well, and gaining ground back since the “cool-down” of the market for the past five months,” says Tim Lee, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. “We are on par with the strong sales of last April, and the resale market is up 34.9 per cent since last month. With the late onset of warmer weather, the traditional “spring market” saw its upswing a little later this year. With interest rates continuing to be low, Ottawa remains a healthy, stable market.”

April’s sales included 302 in the condominium property class, and 1,271 in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in April in the Ottawa area was $371,565, an increase of 2.1 per cent over April 2012. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $266,596, a decrease of 2.3 per cent over April 2012. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $396,507, an increase of 2.9 per cent over April 2012. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time 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.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of over 2,900 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

David's Comments:

Statistically, the numbers are positive with a slight increase in the volume of sale compared to 2012 in the residential sector but of significant interest is the increase in competition in the market place. In residential listings YTD there are 5.85% more new listings than in 2012 and in April that increase was by 12.8% and inventory (number of homes available for sale) is up 14.2% compared to April 2012. This means that there are more choices for buyers, they are taking more time to look at homes and there is less pressure to "buy now". If you are selling your home you will need to be patient, price your home competitively and be prepared to negotiate with any buyers that come to the table.

In conclusion, the media has been painting a doom and gloom picture of Real Estate in Ottawa! The stats don't support that, the market is strong and positive just more competitive than the past year. If you need more information or would like a copy of the full OREB report feel free to contact me.