CENTURY 21 Trident Realty Ltd. - Blog

THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES GOES BEYOND HOME SALES

marg.bowlen@century21.ca — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

THE DIFFERENCE REALTORS® make in your communities goes far beyond Home Sales.

REALTORS® donate thousands to local charities and spend thousands of hours doing charitable work: in just the last year, REALTORS® in Nova Scotia raised well over $ 100,000 for charities, and much more that has not been reported through the association.

REALTORS® help sustain a healthy economy through the economic spinoff of MLS® sales in Nova Scotia. This includes spending on insurance, mortgages, new furniture, new appliances and moving services, to name a few.

REALTORS® believe that a strong economy and a strong job market for Nova Scotians remains the single biggest key to our quality of lilfe.

Nova Scotia REALTORS® meet with MPs twice a year – NSAR’s Government Relations Committee meet with our local MPs in their constituency offices as well as meeting with them in Ottawa. Building relationships with elected officials helps NSAR to move forward on projects that help all Nova Scotians. Feedback was provided and input given on the details of the New Home Construction Rebate that was introduced in 2009 to make it more affordable for 1500 homebuyers to purchase a new home. As well, members of the association provided input on other provincial issues including the Condo Act, the Wetlands Protection Policy and Oil Spill Regulation.

REALTORS® Enhance Quality of Life for Nova Scotians

Because the real estate industry impacts our province economically, environmentally and socially, NSAR and its REALTOR® members have a responsibility to recognize this in all aspects of what we do. REALTORS® are committed to helping to improve the quality of life for all those living in the province. The association uses five important quality of life principles to guide its government relations efforts:

Economic Vitality

Housing Opportunities

Preserving the environment

Protecting property owners

Building better communities

As much as we sometimes get some bad press, remember we are an industry that works hard to provide a service and also does much in giving back to our clients, our communities and our province.

Monthly Stats

marg.bowlen@century21.ca — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Halifax Regional Municipality continues to outdo the national average. When comparing the numbers to the end of September 2010 to the same period of 2009, our numbers are encouraging.

Listings are down slightly at 2.25% and sales only down by 1.17% - The good news is that our average prices are still up over last year. Buyers have plenty of choices - Sellers have to be a little more patient - Overall a stable market -

With interest rates holding there is no reason that our area should not see a strong fall market and plenty of optimism going into 2011.

August 2010 Stats

marg.bowlen@century21.ca — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Halifax region continues to have an active market contrary to what we see reported on the national news. The problem with the national statistics, is just that, it's national.

Our area continues to see increases in the average price of homes when compared to the same time period last year. The unit numbers show a slight decline of less than 2% in the number of active listings, but the sales show a slight increase of .39% -

As with any market, there are pockets of the market that are not as active as others, but that happens regardless of how active or inactive the market is.

Sellers need to price their properties to sell and buyers need to be prepared to act once they find the home they are looking for. We have seen an increase in multiple offer situations in certain price ranges.

The fall market should be a good one and will, in my prediction, remain a balanced market.

Landscape to Add Value

marg.bowlen@century21.ca — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If you are itching to add value to your home, consider landscaping. Landscaping projects can vary greatly in cost, while offering better opportunity for anxious homeowners to manage a large part of the project themselves. This will dramatically increase their ROI (Return on Investment)

If you are considering selling your home, you will want good curb appeal - A well landscaped home will give would-be purchasers that good first impression - this can lead to a quicker sale.

Flowers - whether improving an existing flower bed or creating a new one, flowers bring colour to your yard, add a pleasant fragrance to the air, and attract birds and butterflies. Discuss your thoughts, budget and site factors with a local nursery.

Mulch - the simplest and leat expensive way to make a big impact to your property. Mulch is an eco-friendly choice and can define spaces, add colour and texture, save you time and dramatically change the overall look of your yard.

Lawns - From simple over-seeding to thicken the grass to filling in patches to resodding, improving your lawn often involves labour you can provide yourself.

Shrubs and trees - they add colour and texture and can even block out unsightly neighouring yards and houses. This could likely be the most costly landscaping project, so give careful consideration in your planning and your budget.