Thinking of Buying a Resale Home?

We came across a great article written by  Mark Weisleder ( a Real Estate lawyer, author and speaker) for the Toronto Star entitled “5 things to consider when buying a resale home”. Here are some of the points he discusses in his article:

1.      Get information from the seller – some sellers have a professional home inspector inspect their home before they put their property on the market and are willing to give the buyer a copy of the report. Some sellers may also provide potential buyers with a home history report. However, even if this information is provided, buyers should have their own home inspection done.

2.      Ask the sellers questions – ask the seller or the seller’s REALTOR® if there has ever been any problems with flooding or roof leaks. By law, sellers are required to respond truthfully if asked directly.  

3.      Talk to the neighbours – it is a great idea to walk around the community and ask people about the neighbourhood. 

4.      Include clauses in your offer– Make sure your offer includes a list of everything you expect to be left in the house. 

5.      Get pre-approved for a mortgage – it is very important to get pre-approved by a professional mortgage broker or bank before submitting an offer on a house so you know how much you can afford – be aware that if your lender thinks you paid too much, they will not lend you the amount of money you may be expecting.

To read Mark Weisleder’s full article, click here.

If you or someone you care about is thinking of making a move or if you just want some general information about the Real Estate market in your area, please don’t hesitate to give us a call, we would love to talk to you!

Until next time,

The Jamie Dann Team

Preparing for a Summer Move

We came across a great summer article from Realtor.com and thought we would share the information we found with our readers.  Summer is the busiest season for moving, here are 10 tips that may make your summer move go a little more smoothly.

1.       Once you have “signed on the dotted line” and purchased your new home, the first decision that should be made is how you will be getting all of your “stuff” from your current place to your new home. Do you hire a company to move you or do you do it yourself?

2.       Plan, plan, plan where everything will go in the new house – write down where each item should go in the new house before packing and then pack accordingly – have the list with you on moving day.

3.       It is never too early to start packing and when you do, as wise idea is to divide everything into categories such as: Donate to charity; Give to a friend; Recycle; Trash; Pack now; and Keep handy until Moving Day.

4.       If you have children, try to arrange for daycare or have a friend watch your children on the day of the move – if this is not possible, make sure to set up a safe place for the children to play in the new house.

5.       Remember your pets – moving can be very stressful for your pet – consider boarding them for moving day or have a friend watch them for the day.

6.       If items need to be taken apart for the move, make sure to keep the small parts in clearly marked bags and then keep all of the bags together in one box, take the box with you personally on moving day.

7.       Take photos of how electronics, computers, TV’s etc. are hooked up before disconnecting them for the move – keep all of the wires and cords together and clearly mark which device each one is for – personally carry them on moving day.

8.       Dispose of as many hazardous chemicals as possible before your move (detergents, pesticides, paint, etc.) – call your city’s hazardous waste department for information about proper disposal in your area – for hazardous chemicals you have to take with you, pack them in a small box and then pack that box in a larger box to protect against leakage – do not overstuff boxes with hazardous materials – seal the boxes containing these items very well, mark them very clearly and keep them separate from the rest of the boxes, especially if you have children or pets.

9.       If you have decided to use a professional mover consider getting full value insurance protection.

10.   If using a professional mover, know your rights.

We hope these tips are helpful to you – to read the full article click here.

If you or someone you care about is thinking of making a move or if you just want some general information about the Real Estate market in your area, please don’t hesitate to give us a call, we would love to talk to you!

Until next time,

The Jamie Dann Team