Offer Price and Fair Market Value – Kitchener Waterloo Condos for Sale
So you have found the right condo…. now its offer time, but what price to offer. Here is where a Realtor can help. Knowing what fair market value of a home is extremely important in determining what to offer on the condo of your dreams. You don’t want to overpay for something based on emotion. Watch the video to hear my thoughts on why this is an important consideration in your next home purchase
January 10, 2012 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Loft Style, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, downsizing, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, ktichener, kwhometeam, loft, loft apartments, loft selling, market update, real estate, realtor, remax, twin city realty, waterloo | Leave a comment
Do Your Due Diligence when looking for your next Condo or Loft – Kitchener Waterloo Condo for sale
The buying process can be a confusion one at the best of times and its easy to forget things with all the stress of looking, doing offers etc. Make sure you make a list of wants, needs and the important things you are looking for in a new home. Have a look at the video to hear my thougths on some of the important ones.
December 29, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Loft Style, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, loft apartments, loft buying, loft selling, real estate, remax, twin city realty, waterloo | Leave a comment
Mortgage Pre Approvals.. why they are a good idea! – Kitchener Waterloo Condos for sale
Before you start your home buying search a great first step is to get a mortgage preapproval from your bank or mortgage broker. There are a few key reasons as to why. Have a look at this video to hear some helpful advice.
December 12, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, New Construction, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, downsizing, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, ktichener, kwhometeam, loft, loft apartments, loft buying, market update, mortgage, mortgage brokers, mortgage news, mortgage rates, new construction, real estate, realtor, remax, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
Inspectors, Lawyers, Mortgage Brokers and Realtors. Putting together the right group – Waterloo Homes for sale
Part 2 in my series on what buyers should be aware of when looking for a new place. Make sure you put together a great group of professionals to help you with the process. Have a look at the video to hear my thoughts….
December 9, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Video | Tags: agents, condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, home inspectors, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, lawyers, loft, loft apartments, loft buying, market update, mortgage brokers, real estate, realtor, remax, sales reps, twin city realty | Leave a comment
Less than 25% of Condos For Sale are in the paper or open house- Waterloo Condos and lofts for sale
November 25, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, downsizing, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, loft apartments, loft buying, loft selling, market update, newspaper ads, open house, real estate, remax, twin city realty, update | Leave a comment
Waterloo Region house sales going strong in October- Kitchener Waterloo Market Update
Waterloo Region house sales gained momentum in October
WATERLOO REGION — House sales in Waterloo Region picked up steam in October, with the real estate boards in Kitchener and Waterloo, and Cambridge both reporting marked increases in the number sales compared to a year earlier.
Prices, meanwhile, remained stable, with slight year-over-year.
In Kitchener and Waterloo, the 470 residential sales in October represented a 4.9 per cent increase over the 448 sales in the same month last year.
The average price for all residential properties that sold in the Kitchener and Waterloo area was $304,379, up 0.7 per cent from a year earlier. Single-detached homes sold for an average of $332,358, up 0.9 per cent from the same month last year.
In Cambridge, 217 residential units were sold in October, up 8.5 per cent from the 200 homes that sold in the same month last year. The average price of all residential properties was $284,515, a 2.2 per cent increase compared to last October.
On a year-over-year basis, 5,574 residential units have sold in the Kitchener and Waterloo area in the first 10 months of the year, down two per cent. In Cambridge, 2,488 homes have changed hands so far this year, up 6.6 per cent from last year.
In the region as a whole, 8,062 residential units were sold in the first 10 months of the year. That represents an increase of about 1.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2010.
The strong sales in October point to a stable housing market in the area, said George Patton, president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors.
“Although all marketplaces are subject to month to month fluctuations, it is obvious that we have a strong, stable market in our region,” he said in a news release. “People have confidence in investing in the housing market in this area.”
Val Brooks, president of the Real Estate Board of Cambridge, said the sustained strength of the market “reflects the consumer confidence in the region.”
Info obtained from the Record.com
November 3, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, market update, new construction, real estate, remax, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
New Licensing bylaw coming for City of Waterloo – Waterloo Condos for sale – Kevin Baker
Recently I went to a seminar on the new bylaw that is coming for the city of Waterloo covering the licensing of Landlords renting out their units/buildings. The Bylaw comes into effect on April 1, 2012 and is something to pay attention to if you currently rent out a unit or building in Waterloo or are thinking of buying a property. Have a look at the video to hear my thoughts.
October 21, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, landlords, license, loft, loft selling, market update, real estate, remax, student, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
Read the Condo Documents before Buying – Waterloo Condo and lofts for sale
Yesterday I spoke with a friend of mine at 375 King street N, Waterloo and he was telling me about the board of his building trying to change the policies and making it student free. They still have to get 80% of the unit owners to agree but have a look at the video and hear some thoughts on why its important to read the condo documents before you buy.
October 14, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Loft Style, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, downsizing, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, loft buying, loft selling, market, market update, real estate, remax, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
CONDO SALES REMAIN STRONG IN K-W – Waterloo homes and condos for sale
CONDO SALES REMAIN STRONG IN K-W
KITCHENER-WATERLOO (OCT 5th, 2011) – Residential sales to the end of the 3rd quarter of 2011 are behind last year by 2.9%. A total of 4,975 homes have sold to date this year through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS*) of the Kitchener – Waterloo Association of Realtors, compared with 5,126 during the same period last year.
Overall residential sales brought the dollar volume of $1,493,498,796, an increase of 0.8 % compared to a year ago. While sales have been slightly behind last year’s results for most dwelling types, the condo market has been the notable exception.
There have been 953 condo sales year-to-date, a 2.8 % increase compared to a year ago. Stronger demand for condo’s has helped push up the average price up to 5% on a year to date basis. The average price of a detached home has increased 3.7% to $341,222. Home sales were down last month by 4.7% over last year at this time.
Interest rates continue to be low and its a great time for buyers who are entering the market for the first time, or those wishing to transition into a different kind of home, whether its trading up or downsizing.
October 7, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, loft buying, loft selling, market, market update, real estate, remax, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
Special Assessements When Buying a Loft or Condo – Waterloo Condo and Loft
If you have been looking for a new condo or loft in the Kitchener Waterloo area make sure that you get a status certificate on the building and have your lawyer do a good look through of the documents… Watch the video to hear my thoughts as to why.
August 24, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, Loft Style, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo buying, condo selling, condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, loft, loft apartments, loft buying, loft selling, real estate, remax, special assessement, status certificate, twin city realty, waterloo | Leave a comment
Read the documents before signing – Waterloo Homes and condo for sale
If you are in the process of buying your first home or moving up to a larger one… make sure you read the mortgage documents before signing. See the video to hear my thoughts…..
June 27, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Sellers, Video | Tags: condo units, first time buyer, kevin baker, kitchener, kwhometeam, loft, loft apartments, market update, mortgage, mortgage news, mortgage rates, real estate, remax, twin city realty, update, waterloo | Leave a comment
Kitchener Condo developer gets $200,000 boost for Grants into home ownership
$200,000 Grants for Options For Homes Ownership Assistance in Kitchener
First-of-its-kind Home Ownership
Kitchener – For many, the purchase of a new home is the single largest financial decision made in one’s lifetime. This is especialy true for first-time buyers.
At such a time, it is easy to let excitement cloud the magnitude of costs that go into purchasing a home. Taking the next step into home ownership can seem overwhelming when considering a mortgage and/or condo fees, not to mention saving for the initial down payment.
Options for Homes is proud to announce that it has secured access to $200,000 loan financing to assist individuals looking to purchase their first home. The loans are provided by Home Ownership Alternatives Non-Profit Corporation, a mortgage brokerage licensed with the province. This is the first time in Kitchener that such a program has been offered.
Up to $10,000 per applicant is available in a loan to use towards the required down payment of a new property. The loan requires no payments until the unit is re-sold sometime in the future.
The program does not provide 100% of the required down payment. Successful applicants must have some personal funds to contribute to the initial purchase. For example, a prospective home buyer can approach Options for Homes with a as little as a $1000 down payment and apply to make arrangements for the balance of the 5% down payment.
“With 80% of Tanglewood purchasers being first-time buyers, there is a need to support individuals to make home ownership possible,” says Jan Ciuciura of Options for Homes. “We have found that mortgage payments are not the largest deterrent in the decision to buy, but rather saving for the initial down payments. Thanks to Home Ownership Alternatives, we now have a tool that works to help first-time buyers to make their dreams come true.”
The loans are available to be used at Options for Homes’ 120 units Tanglewood Condominium project, located in the community of Laurentian Hills in the southwest corner of Kitchener. These multi-generation units, ranging from Bachelor to Three Bedroom apartments, cost between $120,000 and $260,000. From Kwnow.
February 10, 2011 | Categories: Buyers, Kitchener Waterloo, New Construction, Sellers | Tags: condo units, downsizing, first time buyer, housing grants, kitchener, loft, loft apartments, lofts, new construction, options for homes, tanglewood condo, waterloo | Leave a comment
KW Condos and Lofts.com 