It's hard to believe that February is almost behind us. It was a whirlwind for sure! And now comes the exciting time when March teases us about spring but never actually comes through with any consistent spring weather. And really, it shouldn't because it's still winter whether we like it or not! But step into any mall and it's full swing spring and almost summer according to the fashions and colours alive in all the display windows.
This is also a time when people think about planning vacations and going to the cottage and some think about buying additional property for a year round vacation home and/or an investment.
There is a great little article about vacation home buying and the new CMHC regulations regarding the purchase of secondary properties in the Ottawa Citizen today.
Click here to read it.
Enjoy your weekend!
Joanne
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wish vs Want when considering a new home.
It's a good idea to write out a list before looking at properties. It's almost as important as getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Some couples may save a lot of disagreeing by making up 'his' and 'her' lists also:)
We all have big dreams. Dreams are free so that part is easy. But then comes reality and practicality right behind dreamland, forcing us to get down to the nitty gritty of what we can afford, what we NEED and what we WANT. This is where the list comes in handy. Write down everything you would love to have in your new home i.e. 2.5 bathrooms, an ensuite, an open family room to kitchen, number of bedrooms, floor finishes etc. And then go through that same list and rate everything 1, 2 and 3. 1 is 'have to have' and 2 and 3 follow. 2 could be if budget affords and 3 could be something to add later down the road i.e. an improvement when the money flow is better.
Doing this exercise will really help with expectations and allow you to set realistic goals-especially if there are two people involved in the buying process. You can make more rationale decisions when they are on paper and you have had some time to process them. This will help both you and your agent narrow in on properties that fit your criteria and in the end, will save you lots of time and avoid too much conflict.
As always, I love to hear from current, past and prospective clients! I'm available for any questions you may have or to meet with you about your needs.
Working for you every day!
Joanne
Monday, February 7, 2011
February in the Capital
Let is snow! Let it snow! This seemed to be the theme not just in Ottawa but throughout parts of Canada and the U.S. I'm sure we all watched a lot of news and weather on t.v. where scenes of 'how high the snow could get' were shown everywhere. It was almost like a competition or at the very least, a novelty, especially in places like Texas where it's not uncommon to wear flip flops year round. And while Ottawa enjoyed a 'snow day' from the real world on Wednesday, we didn't get nearly the snow the others did and really, according to many, calling it a snow day was overkill!
The good news is, according to a very reliable source aka Mr. Groundhog, we will have an early spring! Take all of this with a grain of salt as I'm not sure Mr. Groundhog was even able to burrow out of his hole to see if he could see his shadow:) But the idea of an early spring certainly is good news and makes for a great daydream!
February in the Capital definitely embraces the winter as Winterlude begins today! Three weekends of outdoor activities including snow and ice sculpture competitions, tubing down the hills of J Cartier park, skating on the world's longest skating rink (which is in great condition due to the snow and steady temperatures) and of course the yummy food huts sprinkled between all the other points of interest. Enjoy! Enjoy!
For your guide to Winterlude go here.
Joanne
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