You’ve probably seen signs around the area for "Open House". You may have even attended a few. These are open invitations for potential buyers to drop by on a certain day and time, to check out the property and get more information.

When you’re listing your home for sale, you might wonder whether you’ll need to have an Open House. To answer that question, you’ll need to consider the pros and cons.

Planning and hosting an open house isn’t as easy as it may seem. There’s a lot of preparation involved. In addition, you’ll likely spend hours making your property look its best and you’ll need to be away from your home for a good part of that day.

That being said, an Open House has many advantages.

• It helps showcase features of your property that may not come across well in advertisements and listing descriptions.
• It attracts potential buyers who, for any number of reasons, might not otherwise call to view the home.
• It generates a buzz and publicity about your listing.
 
By working strategically with your real estate agent to schedule and organize a successful open house, you may just get a jump start on that sale!

Property Surveyors, sometimes referred to as land Surveyors, play a vital role in the real estate world. They are the professionals who determine or confirm the exact boundaries of a property.

Will you need to deal with a Property Surveyor when selling your home? You might.

Sometimes the mortgage lender will ask for a land survey, especially if your property is older and hasn’t changed hands in many years. You might also be asked for one by the buyer if there is any confusion about the size and boundaries of your property – or if significant changes have been made to it in recent years. This is nothing to be concerned about.

A qualified Property Surveyor will do the appropriate inspection and measurements on your property and issue you the survey. (It looks a little like a blueprint.) Property Surveyors are highly trained and licensed. In Canada, Professional Surveyors Canada (PSC) represents the profession nationally, and most provinces have their own professional associations.

Before getting a new land survey, make sure you don’t already have one. Hopefully, you’ve stored the paperwork that relates to the purchase of your home. Look through it. A valid land survey might be right there.

If you have questions about land surveys, call today!

The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 904 sales were processed through the RAHB Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System in December. Sales were 13.1 per cent higher than the same month last year and set a new high for the month of December. This was the sixth month in 2016 to see a new monthly sales record.

There were 714 properties listed in December, an increase of 3.8 per cent compared to December of last year and right on the 10-year average for new listings in the month.

“Consumers were shopping for more than Boxing Day sales this year,” said RAHB CEO George O’Neill. “December sales broke the record for December set only last year. The record sales for the month coupled with an average number of new listings means we are going into the new year with low inventory.”

“Clearly, home buyers – whether they are local or from outside our market area – are finding the Greater Hamilton-Burlington area an excellent place to invest their home-buying dollars,” added O’Neill.

Don't hesitate to contact me for information about your area or property!

If you’re thinking about making a move in the coming year (or you’re just mildly curious about the possibility), you could be well-served by being prepared in advance. Here are a few basic steps you can follow, in order to put yourself in a more advantageous position to respond when opportunity knocks.

1. minimize household clutter on an ongoing basis so your home will be organized and ready to list on the market without hesitation.

2. take care of your current real estate investment by completing necessary maintenance repairs and renovation improvements.

3. keep up with national trends, local market conditions and available opportunities.

4. secure a pre-approved mortgage.

I can help. All you have to do is give me a call. I can fill you in on what’s happening in the local market, give you some tips on home improvements and help you prepare so you can  make the best decision when you’re ready.