All things Real Estate

Showing Property

2010-01-24T13:53:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to show some new clients a house in Greater Napanee last week. The house is vacant so setting up an appointment was no problem, and I had them in within a couple of hours.

The house itself needs a ton of work, especially on the inside as the previous owner severely neglected and even mistreated the home. There were holes punched into the drywall on the main level and the deck needed some major repairs, but the basement is where the big problem lies. It is evident that there was some sort of water problem in parts of the basement. Whether there was a minor leak that went unnoticed for a while, or if a pipe burst there is definitely signs that there was a big problem. It seems that the problem had been addressed though as the drywall was cut half way up the wall and insulation was removed. One other issue we noticed was that the well is on a trickle system which indicates that the well is probably not giving a very good gallons per minute. Trickle systems work really well though and it didn't seem to bother my clients as they have experience with them.

My clients are a retired couple and they do seem very interested in the house, as the price range works for them and the husband seems to be up to the challenge of the extensive renovations that are needed. The trick is getting the right price as the house itself probably needs about $30-40 thousand worth of work. All said and done though the house would be really nice and the value would definitely be there when it is time to resell. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a house flipper scoop the place up at a bargain and renovate.

It looks like I will know more tomorrow on whether or not my clients want to move forward with an offer. It may prove to be a difficult transaction as there are many issues that need attention.

Recycled tires for your roof!

2009-12-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

I recently read an article about a Canadian Company named EuroSheild that produces an alternative for roofing materials. The impressive thing about this company is the fact that they use old tires to produce their product.

As everyone knows old tires are a big problem for the landfills. Eurosheild collects discarded tires to produce a roof covering that has a 75-85% recycled rubber content. When an average home uses anywhere from 600 to 1000 old tires for the production of the tiles, you can see how environmentally friendly this alternative can be.

Eurosheild expects this type of roof to last as it has a 50 year replacement warranty. Combine that with the fact that after 80-100 years the roof can be recycled again you have a winning combination for your home as well as the environment..

The cost of a Eurosheild roof is more expensive than your standard asphalt shingled roof. You can expect to pay about the same amount as you would for a metal roof. There are a number of different styles available including "Slate" "Shaker" and more which give an impressive look to the roof, which may give you a better design option compared to a metal roof.

For more information about this product visit Eurosheilds website.

Stop the Harmonized Tax !

2009-11-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

Last week, the Government of Ontario formally launched its latest assault on homeowners, purchasers and sellers with the introduction of legislation to harmonize the provincial sales tax and goods and services tax.

Homebuyers and sellers will pay 8 per cent more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspection fees, and moving costs, adding about $1,500 in new taxes to the average residential real estate transaction in Ontario.

For homeowners the HST will also add hundreds of dollars in additional tax on utility bills (gas, electricity and home heating fuel), on home renovation labour, the cost of lawn upkeep or landscaping and the cost of snow removal.

Please help Ontario REALTORS® fight this tax. In less than 30 seconds you can send an email to your MPP asking them to vote against sales tax harmonization legislation, by clicking here: http://bit.ly/stopthehst

GeoThermal Solutions : A green Future

2009-11-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

I just picked up the the first issue of Holmes Magazine this afternoon and read a very interesting article about GeoThermal Systems.
For those of you who are eco-aware like me, this system could offer you a great way to heat your home in the winter, and keep it cool in the summer!

The system itself is based on capturing the energy that is stored about 5 or 6 feet under ground. By running high-density polyethylene pipes under the ground the system is able to conduct this energy via an ethenol-water mixture. The mixture is circulated through the pipes and returned to the main geothermal unit. It is here that the internal mechanisms of the geothermal unit convert the energy into heat.

The cooling feature of a geothermal unit is a bit different, as the way that I understand it is that heat is pulled from your house, rather than having an AC unit blowing cold air into it.

The cost savings are quite evident, as although it does take some electricity to run the system, you can expect to see your electric bills cut way down. The article says that "for every kilowatt of electricity you are using to run the system, you are getting three kilowatts out of the ground." The installation cost varies due to the site specifics of your home, and whether or not you need to run the pipes horozontally or vertically. The example they give in the magazine states an overall cost of $24,000 before government grants, but a savings of approximately $2000 annually on energy costs.

With these systems getting more and more popular you can expect to see costs come down over time, but if you want to do it right away there are government grants available to help with the cost. Visit homeenergyontario.ca to get an idea of what you can expect.

If anyone out there has one of these systems installed I would love to hear what you experience has been like so far. Please feel free to comment!

Tips for quick home sale

2009-11-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

Tips for a quick home sale

Man Rises from the Dead to Sell House? - Topix

2009-11-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

Man Rises from the Dead to Sell House? - Topix

Should you get a home inspection?

2009-03-09T17:02:00.003-04:00

The short answer to this question is "YES." I definitely recommend all my clients get a home inspection done when buying a house.
Most home inspectors are certified professionals and look for things that most people wouldn't see. A good example of this would be the age of the shingles on a roof. Most people when looking at a roof would say that the shingles are fine since they aren't curling up. This is not always true. You should also pay attention to how far apart the tabs on the shingles are. If there are significant gaps between the tabs this is normally an indication of the shingles shrinking and therefore older.
There are tons of advantages to a good home inspection and I believe they are worth the $300-$400 that it will cost you. The trick is finding the right inspector!
I'd like to hear your stories and experiences with home inspections. Good and Bad.