Real Estate

To buy or to wait? That’s what many would-be homebuyers are wondering right now. And if you’re in the same boat, you’re probably trying to figure out if it’s better to wait to buy a home or if now is the best time to jump into the market. Short answer: if you’re in a position to buy a home, now is a good time to buy. Why? Well, right now, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $2,300 per...

Going through a divorce and selling a home at the same time can be overwhelming, so it's easy to make mistakes. Here are 6 of the most common mistakes I see. Mistake 1: Failing to preserve the capital gains tax break. When you sell a house, you won’t be taxed on the first $250,000 of gain. Talk with an experienced real estate agent to make sure you can claim this as it will save you a ton of...

For most sellers, this is the big question when it comes to selling their house. How much money are they actually going to walk away with once the house is sold and the deal is closed? The money you get after the sale is called your net proceeds. That’s the profit from the home once you take out all the closing costs and other associated fees. Luckily, it’s pretty easy for sellers to estimate what...

Have you heard that interest rates are rising? Recently, the federal reserve raised interest rates to help curb inflation. Experts are now projecting that standard interest rates will range from 3.5% to 4.5% in 2022. For many buyers, this news can feel incredibly discouraging. Home prices are already high, but now you have to pay higher interest rates on top of it, right? Not so fast. Our interest rates...

When it comes to selling a house, one of the most exciting parts is when the offers start rolling in. But then you’re faced with a problem. How do you choose the best offer? Hint: the answer isn’t the offer with the highest purchase price. To choose the best offer, keep these 4 factors in mind in addition to the purchase price. 1. Preferred financing method. Some sellers will only consider cash...

For many buyers, mortgages can seem intimidating, confusing, and even a bit scary. Even if you’ve dealt with a mortgage before, it can be hard to know which mortgage type is the best for your situation. And that’s where I can help! Here’s your handy cheat sheet with several of the most popular loan types available to Canadians. If you have 20% or more of the purchase price for a down payment chances...

Home inspections are one of the most important parts of the closing process, and they can cause both buyers and sellers stress. I often hear first-time buyers worry about whether the home of their dreams is going to pass an inspection or not. Here’s some good news: homes can’t really "pass" or "fail" on a home inspection. The inspector doesn’t give the property a score or thumbs up or thumbs down....

Smart move: Upgrading your home before you sell. Bad move: Making the wrong upgrades to your home. If you want top dollar for your home, making repairs and upgrades to your home is smart. But making the wrong home upgrades is a fast way to lose money and even decrease the value of your home. To help you avoid that, here are 4 home upgrade mistakes to NOT make! 1. Improving too much. A house doesn’t...

If you want to buy a home soon, for the first time or the tenth time, you’ll need to take a look at your credit score. Your credit score is one of the factors a lender will look at when determining 1) if you qualify for a mortgage and 2) your interest rate on that mortgage. Higher credit scores will help you secure a lower interest rate on your mortgage, which can save you tens of thousands of dollars...

One of the most nerve-wracking things about selling a home is pricing it. Pricing makes such a big difference in how your property is perceived by buyers—and ultimately, it determines how much money you can get out of your home. That means you want to get it right so you don’t lose out on any money. But going too high can scare away the perfect buyers. So what are you supposed to do? Well, first...