Team McNeil Real Estate Blog

[FOR SALE] 255 Lemon Grass Crescent, Kitchener ON – $417,900

wmcneil — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:04:39 +0000

Better than new! 3 bedroom, 4 bath Hawthorne model. Features include: Ceramic tile, hardwood in elegant dining room, spacious kitchen w/breakfast bar and dinet w/walk out to deck. Open concept layout with big great room w/tray ceiling. Master suite with walk in closets and 4 pc ensuite. Upper level den or family room. Partly finished basement with full bath. Party deck with hot tub! Much more. A must see! – View Listing

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Google to Move Waterloo Office to Kitchener

wmcneil — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:22:45 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

Maybe you didn’t know that Google had an office in Waterloo. Well they do and they are now moving their office to downtown Kitchener to the Lang Tannery building. They are planning on making the move this year. I think this is a smart move on Google’s part because they are moving into an area that is undergoing huge changes. I have blogged in the past about the new condo developments in the downtown core. Some of the upcoming condo developments are the Arrow lofts (Auburn) and the Centre City Condominiums (Andrin). One of the best things about this move is that apparently Google is aggressively hiring so they need the larger space. It’s always a good thing when companies are growing instead of downsizing or shutting down.

The Google projects in Waterloo are currently the upcoming Chrome operating system, HTML5 programming language and the “Buzz” social networking service. For me being a techy I find this really exciting. The more technology that surrounds me the better. I am really interested in seeing what rich media capabilities HTML5 will have. I heard that it is really going to give Flash a run for it’s money. This could be made up hype but nevertheless there is some buzz out there about the controversy between Apple supporting html5 on their devices and not flash.. But I digress!!

In addition to Google, Waterloo is probably more well known for being the home of Research in Motion the makers of the Blackberry. FYI, RIM just released the new Backberry Torch so I hope everyone is going to buy one!

Doesn’t Kitchener Waterloo sound like a cool place to live?

If you are a techy and you are looking for somewhere to live, you might want to consider Kitchener-Waterloo or Cambridge.

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

[OPEN HOUSE] Saturday August 21, 2010 between 2-4pm – 165 Duke St E, Unit 118, Kitchener

wmcneil — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:43:38 +0000

On Saturday we are hosting an open house at a LeMarche condo that we have listed. Come check it out!

Luxury LeMarche condo in downtown Kitchener. Nearly new, main floor unit with rarely found private patio. Features include: 1 bedroom + den, open concept layout, hardwood floors, upgraded cabinets, built-in dishwasher and microvent, in-suite laundry, all appliances included, underground parking, upscale complex with courtyard. Within walking distance to Kitchener\’s Farmers Market, restaurants, shops and nightlife. Call Team McNeil to view today! – View Listing

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Kitchener Waterloo Home Sales Surpass Billion Dollar Mark In First Half Of 2010!

wmcneil — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:33:53 +0000

Kitchener Waterloo Home Sales Surpass Billion Dollar Mark In First Half Of 2010!

Kitchener Waterloo Home Sales are doing really well for the first part of the year. Although there were 97 less unit sales then the first half of 2007 the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate board reports that sales have surpassed the billion dollar mark for the first half of 2010. This is really good news and just shows how strong the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate market really is here. The average sale price for a single-detached home is $331,359. That’s an increase of 11.7% on a year-to-year basis. See the full report below for more information.

Kitchener Waterloo Home Sales Surpass Billion Dollar Mark In First Half Of 2010!

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (July 6, 2010) – During the first half of the year, the number of residential properties sold through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board (KWREB) increased 16 percent.

While the 3,633 homes sold during the first six months of the year are 96 units shy of 2007’s record breaking first half, the total value of those sales broke the one billion dollar mark for the first time to the end of June.

“The residential real estate market is alive and kicking in Waterloo Region,” says Ted Scharf, President of the KWREB. “Consumers continue to have a strong sense of confidence in the value of home ownership in the region, and I expect the market will remain steady and healthy for the remainder of the year.”

The increase in home sales occurred predominantly in the top half of the price range spectrum: There were 2,093 sales of residential properties for more than $250,000 to the end of June, compared to 1,446 for the same period in 2009, an increase of almost 45 percent.

In the upper end of the market, this trend was even more prominent, with an 84% increase in homes selling for more than half a million dollars relative to one year ago for a total of 205 sales.

The average sales price of all homes sold between January and June 2010 jumped 10.7 percent to $291,702, and the average price of detached homes was $331,359, an increase of 11.7 percent on a year-to date basis.

Residential property sales in June were down 12.1 percent compared to the same month last year, but were practically on par with May sales. Last month, there were a total of 634 homes sales in Kitchener-Waterloo and area, compared with 721 in June 2009.

“Considering the especially early spring market that started in March this year, June was surprisingly strong,” says Scharf. “This further illustrates the strength of our local market and is a reflection of our region’s strong economy.”

REALTORS® believe that healthy communities depend on a strong economy, safe neighbourhoods, a clean environment, access to housing and the protection of rights of property owners. The KWREB recognizes the need to support and enhance the Quality of Life enjoyed by residents of Waterloo region.

To find out more information about Kitchener Waterloo Homes Sales, check out our Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics section of, our blog.

I am expecting the fall market in Kitchener-Waterloo to really pick up. In just the past week we have seen increased showing requests and buyer activity. I am optimistic that Kitchener Waterloo Home Sales for the remainder of the year will continue to be strong.

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics for June 2010

wmcneil — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:58:28 +0000

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics for June 2010

By Warren McNeil

The Table below shows the most relevant Kitchener Waterloo real estate data for the month of June 2010 and compares it with the previous month and the previous year, (previous month) May 2010 and (previous year) June 2009, respectively. This information is for single detached only in all areas.

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics June 2010

WATERLOO REGION (ALL Areas)	(June 10)	(June 09)	%CHANGE 09/10	(May 10)	%CHANGE May/June
UNITS SOLD	426 SOLD	469 SOLD	-9.2%	427 SOLD	-0.2%
AVERAGE PRICE SOLD	$325,870	$303,358	+7.4%	$342,146	-4.8%
ACTIVE LISTINGS (END of PERIOD)	1653 ACTIVE	1538 ACTIVE	+7.5%	1636 ACTIVE	+1.0%
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	36 DAYS	57 DAYS	-36.8%	37 DAYS	-2.7%
SALE PRICE TO LIST PRICE RATIO	98%	98.3%	-0.3%	98.3%	-0.2%

As you can see from the above table, sales were really good in June. Last year there were more units sold but the average house price went up and the average days on market went down 36.8% this year over last year. Houses are selling faster. Sellers were trying to beat the HST so some were buying earlier in the year. Overall, residential sales in Kitchener Waterloo area are up 16% for the first 6 months of the year. This is good news and I expect the rest of the year to remain solid. The late-summer – fall market should be pretty strong.

The above Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics are believed to be correct errors and ommissions accepted.

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

[Video Tour] 169 Joseph St, Kitchener ON

wmcneil — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:19:13 +0000

By Warren McNeil

Status: For Sale

Address: 169 Joseph St, Kitchener ON

Click Picture to View Listing

Features: Patio/Deck, Separate Dining Room, Den/Office, Family Room, Rec Room, Fenced Yard, Dishwasher Included

Description: Charming Century Home steps to Victoria Park! Fully renovated and restored 3 bedroom, 2 bath home walking distance to downtown. Natural woodwork, pocket doors, updated windows, family room addition, updated bathrooms and kitchen, big deck overlooking huge backyard. Detached garage, almost fully fenced, wrap around porch. Finished attic. Nicely decorated, move in ready.

Price: $359,900

View Listing>>

Video Tour

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Buying a Bungalow in Kitchener Waterloo Area

wmcneil — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:16:18 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

There are many homes styles out there but one style seems to be really standing out lately. I can’t believe the number of requests I have received in the last week from people wanting to see bungalows. The bungalow home style is single story. What makes the bungalow style so appealing is that all the bedrooms are on the main floor. However finding newer bungalows in Kitchener-Waterloo can be quite challenging. The reason why they are hard to find is because bungalows require a certain lot size. Builders are building 2-story houses on smaller plots of land. That way they can sell more houses. If you want a new construction bungalow, you could end up paying a premium. Right now there are 15 new construction bungalows in K-W ranging in price from $408,000-1,3000,000. If you are looking for resale bungalows in Kitchener Waterloo, there are currently 152 for sale starting at 169,900-1,700,000. The median price of these 152 bungalows is $299,900.

Buyers looking for newer bungalows might want to look towards the smaller towns outside of Kitchener-Waterloo. Towns such as Drayton, New Hamburg, Wellesley, Baden and Elmira just to name a few. You can sometimes find really good value when you look in the smaller town.

If a bungalow is what you are after, there are plenty available. You might need to look at resale bungalows if you can’t find what you are looking for. If you want a really good bang for your buck then look at buying a bungalow in a smaller community.

We currently have two really nice bungalows listed in smaller towns surrounding Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph.

35 Ridgeview Drive, Drayton

5573 King St, Nithburg (5 minutes from Wellesley)

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Our Facebook Fanpage

wmcneil — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:24:06 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

Hello fellow bloggers and guests! Today I thought it would be a good idea to do a little self promotion about our social networking efforts. I think most realtors who harness the internet are using social networking to reach out to their past, present and future clients. It is a changing world and everything is becoming interconnected. When I think of the future of social media, business terms such as convergence or synergy come to mind. So far we have used social sites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote our listings and we have not used it to solicit for business. I don’t think we will ever use it to directly solicit for business.. Simply because we don’t feel that people want to be bombarded by constant solicitation. Instead we indirectly market to people. We make our presence known and allow people to “like” us ot ”follow” us if they feel like it. I think Twitter is the worst for direct solicitation. With Twitter, we get many people who we don’t even know trying to sell us a new product every day. This to me is no different then a cold caller trying to solicit to me on the telephone.

Realtor 2.0 or 3.0 will need to utilize social networking in the future because of this ever changing world we are living in. Just the other day I read the Facebook has 500,000 million users. If Facebook were a country it would be the third largest country in the world. This is a big deal and people need to sit up and take notice. Business practices are changing and will never be the same.

I am actually excited about the changes. I have to admit I was a bit negative towards Facebook in the beginning because I didn’t know how it could help me in my business. I thought it was just for people who wanted to play games like Mafia Wars or Farmville. My opnion has changed and I can really see the power of social media. I think the key to using Facebook and other social networking sites is to be non-intrusive and try to add value to what you have to say. I also think it is important to get involved and get interested in what others have to say as well.

That’s all I have say about this for now..

If you are on Facebook. please check out our Fanpage http://www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax and we would really appreciate if you “Like” our page

As well, you can also follow us on Twitter. http://www.twitter.com/teammcneilremax

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Positive Experience Buying a Car

wmcneil — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:55:22 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

We just bought a new car and I would like to blog about how positive the experiece was. We bought a 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour. We purchased the car from Waterloo Honda. Our salesmen was Jorge Sandoval. He did a really good job explaining all of the features of the car/CUV to us so we knew exactly what we were getting. There was never any pressure to buy and we felt really comfortable. In the past I have purchased cars from other dealers but I never felt that I really got what I wanted. This time we took our time and looked at everything that was available. We searched for this car for 2 years. I went to many car shows and looked at all of the different car options. We looked into the Venza and the Acura ZDX. Although I really liked those other vehicles, we liked the Crosstour the best.

The Crosstour is a Crossover vehicle and is equipped with a 270hp engine, 18″ tires and has 4 wheel drive. Living in Ontario Canada, our winters can get quite bad so I really like the option of having 4 wheel drive. We decided not to get nav because I didn’t like the way you had to use a dial to enter in the adesses instead of a touchscreen. We are buying a TomTom with lifetime map updates instead.

There are a few negative reviews out there about this vehicle regarding it’s appearance. Some reviewers think the vehicle looks ugly. I highly disagree and have been getting lots of people say they love how it looks. All I can say is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you are looking at buying a new car and want something that is really comfortable to drive with lots of power, take a look at the Honda Crosstour.

If you live in Kitchener Waterloo area, go in and visit Jorge Sandoval at Waterloo Honda. Tell him Warren sent you.

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

“Decisions” you might make when Buying a House

[For Sale] 35 Ridgeview Drive, Drayton ON

wmcneil — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:12:29 +0000

By Warren McNeil

Address: 35 Ridgeview Drive, Drayton ON

Features: Gas Fireplace, Master Bedroom Ensuite, Patio/Deck, Rec Room with Walkup to Garage, Main Floor Master Bedroom, Central Air, Fenced Yard, Dishwasher Included, Water Softener, Central Vac, Workshop/Work Room, Cold Room/Cellar

Description: Beautiful,custom 1940 sq.ft bungalow.Features include:carpet free m/flr w/slate tile and gleaming h/wood floors,chef’s kitchen w/maple cabinets & granite countertops,oversized granite island w/break.bar,open concept layout w/spacious dinette w/walk out to deck & backyard & greatroom w/gas fireplace.Master suite w/huge w/in closet,5 pc. ensuite & w/out to deck.Fin.bsmt w/awesome recroom.A must see!

Price: $448,900

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Thanks for reading!

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamMcNeilRemax

websites: www.TeamMcNeil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com,
www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca