Team McNeil Real Estate Blog

[Video] Top 5 Things to Do Before Selling Your House

wmcneil — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:37:12 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

Here is a video I did for sellers who are thinking about selling their houses in Waterloo Region. Please check out the video and if you have any questions or comments please let us know…

[See post to watch Flash video]

Here is the transcript for the video:

Hi There, I am Warren McNeil from Team McNeil at Re/Max Twin City Realty in Kitchener

Today I am going to talk to you about a few things you need to do before selling your house. Selling your home can be a simple and straightforward process if you follow the right steps. In order to get top dollar and avoid headaches, it is important to do a few things beforehand.
Here are 5 things you can do before selling your house.

Number 5 – Get a Market Evaluation
The first thing you should do is get a market evaluation on your house so you know exactly how much you house is worth before you do any work. A realtor will advise you on things you should do and not do when preparing the house for sale. We will make recommendations on things such as updating, repairs, decluttering or staging.. You might not need to spend as much money as you think to get your house ready.

Number 4 – Mortgage information
If you have a mortgage on your house, you should find out if there is a penalty to pay out your mortgage early. We recommend calling your lender to find this information out.

Number 3 – Make repairs and perform other maintenance items
It s a good idea to do any necessary repairs around the house. We also recommend that you replace furnace filters, fill the water softener with salt, replace burnt out light bulbs, fix broken door handles and replace any cracked or broken windows. Consider hiring a home inspector before you sell your house so that you can find out if there are any unknown issues. If you fix the issues beforehand, then you can avoid surprises later when the buyer does their home inspection. The money you spend now on repairs, maintenance and home inspection could help you get more money later. Contact us if you would like us to recommend a good Waterloo area home inspector or other skilled professional.

Number 2 – Declutter, Depersonalize, Paint, Clean and Stage

- Decluttering: Decluttering will allow the buyer to visualize how big and spacious the rooms are in the house. People who are selling their houses often use their garages to store items from the house. Other options are offsite storage or storage pods.

- Depersonalizing: You should also consider depersonalizing your house. This is a touchy area and all I am going to say is just put yourself in the buyer shoes and try to view the house through their eyes. Keep an open mind and remember that the goal is to sell the house for the most money.

- Cleaning: One of the cheapest things you can do is clean. Buyers love looking at clean houses. If you are unable to clean on your own, consider hiring a cleaning service to help you. It will be the best money you ever spend.

- Painting: Painting is one of the best things you can do to make a house feel fresh and clean and to add more appeal. If you are unable to do a good job yourself, consider hiring someone to do it for you.

- Staging: Hire a staging profession to stage your home. It is amazing what a professional stager can do to help you get more money for you house.

Contact us if you’d like a recommendation for a professional organizer, a professional stager, a painter or a cleaning service.

And the Number 1 thing to do before selling your house is: Determine the best possible price
Pricing is the single most important thing to consider before selling your house. Your house will be worth a certain value based on its location, updates, condition and the recent sold comparables. When you hire an agent, don’t list your home with the agent who wants to overprice your property just so they can get the listing. List your house with the agent who takes the time to go through the comparables and provides valid reasons for their price recommendation. Homes that are overpriced often sell for less.

Whether you are a move-up buyer, relocating or downsizing, selling you house can be a smooth process if you follow these steps.

If you are thinking about selling your house in Waterloo Region and you would like to get started with a free online market evaluation of your Waterloo area home, please visit our website at www.clickthathouse.com or call us at 519-498-8118. Thanks for watching and see you next time!

We are a full-time real estate team in Waterloo Region, Woolwich & Wellesley Townships. We enjoy assisting buyers and sellers with the purchase or sale of real estate in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira, Wellesley, Wilmot, Drayton and everywhere in between. If you would like us to help you with your home search, please check out our brand-new free search website or if you are thinking of selling, get a free market evaluation.

Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
Re/Max Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118
8 www.TeamMcneil.com, www.ClickThatHouse.com, www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ElmiraRealEstate.ca

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

Spring is in the Air!!

wmcneil — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:14:39 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

I am a little apprehensive saying this because as soon as I say it, we will be hit with a big snowstorm. I hope Spring is here? I love Spring for a few reasons. I always know when Spring is here because I get to go to the Elmira Maple Syrup festival. Who doesn’t love Sapfest! I can picture those pancakes now.. Yummmmmy!! The second thing is I get to open my fish pond. Hopefully my fish are OK this year. There were a couple of really cold nights. We have had really good luck over the past 5 years so I am expecting this year to be the same.

The other way we can tell Spring is here is the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate market heats up. I can tell this year is going to be hot. Buyers are “chomping at the bit” to get out house hunting. Some already are.. The biggest issue though is the lack of inventory. There are lots of multiple offers going on and buyers are paying more money for houses. Sellers are getting top dollar for their houses. The is great for sellers but not so great for buyers. With that said, interest rates are still low. I think the key thing buyers should consider is the money they are saving in interest from the bank is offset by the prices they are paying for the houses. Move-up buyers will get more money for their houses but they will also pay more money for the house they plan to buy.

What does this all mean? To me it means that it is still a good time to buy despite the higher prices. Not all areas are effected. So you can still get good deals if you look for them. Research is important before making decision.

It is important to get out and see everything that is available and act fast when you find the house you like.

Thanks for reading!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board Statistics for February 2010

wmcneil — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:13:39 +0000

By Warren McNeil

The Table below shows the most relevant real estate data for the month of Feb 2010 and compares it with the previous month and the previous year, January 2010 and February 2010, respectively. This information is for single detached only in all areas.

WATERLOO REGION (ALL Areas)	(Feb 10)	(Feb 09)	%CHANGE 09/10	(Jan 10)	%CHANGE Jan/Feb
UNITS SOLD	350 SOLD	244 SOLD	+43.4%	286 SOLD	+22.4%
AVERAGE PRICE SOLD	$324,631	$280,332	+15.8%	$316,687	+2.5%
ACTIVE LISTINGS (END of PERIOD)	1132 ACTIVE	1496 ACTIVE	-24.3%	1067 ACTIVE	+6.1%
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	42 DAYS	56 DAYS	-25%	54 DAYS	+22.2%
SALE PRICE TO LIST PRICE RATIO	98.3%	97.3%	+1.0%	98.1%	+0.2%

The above information is believed to be correct errors and ommissions accepted.

See my recent post titled What’s going on with the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Market

Thanks for reading!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

What’s going on with the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Market?

wmcneil — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:49:44 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

The spring market is nearly here and our Team is really gearing up. The Bank of Canada has maintained the interest rates which is really good news.

See: http://creanews.ca/2010/03/02/bank-of-canada-maintains-interest-rates-4/

Buyers are in the market right now looking to buy houses. However the biggest problem is low inventory levels. In January, the number of active listings was down 33% over 2009.

See: http://files.newswire.ca/577/MarketTrendsRpt2010.pdf

Our team has been doing lots of market evaluations for people lately so we know that it’s going to be a busy spring.

Now is a good time to sell because of the following reasons:

less inventory can work in the sellers favour. less competition
low interest rates for buyers making it easier to buy
there’s an abundance of buyers
the minimum downpayment requirement is still 5% and not 10%
the olympics are over. Not sure if that’s a good reason but it sounded good
higher offer potential
multiple offer potential

The next three months are going to be really interesting.

Thanks for reading!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

1 1/2 Story For Sale in Kitchener East

wmcneil — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Absolutely Adorable

• 1 bath, 3 bdrm 1 1/2 story - MLS® $214,900

Kitchener East, Kitchener - Absolutely adorable 1 1/2 storey single detached home! Upper level boasts 2 spacious bedrooms with original hardwood. Bright cozy living room with gas fireplace. Separate dining room with newer hardwood.

Property information

[Video] Top 5 Things To Do Before Shopping For Home

wmcneil — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:23:35 +0000

By Warren McNeil

Here is a video for the “Top 5 Things To Do Before Shopping For Home”.

Buying a home is probably the single largest investment that you will ever make in your life so it is very important to understand the entire process.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Here is the transcript of the video.

Today I am going to talk to you about a few things you need to do before shopping for a home. Buying a home is probably the single largest investment that you will ever make in your life so it is very important to understand the entire process. The following tips will help save time, money and headaches.

Number 5: Employment: It is very important to ensure that you have solid employment before buying a house. You should also try and keep your debt in check and to make sure that you aren’t overextending yourself. Maintain good credit so that you will be able to get a mortgage.

Number 4: Down payment: When buying a home, you will require down payment. You should save up at least 5% of the cost of a house as well as a little extra for closing costs such as lawyer fees, land transfer tax and a home inspection.

Number 3: Pre-approval – By getting pre-approved, you will know exactly how much you can afford so you don’t waste your time looking at houses that are above or below your price range. The other reason to get preapproved is so you can lock in an interest rate so that if the interest rates go up you will already have the best rate.

Number 2: Choose a good realtor to help you through the process. Buyers are able to choose a real estate agent the same way sellers can. The goal of a seller’s agent is to sell the house for the highest amount of money with the most favourable terms. Likewise, the goal of the buyer’s agent is to help the buyer purchase the house for the lowest price with the most favourable terms. Working with your own licensed realtor will ensure that you are not taken advantage of. A buyer’s agent will be able to tell you what the other homes sold for in an area as well as protect you with special offer conditions. They will also negotiate price and all the terms of any offers. Don’t risk buying a home without your own buyer’s agent.

And the Number 1 thing to do before shopping for a home is:
Determine your Wants and Needs: Work with your buyers agent to create a list of everything you want in a home. Some things to consider are: Area, Size, the total number of bedrooms & bathroom, the age of the house and the style of the home. Sometimes you need to look at a few houses before you find the one you like. Knowing what you want can help reduce the time it takes to search for a new home.

Shopping for a new home can be an exciting adventure. If you follow the tips above, you will be better prepared to start shopping for that perfect home.

If you are thinking about buying a house in the Waterloo Region and you would like to get started with this exciting adventure, please visit our website at www.clickthathouse.com or call us at 519-498-8118. Thanks for watching and see you next time!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

Should you Buy a Condominium or a Single-Family Home?

wmcneil — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:53:41 +0000

By Warren McNeil

Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge offer a huge selection of condos, lofts or singles. Whether you want to live in a Kaufman loft, a Keats Way condo, a single-family in Doon South or a townhouse in North Waterloo the choices are endless. But which is the best option?

I have written similar blogs about this topic before but it never seems to get old. I have lots of clients who say to me they would never pay a condo fee. I have other clients who say, they want somewhere that will allow them the freedom to come and go as they please without having to worry about maintenance. Whatever the case is, people have their preference and here are a couple of thoughts to ponder.

One of the cons to condo living is the extra monthly fee you have to pay for maintenance. I had a client say to me recently that they feel that the monthly condo fee is a waste of money. These people lived in a single-family home for 30 years and were used to doing all of their own maintance and upkeep on their house. My goal with them was to explain the benefits of condo living. One benefit I shared with them was that condo living would allow them the flexibility to travel for extended periods of time while leaving the condo unattended. All maintenane and upkeep is taken care of for them. No snow to shovel and no grass to mow. We have many clients who own condos and lofts who absolutely love that they don’t have to worry about these types of things.

Choosing a condominium over a single-family home is about choosing a lifestyle. If you are used to living in a single-family home then moving into a condominium could be a huge shock to you. But wouldn’t it be great to not have to be responsible for repairs or other maintenance. What about underground parking or access to a swimming pool? These are all amenities you can expect from living in a condominium.

Overall, condominiums are a pretty secure investment for buyers over the last ten years. With diligent research on your part, you’ll be able to answer your own “which option is better?” question in the end and feel good about your decision.

Thanks for reading!
Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil
Re/Max Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110
8 www.TeamMcneil.com, www.LoftStyle.ca, www.ClickThatHouse.com
P.S. Looking for a condo or loft, check out our brand new website at www.LoftStyle.ca!

Things you Need to Know When Buying a Condo in K-W By Warren McNeil Do you have your New Years resolution…
10 Steps to Buying a Condo or Loft in Kitchener Waterloo By Warren McNeil If you are in the market to…
[Tip] Searching for Kitchener Waterloo Condominums or Lofts By Warren McNeil, If you are on the fence about…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

[Video Blog] Top Reasons to Move to Elmira On

wmcneil — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:46:33 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

Elmira Ontario in the Township of Woolwich is a terrific place to live. Elmira is only about 10 minutes north of Waterloo and 20 minutes east of Guelph so you get the best of both worlds. Small town living with easy access to the big city. If you are thinking of moving to Elmira but would like to learn a little bit more about this wonderful town, take a look at the following video.

*Video:moving to elmira

Transcript of video

Hi There, I am Warren McNeil from Team McNeil at Re/Max Twin City Realty

If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city but still need access to a city nearby, then Elmira Ontario is for you. Elmira is a small town in Woolwich Township which is 10 minutes North of Waterloo and 20 minutes east of Guelph. The population of Elmira is around 12,000 people according to census data from 2006.

Elmira is best known for it’s hockey team the Elmira Sugar Kings and the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival which takes place in April. But there’s more! This year the Syrup festival will take place on March 27, 2010.

- Elmira is close to all amenities. Within town, You are only about 5 minutes away from grocery stores, local shops, coffee shops and restaurants. Elmira even has a 24 hour grocery store!

- Elmira has lots of hiking trails. The Lions Lake Trail which is 7 km long and the Kissing bridge trail which is an abandoned railroad that travels from Millbank to Guelph. for 45kms. If you like hiking, cycling or running then you will find these natural scenic trails very enjoyable.

- Woolwich and Elmira have two newspapers that provide local information about the township and Elmira. They are the Woolwich Observer and the Elmira Independent. Want to know more about Elmira and Woolwich Township, contact us and we’ll send you copies of these newpapers.

- In 2009 Grand River Transit started offering bus service to and from Waterloo’s Conestogo Mall via St Jacobs to Elmira. This is convenient for local residents who wanted to go back and forth to Waterloo each day.

- As I mentioned earlier, Elmira is famous for their local Junior B hockey team, the Elmira Sugar Kings. In 2009 Woolwich placed 3rd in the Kraft Hockeyville contest and was awarded $25,000. If you are a hockey enthusiast, then Elmira is definitely the place to be.

- Also In 2009, Woolwich township built a brand new recreation centre in Elmira with twin arenas, a community centre, a fitness centre, a walking track and a swimming pool.

- One of my favourite things about Elmira is the World reknowned Elmira Maple Syrup Festival which takes place in Early April. This single one day event attracts around 60,000 people. Isn’t that amazing?

- Since Elmira is so close to Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph you get the best of both worlds. Smalltownliving with easy access to the city. In 10 short minutes, you are close to a huge farmers market, lots of shopping, a movie theatre.

- With regards to housing, prices are between 130,000 up to 650,000 for high-end homes. The average house price for a singe- detached home is around 292,000. Prices are similar to Waterloo.

Well I hope you found the information here useful today and if you would like to find out more information about housing for sale in Elmira and Woolwich Township or would like an information package about the area, please contact us at www.elmirealestate.ca

References:

http://www.elmiramaplesyrup.com/ This year the Syrup festival will take place on March 27, 2010.

http://www.woolwich.ca/en/

http://www.elmiraindependent.com/

http://observerxtra.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich,_Ontario

Thanks for watching!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

No related posts.

Moose Winooski’s in Kitchener You Should Go!

wmcneil — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:52:48 +0000

By Warren McNeil

I decided I would share our experience of our recent visit to Moose Winooski’s at Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener. When you first come into the restaurant you are greeted by a beautiful open gas fireplace with a huge stone structure surrounding it. Melanie and I were fortunate to be able to sit in front of the fire. The chairs were also really comfortable.. We sat in the new built-on addition which had what looked like a 30 foot ceiling… I didn’t really take a look around the rest of the restaurant, but I will have to say that if you are a sports enthusiast, this is definitely the place to be. I thought the fake moose heads hanging on the walls with the funny facial expressions were also a nice touch. The moose heads sort of reminded me of Montana’s but they definitely fit the theme of the restaurant.

For lunch we ordered chicken wings. The chicken wings were really good but I kind of wished they offered some other flavours such as sweet chilli Thai. The “medium” that we ordered were really good. They had a desert called the Kitchen Sink which sounded intriguing but we were too full. Maybe next time. Our waitress was also very friendly and accommodating.

The fireplace was my favourite part of our visit. I think sports enthusiasts will find the bathrooms accomodating… There were two 42 inch TV’s showing the Olympics and another TV integrated into the bathroom mirror… The TV in the mirror actually startled me but was very cool… I joked with the waitress and told her that they should install a mirror into the hand dryer.

In conclusion, I just have to say that Melanie and I were really impressed with the new renovations at the Moose Winooski’s in Kitchener. The restaurant made me feel very welcome, friendly and warm . They did a great job and highly recommend checking them out.

For more information checkout, http://www.moosewinooskis.com/restaurants_kitchener.php

Thanks for reading!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax

How’s the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Market?

Thinking of Selling Your House Privately in Waterloo Region?

wmcneil — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:56:13 +0000

By Warren McNeil,

Many people are getting ready to sell their houses this year and some will be deciding whether to sell privately or with a real estate agent. The purpose of this blog is to let sellers know their options. My goal here is not to slam any particular method. Just to point out the options.

Here are 4 options for selling your house:

FSBO or for sale by owner. There are many people who head to Canadian Tire, pick up the black and orange sign and put it on the front lawn. This way could work if the timing is right or you already know someone who might want to buy your house. People do successfully sell there house this way but is not for everyone.
Using private for sale companies. This is a step up from selling totally on your own. There are two popular private for sale companies in our area. They are Property Guys - www.propertyguys.com and By The Owner – www.bytheowner.com. These private for sale companies help sellers by providing them with a sign, a website where they can showcase all the information about their house along with providing potential buyers with easy access to contact the seller. These sites give the private seller an added advantage over going at it completely alone. I think these services work well for people who want to do it themselves but just need a little bit of an edge.
Discount brokerages. These types of services are similar to the FSBO service providers. The big difference between them is that they are licensed brokerages registered with the Canadian Real Estate Association. Sellers are able to work with these brokerages to help them sell their house. With some plans, you can even get MLS services. This will allow you to have your house showcased on realtor.ca. This is an option for people looking for a alternative to the private for sale companies. This will also give you an edge over going at it completely alone.
Full Service real estate brokerages such as Re/Max.. This is where our team falls into the mix. The majority of homes sell though this method. Full service real estate brokerages offer a full range of valuable services to home sellers. Sellers can benefit by having licensed, skilled and motivated professionals to help them through this sometimes challenging and tedious process.

These services will appeal to the following types of people:

-people who don’t want to be involved in the process at all
- people who lack the ability to negoitate or don’t like to negotiate
- people who live out of the area
- investors that don’t want to be involved in the sale of property
- divorce
- power of sales
- distress sales
- estate sales

The list goes on and on. This is a really good option if you are afraid to go at it alone or don’t see the value in using a discount brokerage.

I also want to add that buyers are better off working with a realtor when buying a house. Especially first time home buyers who know nothing about the process. Buyers are able to benefit by the knowledge of a good realtor. Buying a house without knowing market knowledge could lead to over paying for a house or worst then that buying a money pit.

I want to reiterate that this blog is not intended to alienate any one method. It’s main purpose is to show sellers that they have options. They should choose wisely when choosing which one will give them the greatest result. There will always be people who want to sell privately and those who want to work with a real estate agent. There is room for both…

Good luck and happy selling!

Take care and thanks for reading!

Connect with us on the following social networks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teammcneilremax