Don’t “Fall” into the Season Without Preparing Your Home

2009 October 24
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by Lora Schyven

Getting your home ready for the cooler weather

 

Rake_thumbThe fall season is a spectacular time in Dufferin County with the changing colous.  However, this time of year requires proper maintenance of your home and garden, to help preserve your investment.  And best of all, keeping your house in tip-top shape this fall will prevent any unnecessary chores in the spring.

Outdoor Projects

- Complete exterior painting before cooler weather arrives

- Check and repair exterior lighting before daylight fades

- Store lawn ornaments and patio furniture in a shed or basement. If space is limited, weather-resistant covers can protect outdoor furnishings

- Cover air conditioner and barbecue to prevent winter damage

- Close your pool before leaves start to fall, and nighttime temperatures begin to drop. Sooner than that and you risk an algae bloom

- Store kids toys indoors or in an outdoor shed to prevent rusting and fading

Lawn & Garden

- Till and prepare planting beds when the soil is relatively dry. By adding soil and mulch to your beds, you’ll be a step ahead for spring planting

- Plant spring blooming bulbs and perennials

- Protect roses, saplings and small trees by sheltering them with a burlap screen

- Pull weeds to reduce the number of seedlings next spring

- Mow grass short for the final cut of the year by reducing the cutting height gradually to 3.5 cm (from 7.4 cm) until the grass stops growing

Indoor Preparation

- Bring container plants indoors, making sure they are free of pests. Doing so may enable plants to survive the season and bloom again in spring

- Check and clean your humidifier. Empty the tank, dry the inside surfaces and refill with clean water. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions

from → Dufferin County ON, For Sellers, North of 9, Selling your home

The Role of the Home Inspection

2009 October 20
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by Lora Schyven

The list could be smaller but you can see there are a lot of people involved in the purchase of a home.  The Home Inspection is an important part of the buying process and should not be overlooked. 

As soon as the offer has been accepted it is best to schedule a home inspection right away.  Usually they can be done within a day or two of calling the inspection company.

It may seem like an unnecessary expense, but think of it as an insurance policy.  You pay car insurance every month without expecting to get in an accident.

While you may not think there is anything wrong with the property you are looking at, it is best to get a non-biased third party to look over the property and give you a their professional opinion on what repairs may need to be done to the property or things that could possibly go wrong with the property in the years to come.

If there are any underground oil tanks (i.e.: for an oil furnace) on the property you will definitely want to have a soil test done after you have completed the home inspection if you are still ready to move forward on the purchase of the home.   It can cost a Dufferin County home owner thousands of dollars to remove a tank if the soil is contaminated so the cost of an inspection is money well spent.

A number of things can occur after a buyer takes posession of a home, so the role of the home inspection in the buying process is critical.  A home inspection can save you from thousands of dollars in future costs of repairs.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying  Orangeville, Dufferin and South Simcoe real estate.  For complete information about the Dufferin County ON real estate market, including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything concerning buying or selling real estate in Dufferin County and South Simcoe.

from → For Buyers, North of 9

5 Things you Must Know Before You Buy Any Home

2009 September 11
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by Lora Schyven

1. Don’t Get “Pre-Qualified!

Do you want to get the best house you can for the least amount of money?  Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible.

Price is only one bargaining chip in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Often other terms, such as the strength of the buyer or the length of closing, are critical to a seller.

In years past, we always recommended that buyers get “pre-qualified” by a lender. This means that you spend a few minutes on the phone with a lender who asks you a few questions. Based on the answers, the lender pronounces
you “pre-qualified” and issues a certificate that you can show to a seller.

Sellers are aware that such certificates are WORTHLESS, and here’s why!

None of the information has been verified! Oftentimes-unknown problems surface! Some of the problems I’ve seen include recorded judgments, child support payments due, glitches on the credit report due to any number of
reasons both accurately and inaccurately, down payments that have not been in the clients’ bank account long enough, etc.

So the way to make a strong offer today is to get “pre-approved”. This happens AFTER all information has been checked and verified. You are actually APPROVED for the loan and the only loose end is the appraisal on the property. This process takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on your situation. It’s VERY POWERFUL and a weapon I recommend all my clients have in their negotiating arsenal.

2. Sell First, Then Buy

If you have a house to sell, sell it before selecting a house to buy! A lot of times contingent sales do not work, especially in the buyers market we are now facing, unless it’s with a new home builder who has other houses to sell and can afford to put one on a contingency. Let’s pretend that we go out looking for the perfect house for you. We find it and you love it! Now you have to go make an offer to the seller. You want the seller to reduce the price and wait until you sell your house. The seller figures that’s a risky deal, since he might pass up a buyer who DOESN’T have to sell a house while he’s waiting for you. So he says OK, he’ll do the contingency but it has to be a full price offer! So you see, you paid more for the house than you could have because of the contingency. Now you have to sell your existing house, and in a hurry! Otherwise you lose the dream house! So to sell quickly you might take an offer that’s lower than if you had more time. The bottom line is that buying before selling might cost you TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars.  I always recommend that you sell first, then buy.

If you’re concerned that there is not a house on the market for you, then go on a window-shopping trip. You can identify possible houses and locations without falling in love with a specific house. If you feel confident after that then put your house on the market.

Another tactic is to make the sale “subject to seller finding suitable housing”. Adding this phrase to the listing means that WHEN YOU DO FIND A BUYER,  you will have some time to find the new place. If you don’t find anything to your liking, you don’t have to sell your present home.

3. Play the Game of Nines

Before house hunting, make a list of nine things you want in the new place. Then make a list of the nine things you don’t want. I call this “NINE OF THIS AND NONE OF THAT”. You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property that you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you’re comparing dozens of homes.

When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between “SKIN AND BONES”. The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district, and floor plan. The SKIN represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings. Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match your tastes. We always recommend that you imagine each house as if it were vacant. Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller’s decorating skills.

4. Don’t Be Pushed Into Any House

Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. Don’t make a decision on a house until you feel that you’ve seen enough to pick the best one. Go through the MLS listings with your agent to make sure that you are getting a COMPLETE list of homes for sale and not just the home that the agent “wants” to show you.

In the frantic market of previous years, homes were selling quickly, usually a few days after listing. In that kind of market, agents advised their clients to make an offer ON THE SPOT if they liked the house. That was good advice at the time. Today there isn’t always this urgency, unless a home is drastically under priced, and you’ll know if it is. But keep in mind, if you wait too long there is always a chance of the house selling before you get your offer to the seller. If you really like a house, get an offer written and make sure your agent writes in the proper clauses to get you out of the offer.

Don’t forget to check into the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of the area you’re considering.  You can get this information from your agent or directly from the school.  At the very least, your agent should be able to provide you with a list of schools within the district.

5. Stop Calling Ads!

A word of caution – agents create ads solely to make the phone ring! Many of the homes have some drawback that’s not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic noise, power lines, or litigation in the community. What’s not mentioned in the ad is usually more important than what is.

For this reason, I advise you to be very careful when reading ads. Remember that the person writing the ad is representing the seller and not you! The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own agent will critique the property with an eye towards how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about.

So whether you decide to work with me or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and enlist the services of that agent as a buyer’s agent. Then you become a client with all the rights, benefits, and privileges created by this agency relationship, and you’re no longer just a shopper. Did you know that many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPER? These “great deals” go to those people who are committed to working with one agent. When an agent hears of a great buy, who do you think he’s going to call?  His client, who he has a legal obligation to work hard for you, or someone who just called on the phone and said “keep your eyes open”? So, to get the best buy on a property, we always recommend that you hire your own agent and stick with him or her.

To find out more information on buying a home, real estate in Mulmur, Orangeville, Alliston or Dufferin County, please call me, Lora Schyven, anytime at 519-925-2761.  If you are thinking of buying a home in the area, or anywhere in Ontario, sign up to receive my FREE No-Obligation Buyers Consultation.

Let me help you find the right home today!

from → For Buyers

2009 July 17
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by Lora Schyven

**OPEN HOUSE – Saturday, July 18 1:00 – 3:00 pm

176 Berry St, Shelburne ON

Take the drive to Shelburne ON, located 1 hr Northwest of the GTA, in the heart of Dufferin County – you won’t regret it!  Enjoy country surroundings within the community of Shelburne and a home to satisfy your desire for luxury in a peaceful setting.

To view the property in detail, community info, slide shows, maps and more, please visit our website Northof9.ca

from → Communities, Featured Listings, For Buyers, North of 9, Properties, Shelburne ON

How We Sell Your Home in Orangeville and Dufferin County

2009 July 3
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by Lora Schyven

There are a variety of activities and services we provide that will get your home in Orangeville and Dufferin County sold faster and at a higher price.  The following list provides some of the services you can expect when you decide to sell your home with Lora Schyven.  Visit North of 9 for a detailed list of our Buyer and Seller Services and Marketing.

  • Order a complete property profile of your home
  • Perform a professional Comparative Market Analysis of your home
  • Review a Total Market Overview with Sellers
  • Create a customized marketing plan that targets your most likely buyers
  • Develop a specialized pricing strategy for your property
  • Calculate an estimate of the net proceeds from your sale
  • Tour your property from the buyer’s point of view
  • Conduct a complete staging analysis of your property
  • Provide instructions to help your house sell at a higher price
  • Intergrate photos into marketing materials
  • Develop “Soon To Be Available” postcards
  • Review the status of any property tax liens against the property
  • Obtain copies of permits relative to the property
  • Provide accurate measurements of your home
  • Develop advertising copy for marketing
  • Place home description in the Realtor MLS
  • Provide a disclosure statement on real estate relationships and representation
  • Provide a copy of the North of 9 Guide for Sellers
  • Assist with the completion of an Exclusive Listing Agreement
  • Arrange for inspections pertaining to wells, construction, septic systems
  • Place professional For Sale sign on property
  • Directly contact agents with qualified buyers regarding the property
  • Respond to agent questions about the property
  • Respond to potential buyer questions about the property
  • Develop a convenient Open House schedule to meet your needs
  • Conduct an Agent Open House
  • Conduct telephone cold calls to target market, as necessary
  • Provide professional looking photos of interior and exterior for MLS
  • Prepare a Home Book for display to potential buyers at viewings
  • Conduct door-knocking campaign in neighbourhood, where appropriate
  • Follow up with all potential buyers from Open House opportunities
  • Obtain other agents feedback after showings
  • Obtain agents’ opinions regarding the pricing strategy for your home
  • Provide weekly report to seller by your preferred method of communication
  • Review the financial impact of any offers with sellers
  • Write counter-offers, as necessary
  • Ensure initial deposit is placed in escrow in a timely manner
  • Ensure all deposits are handled appropriately
  • Follow up on financing arrangements of buyer
  • Provide access to property to inspectors, as necessary
  • Assist seller in transferring utilities to buyer
  • Assist seller with moving by referring credited professionals

from → Dufferin County ON, Mulmur, North of 9, Orangeville ON, Real Estate, Selling your home, Shelburne ON

Buy Now or Bye Now…

2009 June 27
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by Lora Schyven

Reasons to Sell Before You Buy in Orangeville and Dufferin County

In today’s market, Orangeville and Dufferin County homeowners who are considering a move are faced with the tough decision – do we buy or sell first?  Much like the age old dilemma of the chicken and the egg, the answer will depend on whom you are asking.  

A lot of homeowners believe they should buy first (possibly a direct result of a fear of being homeless, or on the advice of a real estate agent).  While this approach does wonders to solidify an agent’s bottom line or inject local markets with eager buyers, it is rarely in YOUR best interest.  First, there is the risk that you cannot sell your home in time and end up carrying two mortgages.  Second, you are faced with two unknowns: what you can afford to buy and what you will receive from the sale of your home.

Reasons to Sell First and Buy Later:

1.  Higher Sales Price
Sellers who are not under pressure to sell because they’ve bought another home, typically receive a higher sales price.  Buyers are looking for a deal, and nothing screams “discount your offer” more than a seller who is desparate to sell.  Plus, having the luxury of time means you can wait for an offer that is acceptable to your terms.

2.  Ability to Negotiate
When you do find the home of your dreams, you can negotiate better terms than a buyer who makes an offer that is contingent on selling their home first.  Therefore, you increase your bargaining power.

3.  Conditional Offers
If the thought of being homeless is what keeps you up at night, rest assured because you do have options.  For example, inserting a clause in the agreement that is conditional on you finding an appropriate housing.  Therefore, if your dream home hasn’t hit the market yet, you can decide to stay where you are or make other arrangements until it does.

An influx of home buyers into the market brings greater demand and higher home prices.  Following exuberant buyers into a real estate market that is teetering on the edge, will most likely end badly.  I like to think we’ve learned from past ‘market bubbles’ and the actions our neighbours to the south.  Up here in the Great White North, we’ve seen housing prices increase by 80% over 6 six years, but we’ve yet to see a comparable correction.  In today’s environment of record levels household and governemnt debt, low interest rates (that can only move up from here), and high unemployment, the risk of stagnant or declining home values is still a stark reality. 

The reality is, in today’s market, selling before you buy can help to protect your biggest asset and your peace of mind.  For more information on selling your home in Orangeville or Dufferin County, please leave a comment or visit our website Northof9.ca .

from → North of 9, Real Estate

8 Things to Look For When Buying a Home

2009 June 20
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by Lora Schyven

When you fall in love with a home, the things you like about it can blind you to its problems. Next time you go to an open house or tour a property with an agent, keep your eyes open with these top tips:

1. Take a look at general upkeep. Is it clean? Are lawns left uncut? Do walls need paint? If the small stuff hasn’t been taken care of, there’s a good chance that bigger issues have been ignored as well.

2. Test it. Try out lights, faucets, toilets, air conditioning and major appliances.

3. Check for water damage. Look at ceilings and drywall for stains and bulges. Water that works its way in through a leaky roof or a cracked foundation can rot wood, create mildew and destroy possessions.

4. Watch for “spongy” floors. Take note of soft, springy sections, squeaky or uneven areas – these can be a sign that costly floor repairs are needed.

5. Check doors and windows. Make sure they fit snugly in their jambs and operate smoothly. Feel for drafts. Look for flaked paint and loose caulking – if wood isn’t protected from moisture, it will rot.

6. Look at the foundation. If you see deep cracks or loose mortar and bricks, there may be a significant structural problem. Soggy areas near the foundation are also a warning sign.

7. Make sure there’s enough storage space. If you are moving from a home with large closets and a shed, make sure your new house is able to store an equivalent amount of belongings.

8. Measure. Make sure your furniture will fit into your new house.

These tips are for your own first (or second) look at a home. For true peace of mind, you should always hire a certified home inspector before you buy.

from → For Buyers, North of 9, Real Estate

Time to Buy, Sell, or Stay Put?

2009 June 19
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by Lora Schyven

While some may call it an economic downturn, others may use the dreaded ‘R’ word – RECESSION.  Whatever term you want to use to describe the current state of the global economy, many professionals in the real industry use the term OPPORTUNITY.  Unlike anytime in history, falling prices, rock bottom interest rates and large inventories of homes for sale are making real estate a very attractive investment to average families and first time homebuyers.

At the end of the day, good times or bad, people need a place to live.  Do we rent, or should we buy?  Should we move-up, or stay put?  While we all need shelter over our heads, to purchase or not to purchase is major decision that everyone needs to approach realistically, based on individual circumstances.  This is where we all require the guidance of a professional to help clear through the forest and see the light.

For the first time in more than a decade in the Orangeville and Dufferin County real estate market, young couples can afford to buy a home, the costs of making a move-up have dropped substantially, and home ownership is attractive to investors.   Does that mean we should all dive head first into home ownership, or ownership of more home?  Perhaps, we should first make sure that the water is safe.  After last fall’s near break-down in the global economy (yes that includes Canada for, as much as we may like to think, we are not immune), wouldn’t it be wise to take a step back and try to learn something from our past?  People are once again lining up in droves to jump on the Home Wagon, banks have loosened up the belt buckles and will throw money at anyone who qualifies, the main stream media is pushing real estate so hard I can’t help but flashback to days of grade school peer pressure.  So how do home owners and home buyers sift through the information overload and emotional factors and decide what to do?  I ask my clients the same thing I ask my six-year old - are you going to do it just because everyone is doing it?  And honestly, is everyone else actually doing it?

Everyone needs to assess their own situation.  This means working with ateam of professionals that are there to guide and advise.  Home ownership is not merely a lifestyle choice – it goes beyond the basic need of shelter.  Yes, we all need shelter, but do we all need granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a Japanese yen water feature in the yard, just because the Joneses do?  The fact is, home ownership is an investment unlike any other.  As an investment, how many people actually consult with a financial planner before they dive in?

We’ve experienced a period of unprecedented growth that we may never see again in our lifetime – at least some of us.  A lot of us have grown up accustomed to constantly rising real estate values, so much that we come to expect it.  Interest rates are low and money is cheap.  Given the record deficit, job losses we haven’t even seen yet, an aging boomer population that will wreak havoc on the health system, soaring interest and inflation rates still to come.  What does that mean 5 or 10 years from now?  Based on how things are going right now, a mortgage taken today, could result in payments that are twice as much and home values that are half as much.  Yes, half as much.  Whether you want to believe it or not, real estate prices can actually decline – and not the phantom drop in market prices that is hyped by the media.

Home ownership fills our basic need of shelter – but so does renting and so does staying put.  The decision to move-out or move-up should be based on your current economic situation – not the global one.  Decisions should be born from needs vs. wants and how much you can afford to buy should be based on your income and net worth, not how much the bank would like to give you.  Consider your future expectations about career, family and finances, and then make a decision to move if its good for you – not because everyone else is doing it.

For more information on whether moving out or moving up is the best move for you, please call me, Lora Schyven at 519-925-2761 and receive a free consultation with no obligation.

For all information pertaining to real estate in Dufferin County and Orangeville, ON please visit North of 9 Real Estate.

from → Communities, For Buyers, North of 9, Real Estate, Selling your home

Tips to Sell Your Home!

2009 March 15
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by Lora Schyven

more about "Tips to Sell Your Home!", posted with vodpod

from → North of 9