Welcome to the RE/MAX Waters Advantage! Orangeville Real Estate Blog

Thinking about renovating read this....

If you have been thinking about renovating your Orangeville Home, time is running out. The  Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) will provide a temporary 15 per cent income tax credit on eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010. The credit may be claimed for the 2009 taxation year on the portion of eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000, but not more than $10,000, and will provide up to $1,350 in tax relief.

For more information on all of the home ownership and housing related stimulus in Budget 2009, go to http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/plan/bpa5a-eng.asp#Personal or to the Canada Revenue Agency Web site at www.cra-arc.gc.ca and search for “Home Buyers Plan.”

What’s eligible and what’s not for the Home Renovation Tax Credit?
The federal government hopes the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) will get Canadians spending now to help create jobs in industries typically hurt by an economic downturn.  Now through January 31, 2010, homeowners can claim a tax credit for 15 per cent of renovation expenses between $1,000 and $10,000. Here’s a sample of what qualifies under the program and what does not.

Eligible

• renovating a kitchen, bathroom or basement
• new carpet or hardwood floors
• building an addition, deck, fence or retaining wall
• a new furnace or water heater
• painting the interior or exterior of a house
• resurfacing a driveway
• laying new sod

Ineligible

• purchase of furniture and appliances (e.g. refrigerator, stove, and couch)
• purchase of tools
• carpet cleaning
• maintenance contracts (e.g. furnace cleaning, snow removal, lawn care, and pool cleaning)

Want a free 17-page report on the 2009 Orangeville and area housing market? http://www.orangevillehomesprices.com to subscribe to my Orangeville real estate monthly newsletter and get your free report!

Dear Unreferred Home Buyers and Sellers...

This is an open letter to all the people who contact me about a listing or who visit our website...

Dear Unreferred Home Buyer,

Let me take a minute to tell you that I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I didn't return your email quickly.  Or at all.

I feel really bad that you had to call a few times.  I know, I make you jump through hoops sometimes.

The fact is, we speak to thousands of buyers every year.  If you don't fit into the following criteria, we really don't feel good about helping you...

If you're not friendly, if you don't have a plan and are willing to share it, if you're not moving in the next 12 months, and most importantly if you're not excited to have us help you, then experience shows we're not a good match.

Don't get me wrong - you don't need to be referred to work with us.  But we are crystal clear about who we choose to help.

I'm afraid you're guilty until proven innocent sometimes.

I know there are a lot of other agents that will settle for less, but we only want the best because we give so much to you.  And then we count on you to tell the people you care about.

Please don't be mad.

I wish my arms were big enough to hug you all at the same time.

But they're not.

Sincerely,

David

P.S.  The good news is that if we're not a good match, I can probably refer you to someone who works a little more "transactionally".  Just be warned that you'll get the taxi treatment instead of the limo.

6 Reasons why your house won't sell

1. Your photos are unimpressive. The vast majority of home buyers start their search for a home on the Internet, your house had better look great in print. Not just nice... downright fabulous.  Today we are considering internet views as a 'virtual showing'... if your house gets past that, then they might (just might) make an appointment to see it in person... We consider that your SECOND showing. Today's buyers are expecting good quality photos (and lots of them... just 1 shot from the street won't cut it!), a virtual tour, maybe even a floor plan, if applicable.

2. It's overpriced. You've got to view your own property as objectively as possible.  Look at the home like a "buyer"... if necessary, go out with your Realtor and view other homes that are priced comparably to yours.  Be objective.  Given the other options on the market (and yes, you DO have to include short sales and foreclosures on your list... your potential buyers are!), would YOU buy your home, over the others on the market?

If no, then you either have to "update" your home to meet or beat the competition... or lower your price to adjust for it.  if you can't afford to sell it for the price, that you KNOW it should sell for, you may want to consider just removing it from the market.

3. It shows poorly. This could mean almost anything... from the barky, barky dog, to the smell of the diaper pail.  Maybe the carpeting is a bit worn, or the woodwork shows a lot of wear.  All things that don't show up on the internet, but whoa.... once you get inside the house... they show up, like a cat-urine-smell on a 95 degree day in New Orleans!

4. You're invisible. Today's buyer comes from the internet, almost exclusively.  Have you (or your agent) simply plopped the property on the MLS, and started praying?  Are you on all the websites...(Trulia, Zillow, Craig's List, Google Base, etc...) all the places that buyers are searching?  If not, you want to be.

5. Your listing is tired and stale on the market. Okay... yes, you overpriced your home initially when you first came on the market 2 years ago.  But since then you have reduced your price almost monthly... constantly chasing the market down.... Now, finally you're truly priced where you should be... but your listing is tired and stale.  Everyone looking for your type of property (ie: 3br/1.1 bath) in your area has already seen it, sometimes twice... and they remember that there was "something" about it that they didn't like... but what they don't remember is... what they didn't like.... was the price.   Time to take the listing off market.  Let it cool off (3-6 months), and bring it back on fresh in the Spring.  Yeah, you'll have 6 mos. worth of holding-costs... but you'll more than make up for it in your purchase price.

btw... Resist the temptation to bring the house back on at a higher price, than when you left the market.  Just "don't do it"!

6. Your house won't appraise. The house looks great... you've finally gotten someone to bring you a bid on your slightly over-priced, but beautiful pied-a-terre.  But the bank appraiser says it's worth $20,000 less than what they've agreed to pay.  Heavy sigh... bite the bullet.... negotiate with them.   If you have to drop the price $20,000 to make it work.... "make it work"... chances are, anybody else trying to buy your house will run into the same problem.

Make Money From Your Land...

Check out this 88 acre farm in Mono... and the amazing 15 acres of hardwood bush...

Click the picture below to access the property information, or visit 88AcresInMono.com for more details.

 

Attention investors or farmers..Now for sale is this 88.2 acre farm with barn (In Working Condition), drive shed, 15 acres of hardwood trees with 2 ponds which would be great for hunters, paved road access, farm house has been rented out over the years and has 3 apartments! Apt #1 -450 per Month, Apt#2 700 per Month, Apt#3 350 per Month...or just use the land to farm...Did i mention the 15 Acres of trees and ponds..

Wow.

$489,000 or $6,600 an acre

Have a look at the web site, which you'll find just under the photos on this sit 88AcresinMono.com