RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.

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Lynn Adams

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“Lynn, they say buying a house is one of the most stressful things a family can go through. This was NOT our experience all thanks to you!"
All the Best.

“Thank you so much for all you did for us! My boys can’t believe that the house is sold. Both of us are so grateful. May you be blessed with many more sales. With love"

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As a consumer, you take your time when making a major purchase, researching products, asking for opinions and weighing the pros and ins of the many different options available. When it comes to making life’s biggest purchase – a new home – you’ve likely done the same. You’ve visited the neighbourhoods you’re interested in and have an idea of the average market price. You may have toured a few open houses and have your mind set on the ideal floor plan and style of home you prefer. It’s true - there’s a lot to think about and even more to understand when buying a home and what you see when you walk from room to room is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s for this reason that finding a seasoned professional to guide you every step of the way is a smart decision for house hunters. Even if you’ve owned a home before and feel confident in your ability to find “the right house”, a real estate salesperson has the breadth of knowledge and a special skill set that comes only with experience – they are dealing with the sale and acquisition of homes on a daily basis.Here are just a few of the things that a realtor will be looking for during your hunt for a new home: <ul>
<li>Wiring – Homes built up until the 1940’s were likely outfitted with knob and tube wiring. In the 60’s, aluminum wire became a popular choice. Both are considered a fire hazard and today many insurance companies will refuse to insure a home with one of these types of electrical wiring or will charge a higher premium. Your realtor will be able to tell if a home has knob and tube or aluminum wiring. Replacing the electrical wiring in an entire house can cost anywhere from $7,000 - $15,000.</li>
<li>HVAC system – A salesperson will be able to tell you the exact age of the furnace and air conditioner and may be able to tell you if these systems have been properly maintained.</li>
<li>Plumbing – Sump pumps, septic tanks, wells and sewer systems….your realtor will be able to explain each of these features in detail.</li>
</ul>

Why work with a REALTOR when buying a home?

If you’re thinking of selling or are simply trying to create a cozy ambiance in your brand new home, lighting is an important factor to consider. Lighting, or lack thereof, has the power to affect the mood and atmosphere of any given space.  A good home lighting strategy begins outside. Smart outdoor lighting is your first opportunity to wow potential buyers and houseguests. Greeting them the moment they arrive, strategically placed lights create a safe, lavish feel. If you have a showing or open house scheduled, real estate agents recommend turning on all outdoor lights to welcome potential buyers. Once inside, natural light filtering in from a clean window is the optimal source for illumination, so avoid heavy drapes and curtains that prohibit light from entering your home. When the sunlight starts to wane, you’ll need to rely on your artificial light sources. Did you know that there are three types?  First, ambient lighting is the general illumination that fills your home. Producing an overall brightness, it does not draw attention to itself - ambient lighting blends into its surroundings. Next, there’s task lighting and it’s just as it sounds. Additional lighting is cleverly placed in spots where you will need more illumination, i.e. over kitchen counters, in reading nooks and in home offices. Pendant lights, under cabinet lights, floor and table lamps are all considered task lighting. Finally, accent lighting is used to feature architecture and art around the home. You may see it in built-in alcoves or over a large piece of artwork.  If you’re interested in updating the lighting in your home, you’re in luck. Lighting has come a long way in the past few years, with more energy efficient innovations available to discerning homeowners. Today’s LED lights use 75% less power and last 25 times longer than the inefficient incandescent light bulb that has dominated the market for decades. Industrial style lighting fixtures are proving to be super trendy in 2017. Another buzzword you may hear in researching your options is “RLM lighting”. In short, these are fixtures that are designed to project light downward, often in a classic “gooseneck” style.

Let Lighting set the Mood

As the summer winds to a close and the real estate market in southern Ontario continues to show signs of balancing out, the fall season is shaping up to be a popular time for home sales. Deciding to list your home during the cool fall season creates a few hidden benefits to your sale and can help ensure you get top dollar for your property! While spring will always be a hot market for real estate deals, sellers are at one particular disadvantage over fall sellers. Curb appeal! Your foremost opportunity to make a great first impression, curb appeal during the fall season is almost effortless with well maintained lawns and flourishing gardens looking fantastic after the growing season. As the season cools, some homeowners may invest less time in yard work. Discerning sellers can use this to their advantage, making their impeccably maintained properties stand out from neighbouring homes. In addition, cool fall weather is the perfect time to finish do-it-yourself projects, repaint window coverings and garages, stain the decks and repave driveways. Appeal to the season and plant bold fall colours. Selling a home is much like selling an image. Selling your home can be a lengthy process; attracting buyers, arranging meetings and drawing up offers to complete the sale takes time. Fall schedules usually see people home from vacation and back into scheduled routines. This applies to both sellers and buyers. It can also apply to professional inspectors, appraisers and notaries you may need to hire to complete your sale. Back to their scheduled routines means they are able to complete work more quickly. With kids back in school and out of the house all day, it’s also easier to keep your home spotless and ready for showings! One final advantage of listing your home during the fall season is the presence of serious buyers. Often first-time buyers, retirees and people moving for career changes, fall buyers are well researched, eager and ready to commit to the sale. As winter gets closer, most buyers want to ensure they are comfortably moved into their new home before the holidays and the stormy weather begins.

Fall Home Sales

Ontario will refund first-time home buyers up to $4,000 from the land-transfer tax, a small step to ease the pain of the exploding Toronto housing market. The pocketbook measure may buy the governing Liberals some goodwill among younger middle-class voters, but observers dismissed it as a marginal move that will not really make it easier to break into the market. The refund takes effect Jan. 1, 2017. “Purchasing your very first home is one of the most exciting decisions in a young person’s life,” Finance Minister Charles Sousa told the legislature in Monday’s fall economic statement. “But many are worried about how they will be able to afford their first condo or house.” The up-to-$4,000 refund will effectively remove the land-transfer tax from the first $368,000 of a home price for anyone buying their first home. First-time home buyers are currently eligible for an up-to-$2,000 refund. The average price of a home in Toronto and area in October was $762,975, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board. Prices ranged from an average of $429,407 for a condominium to more than $1-million for a detached house. Mr. Sousa opted for a much milder measure than British Columbia, which imposed a 15-per-cent tax on foreign buyers this summer to cool home prices in Metro Vancouver. Ontario will restrict the refund to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, but Mr. Sousa suggested he did not want to go any further on curbing foreign ownership for fear of discouraging overseas investment. “We’re trying to tell the rest of the world that Ontario’s open, that we want to attract more investment,” he told reporters after the speech. The government will pay for the measure by jacking up the land-transfer tax on other buyers. Any portion of a home price over $2-million will be subject to a tax rate of 2.5 per cent, up from 2 per cent; the rate on a portion of the purchase price of non-home properties – such as commercial buildings – over $400,000 will rise from 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent. Market experts said $4,000 is too little to have much effect on a home buyer’s purchasing decisions. “It’s not a game-changer – it’s just pocket money,” Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, said in an interview. “It’s not going to change the decision to buy or not to buy or what to buy.” Added Benjamin Reitzes, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, in a note to investors: “Given the runaway home price gains in Toronto and the surrounding regions, this hardly makes a dent in worsening affordability and, if anything, just adds more fuel to the housing fire.” The economic update also reiterated the Liberals’ promise to balance the budget next year, despite a warning last week from the province’s financial accountability office that the government cannot reach balance without either restraining spending or finding more revenue. Mr. Sousa on Monday steered clear of any talk of cuts. Instead, he highlighted spending in several areas – including $140-million for hospitals to bring down wait times and $65.5-million to create more child-care spaces – as the Liberals look to curry favour with voters and turn around cratering poll numbers in the run-up to the 2018 election. He did, however, concede that he will have to pull $800-million over two years out of the province’s financial reserves to make sure the books are balanced. Progressive Conservative finance critic Vic Fedeli said the land-transfer tax break was merely a “distraction” from this bigger fiscal picture. “This is like jingling keys in front of a baby,” he said. “Instead of talking about the waste, mismanagement and scandal, we talk about this smaller item.” NDP finance critic Catherine Fife said the government missed an opportunity to tackle other aspects of the province’s housing problem, such as a lack of affordable housing that has led to precarious living for lower-income Ontarians and years-long waiting lists for social housing. “Affordable housing is an economic stabilizer. This government has had 13 years to put something into place,” she said, describing the $4,000 refund as a “Band-Aid … to make it look like they’re responding to the needs of Ontarians.” The province’s real estate lobby, however, heaved a sigh of relief. Realtors had urged the government to cut the land-transfer tax instead of taking steps to cool the market, which could have eaten into their business. Tim Hudak, incoming CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association, said cutting the tax would help ease the upfront cost of buying a house. “For millennials, which they call Generation Screwed, it’s increasingly difficult to get that Canadian dream of home ownership,” he said. “I’m very pleased that Premier [Kathleen] Wynne and Finance Minister Sousa are listening.” Re-posted from the Globe and Mail, Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Adrian Morrow, Toronto.

Land Transfer Tax benefits for First-Time Home Buyers