RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.

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Brantford

Burlington

Flamborough

Grimsby

Hamilton

Niagara Falls

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Oakville

St. Catharines

Stoney Creek

Waterdown

Lisa Baxter

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You’ve saved for the down payment but not the money to undertake the necessary renovations. There are options available to help finance the renovations, so you can stop start enjoying your new home. Renovation mortgage financing is one of the most popular renovation financing options for new homebuyers. It allows you to add renovation costs to your mortgage when you purchase your new home. So if your mortgage was $600,000 to cover the purchase price and you needed $60,000 for the renovations, you would assume a mortgage of $660,000. So when you apply for your mortgage, you will also estimate all the costs associated with your renovations and add it to the mortgage. Sometimes, you don’t even know everything that needs to be taken care of until you begin a renovation project. That’s why you should always put aside some extra for the “unknown.” This might even just be upgraded appliances or furniture when the renovations are through, but having some money set aside is never a bad thing.You can use an existing mortgage to pay for renovations. Mortgage refinancing is an option that many investigate if they do not want to obtain funds in other ways (lines of credit, loans, etc.). Mortgage refinancing considers how much left you owe on the house, allowing you to borrow up to 80 per cent of the appraised value. Refinancing your mortgage allows you to undertake the renovations but spread the payment out over an extended period of time with generally less interest than a credit card or personal loan rates.

Renovation Mortgage Financing

Getting your home ready for sale is just as important in the fall, and maintaining curb appeal requires different attention then in the spring and summer. Here are some tips to help when selling your home and help buyers fall in love with it. 1. Don’t ‘Leave’ a Mess While fall leaves are gorgeous to look at on trees, once they hit the ground they no longer add to the beauty of your property. Make a good first impression and get rid of leaves, so the first thing sellers see is your home, not the amount of raking they will have to do each year! 2. Fall Flowers Gardens and landscaping can add to curb appeal. If your summer flowers have died, it’s best to replace them or remove them all together. Consider planting mums or fall flowers in flower beds. (Mums can withstand the colder weather and come in beautiful fall colours). If you don’t have a garden or prefer not to plant flowers in them, try using urns or large pots instead. 3. Lighten Up Let’s face it without the summer sun, on darker days the inside of homes can look dreary. Here are some tips to minimize the impact of duller days. <ul>
<li>Clean your windows and screens on both sides before listing </li>
<li>Make sure all blinds, and window coverings are open as wide as they can go </li>
<li>Show your home earlier in the day if possible </li>
<li>Consider outdoor landscape lighting, patio lighting or solar pathway lighting </li>
</ul>4. Give Sweater Weather Vibes Keep your home feeling cozy from the outside in. Incorporate fall décor around your home’s exterior – it can be as simple as a wreath on the front door to a fully staged fall patio session, complete with chunky knit blankets and all! Inside, consider highlighting your fireplace if you have one, minimize clutter and placing a throw on the couch. Make your home feel welcoming and buyers may just want to stay. 5. Festive Frights Not Always a Delight If you’re selling your home during Halloween season, you might want to nix the spooky décor. If you want to decorate, use pumpkins or décor that can be easily stored away during showings. Just be sure the festive spirit doesn’t dampen the buying spirit of those viewing your home.

Fall Home Selling Tips

Working with Terry, Debby and Lisa has been a pleasure. They recommended a strategy for selling the house that was appropriate for the current market conditions that ended up getting us a sale price that I couldn’t have realistically expected a week before we listed. We were also able to sell the house in a shorter period of time than initially expected.

Wonderful experience helping us relocate. We had a list of our must-haves and each box was checked! They were great with follow up issues as well, didn't just disappear after the sale as some agents do. Will use them again for sure!

I can't say enough about this Teams professionalism, true caring nature, and extensive knowledge/connections. They brings all these qualities to the table for their clients, not just in the real estate transaction, but in the transition into a new community. They are extremely responsive and thoughtful in their recommendations. I've worked with a lot of realtors in past, and this team is the most service-oriented realtor. I highly recommend the Court Baxter Team for all of your real estate needs!