Blog Archives

As I’m sure many of you have heard, the mortgage rules for Canada have changed.  As a Realtor, the ones that affect me most have to do with one’s ability to purchase a home.  We used to have 30 year mortgages available for many years.  Then the government instituted 40 year mortgages for a few years and then back to 30 years.  Now the government has stated that there will be no new mortgages available for more than 25 years.  What does this mean as a new home buyer wanting to make a first purchase?  It means it will be more difficult to qualify!  It also means that the average $350,000 mortgage will cost you $150 more each month (25 year mortgage versus a 30 year mortgage). As a Canadian, I am pleased that our government is taking steps to enusure that we are not getting ourselves into more debt than we can handle.  We don’t want what happened in the United States or in Europe to happen here.  Unfortunately it comes at a cost to many people and that means their ability to purchase a home.  If you have questions, contact me and I would be happy to discuss […]

How is your home’s air quality?  I know this sounds like a silly question and the immediate response might be that it is fine, but is it really.  The two most common household toxins are carbon monoxide and radon.  Both are colorless and odourless and can be very dangerous to you and your family.  Not all homes are at risk for radon, it depends on soil conditions within a neighborhood and occurs naturally, seeping through foundation cracks.  Carbon monoxide is a risk in any home using combustion such as a natural gas furnace or fireplace.  Your home should have a carbon monoxide alarm.  If you have an alarm system, the monitoring company can likely add such a detector to your system.  If not, you can pick an alarm up at many home improvement stores and simply plug it into an electrical outlet.  The same is true for a radon gas alarms.  Be proactive and protect yourself and your family.  Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

You’ve just moved into your new home and your toddler bumps the table where you have a glass of red wine sitting at your ready.  It tips over and spills onto your carpet.  Often times it can be difficult to remove a stain from a carpet without damaging the the underlying surface.  Here are a few tips that can be of help to you.  First, give your cleaner time to work.  Read the product label and leave the area undisturbed for the recommended amount of time.  Clean the spill immediately!  Don’t leave it sitting with time to set.  Never rub a stain.  Instead, gently blot it.  Finally, if you cannot remove a stubborn stain, hire a professional.  Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

Often times, especially when dealing with first time home buyers, people will ask me what other expenses they need to consider when buying a home.  Here are some important items to consider: – How much will it cost you to move?  Will you use professional movers or will you move yourself?  Do you need to purchase packing materials? –  Closing costs not only include your legal bills, but also your taxes and utility hook ups. –  Will there be a cost to activate your telephone service, internet, cable, etc? –  Are there any immediate repairs needed or desired to be made to your new home?  How much will that cost? –  Do you need to purchase furniture for your new home? All of the above are items you need to consider when buying a home.  There is the obvious cost of purchasing a home, but then there are all of the little items you need to consider that can add up quickly!  Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

Attracting people to your home so they will view and hopefully buy it is all about marketing.  This includes the language in the write up, on marketing materials, and used on the internet when speaking about your home.  On many occasions I have been very disappointed when reading MLS write ups.  Sometimes there is very little description about the home.  Other times the write up may seem very plain.  Pictures say a thousand words, but it is often the words that will move people to look at the pictures.  Paul Anglin, a professor at the University of Windsor,  recently cited in an MSN Real Estate article that certain words have an impact on the general public when used within a real estate write up or description.  When the words “beautiful” or “gorgeous” are used, homes sell an average of 15% faster.  The words “move in condition” can help a home sell 12% faster.  “Landscaping” when used in a description can help a home sell 5% faster.  The words “must see” have little to no impact whatsoever. Choose a Realtor that understands the language of selling a home.  Thanks for reading!  By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

We’ve all seen the commercials on television about the so called miracle grasses that will grow in any soil and in any conditions.  My grass needs a pick me up every year.  These formulas sound so tempting.  How can such a product work? It turns out such grasses have a potent mixture of fast growth seeds and quick acting fertilizer.  Not all of these products have attractive and desirable growth  patterns.  Most important is that they may not offer good coverage for the price.  So be sure you compare these formulas to that of an equal per square basis of a quality seed and fertilizer approach. Happy gardening and thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

You want to sell your home.  You’re trying to look at it as strictly a business transaction.  Your home is a product and you want to be able to sell it quickly and for the best price possible.  It is, however, a place filled with many memories and emotional attachments.  You need to be sure you are handling the emotional side of selling your home for you and your family. Consider having your kids draw pictures of all the fun they will have in their new home.  Make sure your kids know their current friends can visit and they can visit them.  Remind them that they’ll make lots of new friends.  Walk around the neighborhood where you want to live and get a sense of what it will be like to live there.  Explore and find all the great things about the area.  Perhaps you want to take a keepsake from your last home to ease the transition, such as that board by the basement doorway where you recorded the yearly height measurements of your kids over the last several years.  Regardless of the business at hand, selling is emotional.  Find all the good in the new home and neighborhood and build […]

You can go on the internet and find many helpful articles on selling your home including everything from listing to advertising, to negotiating, dealing with contracts, handling paperwork and the legalities of a real estate transaction.  It’s tempting to try to be your own Realtor.  A person can find a lot of information on the internet for various disciplines including veterinary medicine and how to de-nature poisonous fish prior to eating, but it doesn’t mean you should do any of it. You need to weigh the pros and cons of being your own agent.  Yes the potential to save a little money is there, but you may not save as much as you think.  This venture can cost you time, stress, and dollars.  In fact, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association, there are over 145 steps to completing the average real estate transaction.  Many of these steps are complex and require a lot of training, knowledge, skill and experience to do them well.  Doing your own marketing, showings, dealing with offers and contracts, not to mention other agents and transactional paperwork can be very stressful.  Before you decide to go it alone, talk to a good Realtor that specializes in […]

Sometimes shopping around for a new home can take a little time.  You look at several and now you think you’ve found the right home for you and your family.  You can get the home if you make the right offer. You don’t want to offer too low for risk of offending the seller and not having your offer considered.  On the other hand, you don’t want to offer too much and have money left on the table that could be used for other things such as family vacations, or renovations.  So what do you do? A good Realtor can consult with you about what goes into an offer.  Perhaps there are other ways to strengthen your offer such as few conditions, or meeting many of the seller’s contractual wants and needs outside of price.  Either way expert advice is important for you to make the right decision and that is advice that a Realtor can give you. Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+