Hamilton Real Estate Today!

Open House in Westdale on Sunday

2012-01-04T23:42:00Z

Westdale, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 40 Edgevale Road on January 8 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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Just Listed 12 Randall Avenue in Old Stoney Creek

2011-12-28T22:48:00Z

Old Stoney Creek - Fantastic new listing at 12 Randall Avenue, a 1 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story. Just listed MLS® $289,900 - Spectacular Family Home!.

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Open House in Hamilton West on Sunday

2011-12-11T06:31:00Z

Hamilton West, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 29 Railway Street on December 11 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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Open House in Hamilton West on Sunday

2011-12-03T19:48:00Z

Hamilton West, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 160 Locke Street North on December 4 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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2 Storey For Sale in Hamilton West

2011-12-03T19:37:00Z

Trendy living...Steps to Everything!

• 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story "Semi Detached " - MLS® $179,900 - Incredible Value!

Hamilton West, Hamilton - Incredible downtown solid brick semi- steps to everything! James St N Art district, Farmers Market, Copp's plus minutes away from 403! This century home features high ceilings, exposed brick wall in entry way, updated trendy kitchen with ceramic floors, plus beautiful maple hardwood in living room and dining room.

Extremely affordable taxes plus reduced energy costs with a high efficiency "on demand" hot water boiler system- Heating & Hot water costs approx $60.00 a month!

Property features a new roof, improved insulation, neutral decor, 4 appliances plus much more!

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Homes For Sale on Hamilton Mountain: Market update

2011-11-30T02:02:00Z

Selection is Great for Home Buyers on Hamilton Mountain

A search of the homes for sale on Hamilton Mountain today, November 29th, 2011, shows a very healthy inventory of homes and combined with exciting 5 year mortgage specials, it may be the perfect time to make a move!

330 single detached homes for sale
174 three bedroom homes for sale
10 three bedroom homes under $200,000
Cheapest 3 bedroom home $179,900
Most expensive 3 bedroom home without an investment component $529,900
Price range for the majority of 3 bedroom detached homes- 106 Three bedroom homes priced between $200,000 and $300,000
Number of 3 bedroom detached homes sold in November- 81
Price range of homes sold in November- $137,500 to $429,000
8 three bedroom detached homes sold under $200,000
Price range for greatest number of sales- $200,000 to $300,000 with 53 homes selling in this price range.

Condominiums, both town homes and apartment units are not quite as plentiful on Hamilton Mountain today.

46 units available
Price range $64,900 to $259,900
35 town house units and 11 apartment units
3 Bedrooms available- 32 town home units- 0 apartment units
November sales: 1 apartment unit & 22 town home units

Hamilton Home Mortgage deal of the day?

Bank of Montreal
5 year fixed rate special
3.39%

Hamilton Homes Market Evaluation

Open House in Hamilton East on Sunday

2011-11-16T02:30:00Z

Hamilton East, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 158 Garside Avenue North on November 20 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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Excellent Starter at 158 Garside Avenue North in Hamilton East

2011-11-15T03:06:00Z

Hamilton East, Hamilton - Announcing a great price on 158 Garside Avenue North, a 1 bath, 2 bdrm 1 1/2 story. Three 2 year old appliances included!!Now MLS® $154,900 - Fantastic Kitchen!.

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Top Do-It Yourself Renovations with Best Return on Investment

2011-11-14T22:50:00Z

RENOVATION PROJECT	APPROXIMATE COST*	APPROXIMATE ROI**
Paint the interior	$1,000	50-100%
Replace carpeting with affordable laminate	$2,000 (for 1,000 square-foot space)	50-75%
Install new light fixtures	$2,000	60-70%
Groom the exterior landscape	$2,000	25-50%
Replace knobs and hardware	$2,000	75-100%
Update the entryway	$3,000	50-75%
Replace carpeting and laminate floors with hardwood	$5,000 (for 1,000 square-foot space)	50-75%
Build a fence/deck	$5,000	50-75%

Source: Estimating & Budgeting Guide: Typical Costs of Residential Construction and Home Remodeling. The CanadianBuilding Consulting Group Inc., 2007.

Do It With Doors!

2011-11-14T00:24:00Z

Do it with Doors!

Improve your home’s interior with doors that are fashionable but practical

One of the easiest and relatively inexpensive ways to give your home a makeover is to update it with new interior doors. Doors can provide privacy, control noise, and manage heating and air conditioning flow. Combined with the right hardware, doors can also enhance your home’s décor.

Formulate the Flow
Whether you’re replacing an existing door or adding a new one to create a quiet spot for reading, doing homework, or just sitting with friends, you need to consider how you want the space to work and interact with adjoining rooms. For smaller rooms, consider options that include bi-fold, sliding and pocket doors to minimize the space needed by a regular hinged door. French doors, which can open into or out of a room, let you retain the light and open look, while also adding architectural interest. If you feel doors interfere with the flow of your home, pocket doors which slide into the adjacent wall, preserve flow while also adding the option for privacy.

Select a Source
There are doors to suit every budget and design scheme, from rustic tongue and groove to contemporary panel styles. Materials in wood and MDF are the most common, both of which can be painted to match any colour scheme. Glass and mirrored doors reflect light and space, and the former can be frosted for privacy. If you want to consider an environmentally friendly source of material, bamboo has gained considerable attention in sustainable design because it is a hardy, durable product from a renewable resource.

Pull it Together
No matter what interior doors you choose, ensure they maintain a design consistency with other doors in your home. For example, French doors can be complemented by paneled doors in bedrooms and hallways. Replacement doors should have the same measurements as the old doors and for new doors, measure the width of the doorway at the top, middle and bottom and use the smallest measurement to determine the size of door required. Top it off with hardware that reflects the door’s design and enhances your home’s décor.

If your doors are looking tired or are out of step with your decorating tastes, update them and be amazed at the difference they make. This is a home improvement that will make your living space more enjoyable and appealing.

Open House in Hamilton West on Sunday

2011-11-13T01:06:00Z

Hamilton West, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 80 Oxford Street on November 13 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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Open House in Hamilton West on Sunday

2011-11-13T01:05:00Z

Hamilton West, Hamilton - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 160 Locke Street North on November 13 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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5 Mistakes to Avoid when you Flip or Renew Property.

2011-11-12T02:35:00Z

First of all, I have to say, there's nothing more rewarding than taking a beat up or run down property and transforming it into something that anyone would be proud to call home. I've been involved in a couple of dozen of them over the years and I know first hand the incredible sense of accomplishment I felt on each of them.

As anyone who has done a few renewals or flips will tell you, it's not quite as easy as the snippets on HGTV or Flip this House would lead you to believe. Over the years, I've helped many people make good money doing this type of work. On one hand you have the pro's, who turn out a wonderful product that sells quickly. On the other hand, you have the amateurs, who, without the right guidance could end up with a house that sits on the market forever, and eventually they walk away with little or no profit.

So, here's my list of the top 5 traps to avoid.

1) Avoid overbidding on Power of Sales & Estate Sales: Before you jump on a Power of Sale or an Estate Sale, make sure you look at it's MLS history. With Power of Sales, it's not unusual that the house may have been on the market 6 or 7 months prior to the current Mortgagee in Possession listing. If it was listed for $120,000, and didn't sell, then paying $120,000 for it when you're faced with competing offers may not be the wisest financial decision. Have your Real Estate representative do the research for you...and look it over carefully.

2) Avoid over optimism in certain residential areas. Location, Location...Location. It holds true with flips and renewals. Every location has a ceiling in prices. It's easy to think that you may be able to push it to a new high with a wonderful product, but it's a huge risk. Check with your Realtor to find out what area of the City is experiencing the most sales and what the ceiling is in that area.

3) Avoid the "It's not that big of a deal" syndrome. Viewing a home that needs a lot work can be overwhelming, and many people just look at the obvious. Roof, hydro, plumbing, kitchen,furnace,bathroom and flooring. And these are important elements that can be easily cost out, but its going to be the ones that you don't care about when you originally view the home that may cost you your profit. A good example of this buying a home with a low basement. You are concerned over everything in the basement, except for it's height. It's not that big of a deal because everything in that price range has a low basement, but then you improve the home and all of a sudden you're in a price range where people are expecting a higher basement. The same holds true for the driveway situations. No drives or mutual drives are ok in one price range, but quite a deficiency in another.

4) Avoid putting the wrong grade of product in the home. Divide your local market into 3 parts. Low, Middle and Upper. If the house is in the Low market, don't chew up your profits with high quality hardwood floors and granite counter tops. In the Upper market, don't loose your profits by putting in laminate flooring and lower end light fixtures.

5) Avoid overestimating and underestimating. Overestimating the work that you're going to have to do will hinder you in the bidding process, resulting you being apprehensive about bidding enough. Underestimating will result in you possibly overpaying for a property and not making your desired profit. It's best that you know your prices before you look at properties. You not only have to know the prices for updates such as furnaces, windows and bathroom fixtures, you have to also know how much a tradesman would cost you if you can't do the work yourself.

Making sure you're organized, prepared and educated will go a long way to increasing your profits!

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine!

2011-11-11T03:41:00Z

I don't know who the wise owl was that came up with that saying...but not only does it pertain to those threads hanging from your hem, it also applies to your humble abode!

The clocks fall back, the days all of a sudden get shorter and all of a sudden you're thinking of what kind of Christmas cookies you're going to bake. The only problem is, somewhere between the warm, breezy nights of summer and the sculpting of our first snow man, is a very important time in home maintenance. It's the season to clean things out, seal things up and shut things off!

Take a stroll around the outside of your home and make a detailed list of what needs to be trimmed, picked up, dug out or put away. Also make note of any cracks in your foundation, broken downspouts or eaves and missing or loose shingles.Realize that you only may only have a couple of weeks to complete your winter shutdown!
Start by picking things up and putting them away in your shed, garage or basement. Flower pots that may crack over winter, garden ornaments that may be damaged if covered in snow and garden hoses.
Seal up any cracks in your foundation. If unsure, call in an expert. Moisture and freezing will only worsen the condition by next spring and little 4 legged creatures are anxious to get in out of the cold!
Clean out your eave troughs...and wash out your downspouts (they may be clogged!) and while you're up there, you can put up your Christmas lights!
If you're missing shingles, get them replaced...and if your eaves are loose...get them fastened. Snow and ice are heavy and unless your eaves are tight to your house and your roof is in good shape, you may have an unexpected water feature in your house!
Check all of your windows and doors to make sure that they close tightly.
Trim overgrown plants and rake up those leaves! Put the rake away and bring out the snow shovel!

Last and not least...disconnect and drain your garden hoses, and make sure your outside water taps are turned off inside the house and left open on the outside!

The Benefits of Pre-Listing Home Inspections

2011-11-08T04:32:00Z

There was a time when the most stressful clauses in an offer for a Seller were the ones associated with the Buyer obtaining financing or the Buyer selling their home, but over the last decade, this has changed.

Obtaining a Home Inspection has become the industry norm, and it's been standard for the Buyer to make an offer conditional for a period of time to obtain his/her own inspection report.

"Clause 13" in the Ontario Real Estate Association Standard Agreement of Purchase and Sale addresses requesting a home inspection:

"INSPECTION: Buyer acknowledges having the opportunity to inspect the property and understands that upon acceptance of this Offer there shall be a binding agreement of purchase and sale between the Buyer and Seller. The Buyer acknowledges having the opportunity to include a requirement for a property inspection report in this Agreement and agrees that except as may be specifically provided for in the Agreement, the Buyer will not be obtaining a property inspection or property inspection report regarding the property."

Once the Buyer reviews the report with the Home Inspector, he/she assesses the deficiencies and or repair items for the subject property and then makes an informed decision whether or not they want to continue with the purchase. There is no doubt that these reports have been extremely valuable in helping Buyers make informed decisions along with protecting the Seller from litigation after the transaction closes, often from issues that they didn't even know existed!

Benefits of Having Your Home Pre-Inspected Before Listing

Facilitate a faster sale for more money.
Reduces deal falling apart on inspection condition or 11th hour re-negotiations on deficiencies.
Be aware of existing issues, giving you the chance to address them now with competitive pricing.
Protect yourself from over-inflated buyer procured estimates to remedy deficiencies.
Get advise on the final report if there are items you wish to repair.
Reduce your liability with full disclosure
Provides purchasers the comfort of an unbiased 3rd party opinion.
You can assist the inspector during the inspection, unlike the purchaser's inspection.
The Home Inspector will be able to provide the Buyer with a review or actual secondary inspection to review repairs and deficiencies.

Benefits to Buying a Pre-Inspected Home

Saves a lot of time- upon reviewing a current Home Inspection report, you'll be able to see what the deficiencies are in advance of putting in an offer!
Allows you to focus on the deficiencies in a rational fashion and gives you time to get quotes and professional advise during your conditional period.
Allows you the ability to make a much more informed decision.

It doesn't matter if you're a Buyer or a Seller, the need for disclosure and discovery is paramount! The most successful and stress free property sales involve a Seller who knows exactly what he/she is selling and a Buyer who knows exactly what they are buying!

The Home Inspection Industry is far from perfect and there was a time when everyone and their brother were hanging up "Home Inspection" signs, but that has gradually changed. Real Estate Professionals and Consumers alike are looking for Inspectors who are both insured and knowledgeable. The demand is on for Home Inspectors that tell it as it is and don't feel pressure to candy coat anything. A good Home Inspector will not over exaggerate minor deficiencies or to be biased against certain area's of a City or type of house. At the end of the day, it's the Home Inspection Report that a Buyer may be very well depending on when making the decision of buying a home.