Now that I am in the mood to shop for a house, I am learning all kinds of things from a Buyer's viewpoint. While being an agent, I told all of my clients of the importance of lots of good photos. I would now add the importance of good panoramic video. Once this is taken care of, then a house needs to be listed on as many websites as possible.

• The local Board that manages the MLS system for the area. In Ottawa, there are restrictions on the local Board to how many photos can be loaded into the listing. However, the Board has provided space for agents to link the listing to other sites.
• My former brokerage had its own site for Royal LePage agents
• The listings were loaded on the national site MLS.ca
• I have/had my own site plus the ActiveRain site
• My photos, description and panoramic videos were loaded on a site specific to the address of the house.
• Agents and home Sellers also have the opportunity to list on Kijiji and Craigslist.

Just a couple of reminders:

• Make sure that you have excellent photos. Hire a professional photographer to get the best results.
• Avoid the 'fish eye' lens where possible as the distortion is hard for some people to understand. While you get to see 'more' of the room, it also looks bigger, wider, longer and just off kilter.
• Don't forget to update the sites that are in your control, during the sale and after the home is sold. Nothing looks as bad as an interior shot of the living room with a Christmas tree when it is July and sweltering hot.

Whenever it gets cold and I get tired of walking on icy streets, I start to look at real estate in British Columbia. Even when there is snow, it doesn't stay in the Vancouver area or on the south end of Vancouver Island (at least that is my dream). So, I have been back looking on the Internet at real estate.

If we are going to live in our next home for 20 or 30 years, then I need to take into account that yard and house maintenance will be a future issue as will climbing stairs to the second floor to go to the master bedroom. I am looking at condos targeted to adults. Now, here are 2 things that I have noticed when condo town homes, apartments and single homes are listed for these adult communities:

1. Age minimum: 19
2. Pets: Dogs no more than 20 pounds and no taller from the floor to the top of the head of 20".

Seems like there are some condo boards (called strata in BC) that have become VERY specific about the pets and about children. I guess the definition of adult is 19 and over in BC. What 19 year old in his right mind is going to want to live in an old folks community? Oh yes, the 19 year old who needs free room and board. LOL

I got out the tape measure and the scale and with a few more walks and less treats, Hoover can meet the dog criteria. Just one more reason for having Westies.

Dogs and Kids but with limits.

Have you been looking for a beautiful home for your family but need a space for your inlaws? This home is the perfect home for you. Welcome to 3 Lasalle in Rockland.

This executive home is absolutely beautiful with many recent upgrades. The kitchen, eating area and family room will certainly be the place to spend a lot of time with your family.

Kitchen & eating area


Main Floor Family Room

The rest of this home has also been extensivelly renovated. Look at the nice fireplace in the family room above. Do you think it matches the rest of the home? There is another one, very similar to this in the master bedroom.

The lower level has also been completely finished with a bar, rec room, play room, exercise room, bathroom & lots of storage space too.

Now, let's talk about the in-law suite. It is a separate building from the main house. You get to keep your privacy but the in-law suite is just a few steps away. It has a full kitchen, bathroom, living/family room. A complete open concept that could accomodate your in-laws.

For additional information on this stunning home visit Rockland Executive Home to see all of the features which could be your next home. Don't forget about the inground pool and large hedged yard.

I heard on television that approximately 1,000,000,000 chicken wings will be consumed today. Now, assuming that you get 2 pieces per wing and two wings per bird then there are 250,000,000 chicken that have contributed to game day. I like wings so will have a couple but there will also be meatballs, chili, chips and I have the chef (aka my husband) throw in a few celery and carrot sticks for good luck. You never know when one of his friends will actually want to down a veg. The beer is cooling. For my part, I went all out and did some assembly baking - you know - I assembled a mix into baby cupcakes and then made some butter cream icing in red, blue and white. I looked for silver but others got to the cake supply store before me. I hope the frame on the photo gives you the idea of silver. There were more cupcakes but they went off to friends and the little people who live next door. The red and the blue icing are very dangerous as the tongue and the lips will turn colors from all the edible food dye I had to use. Just saying......

Not telling who my team is but...... I think my mini cakes looks very PATRIOTIC.

Beyond City Limits: Life in Ottawa’s Suburbs

Part 1: East of Ottawa

The East of Ottawa has always been a popular place for families to settle. There is so much to do in the area that you never really need to leave it to find exactly what you are looking for. There are four areas in the East that are currently booming:

Blackburn Hamlet - average resale price $261,162

Chapel Hill - average resale price $405,422

Convent Glen North - average resale price $292,571

Avalon - average resale price $351,124

Blackburn Hamlet is a very special part of Ottawa since it is surrounded by Greenbelt, and definitely won’t be getting much bigger. This community is perfect for people who are looking for that small town feel without being too far out of the city. What’s really great about Blackburn is the mature feel of the small ‘hamlet’. It has mature trees, large lots and a pedestrian friendly layout. Houses here generally sell very quickly, within three weeks, since it is such an exclusive area.

Chapel Hill is very close to Blackburn Hamlet, but has a very different feel. Houses are generally newer in this community; dating from the 1990’s onward. People shopping in this area are generally looking for newer & larger single family homes. The Chapel Hill area also features mature trees, many parks and great schools. Chapel Hill is a great place for families and since it is in Orleans, has many great amenities nearby such as recreation complexes, movie theatres and libraries. If you love Orleans, but find Avalon is too ‘new’ and far out for your tastes, Chapel Hill is the answer.

Convent Glen North is a lovely mish mash community within Orleans. It features everything from condos to large four bedroom homes. Many homebuyers love the Convent Glen area since they can move within the same neighbourhood as their needs and budgets change and grow. This part of Orleans is also covered with parks & amazing trails, including the bike trail along the Ottawa river which takes you right down to parliament! Another hidden treasure in Convent Glen (well maybe not so hidden) is Taffy Lane! Every year the residents of Taffy Lane decorate their homes beautifully during the Christmas holidays. People come from all over the city to drive by and see the amazing array of decorations.

Avalon, as the sign at the entrance states, is a “perfectly planned community”. It will eventually hold over 3,500 houses. What’s great about this area is the ability for homebuyers to have their ideal homes built. Some really nice features of the community are the central squares (circles really). These are small parks within roundabouts; they feature parks and a great place to let your pets and kids run around. Even though this community is less than six years old, it already has a very active lifestyle with elementary schools and a brand new community centre.

And there you have it folks, the East of Ottawa is still expanding and full of many hidden gems and great family friendly communities. Many people think of the East of Ottawa as a sleepy government employee community, but as all of the expansion along Innes has proven, it is much more than that. In the East you can find that new development you're craving or that small town feel, if that’s more your speed. The above four communities are not the only gems the East of Ottawa has to offer, you can also find many other flourishing neighbourhoods such as: Fallingbrook, Orleans Wood, Chatelaine Village, Queenswood Heights, Springridge and Bradley Estates. I think it’s safe to say that the East really does, have it all!

(This blog post references the May 2011 issue of Ottawa Magazine)