Real Estate, St. Johns, Newfoundland R. Greg Osmond, Realtor

Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism is again using the province's beautiful landscape and historic culture for its seasonal campaign.  Produced by a St. John's agency Target, it is called "Ancient Land".

Shot on location in Labrador's Torngat Mountains National Park, it features a young Aboriginal girl and her grandfather exploring rocky terrain and coastal areas. 

"Throughout this land, for thousands of years, it's been said that everything has a spirit," the voiceover says as the pair approach an inukshuk. "Not surprisingly, it's where you might find your own."

The two-minute version of the video is currently running nationally on network and specialty stations, with 30 and 60 second versions in national slots to run soon.  An accompanying print campaign will also launch before tourism season moves into high gear.

Target describes the main audience for the ad as "experienced, adventurous travelers" who seek "unusual experiences off the beaten track."  If you have never been here, you will definitely be inspired to seek the adventure of something new this year.  Take two minutes, watch it and dream. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay- Flatrock- Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate. He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com. Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate! If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!

Click Here To SUBSCRIBE. Your Mother will definitely approve!

You cannot escape through The Narrows with your eyes closed.  Clinging to the cliffs along the shoreline of the St. John's harbour, homes just in from “The Narrows” have one of the most spectacular views of the city.  They peer through to the end of the harbour where for centuries ships and sailors have found respite from the Atlantic.  Each home owner seems to have assumed a duty to display the brilliant colors of blue, green, red or yellow as though the signature theme of St. John’s residential architecture is "iridescence".    

The Narrows is a small channel  between the Southside of the harbour (on the right) and the rocks of Signal Hill (left).  It  is the one and only entrance to St. John's harbour.  Its depth of 11 meters and at its span of only 61 meters wide has long provided a challenge to safe navigation into the port. 

Today navigation into St. John's is administered by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority (APA) pursuant to the Pilotage Act, Canada.  It is mandatory to use the services of the APA harbour pilot.  The objectives of APA are to establish, operate, maintain, and administer a safe and efficient pilotage service within designated Canadian waters.

The Narrows has served as an important defense system for the city of St. John’s guarding it from early pirates and would be settlers from 1655 to World War II.  In 1655 Vice Admiral Christopher Martin erected a fort on the south side to prevent privateers and enemy vessels from entering the port.

In 1763 Fort Amherst was built in the same area.  In the late 1700's a chain was erected across the narrows from Chain Rock to Pancake Rock which could be raised in the event of enemy ships advancing into the harbour.  During World War II a steel mesh was installed to prevent enemy submarines from passing through The Narrows.

Today The Narrows continues to serve the world as the doorway to the capital city St. John's and much of Newfoundland.  For many Newfoundlanders it is the channel for trade with the world.  The oil industry uses the port of St. John's to ferry people and supplies to and from the oil platforms on the Grand Banks.  The Narrows remains the integral link to commerce and prosperity for Eastern Newfoundland as well as one of the popular tourist attractions of Eastern Canada. 

I want to thank Kurtis Billard for allowing me the privilege of sharing with you one of his beautifully crafted HDR photos of “The Narrows”.  You may see more of Kirtus’s excellent work at his Flicker album.

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay- Flatrock- Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.  For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate.  He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com.  For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com.  Thinking of selling your home?  I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate!  If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!

Click Here To SUBSCRIBE. Your Mother will definitely approve!

Housing starts are still doing very well in Newfoundland according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) report. Today's news release indicated that December housing starts totalled 201 in St. John's compared to 202 in December 2008. The total for the province in December were 223 compared to 226 in December 2008.

Chris Janes, Senior Market Analyst with CMHC in Newfoundland and Labrador said, “The local residential construction industry remained buoyant throughout 2009 and ended the year off just nine per cent compared to 2008’s record pace. Despite weakness in the global economy in 2009, positive local economic and demographic factors continued to support stable residential construction activity within the St. John’s region, as well as in other urban centres across the province.”

If December numbers are any indication, residential real estate demand in St. John's, Newfoundland will remain fairly strong throughout the first quarter of 2010. Housing starts are one of the leading indicators of economic change.

By my read, these stats indicate that things are continuing pretty much as they have been for St. John's, Newfoundland: A strong market with continued price appreciation at least for the first few months.

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay- Flatrock- Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate. He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com. Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate! If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!

Go ahead...Click and SUBSCRIBE. Impress your 5 year old today!

A St. John's Newfoundland Realtor's message to clients and friends for 2010.

Here we are already 10 days into the New Year. Once again, the real estate market is up and running. Personally I have been busy with showing homes, marketing my listings and working on ramping up my marketing plans for the next year.

I have some new developments on the horizon. I will add videos of my clients homes to my blog in the very near future. Thanks to some friends on ActiveRain and to some of my clients who have the know-how, it is just a matter of time. Here is a snapshot of my new camera. Its a Canon FS20 with an 8 GB built in memory. We are going to have fun!

Blogging will be an integral part of my marketing again in 2010. My goal here is to bring good information to those who are planning to buy or sell a home. By sharing some of the things I have learned over the last 21 years of practicing real estate, I hope to make their real estate experience more successful and a little more enjoyable. I get great pleasure from hearing how my blog helped someone or that they enjoyed something I have written. Thanks a lot to those who give me your feedback!

If there is one thing I have learned in 2009 more than anything else, it is to make sure to ask about the missing data on the MLS listing. One of my clients last year tried to purchase a town home and after making an acceptable offer and ordering the home inspection, we were informed the home was a condominium. That important information was missing from the listing. Was it intentionally or accidental? I am not sure, but the reality was my client did not want to purchase a condo. She wanted a townhome.

So this year, I will be making sure I assume nothing and ask about the missing information before we make an offer. By the way, my client was released from all obligations without any legal entanglement, received her refund of deposit and we found the perfect home for her in Mount Pearl. If you would like to read more about it, check out this link. A Few Thoughts From The Events Of Today.

I want to extend a heart felt thank you to all my clients who allowed me to serve them this past year! It was a great privilege for me and I thank you sincerely from my heart! I received a great deal of satisfaction from assisting you all whether you bought or sold a home.

To all my ActiveRain friends, thanks for the sharing so much great information and for your comments on my blog in the past year. It has been a great year for me personally and in business. I am very thankful to you all for your contributions.

I want to wish you all a great year in 2010 and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of St. John's, Newfoundland and surrounding areas once again.

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay- Flatrock- Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate. He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com. Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate! If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!

Go ahead...Click and SUBSCRIBE. Impress your 5 year old today!

Let me tell you why buyers, sellers, and Realtors in St. John's Newfoundland love home inspections.

Why wouldn't they? Home inspectors provide a very valuable service. Home inspections identify the deficiencies of a home and make sure all parties to the transaction are fully informed about the condition of the home. In doing so, they help to keep both the buyers and sellers out of court and that always make the Realtor happy. Here are seven advantages of having a home inspection done before a deal is closed.

1. All home buyers have a right to know the home condition before they make a final buying decision. If a vendor neglects to disclose or is simply unaware of a deficiency, the home inspector can help to discover it.

2. Home inspections provide an objective opinion about the structure and systems of the home. Unless there are major structural problems, this will add strength and reinforcement to the intent of the purchase and sale agreement.

3. Home inspections give the buyer an opportunity to prepare for home ownership. The maintenance responsibilities that accompany home ownership are many. Drawing them to the buyer's attention will help them prepare for home ownership. Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones later.

4. Home inspectors share liability for errors and omissions. In the event of a law suit due to a latent deficiency, a Realtor does not bear the responsibility alone. As Realtors may not have the expertise to perform home inspections, using the services of a professional inspector with liability insurance will help share the liability risk.

5. Sellers too receive a measure of protection from liability due to latent defects in the home. When they agree to a home inspection, they demonstrate a transparency to the buyer in their search for deficiencies. Proof that the vendor concealed a problem will be more difficult to establish.

6. Home inspections become a historic record of the property. Each one can build upon the other and can assist in the marketing of a home in future. When they are kept on file, future buyers can see the history of care that has been taken with the home.

7. Accurate information is always the professional Realtor's best friend. The agent "duty of care" is a serious one so Realtors appreciate it when buyers are fully informed before the transaction closes. Unknown problems with the home's structure or systems will often present challenges to all parties if they are discovered after the sale.

Home buyers should ensure they inform their Realtor to add a home inspection clause to the deal before it is made. The price of a home inspection is usually between $400 and $600. That very small investment can save the buyer thousands later.

Often deficiencies will be repaired before the transaction closes as sellers will either take care of them or adjust the price to the buyers so they can take care of them. And of course, if the deficiencies are just too complex, the buyer may decide to walk away and purchase another home.

For more help with buying and selling a home, check out this information on how to manage the pressure of a real estate transaction.

If you have any questions about home inspections, feel free to post them here or send me an email at rgosmond1@gmail.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Torbay – Flatrock – Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate. He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com. Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate! If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!