About Waterloo County, ON

Here are 4 stats that make sense and every REALTOR® should be able to tell you right off the bat!

1) Days on Market. This information can be used to inform the customer how long homes are sitting on the market. The better you price the product, the faster you can expect to move it. Don't make the mistake of pricing too high, as the house will sit on the market and become stale. Even price reductions may not achieve the desired result, and both parties will eventually become frustrated with the process.

2) Sold-to-Ask. Show your clients what the market conditions allow them to expect. Buyers need these stats as proof that offering way less than asking price simply will not work (provided that the home is priced right to begin with). In today's market place, expect this number to be in the 95% range.

3) Homes Sold at 100% or More. Helps your client be realistic, and open to offers, while telling buyers, that some homes do receive 100% of asking price, and they need to be prepared to increase their initial offer if countered.

4) Units Sold. The most obvious statistic of the 4, but only if you can tailor it to the area in question. Cambridge stats are ok, but North Hespeler, East Galt or Preston are even more useful to your clients. Especially if you narrow it further by only including the type of home to be considered. Not much use including condo sales in your stats, when your clients are in a single detached home.

MLS has these statistics, and your REALTOR® should have these stats. Check out my "June 2009 Housing Market Update" to see what's happening in the Cambridge area. If you want to know the numbers for your specific part of town, just call my direct line or send an email to reach me.

There has been a $5MIL settlement reached with Northstar Aerospace. This comes from a class action lawsuit launched by residents in what's known as the Northstar Zone, approximately 400 homes in and around Bishop, Concession, Dunbar, Grand Valley and Coronation Blvd. TCE was discovered to have leeched into groundwater, and has affected air quality in homes near the Northstar plant. It's a chemical typically used as a degreaser for metals. Northstar is in the process of remediation and is actively cleaning up the area.

Here is the full release. Have a look at the map of the affected area.

Genworth Canada, mortgage insurance agency, has launched a web-site called myhomeplanner.ca. It's a neat little web app, that let's you specify your moving date, and it gives you a nice little calendar with icons showing your upcoming tasks. So you'd add Home Inspection, Property Insurance and Status to a list of tasks, then each of those tasks could be represented by a different icon, and visually shown to you on a calendar. It also has a countdown to your closing date.

Along with this feature, is included a bunch of calculators and other resources that make the home buying process a little simpler. I especially like the glossery of terms commonly encountered. Have a look, you might find something of use on there! :-)

A prospective buyer will usually enter through your front door; so, that is where you should begin your interior inspection and clean-up.

You want your buyer to see a neat, clean, well-lit interior.

Get clutter out of sight; ensure that carpets are clean and floors are scrubbed and polished; and that walls and trim show fresh paint (preferably neutral or light colours).

Take a sniff. Are there any unpleasant odours in your home? If so, track them down and eliminate them. Perhaps get the carpets deodorized when cleaned.

Ensure all your lights work and light fixtures are free of cobwebs. You want your home to look spacious, bright and fresh.

Lose the family memorabilia. Your objective is to help potential buyers feel as if they could live in your home. That mental leap is tough if your house resembles a shrine to you and your family.

Check floors for squeaks, stairs for loose boards, carpeting for rips and tears, and stairs for missing or loose handrails and guards.

Ensure doors open and shut properly. Minor sticking is normal but excessive binding indicates possible structural problems.

Open and close all windows to ensure they work properly. Fogging between the panes of a sealed window indicates the seal is broken and the unit needs to be replaced. Do it!

Things to do OUTSIDE!

Remove any clutter in the yard

Repair cracked or uneven driveway or walkway surfaces

If the lawn has bald spots, apply some top dressing and re-seed. Prune trees and shrubs of dead wood. Weed and mulch flower beds, if you have them. Consider buying some flower-filled planters to enhance the eye appeal of the property. Make sure the lawn is mowed.

Are the windows and walls clean?

Does the front door need paint?

Ensure the eaves and downspouts are clear of debris and in good repair. Buyers don't want maple trees growing out of the eaves.

Is the backyard deck and walkway clean? Consider power washing.

If there is a swimming pool, are the deck and pool clean

Do all outside lights work? Replace any burned out bulbs, and clean fixtures of dirt and cobwebs

Is there a shed? Does it look presentable?

Do windows and exterior doors need recaulking? Even at 6-7 years of age, the caulking may be dried out and in need of replacement.

If you have a gate, is it well oiled?