Prince Edward Island

Brand New Large split entry homew/waterview in the prestigious Rosebank subdivision. Many extra features like Vaulted ceiling, Deck & ensuite off master, Hardwood, Large modern kitchen, Energy efficient in-floor heat in lower level with electric boiler to avoid smelly fuel oil furnace, also has electronic boiler control unit to optimize efficiency. Extra large deck off Kitchen, Raise lower with Walkout, huge heated garage, Many heat zones and main floor laundry. ONLY $278,800. Call 314-ALDO(2536). Email aldo_db@hotmail.comor www.aldoshomes.ca

MUST BE VIEWED TO BE APPRECIATED

NOT ON MLS YET!!!!!!!

BOOK YOUR VIEWING ASAP!!

Yesterday I attended an education session that had several home inspectors presenting information to a group of real estate agents. They gave us valuable information on what should be expected from a home inspection and how we can help our clients benefit from them.

One important tool they supplied us with was a checklist of things we could do as real estate agents to ensure the home inspection went smoothly for all parties involved. This checklist included the following suggestions:

• Give the inspector a quick call the day before the inspection to verify the appointment.
• Make sure the inspector is aware of access arrangements. If they need to pick up a key at the office or if you need to meet them there to let them in, they should be informed of this ahead of time.
• Ask the inspector how much time he will need to perform the inspection and then let the home owner know. This is important as the home inspector is not able to shorten this time if the owner only wants to give access to the home for a short time. If the inspector is unable to have access to the home for the alloted time period, they will need to return to the home and charge an extra fee.
• Encourage the seller to have all the utilities in operating mode. This is especially important in seasonal properties. A thorough inspection cannot be done on a property without the electricity or the water turned on. Should the inspector visit the home and all the utilities are not operating, they may need to return at a later date which would result in an additional fee.
• Let your client know that it is normal for some issues to be brought up during a home inspection. Educate them on the process and their options.
• Encourage your client to attend the home inspection. Even if they attend at least part of it, they can go through the property with the home inspector to learn about the components of the home and better understand any concerns that are presented in the report.
• Real estate agents are also encouraged to attend the home inspection. This often ensures there are no miscommunications between agent and client when the concerns are later addressed.
• Real estate agents should advise their clients that two people are usually all that should attend the home inspection. Some buyers use the home inspection to invite family members and friends to the house to view. This is not advised and should never happen if there is no real estate agent present in the home at the time of the inspection.

By following the guidelines outlined here, you should be able to make the process as painless as possible for everyone!

The average home sold for $155,000 in 2009 it increased from $141,200 in Oct. 2008. Other provinces through out Canada are also on the rise. I feel this increase in the average home sale is happening today in the Prince Edward Island Real Estate market, because there is a lot of older homes and property that is not selling, and the new home sales with the big price tags are selling so this drives up the average price in the market. I will keep you all posted as the new year is fast approaching. Visit www.trevormurray.net for new listings and open house schedule Prince Edward Island.

Home Inspections

When you buy a home, you don't receive a money back guarantee as you do with other purchases. There is no return policy if you find yourself disappointed in your purchase after the fact. Once you are the owner of this home, you are then responsible for all the maintenance and repair costs as well as any bills that go along with it.

Before you purchase a home and when you write up a contract to purchase, you do have a clause that allows you to have a home inspection on your home before you decide that you want to go ahead and finalize the deal.

Since most people only use a home inspector once or twice in a lifetime, it's sometimes difficult to know how to choose a good one. Your real estate agent can steer you in the right direction with this decision and give you a list of names of home inspectors who are qualified. They may also give you the website of The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors. The inspectors you find on this website are all qualified home inspectors. You should call each inspector and ask questions on price, availability, how their reports are presented, etc. This may also give you an idea of their personality and professionalism. Some people choose their home inspector in a similar fashion to other service professionals and use recommendations of other purchasers who have used the inspector and were pleased with their service.

When choosing a home inspector, keep in mind they usually only have time to perform one or two inspections per day, so they may need several days notice in order to accommodate your request.

A home inspector will review the property and record and assess it's condition as well as the condition of the systems within the home. They will note the components that are not working properly or those that have gone past their useful life or are unsafe. They are able to identify areas that may need repairs or areas that may have had problems in the past. Inspections are used to educate people on the property they plan to buy and give them valuable information on how to better maintain or improve the quality of this property.

Home inspections are opinion based which means several inspectors could have totally different reports after viewing a home. Just as several real estate agents could have differing opinions on the price of a home, home inspectors may have different opinions on certain aspects of a home inspection.

You can expect a home inspection to include the following:

• Roofing and roofing components

• Exterior components

• Attic

• Structure

• Interior

• Electrical

• Plumbing

• Heating

• Water penetration

** Note: If the inspection takes place in winter months, the roof and foundation may not be fully visible for inspection if they are covered in snow and ice. Due to safety, home inspectors don't typically climb up on snow or ice covered roofs. They will inspect the roof from the ground.

Some things you shouldn't expect from a home inspection are:

• A home energy audit (Home inspectors are not able to tell you how energy efficient the home you are buying will be.)

• Not a building code review

• Not a renovation cost estimator (Home inspectors are not qualified to give you an estimate on work you may need to do to your home. You should have a contractor come into the home to give you this information.)

• Not an appraisal (Home inspectors are not able to tell you how much the house is worth that they are inspecting. There are qualified people who can do this for you. Your bank may request an appraisal on the home for your mortgage.)

• Not a well or septic system inspection. (Home inspectors are not able to check your well or septic system. You would need a professional to do this for you.)

A home inspection can cost a purchaser anywhere from a little under $400 up to $450. It typically takes about three hours for a home inspection. Following the inspection, the purchaser is presented with a written report with the details of the inspection. The home inspector can answer any questions you may have about the report at the time of this presentation. Many purchasers are present for the last part of the inspection which allows the home inspector to take them around the property and physically show them problem areas or educate them on how to use certain components of the home.

As real estate agents, we like to accompany our clients to their home inspections. This gives us the opportunity to hear what the home inspector says about the report so we can better understand any problems that may arise. This also eliminates any misunderstandings our clients may have about the home inspection and ensures everyone is on the same page when we sit down to discuss any issues arising from the inspection.

If you have any questions on home inspections or on purchasing a home, please feel free to contact us and we will help you in any way we can.

Carol and Steve

http://www.peihouses.com

Are these a thing of the past? Do agents still send these to clients? How many per year and what do yours consist of? Do you do them yourselves or pay someone to do them?

In the past, I made our newsletters myself and we would send them out four times per year. Since we are trying hard to "go green" - we would send them via email as much as we could and mail the ones we didn't have emails for. It was our way of keeping in touch with past clients.

Do you find these to be effective or are they now a thing of the past? What are your thoughts?