New Convent Glen and Sunridge Blogs-
Go to www.ianponting.com to view and contribute to these blogs. You may also email me at ian@royallepage.ca for more information.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Friday, October 06, 2006
News from the Ottawa Real Estate Board-
On Track for a Successful Autumn
Ottawa, October 6, 2006: Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,092 homes in September through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,078 in September 2005. There were 1,246 sales in August 2006.
"We are on track to surpass 13,000 sales this year. Ottawa's housing market is still growing, though it is a more controlled growth now than it has been in the past several years. Interest
rates are still low, and many buyers are taking advantage of the diverse housing choices available to them here in Ottawa," said Board President Ron Levine.
So far this year, 11,226 homes have been sold in Ottawa by Board members through the MLS® system. The average price of the homes sold in September through the MLS® system in the Ottawa area was $255,026, an increase of 6.5 per cent over September 2005. Year to date the average price is $256,117.
The Board cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.
The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,200 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association and thus are entitled to use the term REALTOR®.
The MLS® system is a member based service, paid for by the REALTOR® members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. The MLSmark symbolizes the cooperation among REALTORS® to effect the purchase and sale of real estate through real estate services provided by REALTORS®. MLS® commercial and residential listings are available for viewing on the Board’s internet site at www.OttawaRealEstate.org and on the national websites of The Canadian Real Estate Association at www.mls.ca and www.ICX.ca .
Information about listings and open houses is also available in the Board’s weekly newspaper, Ottawa Real Estate Guide.
Source Ottawa Real Estate Board
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Add Life to Your Home-
Add Life to Your Home for a Fall or Winter Sale
By Ian Ponting
The fall and winter is often a great time to put a home on the market. With the summer holidays over and kids back to school, buyers often have more of an inclination and time to shop around for a home. So, during the fall season, take a little extra time to make your home stand out to prospective buyers and prepare your home for viewing.
Make your home even more appealing to potential buyers by adding life and colour to in the interior and exterior of your house with plants and flowers. You may not associate fall with flowers coming into bloom, but there is an easy to grow and colourful plant that can make your home stand out in the crowd – and mum’s the word!
Chrysanthemums! These gardeners’ favourites are hardy and easy to maintain - simply plant them and let them grow. Yellow, orange, white, red and purple chrysanthemums are available at nurseries and gardening centres now. These perennials will bloom constantly until the snow comes and will survive to flower again next year.
Spruce up your front doorway with another fall favourite, spirea. This flowering shrub produces whitish and pale pink flowers or green and purple foliage and looks great in large pots on your doorstep. A fall wreath on your front door gives a warm, inviting look to your property and makes it stand out in the neighbourhood. Make a good impression by raking the leaves from your lawn! Make sure there are plenty of lights on or put them on a timer. Potential buyers may cruise by your neighbourhood day or night.
Brighten up every room with flowers or green foliage. Your flower shop or corner store will stock a variety of hardy, green leafed house plants that are attractive and easy to care for. Three very popular, eye-catching and easy-to-care-for houseplants are Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen and Dracena.
Indoors, make a point of tending to greenery before a showing. Sad looking plants will not impress visitors. Wipe dust off green foliage and remove drooping, brown or dead leaves. A sickly looking plant may be evidence of cold draughts or excessive dry heat in your home. The days may still be warm, but the nights are cooler, so check the caulking around your windows and doors. If visitors see that you care for your plants and flowers, they will also be confident that you care for your home.
For the classic touch, fill a clear glass vase with assorted fresh cut flowers. Ask your flower shop for an assortment of lilies, larkspur, snapdragons, alstromeria and gladioli. Lilies add an instant and very pleasant fragrance when there is less fresh air circulating in your home. Cut flowers will appeal to more than one of your prospective buyers’ senses and leave a lasting impression.
By Ian Ponting
The fall and winter is often a great time to put a home on the market. With the summer holidays over and kids back to school, buyers often have more of an inclination and time to shop around for a home. So, during the fall season, take a little extra time to make your home stand out to prospective buyers and prepare your home for viewing.
Make your home even more appealing to potential buyers by adding life and colour to in the interior and exterior of your house with plants and flowers. You may not associate fall with flowers coming into bloom, but there is an easy to grow and colourful plant that can make your home stand out in the crowd – and mum’s the word!
Chrysanthemums! These gardeners’ favourites are hardy and easy to maintain - simply plant them and let them grow. Yellow, orange, white, red and purple chrysanthemums are available at nurseries and gardening centres now. These perennials will bloom constantly until the snow comes and will survive to flower again next year.
Spruce up your front doorway with another fall favourite, spirea. This flowering shrub produces whitish and pale pink flowers or green and purple foliage and looks great in large pots on your doorstep. A fall wreath on your front door gives a warm, inviting look to your property and makes it stand out in the neighbourhood. Make a good impression by raking the leaves from your lawn! Make sure there are plenty of lights on or put them on a timer. Potential buyers may cruise by your neighbourhood day or night.
Brighten up every room with flowers or green foliage. Your flower shop or corner store will stock a variety of hardy, green leafed house plants that are attractive and easy to care for. Three very popular, eye-catching and easy-to-care-for houseplants are Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen and Dracena.
Indoors, make a point of tending to greenery before a showing. Sad looking plants will not impress visitors. Wipe dust off green foliage and remove drooping, brown or dead leaves. A sickly looking plant may be evidence of cold draughts or excessive dry heat in your home. The days may still be warm, but the nights are cooler, so check the caulking around your windows and doors. If visitors see that you care for your plants and flowers, they will also be confident that you care for your home.
For the classic touch, fill a clear glass vase with assorted fresh cut flowers. Ask your flower shop for an assortment of lilies, larkspur, snapdragons, alstromeria and gladioli. Lilies add an instant and very pleasant fragrance when there is less fresh air circulating in your home. Cut flowers will appeal to more than one of your prospective buyers’ senses and leave a lasting impression.
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