The Federal Government’s competition bureau has made a complaint regarding who can sell real estate and utilize professional real estate tools developed over decades by Canada’s professional realtors. The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency whose apparent goal is to promote competition in the marketplace and enable consumer input. The position of the Bureau doesn’t make much sense and makes vague references about it being good for innovative brokers.

The challenge is a serious threat to the Canadian Real Estate industry and could result in chaos in home buying. One commentator recently suggested that thousands of people would now get real estate licenses so they could utilize the Canadian MLS system for a ridiculously low fee. CREA members would be responsible for maintaining the cost and integrity of the system so these interlopers could get the benefits.

competitionbureau.gc.ca is stating that it is challenging CREA’s system of managing real estate sales in Canada citing Canadian consumers don’t have enough choice. By commandeering the CREA’s MLS listing service, the government is hoping to drive down real estate prices by attempting to eliminate real estate broker fees. The government could also change land zoning bylaws, and prices across Canada would fall precipitously. Zoning bylaws, building codes, and exhorbitant taxes are the two major reasons why real estate prices are so high and rising.

This is not to say that consumers should be protected against unecessary fees, but why isn’t the competition bureau challenging Canada’s major banks over their banking monopoly and the 3 major cell phone companies who control all of the wireless communications services in Canada? The result for Canadian consumers is ridiculously high banking fees and cell phone bills. Most Canadians don’t own a home so these issues are much more important to them.

The Competition bureau states that the MLS (multiple listing service) which is a home listing service used by brokers and realtors across Canada, should be available to cutrate brokers, or anyone who wants to list a real estate property. A small fee of about $100 is being bandied about as the preferred price for do it yourself home sellers. The goal of this action apparently is to get rid of real estate commissions. If you eliminate real estate commissions, you’re basically eliminating real estate agents. How will they make a living? How will average citizens manage this industry by themselves?

Anyone Can Sell Their Own Home if they Want to

It’s important to note that anyone can sell their home on their own. Using a realtor or broker is not a requirement. A property owner can advertise in the classifieds, on the Internet and put a sign on the front yard of the property. There are for sale by owner web sites too. There is ample opportunity to buy or sell without using a CREA member service. The competition bureau is basically trying to muscle in on the CREA system and let consumers use it for less than it’s true value. That is not fair.

What the CB is doing is the same as if the challenged the movie theatres to let people watch movies from the backseats for $2, or telling car dealers they can’t set their own pricing. Car buyers could walk off the street and buy directly from the manufacturer, but still use the dealer’s sales network and services for a small fee. How would Canada’s car dealerships feel about that?

The competition bureau feels real estate agents have no useful role in the home selling process and that individual home buyers and home sellers are sufficiently informed about real estate transactions and outcomes, to do it on their own. Anyone in the real estate industry knows that this is foolish. If the government is trying to drive home prices downward, certainly getting people to sell their homes might work. For sale by owner home selling almost always result in the owner getting less than his or her property is worth. The average homeowner knows little about buying or selling a home in 2010 and that is precisely why an experienced realtor is needed on most home sales.

CREA’s rules, agents are responsible for listing a home under the MLS, handling offers, showing homes, finding buyers, assisting with mortgages, and negotiating the sale. The services most brokers and agents offer are important, despite what the Competition Bureau asserts.

In a vague statement on their website, CB says “The Bureau is focused on striking down these anti-competitive rules, so that real estate agents wishing to offer innovative services can do so, and consumers can benefit from greater choice.”

Where did this reference to real estate agents offering innovative services come into this? What innovative services are they refering to. An agent can help the home buyer or seller in endless numbers of ways and often does so without remuneration. If the Bureau is simply doing this as a way of reducing real estate prices, it is truly pathetic.

You should be reassured that a real estate broker provides excellent services. Our clients for instance get free exposure on our website and a number of real estate related websites at no charge. The Bureau suggests these extra services aren’t necessary.

There are an endless array of harmful monopolies and bureaucratic red tape in government and this controversial action against the CREA is more of a smoke screen to cloak them. Striking down zoning bylaws that prevent housing developments from being built comes to mind as something that puts upward pressure on home prices. If land was rezoned, home prices might drop $100,000 as more units became available. In a few weeks when this Competition bureau gets torn apart by industry analysts, it will be egg on the face of the government. Taking agent’s commissions away from them won’t reduce prices. Eliminating high taxes and other forms of government greed are a good starting point for protecting consumer’s best interests.

The Toronto Real Estate Board announced home sales results for January and sales almost doubled that of January 2009 and average home prices rose $45,000.

Active listings dropped more than 8,0000 units from 20,450 to 12,052.

TREB President Tom Lebour had this to say about the rebound, “The GTA housing market has rebounded well from the lows in sales experienced at the beginning of 2009. Sales climbed back to healthy levels across the GTA because the cost of home ownership remained affordable in the Toronto area.”

Milton, Halton Hills, Oakville, Brampton and Port Credit saw the greatest volume of home sales. Homes in the Mississauga region sold 20 days faster this January compared to last. The average sold price was $391,000 in the West District.

Rise in Home Prices Toronto Region

See available Mississauga houses for sale.

Home Buyers’ Plan

The Federal Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) allows first-time home buyers to contribute to a Registered RRSP to buy or build a home without having to pay tax when they withdraw money for that purpose. The 2010 limit for contributions is $25,000. The amount must be repaid to the RRSP within 15 years with a minimum annual payment of 1/15th of the funds you withdraw.

Need to know more about home mortgages and rrsp home buyer contributions. Contact our mortgage specialist Nick Dimulkas.

The MLS or Multiple Listing service reported some good news about the end of 2009 and has even better news about 2010 real estate.

The MLS says “Residential sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) of Canadian real estate boards numbered 27,744 units in December 2009. This stands 72 per cent above activity in December 2008, when activity dropped to the lowest level in a decade. New records for the month of December were reported in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador.

MLS listing properties were up 19 percent in price in December. The national residential average price was $337,410 in December. The average price climbed five per cent to a record $320,333. Average prices set new annual records in a majority of local markets in 2009, and in every province except Alberta.

See Mississauga MLS Listings and currently available Mississauga homes for sale.

Some experts are suggesting the current surge in the housing market to be a bubble that might burst in a few months. Others like the Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney believes the economy is strong and there is no real estate bubble in the forecast.

Carney made his state of the economy address yesterday with comments such as:

“Although the recession in Canada was severe, with real GDP contracting for three consecutive quarters, the magnitude of the downturn was more modest than in other major advanced economies. In particular, domestic demand held up much better in Canada than elsewhere, reflecting the soundness of Canada’s banking system, relatively healthy household and corporate balance sheets, and the speed and scale of monetary policy actions.” and “In Canada, the recovery is expected to evolve largely as anticipated in October, with the economy returning to full capacity in the third quarter of 2011.”

The Canadian economy is projected to grow by 2.9 per cent in 2010 and 3.5 per cent in 2011. These are strong numbers. Consider how strong our banks are, growth in oil and gas revenues, price of gold, and you can see why our dollar is so strong right now.

Scotiabank has this to say about the global economy which will affect Canada’s economy in 2010 “We expect global growth to average 3% in 2010-11, following last year’s contraction of 2%.

Obviously a lot of real estate investors know this is an ideal time to buy and everyone is getting in buying anything they can at bargain prices and interest rates. Home Prices are rising fast and there’s no reason to believe they will fall, so where’s the risk? We should see house flipping hit record numbers this year. Resale home sales are unbelievably strong.

Tridel was expecting sales of new units to drop but instead their sales have increased by 15%. In the Toronto market, existing home sales rose 17 per cent over 2008, while the average price of a
home gained 4 per cent to $395,460. And, the beginning of 2009 was horrendous. December made up for it and January sales are already breaking records.

Experts suggest the GTA real estate market has been very resilient and with the economy improving, there is no reason to believe conditions won’t remain stable or improve. The long term forecast is certainly positive. With mortgage rates so low, there is likely never to be a more opportune time to buy a home

A report by the Greater Toronto REALTORS® shows there were 1,749 home sales in the GTA region compared to 888 last January. The average selling price rose more than $66,000 to $395,307. Prices in the 905 area code rose more than $72,000 on average.

Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour said “We have had a strong start to 2010. Widespread sales growth in terms of geography and housing type indicates that many households remain confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long-term.”

Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis forecasts that “Double-digit average annual price growth will continue through the first quarter of 2010 as sales remain high relative to listings and we continue to make comparisons to last year’s winter downturn.”

Check out Mississauga Home prices and see the latest Mississauga homes for sale.

Do you need to sell your home soon? Don’t rush, call an experienced and qualified real estate agent to get a reliable evaluation or appraisal of your house and property.

Thousands of home owners in the Greater Mississauga area sell their homes every year. They may be moving north to cottage country or out West to live near their children. Selling a home during your lifetime is inevitable. A home that once felt comfortable may no longer feel right because kids have grown up and left, friends and relatives have moved away, or passed on. Time passes and change sweeps in and we have no choice but to go with the tide of change. Sometimes it is a wise decision, good for your health and your finances. By selling your home in Mississauga and moving north you may have many tens of thousands of dollars left in cash to use. Homes north and west of the Toronto area are cheaper and the environment is cleaner.

If you’re an empty nester and considering a move to a new location, give us a call for a home evaluation. See the most recent Toronto Home prices and Mississauga Home prices for a general idea of home prices overall. Of course, your home and neighbourhood will have its own unique home price parameters.

New immigrants to Canada are a growing portion of Ontario’s real estate market and governments, banks and other finance companies are moving toward helping recent immigrants with buying a home. Newcomers to Canada who might have temporary status, a permanent status, or are living as an expatriate and looking for new immigrant mortgages will find it tough. Credit lenders have a strong fixation on credit ratings which are highly dependent on a person living at the same place and working at the same place for several years as a stability factor. Just the fact a person has moved and left their previous job puts them in a bad credit situation.

If you’ve moved to Canada due to a corporate relocation, it may not be any easier. It may be a daunting situation however it is wise to get all you need together and begin the process. With the necessary documentation, you’ll be better able to purchase a home when you arrive in Canada. Several finance companies offer services and products to help qualified buyers.

Some banks and mortgage lenders may be able to help with mortgage financing and here’s some of what you’ll need:

> A valid work permit or verification of landed immigrant status
> Confirmation of your income
> Down payment confirmation
> Purchase and Sale agreement
> Provide credit references from your country of origin which might be either bank reference letters or an international credit report
> Two other forms of credit reference either from your bank or credit card company a copy of your International Credit Report if you are putting down less than 10% as a down payment.
> you are putting down less than 10% the banks will require two other forms of credit reference either from your bank or credit card company
> Six (6) months of bank statements from you primary bank account

If you are planning to pay less than 20% of the mortgage financing, you must buy mortgage insurance. You’ll also want to apply for a preapproved mortgage which will make your offer more attractive to home sellers. Home selling is on a contigent basis, dependent on whether you get a mortgage. Because mortgage financing is not always possible, home sellers would rather accept a bid from someone with a preapproved mortgage. That makes them more certain the home sale is a certainty. It’s less trouble and stress for them.

Mortgage Insurance Providers

Genworth Finance and CMHC both provide mortgage insurance products. To determine which provider is right for your particular situation, you’ll need to speak to a mortgage specialist.

Contact us regarding new immigrant mortgages and other mortgage financing for new Canadians.

Remax Executive Vice President and Regional Director for RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Michael Polzler
has voiced concerns that there is a glut of real estate agents in Ontario and it is hurting the industry. He quoted stats to suggest a growing number of real estate board members have never sold a property and because of their inexperience, they are not really qualified to be advising home buyers.

Polzler believes too many uncommitted real estate agents are providing poor service to prospects or their clients resulting a public relations problems for all realtors. “Our industry is overrun by part-timers who lack the knowledge and experience to service their clients adequately. The ease with which they can hang a shingle and tarnish our profession is astounding.” said Polzner. “For starters, at least one-quarter of agents should be barred from trading in real estate…it’s time to put the professionalism back in the profession. It’s time we raise the bar and set new standards. If we don’t, this group of unqualified realtors will continue to have a serious negative impact on the industry. “

He is calling for more difficult licensing exams and qualifications, yet the industry is already highly regulated and it is very difficult for new real estate agents to get a footing. There’s no doubt that some agents are uncommitted and got into the real estate business to make a quick buck and provide poor levels of service and realtor skill. Setting the bar too high might have a deleterious effect too and give a monopolistic position to a small group of agents and realtors. That type of system could be manipulated by large firms.

Other professions however, have limits on practitioners. Doctors and lawyers are the first that come to mind yet a good portion of the population don’t have a family doctor, so over-regulation could inhibit the health of the real estate market.

Another possible solution to poor quality real estate professionals is to raise the licensing fee. If fees were raised to $10,000, uncommitted part time agents wouldn’t bother. There are many industries today that have been inundated with people wanting to practice that particular profession and it just makes sense that the quality of service would fall. In terms of education, a phD might look nice but it’s no guarantee of good service and professionalism.

A higher licensing fee would get rid of the uncommitted and those who have no realistic chance of succeeding in the industry. Then the hard working and dedicated professionals would have enough clients to make a living.

Do you believe having 100,000 real estate agents in the province is too much?

Learn more about Remax Realty Specialist Damir Strk and see the latest Mississauga listings.

About half of all homes purchased today involve what are called high ratio mortgages. This means the buyer couldn’t raise the 20% downpayment which is normally required by banks and other lenders to purchase a home or condo. In the past, First Time Homebuyers inability to raise the necessary downpayment meant a person or couple wouldn’t be able to get a home mortgage.

Since home building and real estate sales in general contribute so much to the well being of the Ontario economy, government and mortgage lenders have been encouraged to help out in order to stimulate home buying. Lenders want to diversify risk so a plan was developed to allow first time homebuyers purchase a home using less than 20% downpayment. For a typical Mississauga home worth $330,000, it would be a downpayment of $66,000 plus other expenses. Disastrous for most home buyers today.

Home Mortgage Insurance

The mortgage insurance is an extra payment for the homebuyer however it provides the mortgage lender with the assurance they need in taking their lending risk. The banks do not offer mortgage insurance. Two main mortgage insurance providers are the CMHC and Genworth Financial (a part of GE Financial Services).

Genworth Financial here in Mississauga offers a great first time home mortgage insurance product. You can learn more about it through us at Sell Mississauga. Contact our mortgage insurance specialist Nick Dimulkas who can advise you on available mortgages and on how to apply for mortgage insurance with Genworth or CMHC.

Buying your first home is an exciting goal and having a little help in doing it can make it more fun and lower your stress levels. From discovering first time homebuyers programs, creating a down payment, finding the right home, appraising its true value, negotiating a price, and applying for a mortgage, it’s a process a professional real estate agent can help you with.

Now Really is the Right Time To Buy a Home

With mortgage rates still at very low levels and housing prices expected to rise along with the HST coming into effect next July, it is the best time to buy right now. Your home will become your major source of personal equity and be a sound financial investment. You won’t be watching rental payments leave your bank account with no long term value for your expense. And, your new home may be in a better neighbourhood giving you a better quality of living.

If you try to hurry the home buying process, you could make a mistake that costs you thousands and you may miss out on opportunities you were unaware of. It really does make sense to hire a real estate professional.

For first time homebuyers, the timing is right too. You have the ability to use your rrsp, enjoy tax advantages, and apply for regional first time homebuyers programs. The Ontario government has 5% downpayment programs that can make a homebuyer’s dream come true.

Tips for Homebuying

• Ensure you can afford to buy a home
• determine the amount of mortgage you will need
• hire a professional Mississauga real estate specialist for guidance and help
• never pay more than fair market value for a home
• have the home inspected by a reputable home inspector (check references)
• Find out why the home is for sale
• fully view and inspect the home yourself (everything)
• have a realtor check all the financial details
• be objective and don’t buy for emotional reasons
• use a real estate checklist to cover all your needs, issues and any potential problems
• use a real estate lawyer to review all documentation related to the purchase
• have an experienced realtor negotiate the price

Certainly, home buyers education is wise, however real estate search, assessment and purchase negotiation is better left to a professional realtor. An experienced Mississauga real estate agent can educate you much more quickly and help you find your dream home.

A call to Damir is never a bad idea. Damir can help you develop a clear focus regarding your purchase intentions and create a strategy with priorities. This keeps you on track to buy what you really want. It’s easy to get confused. We’ll help you find a good selection of Mississauga homes or Mississauga condos and narrow down the right fit for you.

Mississauga Area homes:

Contact us for information on: Mississauga homes, Mississauga Condos, Oakville Homes, Milton Homes, Halton Hills Homes, Erin Mills Homes, Port Credit Homes, Streetsville Homes, Cooksville Homes, Clarkston Homes, and Churchill Meadows Homes.

Your Dream Come True!

The real estate market across the country hit a torrid pace with an increase of 59% in the last quarter of 2009 compared to last quarter of 2008. Sales of residential properties across the country grew a incredible 72% during the month of December, as compared to December of 2008. The total number of units sold in December rose to more than 46,800 with prices up 19% to an average of $337,410.

Aording to the CREA, residential sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) of Canadian real estate boards numbered 27,744 units in December 2009. “The continuation of unusually low interest rates may keep national sales activity near current levels over the coming months, as will a blip in housing demand in Ontario and British Columbia from homebuyers motivated to beat the introduction of the HST.” said CREA President Dale Ripplinger.

Looking for a home in Mississauga? Check the Mississauga Homes for Sale now.

SellMississauga has recently undergone a design change to enable more effective presentation of Mississauga homes and condos. Besides the usual Mississauga real estate offerings, you’ll find new sections dedicated to home mortgages, mortgage insurance, and first time homebuyers programs. Everything you need to know about these topics and connections to our Mortgage specialist who can help you find the right mortgage to buy your dream home.

White Columns is one of the premier neighborhoods of Milton, boasting a Tom Fazio designed championship golf course, recently expanded clubhouse, plus swim, tennis, dining and fitness facilities.  The neigborhood is comprised of 434 residences in four sections.  The majority of the homeowners live in the golf community on the northern edge of the course.  Another 30% live in the gated section of the neighborhood to the south- most of these homes back to the golf course.

Membership in the Country Club is optional for homeowners.  There are a variety of memberships available including those for non-residents, depending on your interests.  White Columns is very active year-round with events for adults and children, gourmet dinners, holiday celebrations, pool parties, educational-based events and even a traditional Sunday brunch.

 White Columns boasts relatively large lots of 1 acre of more.  The homes are mainly tradtitional with brick or cedar-shake shingle facades.  Home prices range from around half a million to well over a million- currently there are 27 homes for sale in this Milton neighborhood.

 White Columns is conveniently located just a few miles off the Windward exit of GA Hwy 400.  The area schools are excellent- Summit Hill Elementary, Nortwestern Middle and Milton High.  There is also plenty of shopping and dining options within a short drive.

If you’re looking for a beautiful and scenic neighborhood with lots of activities and a great social environment, White Columns is a neighborhood to consider.

Staging a home to sell is one of the most crucial aspects to consider when putting a home on the market.  In today’s housing market, even first time homebuyers have high expectations- after all, it seems everyone watches HGTV’s Designed to Sell and other real estate shows. 

Realtors are faced with two choices when putting their seller’s home on the market.  Keep the home in the same condition you find it; in other words, how the seller has lived in their home.  Or, raise the bar by putting the home in top condition to sell the home.

How do you do this?  You learn from these shows and aspire to stage a home like the pros.  Here’s an example of where we’ve staged a home’s fireplace area of the family room.  Before – left photo, you’ll note that the fireplace area is bland- no, it’s not Christmas despite the silver and gold trees on the mantel.  While this homeowner has terrific accessories throughout their home, this is a cold and sterile photograph and area of the home- not very inviting for prospective homebuyers.

The photo on the right shows the same area after we have done some simple staging…while still not the perfect print (we prefer more color) on the mantel, we found this part of a set and used this over the mantel to bring the eye up more to notice the high ceilings in the this and for better scale.  Additionally, we used it’s companion piece over the sofa (not shown) to further unify the family room.  Additionally, we found some darker small accessoriess to place on the mantle and used an odd-number of items rather than placing identical items on either end of the print.  Also note that we moved a display curio and plant into the corner to warm up the area and make it pop in the photos.  We even found a basket to put on the hearth and a different cushion with more contrast for the stuffed chair.  The phone outlet is no longer in the photo.

How much did we spend staging this part of the home?  Zero.  Nada.  We just took the homeowners’ existing furniture and accessories and placed the items here for maximum effect.  We also used a few of our own staging items that we keep in storage to use as needed.  So next time you’re walking thru a home, use your creativity to get a bigger impact, a quicker sale and at a higher sales price!

FMLS # 3874357 Residential and FMLS# 3874387 Land

10.34 Acres located at 13305 Bethany Road. Alpharetta, GA 30009.  Listed at $1,296,250.

This fantastic piece of property is one of few remaining tracts this size in Milton Area.  Conveniently located very close to the intersection of Bethany and Provience Road, this property is located within a short drive to many desirable areas of North Fulton to include:  GA400, Windward Parkway Area, Crabapple Area, Historic Roswell, Milton Horse Country and Northpoint Mall Area.  Schools that service this listing are Crabapple Crossing Elementary (WEBSITE) Northwestern Middle School (WEBSITE) and Milton High School (WEBSITE).

This property is ideal for re-development.  A long driveway provides very private gated access to a large clearing of nearly 6 acres of land ideal for building your dream home, or, for a builder to construct 3-4 executive homes. This site includes all of the necessary utilities.  In the event you are an individual looking to buy this property and construct your own home – the existing house is more than nice enough to live in until you get the plans just right and complete construction.

For more information about this property – contact Jack Berube @ 678.464.4493 or email info@beruberealtors.com

VISIT: Homes For Sale In Bethany Commons

Bethany Oaks Community is located in Fulton County, City of Alpharetta 30004.

Homes built between the years 1995 to 1998.
All Homes Are Situated on 1 acre or more and range in price from the $500’s to $600’s.

Homes For Sale In Bethany Oaks

A Pool, Tennis and Club House Neighborhood. Located off Hopewell and Bethany Road. Visit
An Interactive Map At:

MAP Search Real Estate for more Real Estate.

To book a viewing of this home or for more information please visit http://www.domenicmanchisi.com

When it comes to the summer months and warmer weather, there are several steps you can take to help prevent odours and insects in your Green Cart, Blue Box and garbage.
 
Ensure bags are tied tightly and that container lids, both inside and outside the home, are secured and locked to prevent insects and pests from gaining access.
Keep containers free of moisture. Add dry items to the Green Cart like paper towels and facial tissue, wrap food items in newspaper or place in box board to absorb moisture.
Clean all containers regularly with a mild soap or detergent.
Clean out your fridge on, or the night before your collection day.
Rinse any plastic wrap or Styrofoam that has been in contact with food before disposing in the garbage.
Empty the contents of your household waste containers frequently.
Keep waste bags in containers out of direct sunlight.  If possible, store them in a cool location.

To learn more about Milton, Ontario, give us a call at 905-875-4594 or email the Manchisi Home Selling Team at domenic@domenicmanchisi.com

Veneer is a modern floor made with a layer of wood and a compound backing.  Unlike real wood, veneer is pre-sealed from the factory which makes cleaning quite simple!  Keeping your floors in immaculate condition today will help with the sale of your home in the future.

Vacuuming is the recommended method to clean your floors.  Use a bare-floor attachment to remove surface dirt and remove dirt stuck between the panels. It is not recommended to use a liquid to clean as it can cause the wood to buckle and damage the finishing.  Therefore, always try to clean spilling immediately.  Placing felt under the legs of your furniture will also help minimize scratching to your wood’s finish. 

For further information, or to receive answers to your real estate questions, contact The Manchisi Home Selling Team today at 905-875-4594 or domenic@domenicmanchisi.com

There are many different ways to finance a home.  Many agents and lender are only familiar with 3 or 4 methods.  We know about and utilize many more options.  Perhaps you want the lowest possible interest rate.  How about a super-low down payment?  Perhaps a zero down!  If you have spotty credit, we know someone who can help. We have a mortgage broker on our team that is ready to help you determine what type of financing works best for you.
 
The best part of all of this is that all of our mortgage services are free and there is never any pressure or obligation.
 
Call us today to learn more about our free services.  We are here for one reason, to help you find the right home at the very best price and terms.
 
To learn more about financing options give us a call at 905-875-4594 or email the Manchisi Home Selling Team at domenic@domenicmanchisi.com.

FSBO isthe acronym for ‘For Sale by Owner’.  As humans, it is in our nature to want to save money – and who can blame us? As you make the decision to sell your home, you may be contemplating the idea of selling privately or hiring a real estate agent.

Some people believe real estate is not rocket science and therefore, anyone could sell a home. The reality however, is that it can be difficult, time consuming and entail a certain skill set that you may not have.Often times when home sellers choose to sell on their own, their house takes longer to sell and home owners struggle with the stress and rejection that derives from interaction with prospective buyers. 

When hiring a real estate agent, you are partnering with an agent who has been tested and licensed.  A real estate agent knows the market and can establish the right price for your home. You may be thinking “But I want complete control over the sale of my home.”  This is understandable as your home is one of the biggest investments you may make in your life.  However, there are many aspects you need to consider before choosing to sell your home yourself.  Let’s think about advertising.  It can be very expensive and time consuming putting together an advertisement campaign.  Are you prepared to pay for the costs involved? What happens if a prospective buyer would like to view your home while you’re at work? Having an agent on your side will allow you the freedom to not have to worry about showing your home and ensuring your available at all times.  Most motivated buyers use an agent.  Therefore some FSBO homes don’t sell as fast and often times they sell at a lower price than a comparable home being sold by an agent. 

By having an agent working for you, they can make sure prospective buyers can financially afford you’re home as well as save you valuable time while they work endlessly behind the scenes.Before you decide to sell your home privately or hire an agent, contact The Manchisi Home Selling Team or call directly at 905 875 4594 and allow us to answer any questions you may have about the home selling and buying process.  We are glad to help!For a free report on how to sell your home on your own visit www.haltonfsbos.com