Your St. John's Real Estate Team

In the Heart of Downtown St. John's

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 1,030 sq. ft., 1 bath, 2 bdrm multiplex - MLS® $200,000

Downtown, Central  -  Bright, spacious, 2-bedroom condo immediately adjacent to business district, downtown nightlife, shopping and dining. An added plus – an oversized underground parking stall. Available for immediate possession, this condo is move-in ready. Features include open concept main floor with hardwood flooring and an office nook. Upstairs has a large, master bedroom with a double closet, second bedroom, and laundry room. As well, Victorian crowns and headers throughout, beautiful city views from both bedrooms, plus an allowance to replace kitchen counter tops. Kitchen appliances and blinds are included. Affordable, convenient, and a cool location in the heart of vibrant St. John’s! Call immediately for an appointment to view. This one will fly off the market!

Property information

In the town of Conception Bay South (CBS), real estate is booming. In fact, CBS is one of the fastest growing towns in the province. With an ever-increasing population of roughly 22,000 people, this scenic town saw an abundance of residential development in 2010-2011 and with even more expansion proposed for 2012.  It appears this Kraft Hockeyville is on the fast track to city status.

Thinking of listing?  Home prices in CBS are at an all-time high.

This may be the time for you! If you look to the table below, we have calculated the average selling price of single family and 2-apartment homes for the Conception Bay South area.

You’ll notice that each year has seen increases. Between 2009 and 2010 there was an increase of 12.7%.  This large increase may be attributed to the fact that in 2010 we were in a seller’s market. Between 2010 and 2011 there was a smaller increase at 7.5%. This is reflective of the fact that by 2011 we had moved to buyer’s market.  The market continues to shift. Currently we are close to a balanced market and fully anticipate the market will continue in that direction.

                                                                                                                                                                                                 

CBS Real Estate Top Performer in the St. John’s Region

If you compare the numbers from CBS to that of the other areas in the region, CBS real estate shines.

Topping the other areas anywhere from .6% - 1.9% increase in the average selling price of a home, CBS real estate is a is a preferred and competitive option for homeowners.

CBS Real Estate – So Much to Offer

CBS delivers a “small town charm” without being a long drive away from the city, and it is this feature that many residents love most. With quick access to supermarkets, rec centres, schools, and a variety of other necessities, people rarely have to travel far to meet their day to day needs. Pair this with a reputation as the sunniest town in Newfoundland that borders a gorgeous bay and it is no surprise that CBS homes are in such high demand.

Make your move!

As can be seen from the above statistics, the prices of homes in Conception Bay South are on the rise. Now is the time to make your move and get a piece of the pie while you can! It’s only a matter of time before everyone catches on to the beauty that awaits 20 minutes outside of the city.

 At The Hann Group, our professionals would love to help you buy or sell your home in Conception Bay South. We’re always happy to answer any of your real estate questions. Please feel free to contact us .

 

 

Let's say you're in the market for a new home. You spend every night desperately scanning the internet for your dream home when finally, you come across a property that is, "just what you're looking for".

• Do you call the agent listed on the property to schedule a showing or do you call your own agent?
• But what if your agent is unavailable and you want to see the home right away?
   

                                             

If you have a Buyer's Agent, CALL THEM. If your Agent is unavailable, you should check if they have a temporary replacement (most will). Many people assume that if they see a desirable home that they call the Agent on the listing sign. However, this is an all too common mistake.

Why are you doing all the work when you have an Agent to do it for you?

When you call the Listing Agent, you are calling the Agent who represents the vendor first. That Agent may try and make the sale themselves, but how can they accurately represent both sides? Why not work with a qualified Agent who will SOLELY represent your interests?

The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of REALTORS® (NLAR) represents roughly 680 Agents, so there are plenty of us to fit your individual needs.

Many buyers do not realize the quality of services that are available.

• Automatic notification of listings as they come to the market
• Detailed research on your desired properties
• Arranged appointments for viewings
• Property price negotiations
• Access to a host of credible professionals to assist you (i.e. Mortgage Brokers, Lawyers, Home Inspectors, etc.)

As prospective home buyers , we encourage you to make use of the resources that are available. Stop focusing on "house hunting", let a qualified Buyer's Agent lead you from the day you start looking, to the initial offer, to the day you receive the keys to your new acquisition. Remember, having your own Agent ensures your best interests are protected.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered, please contact us. We'd be happy to help.

                                                                                          

Economic Growth Impacts St. John's Housing Market

When it comes to economic growth, St. John’s, NL is a major forerunner. In 2010, the city’s GDP grew by 5.8% - the highest growth rate for any Canadian city. 2011 is expected to fair just as well with anticipated GDP growth at 5%. Projects such as Muskrat Falls, White Rose, Long Harbour, and the ever popular Hebron are the major factors driving the economy.

What does this mean for the St. John's housing market?

Well, with three key drivers (employment, income, & population) expected to rise; we can anticipate growth in the real estate industry. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), as of November 2011, housing starts in the St. John’s area were up 9%. Average new home prices were also up 6.7%. Below is a copy of their graph which illustrates the sales to active listings ratio for the St. John’s region. YTD, 20% of listings have sold, leaving us in a clear buyer’s market.

Source: CMHC

Where We Think the Market is Headed

Many sources feel that an excess supply of inventory paired with the current home prices will limit the demand in 2012. However we feel that this forecast does not consider the 2 economic developments that will soon be impacting the province.

1. As is common in all spring seasons, the housing market experiences lower inventory levels.

2. Pair this fact with the anticipated demand that new economic developments will bring, and it is reasonable to project a balanced market by mid-spring.

Seller's Real Estate Market by June 2012? Not Unlikely!

Interestingly enough, if you weigh the steadily declining unemployment rate (6.5% in Nov 2011) against the sheer number of major industrial projects for the province it would not be at all surprising to see a labour shortage in the coming year. This shortage could very well translate into a seller’s market by June, as labour shortages could mean delayed housing starts and completions, which will further lower housing inventory levels.

We here at The Hann Group are looking forward to what lies in the future of 2012. As always, it is a pleasure to work in St. John's thriving economy and we look forward to meeting many new friendly faces in the New Year. 

What are your thoughts on 2011? Do you have any insights for the forthcoming year? We hope this information has been useful. Use the comment section or contact me to pass along your request.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered please contact me I'd be happy to help.

Should you list your home over the holidays?

When asked, most agents would tell you NOT to list your home during the Christmas season. Many claim that most people are too busy for showings, or too troubled by Christmas shopping to bother with looking for a new home. However, in today’s world where we can make all of our purchases with a click of a button or hire someone else to do our decorating, you might say the holidays brings forth a little extra time for home shopping that the work week just doesn’t offer.

Consider this, if most people adopt the mindset of NOT listing their home during the Christmas season, there might be a lot less competition for you. Conversely, if most people decide to hold off until January to list their homes, you might see a lot more homes hit the market. And, if the laws of supply and demand strike us correctly, why not list your home in December so you can sell high now and buy low in the New Year? 

Keep in mind, if you still occupy the home in question, you are not obligated to open your doors for showings on Christmas Day. However, shoppers who consider a showing for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or anywhere near are definitely serious buyers. Meaning, they are not out to waste your time. Serious buyers in the generous season of giving are not a market that you want to miss out on. 

Regardless of the reasons, we at The Hann Group think anytime
is a good time to list your home. We offer a detailed marketing strategy and a
multitude of advice and assistance, guarunteed to make the selling process an
enjoyable one. Our team of qualified, seasoned agents would be happy to assist
you with any real estate questions or concerns you may have. Do you want to get
the best value for your home? Contact us today.

 

Buying or renovating your home?

                                 There’s an app for that.

At The Hann Group, we pride ourselves on being leaders in online innovation in our industry. Through savvy marketing strategies, and superior internet placement, we’ve got just the tools you need to get your home out there. So it seems fitting that we would also know just the apps to help you with any of your real estate needs. Feel free to make use of any of these handy tools below, we know we will ;)

 

1.       iLiving – This app makes it possible to input 3D-furniture within a picture of your home on your iPad. For example, you can take a photo of a room (for example, during an open house) and then “design” it by placing various articles of furniture within the image. This way, you can see what the space will look like before you even decide to buy.

 

2.       Real Estate Term Dictionary – Unless you’re a real estate mogul, you probably don’t know much about real estate lingo. This app keeps you in the know with regards to your real estate transaction. This free app will put 3,000 terms at the fingertips to articulate.

 

3.       Benjamin Moore Color Capture – This app allows you to snap a picture of any color inspiration that catches your eye and instantly get its match from the Benjamin Moore Color line. Then you can browse through color brochures to create great color combinations with your favorites and share your top picks on Facebook or Twitter for your friend’s review.

 

4.       Realtor.ca – If you’re on the hunt for a house then this app is a must! This free app is offered by the Canadian Real Estate Association and allows users to easily search for homes anywhere in Canada. Once you’ve found your home, you can connect with realtors for more detailed information or use the app’s GPS to find own path to your desired location.

 

At The Hann Group, we found these apps quite helpful. Are there any apps that you find useful?

Planning on buying or selling your home? Feel free to contact us anytime.

Regards,

 

The Hann Group

There are snowfalls in the forecast, it’s quite busy at the shopping centres, and they’ve even started a countdown to Christmas on the radio – looks like it’s that time of year again! Well what’s a better way to get us in the festive spirit than to attend a Santa Clause parade? At The Hann Group, we have complied a comprehensive list of Christmas community activities, coming soon to a town near you J

Town of Paradise

Sunday, Nov 27 – Annual Tree Lighting will be held at the RPYCC
                            Lights go on at 6pm, free hot chocolate will be provided.

Sunday, Dec 11 – Santa Clause parade will start at 1pm
                           Parade will start at city sand & gravel parking, go up Topsail Road, 
                           and end at the town hall on McNamara Drive.      

 Town of CBS

Saturday, Dec 10 – Annual Santa Clause Parade starts at 10am
                              Parade will go from Holy Spirit high school to Upper Gullies
                              Elementary

Saturday, Dec 10 – Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
                               6pm at Town Hall

City of St. John’s

Sunday, Nov 27 – Annual Santa Clause Parade starts at 1pm
                            Runs from Factory Lane, along Duckworth Street, all the way to
                            the Railway Museum

Saturday, Dec 2 - Festival of Music and Lights from 4-5pm at the Bowring Park duck pond

City of Mount Pearl

Saturday, Dec 3 – Santa Clause Parade will start at 10am
                          Runs from O’ Donnell High School on Ruth Ave. and ends in Mount
                          Pearl Square

Saturday, Dec 3 – Tree Lighting Ceremony, 6pm at City Hall

Town of Torbay

Saturday, Dec 3 – 6:30pm, Nighttime Christmas Parade
                             Will travel from the Jack Byrne Arena to the Kinsmen Centre

Happy Holidays everyone - And don’t forget to bring your letter to Santa!!

Hopefully this information has been helpful. If you would like other information on buying or selling your home
or if you have other real estate questions you would like answered, please feel free to contact The Hann Group.

Just in time for the holiday season the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and Competition Bureau have gift wrapped a new deal that impacts the housing market in Canada.

In October, amid complaints of anti-competition, the Competition Bureau and CREA ratified a deal that provides that REALTORS® can choose to offer all their services as individual options to home sellers. The new deal addresses the concerns that previously, people who wanted to list their homes on Realtor.ca (the MLS) had to pay for several services CREA required agents to offer. The new rules allow consumers to choose a listing only option and negotiate for additional services if they wish.

Under the old rules sellers contracted with full service brokerages or flat fee brokerages to sell their home. At minimum CREA required all its members to assume responsibility for the accuracy of the listing info, present and negotiate offers, and submit closing info to Board (when sold, how much, who bought, etc.). Realtors® were then free to negotiate any other additional services with the seller.    

The New Rules 
The change allows consumers to use a Realtor® to simply list their home (“a mere posting”) on Realtor.ca without purchasing any additional services. Under the new regulations an agent who simply posts a listing to Realtor.ca is required to assume responsibility for the accuracy of the listing info, and submit accurate closing info (when sold, selling price, name of buyer, etc.) to the appropriate provincial board; in this case, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Realtors® (NLAR). This is to insure that the national MLS data base continues to accurately reflect real estate activity throughout the country. Once this requirement is met it is up to an individual agent how they choose to operate their business. There has been some confusion around this point. The new rules do not require agents to offer an a la carte menu of services that a seller can choose from.

The Impact to Consumers
The change ignited a new wave of discussions about the real estate industry, fees and competition that left consumers and real estate professionals perplexed as to how the changes would impact the buying and selling of homes in Canada.

Under the new rules, a for sale by owner (FSBO) property can be listed on Realtor.ca by a Realtor® for a flat fee. The consumer is then free to negotiate for additional services or take responsibility for all other aspects of the sale, which includes amongst others – setting a price, marketing and showing the home, staging for sale, and negotiating a deal. For savvy property owners, this change is most likely beneficial. As a seller, it is important to remember who is assuming the upfront risk. As a seller using a fee for service business model, it’s you. If your home doesn’t sell, you still pay the Realtor® for the services you use. In a full service model, the Realtor® assumes the risk and s/he does not get paid until your home sells.

If you choose to work with a fee for service agent, amongst other matters you,

• can pocket more money,
• need to assess your strengths and your weaknesses, for example, are you a good negotiator, can you write a description of your home that will attract  buyers
• need to monitor market conditions. Is it a buyers or seller’s market? Has there been instability in prices? Are homes in your area selling quickly at market value?

Most importantly, if you choose to work with a fee for service Realtor® it’s critical that you select a reputable, experienced agent, since you will be paying for their services upfront.

Unbundling the Confusion for Home Sellers  
Since these rules are new it is not clear how much of an impact they will have on how homes are bought and sold across the country. However we do know that:   

• A Realtor® is legally obliged by CREA to confirm the accuracy of the property information posted on Realtor.ca,
• A Realtor® has to submit closing data in an accurate and timely fashion,        
• Realtors® are permitted, but not required, to offer their services a la carte,
• A full service agent will only get paid if your home sells, and
• A fee for service agent will get paid whether your home sells or not

Remember that if you choose the FSBO option you are not simply a home owner, you are also the real estate agent for your home. You must have the time and comfort to handle the process from marketing to closing the deal.

If you are unsure about an aspect of the process, or if market conditions are not entirely favourable, it may be more beneficial to hire a full service Realtor®.

I have not discussed what these changes mean to buyers. That's a subject for a future blog post. If you are a buyer and would like to discuss the impact of these new rules on your purchase please contact me I'd be happy to help.

 As always I hope this information has been useful. Are there other topics you would like to see addressed in this blog? Use the comment section or contact me to pass along your request.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered please feel free to contact me.

Have a great day,
Larry 

There’s a number of areas in St. John’s that are favorites for student housing. In this post I’ll introduce Rabbitown, I’ll cover other neighbourhoods in future posts.

I like Rabbitown. It has character. Not the kind of gorgeous architectural character you see downtown. Rabbitown was a working class neighbourhood. It’s really a mishmash of styles, with some well preserved cottage type homes and equally attractive, older 2 story homes. These are mixed in with numerous, nondescript attached and unattached 2 stories and bungalows. Lately we’re starting to see the newer style, ubiquitous 2-story townhouses that you see throughout the new subdivisions.

It’s not just the character that sets Rabbitiown apart. It’s an exceptional location. From anywhere in Rabbitown it’s walking distance to the university, Churchill Square, downtown, the Rooms, Rabbitown Theatre, junior high and high schools, a major big box grocery store and Coleman's, an award winning neighbourhood grocery store. The eastern edge of the neighbourhood borders historic Georgetown, and Place Bonaventure, one of the prestigious condo addresses in the city. 

If you’re going to be looking for a home in Rabbitown, keep in mind, it’s a neighbourhood with potential. In some cases it may take a good eye for real estate to spot the value in some of the houses. If you’re looking for student housing your requirements may not be so stringent. But do pay attention to the immediate surroundings. Even though this is a small neighbourhood, the state of the housing can vary from street to street. Homes prices can range from $130,000 - $300,000

There are 4 high traffic streets running thorough this area, Merrymeeting Road, Mayor Avenue, Empire Avenue and Newtown Road.

As always I hope this information has been useful. Are there other topics you would like to see addressed in this blog? Use the comment section or contact me to pass along your request.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered please contact me I'd be happy to help.

Have a great day,
Larry 

 

 

 

 

It’s common knowledge that residential listings are way up in the St. John’s area. In fact, yesterday there were 1137 active listings on the system for single family and two apartment homes. That compares to 704 listings for the same types of homes on July 14th of this year.  That’s an increase of 61%.

While that stat could be an attention grabbing headline, at best it’s misleading! It doesn’t break the statistic down by type (single family or 2 apartment), nor by area. When this is done it drastically changes the picture.

To give you a better idea of the local real estate market I decided to focus on the sales activity for single family homes between October 2009 and October 2010 and I did this using the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Realtors (NLAR) districts. They are:

• St. John’s (includes East, West, North and Central St. John’s as well as Southlands, Killbride, Goulds, Maddox Cove,Petty Harbour, Blackhead)
• Mount Pearl
• Conception Bay South
• Paradise-St. Thomas and Topsail
• East Extern (which includes Torbay, Portugal Cove-Bell Island, St. Philip’s, Flatrock, Pouch Cove, Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cover).

I pulled out 3 different stats:

• The increase/decrease in listings.
• The increase/decrease in sales.
• The increase/decrease in selling price.

As can be seen from the charts below, this analysis showed that:

• Listings for single family homes were actually down in Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South and St. John’s, and they were significantly higher in Paradise-St. Thomas-Three Island Pond and the East Extern. 
• Sales for single family homes were down in Mount Pearl and Conception Bay South, stable in St. John’s and up in Paradise-St. Thomas-Three Island Pond and the East Extern. 
• Price increases for single family homes by area ranged from 9% in Mount Pearl to 19% in St. John’s.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

I hope this information has been useful. Are there other topics you would like to see addressed in this blog? Use the comment section or contact me to pass along your request.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered please contact me I'd be happy to help.

 

Have a great weekend,
Larry 

I know where I sit on the Berlin Wall of development for downtown St. John’s and the surrounding heritage area. Just right of center. I say chalk one up for City Hall this year! Fortis didn’t get the go ahead to obliterate a block of the East end of Water Street, but council proved flexible enough to change the regulations to allow office towers in the downtown West end. Excellent decisions IMHO!

Now there’s all this kerfuffle about the contemporary condo/office development on Harvey Road. WHY? Take a look around. Where’s the heritage?

Stogger’s Pizza? Sure if you like a cheesy (pardon the pun), imitation heritage structures that no tourist in their right mind would go out of their way to visit.

Tim Horton’s? The new RNC headquarters? I think not!

The Rooms? Yes, in so far as it’s a successful combination of heritage influences and contemporary design. Maybe, just maybe, The Rooms is the cornerstone for an area that can incorporate the best of contemporary architecture with gorgeous examples of heritage style structures, like Place Bonaventure, St. Bonaventure’s College, the Basilica and the surrounding outbuildings.

I know some people have said that the condo/office development on Harvey Road is, nicely put, unattractive. I sort of like it! But I’m the first to admit I don’t “get” contemporary architecture. Hell, I still don’t understand why Frank Lloyd Wright’s work is iconic. That aside, I believe that City Hall needs to find the delicate balance between protecting our heritage, and helping individuals who do understand and appreciate contemporary architecture add those elements to tomorrow’s architectural heritage.

Educate me, please. And I mean that in the most sincere way. Whenever a contemporary style building is designed for this city, there’s an immediate outcry that it’s ugly. God knows you may be right! But please show me what you think is beautiful. Send me links to, or pictures of, what you would consider beautiful contemporary architecture in a cityscape that would work in St. John’s.

I love heritage architecture. I love downtown St. John’s. And, I especially love forward thinking. I would be so proud if today we chose to protect what’s worth protecting, while, at the same time, embraced a contemporary architectural element that would inspire future citizens to fight to protect both when the time comes.

Written by guest blogger Glenys Moss. 

If there are any other readers out there interested in writing a guest blog about real estate, restaurants, the cultural scene or other topics please get in touch .

Questions about buying, selling, investing or real estate in general please contact me. I'm always happy to help.

Have a great day
Larry

 

It's Friday and time to see if we can do a little "Real Estate Matchmaking". I have qualified buyers who are eagerly looking to buy. Maybe you have a just the home they're looking for.

this week:

C&J – They're looking for single family home on Adams Pond, $350-$400,000

K – She's looking for a condo in downtown St. John’s, $200-250,000.  Must have off street parking.

J – He's looking to build in St. Phillips or Paradise area; 1+ acres

Qualified buyers who are still looking for their dream home.

L - She's looking for single family, new but already built, St. John’s North, $300-$375,000

LS - She's looking for two-apartment, 1-10 years old, Paradise – Trails End, Elizabeth Park area, $300-$375,000

P&M - They're looking for a single family home in St. John's $300 - $350,000 Very happy home owners

M&M – They're looking for a single family new build with a view close to St. John’s, $300-$400,000

S&L – They're looking for lots & acreages for new homes, $50,000 +

C&D – they're looking for single family & two-apartments in Downtown St. John’s, $175-$250;000 also looking for Downtown condos $250-$300,000 They're thrilled with their new home

L&M – They're looking for house or land in the Bowring Park area, $250,000 +

NB – She's looking for a large high-end condo in St. John’s area, $250,000 +  

If you do not find a likely buyer for your home but would like to put your home on the open market, call or email today. I will be happy to discuss my leading edge marketing strategies with you. If you would like to get an idea of what your home is worth in today's market find out with my Free Online Market Evaluation. 

Have a safe and happy weekend everybody.

I thought a brief summary of the programs available for first time home buyers and/or existing homeowners in Newfoundland and Labrador might prove helpful. Some of these grants and rebates are national programs while others are provincial.

1. Home Buyers’ Plan
Qualifying home buyers can withdraw up to $25,000 (couples can withdraw up to $50,000) from their RRSPs for a down payment. Home buyers who have repaid their RRSP may be eligible to use the program a second time.

Go to www.cra.gc.ca, enter “Home Buyers’ Plan” in the search box or, phone 1.800.959.8287 for more information.

2. GST Rebate on New Homes
New home buyers can apply for a rebate of the federal portion of the HST (the 5% GST) if the purchase price is less than $350,000. The rebate is up to 36% of the GST to a maximum rebate of $6,300. There is a proportional GST rebate for new homes costing between $350,000 and $450,000. In Newfoundland the builder usually adjusts the house price to compensate for the HST rebate. At closing the rebate is assigned to the builder. While this is the usual practice it's best to check with your builder to confirm their practice in this regard.

Go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca, enter “RC4028″ in the search box or, call 1.800.959.8287 for more information.

3. First-time Home Buyers Tax Credit (HBTC)
This is a non-refundable income tax credit for qualifying buyers of detached, attached, apartment condominiums, mobile homes or shares in a cooperative housing corporation. It’s calculated by multiplying the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15% in 2009) by $5,000. For 2009, the maximum credit was $750.

Go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca/hbtc or, call 1.800.959.8281 for more information.

4. Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC) Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) Grants
This federal program provides financial aid to qualifying low income homeowners to repair substandard housing. Eligible repairs include heating, structural, electrical, plumbing and fire safety. Grants are available for seniors, persons with disabilities, owners of rental properties and for the creation of secondary and garden suites.

Go to www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/prfinas_001.cfm, or, call 1.800.668.2642 for more information.

5. CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Premium Refund
This program provides homebuyers with CMHC mortgage insurance, a 10% premium refund and possible extended amortization without surcharge when buyers purchase an energy efficient home or make energy savings renovations.
Go to www.cmhc.ca/en/co/moloin/moloin_008.cfm#reno for more information.

6. RBC Energy-Saver Mortgage
Homeowners who have a home energy efficient audit within 90 days of receiving an RBC Energy SaverTM Mortgage may qualify for a $300 rebate credited to their RBC account.

Go to www.rbcroyalbank.com/products/mortgages/energy-saver-mortgage.html or, call 1.800.769.2511 for more information

7. INSULATION REBATE PROGRAM

This program is a joint initiative between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power and offers $.40 per square foot to insulate your basement to R-20 and $.20 per square foot to upgrade the insulation in your attic by R-20 –

Go to http://www.takechargenl.ca/ProgramsAndRebates/InsulationRebateProgram/  for more information

8. THERMOSTAT REBATE PROGRAM

This program is a joint initiative between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power and rebates $10 on programmable thermostats and $5 on electronic thermostats!

Go to  http://www.takechargenl.ca/ProgramsAndRebates/ThermostatRebateProgram/ for more information.

9. ENERGY STAR® WINDOW REBATE PROGRAM
This program is a joint initiative between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power. It offers you $2 back per square foot of installed window when you choose ENERGY STAR windows.

Go to http://www.takechargenl.ca/ProgramsAndRebates/EnergyStarWindows/ for more information. 

I hope this information has been useful, if I have missed any programs please let me know via the comments section below. Are there other topics you would like to see addressed in this blog? Use the comment section or contact me to pass along your request.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the St. John's area or if you have other real estate questions you would like to have answered please contact me I'd be happy to help.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is holding a groundbreaking vote today. Right here in St. John's! Rumor has it that they will vote to allow the general public the right to hire a Realtor to list their home on Realtor.ca (what used to be known as the MLS) and then be able to complete the rest of the sale on their own. There are other items included in the vote but, for the sake of simplicity, I will only talk about this one item now. Although the vote hasn't yet happened, I think it's a done deal. For what it's worth here's my quick take on it.

Can Sellers Successfully Sell Their Own Home

Sure they can. There are lots of sellers out there who can and will do a very good job selling their home. There are also thousands of sellers out there who think they can do a good job, maybe they can.  But I think most will muddle their way through it. 

Experience Counts

The more houses you sell the better you get at doing it. Most people will buy and sell a home every 4 – 7 years, not a lot of chances to learn the ropes. There’s reading everything there is to read on the internet about how to sell your home and then there’s the school of hard knocks. It’s the latter where you really learn how to do it right.

Lots of professions look easy when you’re on the outside looking in. On air reporting doesn’t look so tough.  How many people think any 4 year old can paint as well as  Jackson Pollack. You get my point.  While the general public has fought hard for these new rules I think it’s a case that they don’t know enough to know that they don’t know. When the dust settles professional Realtors who offer excellent customer service may start marketing themselves as consultants. And we all know how much a good consultant can bill per hour.

On that thought maybe the theme song for this past weekend should have been “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades. “

Just joking really. However I do think this could be a win win situation for Realtors and the general public alike.

I'd be glad to discuss this issue or answer any questions you may have about St. John's real estate. Please feel free to call or email me.   

It's Friday and time to see if we can do a little "Real Estate Matchmaking". I have qualified buyers who are eagerly looking to buy. Maybe you have a just the home they're looking for.

this week:

L - she's looking for single family, new but already built, St. John’s North, $300-$375,000

LS - she's looking for two-apartment, 1-10 years old, Paradise – Trails End, Elizabeth Park area, $300-$375,000

 P&M - They're looking for a single family home in St. John's $300 - $350,000

Qualified buyers from last week who continue to beat the bushes trying to find the right home.

M&M – they're looking for a single family new build with a view close to St. John’s, $300-$400,000

S&L – they're looking for lots & acreages for new homes, $50,000 +

C&D – they're looking for single family & two-apartments in Downtown St. John’s, $175-$250;000 also looking for Downtown condos $250-$300,000

LM – they're looking for house or land in the Bowring Park area, $250,000 +

NB – is looking for a large high-end condo in St. John’s area, $250,000 +  

If you do not find a likely buyer for your home but would like to put your home on the open market, call or email today. I will be happy to discuss my leading edge marketing strategies with you. If you would like to get an idea of what your home is worth in today's market find out with my Free Online Market Evaluation. 

Have a safe and happy weekend everybody.