Real Estate Blog

How to Create a Homeowner’s Journal

Once you become a homeowner, you can forget about calling the landlord or superintendent if something breaks—you’re now responsible for maintenance and repairs. Let’s face it: there’s a plethora of tasks and projects to stay on top of to keep your home in top shape, everything from replacing the furnace filter and cleaning your gutters, to testing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and winterizing your lawn. You also have lots of important paperwork to keep track of, such as warranties and manuals for your household appliances and systems. The best way to stay organized is by creating a homeowner’s journal. Here’s how to get started so you don’t find yourself drowning in random reminder notes.

What is a homeowner’s journal? 

Simply…

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Canadian Housing Market Outlook: Fall 2022

RE/MAX Canada Network expects Canadian housing market prices to decrease 2.2 per cent this fall

• RE/MAX brokers and agents anticipate prices in the Canadian housing market to ease by 2.2 per cent this fall, due to high inflation, rising interest rates and economic uncertainty
• Rising interest rates have prompted 44 per cent of Canadians to temporarily shelf their home-buying aspirations, while 34 per cent say they won’t hold on purchasing a home for the foreseeable future
• Recession worries have impelled 41 per cent of Canadians to wait to purchase/sell their home in fall 2022

Toronto, ON and Kelowna, BC, September 28, 2022 – RE/MAX brokers and agents are anticipating the national average residential sale price in the Canadian housing…

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Canadian Real Estate is Changing: What You Need to Know

The Canadian real estate market is in a state of flux right now.

It is hard to fathom that Canada’s housing sector recorded unprecedented gains a year ago – from tremendous sales activity to enormous price growth – and now the industry is in the middle of a sharp correction. Every market analyst and financial institution has offered a forecast of how much more the country’s real estate market could fall. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) projects a 25-per-cent decline by the end of next year, while Desjardins economists anticipate a 20-per-cent drop over the next year.

Whatever the case may be, the Canadian real estate market – be it major urban centres or cottage country – is going through an exceptional transition. Nobody…

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What You Need To Know About Underfloor Heating

In ancient Rome, underfloor heating was the height of sophistication—a sign its owner was an individual of high status. When it came to Roman building methods, it was state-of-the-art, cutting edge, something you might have invited the local merchants round to see, with your hypocaust (underground furnace) at full tilt to show you meant business. These were expensive systems to maintain, requiring round-the-clock attention, probably by a small team of attendants, and vast amounts of fuel to drive the furnace. But what about underfloor heating today? Two thousand years later, we’re here to tell you what’s hot and what’s stone cold.

What is underfloor heating?

Let’s start with the basics. Underfloor heating is a method of temperature control, …

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What Are the Steps to Buying a Home?

What are the steps to buying a home? You’re starting to think about becoming a homeowner, or maybe you’ve even started to look at listings. Either way, you likely have lots of questions, from the general “how tos” to specific queries around financing, different home types and locations, to how to make an offer. To help simplify what can be a complicated process, we’ve outlined the steps to buying a house in Canada.

What Are the Steps to Buying a Home?

There’s a lot to do, but we’ve narrowed it down. Here’s our 10-step home buying process checklist to get you started!

1. Choose a real estate agent that’s right for you.

A home is a huge investment, so work with a realtor that’s knowledgeable, professional and…

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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Each year on September 30, we recognise the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day honours residential school survivors, kids who never made it home, and their families and communities. A crucial step in the healing process is public remembrance of the tragic and painful past and ongoing effects of residential schools.

This federally recognised holiday was established through changes to the law approved by Parliament.

The Meaning Behind The Visuals

The sun (the summer solstice), which serves as the focal point of the celebrations, is at the centre of the numerous visual components used to illustrate Indigenous traditions. The artwork on the right depicts the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis as well as the four elements of…

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What is Home Staging? Is It Worth It?

So, you’ve decided to sell your home. No matter what your reasons are for moving, such a big change can be overwhelming. It can seem daunting with everything you need to know. Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Selling your home can be emotional, which is why it helps to have an expert guide you through the process. Your RE/MAX agent has the expertise you need to make it easier to move on, and help you get the best price for your home, and offering guidance on things like home staging. So, what is home staging anyway? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Home Staging?

If you think it means putting on an off-Broadway production in your living room, you’re wrong – but you’ve come to the right place to get the right answer! To put…

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10 Yard Work Tasks to Complete in the Fall

Autumn can be the most beautiful time of year for many, and the transition from summer to winter is often an enjoyable stretch for homeowners to prepare their yards for those post-winter glory days.

There are plenty of autumn jobs that score huge dividends for the coming months—tasks that go beyond closing down gardens. We’ve gathered some of the most important points to address, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring pro contractors or landscapers.

1. Check eavestroughs, gutters, and downspouts

It doesn’t matter how little or how much snow you get where you live, all precipitation turns to water at some point, and that water can be a threat to your home if not addressed and routed away from problem spots. Your roof is your biggest…

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What It Means to Be House Poor – and How to Avoid It

You’ve got your mortgage pre-approval, and you’re shopping the market for your perfect home. If you find one that’s priced too close to your limit, you run the risk of being house poor. Let’s look at what it is, what you can do to avoid it, and what to do if you are already house poor.

The Costs of Owning a Home

When you begin the process of looking for a home, you may think that the amount in your pre-approval letter and the house sale price are the only things that matter, but that’s not the case. There are several other costs associated with buying and maintaining a home that people often overlook:

Utilities – Your home needs water, electricity, and natural gas to run. You may also require utilities like internet and possibly city services…

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Getting a Home Appraisal? Here’s What You Should Know

Have you ever wondered how much your property’s value has changed since you purchased it? Home appraisals can play a big role. Let’s break down the appraisal process—what it means, when it happens, and other important factors you need to know.

What is a home appraisal?

An appraisal is an process to determine how much money a property is worth. It sounds simple in theory, but a lot goes into determining the appraised value of a piece of real estate. 

Valid appraisals must be conducted by a licensed appraiser—a third-party professional who’s  unbiased towards the sale. Appraisers are required to hold a license in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but other provinces may have different requirements. Typically, they’re ordered by…

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