Real Estate Blog - Infinity Admin

Building vs. Buying a Home

In today’s market, you might be considering building vs. buying a home. This is certainly a viable option, but it has its advantages and drawbacks, just as buying a resale home does. There are many factors to consider, such as time-frame, location and design of the house. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between building and buying a home, so that you can make an informed decision.

Benefits of Building vs. Buying a Home

Customization of your home – This is a huge advantage of building a house. When you build a home from scratch, you have control of its various elements rather inheriting someone else’s preferences, from layout to materials right down to little things like what covers go on your light switches.

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How Do Rent-to-Own Programs Work?

The Canadian real estate market is showing signs of slowing, now that interest rates are rising. Despite sales activity sliding and prices moderating, the country’s housing sector is still leaving many hopeful homebuyers sitting on the sidelines.

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales tumbled at a monthly rate of 3.9 per cent in September. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) declined by 1.4 per cent month-over-month but was still up 3.3 per cent year-over-year. Meanwhile, the actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average sale price declined 6.6 per cent year-over-year, to $640,479.

New residential listings fell 0.8 per cent month-over-month, and months of inventory edged up slightly…

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Sold Over Asking – What Does This Mean?

When the Canadian real estate market peaked in February, this was undoubtedly the key question on prospective homebuyers’ lips, whether a single-family home in rural Ontario or a condominium unit in downtown Vancouver. It was also a hot topic – and goal – of home sellers from coast to coast.

The “pandemic boom” was certainly a housing market that many people will never forget, especially in the major urban centres such as Toronto and Montreal. Even Atlantic Canada got in on the enormous gains, thanks to notable population increases as a newfound freedom to work remotely opened up options on where to buy a home.

One notable trend accelerated in Canada’s housing market as it built up to its peak: homes sold over asking.

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Going Away for the Winter: How to Secure Your Home

A winter escape is a popular choice among many Canadians. With crossborder travel reopened, many snowbirds are eager to flock south again this winter. The Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA) estimated 30% of Canada’s more than one-million snowbirds vacationed for the winter in 2020/2021 and predicted that number increased to about 90% during the 2021/2022 season.

With so many Canadians journeying south and abroad in the upcoming months, some homes across the country are left unoccupied for extended periods of time. If you’re planning a winter getaway—whether for a few weeks or a few months—it’s important to plan ahead and protect your investment. Here’s what you need to know about prepping and securing your home for your absence. 

Protect…

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Buying an Acreage: 5 Things You Need to Consider

If you dream of rural living, you may have considered buying an acreage and are looking around at different options. An acreage can provide a cozy style of country living, whether close to an urban centre or out in the middle of nowhere. Buying an acreage property is a bit different than buying a more traditional home, so let’s take a look at some of the things you should consider.

5 Factors to Consider when Buying an Acreage

The Size of the Acreage

The size of the acreage you want to purchase will influence the type of mortgage that you apply for. Mortgage lenders will likely approve up to a certain number of acres with a house and garage, and varies based on the location. A property located close to an urban centre…

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How Do You Make a Low Ball Offer?

Could the Canadian housing market be in store for the return of the low-ball offer? While this buying strategy became all but extinct given the heated housing market in the last couple of years, rising interest rates have caused many markets to cool, and shift from strong seller’s markets to more balances, or even tilted in favour of buyers.

What is a Low-Ball Offer?

A low-ball offer is when a prospective homebuyer makes an offer to purchase a home that is below the asking price.

When Should You Make a Low-Ball offer?

Low-ball offers are more common in a buyer’s market, when there are more listings than there are buyers, and competition is not a factor. Another common scenario for low-ball offers is when looking to…

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Types of Tiny Homes

The skyrocketing price of houses has some people wondering: is there a way to own a home that is affordable? And the answer is yes. A tiny home can provide you with a permanent residence and give you more financial freedom. Just because a home is small does not mean it is uncomfortable. If you choose the right kind of tiny home, you can experience a life of freedom, flexibility and adventure.

Tiny Homes on Foundations

TV shows like Tiny House Nation (Netflix) have made the idea of the tiny house on a foundation more popular in recent years. This is an excellent option if you have a piece of land and want to build a “normal” home that is just smaller. You would build your home on a concrete foundation, or if you think you…

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4 Snow Festivals to Chill Out at Across Canada

It’s time to embrace those knits, scarves, and gloves! Winter is quickly approaching and although many of us are tempted to flee to warmer places, there’s a plethora of Canadian winter events to help brighten up even the darkest of winter days. 

From Ottawa to Yellowknife, we’ve rounded up four annual festivals across Canada that will surely help alleviate some of the winter blues. Let’s get started!

1. Winterlude—Ottawa, Ontario

Picture it: you’ve just skated the world’s largest natural ice rink. You’re now snacking on a warm Beavertail and sipping on decadent hot chocolate while admiring ice sculptures. The stunning architecture of the Chateau Laurier and Peace Tower form the perfect backdrop…

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How Much Does It Cost to Stage a Home?

If you are in the process of putting up your house for sale, you may have thought about staging it to attract potential buyers. Staging a home involves creating spaces that are furnished just enough that potential buyers can envision themselves (and their stuff!) living there. Home staging can reduce the time a listing spends on the market, increase the number of potential buyers, and yield higher offers. So, how much does it cost to stage a home? Here’s an estimated breakdown.

How Much Does it Cost to Stage a Home?

Initial Walk-Through Consultation: $150-$600 – In the initial consultation, a professional home stager will walk through your house with you and offer ideas on how to use your existing interior décor to stage…

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What is Missing Middle Housing?

A well-served housing market means different things for different cities—and, on a more granular level, different neighbourhoods. Some people benefit more from multi-family buildings, others are better served by a larger share of single-family homes. One trend in many major Canadian markets is missing middle housing, even in those that stand to benefit from it.

What is middle housing? 

Middle housing includes duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, and laneway homes—it’s the middle ground between multi-family apartments or condos and single-family homes. Middle housing tends to be more affordable and requires a similar amount of land as single-family homes, while offering more…

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