One of the most difficult real estate searches you might have to undertake is the search for a retirement property. For instance, it may be necessary to downsize your home to match your retirement income, and you may not want to give up the memories that this entails.

To help mitigate some of these effects, you might want to consider a development specifically oriented for retirees. But even then, there are problems. Choosing to live in one of these communities is difficult, because you aren’t just choosing a home – you are choosing a new way of life. You want to avoid a depressing atmosphere and you want it to feel right.

Bryan Mills, a retiree himself, realized how difficult this search could be, so he decided to launch a website to help people in their search. Called www.adultlifestylecommunities.ca, the site aims to provide users with a synopsis of developments that are geared to retiring baby boomers. Since this is one of Canada’s fastest-growing groups, the site definitely has the potential to be very successful. Currently, the site only offers a list of developments in Ontario, but it is growing.

Mills said the point of his site is to give users an idea of what life in these communities will be like. “When we started to do our research, we found that to a great extent, many developers were selling homes, but not selling the lifestyle,” Mills has said. “And really, when you come here, you’re not buying a home as much as you are a lifestyle.”

These developments are not like traditional retirement communities, where people live in dour apartments. They are designed more like suburban residences, homes and townhomes. The difference is that the developments are organized around clubhouses where community activities are organized. The residents in the community – depending on which development it is – can also use communal facilities for golf, water sports and cycling.

The site gives facts about the developments, shows maps and floorplans and provides photo essays of the community. All of this information can help potential home buyers make choices about which communities to visit, and can save them time by eliminating communities that do not fit their needs.

Nevertheless, making a choice about these communities should not be limited to a website. After all – the site does not feature every community – and it’s always a good idea to consider choices that might not be your primary focus. Talking to a registered real estate agent can help you make sure you are covering all of your bases.

Nelson Goulart
Broker of Record with Signature Service GMAC Real Estate
www.ssgmac.ca

They say moving can be as stressful as dealing with a family illness. And that’s just for moves that are within your local area. Moving across the country, to a town or city you are unfamiliar with – it’s probably something you would like to avoid. Yet, this is something that many Canadians have to do, particularly in recessionary times like this, when moving to find a job may become necessary.

The most important thing to do – and probably the most obvious – is to get organized. Start out by talking to a real estate professional. They will help guide you through the process, and if you need to, they can help put you in contact with a real estate professional in the market you are moving to. They will also help you start thinking about what sort of questions you should be asking, and what you should be careful of.

At the same time, start writing down a list of things you need to find out. Some things to start thinking about are the following:

1. What are home prices like in the market you are moving to? Will you have to pay more or less for a home that is a similar size to the one you are currently living in?

2. Are you moving to a safe area? Without any context, you might choose a place that is in a higher crime area without knowing it is.

3. Aside from crime, what is the community like? What about the amenities, like community centres, libraries and schools? Is the area gentrifying or becoming seedy? It might be better to buy in an area that is perceived to be run-down but is on the way up so that you can take advantage of the rising property values.

4. Are there any negative environmental factors, such as noise or smells? It may not be visible on a map, but the area you are looking at might be notorious for industrial smells like sulphur, or have loud passing trucks in the early morning.

5. Can you get public transportation from your new home? What will the parking be like? Is traffic an issue? And how long will your commute be?

6. If you are moving for work with a spouse or partner, make sure that jobs will be available for them, too.

Some of these questions will be impossible to answer without visiting the potential site of your new house. Walking around your new neighbourhood and asking local people simple questions like, “Is this neighbourhood safe?” can be a lot more accurate than any research you can uncover. It can also give you a real idea of how far away the grocery store is, and where the nearest parks are.

If visiting the house in person is impossible, check out the community online. See if there is an online community newspaper or local forum where residents talk about issues in their community. Take a trip through your new neighbourhood on Google Street View. Look up local crime statistics, if possible. Try to find out the history of the area. See if the area was previously for other uses such as industry or agriculture. Look up any information on the area’s zoning.

In other words: do your homework. Your real estate agent can help you through these processes, but it is up to you to make sure you are fully informed about all the issues. And good luck!

Nelson Goulart
Broker of Record with Signature Service GMAC Real Estate
www.ssgmac.ca

Now that spring is finally starting to clear our lawns of snow, our thoughts eagerly turn toward summer. And for many people, that means thinking about returning to the cottage.

If you don’t have a cottage, you might have thought about getting one recently. After all, during the recession, the prices for cottages have dropped. But before you begin to look for that summer dream home, make sure you keep these tips in mind:

1. Don’t think about it as an investment

If you are looking for investment properties, you might consider buying a cottage. But most experts say that this isn’t a wise idea. There are much easier investment ploys than buying a cottage. The problem with cottages is that they can be difficult to sell if you fall into a poor financial situation. And even if you can sell it, the recent downtown in the cottage market shows that the recreational property market is volatile, and you could even lose some of your principal in a particularly slow market.

2. Be aware of the costs

Owning a cottage can be expensive. Not only do you have to worry about another mortgage, but there are all the usual expenses: property taxes, insurance and you have to spend money on it every year to make sure it is properly maintained. It can also be difficult to get insurance on your property, particularly if you aren’t using it for ten months of the year. And some lenders refuse to give mortgages to properties that are in very remote locations.

Some people try to offset these costs by renting the recreational property for parts of the year. But that brings its own problems: being a landlord for people who potentially live two or more hours away is not ideal. And finding someone to rent the home can be difficult.

3. Buy because you love it

All of that being said, having a cottage can be one of the great ways to enjoy a Canadian summer. It can also be a wonderful place to live your retirement.

As with anything enjoyable in life, there will always be downsides. But if you go into the purchase with enthusiasm and the right mindset, you’ll be able to handle all of the difficulties with a feeling that it is all worth it.

Nelson Goulart
Broker of Record with Signature Service GMAC Real Estate
www.ssgmac.ca

Calgary Real Estate Profile:

You’ve heard it so often, it’s almost become a cliché: Calgary is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, both economically and population-wise. Sure, the city has hit a stumble recently with the recession. But with the demand for oil and gas increasing, Calgary is poised to recover more strongly than many other Canadian cities. This makes it a good place to consider moving to, and to look for real estate.

Calgary’s Amenities

Due to the 1988 Winter Olympics and the relative proximity to the Rockies, Calgary has a wide range of sporting options. There is also the famous Calgary stampede, and country music lovers will find plenty of venues to enjoy. Calgary has retained its country-and-western attitude, and the friendly, fun and homey atmosphere is a strong draw for the many people drawn here every year.

Calgary’s Real Estate Market

The recession hit Calgary very hard because it put a brake on many of the projects being built in the oil fields. At the end of 2009, the city’s unemployment rate rose from 3% to 7%. The resulting loss of employment and investment stopped the city’s building boom and frenzied real estate market.

After the dust settled, Calgary has fallen into the middle of the pack in terms of average home price. In December 2009, the average home price was around $400,000. This was slightly up from the year previous, but this is because of the continuously falling inventory.

That being said, with economic prospects in Calgary expected to improve, wages are likely to begin rising eventually. And with more investment, the inventory problem will resolve itself, which will help ease prices. The result will be better affordability in the near future.

Calgary’s Neighbourhoods

Compared to some of Canada’s other cities, Calgary doesn’t have a lot of crime, or neighbourhoods you should avoid. However, East Village, Forrest Lawn and Dover have a few more problems than other neighbourhoods. On the other side of the scale, you might want to invest in Scarboro and Mount Royal: they have had some of the best home price appreciations of any neighbourhoods in the city.

The city does have a lively and interesting downtown, but unlike some of the country’s larger cities, it isn’t as developed for residential. Most people live in the suburbs, and it is relatively easy to commute into the city. As a result, Calgary has a lot more affordable low-rise homes being built. If you are looking for an affordable family home and excellent job prospects, Calgary might be for you.

Nelson Goulart
Broker of Record with Signature Service GMAC Real Estate
www.ssgmac.ca

My friends and colleagues say that I always have funny stories to tell. Well, this is not funny anymore. So far I’ve showed houses with cats, dogs, cats and dogs, cats, dogs, lizards, rats and snakes (at the same place!) and all that without single word of warning on the listing. Somehow, I would appreciate if there is at least a little line saying “friendly snake in a house”?!!!

I was showing a house recently, with sellers present in the house along with whole bunch of cats. Me personally, I could care less, but turns out that my client is scared to death of cats. (Bad experience from childhood that I wasn’t aware of). She just ran through the house, wouldn’t even open the closet doors (“there could be another cat?!”),
Hyperventilating and almost crying!

Now, the question for the listing agents and the sellers too is, how fast do they really want to sell the house?!

The problem is not just that some people are afraid of certain animals; there is a problem with allergies and the religious issues as well.

THE END RESULT:

1. Buyer is either scared, sneezing, coughing or whatnot…and didn’t see the house at all (probably didn’t sleep that night either).
2. Seller is frustrated since they needed to clean and leave the house for nothing.
3. Seller’s agent just lost another potential buyer and after number of showings like this, agent will have to explain to the seller, why the house is not selling yet.
4. Buyer’s agent not just wasted time to show the property but also has now frustrated buyer too.

Believe me; every challenge has the solution only if you are willing to find it.

I know there are the objections such as; “seller is working late”, “they do not have pet sitter”, “it is winter” etc.

Well, here are some tips that might help:

- Allow showings only in time frame when the seller (or someone else) could take the pets out from the property.
- Make showing only 30min in length (so they do not have to stay out for long)
- Let the seller ask neighbor, friend or member of the family to take the pet out during the showing time.
- And if you can’t figure out how to do it…Do it yourself!

In case you are “Too Busy having so many buyers” or” so many listings”, well, in that case, I am happy for you because that means you are wealthy too, so pay a teenage kid to do it for you or hire someone to that.

If after all this tips your seller still doesn’t want to take out the animals from the property during the showings, make sure you explain them what can happen during showings and with the sale it self.

I apologize if I offended anybody, but I really think that we should do our job properly and finally be treated and respected as professionals, by the public, which we deserve.

P.S. If anyone wonders, yes I DID have 2 dogs (Sam & Aisha), a parrot (Coccolo) and a hamster (Mike), in my life and I Do love animals.

Matilda Nestoroska
Broker with Signature Service GMAC/Real Estate

In my last post about noisy neighbours, I gave you some tips on how to deal with the more mild cases. These tips generally work if you think your neighbours have just not noticed that they are making a lot of noise, or seem like nice people. Sometimes you’ll have to deal with a harder case, and that’s when you’ll have to pull out the big guns.

1. Contact the police

The police can be helpful when you are dealing with minor situations: nothing can help quieten down some well-meaning, but noisy kids like police involvement. But if you are thinking of going further, they will be invaluable. Police reports will provide corroborating evidence of excessive and disruptive sound levels.

2.  Get your other neighbours involved

If the noise disruption is severe, it is a good idea to talk to your other neighbours to see how they feel about it. Some of them will likely be unwilling to get involved. But others will appreciate the fact that you are trying to get an obvious problem fixed. If your neighbours are sympathetic, request that they also complain to the police. The more people who complain about an issue, the more the police will prioritize it.

3. Go the legal route

If you are in a condo, there is the possibility you can get the condo board to evict the tenant. However, it depends on your jurisdiction, so check up on your legal rights. If you are living in a co-op or rental, it will be easier to get an eviction started.

Even if eviction of the tenant is impossible, you can likely take your neighbour to small claims court for the nuisance they’ve caused. The judges can’t kick your neighbours out, but they can get them to pay you a small daily fee for the nuisance they’ve cause – which will essentially encourage any smart person to consider moving or quieting down. All of the evidence you’ve gathered so far will become invaluable at this point.

4. Fix your own place

If all else fails, you can try to soundproof your apartment. Sometimes your neighbours aren’t even that noisy – it’s just the poor soundproofing that already exists in your apartment. Cork, fabric and carpeting will help in sensitive areas. Also, fill up any small openings and cracks that might be transferring sound. If you use a little ingenuity, you might find that what was once unbearable noise will simply become white noise.

Heleen Jacobsen
Broker of Record with InfoMarket Group GMAC Real Estate
www.infomarketgroup.com

We’ve seen many reports about the rebounding real estate market in Canada, including ones on here, Realty Kitchen. But today, yet another report has appeared, suggesting that the Canadian market is in bubble territory. Or, at least, several markets in Canada are in bubble territory.

While most cities that dropped in price in late 2008 and early 2009 have begun to rebound, the report suggests that three of them – Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria – have rebounded further and higher than is perhaps indicated by the market fundamentals. These three markets have seen price increases in the high double-digit range, while other markets, such as Montreal, have risen less than 10% since last year.

The experts argue that this suggests that while Montreal is recovering well and at a sustainable pace, Toronto and Vancouver’s sharp increases suggest these markets are volatile and subject to another dive in prices.

Although it may be true that Toronto and Vancouver are in store for a sharp correction, this prediction doesn’t seem to be based on the facts. For starters, the common factor connecting Vancouver and Toronto is that they are in provinces that will be adding a HST by June 2010. The extra buying that this deadline is encouraging are surely causing some price rises.

And the prediction ignores the relative urbanization of the markets in comparison to the rest of Canada. For instance, in Montreal, the average two-storey house costs $355,109 in 2010. In Toronto, a similar home would cost $562,150 and in Vancouver it is nearly a million dollars. This is where the growth is – price growth was driven by two-storey homes.

But in Vancouver and Toronto, increasing urbanization and a lack of new two-storey housing stock is essentially pushing this form of housing out of the hands of the middle class. As a result, condos are replacing two-storey homes as the homes of the middle class, and this is reflected in their much cheaper prices: $317,579 in Toronto and $470,000 in Vancouver. These housing units grew more slowly in price, suggesting a slower rate of sales. Many new condos are also coming on line in these markets, which should further help ease the price increases.

Once again, it’s in the best interests of many people to exacerbate fears about housing bubble: it encourages people to make rash choices. Try not to get sucked in, and make the right decision about your real estate based upon your own needs and not what other people are saying you should do.

Heleen Jacobsen
Broker of Record with InfoMarket Group GMAC Real Estate
www.infomarketgroup.com