King and Louisa Development

Kitchener Waterloo saw a lot of Real Estate news this week. A new 8 storey multi-residential building and a 3 unit multiple dwelling unit is being planned for the corner of King and Louisa Streets in Kitchener. This is consistent with our mixed-use and intensification objectives. I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more of this type of project along the future LRT route.

Spur line bike path

The development of a spur-line trail is the region’s top priority for off-road pathways. The trail will run from Regina Street in Waterloo to Wilhelm and Weber streets in Kitchener. It will cost about $2.5 million. There already exists a path along side the tracks but this new trail will encourage more foot traffic and cyclists  as it will connect to the Iron Horse Trail and Laurel Trail in Waterloo and to the new multi-model Hub in Kitchener.

Former car dealership site might be redeveloped for residential use

Most of us remember the site as Gary Stockie’s GM dealership. But that closed down in 2009. Then Mitsubishi moved in. But now there is speculation that a major change in land use could be coming to that section of Ottawa Street (between King and Weber) near downtown Kitchener. The neighbouring Olivet United Church has also been approached about selling its land. this all looks good for this long neglected part of Kitchener.

Mansion Street – Open House

122 Mansion Street, Kitchener is an executive town home located in the heart of Kitchener’s East Ward. This beautiful and spacious condo townhouse will be open to the public for viewing this Saturday and Sunday 2:00-4:00pm.

Come out and see us.

If you like this post, please share it.

This week in KW real estate:

February 11

February 4

January 27

January 20

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, for sale, open house, real estate, this week in real estate, Uncategorized by Keith Marshall
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There was a lot of news about the housing market last week and all of it good. Well good but cautionary really.

House Prices

First of all house prices are expected to keep rising this year. According to a report by Royal Lepage, Prudential Real Estate’s sister company, Canada’s housing market will continue to be strong this year, with rising property values expected in all major markets.

The report predicts that prices will rise across to country by 2.8% by the end of 2012, following stronger gains last year.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the average price of a standard two-storey home was $375,427, up 4.2% from a year earlier. The average rate of a detached bungalow was up in 2011 by 6.1% to $344,392, while condominiums gained 3.6% to $234,680.

“Widespread calls for a major real estate correction in 2012 simply can’t be justified,” Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper said in a statement. “The industry has significant momentum entering the year, and buoyed by the stimulative effect of very low interest rates, we expect the market to continue to expand.”

Mortgage rules

In the face of historically low interest rates, our federal government remains concerned that the real estate market is getting overheated. Our government is concerned that the housing market will over-inflate and the bubble will burst. If this happens, it would have a large negative impact on our AAA rated economy. As they did last year, they are looking at ways to tighten regulations, making it harder for individuals to qualify for loans. One of these measures are aimed at self-employed individuals (like myself) and how we self-disclose what we make when applying for a loan.

In the case of condominium buyers, the government is considering a proposal that would include 100% of the condo fees as debt. This would impact the Loan to Debt Ratio of the loan applicant.

Third best economy in Canada

The CIBC released a report that showed that Waterloo Region has the third best economy in Canada. The report attributes our success to our high tech sector, irregardless of what’s happening at RIM.

Housing activity, population growth, employment, and bankruptcy statistics were some of the variable measured for the report.

Agents of Change weekend activity

We’ll be holding an open house this Sunday from 2:00-4:00pm at 49 Cedarwoods Crescent, Unit 29. It’s a quiet condo townhouse complex right behind the Fairview Park Mall. Come on out and see the house. It’s nice. Meet us. We’re nice too.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, canada, general news, open house, real estate, real estate trends, real estate vocabualry, this week in real estate by Keith Marshall
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As both a long time marketer and blogger, one of my favorite daily reads is Seth Godin. He wrote the other day that he was picking out the mat for a framed photo and there were a thousand colors to choose from. The framer uttered the scary invocation, “It’s completely up to you” putting the choice back to him.

That’s a problem.

We live in a very complicated world, full of choice. We are forced to make decisions all the time, everyday. Some are easy (until this week) “large double double”, and some, like picking out a mat for a picture frame or buying or selling a house are more difficult.

Maybe these are more difficult because there is more to lose if you guess wrong and the fact that you don’t make decisions like this everyday, you don’t have the experience and enough information to be comfortable in deciding.

I meet and talk to people every week that look for houses on their own. I think that’s great, we have the tools (like MLS) and the opportunity (like open houses) to educate ourselves about the Kitchener Waterloo real estate market. Although it would be easier to hire an agent right from the start its another of these decisions that are difficult because we make them so rarely.

How do I find an agent?

What do I look for in an agent?

What do agents do that I can’t do for myself?

Anytime we do something we don’t normally do, we’re on a voyage of discovery. We have to move along the the rocky coast of the learning curve, educating ourselves. We have to make little decisions that will help us make the big one.

Seth Godin goes on, “If you think you have no choice but to do what you do now, you’ve already made a serious error.”

Sooner or later, when you buy or sell a home, there is a 90% chance at least one realtor will be involved. If you are comfortable enough to find yourself a trusted advisor early, you can learn what you need to know a lot faster. After all, your decision is completely up to you.

Filed under: About me, advice, Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, editorial, general news, life of a realtor, real estate, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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…and how is this related to real estate?

In the dark of night in your local supermarket, from canned vegetables and salad dressing to fresh fruit and deli meats, countless items are being removed from store shelves. They are expired or expiring, past their prime.

What happens to them?

Much of the meat and, fruit and vegetables end up at the deli counter. Food banks get some of the can and dry goods, some gets marked way down for a quick sale and some ends up in the dumpster behind the store. It’s just the way it is, the cost of doing business, oversupply and under-demand…

In happens in real estate too. The majority of houses sell, most within about 90 days, but many don’t sell.

They don’t sell for many reasons: the agent didn’t market the home properly, the home is flawed or stigmatized or overpriced, the timing was bad, or perhaps it wasn’t on the market long enough, or too long, maybe there are too many similar homes on the market. These are all possible reasons. And there are more.

What’s important though, is that you the seller does not take it personally. It’s hard not to do. You’ve gone to the trouble of getting your house ready for sale, you’ve kept it neat and tidy, you’ve been asked at short notice to be absent between 7:00-8:00pm because there are some people who want to see it. You’ve been told to stay away on weekend afternoons for open houses. You’ve signed all the paperwork, talked to bankers and lawyers. Your neighbors know you want to move.

It’s frustrating. But like I said. Don’t take it personally. It is what it is.

You still want to sell. What should you do now?

The best thing to do, is to find out why it didn’t sell, address that issue and try again. Invite real estate agents like Alasdair and I over for a chat. We’ll be able to tell you why we think it didn’t sell. We’ll give you the advice you need to get your house on the market again and this time, learn from your mistakes and sell it in 90 days.

That’s what I’d do.

Filed under: home, home owners, real estate, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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Seth Godin writes “Some things are bought–like bottled water, airplane tickets and chewing gum. The vendor sets up shop and then waits, patiently, for someone to come along and decide to buy.

Other things are sold–like cars, placement of advertising in magazines and life insurance. If no salesperson is present, if no pitch is made, nothing happens.

Both are important. Both require a budget and a schedule and a commitment.

Confusion sets in when you’re not sure if your product or service is bought or sold, or worse, if you are a salesperson just waiting for people to buy.”

I like this bit by Seth Godin, actually I like almost everything he writes. Probably because I am a marketer. Real estate is a marketing business. I market homes and I market my services.

Real estate is sold. It’s not bought, and that’s where many real estate agents make their mistake.

The Kitchener Waterloo real estate market is no longer a sellers market. Houses priced right and in good order sell well. Here is what we currently have for sale.

If you’re interviewing agents, please interview us.

Filed under: About me, Buying Real Estate, for sale, home, house, Industry, life of a realtor, real estate, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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