A Great Evening for a Great Cause

RAISING HOPES & DREAMS

A SoHo inspired evening in support of the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre

Every year, more and more Ottawa youth from all walks of life fall victim to serious substance abuse.  Add these issues to the already challenging teenage years and you have some complex problems.  Left untreated, these issues can tear families apart, swallow potential and lead to a lifetime of addiction.  That’s where the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre comes into the picture. And the Centre has been supporting at risk youth and their families for over 20 years.

 

The evening was a great success! Patrons and sponsors had the opportunity to view the elegance of Soho Champagne one of Ottawa's hottest developments sold by the Bennett Property Shop Realty, whilst meeting and mingling with celebrities such as Dragon Dens' Mike Wekerle, designer Brian Gluckstein and the co-founder of Wahlburgers, Paul Wahlberg.

The DaveSmith Youth Treatment Centre is in the middle of the Dave’s Dream campaign.  Dave’s Dream is a fundraising campaign to support the construction of a new 30-bed youth residential treatment facility in rural west Ottawa. The new Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre will merge 3 temporary and aging campuses into a centralized location, resulting in substantial operational savings while simultaneously permitting the expansion of much-needed addiction treatment supports and services.

In Ottawa over the last five years, the Bennett Property Shop Realty has sold the Soho Parkway, Soho Lisgar and Soho Champagne condominiums.  A shovel goes in the ground in December for Soho Italia on Preston Street.

The Bennett Property Shop Realty is very proud to have supported Raising Hopes and Dreams.  All proceeds from the evening were donated to Dave’s Dream. Here are a few pictures from the evening. The Bennett Property Shop Realty truly believes that investing and support today's youth will shape an amazing future for Ottawa. 

 Don't forget visit bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs!

Congratulations Kate!! Our COMMFEST Winner!

Here is our lovely winner of our Riverside South COMMFEST Redblacks Ticket Giveaway!!

Congratulations Kate you'll have soo much fun!

Keep an eye out for the Bennett Pros in your community! Visit bennettpros.com for more information on some of our other community involvements! Maybe you'll be our next winner!

Strong summer performance for Ottawa's resale market

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,279 residential properties in August through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® System, compared with 1,200 in August 2014, an increase of 6.6 per cent. The five-year average for August sales is 1,234.

 

“Ottawa Real Estate Board members had a busy August, with units sold coming in higher than the five-year average and a healthy increase from last year’s sales,” says David Oikle, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. “In addition to an increase in units sold, inventory levels of residential and condominium properties dropped by 5.3 per cent since last month, and cumulative days on the market was an average of 89 days.”

August’s sales included 259 in the condominium property class, and 1,020 in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

The average sale price of a residential-class property sold in August in the Ottawa area was $379,946, a decrease of 0.1 per cent over August 2014. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $244,801, a decrease of 7.3 per cent over August 2014. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

“It is important to note that the increase in units sold is for both residential and condominium properties,” says Oikle. “Also, we continue to see an increase in the number of condominium units sold in comparison to 2014, and the year-to-date condominium sales are now close to on par with last year.”

To continue reading visit: 
http://www2.ottawarealestate.org/home/NewsInformation/LatestNewsRelease.aspx

Don't forget visit www.bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs!

We Just Got A MAKEOVER ; )

BIG NEWS!! The Bennett Property Shop Realty is excited to announce our TOTALLY REVAMPED NEW WEBSITE - The Ultimate Website for all your real estate needs whether buying, selling or investing.

Having an in-depth understanding of our clients’ needs and wants is no small feat. But with dedication and an open mind we have designed our new website to suite all your real estate needs!

Visit our new site today! CLICK HERE

The Downsizers Dilemma

by Zoe Van Wyck, Bennett Pros Sales Representative - Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live a simpler life? Although it may require some lifestyle tweaking  to get there, do you realize how attainable it really is? This seems to be the mindset of the majority of Canadians as the flock of baby boomers have been contemplating the low maintenance lifestyle of condo living. With this ongoing trend and new condo’s popping up all over the city, the appeal and possibility is there. However, for a lot of these downsizers, even with this seemingly simple solution at hand, something is blocking the path to making the final decision to move forward and ‘make the change’.
 

 Certainly ‘making the change’ will require some effort to adjust; especially after dealing with the same routine for years and years. The idea of a lifestyle adjustment may present itself as an overwhelming feat requiring a great deal of energy and effort. It may be this notion of change alone that seems to instill in them the most fear. But fear has always been the greatest enemy in our decision making ability, as it does a fantastic job of holding us back.

One of the main factors instilling this sense of fear is the conflict between the desire for zero maintenance versus the sacrifice of ‘space and things’. “Where will I put my 12 Rubbermaid containers of yarn?” one asks, “Where am I going to put those magazines I’ve been accumulating since 1965?”, says another. Well, the response to these concerns is nowhere. And that this is the whole point. The intention of downsizing is just that: downsizing. 
 

Evidently there are adjustments to be made. It is a huge lifestyle change, without a doubt. But when a lifestyle change offers so many benefits, and the ability to alleviate so many of your burdens, why put it off any longer? Why not enjoy that ‘lock and leave lifestyle’ everyone is talking about right now! Don’t spend one more winter shoveling your 4 car driveway, tending to your lawn that never seems to stay green, or paying to air condition all ten rooms in your home…when you use only three of them.
   

While the majority of baby boomers are still in their “contemplation stage” there are many that have benefited from this lifestyle leap already – the downsizing dilemma is on its way out. It’s only a matter of time until this demographic fully accepts and adjusts to this trend and begins to wholeheartedly embrace the change. With Ottawa having the largest baby boomer population per capita, you can be assured that once the acceptance of condo living for downsizers truly hits, and all that fear subsides, there will be a shift in the market. All of those large, family homes will be scattering the market and the competition will be fierce. You don’t want to be caught trying to sell your house in a buyers’ market, especially if you’re nearing retirement. Don’t you want to get top dollar for your home?!
 

Don’t get left behind! Get started now and contact the Bennett Property Shop today! Be a front runner and you will benefit far greater than those who sit back and let their fear affect their future.

You can thank me later.

Visit bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs.

Moving Tips - The Challenges of Moving in Ottawa

Buying a new home in Ottawa is exciting. But, the process of packing up your belongings and moving from one home to another is usually less exciting. Moving can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be.

Real estate professional Marnie Bennett offers some tips on how to make your move to your new home as stress-free as possible.

Pick the Day Wisely

A lot of people choose to move on a weekend, particularly on a Saturday. While a weekend move makes sense, as you'll likely be off from work, it can actually be an inconvenient time to move. A lot of businesses, such as your bank or the post office, are closed on weekends or, if they are open, close early those days. If you have a last minute issue that requires urgent or personal attention, you likely won't be able to get to those businesses during a weekend.

It's also usually less expensive to move on a weekday than on a weekend. If you're using professional movers, they might charge you less to pack up and transport your possessions. If you're renting a van, you might pay a lower flat fee or less per-mile rate on the weekend.

Lists and Labels are Your Friend

If you have ever said "I must have lost it in the move," you have probably learned the hard way that creating a list of your possessions and labeling each box clearly can help you considerably. As you pack the items, record in a notebook or on a spreadsheet what goes into each box. Number the boxes and assign the numbers to each list. It’s also a good idea to write on the outside of the box the room in which the box is to be placed.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Even if you have a small home, you will want to give yourself a few weeks to pack up your items. Start packing items you use infrequently and start three or four weeks before the move. You don't want to leave everything for the day before, as things are likely to get lost or broken if you rush to pack.

Gather Supplies

When you're moving to your new Ottawa home, almost invariably you will need more packing supplies that you thought you would need. It is frustrating to run out of boxes or tape or newspaper (for wrapping fragile items) when you're in the midst of packing up a room. Moving supplies are available at an array of places. If you're on a budget, you can find moving boxes for free by asking politely at a liquor store or a supermarket. People who have recently moved will sometimes offer their boxes for free on Craigslist or other classified websites.

Trimming Your Possessions

Moving gives you a great opportunity to trim your clutter. You probably don't want to pay to haul items you'll likely never use again. As you pack, take the time to purge yourself and your new residence of items you don't need, such as toys your children have outgrown, books you know you won't read again, and broken objects which you will probably never get around to repairing. You can either donate or discard these items. What is really important though is that you don't bring junk into your new Ottawa home and start the clutter all over again.  Some folks simply leave what they don’t want behind – BUT this is neither a considerate, polite nor recommended course of action as how would you like it if someone left your new home filled with their old garbage?

Last Minute Packing

There are some things you will want to hold off on packing. Keep any important documents, such as your passport, closing documents, valuables and any personal papers with you while you move.

Visit www.bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs.

Steps to Take Before Buying a House in Ottawa

The Bennett Property Shop Realty understands that Ottawa home ownership is a big dream and a huge step for many people. Turning this dream into a fact or a reality requires a lot of dedication and effort and anyone who wants to realize it has to both financially and mentally commit to the project because buying a house requires one to spend a lot of time and energy both when hunting for that Ottawa home and afterwards when maintaining and managing it and paying off its mortgage.

Since the vast majority of home-buyers use the services of lenders, this article will assume that the reader will borrow some money to buy their home and explains what actions a buying borrower needs to do to better their borrowing success.

Strengthen Your Credit

The first step towards home ownership is to strengthen your credit. The better your credit, the better (i.e. the lower) the interest rate your will qualify for. Make sure to pay off your credit cards and settle up any credit delinquencies or disputes.   Even if you cannot pay off a card’s entire balance make sure that you pay the stated minimum payment by the due date indicated on your monthly statement.  Also, get a credit report so that you can evaluate it and understand what the lenders will be looking at and basing their lending decision on before you approach a lender for a loan.

Determine What You Can Afford

Figure out how much you can afford for a house and how much you will be able to borrow. Most people taking out loans for home ownership are expected to put down 10% to 20% of the appraised value of a home. For example, if you have $30,000, you can make a down-payment for a home that is worth $300,000 (with a 10% down-payment) or $150,000 (with a 20% down-payment).

You also want to calculate your projected housing expenses. Determine the average annual costs for insurance, natural gas or oil, electricity and real-estate taxes in your area. Add that to the price of the home you want to buy and also add how much you are estimated to pay in closing costs (lawyer fees and land transfer taxes etc.). You can either use an on-line mortgage calculator or make a spreadsheet to calculate the total. If you find that the total is above 28% of your gross annual income, then it is probably not a good time to get a mortgage.

Get Pre-approved

Now you are prepared to seek the actual amount of money that you will need to borrow for your new home. When you do apply to various lenders, submit all of these applications within the span of a two-week period so that your inquiries do not alter your credit report as repeated credit report requests (other than ones that you request for yourself; and obviously each possible lender  will request) have a negative effect upon your credit rating. So that you have a realistic idea of what money you will have and therefore what price range you can afford, make sure to do this before you get in touch with a real estate agent. If you do qualify for a loan, make sure to look at first-time buyers' programs - which usually have lower down-payment requirements. These are sometimes offered by various lenders and/or by various levels of governments.

Start House Shopping

To get a sense of all your options, make sure to check out as many Ottawa homes for sale and open houses and housing styles as possible.  Do not make any rash decisions. In order to help with this process, sign a buyer representation agreement with a well-known local real estate agent, they can then sign you up for the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is an “Alerting” service that helps you search for properties in your desired areas by letting you know when a property becomes available in an area in which you are considering buying.

Also, find a real-estate agent who is knowledgeable about your target area to represent you and work with you in your search process. Make sure to provide him or her with every “must have” or “Must not have” detail of the home you are seeking: such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, the size of the yard, whether you want a garage, the overall layout (bungalow, duplex, town-home, split-level), traffic and population densities, etc.

Scout out the area in which you would like to live by visiting it at different time of the day and week.  Check out its proximity to shopping, schools, public transportation, and other amenities that you want. Also take note of the amount and the speed of vehicular traffic, available parking, noise levels, and business and general activities in the area and whether the neighbourhood is being up-graded by new residents or its overall maintenance is drifting sideways or downwards. Once you have assessed all these factors, then you will be far better informed as to how much and what sort of house or in what neighbourhood you can afford and wish to make an offer to buy.

Visit www.bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs.