I’ve heard it many times: “I’m just going to contact the listing agent as I’ll get a better deal on price” and/or “I’ll have a better chance at winning a bidding war when they double-end the transaction.” Is that really the case though? It’s possible, yes, but oftentimes it’s not likely. At the very least, it’s more work for you to manually search listings and to book your own showings with different agents or hope to attend... [read more]

In the seller's market of late, many buyers have resorted to submitting firm offers (those with no conditions) when competing on properties, so that they are more appealing to (and more likely chosen by) the seller. Unfortunately, one of the biggest risks of this is giving up the right to a formal home inspection before firming up the deal. For one thing, they don't truly know in great detail what they are buying, which may include hidden deficiencies. For another, they aren't able... [read more]

At a time when interest rates are at an all-time low, it makes sense to consider investing in a second property if it's something you've ever considered. If you've purchased a home before, you may assume it's basically the same. It's important to know however that different purchasing and financing rules apply to properties intended for different purposes. Below is a good summary of what you need to know in the most common instances. Per: Shannon... [read more]

You may often hear the terms market evaluation, home evaluation, comparative market analysis and appraisal. There are obviously many factors that can affect the value of a property, and different methods of assigning value to a property have some of those factors in common. Here are the two main uses or goals of valuation in real estate and how they differ. APPRAISAL An appraisal is most commonly a formally-documented report that provides a value on a property. It is done by an accredited... [read more]