Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Bank of Canada dates for interest rate announcements

The Bank of Canada posts its dates of announcements for interest rates each year.  It can be useful to know the dates in order to plan or make a decision regarding lending for you and your home. Presently the consensus seems to be that we will see an interest rate hike on July 19/2011 of about a quarter percent.

Additionally most economists see a hike of  3/4 %  -  1%  by the end of 2011.  We can expect to see higher rates of interest for home lending by the end of the year.

Changes in interest rates can also mean higher or lower prices for the housing market or signal the beginning of a new trend in the housing market.

http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/monetary/schedule.html

Sunday, 27 March 2011

You Can Now Sell Your Home Yourself On MLS

It is always important to know all the options available to you before selling your home.  There were significant changes recently to real estate services offered to homeowners which may be of interest. 

Homeowners can now sell their home themselves on the MLS system which would  provide the savings of not paying a realtor between 3-6% commision. If you choose to try to sell by yourself it is vital that you are well educated and know what to expect. There are many things a homeowner needs to know in order to achieve the best selling results. 

Home consultations will provide you with a detailed report that will give you the information you need to know before you sell your home. For example, 2.5% of the sale price is what most realtors receive when they bring a buyer. On a $400,000 sale price that translates to $10,000 + tax.

 • Would you be willing to pay a realtor that fee when selling your house yourself ?

This is one of many questions you must ask yourself before making any decision on how you would like to sell your home. If your answer is no you may be losing some valuable buyers that are working with agents.

 You may decide it is best to list with a realtor and have them offer their full services to you or you may decide to try to sell yourself.  The changes to the MLS system offer more options for homewners who are looking for different ways to sell their property.  Most importantly, be aware of as much information as possible in order to make good sound decisions that maximize results.

Read the article below from the Toronto Star for more information on this topic.

http://www.moneyville.ca/article/958059--is-selling-your-home-by-yourself-a-good-idea