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Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

Latest survey says Canadians can anticipate a steadier housing market

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 by Dan Cooper

Real Estate Market - Dan Cooper

Canada’s residential real estate market saw year-over-year growth in the third quarter as fears of a double dip recession or a housing bubble faded, according to the latest Royal LePage House Price Survey. House price appreciation slowed to a more modest five percent in the quarter, which is historically typical of balanced real estate markets. “Most Canadian housing markets cooled in the third quarter. In fact, the year is unfolding much as we predicted, with the unusually active first half of 2010 giving way to slower markets in the later part of the year,” says Phil Soper, President and Chief Executive, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage.

He said that due to low mortgage rates and improved affordability in many regions, the third quarter was slightly stronger than anticipated. “Looking ahead, it is very unlikely that the period from now to year-end can keep pace with the activity levels posted in the overheated market of the final quarter of 2009.” In the third quarter, the average price of a detached bungalow in Canada was up 4.6 percent, compared to a year ago. Over the same period, standard two-storey homes rose 4.4 percent while standard condominiums rose 3.9 percent.

“House price growth now sits just below the long-term annual average of approximately five percent, but once this is adjusted for inflation, which is very low and expected to continue to be that way for some time, appreciation is right on track. Canadian homeowners will be pleased,” said Soper. He explained that from 2007 through early 2010, the Canadian housing market often saw wild swings in housing activity. “We believe much of that volatility has been worked out of the system and that gradual economic improvement, particularly with our employment picture, offset by the dampening effect of a gradual increase in mortgage costs, should bring a steadier housing industry through 2011.”

Here in Oakville and Burlington, although the quantity of home sales transactions fluctuated significantly period to period over the past two years, house prices saw much less change. The Oakville and Burlington areas have often bucked the national trend with house values continuing to appreciate, illustrating that real estate here is a wise investment. A few weeks ago I wrote about the latest statistics from The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board which confirmed that average home prices in Oakville were eight percent higher last month than in September 2009. This just highlights that despite the sluggish sales activity, homes in Oakville are not only maintaining their value, but continue to appreciate even in a recession.

The key to selling your home is to choose an experienced realtor who will market your home effectively. The Dan Cooper Team has built a solid reputation for exemplary customer service, innovative advertising and intimate knowledge about the marketplace. Our dedication to serve our clients has made us the Number 1 Team in Canada for Royal LePage for seven of the past 10 years.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Burlington, Burlington Real Estate, Interest Rates, Milton, Oakville, Oakville Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Selling, Statistics | No Comments »

Latest real estate figures show sales have slowed but prices have increased

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 by Dan Cooper

The number of homes sold continued to drop through September, which was an outcome that was predicted following the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax on July 1 and rising mortgage rates. Compared with sales transactions in September last year, the decrease in sales in the Oakville area last month was significant – 23 percent, according to the latest real estate statistics.

But, interestingly, sales transactions for all three quarters of this year were virtually on pace with the number of sales for the same period last year, proving that the rush to buy a home before the HST came into effect created an anomaly in the marketplace. More importantly, however, average home prices in Oakville were 8 percent higher last month than in September 2009. This just highlights that despite the sluggish sales activity, homes in Oakville are not only maintaining their value, but continue to appreciate even in a recession.

Jeff Mahannah, President of the Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board, has this to say about the coming months: “Housing affordability is an issue for many first-time buyers who are dealing with higher mortgage rates in tandem with the appreciation in home prices, as well as the increase in their household monthly costs brought on by the HST. I don’t believe this represents an imminent threat to the market, I expect that in 2011 we will see a levelling off in home prices combined with increasing household incomes to offset the effect.” “As expected, we are witnessing a period of correction. Prices may have to be adjusted and resales may fall short, but the market will start moving again as we enter 2011,” he explains.

In Hamilton and Burlington, the drop in sales activity was less dramatic, but still transactions were down by 13.5 percent compared with September 2009. “The number of sales we saw in September is pretty much on par with the levels of sales for Septembers over the last eight years, last year excepted,” said Joe Ferrante, President of the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington. “Our year-to-date sales are still ahead of last year’s, although the gap is closing as the year progresses.”

In the Hamilton-Burlington area, the average price of a home increased by 3.4 percent last month over September last year. In the condominium market, the average price in September saw an increase of 1.7 per cent over September 2009. “We continue to have a very good inventory of properties on the market,” Joe explains, adding that it means there continues to be an excellent choice for those looking for a home, either as a residence or investment.

Regardless of the economic climate, the key to selling your home is to choose an experienced realtor who will market your home effectively. Innovative advertising, knowledge about the marketplace, commitment and exemplary service differentiate the Dan Cooper Real Estate Team. The result is that we are achieving accomplishments that illustrate the Dan Cooper difference. We are the Number 1 Team in Canada for Royal LePage, which is a testament to our ability to sell homes fast in the Oakville and Burlington areas. In fact, we have been the Number 1 Team for seven of the past 10 years.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Burlington Real Estate, Buying, Hamilton, Mortgage, Oakville Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Selling, Statistics | No Comments »

A unique marketing strategy and honest approach sell homes

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 by Dan Cooper

There was a time when the only way to show a home to prospective buyers was through the open house. That continues to be an integral part of selling your home since buyers still need to actually explore the home to ensure they are making the right decision.

But virtual tours online have become such a powerful tool to capture the attention of hundreds or even thousands of buyers. I introduced video tours on my unique DanCooperTV.com website a number of years ago and I know they are generating more qualified leads for my clients than ever before. My site receives hundreds of visitors each day and the investment I have made in video production has paid dividends for my clients.

Kevin Flynn is one such client who was pleased with how quickly his house sold even in a slow market. “At the time, the market was down; the economy was struggling, but we sold in a little over a month, which was good. We were pleased with the marketing … we attracted the right people and we were happy with the way it worked out.”

He says the trust he had in the Dan Cooper Team and the marketing efforts we employed gave him a tremendous amount of confidence that his home would be sold. “Selling your home can be traumatic, especially when you have been in your home for as long as we have – more than 25 years. It is difficult to leave the neighbourhood.” The Flynns also faced having to purchase their new home before they sold their existing home. They didn’t want to sell first and end up without a roof over their heads, Kevin explains. “So we had to have confidence in our agents. You don’t get one agent when you hire Dan Cooper – you get a team.”

You can see the full interview with Kevin on DanCooperTV.com, along with many other satisfied clients, such as Shannon Servos, who talks about how impressed she was with our team organization and our accessibility and responsiveness. “They responded quickly, were extremely supportive through what can be a stressful time listing one’s home,” Shannon explains.

Shannon says she later discovered just how successful our approach has been in terms of generating repeat business. “I’ve bumped into people who have just sold their house and they were thrilled … and then I find out that it is their fourth home that Dan has sold. That’s a real testament to an excellent business person – when they thrive in terms of repeat business.” The secret, she says, is the lack of pressure to do things quickly. “Dan is not known for pushing people into a deal they are not particularly comfortable with … and that says a lot.”

Comments like these don’t come by accident. Our honest approach, our hard work and our unique marketing strategies are satisfying customers again and again. And a big part of our success for our clients has been the success of DanCooperTV.com, an innovative concept that brings properties to life and increases your chances to get top dollar – fast.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Burlington Real Estate, Dan Cooper TV, Marketing, Oakville Real Estate, Planning, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Selling, Testimonials | No Comments »

The power of teamwork provides one-stop real estate shopping

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 by Dan Cooper

One of the many benefits I bring to my clients is the convenience of being able to take care of all their needs. My association with professionals from all across the real estate spectrum allows me to assemble a team of experts to handle mortgages, legal matters, home staging, cleaning services and moving services to name a few.

Convenience and trust are important ingredients in reducing the stress of selling your home or purchasing a new home. Real estate is one of your biggest investments and ensuring you receive top dollar, sound advice and service that is professional and courteous are paramount to providing you with peace of mind.

For example, Kathy Wood of Divine Redesign (www.divine-redesign.com) is a very talented stager who can transform your home to potentially add thousands of dollars to its value. First impressions account for so much and Kathy has helped many of my clients stage their homes to make a great first impression. Her secret is her ability to bring a signature warmth, personal approach and use of a variety of innovative materials and furnishings to turn your home into a stunning showcase.

Next to staging, there is nothing more important than a clean, fresh looking home. A coat of paint does wonders, but so does a simple thing like cleaning the carpets. Soiled and worn carpets will leave an odour that is difficult to mask, but a good cleaning will bring the room back to life. Action ChemDry (www.finestcarpetcleaning.ca) has been an important partner in helping the Dan Cooper Team put our clients’ homes in the best possible light.

Getting the best mortgage takes market know-how and a good relationship with various lending institutions. For more than 20 years, Jim Panasiuk of The Mortgage Department Corporation (www.themortgagedepartmentcorp.com) has been serving the financial needs of people in the area; efficiently guiding them through the process and negotiating deals that suit their needs best.

Many of us may have a lawyer in the family, as a friend or know of a lawyer. But are they a real estate lawyer? When dealing with real estate, it is advisable to work with an expert. Bob Rose (www.oakvillerealestatelaw.com) deals exclusively in real estate law and is on the forefront with leading-edge electronic processing, allowing you to take possession as early as possible. He has been a tremendous help in giving our clients peace of mind.

Even if you have an insurance provider, it never hurts to shop around. My association with Joseph Bardaro of the Co-operators (www.cooperators.ca) has been providing clients with expert insurance and financial advice for more than 20 years. His honest, straight-talking guidance has never been more valued than during these past two challenging years.

When it comes to moving, I trust the people at Rawlinson Moving and Storage, an agent of Allied Van Lines, in Mississauga (www.rawlinsonmoving.com). And for peace of mind, it is advisable to hire a home inspector to ensure the home you are purchasing is sound and clear of serious defects. For that, I recommend my clients speak with Lloyd Warr at HouseMaster in Waterdown (www.housemaster.com).

And whether you are buying or selling a home, another option to resale is a custom-built home. I have a working relationship with some of the best builders in the area – PCM, Prince Bay, Markay, Hallmark and HUSH to name a few – and can help you build your dream home. When it comes to designing that dream home, I can help with that as well. One of the area’s favourite architects is Gren Weis who has been a prolific designer in the Oakville area for years.

These are just a few of my preferred partners. For a full list go to www.DanCooper.com. We are not merely in the business of selling homes – we are providing full service packages to ensure all your needs are met in a competent, professional and friendly manner.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Action ChemDry, Bob Rose - Real Estate Lawyer, Burlington Real Estate, Co-operators, Divine Redesign, Gren Weis - Architect, HUSH Homes, Hallmark, HouseMaster, Markay, Oakville Real Estate, PCM, Partners, Prince Bay Luxury Homes, Rawlinson Moving and Storage, Real Estate, The Mortgage Department Corporation | No Comments »

Blame the decline in home sales on the harmonized sales tax

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 by Dan Cooper

As predicted, the pace of home sales slowed in July as consumers adjusted to the new harmonized sales tax. Coupled with the fact that interest rates were rising, the rush to buy homes prior to the HST coming into effect on July 1 resulted in an overheated market in May and June. But this current slowdown in the market is expected to be short lived.

Earlier this month Jeff Mahannah, President of the Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board, said, “Sales transactions are down for July, but overall for the year-to-date we are on par or are observing a slight increase in transactions when compared to 2009. What I anticipate, once the public has time to adjust to the HST and realize that interest rates are still affordable, is an increase in activity in sales transactions in September.” This is what he is talking about. Last month residential sales for Oakville were down by 48 percent compared to July 2009 and the average sale price – $505,999 – decreased by 0.2 percent. However, year-to-date sales were still up by 5 percent and the average sale price was up by 13 percent.

In Burlington, the story is quite similar. “July was certainly a quiet month for sales,” said Joe Ferrante, President of the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington, “but it was not at all unexpected. Despite the slower sales in July, our year-to-date sales are still up 10.7 per cent over this time last year.” The average price of freehold residential properties sold in Hamilton-Burlington in July was $329,317, an increase of 5.5 per cent over July last year. In the condominium market the average price of condominiums in July was $237,304, an increase of 1.6 per cent over July 2009. “We have a good inventory of listings,” Ferrante explains, “which makes Hamilton, Burlington and our outlying areas such a great place to buy real estate right now.”

Whether it is a slow market or an overheated market, each brings particular challenges of their own and the key to making the best deal possible is to work with a broker who has a proven track record and is a consistent top performer – someone who you are confident will be able to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Innovative marketing and investment, knowledge about the marketplace, commitment and exemplary service differentiate the Dan Cooper Real Estate Team. The result is that we are achieving accomplishments that illustrate the Dan Cooper difference. We are the Number 1 team in Canada for Royal LePage, which is a testament to our ability to sell homes fast in the Oakville and Burlington areas. In fact, we have been the Number 1 team for seven of the past ten years. We were also named Best Real Estate Agent and Best Real Estate Team in North Oakville Today’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The Readers’ Choice Awards are as grassroots as you can get, and being named Number 1 for both agent and team are proof that we are having a significant impact right here in our own community.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Burlington Real Estate, Finances, HST, Oakville Real Estate, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Taxes | No Comments »