1. real estate
2. buying and selling homes

Kanata – Because your home may well be your
largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most
important decisions you will make in your life. And
once you have made that decision you will want to
sell your home for the highest price in the shortest
time possible without compromising your sanity.
Before you place your home on the market, here’s
a way to help you be as prepared as possible.
To assist home sellers, a new industry report
has just been released called “27 Valuable Tips
That You Should Know to Get Your Home
Sold Fast and for Top Dollar.” It tackles the
important issues you need to know to make your
home competitive in today’s tough, aggressive
marketplace.
Through these 27 tips you will discover how
to protect and capitalize on your most important
investment, reduce stress, be in control of your
situation, and make the most profit possible.
In this report you will discover how to avoid
financial disappointment or, worse, a financial
disaster when selling your home. Using a commonsense approach, you get the straight facts about
what can make or break the sale of your home.
You owe it to yourself to learn how these
important tips will give you the competitive edge
to get your home sold fast and for the most
amount of money.
To order your free report visit
www.27easysellingtips.info, or to find out how
to order your FREE copy of the report, call
613-233-8606. Get your free special report
NOW to find out how to get the most money
for your home. n
inside this issue
february 2014
condo
bubble
myth
setting
your home
price
moving
tips
beach
getaways
page 3
page 7
page 4
travel
page 8
How to Sell Your Kanata Home
for More!
S
o you’re ready to put your home
on the market. Or at least you
think you are. Whether you live
in Glen Cairn, Beaverbrook,
Morgan’s Grant or Kanata Lakes, the goal
is to end up with more money at closing,
and increase your net return, which is the
selling price of your home less debt and
costs. Investing large amounts of money on
improvements and marketing might get you
a higher selling price but it may not increase
your net return. Here are a few tips that can
help you get the selling price you want, without spending big bucks getting there.
Get Professional Help
While you may not be able to change
the location of your Kanata home, you can
certainly boost your chances for a higher
selling price with the advice and services of
a professional real estate agent. A real estate
agent can do much more than just market
your home online, in publications and on
fliers. They don’t just simply stick a sign in
your yard and call it a day. A good real estate
agent will come into your home and help you
assess what changes and repairs can be made
to maximize your net return. They know
the market, know your neighbourhood, and
know what homes have been selling for, and
how long they were on the market.
Prepare
Imagine yourself walking into your home
for the first time. Is your best foot forward?
Is it clean, clutter-free and freshly painted?
You only get one chance to make a first
impression so you’ll want to have everything
done before your first showing.
Curb Appeal
How does your house look from the
street? Is your driveway cracked? Is the lawn
neatly mowed, raked and edged and are the
shrubs pruned and shaped? Plant seasonal
flowers along the walks and in the planting
areas and mulch around shrubs and trees.
Make sure the door and trim are clean and
Tip: The kitchen is
the heart of the home.
It is the room that prospects will likely stop in
and talk during a home
tour. Clear all clutter
from kitchen counters.
Remove
everything,
even small appliances, to
maximize the appearance
of work space.
Examine Flooring
Clean or replace badly
stained carpeting. If
replacing, buy inexpensive, neutral-coloured
carpeting. Also use
freshly painted.
this opportunity to screw down loose and
squeaky sub-flooring. Replacing old linoleum
De-Clutter
Want to make your home look bigger? and refinishing wood floors will give your
Remove everything that you can temporar- house that “new” feeling.
ily live without. Put it into storage, donate
it to charity, or sell or give it away. This Paint Anything that Needs It
Cosmetic improvements will bring a
will neutralize the personality of your home
and allows the prospective buyer to more greater return than mechanical improveeasily imagine their own items in the house. ments. Be sure to use neutral colours and do
Remember, buyers will look in closets and a good job. A sloppy paint job is worse than
cabinets so make them appear larger by no painting at all. Basement walls, doors,
metal railings and trim are areas to consider.
emptying them.
Improve Safety
Clean, Clean, Clean
Along with cleaning your gutters, you
Few things increase marketability as
much as cleaning. Here is a list of things to should correct any hazards in the sidewalk,
add lighting where necessary, check hand
consider:
rails on staircases and cover exposed electric
boxes. Also, make sure to store harmful
• Steam clean carpeting.
• Clean windows and storms inside chemicals out of children’s reach.
and out.
These are just a few ideas to help you get
• Scrub bathrooms, and keep them
started, but conversing with your real estate
spotless.
agent will give you a more personalized list of
• Degrease the oven.
• Clean the water heater, furnace, and any- the things you should take care of in order to
thing else prospects will be paying extra get the most money for your Kanata home.
If you would like to make an appointment to
attention to.
• Power wash your siding and deck if speak with a real estate professional, please
needed.
contact Marnie Bennett at 613-233-8606. n
7 Things You Must Know Before Putting
Your Kanata Home on the Market
Kanata – A new report has just
been released which reveals seven costly
mistakes that most homeowners make
when selling their home and a 9-Step
System that can help you sell your
home fast and for the most amount
of money. This industry report shows
clearly how the traditional ways of
selling homes have become increasingly
less and less effective in today’s market.
The fact of the matter is that fully
three-quarters of home sellers don’t
get what they want for their homes
and become disillusioned and, worse,
financially disadvantaged when they put
their homes on the market.
As this report uncovers, most home
sellers make seven deadly mistakes
that cost them literally thousands of
dollars. The good news is that each
and every one of these mistakes is
entirely preventable. In answer to this
issue, industry insiders have prepared a
free special report entitled: “The 9-Step
System to Getting Your Home Sold
Fast and for Top Dollar.”
To order a FREE Special Report,
visit www.7sellermustknows.info, or
to find out how to order your FREE
copy of this report, call 613-233-8606.
Get your free special report NOW to
find out how you can get the most
money for your home. n
DP# 12396
27 Quick and Easy
Fix-Ups to Sell
Your Home Fast
and for Top Dollar
real estate
How Much Home
Can You Afford?
B
uying a house is
a major decision.
There are many small
and important details
that come into consideration, but before you
even begin shopping for
a home, it’s important
to know how much you
can afford to spend on
homeownership.
A simple rule can help
you to figure out how
much you can realistically pay for a home.
Calculating your Gross
Debt Service (GDS)
Ratio will establish how
much you can afford
and whether you are
qualified to get a mortgage loan.
GDS is the percentage of gross
annual income required to cover
payments associated with housing.
These payments include mortgage
principal, mortgage interest, heating, property taxes, home mainte-
AVOID
6 Costly Errors
When Moving to
a Larger Home.
FREE Report
Tells You How.
Call toll-free to
find out how to order
your FREE report:
613-233-8606
nance and renovation as required.
This is known as PITH for short
— Principal, Interest, Taxes and
Heating.
To calculate your GDS Ratio
and find out how much house you
can afford, you just need to multiply your gross monthly income by
0.32. The result will represent the
maximum monthly housing payment that you can afford.
If you are thinking of buying a
condominium, PITH also includes
half of the monthly condominium
fees.
or visit:
moveuperrors.info
Home imProVement
4 Easy-Living, Universal
Design Tips for Any Home
by John Riha
O
ne of the basic principles
of universal design (UD),
also called ageless design,
is that it makes homes more
practical and safer for everyone—
not just the elderly or people with
limited mobility.
These days, universal design
(UD) features are an everyday fact
of life for many households, with
architects and other professional
designers adding universal design
ideas as a matter of course.
You don’t have to be a pro
designer to incorporate this smart
thinking into your own home. If
you’re remodeling or simply adding
a few upgrades, be sure to keep
universal design features in mind.
There are lots of resources that’ll
give you some great starting points.
As we remodel our 1972 ranchstyle house (we’re on the multi-year,
budget-as-you-go plan), my wife
and I have incorporated several
low-cost, easy-to-do UD features. A
few of our favourites:
Makes sense for folks with
arthritis, of course, but think
about an emergency situation when
everyone, including small kids,
needs to exit fast: A lever handle is a
safe, foolproof way to open a door.
In fact, Vancouver has now
banned the use of door “knobs”
and now requires levers in new
construction and renovations.
A big plus: Levers are goodlooking and can contribute to the
value of your home. A standard
interior passage door lever in a satin
nickel finish costs about $20; you’ll
pay $25 to $30 for a lockable lever set
for your bath or bedroom. Replacing
door hardware is an easy DIY job.
2. replace toggle light switches
with rocker-style switches. Rocker
switches feature a big on/off plate
that you can operate with a finger,
a knuckle, or even your elbow when
you’re laden with bags of groceries.
Rocker switches are sleek and
good-looking, too. Ever notice how
conventional toggle switches get dirt
and grime embedded in them after a
couple of years? No more! You’ll pay
1. switch out doorknobs for $2 for a single-pole rocker switch, up
lever-style handles. Doorknobs to $10 for multiple switch sets.
require lots of dexterity and torque
3. anti-scald devices for your
to open; with levers you simply
bathroom prevent water from
press and go.
2
Lever-style door handles are
easier to use than knobs, and they
can even contribute to the value of
your home.
reaching unsafe temperatures. An
anti-scald shower head ($15) reduces
water flow to a trickle if the water gets
too hot. An anti-scald faucet device
($40) replaces your faucet aerator and
also reduces hot water flow.
Anti-scald valves—also known
as pressure-balancing valves—
prevent changes in water pressure
from creating sudden bursts of hot
or cold water. An anti-scald valve
($100) installs on plumbing pipes
inside your walls. If you don’t have motion, it turns on the light.
DIY skills, you’ll pay a plumber
They’re great for 2 a.m. snacking,
$100 to $200 for installation.
or if your young kids are at that age
when they migrate into your bed in
4. motion sensor light controls the middle of the night. The lights
add light when you need it. They turn off after about 10 minutes if
come in a variety of styles and no more motion is detected. n
simple technologies. I like the plug- Visit HouseLogic.com for more
in sensors ($10 to $15). You simply articles like this. Reprinted from
stick them into existing receptacles, HouseLogic.com with permission of
then plug your table or floor lamps the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
into them. When the sensor detects OF REALTORS®.
Home smarts
Don’t Buy the Doom and Gloom:
New Reports Challenge the
Myth of the Condo Bubble
by Marnie Bennett
Y
ou may be familiar with this gem
from the great American humourist
Mark Twain: “The reports of my
death have been greatly exaggerated.”
I can’t imagine a more suitable quote
to sum up recent media coverage of the
Canadian condo market. Story after story
perpetuates the negative message that the
market can’t be sustained.
Frankly, these pieces are grossly distorting
the facts, and misleading the public in the
process.
To help set the record straight, I wanted
to share the gist of the CMHC’s 2013 annual
report. Spoiler alert: it’s good news.
The condo market has certainly grown
quickly. Between 1981 and 2011, the growth
rate for owner-occupied condos in Canada
outstripped that of other homes by over
nine times. By 2011, we had a total of
1,615,000 occupied condos, with most new
construction occurring in urban centres.
While past numbers are solid, how can we
be sure the trend will hold?
Let’s consider who’s buying condos.
Quick answer: all kinds of people. To distill
the numbers: in 2011, 29 per cent of condo
owners were seniors, while nearly one-fifth
were under 35. Close to half of condo
owner-occupiers lived alone, while over a
quarter were couples without children.
Are these demographic groups likely
to grow? Fascinatingly, CMHC found that
people living alone – let’s call them solo
dwellers – are expected to become the most
common household type by the 2020s. In
another growing trend, couples with children
account for fewer households than ever.
For many seniors, young singles and urban
couples, condos’ affordability, security and
worry-free lifestyle makes them a natural
choice. (At the same time, in large urban
centres, more growing families are turning to
condo living, à la Manhattan.)
But what about all those empty high-rise
suites we keep hearing about? Let’s add some
perspective. According to a December report
released by BMO Capital Markets senior
economist Sal Guatieri, “The number of
newly built, unoccupied condos is not high
when normalized for population growth.”
CMHC points out that current condo
construction rates are in keeping with rising
numbers of one-member households,
immigration and a general shift towards
more compact dwellings. In other words, the
condo market is progressing in response to
consumer trends.
Where condominiums are concerned,
Ottawa is still in its infancy. With such
tremendous potential for growth, purchasing
a condo in this city is still among the best
investments around.
To receive a FREE copy of a new
special report titled “Homebuyers: How
to Save Thousands of Dollars When You
Buy” email [email protected] n
Marnie Bennett is a broker and the marketing
director for Bennett Property Shop Realty, a full
premium service real estate brokerage specializing in marketing and selling new and resale
homes, condominiums and investment real
estate. Marnie is the host of the weekly radio
show the “Real Estate Hour,” a millionaire
real estate investor and a wealth management
coach.
on the homefront
Canada’s Market Drawing the
Big Money Crowd
by Susan Pigg
Sotheby’s International Realty
is seeing a surge in demand from
wealthy Syrians, Egyptians and
Europeans looking for a safe and
relatively stable place to park their
millions—and Canada is one of
their money’s primary destinations.
There has been an up-tick in
“very significant transactions” in
tony areas like Oakville and North
Toronto by Europeans, many with
young families who originally had
planned to settle in the U.S. but
fell in love with Canada instead,
says Sotheby’s Canada CEO Ross
McCredie.
At the same time, Montreal’s
exclusive Westmount area has
become top of the real estate wish
list for high-net worth Syrians and
Egyptians looking for a safe haven
for their money and families, he
added.
Increasingly, many of these
deals—especially those over $10
million—aren’t even showing up
in MLS sales tallies because of buy-
ers seeking the privacy afforded by
private or exclusive deals, or finalized under the cloak of a corporate
purchase, McCredie noted.
“The lack of inventory is a big
problem in the high-end market,”
so agents are having to find their
own properties rather than look to
the MLS system, said Andy Taylor
of Sotheby’s Toronto office, which
has done more international business in the last 18 months than in
the last six years.
“What we are seeing is very
wealthy high-net worth individuals
who see the Canadian real estate
market as undervalued in their
world, in terms of what else they
are looking at and what else they
own,” added McCredie.
“They see this as a stable country. They love our currency. And
they see cities that have changed
dramatically in the last 20 years
and are much more appealing to an
international buyer.”
In a bid to better understand
who is buying, why and where, the
high-end realty company—which
just launched into the Canadian
market eight years ago—undertook
a survey of its top agents in over a
dozen key cities and produced what
it calls its first Top Tier Trends
Report.
While there has been a softening in demand for homes over $2
million, especially in Vancouver
and Toronto, since housing sales
began their double-digit slump last
summer, Canada remains firmly
fixed on the radar for the growing
number of millionaires and billionaires from Shanghai to Sydney,
notes the report released January
16, 2014.
Wealthy Canadians, of course,
remain the dominant players in
this niche market, but in Toronto,
Vancouver and Montreal they’ve
been facing more competition, particularly in the last five years, from
would-be Chinese, Russian, British
and American buyers, it says.
Sotheby’s has seen heightened
interest from Europeans, largely in
Toronto real estate, since the euro
crisis, says McCredie, adding that
about 25 per cent of its luxury sales
in the Toronto area are to foreigners from the U.S., China, Russia,
the Middle East and India.
Its percentage of foreign buyers is
closer to 40 per cent in Vancouver
and 50 per cent in Montreal, notes
the report, according to Sotheby’s
agents surveyed for the study.
Most are looking for iconic, spacious homes with very high-end
finishes, but others are willing to
pay what it takes just to get a great
location—even if it means pumping millions more into the place in
renovations, said McCredie.
Just six weeks ago, Sotheby’s
recorded a record $4 million sale—
the highest price ever paid for a
semi-detached house in Toronto.
The 4,000-square-foot semi is in
Yorkville. Although the eventual
buyer was local, but 30 per cent of
those looking at the well-appointed
home were international buyers,
said Taylor.n
©2014 Distributed by Toronto
Star Newspapers Limited
Publisher
Marnie Bennett
Bennett Proper ty
Shop Realty,
Brokerage
190 Lisgar Street,
Ottawa, ON K2P 0C4
Office: 613-233-8606
[email protected]
www.bennettpros.com
6797 N. High Street, Suite 213
Worthington, Ohio 43085
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3
seller’s corner
Think Twice
by Jamie Smith Hopkins
I
f you want to get the best price for your
home, should you:
A. Ask for more than you think it’s worth?
B. Ask for exactly what you think it’s
worth?
C. Ask for less and count on a bidding war
to push you over the top?
A 2013 study in the Journal of Economic
Behaviour & Organization this year argues that
the answer—despite what you’ve probably
heard—is A: overprice. Underpricing doesn’t
work for the average seller, the authors say.
They suggest that pricing high pays off in
an extremely modest way, a boost of about
$100 to $200 on average over similar homes.
Underpricing in the hope of setting off a
bidding war, the study says, nets average
sellers a bit less than they otherwise would
have received.
Whether overpricing is a smart strategy—
as opposed to right-on-the-nose pricing—
might depend on how quickly you want to
sell.
U.S. Sales figures show a strong connection
between how long a home sits on the market
and how much the seller has to drop the
asking price.
The speediest deals in the region’s housing
market in the past decade—through bubble,
bust, and aftermath—sold for what the
owner originally asked for, on average. After
10 days on the market, the average sales
price compared with the asking price started
dropping—and kept dropping as time went
on.
This year, for instance, homeowners who
sold after 30 days but within 60 days knocked
an average of 7 percent off their original
asking price, the company said. The average
sellers whose homes sat for six months to
a year accepted 13 percent less than they’d
originally asked for.
Chris Benedetti watched his next-door
neighbours wait a couple of months to sell
this year and drop their asking price several
times. He didn’t want his rowhouse to sit
around, particularly since he’d bought a new
place. So he took his agent’s advice to ask for
$275,000, close to the neighbours’ sale price.
Result: He got two offers within a week
and a half, gave the would-be buyers a chance
to modify their bids, and ended up with a
4
contract for $500 more than his asking price.
He’s scheduled to close on the deal shortly.
“The whole story, I think, is the fact that
we priced it at a point where it was attractive,”
he said. “If we were living there and weren’t
in a hurry to sell, then if it took six months, it
wouldn’t matter. But when you’re paying the
double mortgages, the quicker, the better.”
The market statistics showing that price
drops increase the longer a home sits on
the market make sense to Pat Hiban, a
U.S. realtor. He became so frustrated with
unrealistically high asking prices during the
housing-bust years—when he saw sellers
ultimately getting less than they could have
received because values fell as they languished
on the market—that he set up a blog to talk
about the downturn.
“The more you try to stretch it in the
beginning, the longer you’re going to be on
the market, and the more you’re going to end
Before Setting
Asking Price
up dropping it,” he said.
What’s harder to measure is whether
sellers are always better off if they set a price
that attracts an immediate offer or offers.
Could they have done better if they went
higher and waited?
The downside to data showing how
asking prices fall the longer a home sits on
the market is that you can’t know for certain
the cause. Did it take months to get a deal
because the original asking price was too
high, or did the seller drop a reasonable price
because he got tired of waiting? Or was
something else at work?
“You can’t run experiments in the housing
market,” Julia Minson, Assistant Professor at
Harvard said. “Basically, what you want to
do is have the same house be underpriced or
overpriced and see what happens.”
She and a colleague did what struck them
as the next best thing: analyzing thousands of
Chris Benedetti at his former home.
He priced it to sell quickly and it did.
single-family home sales between 2005 and
2009, catching some of the housing bubble
and bust. They looked at the characteristics
of each home to try to determine whether it
was underpriced or overpriced.
According to their study, an asking price
of 10 percent to 20 percent more than other
properties in the neighbourhood equaled a
sales-price bump of $117 to $163 for the
average home. Overpricing by more than
20 percent produced added gains, though
modest ones, they said. That’s for homes that
took an average amount of time to sell.
Underpricing takes an equally modest
amount of money away from average sellers,
Minson said.
She knows this goes against what
many homeowners have heard from real
estate agents and others in the industry.
But “psychologically, it’s not a very
counterintuitive story,” she said. Buyers are
subconsciously taking a cue from the asking
price. “We just assume that expensive things
are nicer,” she said.
Jonathan Hill doesn’t know whether
Minson’s findings would hold true in all
markets, given that the bubble and bust hit
some areas differently from the regions she
analysedd.
Hill, president of RealEstate Business
Intelligence, the data arm of the region’s
multiple-listing service, also doubts that
sellers can “trick the market.”
“You’re just going to sit on the market
until you come down to where the market
is,” he said.
Patrick Newport, an economist with
market-information firm IHS, sides with the
study authors—especially given the state of
housing markets in much of the country
today.
“In most places, I think market conditions
are strong enough that … it just seems a
sensible strategy to shoot high and then lower
the price if the home just doesn’t sell,” he
said. n
© 2014 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune
Information Services
BuYer’s corner
REAL ESTATE
Home Inspection:
Homebuyers’
Attention Caught by
Fixer-Uppers
by Mark Weisleder
did not work so the windows
would not open.
There was a large stain
under the bed in the master
bedroom, which resulted in
the buyer having to replace the
entire bedroom broadloom.
There were 50 cracked tiles
around the bathtub and on
the bathroom floor that were
concealed by a combination of
a rug on the floor, a vase and a
stack of towels.
According to the buyers,
even though these were minor
defects, they were actively
concealed by the sellers.
According to the sellers,
they did not say anything
untruthful and did not conceal
anything. They permitted the
buyers as long as they needed
to inspect their home before
putting in an offer. They did
not have a dishwasher so it
was not unusual for dishes to
be piled up in the sink.
The dog slept under the
bed and must have had some
accidents that they were not
aware of. They tried to remove
the stain when they moved out
and noticed it for the first time
but were not able to get the
stain out.
The case was decided on
June 30, 2010. Justice Lynne
Leitch noted that the sellers
were long-standing members
of the community, who had
family in the area and were
not trying to move away and
unload a home with problems.
She accepted the sellers’ explanations and denied the buyers
any damages.
As to the readers who discovered the cracks in the mirrored closet door or under the
coffee machine on the kitchen
counter, in my opinion they
would probably lose their
cases as well.
The lesson is that buyers
must be very careful to do their
own due diligence when visiting a property, before making
any offer. This includes testing
all windows, looking behind
pictures, under rugs and lifting
anything off the counters.
Test the appliances, electrical outlets and faucets as
well. Being prepared before
you make an offer will prevent unwanted surprises after
closing. n
Buyers must be very careful
to check for minor defects in
a home by themselves, as they
may not be protected if they
find out about it later.
One reader complained that
after closing, they learned that
one of the mirrored closet
doors was cracked. When they
had first inspected the home,
the closet doors were open,
such that the cracked one
was behind one that was not
cracked. The buyer says that
they were fooled by the seller.
Another reader complained
that they did not want to disturb anything on the kitchen
counter when they visited the
home, only to find after closing a crack in the countertop
under the spot where the coffeemaker was sitting.
This highlights the legal
subject of patent or obvious
defects. The general principle is that a seller does not
have the obligation to disclose
defects that are visible to any
buyer. However, a seller cannot try to conceal obvious
defects either. The following
case demonstrates that this is
not always easy to figure out:
Randall and Catharine Reiss
bought a home from Dr. Emil
and Maria Grigore in West
Lorne, Ontario in January
2005. The sellers had been in
the home 14 years.
The buyers had two opportunities to visit the home
before making the offer. The
second visit took at least two
hours. As Mr. Reiss was an
electrician, he did not bother
with a home inspection. He
had asked the sellers whether
they had experienced problems with the air conditioning,
furnace or plumbing systems
and the answer was no.
He asked whether all the
windows opened and the
answer was yes. He only tested
one of the windows himself.
He also checked under many
of the rugs in the home.
After closing the buyers discovered numerous problems
with the home and sued. Some
of the complaints were as follows:
There was soapy water and
dishes in the kitchen sink at
the time of the visits. After
closing the buyers noticed that ©2014 Distributed by
the entire sink was rusted and Toronto Star Newspapers
had to be replaced.
Limited
Some of the window cranks
by Alison Burdo
When first-time home buyers
Meghan Starr and Andrew Boerckel
told their real estate agent that they were
interested only in fixer-uppers, Amanda
Turske was skeptical.
Typically, clients buying their first
houses these days want move-in-ready
properties, said Turske, who gets about
half her business from first-timers.
“Meghan was my first home buyer that
wanted something that was a complete
fixer-upper,” she said.
But Starr, a 28-year-old school
psychologist, and her boyfriend,
32, recognized the potential in the
approximately
1,080-square-foot
“grandmom home,” which had woodpanelled walls and orange shag carpeting
in the master bedroom. “Don’t look
at the present-day picture,” Starr said.
“Visualize what it can be.”
Visualization didn’t come quite as
easily for 29-year-old Alexander Zola.
When he and his wife, Stephanie, 30,
began house-hunting in January, they
wanted a turnkey property, Zola said.
But finding a house that required no
renovations and met their criteria—1,400
square feet, three bedrooms, two
bathrooms, and some outdoor space—
pushed prices $170,000 higher than the
couple originally intended to spend.
“I’m not going to find a wonderful
100-year-old house that is completely
modern but still has a touch of
character within my price range,” Zola
said. “So the only other option is to do
it yourself.”
The area where they searched is
historically known as an Italian enclave,
an influence sometimes reflected
indoors.
At one house, the decor included
colonnades, shag carpeting and thick
wallpaper, Zola said. “It was like you
were transported to Tuscany,” he said.
“We couldn’t imagine ourselves in it.”
But after visiting more than 30
properties, the couple reconsidered the
four-bedroom, three-story house. “It
had the bones we were looking for,”
Zola said. “And it had character; it was
just hidden.”
They closed on the house in May
and, after spending about $45,000
to renovate, moved in July, he said.
They converted the third floor into a
master suite, replaced drop ceilings,
removed wallpaper, installed hardwood
floors, and opened up the first floor by
knocking down a few walls, Zola said.
Since Starr and Boerckel moved into
their new house in August, they have
torn down walls to expose the brick,
ripped up rugs to expose the hardwood
floors, and begun turning the middle of
the three bedrooms into a walk-in closet.
They expect to spend about
$15,000 on renovations by doing
the work themselves, which presents
other challenges. “We are living in a
construction zone,” Starr said.
Lauren Acker Kratz, an associate
agent, warns interested buyers to
consider the timing of the remodeling
before taking on fixer-uppers. “Are
you going to be able to live through
rehabs?” she asked. “How much time
can you allow?”
Acker Kratz also urges buyers to get
estimates on desired upgrades, so the
renovations don’t push typically cheaper
fixer-upper homes beyond their budget
constraints. n
© 2014 Distributed by McClatchyTribune Information Services
Alexander and Stephanie Zola replaced carpets with
hardwood floors in their new home.
The master bedroom of the remodeled home of Alex and Stephanie Zola
has brand new hardwood flooring; they doubled the bathroom in size
and added two closets.
When Alex and Stephanie Zola remodeled their home, they decided
to strip part of the wall to its natural brick foundation.
5
home design
Start with Your Closet
by Dean Large, D.I.D.
Y
ou’re sitting at your computer,
looking at image after image and
nothing is catching your eye. One
minute you think you’ve nailed it down, but
then something else seems better. Finally
you just give up and put it off for another
year…
Tackling a renovation to your home is
a major commitment; you’re deciding to
invest tens of thousands of dollars into your
dream home. You want to make sure that the
decisions you make are the right ones, that
they will be both profitable and pleasurable.
Instead of going in blind and diving in too
deep, here are a few tips that will make the
process that much less daunting.
Assess Your Style
Start with your closet, look at the colours
and textures you decide to cover yourself with
each and every day. The way you choose to
represent yourself to the world is a major hint
as to what you are most comfortable with. If
you notice that each day you are putting on a
strict, tailored uniform of dark denim, a white
shirt and a black blazer, it is safe to say that
you’re not going to be at one with a room that
is frivolous, colourful and whimsical.
Something similar to this contemporary
bathroom could be appealing to the persona
mentioned above. It is functional, yet classic
and sleek, which in most cases fits their style.
Consider how you plan to use the space.
A family of 5 in a kitchen full of fragile
materials such as marble would be a terrible
pairing.
Do not forget to use online resources
like Houzz and Pinterest. These are fantastic
fountains of ideas, not to mention free. You
can enter in the most out of the box concept
and something will come up to assist you
with your vision. Once you’ve developed a
concept of what you would like, it is time to
it is beautiful. Sometimes the dream of a can help you with this, as they have years but it needn’t be. Simply step back and
meet with the professional.
big prep-island just isn’t feasible given the of experience working in the kitchen and evaluate what is a priority. Consider your
Style Guide
Working with a designer is a phenomenal
way to ensure that you will get a well
thought out space that is as functional as
6
space, but a designer can help you determine bath industry. Your designer can help you style, and how you live. Make sure to
that. It is best to seek out the experts in realize what is feasible with your space, your contact an experienced professional. And
each field of home renovations. Any of
the five designers at Astro Design Centre
budget, and your wish list.
most importantly keep in mind that the end
A renovation can be a frightening task, result will be worth it!
n
Home sPace
Moving Day:
by Kathryn Weber
Moving isn’t the end of the world
but it can certainly feel like it. It’s
stressful, frustrating, and downright
exhausting. In fact, moving is among
the top 20 life stressors that include
getting married or being fired. But
armed with some simple tips, you can
make it through unscathed.
TIPS TO SMOOTH THE WAY:
1. Pack one room at a time. You
may want to pack all your pictures
at once, but it’s better to pick a
single room and pack everything in
it. Going room by room, you’ll feel
more productive and less scattered.
2. get the right materials. The
boxes, tape, and markers you
choose matter. Stock up on fresh
new wide markers to label boxes,
double the supply of tape you
think you’ll need, and live by the
mantra that you can never have too
many boxes.
3. thin tape works best. When it
comes to sealing boxes securely,
thin brown tape is the best. If you
can’t find it at your local home
centre, go to a moving company;
many sell supplies and have the
right tape for the job. Thick tape
will come off of boxes and won’t
seal tightly.
4. Pack early and often. Prepacking
makes moving day go faster.
Another option? Have one or more
large rental storage boxes delivered
to your house. Once you’ve packed
them, the company will deliver
them to your new home.
5. cheap isn’t always cheaper.
Sometimes a self-move becomes
more expensive in the long run,
based on the amount of time and
energy you expend. Don’t overlook
full service movers and be sure
to get quotes from three or more
before you make your choice (and
10 Ways to Take the
Stress Out of Packing
let each company know you’re
taking competitive bids).
6. use specialty boxes. They make all
the difference for packing mirrors,
china, glasses, and wardrobes.
Specialty boxes can be purchased
online from moving companies or
from box suppliers such as uline.
com.
7. avoid using those old newspapers
in the garage for cushioning.
Box companies and online moving
companies often have better buys
on newsprint than movers or home
centres. Or buy roll ends from your
local newspaper; some can be had
for just a few dollars and have 10
or more pounds of paper left on
them.
8. create a “first day” box. Each
person and room should have a
first day box that includes toiletries
and other items needed on the first
day you move to a new home. Be
sure to include plastic cups, paper
towels, coffee, coffeemaker, and
toilet paper. Label each box “first
day.”
9. should you move your packed
refrigerator and freezer? Sure. If
your new home is only a short
distance away, ask your mover to
consider this. Many will if you
remove all glass bottles first and
strap the doors.
10. get a good tape gun. Tape guns
make packing go much faster.
Many of the tape guns I tested
from my local home centre and
office supply store were unwieldy
and wouldn’t apply tape correctly.
The tape gun from U-Haul worked
best and was a good value at about
$10. It was also easy to find because
of the orange colour—something
you’ll value when you go hunting
for it! n
© 2014 Distributed by
Tribune Media Services
Moving is stressful, but packing early, using the right materials, helps things go smoother.
7
traVel
SEVEN BEACH
RESORTS THAT ARE
affordable
&
awesome
that. Prepare yourself for some
shockingly good deals.
by Kelsey Blodget,
www.Oyster.com
M
ost of us have to stick to
a budget when we plan a
vacation, and we know
that considering a hotel’s value is
just as important as considering
its rooms and features. It’s hard to
enjoy a nice resort when you feel
like you’ve been ripped off, and it’s
hard to enjoy a cheap resort when
you feel like a few extra bucks could
have bought you a significantly
better trip. For a hotel to be a great
value, in our view, it’s got to offer
the best of both worlds: It’s got
to be a resort that’s cheaper than
the competition but still objectively
pretty great. So we scoured some
of our favourite beach destinations
to find seven resorts offering just
KAUAI BEACH RESORT, KAUAI
This private, quiet property
has large rooms, gorgeous sunrises
over a rugged beach, a water slide
and sand-bottom pool, and a
romantic bar with live music. It’s
a good choice for a quiet, relaxed
stay. There may be more to do at
the Kauai Marriott, but rates are
typically better here.
AQUA WELLNESS RESORT,
NICARAGUA
The beaches in Nicaragua are
just as beautiful as those in Costa
Rica, its neighbour to the south,
but you’ll pay significantly less for
your slice of paradise here. The
charmingly rustic Aqua Wellness
Resort is one of the top luxury
options in the country, but you’d
hardly know it from the rates
this winter, which start at around
$160 a night. The resort has ecofriendly design, lush vegetation
(expect to spot wildlife such as
howler monkeys and iguanas), and
rooms adorned with lots of natural
wood; some units include plunge
pools and stunning ocean views.
The white-sand beach is secluded
and beautiful, the restaurant serves
simple but tasty local dishes, and
group yoga classes on the oceanview wooden platform are free.
JAKE’S, JAMAICA
With just 30 hippy-chic cottages
in secluded Treasure Beach, Jake’s
is a member of Bespoke Hotels,
a trendy, luxury hotel group—but
rates this winter are under $200/
night. Guests come to unplug—
there’s no phone, Internet or TV
in the cottages. The black-sand
beaches aren’t Jamaica’s most
impressive, but the Driftwood Spa,
on-site painting and yoga classes,
and excellent food make this a
particular favourite.
SANDS AT GRACE BAY,
TURKS AND CAICOS
Located at the centre of Grace
Bay, the 114-room Sands at Grace
Bay offers solid, if not spectacular,
amenities—a fitness centre, a
nice restaurant, two pools, and
a long stretch of oceanfront—at
attractive rates. While its pools
and lush grounds aren’t quite
as impressive as those at pricier
resorts, you’ll be hard-pressed to
find a better value, especially when
factoring in the generous size of
the rooms, almost all of which
feature furnished balconies.
HOTEL LA MARIPOSA, COSTA
RICA
Hotel La Mariposa is one of
the best deals in pricey Manuel
Antonio, Costa Rica. Perched
high above the Pacific Ocean,
the highlight of the 60-room
La Mariposa is the breathtaking
coastal views from the restaurant,
pool deck, and guest rooms. We’re
not sure you can find a hotel
with better views anywhere in this
price range. A beautifully designed
(if small) pool and a warm staff
add to the appeal. Rooms are
nothing special and the restaurant
is mediocre, but guests don’t seem
to mind at all.
HOTEL B COZUMEL, MEXICO
Hotel B has everything a hotel
needs to draw a young, hip crowd:
a loungey beach, spacious rooms
with great amenities, a gorgeous
infinity-edge pool, a hopping
bar with great mojitos, and yoga
classes several times a week.
Everything here is trendy, but
that doesn’t come at the cost of
sustainability, social responsibility,
or local culture—the property
is decorated top to bottom with
traditional Mexican touches with
a contemporary twist and crafts
made by Mexican artisans. Add
this to great rates and a fabulous
restaurant, and you’ve got a resort
that’s an attractive alternative to
dozens of all-inclusive properties
lining this part of the island.
NATURA CABANAS,
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Offering
eco-friendly
bungalows in a lush, friendly
setting, Natura Cabanas is a taste
of serene, northern coast luxury
for a remarkably fair price. Guests
enjoy delicious, fresh food, a clean,
crowd-less private beach, yoga
classes, and a fabulous spa. It’s
quiet, and a bit rustic without TV
or AC in rooms, but that’s the
point. n
© 2014 Distributed by McClatchyTribune Information Services
Kauai Beach Resort in Hawaii is a private,
quiet property with large rooms, gorgeous
sunrises over a rugged beach, a water slide
and sand-bottom pool, and a romantic bar
with live music.
EMPTY NESTERS! Before you list your home for sale, order this Free Special Report that reveals how to sell
your home for the most amount of money, and avoid making 9 common, costly mistakes.
www.9costlymistakes.info
8
Bennett Property Shop Realty, Brokerage
on tHe Home front
When Divorce Rocks the
Matrimonial Home
by Marnie Bennett
W
e’ve all heard of people who stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the kids. But what about staying
married for the sake of the house? It may sound crazy,
but many of us have deep rooted attachments to our
homes. They hold memories—some happy, others sad, but all
meaningful. It can be scary to contemplate leaving the place where,
more than any other, we feel we belong.
That said, few of us would advise our friends to remain in a bad
marriage simply to keep their beloved house. The latest Canadian
study shows that 40 per cent of first marriages end in divorce. That’s
a lot of people facing the same tough decisions about what to do
with the “matrimonial home,” as it’s known in the legal profession.
Some can afford to stay in the same dwelling, but sadly, many
cannot. Couples may even find themselves in a custody battle of
sorts, when neither partner wants to give up the family home. And
then there are others who are all too eager to move out and make
a fresh start.
Should you find yourself in one of these unfortunate, yet ever so
common, situations, here is what you need to know. In Ontario,
the Family Law Act states that the full value of the matrimonial
home should be divided equally between you and your ex. It doesn’t
matter whether one of you bought the home prior to your marriage,
whether it was left to one of you in a will, or whether only one name
is on the title. The only exception to this 50/50 split occurs when agent. Remember that these situations are common and that talking guide you through this process with minimal discomfort and help
a pre-nuptial agreement exists, or when the court finds unusual cir- to a professional is the best decision you can make for yourself and serve as an objective voice.
your family.
cumstances that make such a split unfair.
Whatever path you do choose, make every attempt to embrace
Selling the home to a third party is often the best scenario from this chance to have a new beginning, and a happier home. n
There are many things to consider here – finances, logistics,
emotional attachments and chiefly the children in these situations. both a financial and an emotional perspective. (Resentment can cerPart of you may be ready to move, but you question the wisdom of tainly build when one partner witnesses the other still living in the
To receive a FREE copy of a new special report titled
uprooting your children from everything they know. In all cases, family home.) By the same token, it can be difficult for divorcing
these decisions require a great deal of soul-searching as well as pro- partners to sit down with a real estate agent and calmly discuss mat- “Divorce: What You Need to Know About Your House, Your
fessional advice from your lawyer, mortgage broker and real estate ters such as the listing price and negotiating tactics. A good agent will Home Loan and Taxes” email [email protected].
Local Area Home Sales*
Area
Highest Price Sold
Lowest Price Sold
Average Sale Price
This Month
# of Homes Sold
# Homes Didn’t Sell
(expired etc.)
Emerald Meadows, Trailwest
399,000
270,000
309,294
9
16
Beaverbrook
495,000
232,500
315,500
6
7
Katimavik
342,000
169,000
276,500
5
6
Morgan’s Grant
387,500
253,000
319,563
8
20
Kanata Lakes
669,000
263,500
443,533
9
10
* According to the OREB for December 2013
Find Out What Homes in Your
Neighbourhood Are Selling for ...
Free Service for Kanata Homeowners! You can Receive a FREE
computerized printout of recent Home Sales and Current Listings
anywhere in Kanata emailed to you at NO Cost, or Obligation.
You don’t have to talk to anyone. Just call our 24-hour hotline below and leave a message
indicating which streets or subdivision you would like to have information on. You will
receive by email a computerized printout on each active property for sale (or recently
sold) including the address and photo of the home, a description of key features along
with the list price and (if relevant) the sale price.
This information will give you a good idea of what your home might sell for if you were
to put it up for sale in today’s market.
Call 613-233-8606
Valid Until
March 31, 2014
E
SAMPL u
intout yo
pr
ive
will rece
123 Main Street, Your Town
Listed: 02/04/12 for $759,000
Sold: 10/05/13 for $769,000
667 Any Street, Your Town
Listed: 04/01/12 for $1,200,000
Sold: 10/14/13 for $1,250,000
www. kanatamarketoutlook.info
9
KIDS!
Enter to Win Our…
PARENTS: Have your child colour this picture, tear it out, and send it to us by March 31, 2014 to be entered
in a drawing for a $25 Walmart Gift Card. Winner will have his or her picture in the next issue. Be sure to
include contact information in the artist information section.
Win a $25 Walmart Gift Card!
ARTIST’S INFORMATION
Name: __________________________________
Age: ___________________________________
Address: ________________________________
________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________
Parent Name: ___________________________
Parent Email: ____________________________
Mail this original to:
Marnie Bennett’s Colouring Contest
190 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0C4
10
crossword
PUZZLE
answers
just for fun
61 Microbiologist spread
some gossip?
1 Sign of trouble
64
Even up
4 Sword holder
65
On the lower side, in a
10 San Joaquin Valley
heeling vessel
concern
66Twitterpated
14 PC core
67 Half of nine?
15 Yes or no follower
68 Insurance deals with it
16 Dance that tells a story
69 Conical shelter
17 Farm girl
18 Physicist got all wound up? 70 Web address component
20 Prefix with European
down
22“Enough!”
1 Religious split
23 Race line
2 Not against entertaining
25 Fireworks reaction
26 “The Stepford Wives”
3 Cherry-topped treat
author Levin
4 Former flier
29 Mathematician got ready 5 Makes haste
for a shower?
6 In the past, in the past
34 Swing around on an axis 7 He sang between Melanie
35 Sigh of sorrow
and Joan at Woodstock
36 Seismologist rose to new 8 Where to get a brew
heights?
9 Victim of Achilles
42 California’s __ Valley
10 LaBeouf of
43 Unrefined type
“Transformers” films
44 Physicist made an
11 Six, nine or twelve,
opposing move?
for three
52 Explosive letters
12 Cry for a matador
53 “I’ll meet thee on the
13Wander
__-rig”: Burns
19 Greeting to an
54 Fur piece
unexpected visitor
55 Socrates, for one
21 Saturn, for one
60 Selma or Patty,
24 Mrs. Addams, to Gome
to Bart Simpson
Across
27 Interpret, as X-rays
28 They may be classified
30 Final: Abbr.
31 Mystery writer Grafton
32__-Croatian
33Amigo
36 Nothing, in Nice
37 Knocks off
38 One might be bummed,
briefly
39 Almost worthless amount
40 Put one over on
41 Fine things
42 Pepper or Snorkel: Abbr.
45 K thru 12
46 Make more changes to
47Fang
48 Greek vowel
49 Much more than edged
50 Periodic weather
disruption
51 Not fancy at all
56 Long migration, say
57 “Lost” setting
58 One bounce, on the
diamond
59 Campbell of “Scream”
61 Birdie plus one
62 “Hostel” director Roth
63 Low grade
© 2014 Tribune Content Agency, Inc.
P U Z Z L E
created by Crosswords Ltd.
Kanata
$199
Value
Valid Until
March 31, 2014
www.kanatahomeeval.com
Not Intended to Solicit Properties Already Listed
11
Your Home Sold at a Price Acceptable to
You GUARANTEED, or I’ll Buy It for Cash!
Marnie Bennett
Broker
*
To discuss the sale of your home, call Marnie at 613-233-8606 (no obligation
to list your home when you call) or visit www.kanatahomeguarantee.com to
get a free special report that details the inner workings of this guarantee.
Bridlewood Trails - $222,900
Findlay Creek - $315,000
Attention First Time Homebuyers
2 Beds • 1 Bath • Balcony • Hardwood • Open
Concept • Granite
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Freehold Townhome
3 Beds • 3 Baths • Hardwood • Updated Kitchen
Gas Fireplace • Backyard Oasis
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Orleans - $325,000
Golden Triangle - $359,000
Alta Vista - $659,000
Barrhaven - $409,000
SPACIOUS BUNGALOW
Fully Upgraded Detached
4 Beds • 3 Baths • Updated Kitchen • Finished 3 Beds • 4 Baths • Built in 2012 • Designer Kitchen
Basement • Large Deck • Indoor/Outdoor Fireplace with Island • Loads of Upgrades • Attached Garage
Hot Tub • Mature Trees
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more information
ottawahotproperty.ca for more information
Meadowlands - $525,000
Bank REPO
Distress Sale
Fully Detached Home
3 Beds • 3 Bath • Gas Fireplace • Finished
Basement • Deck • Fully Fenced Yard • Shed
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
6 Months FREE Condo Fees
2 Beds • 2 Baths • Huge Balcony • Completely
Renovated Kitchen • Hardwood
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
BankForeclosures. Receive a
free list w/pics of foreclosure
properties.
Call 613-233-8606 or visit:
www.kanatahotproperties.com
Brick Bungalow
3 Beds • 2 Baths • Wood Burning Fireplace
Double Car Garage • Large Deck • Wine Cellar
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Greenboro - $318,900
Overbrook - $296,900
Westcliffe Estate - $240,000
www.kanatabargains.com
Special Financing Available
3 Beds • 3 Baths • Completely Updated
Wood Burning Fireplace • Fully Fenced
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Spacious Condo
2 Beds • 1 Bath • Minutes from Downtown
Wood Burning Fireplace • Beautiful Finishes
Large Terrace
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more information
FREEHOLD TOWNHOME
3 Beds • 2 Baths • Garage Attached • Balcony
Fenced Yard with Patio • Updated Kitchen
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Cyrville - $275,000
Longfields - $365,000
HOMES UNDER
$1,100/MONTH
Why rent when you can own?
Free list w/pics of homes available
Call 613-233-8606 or visit:
2 Storey Condo
2 Storey Semi-Detached
2 Beds • 3 Baths • Open Concept • Gas Fireplace
3 Beds • 3 Baths • Renovated Kitchen
Master Ensuite • Unqiue Design • Balcony with a
Gas Fireplace • New Deck with Gazebo
Patio and Yard
New Stainless Steel Appliances
Call 613.233.8606 or visit ottawahotproperty.ca
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
for more information
ottawahotproperty.ca for more information
6 Costly Mistakes
to Avoid Before
Buying a Home
Free Report reveals how to
save thousands of dollars and
years of expense.
Call 613-233-8606 or visit:
www.top6buyermistakes.com
Morgan’s Grant - $310,900
Before Listing
with an Agent:
Find Out What You Can
Sell Your Kanata Home
For Online
VISIT
www.kanatahomeeval.com
Viscount Alexander Park - $186,900
Special Financing Available
2 Beds • 2 Baths • Balcony • Ensuite Bath and
Walk In Closet • Minutes to Downtown
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
ottawahotproperty.ca for more
information
Hunt Club - $799,900
LUXURY HOMES
UNDER $200,000
Freehold Townhome
Executive Home on Golf Course
3 Beds • 3 Baths • Private • Hardwood
5 Beds • 4 Baths • Stunning Open Concept Design
Updated Kitchen • Gas Fireplace • Large Yard
Solarium • Gas Fireplace • Premium Lot Stunning
No Rear Neighbours
Master Ensuite • Backyard Oasis w/ Patio, Pool and Pergola
Call 613.233.8606 or visit ottawahotproperty.ca
Call 613.233.8606 or visit
for more information
ottawahotproperty.ca for more information
Kanata bargains.
Free list w/pics of
homes for sale.
Call 613-233-8606 or visit:
www.kanatabargains.com
View over 4,000+ properties for sale right now: visit www.kanatabargains.com
Marnie at Bennett Property Shop 613-233-8606
*Not intended to solicit buyers and sellers currently under contract with another brokerage. Certain conditions do apply. View website for further details.