Problems With Cash Offers

Rise of the Real Estate Cash Offer Nightmare

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

Your home hits the market and bam! You receive multiple offers – how excellent is that? And now you have to decide which offer to work with, or to accept. A quick glance reveals that the prices are all very close, the closing dates are all acceptable, and there is little to obviously set one of the offers apart from …

Irrevocable Time On Real Estate Offers

Irrevocably Yours – Part 1

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

The irrevocable time on an offer – what does it mean? If you’re making an offer on a property, what time frame should you set? If you’re selling a property, how should you treat the irrevocable date on offers you receive? Should you state a requirement regarding irrevocable times in your listing? The irrevocable date and time on an Agreement …

Coming Soon Signs

Should Your House Be Coming Soon?

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

It’s all the rage… the “coming soon” sign on the front lawn. Two of my clients have asked me to put one on their lawn this year while they were preparing their homes to sell. Why did they ask me? The first reason is my fault – I forgot to talk to them about this fad when we were working …

Basement Bedroom Window Size

Is That Basement Bedroom Legal?

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling, Investing

Basement bedroom window size is an issue that often comes up during home showings and inspections. When buying a home: “Is that bedroom basement legal?” When helping a client prepare to sell their home, the question is, “Can we call this a 3+1 bedroom home?” Does the bedroom in the basement “count”? Is it legal? The answer is… it depends …

House Not Selling

House Not Selling? Seven Reasons Why

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

Why is Your House Not Selling? Here are seven unexpected reasons that I see every day. 1. You’re preaching to the choir. Yes, that’s a mixed metaphor. Although people often mix up the expression like this, I mean it this way. When people use the expression “You’re preaching to the choir” they mean to say that you are trying to convince someone …

Ottawa Investment Property

Multi-Family vs. Condominium Apartments as Investments

Bruce BrownInvesting

When it comes to building a portfolio of investment properties, there is something on the menu for every taste.  To suit your specific tolerances and objectives, you will want to discuss the ins and outs in detail.  But I thought it would be fun to write-up a brief table of ingredients for two types of residential properties that are at …

Rules of Thumb – How Far Can They Take You?

Bruce BrownInvesting

A client of mine who is mulling over the idea of acquiring some real estate for investment purposes, started doing some reading on her own and came across a piece about rules of thumb.  She read, in addition to other bits of wisdom, that: The rule of thumb is that the purchase price of investment property should be 10 times …

Graph of new condo construction prices vs. re-sale condo prices in Ottawa.

Older or Newer Condo – Which Is A Better Investment?

Bruce BrownInvesting

Whether buying strictly as an investment or as a new place to hang their hat, my clients often ask me if a new or re-sale condo apartment is a better investment.  Well, there are actually two slightly different versions of this question that I hear frequently: is a brand new condo purchased from the builder a better investment or is …