House Price Angst

House Price Angst

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

Two articles caught my attention today. You’ve probably heard that average home prices in Canada – particularly in Toronto and Vancouver – have been climbing like crazy. One article today covered Moody’s warning about the dire impact of a pending housing correction in Canada. They put us in a bucket with Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand – all four countries …

Best Ottawa Suburb

Suburban Breakdown

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Ottawa’s suburbs, you might have tried to figure out which one is the smartest choice. Obviously there are things that are important to you other than how the market is doing – like where your friends and extended family live, where you’ve lived in the past, and where you work & play. …

Battle of the Suburbs 2016

Battle of The Suburbs 2016

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling, Market Updates

People often ask me to confirm what they’ve heard about home sales in each of Ottawa’s major suburban areas comparatively. For the past couple of years, the prevailing belief is that Orleans is sinking (cue The Hip, sans New) while Barrhaven and/or Kanata is/are on the rise. The primary reasons given are the move of RCMP HQ from the Vanier …

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 …

Steve Jobs Crazy & Why Zoocasa Failed

Bruce BrownBuying And Selling

I’ve read quite a few posts on social media this week, mostly from real estate salespersons and brokers, making observations about Rogers Communications’ decision to shut down the “online real estate brokerage” Zoocasa. Most of the observations I’ve read have felt self-serving; not very objective. I believe Zoocasa failed for the same reason that I believe Trulia, Zillow, Xome, Property …

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 …