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Saving a Downpayment For Your First Home: Comparing Options

Add RRSPs versus TFSAs to the list of decisions you have to make as a prospective home buyer. Some serious saving is going to be required to meet the minimum 5-per-cent down payment for buying a home, not to mention the 20-per-cent threshold for avoiding costly mortgage default insurance. Two ideal vehicles for saving are…

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Ottawa Re Intro’s Home Energy Retrofit Program

The federal government recently announced the re-introduction of the ecoENERGY home retrofit program that provides grants of up to $5,000 to help homeowners make energy-efficient home upgrades. The Conservatives had discontinued the program but promised in the March budget to bring it back for one year. The government maintained the promise to invest $400 million…

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Ottawa Home Sales Solid in June

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,712 residential properties in June compared with 1,543 in June 2010, an increase of 11 per cent. The five-year average for June sales is 1,695. Of those sales, 378 were in the condominium property class, while 1,334 were in the residential property class.  “It’s obvious that the…

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U.S Investment?? Prices May Have Finally Hit the Bottom

A significant majority of the 108 economists and experts participating in MacroMarkets’ June Price Home Expectations panelists believe that the bottom for home prices arrived in the first quarter or will arrive sometime before year-end. Despite persistent macroeconomic uncertainty and unprecedented housing market dysfunction, almost two-thirds of the panelists see the U.S. residential real estate market…

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Affordability Dip Expected Time to Lock In!

Canadian housing affordability eroded in the first quarter of 2011, following improvements in the last half of 2010, according to the latest Housing Trends and Affordability Report report released by RBC Economics Research. Home price gains in the majority of Canada’s key markets were the main driver of the decline in housing affordability, while flat…

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Ottawa Home and Condo Market Remains in Balance

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,659 residential properties in May through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,686 in May 2010, a decrease of 1.6 per cent. Of those sales, 369 were in the condominium property class, while 1,290 were in the residential property class. According to the Canada Mortgage…

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Realtors Care Foundation Raises $27 000

Was at the annual OREB (Ottawa Real Estate Board) golf tourney on Wednesday and a cheque was presented – proceeds going to local shelter related charities – to the Realtors Care Foundation – 27k – great job everybody!!

Ottawa Property Types

It can be difficult to know what you’re looking for (or at) when searching the mls. Below is a list of realtor lingo used in Ottawa that can help limit your search based on property types. Detached: A single dwelling unit standing alone, separately titled. Row Unit: One dwelling unit of a group of three…

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April 2011 Ottawa Home Market Report

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,536 residential properties in April through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,814 in April 2010, a decrease of 15.3 per cent. The five-year average for home sales in April is 1,612. “Sales in April 2010 soared well above average in advance of the implementation…

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