Jenny Kotulak

I'm on Facebook and my Kids are Aghast

Facebook, youtube, myspace, twitter, Linkedin, flickr, Active Rain. Just a few websites part of the new phenomenam (or not so new) called Social Networking or Web 2.0. How much is too much? I started on Facebook and my kids were nervous. Was I going to invade their privacy? How private can it be if whatever is added is public to the whole universe? I hear some kids even use shadow names so their parents can't find them. What started out as a way to stay in contact with old friends and look at their photos has grown to include new friends, and business networking. There are groups to join, silly stuff to try, and lots of new lingo to learn. I graduated from Facebook to Active Rain. How passionate are REALTORS, eh? Sorry, that's the Canadian coming out. Why are there so few Canadians on Active Rain? O.K. we will keep it our little secret. I began uploading photos of my community to Localism.com. I have now joined Linkedin and I have a blog on Google. I can't for the life of me figure out how to add an analytics program to my blog. I am now uploading photos to Flickr. I attended sessions on blogging and Social Networking at the NAR Conference in Orlando. I just returned from a Canadian Real Estate Conference in Quebec City. An amazing French Canadian City 400 years old. This is as old as Canada gets. More sessions on Web 2.0 and Social Networking. The speaker told me after the session that about 5 percent of the people in the room will even explore the topic. Very few people in the room had a blog. Both the panels at NAR and CREA were quick to point out that Blogging wasn't for everyone and that if you don't intend to blog regularly then it probably isn't worth the time and effort. For those who enjoy writing and networking, it can be a very positive and successful venture. Apparently Google loves blogs and this is a great way to increase your exposure on the web. I must say I am seeing some positive results when I google myself. Anything we can do to increase our exposure without having a cost attached works for me.

Yours in blogging (and selling)

Jenny from Oakville, Ontario, Canada

www.OakvilleRealEstateBlog.ca

Monday, November 17, 2008

Moonshine and Good Fun

"There's always something happening at The Moonshine Cafe."

I've taken these words directly from the Moonshine Cafe's website http://www.themoonshinecafe.com/. I was first introduced to this funky, 70's throwback coffee house/bar/live music venue a couple of months ago by one of my old high school mates that I had reconnected with at our O.T. High School reunion in May. This eclectic little spot on Kerr Street has become a meeting place of sorts since then, for a bunch of my old school chums who turn out when their schedules allow. Picture overstuffed armchairs with colourful afghans, hundreds of photos covering the walls mixed with consignment sale art work. Not your typical Oakville watering hole. Every night there is a different live band playing. Monday nights are BBQ night. Where else can you get a chicken or steak dinner with a live band for $10? I think The Moonshine Cafe may be one of Oakville's best kept secrets and I recommend it highly if you are looking for something a little different. The information below is also from their website. Enjoy good company and good times. Speaking of Good Company, the photo above is of Brian Good and his wife Susan who recently played at the Moonshine Cafe. Brian and his very popular "Good Brothers" have had a very successful career. Now Brian and Susan play gigs together under the name "Good Company."
More info from the website:
In Concert - Find out which fabulous artists/bands are performing at The Moonshine Cafe. Hear these great artists in an intimate setting. Reserve Seating recommended for all shows...don't be disappointed!!! Reserve by calling 905-844-2655

Show & Grill - Monday Nights there's something new cooking at The Moonshine Café. We are offering a delectable BBQ'd dinner with a show all year! We'll be serving dinner from 7:30 - 9PM At only 10 bucks it's a bargain... Reservations are appreciated but not mandatory.

SUNDAYS - Please check calendar to see what's happening this week

Selling Oakville --- Jenny Kotulak Broker

RE/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp. Brokerage

Great Reasons to Buy or Sell in November and December

Many people feel that November and December are not good months to buy or sell a home. I don't believe there is ever a bad time of year to buy or sell. Here are my reasons why I feel these months are great opportunities.

1. Unmotivated sellers take their homes off the market. Therefore there is LESS COMPETITION for serious sellers. Unmotivated sellers will put their homes back on the market in January when everyone else does. Chances are they still won't sell.


2. Homes SHOW WELL over the holidays. Seasonal decorations, warm fires, wonderful smells from the kitchen entice buyers. Leave some cookies on a plate for the buyers.


3.There may be LESS SHOWINGS but most showings will be SERIOUS BUYERS. People are busy at this time of year and if they are out looking at homes they are usually MOTIVATED TO BUY.


4. Buyers who have just sold their homes in the FALL MARKET are looking to buy another home. These are FIRM BUYERS. Many want to be in their new home for Christmas. Treat firm buyers like gold.


5.Selling your home in November or December gives you the opportunity to wait until the New Year to buy. There will be more inventory and you will be in the driver's seat.


6. Many buyers getting transferred need to relocate for the New Year. Chances are they are scouting for new homes during the holiday season when they have time to bring their family to look.


7. Many people buy homes or condos for their children who are beginning College or University in January. If you live in a College or University area this is prime time to sell.


8. For BUYERS, there may be more room to NEGOTIATE PRICE as most sellers on the market are MOTIVATED to sell.


9. REALTORS are not usually as busy at this time of year. You will receive their undivided and devoted attention. The same goes for lawyers, mortgage brokers, moving companies, etc.


10. Don't forget that life circumstances force people to buy and sell at any time of the year. The market for marriage, divorce, retirement, inheritance, empty nest syndrome, first time buyer, single buyer DOESN'T STOP in November and December.


Take advantage of these months and reap the rewards.

Yours in selling

Jenny from Oakville, Ontario, Canada

worth.....

Friday, October 24, 2008

How to Sell Your Home In a Buyers' Market

You read it in the paper and hear it on the t.v. everyday lately. The bottom is falling out of the real estate market. Doom and gloom. Prices are way down. Nothing is selling.


While there are areas in Canada that are feeling the big pinch, here in Oakville and the GTA we have a very resilient market.


Yes, sales are down. Statistics from the Oakville, Milton & District Real Estate Board show that sales from January - September 2008 are down 15% over the same time period in 2007. That figure is the number of sales, not the sales prices.


Prices in Oakville for the same time period are actually up over 8% compared to 2007.





The other good news is that the average days on market for this time period is 34 days, down from 36 days in 2007. The percentage of sale price to list price remains the same at 97%.


Is it a little tougher to sell a home in Oakville right now? Definitely and there are certain reasons why.


First off there is more inventory available. Secondly the buyers are not making rushed purchases. The pressure is off. We are seeing less and less multiple offers. It's simple really. More listings available, less buyers buying. The pendulum has swung back to to a buyers' market. The ball is in the buyers' court. No matter how you describe it the buyers are in the drivers seat.


So what does that mean? Buyers are waiting and watching. I am finding there are a couple of different types of buyers out there right now. The ones who are sitting and watching homes, waiting for price reductions and the others who are going ahead and making offers on properties but buying on their terms. If the offer does not come together, they move on to another property. They do not get emotionally attached to the offer or the property.


So what does this mean for sellers? There is a very high stress factor for many sellers right now. Some have already purchased another home and they are finding themselves in a position of being close to, or already owning two homes. Some have decided to lease their home if they have been unable to procure an acceptable offer. Unfortunately some have both properties listed with the hopes that one will sell.


This is definitely not the type of market where you purchase before selling. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on real estate salespeople right now. The usual internet, newspaper and magazine advertising isn't attracting as much attention as in the past. Open house signs dot the neighbourhoods on the weekends. In the real estate offices REALTORS are posting pictures of their listings and networking to try to sell their clients' properties. Some sellers are telling their REALTORS to spread the word they are motivated and open to offers.





What can a seller do to get the buyers in the door and generate an offer? The first thing they should do is listen to their REALTOR when they list the property. Know exactly what your competition is. How many homes are for sale in the neighbourhood? How do they compare? How many recent sales have there been? What is the average selling price? If a buyer has 10 homes to choose from, they are going to look at the ones that are priced well and show well. Don't list high and then try to play catch up with the market a month down the road. The first three weeks on the market are the most critical. After a certain time a listing becomes stale and buyers and buyer agents begin to wonder if there is something wrong with the property since it hasn't sold. Motivation for selling is another very important consideration when listing in a buyers' market. If you have to sell it is imperative that the home be in "model home" showing condition. Even if you have to spend some money to do some fluffing or staging it can be well worth it, perhaps not monetarily but in promoting a quicker sale.


I have talked about curb appeal in another article but I can never stress enough the importance of that "first impression" that a buyer will never have again. Make sure you ask your REALTOR what you can do to make your home show its' best. An experienced REALTOR will have been through this type of market before. I have seen lots of peaks and valleys since 1989.

It isn't rocket science to know what buyers' look for in a home. They want to walk in the front door and feel like they are walking into THEIR home. They want to feel positive vibrations and get the feeling that the home is a happy, well loved home. When they start placing their furniture in the rooms, it's a good sign. It really is the simple things that count. Fresh flowers, clean kitchens and bathrooms, sparkling windows, bright rooms, good smells, uncluttered and depersonalized. A neutral presentation is important. You may love your red and purple walls and rose coloured carpets but the majority of buyers don't.


If your home isn't selling it is very important to discuss with your REALTOR and listen to their advice. They don't get paid unless your home sells so their advice is free. Remember that homes sell in every kind of market. You only need ONE buyer. For over 19 years I have been professing that "If a house is priced right and it shows well, it will sell"





Until next time


Jenny


http://www.oakvillerealestateonline.ca/

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Colour Trends for 2009 --- Peach & Pink --- Been There - Done That

I have had the opportunity to view and show many homes during the last 19 years of selling real estate. It never fails to amaze me how differently first time buyers furnish their homes today compared to the early 1980's when my husband and I and many of our friends were setting up house for the first time.

Although home prices were much lower in 1981, mortgage rates were 18% and a $50,000. mortgage carried for almost $750. a month. We were delighted to receive hand me down sofas and chairs from our parents basements, mismatched lamps, homemade afghans, macrame plant hangers and embroidered doilies, all the rage at the time
These photos are my attempts at home decorating in the 1980's.


A popular wedding gift item in 1981 was the crockpot and we received FIVE. If anyone asks me if I have ever regifted in my life, I must admit I may have. My employer at the time asked me to pick out a pattern for our "good china" as our wedding gift. I still have the set minus a cup or two.

We purchased a used dining room suite and I recovered the chairs many times over the years. The table and chairs are long gone and the buffet cabinet is sitting in my garage waiting for a "makeover". My decorating skills were less than professional back then. Chicken and rooster themes were in. I painted the kitchen cabinets in our first home blue. Wallpaper borders were all the rage.

Jump forward to 2008. Do first time buyers have better taste today? Do they watch all the decorating shows and know how to stage their homes and live without clutter? Or is it the Leon's "Don't pay a cent event" that is furnishing these first homes? Are they saying thanks but no thanks to offers to reuse, recycle or reupholster mom and dad's wellmade, last a lifetime can't throw away furniture? How many people today are buying Ikea "disposable" furniture? Looks good but doesn't last long. Have you ever moved and taken apart an Ikea bed and tried to put it back together?

Decorating styles have changed tremendously over the years. Trends come and go. The smart move is to stay neutral with the large furnishings and be "trendy" with your accessories.

I just read an article today about upcoming paint colours for 2009. There it was, back from the eighties. Peach. Yikes. Can't wait to try it and see how it looks with my new shag carpet. Joking.


But seriously I remember my parents telling me that there first home consisted of "orange crate" furniture.

Today buyers have a chance to visit decorated model homes and pick up ideas for their own home. I still see lots of bad decorating out there but it isn't usually in first time buyer homes.

Until next time

Jenny Kotulak

www.realestateonline.ca