Halifax, NS

I got a call today from an advertising rep... he is offering me a bundle [a phone book yellow pages ad in color+online site] for 'only' $177 per month, locked in for 12 months but no bill till April. He's got some good stats to back up his presentation but here's the conundrum.....I know I need advertising to kick-start my new career....but I'm seeing the money go in only one direction so far and I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. [you remember that newbie feeling]

So my question is.....what's the best way to go in terms of advertising? I've put newsletters and business cards in the corner pizza place....I've sent out newsletters to my farm area and I've done some cold calling. I'm new to this city and my sphere of influence is small but I give out business cards every chance I get. I joined a Centre for Women in Business which will help me with my networking. I know it's still early but I don't want my advertising budget to be on overload!

I'd love to hear your opinions....

Thanks much!

Melva

Halifax Real Estate Market update, December 3, 2008

How has the real estate market in Halifax performed in the last two months? With all the doom and gloom in the financial sector of the news lately I figured it would be a good time to look at the HRM real estate market as a whole compared to the previous year.

Halifax Real Estate market update for all areas of HRM for October, November 2008. Based on MLS stats for single family homes, condominiums and new construction.

MonthAverage List Price Average Sale Price Sale to List Price Average List DurationNumber Of Sales

Halifax Real Estate Blog Market Update 2008
NOV-2008	248024	238845	96%	104 days	239
OCT-2008	240011	233161	97%	89 days	383
Averages:	243090	235345	97 %	95 days	622

Halifax Real Estate market update for all areas of HRM for October, November 2007. Based on MLS stats for single family homes, condominiums and new construction.

MonthAverage List Price Average Sale Price Sale to List Price Average List DurationNumber Of Sales

Halifax Real Estate Blog Market Update 2007
NOV-2007	229987	223989	97%	98 days	409
OCT-2007	228744	221646	97%	87 days	479
Averages:	229317	222725	97 %	92 days	888

Total Active Listings - 3063

As you can see from these numbers the market is definitely softening over the last two months. Sales are down by 30% over last years numbers. Albeit last year was a record for sales but this is still a significant decline. The silver lining I guess is that price continues to increase. The average price has increased by 5.6%. Days on market has also increased by 3 days which is not too significant.

Right now we are seeing a buyers market in the Halifax Real Estate market. There is a lot of inventory out there and not a lot of buyers. Homes are sitting on the market for a long time. If you are looking to buy real estate in Halifax now is as good a time as any. There are deals to be had.

If you would like more info on market stats in your area, send me an email or call 902-488-0012. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have pertaining to real estate in Halifax, Dartmouth and surrounding areas. In the coming weeks I am going to be looking at HRM by design and new condo projects coming on board, so stay tuned for that.

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New blog.....new career....new vision.....I am so pumped up that I need to take a breath and reflect on where I've come from and where I'm going! I taught in the public school system in NS and in Georgia, USA.....can it really be 37 years!? But I had to make the decision that 'it was time'....to retire, that is! It's was so difficult to end a career I have loved [and was very good at, if I may say so ;-) ]....and it's even more daunting wondering if my new career will be able to hold a candle to my former one! I don't know the answer to my question as yet....but if the generosity, support and professionalism I've already experienced is any indication, the journey will be well worth the price of a 'ticket'. Stay tuned! Melva

Green Condos in Halifax

I was browsing through The Coast weekly Halifax newspaper and noticed this project that Greater Homes is constructing on the Northwest Arm Drive. Looks like a great investment and place to live.

Located in a desirable area of Halifax, The Waterton is Halifax's first condominium project to use geothermal. The Waterton condo project uses the breakout geothermal heating system that extracts stored heat energy from the crust of the earth. Geothermal takes the guess work out of your energy costs by using renewable energy.

It is great to see projects like this in Halifax. I think in the coming years we will be seeing more and more green projects come to fruition. The green shift is starting to happen and I feel in the coming years it is going to accelerate at crazy pace. We have waited to long to shift our focus and our environment is paying dearly for our neglect.

If you would like more information on this condo project or any other condos in Halifax send me an email andrewperkins@exitmetro.ca or call 902-488-0012. I would be more than happy to help you out.

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Halifax Home Buyers Take Notice!!!!

Thinking about buying a home and not sure how the financial crisis will affect your purchase. The Government of Canada is injecting 75 billion dollars to purchase Insured Mortgages. This is great news for home buyers. This should also help interest rates go down and make the purchase of your next home that much more affordable. Below is a press release from the government.

Federal Government's $75-Billion Purchase of Insured Mortgages Should Benefit Home Buyers

As part of its efforts to address the current financial crisis, the federal government announced that it will inject $75 billion of new money* into the financial system, by buying insured mortgage pools from Canadian financial institutions.

The purpose of this measure is to add liquidity to financial institutions - money they can then lend to businesses and consumers. The main effect of such an initiative is to increase the availability of credit while, at the same time, making the cost of credit more affordable. As a result of this plan, financial institutions' mortgage interest rates should drop, which is likely to stimulate activity on the resale market.

This announcement is good news for our financial system and for the economy in general. Ultimately, it is borrowers who will benefit from this initiative, particularly future home buyers.

This federal government intervention was made necessary by the fact that the financial crisis has led to a significant reduction in the amount of credit made available by the private sector and, as a result, higher costs. In this context, banks' financing costs increase, which translates into higher prime rates and mortgage rates.

The purchase will be made through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and will focus exclusively on mortgages that are already insured under its mortgage loan insurance program.

*Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, made an initial announcement of $25 billion last October 10, and announced an additional $50 billion on November 12.

"Excerpted from The Montreal Real Estate Blog"

The Halifax Real Estate market is starting to show signs of slow down in the last couple of months. Sales are down although average price continues to rise. Now is not a time to wait to buy, it's a buyers market right now. If you are thinking of getting into the spring market you will be looking at higher prices, although inventory will be up and more selection will be available.

If you would like more information on market stats and trends in the Halifax Real Estate market contact me or send me an email at andrewperkins@exitmetro.ca.

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