Tag Archives: property

This happens quite often enough. Some homeowners start off by being very happy with their new purchase, but they end up being disappointed. Is it because the property no longer suits their needs? On the contrary! The problem is the area, the neighbours, the public services. Before buying the property, these homeowners thought it was unnecessary to explore the neighbourhood. Bad idea!

You are so excited to have found the property of your dreams that you immediately sign the papers because you are afraid someone else will buy it. The seller, on the other hand, is happy the house is selling quickly, especially if he gets the price he asked for. With no bad intentions in mind, he exaggerates the advantages that come with buying the home. “How far from downtown Montréal?” “Thirty minutes” (when it actually takes an hour) “Where is the nearest subway station?” “A ten-minute walk, at most!” (by bus, maybe) And so on.

The buyer and the seller are both feeling anxious. They’re in a hurry to close the deal. They create illusions. We believe what we want to believe. It’s normal.[……]

Read more

What do you think is the ultimate goal when negotiating a property purchase? Is it that the buyer does everything in his or her power to get the lowest possible price? Or, is it that the seller gives his or her maximum effort to get the highest possible price? Or, is it none of these answers?

One day, a retired multimillionaire businessman told us what he missed the most about negotiating. His greatest satisfaction was to conclude an agreement where both parties were content. That is exactly what property buyers and sellers should aim for: closing a win-win negotiation.

It is useless for buyers to push sellers against the wall and force them to give up their property for an unsuitable price. This attitude rarely leads to good results. Conscientious buyers not only think about their own interests, but they also think about the sellers’ satisfaction.[……]

Read more

Sometimes, buyers are faced with a difficult decision. They have already crossed out a large number of properties on their list, but two or three are still remaining. Now for the final elimination round. Which property will it be? Need some advice?

  • Ask your real estate broker. If your home search process was rather long, your savvy broker was able to identify your needs and personality because he or she has gotten to know you.
  • You would be willing to live with some constraints. Others, not at all! They would make your everyday life miserable. Learn to recognize them. Be honest with yourself.

[……]

Read more

Nowadays, buyers are lucky. They can search the web to get data on a desired property. They can then count on experts, such as the real estate broker, to obtain more data to bridge their knowledge gap. Having all the data on hand is the lifeblood of negotiation.

Some buyers use intimidation and tenacity to reduce the price of a property. When, in fact, raising your voice, constantly criticizing, and acting up are ineffective methods. All these attitudes lead to confrontation.

The buyer’s most persuasive argument remains his or her knowledge of a property’s data. The more the buyer knows about the property, the more negotiation power he or she will have over the seller, especially if the selling owner is unprepared.[……]

Read more

Homeowners who wish to sell their home or condo should know the fair value of their property to set the selling price and to negotiate more effectively. Sometimes, homeowners will set the price according to their own calculations. This method is feasible, but not foolproof.

Many people rely on the municipal assessment to set their property’s market value. Bad idea. The real estate market evolves every day, whereas the municipal assessment services, bound by bureaucracy, are slower. Consequently, there is a gap between the fair price of the property and the municipal assessment. Oftentimes, this assessment is inferior to the true property price. The municipal assessment reflects the fair value of the property, but not the value itself.

[caption id="attachment_15784" align="aligncenter" width="1169"]iStock iStock[/caption]

Some rely on a very popular practice: finding a property that is similar to theirs that has been sold, not too long ago, in the same neighbourhood. The property must be, if possible, identical or nearly the same. Same type of home, same year of construction, same living space, same lot size, same outdoor layout (pool and other installations), etc.[……]

Read more

This is the first question you should ask yourself before you begin planning your budget and searching for homes. If you didn’t fancy any house that you’ve visited in the past, or if you’re disappointed in the choice you’ve made, perhaps you didn’t take the time to ask yourself this important question.

Everyone will come up with these three answers: safety, shelter, and privacy. Yet, there is more to a home than just that. Above these things, the personality and needs of each and every one also come into play.

If you’re the dreamy type who doesn’t notice anything around you, who doesn’t get attached to a property or material things, and who has absolutely no wish to maintain a house, then why would you choose a home that’s too big or too expensive? Dreamers usually need very modest homes, a sustainable one at best, to prevent an increasing amount of work. They prefer spending time and energy doing other things.[……]

Read more

Some people buy their home without thinking that they will sell it one day. If they like the house, that’s all that counts. The investment aspect is trivial to them. In contrast, others buy their home according to the property’s resale value. They want to maximize their buying power. Perhaps advice is needed here?

Listing all the factors which determine how a property’s value may fare over the course of time would be too long, but Via Capitale experts will provide you with a few.

The location of the property you wish to buy is of utmost importance for its resale value. For example, if you live in a high-density neighbourhood, the added value of the renovations you will carry out will be much greater than in a less populated area. That’s just how it is in a competitive market.

If the neighbourhood that you will live in is unattractive, has adverse economic conditions, and is far from retail and public services, no matter how hard you try to increase the value of your home with different upgrades, your efforts will be unsuccessful. You would only be wasting money.[……]

Read more