Finding the Perfect Home for You: A Guide Buying a home is a massive investment for most people and the process can be very daunting and lengthy. The Ottawa real estate market is quite large and finding the perfect home for you and your family can be a bit challenging. Here are some tips to help you find the right house in Ottawa. 1. Determine Your Budget Before you start house hunting, it's crucial to determine your budget. Homebuyers should consider their financial situation and how much they can afford to borrow from a lender and it's best to speak with one prior to your search. Expe ..read more

What are the costs involved with buying a home? You will need your deposit which is at least 1% of the asking price.   Any inspections required such as home inspection and possibly a septic and well  inspections. Home inspection these could run you anywhere between 400 and $700.   At your closing you will be required to pay your down payment less the deposit, land transfer tax lawyer fee and disbursement fee. These add up to approximately 1.5% of the purchase price needed at closing.   Plus regular homeowner expenses such as moving costs transferring utilities e ..read more

  Real estate investment as a whole is an excellent way to get ahead financially. You must be prepared to hold on to the property for at least five years, in order to see a significant return on your investment. Make sure you have a good team behind you including an agent, lawyer, mortgage broker who will work together to guide your success.   The Home Guyz Team www.thehomeguyz.com ..read more

  Should you be home during showings?     No. Do not be home during your showings. It is in everybody's best interest that you are not home for a showing. It is uncomfortable for the agent and buyer to discuss the home freely, and the homeowner may unintentionally share information that could impact the homes negotiation. Miguel Vidal www.thehomeguyz.com ..read more

  You should sell your home first. there are too many repercussions with buying something before selling. Having already sold your home gives you the money and thus more leverage to negotiate with if you find yourself in competition for your next home.   However there are steps to be taken when selling first: Extend your closing.   Have a backup housing plan in place. Miguel Vidal www.thehomeguyz.com ..read more

  How many homes should you see before buying a house?   Once you have had a chance to assess your needs and wants with your realtor you should then have an idea of what you're looking for within seeing five to seven properties.   Anything more than 10 properties and you need to reassess with your realtor, you need to ensure that they understand your criteria as you don't want to waste your time or theirs.   Miguel Vidal www.thehomeguyz.com ..read more

Episode 2 When is the best time to list your home?  The best time to list is when you have zero to no competition in your area. That's when you will demand the most amount of money for your house. There's a misconception about listing in the spring, but real estate works on supply and demand and the best time to list is when you have the upperhand on supply. There will be buyers year round because everyone's situation is different.   So, if you don't have a timeline on selling and you want to pull in the most amount of money for your home, list at a time when there is little to no ..read more

    Episode 1 What are the first steps of the home buying process?   Your very first step is to speak to a bank or a mortgage broker. This isn't something that you should guess or assume. And it makes the rest of the process much smoother.    The next step is to sit down with your realtor and discuss all your options within your budget, from there the realtor will guide you through the steps. But always reach out to the bank or mortgage broker as your very first step.   Catch more of our Real Estate & Coffee Series here       ..read more

  Have you been considering real estate investing but aren’t sure where to start? There is no doubt that you have heard how much of Canada’s wealth stems from real estate. It’s a hugely successful area of investment, and it’s relatively easy in comparison to playing the stock market which can be far more complicated and volatile.  If it’s something you have thought about and don’t know where to begin, this is the place. The Home Guyz always want to see successful investors and they know the old saying, If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. These are the very initial steps you shoul ..read more