If you watch a lot of real estate shows on reality TV, you know that sometimes all a property needs is some updates to gain value -- quick improvements by the next owner to add their personality.
I'm conducting an open house on Sunday, July 31, 2-4 at a 2-storey condominium that has a lot of value in its $269,900 asking price. At 617 Lansdowne Avenue (MLS 66-717), this complex is now just over 20 years old.
Tennis & Pool
The complex itself has many selling features with an inground pool, tennis court, lots of green space in its horseshoe (or crescent) design and its proximity to the walking/cycling trails that run along Pittock Lake in Woodstock.
This 3-bedroom (actually 3+1) condo, includes a master bedroom with over-sized 5pc ensuite and a gas fireplace, plus 2 more good sized bedrooms. The style of the home includes a unique coved ceiling in master bedroom, as well as a balcony.
With a modern oak spacious eat-in kitchen (2-car garage entry is to kitchen which is always convenient for grocery shopping), the list of inclusions is extensive: dishwasher, fridge and stove, microwave, washer and dryer, intercom, alarm system and central vac.
The combination living-dining room is 25' x 17' and includes hardwood floors and another gas fireplace.
If you know the Woodstock market, you would expect this unit to have an unfinished basement at this price, but instead there is a 26' x 17' recroom, along with a 4th bedroom, and a 3rd bathroom. Not that everyone is a golfer, but the recroom is highlighted by a putting green.
The condo fee is $350 monthly, but keep in mind the common elements include an inground pool and tennis.
I'm A Full-Time Realtor
The unit is listed by Bob Pozza at my office, but I'm doing the open house to promote not only this listing, but also myself. Remember, I advertise myself as a full-time Realtor, so I must keep busy -- even on a long weekend.
If you want to view this 2-storey condo before the open house, you may contact me anytime at (519) 537-1553 or email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.wesellwoodstock. com, www.marksells.ca
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Serenity & Scenery
Forest & The Trees
Many people who live on a small city lot, will tell me that having a large treed backyard would be priceless.
New subdivisions in Woodstock are featuring lots with frontage of under 40 feet.
Here is a house that fits the bill for a family who want to live near Woodstock, but still live in the wilderness.
Found on the 11th Line between Highway2 and south of Oxford Rd 17 is a 1.5-storey home with 3 bedrooms and many updates.
However, leading the list of amenities for 515160 11th Line (67-594; Asking: $254,900) is its 1/2-acre lot (78' x 279') that is treed in front for privacy and treed in the backyard as well. It truly is a forest in the city limits -- just a 3-minute drive to Dundas Street in Woodstock. To top it off, the lot is fully fenced, which is ideal for a young family or anyone with a dog that loves to roam.
The brick home was built in the early 1950s, but in 1990 a main-floor family room was added with a wood fireplace. (The owners plan on leaving about 3 chords of firewood with the house). At the time of this addition, the current owners redesigned the kitchen and installed oak cabinets, countertop stove and built-in oven. The owners plan on also including the fridge, washer and dryer.
With an abundance of windows, this family room truly is a room with a view. Off the family room is patio doors to a raised deck and hot tub.
The home's additional updates include newer high efficiency furnace and central air, newer 200-amp breaker box, new roof in 2005, and all new vinyl windows in 2000.
Another top selling feature is the living-dining combo, which is 24' x 12' and includes a gas fireplace and impeccable hardwood flooring.
The main bathroom is on the main floor.
Both upper bedrooms are spacious and there is also a bathroom on second floor.
The lower recroom is great for children or an entertainment/media room space.
There is also a detached garage.
If you want to view this home, call me anytime.
The next open house is Sunday, July 24, 2-4 p.m. Be sure to drop by and fall in love with this 'find in a forest.' It truly is serenity and scenery
Mark Schadenberg, sale rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.marksells.ca
mschadenberg@rogers.com
(519) 537-1553
Office: 539-2070
Many people who live on a small city lot, will tell me that having a large treed backyard would be priceless.
New subdivisions in Woodstock are featuring lots with frontage of under 40 feet.
Here is a house that fits the bill for a family who want to live near Woodstock, but still live in the wilderness.
Found on the 11th Line between Highway2 and south of Oxford Rd 17 is a 1.5-storey home with 3 bedrooms and many updates.
However, leading the list of amenities for 515160 11th Line (67-594; Asking: $254,900) is its 1/2-acre lot (78' x 279') that is treed in front for privacy and treed in the backyard as well. It truly is a forest in the city limits -- just a 3-minute drive to Dundas Street in Woodstock. To top it off, the lot is fully fenced, which is ideal for a young family or anyone with a dog that loves to roam.
The brick home was built in the early 1950s, but in 1990 a main-floor family room was added with a wood fireplace. (The owners plan on leaving about 3 chords of firewood with the house). At the time of this addition, the current owners redesigned the kitchen and installed oak cabinets, countertop stove and built-in oven. The owners plan on also including the fridge, washer and dryer.
With an abundance of windows, this family room truly is a room with a view. Off the family room is patio doors to a raised deck and hot tub.
The home's additional updates include newer high efficiency furnace and central air, newer 200-amp breaker box, new roof in 2005, and all new vinyl windows in 2000.
Another top selling feature is the living-dining combo, which is 24' x 12' and includes a gas fireplace and impeccable hardwood flooring.
The main bathroom is on the main floor.
Both upper bedrooms are spacious and there is also a bathroom on second floor.
The lower recroom is great for children or an entertainment/media room space.
There is also a detached garage.
If you want to view this home, call me anytime.
The next open house is Sunday, July 24, 2-4 p.m. Be sure to drop by and fall in love with this 'find in a forest.' It truly is serenity and scenery
Mark Schadenberg, sale rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.marksells.ca
mschadenberg@rogers.com
(519) 537-1553
Office: 539-2070
Friday, 15 July 2011
The Triland Group of Seven
A positive discussion about real estate topics with only Royal LePage Triland reps invited.
Sound like a good idea?
Sure it is, so we did it.
Organized by Melanie Pearce (Twitter: Real8rmel) of the London office, on Thursday I drove down the 401 to join an oval-table (table was not round) conversation with six fellow Triland Realtors.
Call it a brain storming session or a think tank, it was not really networking (except for me) as the others attending were all London-based Realtors.
All agents have the same industry concerns and the same trepidations about new ideas. In fact, a forum like this becomes essential as a Realtor can admit they made a misstep in a marketing plan or an offer that went wrong. We all learn by sitting in a discussion group. Having people to bounce ideas off is the mark of a good thinker because you can quickly acknowledge that you don't know everything and that there are 7 sides to every story.
Our group decided that we should meet 10 or more times each year, and plan a loose agenda for each gathering.
This first meeting was a potpourri of topics. We formulated that while it's certainly good for colleagues to meet on a regular basis to discuss the industry, it goes beyond this and really proves there really is so many facets to the industry.
For example, I would never think of creating my own letterhead as I use the Triland parchment designed for Woodstock. However, as all marketing is about consistency, letterhead is part of that package -- just like a business card. I became convinced that ordering and distributing a box of note pads (With all my contact info on it, and of course a Royal LePage logo) -- better yet with a fridge magnet on the back -- is not olde fashioned, but still tried-and-true.
All advertising continues to be about creating top-of-mind awareness. When someone thinks fast food burger, I would guess that McDonald's still leads the way. When a consumer thinks real estate, I want them to think Royal LePage. When the name Royal LePage prominently jumps to the forefront, Mark Schadenberg is the name to know and trust.
Banter on July 14th surrounded many more topics: how often and how to contact your sphere of influence (friends, and past and hopeful future clients), popularity of open houses, timing of conditions in an offer, obtaining price reductions on listings, tracking activity (internet page views) on listings, alternate or outside web advertising (i.e Kijiji or virtual reality tour web sites), distribution of newsletters, and approaching 'private for sale' listings.
If you learn something, you've accomplished something. I learned a lot from this group and look forward to meeting again in August.
Sound like a good idea?
Sure it is, so we did it.
Organized by Melanie Pearce (Twitter: Real8rmel) of the London office, on Thursday I drove down the 401 to join an oval-table (table was not round) conversation with six fellow Triland Realtors.
Call it a brain storming session or a think tank, it was not really networking (except for me) as the others attending were all London-based Realtors.
All agents have the same industry concerns and the same trepidations about new ideas. In fact, a forum like this becomes essential as a Realtor can admit they made a misstep in a marketing plan or an offer that went wrong. We all learn by sitting in a discussion group. Having people to bounce ideas off is the mark of a good thinker because you can quickly acknowledge that you don't know everything and that there are 7 sides to every story.
Our group decided that we should meet 10 or more times each year, and plan a loose agenda for each gathering.
This first meeting was a potpourri of topics. We formulated that while it's certainly good for colleagues to meet on a regular basis to discuss the industry, it goes beyond this and really proves there really is so many facets to the industry.
For example, I would never think of creating my own letterhead as I use the Triland parchment designed for Woodstock. However, as all marketing is about consistency, letterhead is part of that package -- just like a business card. I became convinced that ordering and distributing a box of note pads (With all my contact info on it, and of course a Royal LePage logo) -- better yet with a fridge magnet on the back -- is not olde fashioned, but still tried-and-true.
All advertising continues to be about creating top-of-mind awareness. When someone thinks fast food burger, I would guess that McDonald's still leads the way. When a consumer thinks real estate, I want them to think Royal LePage. When the name Royal LePage prominently jumps to the forefront, Mark Schadenberg is the name to know and trust.
Banter on July 14th surrounded many more topics: how often and how to contact your sphere of influence (friends, and past and hopeful future clients), popularity of open houses, timing of conditions in an offer, obtaining price reductions on listings, tracking activity (internet page views) on listings, alternate or outside web advertising (i.e Kijiji or virtual reality tour web sites), distribution of newsletters, and approaching 'private for sale' listings.
If you learn something, you've accomplished something. I learned a lot from this group and look forward to meeting again in August.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Letter To Prospects / Clients
I did some envelope stuffing and delivering today to promote myself as a full-time Realtor. Those receiving the letter in mailbox are likely not on my email list. Didn't get as many delivered as I hoped as I ran into 2 old friends while ringing doorbells -- one was a former neighbour, while the other was one of the founders of the Woodstock Sports Celebrity Dinner which I volunteered with for 8 years raising money for Woodstock District Developmental Services (WDDS).
When thinking houses, keep me in mind as I truly am a full-time Realtor.
Anyway, here's the prose.
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I hope you're having a terrific summer so far and plan on getting away to enjoy the few warm months we receive. If you know of any good stay-cation ideas for a young family, email me some ideas as we plan on just a few day trips this summer.
If you're looking for an update on the real estate market for a possible future sale, give me a call. If a group of your friends are sitting around a picnic table and one of them says they may be moving, please give a positive word about me.
This letter is simply an informal greeting to let you know I certainly have not forgotten about you, and I'm hoping you remember that I'm a full-time Realtor with more than 12 years experience at Royal LePage. Actually, with the recent amalgamation of offices (Before Christmas RLP Landco closed and a group of agents, including myself, moved over to Triland), I'm the longest continuous Royal LePage agent in Woodstock.
Marketing in real estate has changed over the years. All stats now indicate that well over 80% of buyers moving into a different community, make their first discovery of the home they will eventually buy through www.Realtor.ca, or at lease find their Realtor through this site.
While those numbers are true, I now promote myself and all listings through Facebook, Twitter and www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com. If there are 15 ways for a full-time Realtor (There's still a lot of part-time agents out there) to promote a home, be sure to hire a Realtor ready to do all 15. My marketing plan also includes open houses, virtual reality tours, newspaper ads, 'just listed' flyers, and before we even start a comprehensive market analysis/appraisal on your home. Keep in mind, I don't get paid until your house is not only sold, but until after closing date, so I am required to be there every step of the way.
If you're planning on spending some time this summer relaxing by the waves, make sure it's the beach towel and sunscreen variety, and if you see me, be sure to wave.
In the meantime, I'm busy looking for clients, and watching Under-5 soccer on Tuesday nights at Cowan Park.
Mark Schadenberg
Sales Representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
(519) 539-2070, office
537-1553, direct line / text; 539-4319, home office
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Can renting be right choice sometimes?
In some areas of Ontario -- most notably the GTA where for the most part it's extremely expensive to live close to work -- it might be cheaper to rent than own. In some age brackets, it may also be better to rent, or so says the following story from The Globe and Mail:
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Why renting can be the right choice for aging boomers
By ROB CARRICK
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jun. 27, 2011 7:50PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 9:05AM EDT
The case for selling the family home starts with the fact that years of strong price increases have hugely increased the value of homes across the country over the amount paid for them. What to do with the proceeds after you sell? Invest them conservatively and rent your next home.
Rushing into the market today only makes sense if you’re willing to buck convention and rent. If you buy again, you could reap big profits from your current home and overpay for your next.
Understand, this is not a doomsday call on the Canadian housing market. It’s just an argument that we’ve seen a ton of upside in house prices and that the next few years may bring incremental further gains or some downside.
Selling now can be a way of removing risk from your financial future, says Ted Rechtshaffen, president of the financial advice firm TriDelta Financial. If you own a house, a big piece of your personal wealth is tied up in one sector and in one region.
“The only way to capitalize on what your house is worth today is by selling today,” Mr. Rechtshaffen said.
There are definitely benefits to downsizing and buying a smaller home or condo rather than renting. There’s a far better selection of condos and houses for sale than for rent. Psychologically speaking, many people have a bias against renting because it’s seen as giving up control and living without roots.
There’s also the argument that renting isn't financially smart, but it doesn’t hold up well for aging baby boomers.
Mr. Rechtshaffen says his firm’s long-term financial planning models use a 4-per-cent average annual gain for house prices and a 6.5-per-cent average annual gain for a diversified non-registered investment portfolio. Those are pretax numbers, of course. Sell a principal residence and you pay no taxes on your profit.
You can rig an investment portfolio to be fairly tax-efficient by focusing on dividends and capital gains, but you’ll still get dinged to some extent by taxes. So estimate a 5-per-cent after-tax return from investments, Mr. Rechtshaffen suggests.
Now for living costs. You’ll have no mortgage payments if you buy, but you’ll pay property taxes and face upkeep costs that can be steep if you have an older home. Renters pay rent and the same utilities as owners. How does it net out? Mr. Rechtshaffen estimates renters paying $1,500 a month may find they’re spending only $700 or so more than owners on a net basis.
Financial planner Rona Birenbaum said she’s talked to clients about selling a house and renting, but mostly in situations where money is being spent faster than anticipated and there’s a need to unlock equity in the home.
Selling a house for many hundreds of thousands of dollars and then investing that money safely can make you feel financially secure, Ms. Birenbaum said.
“That’s the plus side of doing this,” she added. “The minus is there’s a great temptation to encroach on that capital. It requires a fair amount of discipline in how you manage your cash flow.”
Still stuck on downsizing into a smaller home or condo? So are a lot of your peers, which is why downtown condos are no bargain. The average price for a resale condo in Toronto was $326,750 in the first two weeks of this month, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board. Laurin Jeffrey, a Toronto agent, said $600,000 is a good ballpark amount for a nicely situated downtown condo.
If you buy a condominium, prepare yourself for stiff condo fees (include day-to-day maintenance, property management fees, amenities such as a swimming pool and workout room, cable TV and contributions toward a reserve fund to be used for major repairs). I’ve heard two stories in the past couple of weeks about people planning to move out of condos as a result of fee increases or special levies for maintenance. “There’s no rent control on maintenance fees,” Ms. Birenbaum said.
Your age may also play a role in determining whether it’s better to buy or rent after selling the family home. Mr. Rechtshaffen estimates you’d need to be in a home seven or eight years to offset the costs of moving in and then moving out again later on. Of course, this assumes your house is appreciating while you live there.
Renting is not on for most people, but it’s worth a thought if you’re a baby boomer with a house you’ve been thinking of selling. The peace of mind you get from locking in a good price could make it the financial move of a lifetime.
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