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Ottawa Market Update for February 2013

The Ottawa Resale Market is moving in the right direction! If we compare sales for February 2013 with sales for February 2012, we see a decrease of 9.3% – a response to some of the government changes in an attempt to “cool down” the market.  The good news, however, is that sales seem to be […]

Ottawa Market Update for January, 2013

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 602 residential properties in January through the Boards Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with 682 in January 2012, a decrease of 11.7 per cent. “The Ottawa resale market, which started to flatten out in November and December  maintained its steadiness into January,” says Tim Lee, President of […]

What you Should Know about For Sale By Owner Companies

The Canadian Real Estate Association has been under recent pressure to allow for-sale-by-owner companies to advertise listings on MLS®.  The idea is to give the consumer more cost effective choices.  Since early 2011 the for-sale-by-owner companies have been given access to post “mere listings” on the MLS®. The two largest companies competing for this type […]

Ottawa Market Update for 2012

Happy New Year Everyone! We are fortunate to live and work in a city with a stable real estate market. While the number of residential units sold in December 2012 (618) through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system was lower than units sold in December 2011 (695), we are still on track to the five-year […]

Title Insurance

There’s a lot of confusion about title insurance. Some people call title insurance the “surprise” insurance because they assume it covers any surprises with the property they’re buying. It’s only when there’s a problem that homeowners actually check what their policy covers. By then, it’s too late. When buying an Ottawa home, it’s important to know […]

Ottawa Market Update for November 2012

Last year was the best November on record for resale home sales in Ottawa.  This November, sales have come back down to their normal levels.  Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 931 residential properties in November through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with 1,023 in November 2011, a decrease of nine […]

MPAC – Your Recent Assessment and What It Means

You will likely have recently received your property tax assessment in the mail from MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) and you might have some concerns in terms of the assessment accuracy – and what it might do to your property taxes themselves. Firstly – if your home’s value has been accurately assessed – and it […]

Ottawa Market Update for October 2012

As the leaves and the snowflakes fall in Ottawa, the real estate market is headed in the other direction – up! Compared to the five year average, Ottawa is right on track, indicating we are not experiencing a real estate downturn here. Instead we continue to see a slow, steady increase in both units sold […]

Ottawa Market Update for September 2012

According to the Ottawa Real Estate Board, September sales are historically on track in Ottawa.  The market here has not experienced volatility in prices or number of units sold.  Since 1956, the average price in the Ottawa area has decreased only five times (year over year) and has increased by 15% or more only five […]

Ottawa Market Update for August 2012

August was a bit slow compared to July, but still in line with the five-year average.  Even with fewer properties sold, the average price continues to increase.  Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,141 residential properties in August through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with 1,328 in August 2011, a decrease […]