Archive for the ‘Military Blog Posts’ Category
Posted on: February 4th, 2016 by Chris Scott
Posting messages are coming in a bit earlier this year in Ottawa.
If you have been transferred to Ottawa and are booking a house hunting trip there are a few important things to consider. Here are my top 3 tips:
1) Resale: Find a house that does not have any major strikes against it. This could be power lines in the backyard, house on really busy street, it has an usual layout, or some type of stigma attached to the house/area. You have to make sure the house can be sold quickly on the other end when/if you are posted outside of Ottawa. Exceptions can be made if the price is very good.
2) Location: Find a location/neighbourhood close to transit, has good resale, and is accessible to good schools. I can help guide you in this respect. I have good knowledge of all the areas in Ottawa.
3) Realtor: As you know this week is going to be very important for you. Your new home/area can in some ways dictate how you will enjoy your time in Ottawa. It is important to get aligned with a great Realtor who is familiar with house hunting trips. There is no time for mistakes.
If you have any questions about your posting to Ottawa please feel free to get in touch. I am always reachable via my cell at 613-863-6999 or email.
Chris
Posted on: October 2nd, 2015 by Chris Scott
This is an interesting development that may affect military postings into and out of Ottawa. With the move to the new DND headquarters the military is making an effort to get leaner.
Part of the Defence Renewal Program launched in 2013, the initiative to reduce the number of staff at Ottawa’s NDHQ by between 846 and 1034 “full-time equivalents” is still in the analysis phase and no changes to personnel have been implemented to date.
The overall size of Ottawa’s DND workforce is expected to remain the same since the focus will be on moving employees into higher priority areas or towards higher value work such as support to Cyber Security or the Canadian Military’s Space Program. In total, between 2,800 and 4,800 military and civilian personnel across the country could be moved. This could lead to a very active posting season in 2016 and 2017, with many military personnel being transferred. The effort is complex and will take several years to complete. Re-training and re-location will be utilized if necessary.
It appears that as many as 1,000 civilian jobs have been eliminated because of ongoing government-ordered cutbacks at DND. In some instances, private firms are being brought in to supply non-union workers for positions such as clerks, cleaners and kitchen staff. It is possible that there could be more civilian cuts at NDHQ because of the expected changes.
If you have any real estate related questions, it is never too soon to ask them!!
Chris
Posted on: September 8th, 2015 by Chris Scott
This August I had the pleasure of working with Erick and Mandy for the fourth time. One of my favourite clients! They originally relocated to Ottawa from the Petawawa base about 9 years ago. They bought a small townhouse in Kanata. It was the perfect place for them at the time. A few years later they were ready for a larger detached home and purchased a great family home in Stittsville. Like most military families, their time in Stittsville was fairly short lived as they were relocated to Oshawa. Now they are moving back to Ottawa. The house they purchased this time around is their dream house. It is truly an amazing home. 3600 sq/ft of luxurious living space – complete with a full theatre in the basement and every upgrade one could ask for. It has been so cool to be a part of their rise through the property ladder. Home ownership is an amazing opportunity for people to build wealth and open up the possibility of one day living in their dream house.
Don’t forget to give me a call if you have any real estate needs. I would love to help you find your Dream Home!
Chris
Posted on: April 3rd, 2015 by Chris Scott
DND employees were supposed to start moving in to buildings at 3500 Carling Avenue site by the end of this year but that will be delayed for at least nine months as the federal government spends $30 million to fix the structural problems. Existing leases for DND offices around the Ottawa area will have to be extended until the new move-in dates.
The giant walls are made up of panels of glass windows. The seals on many of the windows have failed and the frames that support the glass are weak. All the windows will now have to be replaced. Because of the reconstruction of the outside glass walls, the move of the first DND employees to the campus will now take place in the fall of 2016.
DND will eventually transfer 8,500 military and civilian employees to the Carling Avenue location. Despite the initial delay, the move is still expected to be finished by 2020.
Government officials still insist the move of DND employees will save taxpayers $750 million over the next 25 years. The DND and Public Works have not released any information, however, to back up that claim.
Internal DND documents provide some of the reasons for the move to Nortel: reduced cab fares, less need for commissionaires to guard offices and an atmosphere that allows people to work better together.
If you have been transferred to Ottawa, feel free to get in touch. I specialize in military relocations and would be happy to be of service and can provide you with references from successful Ottawa House hunting trips over the past years.
Chris
Posted on: March 20th, 2015 by Chris Scott
If you have been posted to Ottawa this year and are relocating to the city I have a few tips for you.
As you may know, DND headquarters is moving from its current building in downtown Ottawa to Nepean (Ottawa west) to take over the Nortel campus. This is a major project and will be happening over the next 3 years. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you have been posted to Ottawa. Some very popular neighbourhoods for my military clients are now Kanata and Stittsville. In previous years it was always Orleans. These neighbourhoods offer great schools, lots of amenities, and the homes tend to be newer. The house prices also tend to be reasonable compared with other marketplaces. Resale is also usually quick as this is an important consideration as you never know when your next posting message comes in.
It is important to note that there are buildings downtown, in Gatineau, Leitrim and on Startop rd in Ottawa east that will still be fully operational for years to come. It is important to know where you will be working. Stittsville is a great commute to the new DND but is across the city to Startop rd. and even further to Letrim.
Please feel free to get in touch with me if you are planning to relocate to Ottawa. I specialize in HHT’s and would be happy to be of service. I am always reachable on my cell at 613-863-6999.
Chris
Posted on: January 19th, 2015 by Chris Scott
Ensuring your House Hunting Trip (HHT) is successful is my top priority. A standard HHT is 5 days and 5 nights for which you and or your spouse travel to the new location to find your new house. Having planned many Military HHTs within Ottawa, I have created a checklist to help prepare you for your Ottawa house hunting. Here are a few top tips:
Pick Your Dates!
Plan your trip at least 40-60 days before your report date. This will give the sellers enough time to move out and help accommodate your door to door move. The more time in advance the better.
Research, Research, Research
Familiarize yourself with your new location before your trip. Google Maps can be a great resource to search out the downtown core, schools, amenities and public transit. Ottawa has a variety of neighbourhoods in different price points. Your agent should help you understand what areas might be the right fit for you based on your unique circumstances. Communication with your agent before you arrive is key. We build a listing website of all available inventory that matches our clients needs and work from there. This site gives our military clients the ability to track listings, set-up favorites/possibility lists, and get a sense of the market activity.
Brainstorm & Communicate With Your Agent
Knowing exactly what you want in a new home is often difficult but expressing your needs to your agent can help them select the right properties for your HTT. Consider your lifestyle choices along with your “must haves” and communicate them to your agent. The clearer picture your agent has of your situation the more accurate your property matches will be.
Another great resource if you plan on taking public transportation is http://www.octranspo1.com/travelplanner/travelplanner
Of course these are just a few tips. If you would like to book a house hunting trip in Ottawa, please click on the link below.
Plan and book your house hunting trip with me today.
Posted on: January 9th, 2015 by Chris Scott
As a member of the Canadian Forces you are responsible for arranging a door to door move when you are relocating. By doing so, you are ensuring a smooth transition between households which allows you have a stress free relocation, be back to work sooner and incur fewer expenses during the moving process. This style of relocating is beneficial for you even though it requires a bit more planning. In order to coordinate the dates effectively, you must establish your “target” moving dates in advance. These dates create a timeline for you to plan your move. With your target dates in mind, you can then begin to plan your moving timeline which can include:
- Obtaining approval from your Chain of Command
- Planning a HHT
- Selecting your Property
- Negotiating the possession/occupancy dates to be close to the date you are to report to your new posting
- Coordinating your travel days with the packing of your home and travel to the new location
- Having your household goods delivered directly to your new home to eliminate the need for storing them
- Avoiding peak moving periods such as long weekends.
While relocating can appear overwhelming at times, creating a timeline in advance will help plan a moving experience that will be easier on you and your entire family. If you are being posted in or out of the Ottawa area, I can help arrange a perfectly executed door to door move with your timeline in mind.
Chris
Posted on: August 26th, 2014 by Chris Scott
It now looks like the initial move of DND employees to the former Nortel Campus on Moodie Drive at Carling has been delayed until late 2015. The original plan was for the first group of 3,300 employees to start moving in January of 2014. Eventually, 8,500 military and civilian employees will move to the new site over a six-year period.
The delay (of almost two years) has caused some scrambling to renew leases on locations such as 400 Cumberland and 305 Rideau. It has, no doubt, also caused some concern on the part of employees scheduled to be moved who were thinking of relocating from the east to the west end of Ottawa.
No explanation has been offered by DND, nor have any details been released relating to the associated costs of extending leases for various offices. The move will eventually reduce the number of rented and leased defence locations in Ottawa-Gatineau from 47 to 7.
Chris
Posted on: June 11th, 2014 by Chris Scott
This year was a very active posting season here in Ottawa. I had the opportunity to work with some wonderful military clients relocating to the city. Every HHT is different. Just to give you an idea where my 2014 Ottawa HHT clients have purchased so far:
- Bridlewood (Kanata)
- Carlingwood (near Westboro)
- Morgans Grant (Kanata)
- Half Moon Bay (Barrhaven)
- Embrun- small community just East of Ottawa.
With the exception of my Embrun clients, who are planning to retire soon, the location of choice for my HHT clients is now west of downtown. It is important to consider the future DND headquarters that will be at the Nortel Campus about 15 min west of Downtown Ottawa.
If you or anyone you know is being relocated into or out of Ottawa, feel free to get in touch. It would be my pleasure to help you with your real estate needs.
Chris
Posted on: April 1st, 2014 by Chris Scott
The move of DND to the Nortel campus has a green light.
The review is over and it has been formally announced that upwards of 9,000 Ottawa Military members will be moving their place of employment to the old Nortel Campus in Bells Corners. The campus will, eventually, be renamed.
The first wave (approx. 3,300 people) will move in late 2015. The entire move will take about 6 years.
For Bells Corners and west Ottawa – this is HUGE – the incoming numbers are more than were lost with the collapse of Nortel.
This consolidation will reduce DND’s current footprint from 40+ offices to 7 major locations in the National Capital Region – 3 in Ottawa (one west, one downtown and one east), and 4 in Gatineau.
Many military members will consider moving west from their current place of residence. For those who don’t want to move, there will be a shuttle bus service between the 7 locations.
There are rarely a lot of homes for sale in Bells Corners so there will likely be a spike in home values – and perhaps the development of at least one condo tower, apartments or row homes.
Ottawa house hunting trips for military personal posted to Ottawa will now be potentially west-end focused. Areas like Kanata, Stittsville, and Bells Corners will see an uptick in activity for sure.
If you know your job will be one of those moving – and you want to consider moving to be closer to your place of work, now is the time to take action! Give me a call if you’d like to chat about this.
Chris
