Are you considering selling your Ottawa home or condo during the final months of winter, or in early spring?  Selling a home in the winter presents a unique set of challenges.  Follow these tips to get the most out of your Ottawa real estate holding in a winter sale.

• Let the light shine in

Since it gets dark so early in the evening, you can’t rely on any natural light.  Brighten dark rooms with spot lights placed behind furniture.  Open drapes, pull up blinds and turn on the lights.  Remember to turn off the television. 

• Clear a path

Ensure there is a clear path from the sidewalk to your front door and keep it clear – even if it still snowing out.  Remember to place a mat near the front door to hold wet boots.

• No scents make good sense

Due to various allergies, refrain from using scents, deodorizers, candles, perfumes or air fresheners.  If you bake cookies or simmer apple cider, be sure to have some snacks available for those who are tempted by the smell.

• Make your home sparkle

Clean garbage and recycling, polish all chrome, clean all dust and cobwebs, wash bedding for a fresh smell, wash windows, vacuum daily,, dust light fixtures and fans and consider re-caulking tubs and sinks.

• Create a mood

Create an inviting environment using these ideas: place vases with winter flowers around the house; hang plush robes in the washrooms; place two champagne glasses near a champagne bucket on the coffee table for a romantic setting; place a breakfast tray with coffee cup, saucer, napkin and newspaper on the master bed; tie wash cloths with ribbon and place in basket in the washroom; toss afghans on the arms of sofas.

• Let the music play

Have some inviting jazz or classical music on continuous play throughout your home.

• Serve comfort food

Consider keeping on a pot of soup, apple cider or hot chocolate, enticing visitors to stay a while.

• Let you home be warm and inviting

Turn up the heat a degree or two and encourage potential buyers to linger on a cold day.  Light the fireplace (if someone is available to tend it) for additional warmth and coziness.

Now that you know how to make your home “sellable”, give us a call so we can start introducing your home to potential buyers.  Contact one of our professional sales representatives today at 613-288-0090 or visit our Ottawa real estate website for more resources and information.

Renaud Otten Ottawa real estate team helps 300 families for Christmas

In the real estate field, it’s quite easy to take for granted the notion of access to housing. Since most of the people and clients we work with on a daily basis have the means to afford a home, it becomes a ‘given’. In our typical work week, we may help a first time home-buyer find the perfect starter condo; maybe we’ll assist a growing family in making the transition to a larger space; or, perhaps, we’ll help sell the home of an elderly couple looking to downsize after their children have ‘left the nest’. Our daily vernacular consists of industry-speak relating to the beauty and comfort of our houses:  vaulted ceilings, quality stonework, spacious bedrooms…the list goes on.

And so it becomes a challenge to remember how lucky we are and how important it is to spread that luck to those who need it most. In previous years, the Renaud-Otten Team has thanked past clients by sending them a token of our appreciation in the form of a Christmas CD. This year, however, we wanted to do something that would both add value to our past clients and make a difference in our community. Therefore, in lieu of holiday souvenirs that add value only to us, we have arranged to feed 300 families on Christmas Day through the Shepherd’s of Good Hope and their excellent “Feed a Family of 4 for a Day” program.

This holiday season, the Ray Otten and the Team would like to extend thanks to all of our past, present, and future clients. We hope this donation on your behalf is as valuable to you as it is to those who need it most. Furthermore, should you wish to donate, details can be found here at: http://shepherdsofgoodhope.myshopify.com/products/feed-a-family-of-4-for-a-day

All our best in 2012.

Sincerely,

Ray Otten and the Team

A total of 809 residential homes were sold in October 2011, which is very close to the number of homes sold in 2010.

The average sale price of a home in Ottawa in October was $362,341 which is up 3.5% over last year.

Condominium sales were up 14.5 % over 2010 as 253 Ottawa condos were sold, however, the average price of those condos was $259,316.  This represented a decrease of 1.5% over last year.

It is interesting to note, however, that condos are enjoying an increasing popularity in the Ottawa housing market, with residential real estate holding its own.

Halloween is not even over yet, and Christmas craft fairs are popping up everywhere!  Starting tomorrow, the Halloween decorations will be down and the Xmas decorations will be up. 

Here are a couple of upcoming craft shows, for those of you who want to get a head start on the next holiday season:

• November 4-5: Handmade Harvest Holiday Craft Show at the Almonte Old Town Hall
• Friday from 4-9 and Saturday from 10-4
• November 5-6: Wakefield Christmas Craft Fair at Ski Vorlage in Wakefield, Quebec
• Saturday and Sunday from 10-4
• November 5:  All Saints Craft Fair at 5115 Kanata Avenue in support of the Kanata Food Cupboard
• Saturday from 9-3
• November 5: Richmond Public School’s Craft Fair
• Saturday from 10-3
• November 5: St. Helen’s Anglican Church Old Fashioned CHristmas Bazaar at 1234 Prestone Drive, Orleans
• Saturday from 9-2
• November 6, 13 and 20: Christmas Craft and Gift Show at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa
• Sundays from 10-4

Boo and ho ho ho all in one week!

As always, we are your resource for all things Ottawa – including real estate!  For questions or assistance on buying or selling your Ottawa area home, contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090 or visit our Ottawa real estate website.

We have recently added the WalkScore application to all of our Ottawa properties.  Now, you can see what is within walking distance of each home for sale.  If you are looking for a property that will allow you to park your car, save on contaminating the environment with emissions, or just love a nice walk to run some errands, check out the WalkScores on our property listings.

Our Westboro property shows a WalkScore of 88/100, making it very walkable.  Nearby amenities include:

• 0.03km to the nearest restaurant
• 0.09km to the nearest coffee shop
• 0.30km to the nearest grocery store
• 0.30km to the nearest shopping centre
• 0.20km to the nearest school

As you can see, this residential home is very close to many essential amenities.  If you’re a walker, give us a call!  We would be happy to provide you with the WalkScore for any Ottawa home you are interested in.  Simply contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090 or visit our Ottawa real estate website for more information.

Halloween is fast approaching and there are lots of fun activities to do during the month of October.

The long Thanksgiving weekend weather forecast looks absolutely beautiful!  A great chance to enjoy the scenery of Fall’s changing colors and perhaps visit one of our local pumpkin patches.

Some local Ottawa events include:

• October 7-30: Spooky wagon ride at Cannamore Orchard
• September 24-October 31: Pumpkin Festival at Proulx Farm
• October 1-31: Haunting season at Sanuders Farm
• October 14-31: Haunted Walk in Ottawa
• October 22: Ottawa Zombie Walk
• October 29-30: Barnyard Halloween at Canada Agricultural Museum

For more details on these and other fun Halloween events in and around the Ottawa area, visit http://ottawastart.com/halloween.php

Have fun!

As always, we are here for more than just fun stuff….

If you need information about local market trends, buying or selling an Ottawa home, visit our Ottawa real estate website, or contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090.

Ottawa real estate agents sold 1,329 home in August, which is an increase of almost 21% over August of 2010 (1,099 homes were sold).

The 1,329 homes that were sold can be further divided up as follows:

• 1,044 residential homes, and
• 285 condominiums in the Ottawa area.

The average sale price of a home in Ottawa was $337,372, which includes both residential and condominium units.

The average sale of a residential unit in August was $360,405. which represents an increase of 6.3% over August of 2010.

The average sale of a condominium unit in August was $252,999, which is 3.1% higher than condos sold a year ago.

Board President, Joann Tibbles notes that home were on the market longer in August than they were in July, but attributes that to the low interest rate leading to more buyers and, therefore, a longer selling time.

For more information on Ottawa’s changing housing market, contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090.

Wow, it has sure been a beautiful summer!  Better still, it’s not over yet!  If you are looking for something to do this weekend (or any weekend, for that matter), check out our open houses.

For details on our open houses in the Ottawa area, simply visit our Open House webpage.  You will find:

• photo of each house where an open house will be held that weekend
• address of each open house for the upcoming weekend
• day and time of each open house
• link to additional photos, virtual tour and information sheet for each home where an open house will be held

If you would prefer to view a personalized tour of any Ottawa area home, we would be pleased to arrange it.  Just contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090 or visit our Ottawa real estate website.

The July Ottawa real estate market is up 18.8% over last year in sales.  Real estate agents in the Ottawa area sold 1,326 homes in July compared to 1,116 last year, according to the Ottawa Real Estate Board website.

Of the 1,326 homes sold in July, 306 were condominiums, while 1,019 were sales of residential homes.

The Board quotes President-Elect Ansel Clarke as saying, “What a difference a year makes. Last summer the real estate market was reeling from the implementation of the HST that saw many buyers and sellers move up their purchases to the winter and early spring. 2011 is a different story, one that looks a lot more like the average year for Ottawa’s resale housing market.”

The average sale price in July was $341,330, which is an increase over 2010 by 6.2%.

For a more detailed analysis of the July statistics, visit our Ottawa real estate website or contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090.

Well, today is the first day of summer – yahoo!  The kids are getting anxious to be finished with school and the parents are anxious to see the report cards!

Here are some events to check out over the next couple of months:

• The International Jazz Festival runs from June 23 – July 3 and features many wonderfully talented musicians such as Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Smokey Robinson and many more.  There are free events as well as paid events.  Be sure to enjoy some Jazz as summer heats up!  Details at http://www.ottawajazzfestival.com/

Scotiabank Place has a variety of upcoming events:

• Cirque de Soleil: Quidam from June 22 – 30
• Katy Perry on July 3
• Josh Grobin on July 22
• The Wiggles on July 26
• New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys on August 4
• Lil Wayne on August 16
• Keith Urban on September 9
• WWE presents Monday Night Raw on September 12

As you can see, there is something for everyone!  Lots to see and do in the Nation’s Capital! 

Also, don’t forget about Sunday Bike Days, where the following streets are closed to vehicular traffic from 9am-1pm during the summer (Victoria Day to Labour Day):

• Ottawa River Parkway
• Colonel By Drive
• Rockcliffe Parkway

Check out the NCC website for more detailed description of the road closures as well as road closures in Gatineau Park.

Stay tuned next week for a listing of Canada Day activities not to be missed!

As always, feel free to contact us with any of your real estate questions or concerns at 613-288-0090.  Our professional sales representatives would be happy to provide any assistance they can.