Redpost Ottawa Real Estate

"Ottawa Resale Market Stalls in August, Supply Challenges Persist"

What can we say about the Ottawa Real Estate Market 🤔 I think it's safe to state we're experiencing fluctuations in all areas; total units sold, listed, prices and days on market. Although interest rates remained the same earlier this month, the "Governing Council remains concerned about the persistence of underlying inflationary pressures, and is prepared to increase the policy interest rate further if needed." The question is "Will we see another increase before the end of this year?" 🫣

🙋‍♀️ We know that many families are finding it challenging, as their mortgage payment has doubled in less than 2 years. We're also still experiencing a lack of suitable and affordable housing.

With all that said, homes are still selling and there is little shortage in demand. Residential-class prices were ⬆️0.5% and ⬆️1% for Condominium-class properties year-over-year. 🏠 New listings increased by 7% with a total of 2,228 launched in August.

📣 Janice Myers, OREB CEO had some interesting highlights to share: "these latest figures coincide with the City of Ottawa’s allocation of $110 million for affordable housing. Even if interest rates were to drop and the economy stabilized, housing will remain out of reach for many Ottawa residents. Collaboration among all levels of government and stakeholders is vital to improving affordability for homeowners and tenants alike. And we need to expand provincial regulations, allowing four or more residential dwelling units on serviced lots, to promote higher-density housing.”

As we head into the Fall market in Ottawa, 🍂 we're here to help you determine the best strategy to get your home sold and maximise your budget as a buyer. We know how to best lead you through these fluctuations and we're in your corner with honest advice and results. Let's get started on your buying or selling plan and navigate this market together! 🤝

CALL, DM or TEXT us today!

📲 613-601-9275
📧 [email protected]
💬 DM via our socials

📸 REAL ESTATE TIPS 📸

Much like you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, when searching for a house to buy you shouldn’t judge a house you see online by a poor listing photo. It may be more of a reflection on the listing agent’s marketing skills than the house. So, if you see a listing with an exterior pic that looks like it was taken from a moving car, or it showcases something odd like the garage door opener as the main image, don’t just scroll by it.

🙋🏽‍♀️ We've experienced this often, first hand. Most recently, we worked with a couple who was searching for their first home. They had seen quite a few properties and over those weeks, this one particular home (that had been on the market for almost 30 days) was still there... upon first glance, based off the photos (aka first impression, which is often online) it didn't seem very appealing. We strongly recommended to view it anyways, since from the details, it appeared to have many of the needs our clients had on the top of their list.

Guess what?! They loved it! It had the layout they were looking for, great room sizes, fantastic location and so much more! It did need some fresh paint (to update some funky colors) but it was a simple fix that was minimal in comparison to the other features that far outweighed the paint colors. 🙌🏽

It's that time of year again! As the french board starts their 2nd week, the english boards start their first day! 👩🏽‍🏫 🧑🏼‍💻

What's your favorite thing about the back-to-school season—whether you’re a student, teacher, parent, or just want to reminisce! We'd also love to see your 1st day of school pics! 📸

🗨️ "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein

🍂 HELLO SEPTEMBER! 🍂

As summer winds down, September is often viewed as a month of new beginnings and opportunities. Its also a time for getting organized and setting goals as we enter Q4 (the last quarter of the year)!

Is anyone else ready for crisp air, cozy vibes, sweat shirts and fall activities? 😍

Let's make this month a great one! 🙏

Have you been a homeowner for a few years and you’re ready to buy your “next” home? 🤔 Are you prepared to say goodbye and sell or have you thought about stepping into landlord shoes? Have you ever wondered if it’s better to sell your home or keep it as an investment? 🏡

Before making your decision - it’s great to talk to a local REALTOR who knows about both the resale and renter’s market! Did you know that this year in Ottawa, REALTORs helped over 3,336 clients with renting? Compared to last year at this time, it’s an increase of 14%! 🙌🏼

We have quite a few clients with investment property portfolios that we help and firmly believe in growing your financial freedom through real estate investing. 🤓

📣 If you’re thinking of selling or renting let us help you work through the princess and navigate a seamless real estate experience.

📲 613-601-9275
📧 [email protected]
💬 DM via our socials

The town of South Dundas just welcomed some fantastic new homeowners! 🙌🏼

We're not sure what feature we love more; 🤷🏼‍♀️ the hardwood floors, dark kitchen cabinets, huge deck with a pool or the 1 acre lot?!

🎉 Congratulations M & H - what an exciting journey you two have ahead in your new home.

"Stabilized July Resale Market Showing Positive Price Gains"

July 2023 saw an increase in both transactions and average prices year over year as 15% more properties sold over July 2022. 🙌

What this tells us is that many home buyers are still confident in our local real estate market, even following the two recent interest rate increases by the Bank of Canada. 💸 Our Ottawa Real Estate Board predicts that we will continue to see solid year-over-year results for the rest of 2023. 💥

Residential prices were ⬆️5% YOY and ⬆️1% MOM as we saw July’s average prices gain. 📈 Although August does tend to be a slower month in Ottawa we wouldn’t recommend checking out on vacation for your home search!

📣 According to OREB President Ken Decker “Although we are in a sellers’ market again, the pandemic’s frenzy has calmed considerably. Sellers need to manage their expectations with true market activity — not every property will automatically see multiple offers or immediate sales.”

If you’re looking to buy or sell in Ottawa for the rest of 2023 - don’t wait until the fall! 🙋‍♀️ Let’s get started on your buying or selling plan and navigate this market together. 🤝

📣 HOMEOWNER TIPS 📣

Don’t insist on listing your house for a price based on a value from an online evaluation site. They’re just a blind guess based upon data and an algorithm. Rely on a local agent who knows the current market and has actually seen the inside of your house to advise you on an accurate list price.

💬 “𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳”

It’s the last full month of summer ☀️ … what have you been up to so far with the nice weather or if you’re lucky - your vacation time! ✈️ Did you visit a beach for some R&R or travel to new places? What are your plans for this month? Is it too soon to mention back to school plans? 🫣

Here’s to making the most out of August! 🙌

Whether you have your own bountiful garden 🥒🥕 or you prefer to get your produce at the farmer’s market🍅🫑 - we can all agree summer is the best time for fresh veggies and fruit. Not only is this summer recipe delicious and super simple to make, but it’s healthy too! Which means you can definitely head to your favourite local ice cream spot for some dessert!

If you’ve never had panzanella before - it is a Tuscan Salad that is popular throughout Italy🇮🇹. It is a chopped salad traditionally with toasted bread, tomatoes, onions, and fresh basil - but this version also adds a few more veggies. 😊

𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘋𝘐𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘚:
- 1 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘦, 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 1-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘴
- 1 𝘵𝘴𝘱 𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘵
- 2 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦, 𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 1-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘴
- 𝘤𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 1/2-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬
- 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 1-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘴
- 𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 1-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘴
- 1/2 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 1/2 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥
- 20 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥
- 8 𝘰𝘻 𝘮𝘰𝘻𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘴
- 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘪𝘭
- 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳

𝘋𝘐𝘙𝘌𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘯. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘵; 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 10 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.

𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘭, 𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘻𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘴. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘰 + 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦. 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥.

Last day to enter! 🤩 You can also enter on Instagram for double the chances 👀🍦

www.instagram.com/redpost.ca/

Many think it will be simple to prepare and stage their house to sell in the Ottawa Real Estate Market. And, as a homeowner, it’s so easy to overlook little things that you’ve grown accustomed to that could be a major turn-off 🚫 to a market with more-careful buyers, as interest rates remain high 📈.

The good news is - there is no need to stress! With over 2⃣5⃣+ years experience, we’ve compiled our best tips and tricks and created a guide to help you maximize your investment, minimize your time ⌛️ invested and spend your money where it counts the most.

Whether you’re planning on selling this summer, in 2023, or in the future – it never hurts to be prepared! Visit our website at https://redpost.ca/ebook/ and download your own FREE Guide to Selling Your Home❕

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘒 𝘠𝘖𝘜!

⭐️ 🍦 SUMMER GIVEAWAY ⭐️ 🍦

It’s another summer Friday! 😎 Whether you have been sitting on a beach or staying cool in the A.C. - we know everyone can always use a tasty treat!

For our SUMMER GIVEAWAY we are gifting a lucky follower a $50 GIFT CARD to Marble Slab Orleans!

Made with 100% Real Canadian Dairy - Marble Slab's Premium Ice Cream comes with unlimited mixins 🍪🍫🍭 and your very own ice cream combo is made in front of you fresh in store with choices from chocolate bars to candy to fresh fruit!

There is something for everyone; with delicious flavours like Birthday Cake 🎂, mango, Bubblegum, Vegan Chocolate AND MORE - you can finish it off with your personalized cone or sundae OR go big on a delicious ice cream cake😱.

To win the $50 GIFT CARD here’s what you need to do (you must do all 3):
✅ Like + Follow Redpost.ca on Facebook
✅ Like + Share this post!
✅ Comment below a real estate question you want us to answer in a future post!

Contest will run for one week until 11:59PM on Thursday July 27th. Entries are open to Ottawa area residents only.

Good luck and also feel free to tag a friend to let them know about their chance to enter! 🤗

(Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Marble Slab. Please be aware of any spam accounts messaging you to tell you that you are the winner in advance of the deadline. We would never ask you to fill out a form or request your credit card information!)

DISCUSSION QUESTION OF THE DAY: If your house was put on the market today - what’s the most unique thing in your home that a potential buyer would see❓❓

Christiane: A house full of bunnies! 2 of our own + 3 fosters 🐰🐰
Brianne: A dog bed in every room or my lemon tree and olive tree! 🍋

Happy World 🌎 Emoji📱Day!

Looking 🔍for your dream home? 🏡 Let us be your trusted guides 🗺️ in this exciting journey❕😄

At .ca - we're experienced REALTORS 🔑 💼 who care ❤️.

We put your needs first 🥇 and bring our knowledge 🧠 to ensure you find the right home 🏠 and buy at the best price💲.

Let's turn your dreams 💭 into reality 🤝 and unlock the doors to your new home. 🗝️💫

Despite garages being one of the most used spaces in homes🏠, they are also commonly the most cluttered 😳.

Per - a study conducted by the National Association of Professional Organizers found that 5️⃣0️⃣% of homeowners named the garage as their home’s most disorganized area. However, 7️⃣4️⃣% of homeowners surveyed by the Wall Street Journal said that parking was the most important function of their garage.

Do you use your garage for your car or for storage? Let us know in the comments or vote in our stories👇!

So, how do you decide how much to offer on a home you like⁉️

That’s a tough one to answer because it depends on a lot of factors:

✴️ Are there other offers coming in?
✴️ How long has the home been on the market?
✴️ What is the owner’s situation?
✴️ What terms (besides money) can you offer the seller?
✴️ What is the overall market like?

Those are just a few of the factors we’ll consider.
But regardless of “factors”, we’ll also look at the sales data in the MLS 🔎 to determine how much the home is truly worth by looking at how much other similar homes have recently sold for.

Ultimately, it’s your choice how much you want to offer initially and how much you’re willing to go up to in order to get the home.

“Market value” is essentially driven by what a ready, willing, and able buyer is willing to pay for a home. But it’s also dependent upon how much a ready, willing, and able seller is willing to accept 🤝.

We’ll do everything we can to help you understand the market and value of the homes you’re considering 💻. We’ll give you our perspective and advice as your agents, which should put you in good position to get a home for as low as possible, while still submitting an offer a seller will consider and hopefully accept. Because coming in with too low of an offer, at least without justification, can hurt your chances of getting a home at all, let alone at a good price.

📲 613-601-9275
📧 [email protected]
💬 DM via our socials

You Don’t Have To Pay Us A Dime!

Have you ever wondered if you need to pay your real estate agent when you buy a home🤷‍♀️? If so, you’re not alone. Lots of people aren’t sure how it all works.

Here’s the short answer: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲. At least not in the sense of you writing out a check to us or our company. However, we will get paid.

It’s kind of confusing, right🤔? If you’re not paying us…then who is?

It comes from the seller.

So the question becomes: Why would we work with you, for you, and with your best interests in mind, if you aren’t paying us?

Because that’s our responsibility...our fiduciary duty. Simple as that! 🤝

It wasn’t always that way, though. It used to be that all agents were essentially working for the seller, trying to get the highest price they could for the house.

That’s changed...actually quite a while back (2006). But the way agents get paid has not.
The seller still pays the commissions, even though the buyer’s agent is representing the buyer’s interest, not theirs.

See, the compensation we earn comes from the equity in the seller’s house.
In order to sell a house, the owner needs to have equity. In other words, they have enough money to sell the house for a certain price, pay off any existing loans and other costs (like real estate commissions), and still walk away with money in their pocket 💰.

Bottom line?

You don’t have to pay us a dime to represent you.

If you’re ready to buy in 2023 - let’s talk!

📲 613-601-9275
📧 [email protected]
💬 DM via our socials

As we ease into the first week of July 🌞 - Ottawa’s resale market is easing into its typical summer activity.

Last month saw an increase ⏫ in unit sales by 11% YOY. Average prices for residential properties were down 4% YOY and on par 🟰 with May 2023, while average condo prices were up 2% YOY and up 1% MOM.

Although June’s transactions 🗓️ surpassed last year, the number of sales, average prices, and new listings declined on a week-to-week basis over the course of the month said OREB president Ken Dekker.

We all witnessed yet another increase in interest rates and as per usual, we’ve seen activity decline as we head into the summer - the good news is that supply is trending in the right direction! ✅ “The increase in inventory is encouraging and indicates sellers have confidence in the market. A growing resale housing stock will result in more selection for buyers and more sales” suggests Dekker.

Ottawa is expecting a strong second half of 2023 in terms of sales volume and prices compared to 2022. If you’re looking for a REALTOR® to help guide 🔎 you through the changing market - look no further! Whether you’re buying or selling this year - let us help you find the home where you belong. 🏠

💡 HOMEOWNER TIPS 💡

Make sure to keep bushes, trees, and other plants from touching the side of your house and keep them at least 12 inches away from your walls. Plants too close to your house can create dampness and algae, which can lead to rot. They can also invite insects and small critters to find a way into your home.

There’s nothing like that three day weekend feeling! Whether you celebrated 🇨🇦 Day at home in the capital, at the cottage, or maybe you took advantage of a vacation and time away - we hope everyone had a fantastic long weekend 🌞.

Here are a couple snaps from the Redpost team on our first official long weekend of summer 🎆. What did you get up to this weekend? Let us know!

🇨🇦 Did you know that in 2022 Canada ranked the #3 Best Countries in the WORLD?! 🇨🇦 Although it isn’t perfect and we have a lot of work left to do, we are grateful to live in a beautiful country - and especially here in our nation’s capital! Let’s pray that God will keep our land glorious and free. 🙏

From saying “eh” or “sorry” to eating poutine and maple syrup - the world recognizes us as Canadians. 🍁 Happy Canada Day! Bonne fête du Canada! 🍁

In real estate we have our own little language🗣️! From “asking” to “closing” there can be some terminology that might be challenging to navigate without context🤔.

Here a couple of “common” real estate terms 📖 that you may come across on your home buying or selling journey:

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿: The response from the sellers in regards to a buyer's offer. The counter-offer implies the buyer's initial offer was not acceptable and it opens the door to further negotiations.

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹: Report highlighting the estimated value of a property completed by a qualified 3rd party. This is done for the benefit of the buyer’s lender to ensure the home is worth what their client will be borrowing.

𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴: The final step in a real estate transaction; financing the property and transferring the home from seller to buyer. And the keys are exchanged!

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀: Homes in the area of interest that have recently sold of which have similar features.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Clauses that are inserted into an offer that must be met in order to close. They are tied to a date/time, a deadline. If they are not satisfied the contract may be canceled.

𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆: The difference between the market value of your home and what is left owing on the property.

Do you think you’ll be needing some real estate help this summer? We’d love to help you iron out those finer details before you jump❗️ It’s never too early to invite us into your process - we’d love to help.

Visit www.redpost.ca or reach out through any of the channels below for a seamless real estate experience✔️.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭. 𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘞𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯…𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 2 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦!”

- Patrick L.

I know it’s hard to believe, but the end of another school year is ALREADY here😃! This can often be a CRAZY time; between programs, banquets, concerts, special projects, activities, awards🏆, and field trips there’s definitely lots going on.

Before the kids abandon their backpacks, here is a checklist to wrap up the school year and go into summer in control and organized!

📚 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆: Library books, text books, supplies & tech equipment (iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, speakers, headphones, etc), uniforms, etc

📝 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗨𝗽 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀: Year books or picture books, report card, special awards, artwork, any left over supplies

🎁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳: Provide a thank you to your child’s teachers, main office, principal, and/or any other school personnel who helped or had an impact on you or your child this school year.

🎒𝗚𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲: Make sure to go through backpacks, lunch bags, locker items, activity equipment, folders, paperwork, leftover supplies, etc. The last thing that you want is a not-empty lunch bag sitting for 2 months!!

👕𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 & 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀: This is a good time to take inventory of your child’s clothes and sizes so you know what you have and what you may need to buy for next year.

🥳 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Celebrate your child completing the school year and all they have accomplished through the year. Highlight some specific achievements in school with report cards and things they can do now that they couldn’t when the year started.

Although we've been able to enjoy the sunshine ☀️ and nice weather for a few weeks now - today is the *OFFICIAL* start of summer 🥳! Whether you use this time to travel to new places or simply enjoy some R&R at home we can all agree that there's just something about summertime that's magical and oh so relaxing ✨.

From a sizzling bbq 🍔, to fresh fruit 🍓& ice cream🍦, to beach days 🏖 to pool days😎, here's to a season of sunny vibes.

Next week is the "official start of summer" and before the school year ends and you head off on your vacations and flex schedules we’ve compiled a list of summer safety tips to keep your families happy and healthy! Summer is too short to miss due to a safety mishap that could have been easily avoided. 🆘

🌞 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲
Reduce your skin cancer risk (and the early onset of wrinkles!) by wearing sunscreen daily. It’s recommended to apply sunscreen with an SPF30 or higher every 2 hours. Be sure to wear sunglasses, a hat, and cool, long-sleeved clothing when outdoors for long periods of time.

💦 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱
Fluids are lost through sweat which happens a lot more often in the summer. If you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, make sure you keep water with you and drink it often. Adding an electrolyte or sodium mix is also helpful. Consuming foods with high water content (melons, lettuce, cucumbers) can also help you stay hydrated to avoid heat illnesses.

🍔 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹
If you love to BBQ, be sure to practice food safety and fire safety. That includes only grilling outdoors, keeping kids and pets away, and keeping the grill cleaned of grease and fat. Above all, never leave a grill unattended!

🦌𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲
While it may be tempting to feed the cute ducklings by the pond or try to feed a deer from your hand, know that wildlife is just that — wild. They can be unpredictable and bite out of fear or defense. Be sure to give all wildlife that you encounter lots of space. That goes for snakes, bears, bees, birds, deer, and other roaming critters.

🔥𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀
The number one cause of residential fires are cooking fires. Whether you’re toasting marshmallows over a fire pit or grilling on your back patio, make sure to keep any fire activities a minimum of 10 feet away from your home. You can keep a fire extinguisher handy and a hose nearby to put out any unexpected fires.

🌱 𝗠𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
When mowing the yard, make sure you wear long sleeve pants and shirts, along with safety goggles. Wear close-toed shoes to keep rocks and other sharp objects from hurting your feet.

Whether you were born and raised here📍, you’re an adopted Ottawan, or perhaps you’re considering moving to the Nation’s capital 🍁- chances are you don’t know EVERYTHING about our wonderful city! Besides being Canada's capital (of course), Ottawa is rich in history and culture, and offers plenty of activities and attractions 🤳 for tourists and locals alike.

Here are some interesting facts from "Things to Do Ottawa" about Ottawa that you may not know:

1️⃣ The name “Ottawa” comes from the Algonquin word “adawe” or “odawe” (reports vary) which means “to trade”. This refers to the Ottawa River’s essential use for trade, fishing, and navigation to the Indigenous Peoples.

2️⃣ Ottawa is the most educated city in Canada 🤓. 46% of Ottawa citizens aged 25-64 have University or College degrees. The rest of Canada has an average of 29%.

3️⃣ Mer Bleue Bog in Ottawa's south east end is actually an Arctic microclimate that is 7,000 years old 😱 (Redpost actually took our 2022 Christmas pictures there!)

4️⃣ Ottawa has many statues dedicated to Canadian history. In Confederation Park there is an adorable German Shepherd in a service vest statue to honour the animals who have served in the Canadian military. It’s one that real dogs 🐕 often mistake as also real and they will run up to try to play with it!

5️⃣ The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill has a flag 🇨🇦 on top that is replaced every weekday. The used flags are sent free of charge to any Canadian citizen who requests one. However, the waitlist is now over 100 years.

6️⃣ Furniture that was meant for the Chateau Laurier sank on the Titanic🚢, along with the Fairmont’s founder. (NO WAY!)

7️⃣ Ottawa had the first electric traffic lights🚦in Canada (installed in 1855).

Have any fun facts about our city? Let us know in the comments!

Last month we saw the weather finally starting to heat up🔥, and so did Ottawa’s resale market. Sales increased for the first time in the past 15 months - since February 2022! 😱

When we look at the trends in our local market, the month of May is typically the highest-selling month of the year 📅. This year 1,939 residential properties were sold last month, that’s an increase of 6% over May 2022.

Ken Dekker, our OREB President notes interestingly that “It is a promising year for sellers barring any interest rate adjustments, as we saw a correlated drop in sales every time there was an interest rate hike in 2022.”

Although we were seeing a more balanced market in Ottawa as we navigated through late 2022 and early 2023, we are back in a stronger seller’s market 💰. With pent-up high demand and sales volume increasing, we are likely to see upward pressure on prices as demand continues to outweigh supply. However, the good news so far is that May’s average prices were on par with April’s ⚖️ which means we have not seen a steep price escalation just yet.

As many of you know, the Bank of Canada did raise interest rates again this week and there may be more to come - this makes it hard to predict if prices will continue to rise.

As we mention every month - these statistics are an average, and every neighbourhood in Ottawa has its own “micro-market”. If you’re looking for a more in-depth market analysis for your buying or selling needs - let’s chat📲!