Imagine you're looking for a new home. You have a list of all the features you want, just like you would have a grocery shopping list. However, when you explore the homes currently on the market, none meets all your criteria. What do you do? You have a few good options. First, you can take a second look at your list. Does your new home need every single feature on it? Are there one or two features you can do without? For example, can you settle for a smaller kitchen assuming the... [read more]

Imagine you have a major project at work, you have to deal with homeschooling and you still need to deal with groceries, laundry and dinner. Whoa! That's a busy life. Can you still find and buy a new home with such a tight schedule? The good news is, you can. In fact, there's plenty you can do to save time. Consider these tips: • Get specific about the home you want to buy. Think about property type (for example, "two-story, detached"), number of bedrooms and... [read more]

Imagine going to a restaurant with your family for dinner. You're planning on ordering a nice pasta and salad. Your heart is set on it. But, after you go to the trouble of driving there and getting a table, you discover that pasta is not on the menu. That’s disappointing! Of course, it’s only a meal. You can go somewhere else next time. But, what if the same scenario played out once you had moved into a new neighbourhood? Imagine you were counting on public transit being... [read more]

Imagine you’ve dreamed of living in a particular neighbourhood, perhaps for years, and then, when you're finally ready to make a move, finding out that the area is competitive and buying there is definitely a challenge. A disappointment? Not necessarily. There is a lot you can do to buy into a popular neighbourhood, even in competitive offer situations. Your first step is to start targeting that area now. Find out about property types, prices and trends. In particular,... [read more]

Imagine driving through a desirable neighbourhood and, just as you turn a corner, you see the absolutely perfect home. Guess what? It's for sale! But, there’s a problem. Your current property isn't on the market. In fact, until this moment, you hadn’t seriously considered moving. So what do you do? Your first step is to find out more about the listing. Get a description of the property. Find out the listing price. Check out the size, layout, number of bedrooms and... [read more]