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The expression "putting your money where your mouth is" demonstrates a monetary sincerity to what could be empty words.   In today's competitive market where multiple offers are common, sellers want as much assurance as possible that the buyer is sincere and will close on the sale. The seller who accepts a contract expects the buyer to follow through but, in most cases, doesn't know the buyer either personally or by reputation.   The earnest money submitted by the buyer with the contract shows their commitment to the terms of the offer. If the amount is relatively small, the seller could be concerned that the buyer may walk away from the contract if they change their mind before closing.   The lost time could be injurious to a seller who is trying to meet a deadline. The more earnest money a buyer deposits indicates to the seller a higher level of commitment to the contract.   Except for stated contingencies in the sales contract, if the buyer...

A current inventory of all the personal items in your home is important and even necessary, if you are faced with filing a police report or insurance claim. The homeowner is usually asked if they have a home inventory.   If not, the homeowner can reconstruct one to estimate the loss. Imagine you are in this position; would you be able to make an accurate list of your belongings and their value?   As an exercise, pick a room of your home, and, while being in another room, list all the belongings and their value.   When you're finished with the list, go into the room, and check to see how you did. This little project should demonstrate the difficulty of reconstructing a list and depending on whether you missed a lot of items and the importance of having an up-to-date home inventory.   Not only will this help you purchase the right amount and type of insurance, having an accurate inventory will make filing a claim easier. An accurate accounting of your bel...

Buyers are becoming discouraged there are not enough homes on the market, especially, in certain price ranges.   When they do find something they want, there may be multiple offers and they end up losing to another buyer. Some buyers after experiencing several of these instances have decided to wait until the market changes.   It is understandable but it may be a very long wait as well as being a very costly decision. Inflation is affecting all sectors of the economy; prices on food, cars, and electronics are going up as well as housing and mortgage rates.   Home prices rose 20.2% year over year in May 2022 over 2021, according to a recently released CoreLogic report.   The advantage to current homeowners wanting to move up is that their home is now worth more and it takes the sting out of the price they will have to pay for a larger home. Unfortunately, first-time buyers and those who don't currently own a home are seeing the prices continue to incr...

"I'd wish I'd known that before I picked a mover."   Having a checklist of questions might have prevented this issue.   This list of questions will provide you with things to discuss when interviewing a moving company. Fees What is the charge for packing? Does it include boxes?   If not, what do they cost and will you deliver them? Is there an additional charge to deliver some items to a storage unit? Insurance How is a damage claim handled? What insurance do you provide and is there a cost? Does the insurance cover items packed by the owner? Can additional insurance be purchased? If items are covered by my Homeowner's insurance, whose insurance pays first? Unusual Items Can you ship my car(s)?   Will they be in the moving van or towed? What are the charges for shipping cars, lawn tractors, etc? What items cannot be shipped? If a shuttle truck is needed because of the location of my house or size of the drive way, is there an ...

A common concern for homeowners is that if they sell their home first, they may not be able to find another home to buy.  It is understandable with the low inventories currently available in most markets, but a strong argument can be made to buy your replacement home first. In fact, there are some advisors that would tell you not to sell at all.  Instead, keep the home for a rental investment and refinance it to pull out some cash for the down payment and closing costs for the new one. Many homeowners recognize that their home has been an excellent investment for them.  Their home may have outperformed their retirement and other investments.  In all likelihood, homeowners understand the management and benefits of a single-family home far better than they understand stocks, mutual funds, annuities, or ETFs. Just as there are low inventories of homes for sales, there are shortages of available single-family homes for rent, as is evidenced by rent continui...

The primary negotiation in a home purchase takes place when the contract is agreed upon that includes the price, closing and possession.    With inventory down over 19% in the past year and multiple offers being more of the norm than the exception, the first round of negotiations can be challenging. Buyers and sellers alike feel relieved once it has resulted in an agreement, but experienced agents know there is more to come if there are contingencies for financing, inspections, or other things.   The competition for the home may be so tough that the buyer waived their rights for what would be normal contingencies. Financing is one of the most common contingencies in normal situations but when multiple offers are involved, the cash offers tend to have the advantage.   If you don't have the resources to make a cash offer, the next best position is to be pre-approved with a commitment letter from the lender.   Arrange for the lender to confirm the pre-...

SHAWN Wishing a special day to all fathers and those who love, mentor, and make us feel safe. Shawn Venasse Sales Representative Sotheby's International Realty Canada 1867 Yonge Street, Suite 100, Toronto ON M4S 1Y5 c 647.250.9937 | t 416.960.9995 | f 416.960.3222 svenasse@sothebysrealty.ca sothebysrealty.ca Visit My Website                          ...

In inflationary times, currently the highest in 40 years, the purchasing power of your money diminishes each day; essentially, buying you less.   The biggest threat is to be without capital assets, like a home, that are benefiting from the increase in prices.   Your money buys less gasoline now, than it did a year ago, by close to 50%. Beef prices are up about 20% since last year.   Used cars are about 35% more expensive than they were a year ago.   Mortgage rates are near 5% after reaching their lowest of 2.65% in January 2021. And then, there is the price of houses.   CoreLogic reports that home prices increased year over year by 20% in February 2022.   Their Home Price Index indicates an annual five percent increase in prices from 2014 to 2021. For many people, the American dream of owning a home is slipping away.   Adjusting your expectations for the perfect home and when you expect to achieve it, can be a legitimate, long-term stra...

Rising interest rates compounded with increasing home prices are causing affordability issues for many buyers.   To keep payments low, you won't have to give an arm, but more buyers are considering getting an ARM, adjustable-rate mortgages. Mortgage rates are near its highest point since 2009.  "While housing affordability and inflationary pressures pose challenges for potential buyers, house price growth will continue but is expected to decelerate in the coming months."  said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist. A $400,000 home with 10% down payment and a 30-year term has the choice of a 5.27% fixed-rate or 3.96% for a 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage.   The principal and interest payment will be $1,992.40 for the fixed-rate and $1,710.40 for the adjustable rate saving the buyer $281.99 per month for five years. There is an additional savings for the buyer choosing the adjustable-rate mortgage because the unpaid balance at the end of the fi...

With multiple offers the norm on many listings these days, the seller relies on their listing agent to help them determine which one to accept.   In some cases, offers subject to FHA or VA mortgages tend to move to the bottom of the list. Some sellers consider all cash offers first and then, conventional offers with at least 20% down payments as the next most likely to close.   It may be because of a common misconception that FHA or VA buyers are poor credit risks and have a higher likelihood of not being approved.   Both FHA and VA do not require as strict credit requirements as conventional loans but if a buyer has been preapproved, that should alleviate that worry. A legitimate concern regarding FHA and VA contracts could be that if the appraisal doesn't come in at the sales price, the buyer has an option to void the contract.   This means that the property would have to go back on the market and valuable time could be lost.   However, that could...