Month: September 2025

Shopping for a new home in a distant town, city or community can be a challenge. It’s especially difficult if getting there requires a very long drive or flight. So, if you’re thinking of moving out-of-town, here are some home shopping tips to consider:

Schedule a longer than normal viewing appointment. Make sure the seller is aware that you’ll need more time to see and evaluate the home, so they don’t book another appointment too soon after yours. Spend extra time in the community and surrounding area. Drive the streets. Go for a walk. If possible, chat with residents you run into. Get all the facts you can about the home and surrounding area. You’ll want to take a close look at crime statistics, property turnover, demographics, etc. Don’t rush your travel plans when going to see a listed home. Try to arrive for the viewing relaxed and energized (rather than stressed and fatigued), so you can see the property in an unhurried manner.Following these simple tips can bring you a lot closer to finding your faraway dream home.

Purchasing a home is not the same as buying a product off the shelf. You don’t simply pay the price on the tag and know it’s yours. You can’t just see a home for sale and say, “I’ll take it!”, especially if the market is competitive. You need to make an enticing offer.

That offer, of course, would include the price you propose to pay. That price may or may not be the “price tag” or the asking price. In order for your offer to be successful, it needs other ingredients too. For example, winning offers often include evidence that appropriate financing has been arranged. This gives the seller confidence that you can afford the home and that the deal won’t fall through due to an issue with the mortgage.

Also, you may need to put conditions on your offer, such as making it conditional on selling your current home. You’ll need to be careful here. Adding a condition or two may be necessary to protect your best interests, but may also dissuade the seller from accepting your offer.

Negotiation is perhaps the most important part of the buying process. Even if there are no competing offers, there will likely be back-and-forth discussions about price, conditions, closing dates, and more. Savvy negotiating is critical, not only to ensure you get the home, but also that you get it for the lowest price and best terms possible.

Real estate negotiation is not for the timid. It requires in-depth knowledge of the local market, hard-won negotiating skills, and experience. If you’re selling your home, buying a new home, or both, keep in mind the important role that negotiation has in getting you what you want.

If you’re entertaining the idea of selling your home, especially within the next year, one question you might be grappling with is, “Should I sell now, or wait until market conditions are more favourable?”

The answer is simple. Your decision to sell should be guided by your own needs and desires and not by what you think the market will be like months from now.

First of all, it’s nearly impossible to predict the future in the real estate market. Months from now, it could be a buyer’s market, a seller’s market, a quiet market, or even a frenzied market! Who knows? It’s like trying to predict what the weather will be like on this day next year.

And, if you’re also buying a new home, then market conditions play a less important role. After all, if you sell in a seller’s market and get a high price for your home, you’ll also be paying a seller’s market price for your new home.

In most situations, the “right” time to sell is when you’re ready to make a move.