Spectacular Executive Luxury End Unit Townhome!

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY
JANUARY 28TH 2-4pm

#41-555 Chablis Drive,
Waterloo

2. Chicopee Ski Hill & Tube Park:
Get healthy, get active! Take a day trip to Chicopee, Waterloo Region's own ski resort, offering exciting winter activities like downhill skiing and snow tubing.

3. Elmira Maple Syrup Festival:
World's Largest One Day Maple Syrup Festival. Since 1965, this fun-filled family event has raised funds to support local charities and non-profit organizations.

4. The Wonders of Winter:
A Festival of Lights Take a stroll. Take a drive, through Waterloo Park, Over 100,000 lights and more than 80 displays. The festival runs from late November to early January in Waterloo Park.

5.  Christmas Fantasy in Victoria Park:
Every year, Victoria Park- the jewel in the centre of our city – comes alive with thousands of twinkling lights.  It’s a winter wonderland for friends and families to enjoy in the weeks leading up to the holidays – and right through New Year’s Day.

6.  FREE Skating at Kitchener’s Civic Square:
Like skating outdoors? Like skating in downtown Kitchener?  In front of Kitchener City Hall, there's lots of great skating for the whole family. Get all bundled up and skate round and round. The ice surface is 65 feet by 112 feet in size. This outdoor artificial rink operates November to March each year.

7. The City of Waterloo Museum at the Conestoga Mall:
Next time you’re at the Conestoga Mall, take a minute and check out a bit of Waterloo Region history. The City of Waterloo Museum is located in the mall, at the far end of the food court (towards the doors that lead outside to the theatre). It’s exhibitions always feature some aspect of our local history.

8.  Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory:
Stroll among 1000’s of free-flying butterflies in the year 'round, lush tropical garden featuring over 85 species of tropical plants, waterfalls, streams and ever-expanding collection of exotic birds. Discover a honey bee observation hive, and incredible insect and butterfly collection, cafe and gift store. Free parking.
 

9.  Woodside National Historic Site:
Bring the entire family for a day of outdoor and indoor fun at Woodside. Be invigorated while skating on a natural rink and borrow snowshoes to explore the many trails on the grounds. Warm up with a hot cup of cocoa and participate in Victorian indoor games, including a scavenger hunt.

10.  Joseph Schneider Haus:
The Joseph Schneider Haus Museum and Gallery is a dynamic community museum in downtown Kitchener. The heart of the complex is the fine Georgian frame farmhouse built by one of the area’s first pioneers, Joseph Schneider, a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite. A local landmark and Kitchener’s oldest dwelling, the c. 1816 homestead was restored and furnished to period and opened as a living history museum in 1981.

Looking back at 2011, the president of the KWAR observed that the beginning of the year started with slower sales activity and that by June, sales started to gain momentum.  The moderate demand in early 2011 was likely the result of the many buyers who purchased in the latter part of 2009 and early 2010 to avoid anticipated higher mortgage rates, and the HST.  Then, when adjustments to the rules for government‐backed insured mortgages were implemented in March of 2011, this may have further impacted the ability for some to enter the housing market, particularly first‐time buyers.

Click HERE for:  Residential Sale Price and Total Units Sold in December over the last 10 years.
 
If you are thinking of selling your home this winter, or if you have any questions regarding this winter’s Real Estate market, please give either Teresa or myself a call for a Market Evaluation of your home, and to meet to discuss the best course of action for you and your family.

Flav Onsen, Sales Representative
Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Brokerage
flav@onsenhomes.com

Electrical Safety Authority can be contacted at www.esasafe.com or by calling 1 877-372 7233.

Applications for rental license can include passed ESA certificates completed within 6 months of submission.

If you have any further questions please contact the City of Waterloo 519-747-8587 or at rental@waterloo.ca. 

Information on your local Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning contact will be available in the upcoming weeks.

The City of Waterloo is hosting 15 workshops to assist with those wishing to apply for a residential rental licence:

Lions Room 200, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
101 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo

Tuesday February 14, 2012

Wednesday February 15, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Sessions run each day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Space is limited to 30 participants per session. Register for the session that you'd like to attend ASAP.

Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. You must be registered to attend.

To register, email rental@waterloo.ca.
www.waterloo.ca/rhlr

Courtesy of Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors

It is a time to be merry and not a time to be stressed!  The following tips will help you to beat stress this Christmas and enjoy the holiday period even more:

Tip 1 - Establish a Christmas Budget At The Start Of The Holiday Season - Christmas is a time when you overspend and then spend the rest of the year worrying about it and how you are going to pay it off.  At the start of the holiday season, make a list of everyone you need to buy presents for and set yourself an affordable budget. It's very easy to get caught up in present one up man ship, but avoid it and stick to your budget, you will thank yourself in a few months time.  Set yourself a budget for food, travel and everything else over Christmas to ensure that you are not stressing about money.

Tip 2 - Get Yourself Organised - Christmas is a very hectic time so make sure you are organised. Make yourself lists of all the people you need to buy for, all the food you need and places to go. Start your Christmas shopping early, write your cards early and be organised. Being able to start December with most of your Christmas shopping done will really reduce your stress levels.

Tip 3 - Know Family Arrangements - Family is one of the biggest sources of stress during the festive season. Whether it is due to clashes within the family or the sheer logistics and travelling required to get together, it is a very serious source of stress. Make sure you know your family arrangements well in advance. Don't leave it to the last minute, start planning as early as you need to. This will reduce your stress because you will know what you are doing, where you are going and when it is all happening.

Tip 4 - Avoid People Who Create Stress - There are always people you feel you should visit over Christmas which cause you or your family stress. These are people who are best avoided as it is not worth getting stressed and spoiling Christmas. Visit people because you want to, not because you feel you ought to. Ought to and should basically means you are doing something out of a sense of guilt, not because you want to. Spend the holiday season with people you want to be with.

Tip 5 - Make Travel Arrangements In Advance - Travelling at Christmas is hectic and expensive. You need to make sure all travel arrangements are made as far in advance as possible in order to benefit from cheaper prices and to ensure you can get the tickets you need. Remember, a lot of people travel at Christmas, so make sure you are well prepared and plan to travel outside of peak times if you can.

Tip 6 - Make Up With People - Life is too short to hold grudges and the time comes when it is just too late to make up. Take some time out over Christmas to heal past grudges and arguments between you and some of the people around you. Often these arguments are a source of stress and by healing them you can reduce the stress.

Christmas is a time for merriment and enjoyment. Take some time out and reduce your stress levels so that you can really enjoy the festive season!

Courtesy of impactfactory.com

At this 17th annual event we weighed in with over 2,000 lbs of food donations, and raised over $10,000 for the Food Bank! Way to go!

60+ Sales Representatives from our office, and over 800 family and friends filled 5 theatres at Empire Theatres in Kitchener, to watch the family friendly movie "Happy Feet 2".  Along with a great movie, kids were able to meet with Santa, get their face painted, laugh with clowns and enjoy balloon animals.

Thank you to everyone for coming and helping make this year the best year yet!  Hope to see everyone next year!

Flav and Teresa

The residential real estate market continues to demonstrate its stability in Waterloo Region.  Our housing market is on solid footing contrary to some recent international headlines suggesting a slump in the so called global housing market. This simply reinforces the importance for consumers to talk to a local REALTOR® to understand what’s really happening at the local level, as housing markets
often differ from national or even international trends.

Click HERE for:  Residential Sale Price and Total Units Sold in November Over the last 10 years.
 
If you are thinking of selling your home this winter, or if you have any questions regarding this summer’s Real Estate market, please give either Teresa or myself a call for a Market Evaluation of your home, and to meet to discuss the best course of action for you and your family.

Flav Onsen, Sales Representative

flav@onsenhomes.com

Stage 1 of the rapid transit system consists of both Light Rail Transit (LRT) and adapted Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) operating along the rapid transit corridor.  LRT will operate between Conestoga Mall in the City of Waterloo and Fairview Park Mall in the City of Kitchener (19 km), and aBRT will operate between Fairview Park Mall and the Ainslie Street Terminal in the City of Cambridge (17 km).  There will be a total of 21 stations along the 36 km corridor.

Click here to view the route map.

If you would like to be added to the project mailing list or have project-related questions, please contact:

Darshpreet Singh Bhatti, P.Eng.
Manager, Rapid Transit Engineering
Transportation and Environmental Services
Region of Waterloo
150 Frederick Street, 6th Floor
Kitchener, ON, N2G 4J3
Phone: 519-575-4757, ext. 3691
dbhatti@regionofwaterloo.ca

Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act, unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in a submission will become part of the public record files for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person.

Flav Onsen, Sales Representative

flav@onsenhomes.com

Drumroll...

and the winner is...

We would like to announce and congratulate this year's winners of The Onsen Team, All Inclusive Caribbean Vacation Client Referral Giveaway for 2011, Paul and Diana Shelton!!!

We wish Paul and Diana a fantastic time under the warm Caribbean sun at their all inclusive resort.  Also, we would like to thank all of our clients for their repeat and referral business and their ongoing trust in our expert Real Estate service over the years!

If you aren't familiar with our trip giveaway, here's a breakdown:

~If you have bought or sold a home with either Flav or Teresa in the last 12 months, your name will be automatically entered!

~If you have referred a friend, family member or co-worker and they have bought or sold a home with Flav or Teresa in the last 12 months, you will be entered again for the same prize!

~If you buy or sell a home with either Flav or Teresa in the next 12 months, your name will be automatically entered!

Next year's Caribbean Trip for 2 will be awarded on November 30th, 2012.  If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home, let us know.  We will be happy to help the same way we’ve helped our clients in the past.

Thanks again everyone!  Flav and Teresa  

• Inspect periodically - Inspecting your home on a regular basis can help you discover any conditions that can attract bugs.  Look in places that might provide food, warmth, moisture and shelter.
• Keep your home clean - Food crumbs in the kitchen, a wet washcloth left in the bathroom, or other seemingly insignificant messes can increase the chances of a bug infestation.  No one needs to spend every waking moment cleaning their home, but performing common household chores such as dusting and sweeping, can help keep bugs at bay.
• Keep your home sealed tight - Sealing entrances to your home such as around doors and windows, placing screens over roof openings, and caulking crevices can help keep pests out.  A mouse only needs ¼ inch opening to squeeze through, and insects need much less.

Have any tried and true tips of your own?  Please share!

Flav Onsen,

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Wolle Realty

flav@onsenhomes.com

1.  Land Transfer Tax:
- Click HERE for exact figures and amounts.

2.  Tax and Mortgages:
- Figures are only available through a lawyer.
- These adjustments will include things like property taxes, any Rental items, or condo fees if applicable.

3.  Mortgage Insurance Fee (if CMHC is used for a High Ratio Mortgage):
- For existing homes (Resale) from:  
81% - 85% = 1.75% (down payment between 15% - 19%)
86% - 90% = 2.00% (down payment between 10% - 14%)
91% - 95% = 2.75% (down payment between 5% - 9%)

Greater than 25 years, up to and including 30 years: add 0.20%
Greater than 30 years, up to and including 35 years: add 0.40%
     
4.  Mortgage Processing Fee:
- (only if CMHC High Ratio Mortgage is used)  From $160 - $250.

5.  Survey:
- It is a requirement today, with all mortgage lenders, that a survey be provided with every new mortgage arranged, showing the location of the building; cost will vary from $650.00 and up.  Note: Title Insurance WILL be used regardless if survey is available or not - $ 251.00.

6.  Registered Deed:
- Deals with legal registration of the property in Buyer’s name, as well as all mortgage and legal description and details - $70.50.

7.  Registered Mortgage:
-  Procedure to register the Mortgage at the Registry Office - $70.50.

8.  Title Search:
- Lawyer searches title of property to make sure all is in order (Mortgages discharged, land encroachments, etc.) - $50.00.

9.  Tax Certificate:
- Determines how much is owing for outstanding costs owed back to the Seller for pre-paid taxes - $50.00 – $80.00.

10.  Sheriff’s Certificate:
- Determines if any outstanding liens are present on property (outstanding Judgments against Seller) - $66.00.

11.  Zoning Compliance:
- Determines if certain area is within allowable city zoning code for the new or continuing use of the property (residential, commercial, multi-family, etc) - Cost is now included in the Title Insurance Fee.

Note: The above costs are not guaranteed and are only to be used as guidelines.

1.  Use fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs not only last longer than regular light bulbs, but they also use less energy when in use, costing you a lot less on your energy bill.

2.  Turn off your appliances and unplug them when they are not in use. Even if your appliance isn't on, if it's plugged in, it's using a small amount of energy. Unplug them to receive a small drop in your bill. It may not be much savings up front, but over time, your savings could be significant.

3.  Take shorter showers. Reducing shower time will not only lower your water bill but your energy bill as well. This is an easy way to save a little on your utility bills.

4.  Set your thermostat a degree or two hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. One or two degrees won't make too much difference in your comfort level, but it can give you significant savings on your bills.

5.  Repair leaky faucets and toilets that continually flush. Just a small faucet leak can waste a significant amount of water.

6.  Wash dishes and clothing only when you have a full load. Smaller loads will waste water and energy, so maximize your cost by only washing a full load at a time.  Also, be sure to check your local "time of day usage" rates and try to schedule your dishwasher/laundry at a cost effective time of day.

7.  Air dry your clothing rather than using the electric dryer. This may require you to get creative if you don't have a clothesline. You can use a shower curtain rod or purchase a small drying rack.

8.  Have your home inspected by a local utility company. They can tell you where you can make improvements to your home in order to save even more on your utility bills.

Courtesy of ehow.com

Single Detached home sales last month were up 6.6 % from October 2010.  Price increases were stable in October 2011; the average price of a single family detached home sold in October increased a slight 0.9 % to $332,358 compared to a year ago.

Although all marketplaces are subject to month to month fluctuations, it is obvious that we have a strong, stable market in our region.  Those of you wishing to enter the housing market can still take advantage of low interest rates.  Feel confident that you are purchasing in what is a healthy local housing market.

Click HERE for:  Residential Sale Price and Total Units Sold in October over the last 10 years.
 
If you are thinking of selling your home this fall, purchasing a home, or if you have any questions regarding this fall’s Real Estate market, please give either Teresa or myself a call for a Market Evaluation of your home, and to meet to discuss the best course of action for you and your family.

Flav Onsen, Sales Representative
Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Brokerage
flav@onsenhomes.com

1.  Ceiling fans:  Contrary to popular belief, ceiling fans can actually help to heat your home in the wintertime. Set your fan to rotate clockwise during the winter so that it creates an updraft. This will help to bring the warm air near the ceiling down to the rest of the room.

2.  Check the exterior of your house:  There are plenty of places around the exterior of your house where gaps and cracks can let warm air escape. Thoroughly inspect the entire outside of your house, paying special attention to the foundation, gutters, roof, windows, doors and places where pipes/wires/vents enter your home.

3.  Install a radiant barrier in your attic:  There are some great products like the Reflectix Radiant Barrier that you can easily install to help block the movement of warm air out to your attic. Think of it almost like thick aluminum foil, that comes in a large roll and you staple it to the joists in your attic. You can roll it over your existing insulation either on the attic floor joists or on the roof joist.

4.  Install storm doors and windows:  Storm doors can not only help during the winter when they help to seal up your door, but they also help during the summer when you can replace the glass with a screen to let the breeze in.

5.  Clean your vents and duct work:  Having your vents and duct work professionally cleaned will help your HVAC system run more efficiently and also make the air circulating through your house cleaner by removing dust and pollen build up from the ducts.

6.  Check for leaks in your vents and ducts:  Pay special attention to the connection points between ducts and where the ducts attach to your furnace. If you feel air escaping, then you need to seal the hole. Silver duct tape is a quick and easy fix.

7.  Use caulking and weatherstriping around windows and doors:  Caulking and weatherstriping are two more cheap and easy do-it-yourself projects that can help reduce drafts.

8.  Cover your windows with a plastic window insulation kit:  Plastic window insulation kits are inexpensive and easy to install. These are temporary barriers that you put over your windows to help keep out the drafts and when installed properly, they are hardly noticeable. The 3M Indoor Window Insulation Kit is a great choice.

9.  Winterize your pipes:  This includes insulating all exposed plumbing pipes and draining the water from your garden hose spouts, garden hoses, air conditioner pipes and pool pipes.

10.  Check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors:  Replace your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries every year and test them monthly. This is particularly important during the winter to protect you from the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Courtesy of The Better Planet

What have you done to winterize your home?

Here are 6 reasons why overpricing your home NEVER works:

1.  It makes other homes more attractive (helping to sell the competition)
2.  It can attract the wrong prospects (those who want a more expensive home)
3.  It can waste the initial surge of buyers interest (In today’s market that is the first 3 weeks)
4.  Fewer Sales Representatives will be inclined to show your home
5.  It can discourage prospects who wonder why the home has been on the market so long.
6.  Having a cushion to negotiate does you NO GOOD if you have no one to negotiate with!

Think about this...
When buyers come into the market and meet with a REALTOR, they give the agent their criteria, which includes a certain price range.  Now we can put your home on the market at the price you’d like; however, based on the data I’ve reviewed, it would be at a level with comparable properties (some of which are overpriced, that’s why they have been on the market longer than they should).

Yes, you can always come down in price; however, I’ve found you need an offer to even begin the negotiating process.  When the Buyer’s Agent is searching for homes in a certain price range, the computer doesn’t know that you’ll come down in your price.  It only searches in the price range entered, and it will shun your price, your home, and you.

Can you see how you could be damaged in the marketplace by overpricing your home?

2. You can get 'there' from 'here':
-The local airport is international and offers daily Ottawa flights.
-It's a one hour drive to Canada's busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International.
-Pending traffic, it's a one hour drive to downtown Toronto.

3. The area offers urban and country living:
-Trendy lofts, revitalized warehouse districts and new buildings in downtown cores. 
-Three urban core locations. (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo).
-Suburban neighbourhoods - old and new.
-Rural country settings minutes from town complete with a thriving Mennonite community.
-80% of residents live within a 30-minute drive to work.

4. It's a high-tech haven:
-Over 500 tech companies are located in the Waterloo Region including RIM, Google, IBM, and more.

5. World's Top Intelligent Community:
-Waterloo was voted 2007's 'Intelligent Community of the Year' by New York's Intelligent Communities Forum. www.intelligentcommunity.org.

6. Affordable living:
-Inexpensive housing.
-Comparative salaries and wages to Ottawa and Toronto.
-Highly competitive cost of living.

7. Access to world class education:
-The area is home to three top universities - University of Waterloo, University of Guelph and Wilfred Laurier University - and one of Ontario's premier colleges - Conestoga College.
-50,000 students annually.

8. Opportunities for you and your family:
-Opportunities for you to partner in tech, insurance, not-for-profit, education and service businesses.
-Over 30 minor sports organizations in the region as well as music, arts, drama, museums and more.

9. Cultural festivals and creative spaces:
-The region is home to more than 60 arts, culture and heritage festivals and galleries.

10. It's all here:
-Cool jobs. Hot technology. Top companies. What more could you ask for?

Courtesy of Watch Magazine, a publication of the University of Waterloo Research & Technology Park.

Staging® is the process of preparing any home for sale, regardless of price or location.  Using a proven set of guidelines, the house is inspected for compliance with proven standards and any necessary modifications made. Once this process is complete the home is designated a Staged® Home. 

”The way you live in your home and the way you market and sell your house are two different things.”

What is Involved: 

Organizing Furniture:

Allowing the Buyers to walk through the house with a continuous flow, and also helping make the rooms appear bigger.

Removing Excess Furniture/Items:

Personal pictures, knick knacks, collections, etc.

Room by Room Checklist:

Flav and I are able to provide you with a check list of each room and recommendations for Staging®.

Note:  Average age of Seller is 53 yrs.  Average age of a home Buyer is 32!

If you have any questions regarding Staging® your home, please give me a call/email, and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Teresa Onsen, Broker

teresa@onsenhomes.com

While sales have been slightly behind last year's results for most dwelling types, the condominium-class property has been the notable exception.  There was a 2.8% increase in sales last month compared to a year ago.

With the condominium market now compromising of nearly 20% of K-W's total residential sales, stronger demand for condos have pushed the average price up 5% to $205,434 (compared to this time last year).  Consequently, the average price of a detached home has increased 3.7% to $341,222.

Click HERE for:  Residential Sale Price and Total Units Sold in September Over the last 10 years.
 
If you are thinking of selling your home this fall, or if you have any questions regarding this fall’s Real Estate market, please give either Teresa or myself a call for a Market Evaluation of your home, and to meet to discuss the best course of action for you and your family.

Flav Onsen

Sales Representative

flav@onsenhomes.com

In the Real Estate world homes are being sold as usual.  Not much has changed during the summer months. Mortgage Interest rates are holding steady at their lowest rates ever which is fueling a high buyer confidence. Many of our clients have decided to make a purchase this year, some with re-sale homes, with others preferring a brand-new home (hurry, many builders are selling out on their available lots to build on!). We have also had a number of Investor clients make a purchase with many opportunities in Kitchener and Waterloo.

If you would like more information regarding the current market trends in your specific area, or are curious to know the current market value of your home, call us anytime.  We would be happy to help you.

Flav and Teresa.