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Re: Anyone selling their house right now?
Brit_Mum ~ I would've also suggested $299,900. While it sounds lower, there is also a pretty 'scientific' reason as well (as our Real Estate Agents...
Brit_Mum ~ I would've also suggested $299,900. While it sounds lower, there is also a pretty 'scientific' reason as well (as our Real Estate Agents indicated to us.)
You reach a WHOLE different group of buyers. In our area anyways, the $299,900 bracket seems to be the dividing line between First Time Home Buyers and people looking for bigger/longer term houses.
Does that make sense the way I explained it.
At $299,900, you will reach the people searching for a new home (who will usually look at homes UNDER $300,000 when entering search criteria) but you will also hit the people looking for bigger houses (searching from $250,000+)
Hopefully, by being a lower price range, you will get more searches generated and being seen by First Time Home Buyers will hopefully generate more interest.
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Re: Anyone selling their house right now?
Ladies... I keep checking this thread looking for positive updates, I'm sorry you aren't having any luck. Rina ~ When we sold, we were expecting...
Ladies...
I keep checking this thread looking for positive updates, I'm sorry you aren't having any luck.
Rina ~ When we sold, we were expecting the buyers to come back after the home inspection with a list of demands (or a lower price) and were SHOCKED at what they requested, it was so minor. They wanted us to repair a door (just needed a nail) and to replace the dryer vent (to go from plastic to metal.) All this was a $40 fix and very little hassle. But they never made any mention about the broken Closet Door (which was quite an expensive fix, as the whole door would've needed replacing) or the carpets cleaned or the walls repaired (we had a few major dry wall problems) or the Central Vac that SUCKED. Good luck to you, hopefully it all goes well.
Brit_Mum ~ We realized this weekend how lucky we were to sell our house and we owe it all to proper pricing and a great real estate agent. There are 4 houses (3 the same model as ours) up for sale in our old area and they just aren't selling. They all tried to get what we got for ours (we priced right and had multiple offers and sold well over asking price) and have since had to continually lower their prices. One finally sold last week, for $20,000 less than their original asking price.
Good luck. It's SO STRESSFUL, but will be so worth it in the end, once you slap a SOLD sign up.
Baby ~ Good luck today...hoping the offer comes through for you. After a year on the market with TWO houses, you certainly deserve to have at least one of them off your hands. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
UPDATE ~ As for us, I don't think I ever updated. We have now been in our new home for a month and it's amazing. I finally feel like I'm HOME (we lived in our old house for 8 years, bought it brand new and moved in just days after getting married...but it never truly felt like home to me.) The kids have transitioned really well and we are LOVING the new house and all the space.
The house we bought is 14 years old. And while it was well kept, we've found a few things we weren't anticipating...the roof is being replaced tomorrow (we knew that had to be done when we bought it.) The upstairs carpet needs replacing and a new sub-floor needs to be added (the squeaks in the floor are AWFUL.) The air conditioner is too small for the house (that was the one thing the inspector wasn't able to look at, as it was winter and had been winterized when the inspection was done.) If we replace it this year (still waiting for it to quit before replacing) we can install a larger and more efficient unit, that will hopefully cool the house much better. And the fridge looks like it's going to completely quit on us, so that may need replacing (which I'm fine with, I find the current fridge too small!)
The old owner (original owner) made some great upgrades to the house, that we are now reaping the benefits of, but he was definitely no handyman. There is ZERO landscaping in the backyard, so we've ordered 4 mature trees to be planted and will be doing garden beds as soon as the trees arrive. Next year we will be adding a patio and re-doing the front walkway.
It's going to be on-going projects FOREVER, but at least it feels like home and we LOVE it. It was TOTALLY worth all the stress and worry.
Hoping you all have good luck selling and that July is your month!
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Re: Did you do anything for your open house?
I know it's after the fact, but if you have one in the future. We actually didn't put out any refreshments, but I did put...
I know it's after the fact, but if you have one in the future.
We actually didn't put out any refreshments, but I did put Fresh Flowers on the Kitchen Table, I put Fresh Flowers on the Kitchen Counter.
We also added Febreze Air Freshners (there really kind cool actually) in a few select rooms. It wasn't an overpowering smell, it was just fresh and clean and really inviting.
We also had ALL the Curtains/Blinds up and open. We switched on EVERY SINGLE LIGHT in our house (we had showings at 9:00 two nights) and we left the TV with music playing the entire time.
We got great feedback on those few things. People loved the fresh flowers and our agent said people kept commenting on how nice it smelled.
Good luck with selling...remember, it only takes 1 person/family to fall in love with your house.
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Re: Anyone selling their house right now?
Lucasta-just based on the current experience in our neighbourhood right now (I'm absolutely no expert) The first house in our neighboorhood sold for a great...
Lucasta-just based on the current experience in our neighbourhood right now (I'm absolutely no expert)
The first house in our neighboorhood sold for a great price. We then listed, at the same time as another house in our neighboorhood. There was a $5000 difference between ours and theirs (ours being higher, but we had about 400 sq ft bigger, and extra room, private drive and end unit as opposed to interior unit) and we had 4 offers well above asking price.
A month later, two other end units (one identical to ours) have gone up in our neighbourhood. The first asked about $2,000 over what our house sold for (our sold price was absurd and unrealistic for the neighbourhood.)
Both houses have now sat on the market for weeks. The first has had to lower their asking price 3 times already and are now lower than what our original asking price was for.
If you are desperate to sell, it is my opinion, to list your asking price at fair market value and not try to be too ambitious. I've found, in our areas, the ones who don't price appropriately are on the market a lot longer and usually have to lower asking prices a lot to sell.
Just my opinion of course. But a more reasonable price may generate more interest and perhaps incite multiple offers, if your lucky.
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Re: Anyone selling their house right now?
We are 3 weeks out from our closing date and I still feel like I'm in H$LL! My house is a disaster area, I have...
We are 3 weeks out from our closing date and I still feel like I'm in H$LL!
My house is a disaster area, I have mess and boxes everywhere...I'm worried about the new owners wanting to come into our house and being totally turned off by the home, I have nightmartes about the buyers backing out at the last minute.
I just want this all over with and put behind me!moving is hard and stressful!
Good luck to everyone else selling. We've had 3 houses pop up in our neighbourhood and none are selling right now (doesn't help that they are all being greedy and basing their price on the unbelievable and unrealistic price we got for our house.)
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Re: buying a house- things you wished you'd considered
Having just gone through the house hunting havoc...I had a really short 'must-have-won't-compromise-on' list. All it included was a main-floor laundry room (I've been doing...
Having just gone through the house hunting havoc...I had a really short 'must-have-won't-compromise-on' list. All it included was a main-floor laundry room (I've been doing laundry in the basement for 8 years and it SUCKS.)
Other things that really appealed to us:
- Access to the garage from the house (again, never had it before and hope it will change our lives)
- No Sidewalk on our property
- Big Enough driveway to fit 2 cars end to end (cause we don't currently have it and the street parking is annoying)
- Natural Light/ More Windows (I hate living in the dark)
- Exposure of the backyard (as a pp said, we love to spend time outside, but by 4 we are in shade and it's too cold)
Other things to think about
- is the basement finished or not (around here that adds about 40k onto the price of a house)
- does it need new windows (this was a big one for us)
- does it need a new rood (if so, when and what's the condition)
- does the furnace need replacing
And, while you are on a tight timeline I gather, don't feel you have to jump at the first house you see, even if you feel pressured by the agent to do so...it's a BIG decision!
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Re: Re-sizing your wedding ring. Done it?
It's been a VERY long time since I had this problem, but to be honest, as a temporary solution it worked. I used a piece...
It's been a VERY long time since I had this problem, but to be honest, as a temporary solution it worked.
I used a piece of string and wrapped it around the bottom part of my ring, just enough to make it snug again. I've also known a few who use masking tape, to do the same thing.
If it's just a quick, temporary fix (cause you did say you figured you would need to change it again laster) I would try that for now.
From what I understand too, the more cuts you make into a ring, the weaker it becomes...so I would try to size it as little as possible, if it were me.
Congrats on the loss!
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Re: our kitchen and laundry room backsplash pics!
Can you tell me, did you do the laundry room (I mean everything) yourselves? Ie. Did you install the cabinets, sink, counter top yourselves? Our...
Can you tell me, did you do the laundry room (I mean everything) yourselves?
Ie. Did you install the cabinets, sink, counter top yourselves?
Our new house has a very simiar laundry room layout and I LOVE your laundry room. I told DH I finally have my dream house and will now make my dream laundry room a priority.
I also love the job you did with both tiles, well done! How did you figure out how to do it, out of curiosity?
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Age for piercing ears?
DD has been asking lately to have her ears pierced and it's got me wondering what an appropriate age is to take kids to have...
DD has been asking lately to have her ears pierced and it's got me wondering what an appropriate age is to take kids to have their ears pierce.
Obviously, this only applies to those that haven't had them done as a baby.
I figured, since she keeps asking (as opposed to a one-off request) that we could take her for her 4th birthday.
To put my question in perspective, I, as a child, was not allowed to get my ears pierced until I was 12 (and my parents wouldn't let me shave my legs until I was 14...can you imagine.). I always remember being so jealous of the kids with earrings.
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Re: Anyone selling their house right now?
We just sold a few weeks ago too and it was incredibly stressful and nerve-wracking. Thankfully, for us, our whole buy and sell process lasted...
We just sold a few weeks ago too and it was incredibly stressful and nerve-wracking.
Thankfully, for us, our whole buy and sell process lasted only 2 weeks from start to finish, but I can only shudder in horror at those who have their houses up for sale for months on end, I couldn't imagine.
Good luck with the sale of your house, hope it goes quickly.
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Nail Holes and Wall Conditions when moving
I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the move out of current home. I've started pulling all our wall hanging down and we have...
I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the move out of current home.
I've started pulling all our wall hanging down and we have A LOT of nail holes in our wall. Is it our responsibility to patch and repair and repaint all these nail holes? Is it just being a good seller to do it? (In some cases it will require us to buy new paint, when I suspect the new owners are just going to repaint anyways.)
We have 4 walls in our house that have anchors in the drywall (shelf, TV mount, mirror, coat rack.). In these cases, should we fix/patch the holes and repaint?
I know this 'should' be easy, but I'm so uncertain what's expected. But, in the same breath, I'm not sure what to expect in our new home either, I have no idea.
I am never moving again!
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Re: How to get stuff delivered from the US
Thanks for the suggestions, sadly, I won't have any time over the next few weeks/months to get down to a border crossing, so I need...
Thanks for the suggestions, sadly, I won't have any time over the next few weeks/months to get down to a border crossing, so I need somewhere that will deliver to me directly.
I do have a cousin in Michigan, but I think that's a lot to ask her to re-direct (especially when I can't just tranfer money to her.)
Off to look into my options! Thanks
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How to get stuff delivered from the US
When they don't ship to Canada? I have located the bedding sets I want and can purchase them online, but the company doesn't ship to...
When they don't ship to Canada?
I have located the bedding sets I want and can purchase them online, but the company doesn't ship to Canada!
I know it's been discussed before, but how do I get this package delivered to my house in ON...is it possible?
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Re: Tips on cleaning/organizing for sale with kids?
If you have the option to leave the house...DO IT! Seriously, it saved my sanity. I'm being dead serious. I packed up all the kids...
If you have the option to leave the house...DO IT!
Seriously, it saved my sanity. I'm being dead serious. I packed up all the kids toy bins, all the laundry (clean and dirty) and loaded it all in my car. Then I cleaned the house from Top (once I finished the top, I didn't go back up) to bottom.
We put Fresh flowers in the bathroom, kitchen counter and kitchen table and we actually placed some of those Febreeze air freshners in strategic places, and the real estate agent said they were a nice touch. We turned on all the lights in the whole house and just left.
One of us came back late each night to check on things and to turn off a few lights, but we were out from Thursday to Sunday and it was so much easier...had I had to vacate for each showing, I would've gone mad (plus some showings only gave us 15 mins warning and one was from 830-930 at night.
I'm just telling you this as you asked. As I said, it was a pain, but really only for 4 days...had our house sat on the market for weeks/months, I probably would've done things differently.
And if you did decide to leave for a couple days, I would stash all the baby gear in a closet or something similar (we had chairs and boxes in our walk-in, cause I had nowhere else for them.)
It's absolutely the weirdest feeling being able to see (based on footprints and vaccuum marks) where people were walking and to see butt prints on our couch, etc. But in 6 weeks, we are outta here!
Good luck! It can be stressful (especially with kids) but hopefully it sells quickly and for what you're asking.
PS - sorry for the novel, but I appreciate others experiences and advice!
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Re: Tips on cleaning/organizing for sale with kids?
We just sold our house a couple weeks ago. We also got a storage unit and took a TON of stuff to it. Any of...
We just sold our house a couple weeks ago.
We also got a storage unit and took a TON of stuff to it. Any of the 'extra' furniture, redundant kids toys (like the play kitchen, DS big trucks, etc.). The storage unit was amazing, as it really allowed me to organizw things, we threw a lot of stuff out and donated a ton too. But now, when we move in 6 weeks, I know the stuff in storage can easily be moved into our new house and will reduce the amount of packing I have to do now.
We actually put a lot of the kids toys in their respective closets in Bins and even tucked DD's big doll house in her closet. A Home Stager we had come in told us not to focus too much attention on the places people would skim over (in all the houses we looked in, other than looking at the size I can't remember anything about the closets.)
I wouldn't worry about the fridge or oven, but that's just me.
One of the best things I think we did, at the suggestion of the home stager, was to remove all the personal photos. People who walked into our house wouldn't have had a clue who lived here. We took all the family photos down and replaced pictures with scrap book paper where possible. Feedback showed it helped (people weren't hung up on who lives here, which did happen to us at one house we looked at.)
We also left our house for the 4 days our house went on the market. We were told to expect a quick sale, with multiple showings leading up to our open house after which we accepted offers, so leaving the house (it was an option for us) was just easiest. I packed all our essential stuff into laundry baskets, took the kids main toy bins and we left. It meant the house stayed clean and presentable, but I realize thats not always possible.
For pictures, we didn't have anything cleaned, tidied yes, but not cleaned. Just ensure you follow the photographer around, as she took two pics I wouldve cleared out a little better.
We painted and repaired the 'big' things in the house, but didn't focus too much on the smaller things we notice (until the home inspection anyways.)
And we left our garage a complete and utter disaster (however we have no door to the garage and it was a sibgle garage, the houses we looked at, we were definitely more impressed with the cleaner spaces.)
To put my experience in context, our house was prepped and listed in 7 days, we had over 26 showings, 17 people attended our open house, we received 4 offers once we started accepting them (we hold off offers on purpose) and sold at 106% of asking. So we must have done something right.
Good luck, it's definitely a stressful time and even more so when kids are involved!
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Re: Moving into a 'New' Resale home - questions
Great Idea...thanks for the suggestion! On my list to do, look for carpet cleaning services! ...
Great Idea...thanks for the suggestion!
On my list to do, look for carpet cleaning services!
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Re: When moving out of your home - etiquette
Thanks...I fully intended to leave the house clean, I just wasn't sure if it was expected that I hire a cleaning person to clean it...
Thanks...I fully intended to leave the house clean, I just wasn't sure if it was expected that I hire a cleaning person to clean it out after we left and was just a little concerned with the timing of everything to ensure we had everything out of the house on time and left it clean.
I like the idea of leaving a little bottle of something, as they are also first time buyers.
We won't be moving very far either and still have friends on the street, so I want to ensure we remain on good terms too.
Thanks for the advice.
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Solid Wood Harvest Table in GTA East
The 2nd hand Kitchen Table and Chairs that were given to us 10 years ago are needing to be replaced. We are havig problems finding...
The 2nd hand Kitchen Table and Chairs that were given to us 10 years ago are needing to be replaced. We are havig problems finding a new set for a reasonable price.
- I would like a Solid wood table in Maple (or a reclaimed wood.)
- I want the chairs to match, but don't want them too country looking (this is not as easy as you would think.)
- I want the table to be 6 feet long, but be able to add leaves to make it longer (up to 8 feet would be great.)
We've looked at a few custom places out in Uxbridge/Stouffville area (one that we may go to if we can't find anything else.). But they either were ridiculously expensive or used only Pine or couldn't make chairs to match.
Can anyone recommend or suggest somewhere else to look or a custom place to get a quote?
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Moving into a 'New' Resale home - questions
When DH and I moved into our home, it was Brand New and we were both coming from our parents home...so this is all very...
When DH and I moved into our home, it was Brand New and we were both coming from our parents home...so this is all very new to me.
We are moving into a 15 year old house. When we bought the house it was in amazing condition and SO clean (even the basement was spotless.)
BUT people have been living in the home previous to us.
Unfortunately, we were not able to work out taking possession of the house prior to leaving our current house. We move out of one and into the other on the same day.
The only consolation is that our furniture won't be arriving until the following day.
I will have from about 5:00 at night until 8;00 the next moning with an empty house.
What should my priorities be?
-Clean the carpets (like with a steam cleaner)
- Scrub the bathrooms and sanitize
- Scrub out and sanitize the kitchen
Would you/did you hire a professional cleaning company to come in?
While our 'BIG' furniture and boxes are being moved by a company, we will still be renting a truck to clean out our storage, get our new couches and love seat, move our outdoor furniture, BBQ and Garage 'Stuff'.
My thinking was DH could handle all that, while I get the inside ready. But now I'm wondering if I should have a cleaner come in so I can concentrate on other things (like setting up my kitchen cupboards, cleaning the carpets, etc)
Can anyone offer advice or share what they did when moving?
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When moving out of your home - etiquette
DH and I are leaving our current house in 6 weeks. This is the first time we've ever Sold a house, so I have no...
DH and I are leaving our current house in 6 weeks.
This is the first time we've ever Sold a house, so I have no idea what the etiquette is.
The new buyers of our house are coming in and plan (or so we are led to believ when they asked to visit the house with their contractor) to renovate the house.
It's our understanding that they will be ripping out the carpet and painting, among other things.
So my questions are as follows:
1) Should I (ei. Is it my reponsibility) to have the carpets cleaned before we leave...especially if they are ripping them up.
2) Do I have to clean the house (like all the bathrooms, the kitchen, etc) before we hand over possession?
3) Should I leave instructions/ a note about the house and it's history (ie. We always have a family of birds move into our eaves in the spring, the dryer doesn't actually have to be switched on, the water meter reader is in this location?).
4) What about appliance instruction manuals, mailbox location,keys for the bathroom doors, etc.
I'm not sure what I expect in our new house, to be honest...but we also are not planning to renovate and I plan to do a thorough cleaning of our new house before we move in.
Thoughts?
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School holiday plans...how does it work for you?
This has been one of my biggest sources of frustration. I'm a full-time working mom (out of the home) and DH is a full-time working...
This has been one of my biggest sources of frustration.
I'm a full-time working mom (out of the home) and DH is a full-time working dad (who works some days at home and some at the office.)
When the kids are sick, it usually falls on me to figure out their care. I usually end up taking days off to be with them...which is half by choice and half by necessity. I feel awfully guilty leaving them when they are 'really' sick (cold and sniffles notwhithstanding.)
If we are lucky and the day works out, we can sometimes have my mother or my in-laws watch the kids. And while I have ZERO problem leaving them with my mother, but my in-laws makes me a little nervous (they aren't as gentle or compassionate as my mother...and my kids get really whiny when they are sick.)
So, while DH doesn't really volunteer to stay home with the kids when they are sick (he's in sales, so kind of on the same line with 'if he's not working, he's not getting paid) but I much prefer being here to make sure they are ok, that they get the medicine they need, the hugs they want, etc. So, while I grumble a lot, I don't mind too much (it's more when DH gets home and I tell him I need a break and he looks at me like I have 3 heads that I get upset.)
My kids go to a home daycare, so we are able to make arrangements for extra days when they have school vacations (or during the summer) and we just pay the difference.
But I know there are TONS of camps around town.
DD's gymnastics club runs a March Break (or any other school vacation or PA Day) Camp for kids. It's actually a drop in, so you don't register and just pay for the time you attend.
DS's soccer club does the same.
I even saw that Home Depot and Michael's had different clubs/activities (although I think you would have to stay with your kids.)
It actually amazes me the number of camps that are available. We haven't made use of them yet, but now that the kids are a little older, I think we may try a few this summer, just to mix things up for the kids a bit.
And continue to vent away...this is an issue that absolutely frustrates me (on par with why I'm always the one who arranges for and takes the kids to the doctor.)
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Re: Sold a house with Property Guys?
I don't have any experience. We debated selling privately, but chose to go with a local agent. Just purchasing a new house recently, I can...
I don't have any experience. We debated selling privately, but chose to go with a local agent.
Just purchasing a new house recently, I can tell you that many of the 'privately' listed houses in our area are still on the market (we know this from tours of the area or signs still on the lawns), while many of those listed through agents (and priced appropriately) are selling VERY quickly, like within 3 or 4 days of listing (the house we bought was put on the market at 630 oe night and we put an offer in at 1130 the next morning.)
Either way, good luck with trying to sell, it's stressful no matter which way you do it.
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Kids Room Inspiration
We will be moving in May and DH and I have told the kids they could help decorate their new rooms. I'm looking for some...
We will be moving in May and DH and I have told the kids they could help decorate their new rooms.
I'm looking for some kids room decoration inspiration.
I'm also looking for an online place to buy nice, cute (non-character themed) bedding for each.
DS wants anything green (any shade, he even likes puke green, so he's informed us.)
DD wants pink, purple, red, white and turquoise (in that order) in her room.
My work is cut out for me, but they both deserve a nice space for themselves that can hopefully last a few years and grow with them.
Can anyone help or point me somewhere close to the right direction?
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Bedding for 'Big Kids'
I'm looking for some online stores/suggestions to buy bedding for both DS and DD's new 'Big Kid' rooms. I've looked in Sears, Bed Bath and...
I'm looking for some online stores/suggestions to buy bedding for both DS and DD's new 'Big Kid' rooms.
I've looked in Sears, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Outfitters, Winners,Homesense and Bouclair and haven't found anything.
DD wants a 'Pink, Purple, Red, White and Turquoise' Room (yep, that's EXACTLY how she requests it.)
DS wants a Green room
Both are completely opposite from their current room colourd.
I would like them to be somewhat cute and age appropriate as well, they are still kids but I'd like their rooms to grow with them too.
Any suggestions?
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Moving Checklist
Anyone have a moving checklist or online resources to refer too? My life now consists of lists and, sadly, my short term memory is non-existent....
Anyone have a moving checklist or online resources to refer too?
My life now consists of lists and, sadly, my short term memory is non-existent. I really need a comprehensive list to refer to, to ensure I make all the calls I need to, to ensure I buy all the things I need to, etc.
This is required for BOTH buying and selling a home (are there separate lists?)
Any help is appreciated. We don't move for 2.5 months, but I really want to get on this ASAP.
Thanks!
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Re: OMG...I knew it was a hot market, but...
Update #2 in original post ...
Update #2 in original post
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Re: OMG...I knew it was a hot market, but...
Really? Sorry to hear that Ms_Martini. We just had a note from our agent, who is just about to start the open house and she's...
Really? Sorry to hear that Ms_Martini.
We just had a note from our agent, who is just about to start the open house and she's already received 2 registered offers in hand!
One potential buyer has been through the house 3 times now and showed up this morning with a home inspector...I assume that means they are serious.
Hopefully this all means good news for us. Please keep those fingers crossed.
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Re: OMG...I knew it was a hot market, but...
Update in original post ...
Update in original post
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Re: We just bought our 'forever' home!
Thanks all...we really just lucked into this, it literally is the perfect house (size,location, yardan etc) for us. Diva - It's just east of where...
Thanks all...we really just lucked into this, it literally is the perfect house (size,location, yardan etc) for us.
Diva - It's just east of where we are now, like 2 streets behind us. It literally is within walking distance of our current home and is a 3 minute drive away.
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Re: OMG...I knew it was a hot market, but...
Ms_Roc ~ Have you sold your place? Have you found something new yet? I remember you looking at New versus Resale, etc. Did you find...
Ms_Roc ~ Have you sold your place? Have you found something new yet? I remember you looking at New versus Resale, etc. Did you find a new area that you loved. Good luck either way.
Diva ~ Thanks for the kind words. I'm pleased with how it looks, I just hope that translates into someone else wanting to live in it.
Thanks to everyone else. We are at 14 showings booked as of 9:00 tonight and one of DH's co-workers inquired and wants to come and see it too.
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Re: We just bought our 'forever' home!
Pictures have been added...for a limited time only! ...
Pictures have been added...for a limited time only!
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Re: OMG...I knew it was a hot market, but...
We have actually moved out of the house for a few days and are living at my parents place. I was taking DD to my...
We have actually moved out of the house for a few days and are living at my parents place. I was taking DD to my parents place, so I and the cleaning lady, could get things cleaned and ready (could never have gotten it done with sick DD at home.)
It looks great now and shows really well (I would love to post the MLS listing, but not comfortable posting my address for all to see.)
S - We bought a house last weekend that came on the market Friday at 630, we saw it at 1130 and decided right then and there to offer. It was presented at 900 that night and accepted. There were 5 showings booked for the next day and 2 offers were supposed to be forthcoming (thank goodness we could move quickly!)
We are now up to 14 showings...wow!
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Re: WWYD Re Selling?
Now, I'm no expert, but being a recent buyer and a current seller, here's my $0.02. The first thing DH and I did was research...
Now, I'm no expert, but being a recent buyer and a current seller, here's my $0.02.
The first thing DH and I did was research the market in our area. We also looked at comparables so we knew what we were up against.
You need to also know WHO will most likely buy your house. Our current place will appeal to First Time Buyers or those down-sizing, most likely NOT a family...so I would decide what would be most important to your potential target buyer.
The market in our area is VERY hot right now, so we hoped we wouldn't have too much trouble selling, especially with the comparables.
We looked at a lot of houses too though.
For us, the important things that influenced our buying were that it was CLEAN (this was huge, as some were disgustingly dirty.)
That it didn't smell like Dog or Must or other stuff.
The Kitchen and the Bathrooms are where we were told to invest the money. But fixes were as simple as changing the Cabinetry door knobs.
We also did a complete de-clutter and removed ALL personal stuff
Including pictures...so that a buyer can picture themselves in the house and not see you all over. (We don't have a single picture up right now.)
If you are trying to appeal to a family, then maybe the fence is important. If it's an older demographic, then I would do a cheap remodel of the kitchen (paint cabinets, clean, de-clutter, etc.). If you are trying to sell to a family too, do your best to get it on the market ASAP, as our market anyways, seems to be based around the school year and with a 90-day or 120-day closing, we are just right around that right time now.
We did look at several places that needed new windows, new roof and new furnace, but in most cases, they were priced appropriately to compensate for those things. If they weren't, we didn't even consider them.
Good luck, selling is SO STRESSFUL.
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Update#2-I knew it was a hot market
Update #2 Well, we are SOLD conditionally! We had 4 offers come in and they were all above asking price. We were extremely excited and...
Update #2
Well, we are SOLD conditionally!
We had 4 offers come in and they were all above asking price. We were extremely excited and happy to accept the offer we did, after all were presented.
The buyers have 5 days to get their conditions met and hopefully by Friday we will be Sold Sold!
But so excited and happy that we aren't going to have our house sit on the market for months or try to keep my house and my kids in order during showings!
Fingers will still be crossed until things are firmed up.
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Update #1
As of Saturday night, we've had over 15 showings in our house in 2 days. We have 7 more confirmed bookings for tomorrow morning. Our agent is running an open house tomorrow afternoon and then, hopefully, we will receive offers afterwards.
That's 21 showings in 2.5 days!
Please keep your fingers crossed for us.
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This is ridiculous (in a good way.)
Our current home went on the market yesterdat at 11:00. The MLS feature sheet was sent to Agents on the Hot Sheet at 11:13.
At 11:15 we had our first showing booked for 11:30 (just 15 minutes notice.)
(On a side note, I wasn't at home, I hadn't cleaned, the bed wasn't made, I had laundry all over the laundry room floor...I was assured by our agent that showings, if any, wouldn't start until late afternoon/early evening. I was DEVASTATED that it wasn't ready for the showing, especially after working so hard to get it ready.)
Anyways, we have since received bookings for 11 more showings over the next 2 days.
As of 11:30 today, we had had 3 people go through the house and an agent has already called to book a home inspection before offers are presented.
Our agent is also holding an open house on Sunday and offers are being held until Sunday at 5:00.
We are SO EXCITED! At this point I'm just praying to sell the house, but to get into a multiple offer/bidding war situation would just be icing on the cake.
Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Oh...and anyone in the market for a nice, 3 bedroom townhome in Durham Region, please let me know!
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Re: We just bought our 'forever' home!
Removing location...just a little too much information. ...
Removing location...just a little too much information.
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Re: We just bought our 'forever' home!
Thank you all..1e are so very excited. I would love to share pics (we have a ton) but I don't have a home computer right...
Thank you all..1e are so very excited.
I would love to share pics (we have a ton) but I don't have a home computer right now (working off my BB) but will try to get some posted on Thursday.
Jenny - I think the MLS listing came down, but I will PM you. We are actually East of TO in Durham and the housing market (for what we wanted) has been nuts, in our limited experience of course (but our agent agrees.)
Our house is ready for the market and hopefully we are just as fortunate. I will send that MLS listing when it appears.
And LoveSweetLove...thank you again for all your help. This would have NEVER EVER been possible without your help and hard work. We truly appreciate it. You have helped make our family very happy. (For those wondering, LoveSweetLove helped us secure our financing for the second time with great success!)
I can't wait for this all to be over, as I've found it extremely exhausting (nerves and excitement are preventing me from sleeping lately) and I'm ready to just know it's all done, all good, etc.
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*Update with Pics* We bought our 'FOREVER' home!
It's ours! We waived our conditions and the house is 'officially' ours now. I was finally able to upload some pics for your viewing pleasure....
It's ours! We waived our conditions and the house is 'officially' ours now.
I was finally able to upload some pics for your viewing pleasure.
The front of our new house!
One side (you can see the property to the back yard.)
The other side (you can see how wide the property goes, it's a pie shaped lot)
The back of the house (shows how big the yard is.)
One of my favourite things (in the master bathroom)
View down the stairs (Santa Fe style tile in the front entry)
Master Bedroom (double door entry)
Kitchen (the island is moveable)
Other view of the kitchen...with the double sided fireplace (family room is directly behind the fireplace)
Family Room (looking towards kitchen)
I can't wait to move in...May can't come soon enough.
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GAH!
It's all so very exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time and happened so suddenly and so quickly I'm still having trouble believing it.
But DH and I bought our forever home and couldn't be happier.
In only 9 days we consulted with the realtor to look at our options, we got our financing and pre-approval in place, we looked at countless listings and toured over 30 houses, have de-cluttered and prepped our house for sale and boughjt our dream house!
In a market that is pretty scarce (for what we were looking for) and moving at lightening quick speeds, we were really not sure we would find something that worked for us, especially since we really desired a small, small target area.
One day we had over 9 showings booked (7 were new listings only days old) and we had 5 cancel due to conditional sales of the house.
But our agent was amazing and diligent in sending us listings as they were turned out, she listened to all our feedback and found us an amazing house.
The house came on the market at 9:00 at night, our agent showed it to us at 11:00 the next day and within minutes of walking in the door were ready to make an offer. The seller (also an agent) tried to push our offer presentation off for a day and a half, but our agent pushed back. Made the presentation and were able to secureour offer below asking price.
We later found out there were five showings the next day and at least 2 offers were going to be made (heck, the for sale sign never even made it to the lawn.)
Had our agent not pushed to present when she did, we are positive we would have had a multiple offer situation with a bidding war (that probably wouldve ended with the house going much over asking.)
We move at the end of may into our dream home and couldn't be more thrilled. Conditions will be waived today and it will 'officially' be ours.
Our house goes on the market on Thursday and we are just praying we can sell it quickly. I can't believe this is happening and couldn't be happier!
Pics to come shortly!
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CCTB?
And for those of us that are federally regulated or work for the government, we don't get the day off either. Both my company and...
And for those of us that are federally regulated or work for the government, we don't get the day off either.
Both my company and DH's companies are business as usual sadly!
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Re: "Debt-Free Forever"
Kika ~ Just so you know, Gail Vaz Oxlade will be at the Oshawa Chapters on February 25th (not this Saturday, but the one after...I...
Kika ~ Just so you know, Gail Vaz Oxlade will be at the Oshawa Chapters on February 25th (not this Saturday, but the one after...I think that's the 25th.)
If you were interested. She's promoting her new book (geared towards women, but I cannot for the life of me remember the name right now.)
I enjoyed the book.
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Re: OLD Dining Set...Thoughts?
Thank you everyone, I'm thrilled with how our house is ooking now, seems like a 'grown up' house now. Milly - the pics do make...
Thank you everyone, I'm thrilled with how our house is ooking now, seems like a 'grown up' house now.
Milly - the pics do make it look Gray, but it's actually a Purple Brown colour. It's from Lowe's and is a CIL colour (I think, but can confirm that) called Eagle Eye. In some lights it looks Purple in others it looks Brown. It's quite dark, and everyone told me I was crazy to paint that room (with little natural light) that colour, but I still went ahead. We get more complimants on that room and paint colour than any other room.
Gray is SO HARD though, we've been trying for a long time to pick a nice gray for our kitchen and family room without any success.
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What action/reaction should I take to this...
I'm looking for someone to tell me SOMETHING, ANYTHING to help me with a recurring 'issue.' My DD is 3 years 4 months. She's a...
I'm looking for someone to tell me SOMETHING, ANYTHING to help me with a recurring 'issue.'
My DD is 3 years 4 months.
She's a beautiful,intelligent, healthy (in the general sense,) spunky, strong-willed, stubborn, little girl.
At her 3 year check up, she was put into the 110th (is that possible) percentile (I know, I know, I shouldn't look at percentiles right?) for her Height and the 95th percentile for her weight.
She's very tall for her age (she measured 41" at 3) and was 41 lbs (at 3.)
She has a very good appetite. I have NEVER had any issues with her and food. She will pretty much eat and try everything.
*Now, let me interrupt and say that I DO have a problem with my weight. I am over-weight. While I've always been 'bigger' my weight never really went out of control until after having kids and being diagnosed with PCOS. Slowly and just recently, I've been working on losing weight and getting back to a healthy weight.*
Having said that, lately, people (my mother, my MIL especially) have commented on how 'solid' DD is becoming. I have also been getting comments on how much (quantity) she's eating.
I believe she's going through a growth-spurt (as is DS) right now.
But I'm starting to get bugged by these comments and keep firing back with 'what do you suggest I do' when I hear something. But I'm wondering if I'm failing DD somehow or if I'm setting her up for future problems already.
I will say my kids eat pretty healthy. However, DD's favourite food is Macaroni and she can easily (if allowed) eat a whole box to herself in one sitting. We are trying to limit the amount of KD she eats now.
But other than that, she eats really healthy. They don't get a ton of sweets (we don't regularly have dessert, or cookies or ice cream or anything like that.) They eat a lot of fruit and veggies (more fruit I would say.) We don't eat a lot of bread, but Pasta is one of our staples.
She doesn't drink a ton of juice, opting for Almond Milk most of the time (we are working on increasing her water intake however.)
She's definitely Solid, but she's not FAT. She doesn't have rolls, she look overweight or rolly polly.
So why do people feel the need to make me question myself (admittedly, I take comments like this too much to heart and let them upset me.)
The last few days DD has been asking constantly for something to eat...she's hungry ALL.THE.TIME...and I find myself torn.
Is she just saying she's hungry because (like I find I snack on food without truly being hungry) or is she really, genuinely hungry? At 3, could my daughter be snacking just to snack? It doesn't seem possible, but again...I'm not an expert in this and I'm genuinely not sure.
Am I setting her up for disaster by giving her more food (we've been giving her cheese strings, fruit, crackers, yogurts, etc) or do I start telling her NO (like that just seems so horrible to me...but again, being overweight myself, I'm just so unsure.)
I just don't know how to act or react. Do I just tell the 'busy-bodies' to mind their own business or do I take their comments to heart and start limiting/monitoring her food.
With DS, he's on the lower side of normal for weight, so I'm just happy he's eating (and we were working on increasing his caloric intake to increase his weight...the complete opposite of DD.)
BTW ~ I did ask the Dr., at her 3 year check-up, if I needed to be concerned about her weight. She told me she's a healthy weight, she isn't fat or rolly and not to worry about it. In the last 4-ish months, she's probably put on about 4 pounds though and is now only 2-pounds lighter than DS (who is about 5 inches taller and 2 years older...and GAH, why do I keep comparing them?)
I am just so scared to pass on my weight problems to DD and want to avoid that at all costs (I know, I know I'm the best influence for her, I realize that and it IS something I'm working on, but it's been a very uphill battle for me that I haven't been winning recently.)
So...long story short, should I worry or should I let my 3 year old be a 3 year old, monitor and limit her nutritional intake (and in sugar, breads, etc) and encourage more healthy choices...and just tell those busy bodies to mind their own business, that she's a beautiful and healthy 3 year old girl and doesn't need a complex about her weight this early in life.
Maybe this IS all about my own weight issues. If you read this far, thanks, and please try to smack some sense into me.
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Sheer Genius or Just Awful...Organizational Idea
I have been on a HUGE organizational quest lately and pinterest has served as a big inspiration for me. A few weeks ago I came...
I have been on a HUGE organizational quest lately and pinterest has served as a big inspiration for me.
A few weeks ago I came across an idea of using a Shoe Rack in your laundry room to house all your cleaning supplies
And I thought it was GENIUS.
When purchasing the Shoe Organizer, I decided to buy a second one and I hung it on my Ensuite Door to house all my and DH's toiletries.
It has 24 Clear Pockets that are large and the pockets hold a lot (ie. 2 Shampoo Bottles, a Can of Shave Cream, etc.) So anything and everything we need/use on a daily basis is easily accessible, neat, tidy, all in one place...plus, once the door is opened (like if we had guests who wanted to see our bathroom) no one would ever see it.
DH is returning tomorrow from a business trip and I can't decide if he will Love it or Hate it.
So...what do you think...would you put it in your bathroom to help organize and de-clutter (under our sink is an organization al NIGHTMARE that acts like a Hoarders Black Hole - everything we need is there, but you can never find it in the mess.)
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Re: OLD Dining Set...Thoughts?
Update at Top...and old, old post, but wanted to share my new 'old' dining set. ...
Update at Top...and old, old post, but wanted to share my new 'old' dining set.
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*UPDATE* House Project for Kids...EXECUTED
Updated above...thanks for all your help. ...
Updated above...thanks for all your help.
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Re: Isagenix 30-Day Cleanse
I have asked the Doctor, exactly the questions yous posted above and am just waiting for a response. Unfortunately, my appointments are months apart and...
I have asked the Doctor, exactly the questions yous posted above and am just waiting for a response.
Unfortunately, my appointments are months apart and all our correspondence is now by email (until my next appointment in May.)
Halo ~ Thanks for the information, I'm still very much on the fence about what to do, but I appreciate your POV.
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Re: Isagenix 30-Day Cleanse
He was a medical Dr., but I've been seeing him for Feminine Problems. He recommends supplements for patients, based on their symptoms to use in...
He was a medical Dr., but I've been seeing him for Feminine Problems. He recommends supplements for patients, based on their symptoms to use in conjuction with the Bio-Identical Hormones.
He suggested doing a Liver Detox for me, to support liver function and hormone balance, especially post Birth-Control usage.
Recommended brands included: Canprev, Renu Life, St. Francis, Pure Encapsulations, RevitalX and Detoxitech by Natural Factors.
Isagenix is NOT listed as one of his 'recommended' products, but I've heard some other good things about it and liked that it was longer than most other protocols (at 30-days) and that was why I was looking for further information.
And, yes I definitely think I should just follow a good diet, but right now I'm not there...I'm absolutely addicted to Caffeine and Sugar and want to get myself away from both of those things (and white flour.)
But I also know that being on a cleanse, getting myself into the habit of drinking water, eating enough fiber (or using a fiber for the first while,) getting my bowels back into good working condition, are all things that will help me get into and stay in a good routine.
But I do agree with most everything you said above.
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Isagenix 30-Day Cleanse
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the 30-day cleanse? Admittedly, my parents did this 10-11 years ago and at the time, I was...
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the 30-day cleanse?
Admittedly, my parents did this 10-11 years ago and at the time, I was VERY skeptical about it. They did lose weight (it was for weight loss though, a completely different product than it is today) but it was SO unhealthy (at the time.)
I'm looking to do a cleanse (at the urging of my Doctor) to get my body free of Toxins. I would also like to 'kick-start' a weight loss plan and do a 'sugar/caffeine' elimination as well.
After looking at it, I'm considering it, but wanted to see if there was anyone who's tried it, wanted to get some thoughts on it.
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If I LOVED Chevy Stevens
Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson, it was a really good book that reminded me quite a lot of Chevy Stevens style. ...
Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson, it was a really good book that reminded me quite a lot of Chevy Stevens style.
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Gymnastcs Bodysuits?
We bought DD's suits at Sears...they have really pretty pink ones (they shimmer) but they are more for Ballet I think. But they had nice...
We bought DD's suits at Sears...they have really pretty pink ones (they shimmer) but they are more for Ballet I think. But they had nice long sleeve ones too (I like them better for the winter.)
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Vaccinations...One Child has them and one doesn't
I'm just wondering, is there anyone out there in the same situation I'm in? My DS is NOW up to date on his vaccinations. We...
I'm just wondering, is there anyone out there in the same situation I'm in?
My DS is NOW up to date on his vaccinations. We did a VERY delayed schedule and his MMR shots were given at 2.5 and 4.5 years. The Dr. (who I do love and has been quite supportive of our wait with DD) actually said to me she thought 'too much time has passed between vaccinations, I don't think they will work.'
Low and behold, less than a year later, ON has revised their vaccination schedule for MMR to 2 and 4 years (the same amount of time between DS's shots.)
Anyways, I digress. So DS is up to date. DD has not had a single shot. As a matter of fact, just a few weeks ago, while in the hospital for Pneumonia she had to have her first needle (to draw blood for tests.) She was less than impressed, but took it like a champ.
I don't know what to do...and DH and I haven't really discussed it. I don't know if he just ignores it or just expects me to 'do what needs to be done.'
But what do I do? I kind of feel like both kids should be 'equal' and if one has the vaccinations, the other should. She's also now old enough and big/strong enough that I 'think' her body can handle it better (although she does still get sick quite often.) I've always been on the fence about vaccinations and still am...so what do I do?
At this point, I need to make a decision FAST. She's just been registered for JK and I will have to fill out forms in June-ish whereby I provide proof of vaccination. So I either need to start getting it done (when she's healthy enough) or I need to approach DH about NOT having it done and deal with it that way.
So...WWYD? Any thoughts on having one child done and one not? Am I a terrible parent for not having them 'equal' (by that I mean, if one contracted an illness and it led to the other having problems/complications because of my - and I will take the responsibility here, DH has basically left the decision in my hands until now.)
I just HATE the thought of pumping her little body full of that awful stuff and God only knows how I will pass more needles past her after the first round of shots!
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