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The Benefits of Being an “Early-Bird” When Looking for a Home

Looking for a Home

The Benefits of Being an “Early-Bird” When Looking for a Home

“The early-bird gets the worm” is a popular expression. Indeed, there are many examples in life when being early, or even first in line, gives you an advantage. Real estate is one of them. Being an “Early-Bird” when looking for a home and being among the first to learn about a new listing benefits you in several ways:

  • You have more time to see the property and make a decision. Always good to have a second showing of a home if time permits, to see if you still feel the same way about the home and so you can look at the home more thoroughly or at a different time of day.
  • You might be able to make an early offer. Timing can work in your favor. Keep in mind, that for this to work you need to be prepared, i.e. have a mortgage pre-approval and know your budget.
  • You’re under less pressure to make a decision quickly. Gives you time to review comparable home sales, understand the market value in the neighborhood, do your research on the neighborhood, i.e. school districts, commute times, proximity to important amenities.

How do I gain the early-bird advantage?

If you scour the internet for new listings, you can still miss opportunities. For example, “Coming soon” listings may not yet be published. A better strategy is to arrange to be alerted to new listings and coming-soon opportunities the moment they come up. That way, you’re always the early-bird and your likelihood of finding and buying your next dream home increases.

Getting notices of new and coming soon listings is good but you also need to be knowledgeable of the neighborhood and recent/historical market activity. For example, what is the traffic like on a certain street, is there any zoning issues in the neighborhood, what is the sale history on the street/neighborhood and what are the real comparable home sales (similar square footage, age, updates, features, layout, location, zoning, time of market and more).

This is where we can help, we have the tools, knowledge and experience of Ottawa area neighborhoods and a network of clients. We are up to date on the changing real estate market in the Ottawa area, local builder plans and developments and have access to the newest listings as they become available.

Our Team is here to assist you by:

  • Meeting with you to make a home purchasing plan, and if you require to sell or rent your present home/condo we will factor that into the plan. We will include contacts to necessary professionals, i.e mortgage broker, lawyer, handyman, etc.
  • Screening the available homes in your neighbourhood(s) you’re interested in, to make sure that the houses you view fit your budget and your requirements.
  • Giving you important information on local real estate values, taxes, utility costs, services, and amenities.
  • Guiding you through the viewing process showing you features you may not have noticed and problems you may not have spotted.
  • Advising you about your legal and financial options.
  • Recommending expert help when needed, such as home appraisal, home inspection, and contracting services.
  • Managing your offers and counter-offers, and our skills and experience as negotiators to make sure you get the best deal possible.
  • Helping you through the closing process, ensuring required information is provided to your lawyer, lender and insurance broker.

As experienced realtors®  in Ottawa, we know the Ottawa communities, what is important when buying a home and the intricacies of the process. From finding a home, negotiating a price, to closing on the transaction, we are here to answer all your questions and help you find the home that fits your lifestyle! 

Contact us