Get It In Writing

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Marina Gavrylyuk

As you tour a potential new home, you notice that the carpeting in the living room is stained. “Don’t worry about that,” says the homeowner, who senses your disapproval. “We’re going to get the carpeting professionally cleaned before we move.”

Should you take their word for it?

Regardless of how honest a seller may seem, never rely on a verbal promise.

Will they move that abandoned car in the back yard? Will they fix the crack in the front steps? Is that expensive-looking ceiling fan included with the house?

Don’t assume. Get it written into the offer.

Your Real Estate Connection:
Marina Gavrylyuk
Real Estate Agent with Sutton Group Summit Realty
www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor
RentListingService.com – Condos and Houses for rent
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Reposted from: http://www.marina.realtor/ixact-get-it-in-writing/

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Getting Your Home Hunting Ducks in a Row

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

Say you’re shopping for a new home. Your goal is to find the ideal property, in a neighbourhood that is just right for you, within a price range that you can afford.

What do you need — at minimum — to get started?

If you’re looking for ways to get your ducks in a row, here are some suggestions:

A property wish list. What does your ideal home look like? How many bedrooms does it need to have? Do you require a spacious recreational room? A large deck? A pool? A nice view? Get your wish list down on paper.
A neighbourhood wish list. Where you live is just as important as what you live in. What qualities are you looking for in a neighbourhood? A nearby park? Walking distance to a good school? Hiking trails? A shorter drive to work? Write it down.
A pre-approved mortgage. Getting the financing handled up front takes the guesswork out of what you can afford. Home sellers will also take any offers you make more seriously.
Realistic expectations. 99.9% of homes sell at or near the current market rates. So don’t expect to find a bargain that no one else has noticed. Your REALTOR® can help you understand which homes, in which neighbourhoods, are available within your price range.
A great REALTOR®. Choosing the right real estate professional is crucial to making your home shopping experience less stressful and more productive. It also dramatically increases your chances of finding a home that fits your needs and budget.

Looking for more advice on finding your next dream home? Call Marina 416-843-1515 today!

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

How Much Can You Really Afford?

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

“Can we afford it?” That’s the first thought that comes to mind when shopping for your next dream home. Fortunately it’s an easy question to answer if you consider your lifestyle, financial goals, expenses and mortgage eligibility.

Lifestyle

There’s more to life than just paying the mortgage and other living expenses. Hobbies, entertainment, vacations, family adventures, and charitable causes are also important. Don’t be house poor. Think of your “lifestyle” as another bill you must pay — to yourself.

Financial Goals

Your new home is not just a place to live. It’s also an investment. Make sure it fits with your overall investment plan, which may also include retirement savings, education funds, emergency cash, and more.

House Expenses

The mortgage isn’t your only home expense. You must also calculate insurance, utilities, taxes, maintenance and other costs.

Amenities, such as a pool, can turn your home into an oasis. But, you must be prepared for the upkeep costs.

If you’re buying an older home, expect repair and maintenance costs to be higher.

Mortgage Eligibility

Your mortgage eligibility is determined by your current income, debt level, employment history, and credit rating. Lenders use this information combined with estimates of your new home property taxes and heating/cooling expenses to determine the largest mortgage they can offer you.

Home affordability is like a jigsaw puzzle. You need to put all the pieces together to get a clear picture of how much home you can afford.

Reposted from http://www.marina.realtor/ixact-how-much-can-you-really-afford/

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Is It A Mountain? Or A Molehill?

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

There’s an old expression: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. It refers, of course, to putting a problem or issue in the right perspective. Some things just aren’t worth worrying that much about – the molehills. However, there are other things that you do need to be concerned about – the mountains.

What does all this have to do with buying a home?

It’s difficult to find a property on the market that is absolutely perfect and has no issues what-so-ever. Even if you find a home that you fall in love with and that meets all your requirements, there are bound to be one or two areas of concern. That’s normal.

The trick is to determine whether a particular concern is a mountain or a molehill. For example, say you want a home with four bedrooms, but find one with three. That may seem like a big problem. But if you look closer, you may find that one of the rooms in the finished basement can easily be converted into a comfortable spare bedroom.

That particular issue is really a molehill, and shouldn’t prevent you from putting that home on your shortlist.

On the other hand, say you want a home in a nice neighbourhood with local parks for your kids and a sidewalk out front. If a property you’re considering doesn’t have those features, you might not think it’s a serious issue. But consider how difficult it will be to take young kids for a walk and decide where you think they’ll play. You may actually have a mountain in front of you.

So, when shopping for a home, you need to understand which are minor issues that can be easily dealt with, and which are major issues that will seriously impact your enjoyment of the home.

That’s where a good Realtor® can help. Call Marina 416-843-1515 today!

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

How To Handle Offers

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

You obviously have experience purchasing a home. But you may not have had an opportunity, yet, to be on the other side of the transaction: putting your house on the market and entertaining offers.

Offers, in particular, can intimidate first time sellers (even those who have bought and sold a few times). After all, the stakes are high. If you don’t accept the offer, deciding to counter-offer instead, the buyer may lose interest. If you take the offer, you may do so at a lower price than you could have otherwise negotiated.

Let your REALTOR® help you steer clear of both those dangers.

An offer is typically presented by the buyer’s REALTOR®, who will give you the proposed price. He or she will also explain any conditions, such as “conditional on a satisfactory home inspection”. Regardless of the conditions, always ask if the buyer has arranged for a pre-approved mortgage.

Now comes the tricky part. Do you accept the offer, reject it, or counter-offer? As your REALTOR® we can work together to ensure you make the right move. Ultimately, your goal is to sell your house for a price that is comparable to what similar homes in the area have sold for recently.

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Understanding the Home Buying Process

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

The more you know about the best way to reach a goal, the more likely you are to get the result you want. So, whether you’re hunting for a new job, assembling a backyard BBQ, or training for a 3 mile run, you’ll want to use a proven process to help you get there.

That certainly holds true when shopping for a new home. There is a proven process to getting the home you want, in the neighbourhood you want, at a price you can afford. Here are the highlights:

Get ready
There’s a lot you must do before you pack your energy snacks in the car and go looking at homes. If you own your current home, you must prepare that property for sale. You should also get financing for a new home pre-approved, so you know exactly how much you can afford.
Go shopping
Your next step is to view the right homes currently available on the market. It’s a good idea to make a wish list of property and neighbourhood features you’re looking for in a new home. You may not be able to get everything you want, but you can probably come pretty close.
Make an offer
When you see a home you like, the first thing you’ll need to do is to make an offer. This can be tricky especially if there are other interested buyers.
Get an inspection
Always get the home checked out by a qualified home inspector. A property may have issues, such as a foundation leak, that are not obvious during a viewing.
Prepare for the move
Once you’ve made the purchase, you need to arrange for moving and deal with other details, such as utilities, telephone, mail forwarding and so forth. Want a smooth home buying process? Call Marina 416-843-1515 today.

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

The Advantage of Getting Pre-Approved

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

One of the best things you can do to ensure you get the home you want is to arrange for financing before you go shopping. This is often referred to as getting “pre-approved”.

Getting pre-approved simply means that your lender has calculated how much of a mortgage they’re willing to offer you, depending on your down payment and current financial situation.

There are two advantages to having a pre-approved mortgage. First, you know exactly what you can afford when shopping for a new home. Second, when you make an offer, you’re likely to be taken more seriously.

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Consider Buying a Home With Some “Undesirable” Features

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

When you’re looking for a home, chances are, you have a checklist of things you want. Two bathrooms… a finished basement… a great looking kitchen… an expansive deck…

But what happens when a home you see has a feature that doesn’t quite measure up? Perhaps the basement is poorly renovated. Or the kitchen is small. Or there’s only one bathroom. Should you say “No”?

Here’s something to consider: A home that has a few undesirable features will probably cost less. And, those savings may more than cover the costs of any needed upgrades or renovations.

So don’t pass up on a house simply because is doesn’t meet all your criteria. It may be worth buying a home for less and then making improvements. Call Marina 416-843-1515 today.

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Better Bedrooms. Faster Sale!

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

Here’s a surprising statistic. In several surveys, upwards of 60% of people surveyed listed “bedrooms” as one of the reasons they decided to purchase a particular property. So don’t overlook these rooms when preparing your house for sale. You need to make sure they appear roomy and attractive to potential buyers.

The first step is to make sure every bedroom actually has a bed. Otherwise, you might inadvertently give the impression that your home has fewer bedrooms than it really does. To a potential buyer, a bedroom is often more valuable than the home office or storage room you may have converted it into.

You can’t change the number of bedrooms your home actually has, but you can make sure that each one shows well. Consider the layout of each room carefully. Is the bed and other furniture placed in a way that makes the room appear as spacious as possible? Can buyers easily walk around the bed? Are the curtains, bedding and other décor items clean and attractive?

Finally, buyers will understand that a kid’s room may be somewhat cluttered and may even have an eclectic style, but you need to make sure it’s as clean and tidy as possible.

Have questions about how to prepare your house for sale? Call Marina 416-843-1515 today!

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Don’t Forget To Get What You Want

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Marina Gavrylyuk

Shopping for a new home can be a dizzying experience. There are so many things to think about, it’s all too easy to lose focus on the most important consideration of all: getting the home you really want. Here are five questions to keep front-of-mind:

Is it located in the neighbourhood I want? Where a property is located can have a dramatic impact on how much you enjoy it. Make sure the neighbourhood has the characteristics you’re looking for.

Does it have the look I want? Looks aren’t everything, but they are important. A good looking property, inside and out, can make living in it that much more satisfying.

Does it have the features I want? Three bedrooms? A finished basement? A spacious backyard with wraparound deck? You may not find all the features you‘re looking for, but you should be able to come close.

Does it have issues I don’t want? Does the property require extensive repairs or renovations? Does it back onto a noisy street?

Can I purchase it for the price I want? Does the property fit your budget?

A good REALTOR® can help you find the home you want while making the entire process easier and less stressful. Call Marina 416-843-1515 today!

Marina Gavrylyuk
Sales Representative
Sutton Group-Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
1100 Burnhamthorpe Road West #27
Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 4G4

Cell: 416-843-1515 Tel.: 905-897-9555
Email: Marina@MarinaG.ca
Web: www.MarinaG.ca
Marina.Realtor

Happy Houses for Happy Families

Real Estate Broker Marina Gavrylyuk

Tag Archives: first time home buyers

Get It In Writing

Getting Your Home Hunting Ducks in a Row

How Much Can You Really Afford?

Is It A Mountain? Or A Molehill?

How To Handle Offers

Understanding the Home Buying Process

The Advantage of Getting Pre-Approved

Consider Buying a Home With Some “Undesirable” Features

Better Bedrooms. Faster Sale!

Don’t Forget To Get What You Want