Buyer Tips

Make sure you-re ready

  • Decide if the timing is right
  • Be prepared to make sacrifices
  • Remember your home will require constant care
  • Have your finances in order
  • Manage your debt
  • Consider your family-s future needs
  • Decide what you want

  • Carefully consider the options available
  • Prioritize your lifestyle needs to find the best property fit
  • Urban – big city living
  • Suburban – modern neighbourhoods
  • Small Town – close community living
  • Rural – country living
  • Learn and understand real estate terms
  • Single-family Detached – free standing house; styles range from a single-story suburban bungalow to a three-story Victorian
  • Semi-detached/Linked - two houses that share a common wall; usually less money than a fully detached home
  • Duplex: a building zoned for two families
  • Town House - comprised of several homes with a common style and joined in a row
  • Condo – you own 100% of the unit and have access to common facilities such as gym rooms, party rooms, and pools. Have to pay condo fees for the
  • building's overall maintenance.
  • Resale – an older home that may or may not have been renovated and upgraded
  • New – a home being developed and built where you will be the first owner
  • Sell your current home

    Usually people cannot afford to manage two homes and the associated mortgage payments at the same time

    When should you sell?

  • Seller's market – when there are many people looking for homes, but there are not many available on the market
  • Buyer's market – when there are many homes for sale, but not many people are buying them
  • The time of year can also affect how quickly you can sell and buy a property
  • Winter sales tend to be slower, spring sales are tend to be quicker
  • If you need to sell fast

  • Ask a REALTOR® for help establishing a price and for making your home look attractive without making you look desperate.
  • Sometimes you can time your current home's sale with the future home's purchase
  • Can make the sale of your home "conditional"
  • Can try to extend the "closing period" to have more time to find your next home
  • Smart to enlist a REALTOR® for professional services, just like you would hire a mechanic or dentist