Plus visit us at www.enrightandmolleson.com

Let’s go to some open houses! Here are some simple tips to arm yourself with for your open house travels:

• When picking your footwear selection for the day, opt for the easy-on, easy-off shoes.  Why?   Sellers want you to take off your shoes so that their flooring does not get dirty.
• If you are planning to head out to specific properties, plan your route ahead of time so that you can allow enough time to get through all the properties you wanted to view that weekend.  On the flip side, if you are just starting your search and have not set plans, grab the Whig Standard HOMES section, jump in the car and just start driving.  Most REALTORS place their open houses signs on street corners for that you can find us fast!
• Be prepared to sign in.  With the increase in trying to protect the property and for safety in general, you may start to find more agents requesting that you sign in before viewing the house.   So if an agent asks you to, please be courteous and if you don’t want to be marketed to then tell the agent, they will make sure you don’t get anything.
• Grab the flyer with the details about the house on your way in.  Take down some notes on your likes and dislikes so that you can recall these feelings when you get home.  I have a great check list for viewing properties, so send me an email if you want a copy for your open house tours.
• Remember that the REALTOR is there to help you.  Regardless of what agent is representing you, the agent in the house can still answer your questions and help you with your tour.  Then, if you decide want to take a second viewing of the house, call me or the REALTOR that represents you, and we’ll get you through the house on your our schedule.  If touring open houses is not your cup of tea, send me an email and I’ll build a property specific tour of homes for you to tour at a time that is convenient for you.

So where will I be this Super Bowl weekend?  I’m hosting two open houses, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.   Visit the links below for details:

www.341boxwood.com

www.36westmorland.com

Remember: It’s the season for BONUS AIR MILES Reward Miles for all my buyers!!

Attention Buyers!!!

The City of Kingston, in partnership with Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, is offering a down payment assistance program to help with the purchase of a home in either the City of Kingston or County of Frontenac. This is the last opportunity to participate in this program.

The purpose of the Home Ownership Component of the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is to provide down payment assistance to individuals and families for the purchase of a home in the City of Kingston or the County of Frontenac. The program requires that the home must be the sole and principal residence of the approved homeowner.

A maximim down payment assistance of 5% of the purchase price is being offered, up to a max of $7,244.00  The final purchase price  of the home must be $233,208 or less and the gross household income must be above $29,500 and below $66,400.00

Visit the City of Kingston’s website for a copy of the application and criteria.  The selection is by lottery, so everyone has an equal chance of being the selected buyer!  Call me to today to get a list of properties in your price range and to get started on your property search.

Deadline to respond is Feb. 6, 2009.

***** NEWS BLAST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS!!

The 2009 Bugdet confirms the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit

To assist first-time home buyers with the costs related to the purchase of a home, Budget 2009 proposes to introduce a First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit. A 15-per-cent credit will be applied to a $5,000 amount, and will provide up to $750 in tax relief to reduce the costs associated with first home purchases completed after January 27, 2009 .

This is a great year to buy, so let’s team up to find you your first home!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, particularly when it comes to buying a home.  Features that attract one home-buyer may repel another.

However, the one feature of interest to every home-buyer is price.  Getting the most home for your money is paramount.  The real problem however, is figuring out what type of property you really want?

The first step is figuring out what kind of house you need.  A good buy is only a good buy if it meets your current and future living requirements.  Before shopping for a home, decide how much space you and your family require.  How many bedrooms, bathrooms?  Is a family room necessary?  Do you need a layout that will accommodate a lot of entertaining?  Do you prefer a spacious or compact work space in the kitchen?  If you have small children, can the house easily be childproofed?

Evaluate the front and back yards.  Is there enough space to accommodate your children? Do you enjoy yard work and gardening, or do you want a low-maintenance yard?  Take into consideration the cost of extensive landscaping and upkeep.

Next, determine how much work is required to make the house you are considering livable.  Make an honest assessment of your fix-it abilities.  How much work are you willing to do or pay someone else to do?  Do you have basic decorating, carpentry and plumbing skills?  If you plan to learn as you go, make sure you have accurately determined what you are getting into.

Unless you are ready and able to tackle a major remodel, look for a house or condominium that needs only cosmetic improvements.  These include painting, wallpapering and replacing items like flooring, window treatments, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, light fixtures, cabinet and interior door hardware and appliances.  Remember that even these simple changes can be costly if you have to make many of them.

Beware of improvements that seem easy enough at first glance buy may turn into major headaches and require a lot of money once you’ve moved in, such as a Kitchen remodel.

The above is just a small reason why picking the right agent can make the home buying process a lot easier.  Let’s work together to help you buy a new home.

As local Real Estate Agents, we are highly versed in the buying & selling of homes by Military personnel.  We are members of DND Relocation and have had the pleasure of helping many Military families move in & out of Kingston.  As we move into 2009, we are offering our Military clients a chance to earn a ton of AIR MILES Reward Miles.  To find out just how many AIR MILES Reward Miles you’ll earn by having Greg & Jenn represent you as a seller or buyer, call me today!