Sellers Archives - Page 2 of 2

Top 10 Reasons To Hire A Realtor

The following statement is worth repeating – when selling your home, it is best to hire a REALTOR®. Selling your own home is complex and time-consuming. It can also be emotional.

Hire a REALTOR® and secure the following advantages:

1. REALTORS® can determine what a property is worth because they have access to the MLS® System and comparables.

2. REALTORS® have the knowledge and experience to market and stage the property, negotiate successfully, and close a deal.

3. REALTORS’® marketing and exposure may yield multiple offers.

4. REALTORS® do the paperwork and ensure it is completed properly.

5. REALTORS® help protect the privacy and security of the sellers.

6. REALTORS® qualify buyers before showing the property. That is, REALTORS® ensure people viewing a property can afford to purchase it.

7. REALTORS® can remain objective and are able to deal with facts when marketing a property.

8. REALTORS® can provide objective feedback about why a property is not selling and make recommendations based on experience.

9. REALTORS® are experts in the field, having completed an extensive course of study.

10. REALTORS® are governed by the Real Estate Council of Ontario, and must adhere to provincial laws, which include a Code of Ethics.

Non-waterfront and waterfront sales hit multi-year highs in March

Residential non-waterfront sales activity recorded through the MLS® system of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® numbered 157 units in March 2016, up 4.7 per cent from March 2015.

On a year-to-date basis non-waterfront sales were running 7.7 per cent ahead of the first quarter of 2015.

Sales of waterfront properties jumped 28.8 per cent year-over-year to 85 units in March 2016.

On a year-to-date basis waterfront sales were up 17.4 per cent from the first quarter of 2015.

“Demand for both waterfront and non-waterfront properties was extremely strong in March, with sales of both hitting their highest levels in more than a decade,” said Tom Wilkinson, President of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®. “Rising sales combined with falling supply appear to be putting some upward pressure on prices.”

The median price for residential non-waterfront property sales was a record $253,000 in March 2016, up 10.4 per cent from March 2015.

The median price for waterfront sales was $425,000 in March 2016, rising 21.6 per cent from March 2015.

The dollar value of all residential non-waterfront sales in March 2016 totalled $40.8 million, rising 10.3 per cent from March 2015. This was the best March level on record.

The total value of waterfront sales was $60.1 million, more than double March of last year and a record for the month. This was such a strong March showing that it marked the first time volumes had surpassed even $30 million in this month.

Summary – Sales by Housing Type
Category	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change
Non-Waterfront Residential	157	150	4.7
Waterfront	85	66	28.8
Includes transactions in all areas recorded by the REALTORS® Association of Ontario Lakelands

Summary – Median Price by Housing Type
Category	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change
Non-Waterfront Residential	$253,000	$229,250	10.4
Waterfront	$425,000	$349,500	21.6
Includes transactions in all areas recorded by the REALTORS® Association of Ontario Lakelands

Detailed – Non-Waterfront Residential Sales and Median Price by Area
Non-Waterfront Residential
By Area	Unit Sales			Median Sale Price
By Area	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change
Muskoka	83	61	36.1	$223,000	$205,000	8.8
Haliburton	14	10	40.0	$164,500	$214,250	-23.2
Orillia	57	48	18.8	$268,500	$251,000	7.0

Detailed – Waterfront Sales and Median Price by Area
Waterfront
By Area	Unit Sales			Median Sale Price
By Area	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change	March 2016	March 2015	Year-over-year percentage change
Muskoka	46	44	4.5	$482,500	$358,750	34.5
Haliburton	24	13	84.6	$388,750	$365,000	6.5
Orillia	15	5	200.0	$407,500	$430,000	-5.2

Waterfront Sales Set New Record

Residential non-waterfront sales activity recorded through the MLS® system of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® numbered 173 units in September 2015, down 9.4 per cent from September 2014. This was still above the five and 10-year average for the month.

On a year-to-date basis residential non-waterfront property sales were running 4.4 per cent above levels at the same time last year. This was also the best sales figure for this period since 2003.

Sales of waterfront properties rose 17.3 per cent from September a year ago to 203 units in September 2015. This was the first September to see sales rise above 200.

Year-to-date sales of waterfront properties were running 13.6 per cent ahead of the same period in 2014, marking the best first three quarters of any year on record.

“Non-waterfront sales stepped back on a year-over-year basis in September, although looking back past last year it was still the best showing for the month in more than a decade,” said Tom Wilkinson, President of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®. “Meanwhile, for the third time in the last four months, sales of waterfront properties again set a new monthly record.”

The median price for residential non-waterfront property sales was $227,750 in September 2015, up 4.5 per cent from September 2014.

The median price for waterfront sales was $375,000 in September 2015, edging down 1.3 per cent from September 2014.

The dollar value of all residential non-waterfront sales in September 2015 totalled $41.6 million, down 8.4 per cent from September 2014. However, this was still the second best level for the month on record.

The total value of waterfront sales was $103.6 million, up 17.4 per cent from September last year. This was the best September on record and the first time in history that volumes in this month had surpassed $100 million.

Summary – Sales by Housing Type
Category	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change
Non-Waterfront Residential	173	191	-9.4
Waterfront	203	173	17.3
Includes transactions in all areas recorded by the REALTORS® Association of Ontario Lakelands

Summary – Median Price by Housing Type
Category	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change
Non-Waterfront Residential	$227,750	$218,000	4.5
Waterfront	$375,000	$380,000	-1.3
Includes transactions in all areas recorded by the REALTORS® Association of Ontario Lakelands

Detailed – Non-Waterfront Residential Sales and Median Price by Area
Non-Waterfront Residential
By Area	Unit Sales			Median Sale Price
By Area	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change
Muskoka	88	93	-5.4	$227,000	$200,000	13.5
Haliburton	16	11	45.5	$181,500	$184,000	-1.4
Orillia	68	78	-12.8	$233,000	$225,500	3.3

Detailed – Waterfront Sales and Median Price by Area
Waterfront
By Area	Unit Sales			Median Sale Price
By Area	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change	September 2015	September 2014	Year-over-year percentage change
Muskoka	123	96	28.1	$395,000	$428,853	-7.9
Haliburton	51	44	15.9	$350,000	$302,500	15.7
Orillia	26	42	-38.1	$444,500	$347,500	27.9

June Real Estate Update

It’s June in Muskoka and the real estate market is hot. For Sale signs are being replaced with Sold signs all over the District. Whether you are selling a home or cottage, that’s good news for everyone.

Waterfront unit sales in south Muskoka are at an all time high since before the year 2000. The month of May was up by 20 units over the same month looking back over 15 years. The biggest jump in this sector is in properties ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000. Unit sales in this range are higher than we have seen before.

Bracebridge residential unit sales are holding pretty steady in line with where they have been since 2010, with the month of May being slightly slower than previous years. We’ve seen the most sales in the $300-$400,000 range. The average sale price for Bracebridge residential from Jan-May 2015 is $286,766, up $22,260 over 2014.

New Muskoka home and cottage properties are being listed everyday, and now’s the time to keep your eye out for that perfect one – you never know, it may be gone before you know it!

Springify Your Cottage or Home

Sell Sell Sell – Take all that extra stuff and have a garage sale! Clean out cupboards, basement and garage and let other people have a chance to enjoy the things you don’t use anymore – and make some cash!

Give It Away – What doesn’t sell at your garage sale, or if you don’t have the time to have one, give your extra things to a charity like the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Helping those who are less fortunate will help them and help you.

Clean Out The Garage – The garage is the place where things go and never return. Spring is the time to pull out those large items and take them to the dump.

Scrub It Clean – There are some things that aren’t a part of our daily (or weekly) cleaning routine. Spring is the time to clean out all those nooks and crannies. Think about your gutters, dryer vent, under the bed and behind furniture. Don’t forget the cupboard under the kitchen sink!

Organize – Now’s the time to go through those kitchen junk drawers, the desk drawer that will hardly close, even your dresser drawers (if they have mysteriously gotten too full over the past year).

Update Curb Appeal – Nothing says spring like flowers and some colour. After a drab winter, brighten up your home by planting some flowers either in the garden or in pots on the front porch or alongside the driveway.

Cottage Selling Tips

1 – First Impressions Last A Lifetime – What a buyer sees when they arrive at your cottage will go a long way in forming their opinion of your property. Clean up the yard of leaves and debris, give the deck a fresh coat of paint and plant some flowers to give an added touch of colour.

2 – Get Rid Of Your Stuff – Buyers want to envision themselves and their things in your cottage. Getting rid of clutter and knickknacks will de-personalize the space and make rooms feel bigger. This helps buyers focus on room size, layout and view, as opposed to being distracted by clutter and mess.

3 – Take Care Of The Fix-It Jobs – All those little jobs that get put off should get taken care of. The leaky faucet, the hole in the screen door, the damaged drywall – taking care of those things will go a very long way. Also make sure all your light bulbs are working.

4 – Price It Right – Pricing your property right is the key to selling. If it’s priced to high, the market will know. Properties that sit and go stale have a hard time selling.