À qui la chance?

Catherine is hosting an open house this Sunday, June 8th, between 2 and 4 pm.

This place is great- well-located, family-friendly, reasonably priced, and has all the features you can hope for.

Check out www.immolaval.com and take a peek at this listing for more details.

See you there!

Today, the Canadian Press reported this story about Proprio Direct.

A little Coles’ Notes version of the case: once upon a time, Proprio Direct, a real estate brokerage, employing real estate agents, would sell consumers their real estate services, including a non-refundable “membership” fee of about $1500, charged upfront, or a commission-based payment scheme with an agent. The flat fee option listed your house on the MLS and a yard sign, with the understanding that the consumer took it upon themselves to qualify buyers, advertise, and generally sell the home themselves. Sounds like a deal, right? Sounds a lot like what other for-sale-by-owner websites sell. But it’s actually how Proprio Direct landed themselves into trouble in the first place. Why? Because they are a real estate brokerage. Under the Brokerage Act, brokerages aren’t allowed to collect a penny from a seller unless the property actually sells. If it doesn’t sell- no commission, be it a percentage of the final sale price, a set amount, or a membership fee.

Some Proprio Direct clients bought their services, didn’t sell their home, and expected a refund of their membership fee. Proprio Direct didn’t oblige, and long story short, got taken to court over it. (For the record, they haven’t charged a membership fee since 2002.) Battling it out as a point of anti-competitive behaviour within the real estate industry, they argued that consumers should have a choice between commissions, flat rates, and anything else. Fair enough, and a valid argument indeed. Problem with their argument is that consumers already do have a choice.

As a consumer, you have a choice to agree to hire an agent, and to that real estate agent’s fees or not.  Hiring an agent is a matter of personal preference- you either do, or you don’t, and both have their pros and cons. Nobody works for free, and a good agent will work hard to ensure a quick sale of your home. Interview several real estate agents before choosing one. Make sure you feel comfortable with them, not intimidated by them, and trust your gut on this one.  You should feel like someone is on your side, not like you’re being strong-armed into a sale. If you feel like your agent can’t be trusted, you won’t have a pleasant experience in selling your home, and nobody likes to pay someone they can’t stand. Ask whether they are flexible in their payment options. Ask what type of marketing plan they have in mind for your property. If you hire an agent, expect status updates, good photography of your property, and a set marketing plan, with quantifiable milestones to be met. For example, if an agent promises to advertise your home in the local newspaper, demand proof of it.

At the end of the day, a real estate agent works for you, and ought to actually earn his commission.

If you’re interested in learning about how we earn ours, drop us a line at info@mar-vo.com or check out www.immolaval.com.

Sources: The Gazette, Les Affaires, the Supreme Court of Canada

Space camp. My inner tomboy is having a fit. She is telling me space camp? Why didn’t WE go to space camp back in the ’80s? I try to tell her it probably had to do with the fact that Montreal was too busy nursing its hangover from the ‘76 Olympics, and that the last time Montreal was concerned with anything space-related was in the 60s, when we were building our Jetson-looking highways in anticipation of Expo ‘67 (yes, the same highways currently crumbling.) We, I remind Inner Tomboy, were all into Madonna and her black-tutu-big hair-crucifix fashion sense at the time.

Well, fast forward about 20 years and here we are, happily singing the praises of the Laval Cosmodome. I’m not a parent yet, but I am planning to be one of the coolest by at the very least, throwing a kids’ birthday party here.

Sign up quickly for the last spots in the three- and six-day space camp programs or enjoy some of the fun with your kids for the Parent-Child space camp program, starting in August. Have fun!

Laval Cosmodome

2150, autoroute des Laurentides
Laval, Québec H7T 2T8

Click here for Map & directions

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Today the CMHC issued this press release about the Canadian housing market.

Highlights : the number of housing starts (meaning, new home construction, in units) is set to fall slightly. However, while the number of resale home sales will go down, prices are still beating the inflation rate, with Quebec’s prices increasing moderately by 4.7% in 2008 and a further increase of 2.8% in 2009. This demonstrates that Quebec is still one of the more affordable places to buy a home.

ScotiaBank’s analysts are also reporting that while some markets have become buyers’ markets, others still belong to the sellers, albeit moderately. This shows that housing prices across the board are slowly balancing out.

Oh, the banks are also pleased that we are not experiencing any US-style mass mortage defaulting. Same old, same old in that regard.

Of course, these numbers are for the entire province of Quebec. If you’re curious about what that means for a particular Montreal-area neighbourhood, give us a shout at 450.472.7007 or email us at info@mar-vo.com for a consultation.

Happy spring everyone! :) 

Source: CMCH, Yahoo News.

So Catherine and Mr. Catherine have officially moved in to their new digs in Fabreville. Quite the experience, quite the number of dents in the walls.

Note to self (and any other people currently contemplating their move): know your paint colours and make sure you have a little extra on hand. While you’re at it, get a little putty, too. You’d be amazed at how many dents and scratches were on our walls- through no fault of our movers.

Cat will be offline for a bit, so if you need me for anything, give me a call at 450.472.7007, ext. 3. I will happily drop the chore of unpacking to serve you.

If you’re actively surfing MLS.ca or immolaval.com for new listings, you may find our subscriber services a useful way to keep on top of the local market’s offerings without having to sacrifice your lunch hour.

Simply click here, or email info@mar-vo.com with a request for a listing notification, telling us about the kind of property you’re looking for, what neighbourhoods interest you, your budget, and a little note about you and your needs.  Before you know it, one of our tech-savvy real estate agents will e-mail you back with properties that meet your requirements, and will be ready to show you around town for an afternoon of visits.

And of course, in following with our privacy policy, we never share your personal information with others.

This past weekend we listed this lovely home out in St-François, one of Laval’s better kept secrets. Avid MLS.ca surfers will soon be able to search it under MLS #1426141. It features a new oak kitchen, hardwood floors, an open concept design sure to please today’s discerning buyer, lots of sunlight, no backyard neighbour, and a master bedroom that includes a cute front veranda to take in the sun and calm first thing in the morning.

Nestled among greenery and lush, mature trees, and just steps away from picturesque Boulevard des Milles-ïlles, this St-François home is located in the up-and-coming neighbourhood to invest in. Why? It’s still affordable for first-time home buyers, taxes are lower, there’s easy access to Highway 25 and the 440, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from historic Vieux Terrebonne. Plus, it’s nearby schools, parks, a golf course, and nearby industrial park that employs lots of residents (but not so close to hear or see it!) The government’s plans to expand Highway 25 by way of a bridge to Montreal also appears well under way. This neighbourhood is surely bound to increase in value, making it a great investment. Last year, according to the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board and the CMHC, this neighborhood had prices increase a full 10% over the year before. Not too shabby.

If this home interests you, give us a shout at 450-472-7007, extension 3.

Can’t Grasp Credit Crisis? Join the Club

By DAVID LEONHARDT

Published: March 19, 2008

This may not be comforting, but your confusion is shared by many people in the middle of this financial crisis.

Check out this article from today’s New York Times here.

It’s about time Longueuil ought to be known for more than a haircut.  This condo is pretty cute, cozy, affordable, and safe. Nestled in a snowy crescent, this 2 bedroom features 1075 sq. ft. of living space, private terrace on a grassy knoll (though you’d never think it if you saw the snow lately…), a great chocolate brown kitchen with lots of cabinetry and counterspace, and a great big bay window the sun shines through in the afternoon.  A bonus for those who hate shovelling: the condo association hires people to shovel your front steps, and you can park your car in either one of your two interior parking spaces and keep the snowbrush in the trunk.

Ideal for couples, singles, and empty nesters- all of the outdoorsy persuasion. This place is right next door to the Parc Régional de Longueuil- meaning one can enjoy biking, walks in the woods, and greenery aplenty in the warmer months, and cross-country skiing and skating in the chillier ones. Golf amateurs would love its proximity to the Parcours du Cerf, too.

All this conveniently located to pretty much any kind of big box store you’ll ever need.

Sound interesting? Give us a call at 450-472-7007 ext. 3 for more information and visit arrangements.