Cat prefers Inspiration Pilates in Chomedey. This a small and intimate place offering quickie (but effective!) floor mat sessions during lunch hour, challenging Reformer machines, mom-and-baby classes, and even cardio machines if you want to burn some calories as you tone.

Annie and her team also offer light snacks, in-house spa services, and most importantly, a friendly and zen atmosphere.  We were just sold when the husband noticed a definite improvement in posture and muscle definition.

Go check them out at 3273 Jean-Béraud or call 450-681-0007 for a try-out, and tell them we sent you.

So goes our first Halloween in Fabreville Ouest- we carved our first Jack-o-Lantern, laid out a giant spider web on our front steps, and then embedded plastic spiders and skeletons in it, and felt more than ready armed with 2 giant boxes of name-brand candy. We were determined to be ‘the cool house’.

Boy, were we unprepared for the deluge of children and parents alike in costumes! It was pretty wicked, pardon the pun.

We also know that for next year, 5 boxes of the good name-brand candy is in order. There are a LOT of kids seeking their sugar fix in the area, and alas, we had to venture out to buy more to tide them over. The yummy Cape Cod salt-water taffy we  handed out got some quizzical stares from little goblins, princesses and superheroes with a taste for Mars Bars and Smarties. Here’s hoping their parents appreciate the fancy gourmet stuff!

Hope all you kids carefully go through your goody bags this year with your parents, and make sure you brush your teeth!  As for us, we got to snack on our yummy home-baked pumpkin seeds. Email us at info@mar-vo.com for the recipe.

A nifty Flash-animated presentation from the folks at hgtv.com demonstrates how much you can expect those renovation costs to increase your property’s value. The cheapest and most surprising? Inexpensive bathroom updates bring up to 102% back! Least surprisingly, landscaping brings back a full 100% return on investment. Check it out by clicking here.

Lovingly and tastefully decorating your home makes a great impression on buyers, but beware of spending too much on furnishings for the sake of selling your home. You’re better off with a fresh coat of neutral paint, de-cluttering, and getting rid of large furniture in small rooms.

And the renovation project that might make you happiest, but is unlikely to pay itself off is (not surprisingly) the Extreme-Makeover type of ultra-luxurious master bedroom suite. One must remember that the biggest and nicest house in the neighborhood is probably the house that won’t be sold for as much as if it were in a neighborhood of similarly-sized homes.

You might also want to consult the CMHC’s ever-handy home renovation guide, by clicking here.

Need advice about which home improvements to take on prior to selling? Call one of our agents at 450-472-7007 or check out www.immolaval.com, click on Contact Me, and fill out the form.

You can read it here.  Any questions? Drop us a line at info@mar-vo.com, or visit www.immolaval.com and email us from there.

Have a happy fall!

Source: Greater Montreal Real Estate Board

Of course, some buyers are reticent in believing they’re ready to take the next step. The gloom-and-doom tone of the “housing bubble” news is actually pretty good news for qualified buyers. People are biding their time and waiting to see what comes of the Canadian economy weathering some bumps along the way, as has been reported in the US, the UK, and much of the world.  But at the end of the day, people are also still moving out of their parents’ house, still getting married, still having kids, and still working, and this all means that if you have to move, well, what are you waiting for? If you have more choice and more buying power today, why not call an agent about that home you’ve had been keeping track of on MLS.ca and arrange for a visit?

Sources:

National Post, the Toronto Star, Canadian Real Estate Association, Government of Canada

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!

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

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

View Larger Map

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.

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.