Many of us have heard the same health recommendation for the past few months — as much as possible, stay home. As summer draws to a close and entertainment ideas wane, why not create a defined space to meet your family’s needs? A designated games room or entertainment area provides convenience and recreation in the comfort of your own home. From family games to home theatre and sound systems, choices and customizations are endless. You may never want to leave the house again!
The best kind of entertainment is something that can be shared with the whole family. Games like foosball, billiards, air hockey, and darts are always a good investment, but the choice is dependent on the size of the space you have available.
Foosball is fast-paced and fun, great for adults and kids of all ages. The table also takes up far less space than a pool table or shuffleboard, and there are even smaller tabletop options that can be stored away when not in use.
Air hockey tables come in a variety of sizes and are another alternative if space is limited. Darts — that popular pub classic — brings out a friendly competitive spirit and come in boards or cabinets, if you prefer the added benefit of storage.
Billiards, shuffleboard, and ping pong tables are solid and large, so the size of your games room is an important factor in whether or not one can be part of your vision. “For those with a lot of room, billiards and ping pong tables have been tremendous sellers for us,” says Jeremy Kalapacz from Oakville Home Leisure. “Billiards, ping pong, foosball, and darts, are all games your family can enjoy for many years; it really just comes down to space constrictions”.
Feel like recapturing some childhood memories? Video arcade machines bring a retro touch to any gaming area. Many of the ones built for at-home use are multi-gamed with all of your classic favourites.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The idea of creating a cinematic experience the whole family can enjoy is appealing. “We have definitely seen an increased interest in home theatres and whole-home audio. Families still want to be able to have a night at the movies and they want it without the worry and concern of having to leave their homes,” says Sarah Love from PM WYRE in Burlington. “We also have frequent requests to improve the WIFI and internet infrastructure of family homes to support the increased demand for streaming movies, gaming, and online learning.”
While it can seem pricey upfront, upgrading movie night means more date nights in and fewer trips to an overpriced snack bar.
As the demand for home theatre and sound systems grows, take the time to do your due diligence and research which system is optimal for your home. You may want the largest TV on the market but consider the size in relation to the seating the space offers.
If putting together your dream theatre and sound system seems overwhelming, speak with professionals who can gauge your needs and budget, and come up with a customized plan for your family.
Another popular option is expanding your entertainment space into the backyard. People are beginning to transform their outdoor space into a recreational option to adhere to social distancing requirements. “We have promised our clients for years the opportunity to come home, press one button, and use technology to help create a unique experience, which extends to all of the home,” remarks Robert May from Sounds Good in Oakville, “What about a summer drive-in movie experience in the backyard with your new outdoor TV?”
A designated at-home entertainment area isn’t just for the kids. It brings the family together across all generations for some healthy competition and enjoyment.
LOCAL LINKS
Oakville Home & Leisure – www.oakvillehomeleisure.ca
Oakville Sight & Sound – www.oakvillesightandsound.ca
Sounds Good Inc. – www.soundsgoodinc.ca
Fairview Hi Fi (Burlington) – www.fairviewhifi.com
PM Wyre (Burlington) – pmwyre.com
The Pool Shoppe (Hamilton) – https://thepoolshoppe.ca/
One of the essential aspects of every mortgage application is the discussion pertaining to your down payment. Home purchases in Canada require a minimum down payment of your own funds to be put towards the purchase. It is important that during the discussions with your Mortgage Broker that all the cards are on the table pertaining to your down payment. Doing so can save you time and stress later on in the process.
Most home buyers are aware that they will require a certain amount of money for a down payment. What many do not realize is that lenders are required to verify the source of the funds to ensure that they are coming from an acceptable source. Here are a few facts to keep in mind:
1. Lenders require a 90-day bank account history for the bank account holding the down payment funds. The statements must include your name, account number and statement dates. These statements can be savings, chequing, RRSP, TFSA etc. but moving money around before these accounts are confirmed will only require more documentation. Do not move any funds until after your down payment has been verified by the lender.
2. A common hesitation that we often hear from clients is that their bank statements include a lot of personal details. As professionals, we completely understand our clients’ concerns pertaining to your personal information and we always ensure that information is protected. Statements provided with blacked out names, account numbers or any other details are not acceptable. Unaltered documents are a requirement of confirming the down payment funds.
3. All large or unusual deposits need to be verified to ensure the source of those large deposits can be confirmed and can be used towards the down payment.
• Received a gift from an immediate family member? Easy, gift letter signed.
• Sold a vehicle? Easy, provide receipt of sale.
• CRA Tax Return? Easy, Notice of Assessment confirming the return amount.
• Transfer of funds from your TFSA? Easy, provide the 90-day history for the TFSA showing the withdrawal.
• Friend lent you money for the house purchase…. Deal Breaker.
• A large deposit into your account that you cannot provide confirmation for…. Deal Breaker!
4. You were told that your minimum down payment was 5%, great! However, did you know that you are also required to show that you have an additional 1.5% of the purchase price saved to cover closing costs like legal fees?
5. Ensure that the funds for the down payment and closing costs stay in your bank account once you’ve provided confirmation. Those funds should only leave your account when they are provided to your lawyer to complete the purchase. Lenders have the right to request updated statements closer to closing to ensure that the down payment is still there. If money is moved around, spent or if there are more large deposits into your account, those will all have to be confirmed.
The last thing that anyone wants when purchasing a property is added stress or for something to go wrong late in the process. Be open with you Mortgage Broker, we are here to help and to guide you through the process. Not sure about something pertaining to your down payment funds? Ask us. We are here to work you through the buying process by making sure you know exactly what you need to do.
Wow, have things ever changed in the real estate market! I wrote in April about how the market had abruptly come to a halt with the arrival of Covid and the associated lock-downs. Showings at that time had dropped 80-90% from normal levels.
The number of homes sold across Halton was down about 65% in April, 2020 from April, 2019, and about 50% in May, 2020 compared to May, 2019. The magnitude of these drops was really unprecedented.
I also wrote at that time that there was a lot of underlying demand that had been building earlier in the year, especially in better communities like Halton. Most agents and brokerages had expected this to be a strong year. And with interest rates remaining low, if the lock-down period was not too prolonged, many people expected that the market may return to strength.
Fast forward and the last few months have been a busier period than we have seen in many years. Declining sales abruptly stopped in June, when the number of homes sold in Halton were even with June, 2019.
Things then took off from there. In July, 2020, units sold were the highest for any July since July, 2015. And in August, sales were not only dramatically higher than in August, 2019, they were higher than ANY individual month since May, 2017.
This is pretty remarkable when you consider that May is traditionally the peak of the Spring market, the strongest sales period of the year, and August is traditionally a MUCH slower sales period, due to summer holidays. Average prices have also been trending higher, increasing more than 10% in August, 2020 compared to August, 2019.
So, indeed the market has returned to strength, perhaps more so than even optimists might have expected. The million-dollar question is where does the market go from here?
There are certainly lots of opinions about this question. Some say that the recent strength is simply a timing shift of purchases from the dormant early Covid period to now. And it is true that, despite this recent remarkable strength, the total number of sales for the full year is still below normal. With weakness in the economy, many businesses and consumers still struggling, and Covid cases rising again, some believe the market is due for a pull back. Others believe that the underlying demand for real estate is solid and sales will continue to be very strong in the coming months.
This of course makes planning difficult if you are a homeowner thinking of selling, or a buyer thinking of buying. No one has a crystal ball, so each person will have to make their own judgment, based on their own circumstances, time horizon, and tolerance for risk.
Only time will tell, but I think we can rest assured that even if there is a period of weakness, the underlying attractiveness of real estate in the growing GTA, combined with supply constraints, will continue to positively impact the real estate market over the medium to longer term.
Please call me at any time to discuss your real estate needs at 647-405-8057.
Joy Nolan (left) and Dan Bednis (right) or Royal LePage Meadowtowne
How long have you been working in real estate?
Dan: I joined the real estate profession over 9 years ago. Prior to briefly retiring in 2011, I spent 24 years in senior management with Bell Canada, followed by 15 successful years of operating my own management consulting firm. Along the way, I have personally purchased, sold and renovated over 15 properties located in urban and rural areas.
Joy: I have over 15 years of valuable experience in sales as well as management. Prior to assuming the managing broker role in 2015 for Royal LePage Meadowtowne, I spent 10 years in sales with the brokerage.
What drove the decision for the two of you to start working together? And what are the advantages for your clients of working with a team?
Dan: As the saying goes, “everyone can achieve more together”. It is this teaming concept that inspired us to join forces and form a partnership. Joy and I were both searching for ways to further strengthen our respective positions in the marketplace, and it became obvious that we should come together as equal partners. There was a true alignment in our beliefs and work ethic, as well as a sincere desire to fully meet the needs of our clients.
Is there a particular area you both specialize in, either in terms of neighbourhoods, or types of homes, or perhaps the type of clients you like to work with?
Joy: We both have experience in urban and rural properties, and we believe this adds to our strength and competitive advantage. Being able to leverage all of this knowledge brings significant benefits to our many clients.
In such a competitive market, with so many realtors, what do you offer your clients that you think makes a difference?
Dan: As seasoned professionals, we feel our combined, extensive past experiences and in-depth knowledge provide a sound foundation for understanding the real needs and objectives of our clients. We have both purchased and sold a large number of properties for personal purposes. Accordingly, because we are intimately familiar with real estate transactions both from a buyer’s and seller’s perspective, we feel we can empathize with our clients. We constantly strive to make our clients’ real estate experiences as stress-free as possible!
George Niblock, Sales Representative with Royal LePage in Oakville
How long have you been working in real estate?
I’ve been in real estate in Oakville for 21 years. I started at age 25 (before I or any of my friends owned houses) by selling my friends’ parents’ southeast Oakville properties as they began to downsize. I really had to learn fast. Luckily I had some great local mentors along the way, Gail Bird and Gillian Cockcroft – both top producing veterans with impeccable reputations.
What do you think is the most important attribute of a successful real estate agent?
I learned that your reputation is the number one thing to protect in real estate. People are looking for a trustworthy, knowledgeable agent with common sense to guide them through one of the most valuable financial transactions in their lives. It is key that you have a long view of your career in real estate. No one deal is ever worth compromising your professional integrity to achieve.
What attracted you to this business?
I love real estate because I get to work with a variety of people every day. I also love houses. I’ve restored my own heritage homes and built new custom homes and I love helping clients envision what a home or property could be. Since I have been through the process myself, I’ve got important knowledge and contacts to help clients have a smooth experience.
In such a competitive market, with so many realtors, what do you offer your clients that you think makes a difference?
When it comes time to sell, I often get called in to advise clients on what they should do to their homes to maximize the value and prepare the home for the market. Unfortunately sometimes we make the house look so good they don’t want to leave anymore! It takes a high comfort level for someone to sign an offer to buy a home. So usually this means a lot of time has gone in to understanding what all the options are. Local knowledge is a key factor here.
Have you found opportunities to give back to the Oakville community?
I joined the board of the Oakville Lakeside Resident’s Association when I bought a house in Old Oakville, and was soon handed the role of President. The role involves a deep understanding of local development issues and matters impacting our town. In my role on the board of We❤️ Oakville (focused on saving the Town from Provincially mandated amalgamation), I was humbled to receive the first ever ‘Key to the Town’ from Mayor Burton.
If you have ever gone through the process of searching for a new home, you have likely seen houses that check all the boxes yet found a reason not to make an offer. On the flip side, you may have found a home that checked a few of the boxes and known right away “this is the one.” For many homebuyers, this is likely a familiar scenario. The trouble is, while most people list functional requirements, they don’t add “has the right feeling” to their checklist.
Typically, buyers include three bedrooms, walk-out basement or pool on their checklist but rarely include a calm, zen backyard (because they’re reclusive), or low-maintenance bricked yard for entertaining (because they have a busy social life). Terry Smith of Re/Max Aboutowne Realty Corp finds the emotional side of house hunting isn’t something that’s often discussed in the real estate world, but as someone who bought his own home based on how he felt walking in the front door, he is a true believer in this theory. For Terry, it’s all about communication with the client and asking the right questions. “Some people can’t express what they want, so once we narrow down location and price range, I ask what sort of feel they’re looking for,” says Terry. “Are they looking for a cozy country home, or something really modern? And if they’re not sure, I start by showing them homes at opposite ends of the spectrum and gauge their reactions to each.”
So, how do we narrow down the search from 20 homes to just a few that fit this emotional response? “Sometimes you can’t,” says Terry. “For some clients, it will take seeing 20 homes. But, by understanding the style and atmosphere the client wants, it can help eliminate unnecessary showings.”
This can be especially helpful considering the recent changes in the industry and the absence of open houses. Making appointments to see homes is not as straightforward as it once was, so any legwork that can be done ahead of time is going to help the process along. Even with every box on your list checked, what if the home is on a busy street when you’re looking for quiet? Or the layout feels awkward when you function better in an open-concept floor plan?
On a personal note, when I was searching for my first home as a singleton, I had a checklist of only a few items. I wanted to be close to work, have two bedrooms and a nice yard. Easy, right? In the end, every home I looked at in the city was too noisy, too cramped, or too busy. By some off chance, I found a tiny little ranch bungalow in Pickering on Frenchman’s Bay. It was an old converted cottage, a bit run down and small, but the backyard was glorious, and it was by the water. It was on a quiet street but also right off the 401, so only a 20-minute drive to work. I had looked at approximately 15 homes before this, clearly not understanding that what I really wanted was a quiet place by the water.
Before you start working with a realtor or set up appointments to see homes, ask yourself how you want to feel in your home. It’s not hard to find a home with three bedrooms, three baths and a walk-out basement, but it’s harder to find a house that just feels right.
“Understanding how a client wants to feel in their new home is the magic of real estate,” says Terry. “If we can approach a search in this way with our clients, we can better assist them in finding their dream home.”
Written by: Julie Achtermeier
