tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368557602012-02-16T21:44:36.615-05:00My name is Keith Church and I am Broker of Record/Owner of the Prudential Grand Valley Realty offices in Kitchener and Cambridge, Ontario. I'd like to make comments on some of the things I see in my day-to-day work. Some good, some great, and some not so good (from which we can all learn). I hope you enjoy.Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.comBlogger1961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-10234343804721902272012-02-02T10:59:00.002-05:002012-02-02T11:04:34.020-05:00

Here are the numbers for the month of January, 2012 for both regional associations:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 318,424$ 279,957$275,058$264,336Percentage Change+13.7%+1.2%Properties Sold316371166185New Listings/Sales Ratio30.7%39.4%35.5%39.3%Properties For Sale Now17541852681671

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-89367082434750593982012-01-06T15:15:00.007-05:002012-02-02T11:07:33.260-05:00

It has been a "stable" year for Waterloo Region real estate sales. Here is the K-W Record's take on it:Real Estate Holds its Own for 2011Here are the numbers for the year of, 2011 for both regional associations:K-W This YearK-W Last YearCambridge This YearCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 301,000$ 289,294$285,418$279,014Percentage Change+4.0%2.2%Properties Sold6248638928902653New Listings/

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-49440289710145330422012-01-05T15:28:00.003-05:002012-01-05T15:36:31.664-05:00

Here are the numbers for the month of December, 2011 for both regional associations:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 303,551$ 288,820$271,586$282,492Percentage Change+5.1%-3.9%Properties Sold325327159155New Listings/Sales Ratio102.5%91.3%87.0%70.8%Properties For Sale Now14311439657N/A

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-86462711650409721342012-01-04T09:14:00.002-05:002012-01-04T09:19:36.414-05:00

Here are the numbers for the month of November, 2011 for both regional associations:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 299,278$ 281,268$308,938$291,409Percentage Change+6.4%+6.0%Properties Sold453488243196New Listings/Sales Ratio67.5%79.7%62.8%51.6%Properties For Sale Now21062007882821

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-67795750802328391062011-11-25T10:12:00.003-05:002011-11-25T10:19:23.020-05:00

Here are the numbers for the month of October for both regional associations:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 307,099$ 302,404$284,515$278,626Percentage Change+1.6%+2.1%Properties Sold479448217200New Listings/Sales Ratio54.3%53.1%44.9%50.0%Properties For Sale Now23082211950914

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-77652186643485723322011-10-07T12:45:00.003-04:002011-10-07T12:51:22.858-04:00

Here are the numbers for the month of September for both boards. It is a little bit odd in that Kitchener-Waterloo numbers are down slightly, but Cambridge is up from last year.Here are the statistics for September, 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 289,959$ 281,261$284,323$272,946Percentage Change+3.1%+4.1%Properties Sold491511248188New

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-23599737019957672142011-09-06T16:52:00.002-04:002011-09-06T16:59:55.659-04:00

The numbers indicate another strong summer month.Here are the statistics for August, 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 293,149$ 280,985$281,080$276,033Percentage Change+4.3%+1.8%Properties Sold507473235187New Listings/Sales Ratio55.1%61.8%48.0%42.2%Properties For Sale Now229821791308871

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-57995484112850960902011-08-24T11:54:00.002-04:002011-08-24T12:04:36.691-04:00

Here are the statistics for July, 2011: K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 302,974$ 283,861$278,652$287,549Percentage Change+6.7%-3.2% Properties Sold512504264237New Listings/Sales Ratio63.6%61.2%52.6%66.9%Properties For Sale Now230522801002911

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-6092161256617274142011-07-12T13:46:00.001-04:002011-07-12T13:50:26.046-04:00

Here are the statistics for June, 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 312,419$ 290,614$287,549$276,517Percentage Change+7.5%+3.9%Properties Sold677638268254New Listings/Sales Ratio60.5%60.0%45.9%50.2%Properties For Sale Now237422851003992

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-5030612463883956192011-06-08T13:26:00.002-04:002011-06-08T13:31:52.910-04:00

Here are the statistics for May, 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 309,912$ 301,496$294,401$285,059Percentage Change+9.8%3.2%Properties Sold670638311277New Listings/Sales Ratio62.1%58.4%48.6%54.2%Properties For Sale Now24042255994931

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-65707158992444983772011-04-07T09:31:00.002-04:002011-04-07T09:37:29.832-04:00

Here are the statistics for March, 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 298,671$ 283,374$289,003$264,436Percentage Change+5.4%9.2%Properties Sold608719279299New Listings/Sales Ratio61.1%65.1%47.7%52.8%Properties For Sale Now12301058874849

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-38432161564154587082011-03-03T14:33:00.003-05:002011-03-03T14:41:11.488-05:00

Here are the statistics for February 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 288,404$ 290,621$278,793$280,996Percentage Change-0.8%-0.8%Properties Sold491526199242New Listings/Sales Ratio61.0%63.0%39.0%56.7%Properties For Sale Now11711001793748

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-16231647535210121112011-02-03T16:12:00.003-05:002011-02-03T16:26:18.549-05:00

A good solid start to the year. Please remember these statistics are for the month of January so they can be a bit mileading. The statistics say that average sale price is down, but given the short time period, it really is saying that there were more lower end houses selling.Here's the article from the Waterloo Regional Record.Here are the statistics for January 2011:K-W This MonthK-W Last

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-61978872558672549632011-01-09T16:41:00.003-05:002011-01-10T18:38:55.693-05:00

Another year of real estate statistics in the books. The year started like gangbusters but by June/July the market softened and continued the rest of the year with lower monthly sales. After the 08-09 recession, the year was really a mirror image of the previous year with year end numbers ending around the same.Interest rates continue at their bottom rates with no real reason to feel that they

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-20726547258927080192011-01-07T20:04:00.002-05:002011-01-07T20:24:46.362-05:00

The City of Waterloo is proposing changes to fees charged to rental units for the city. With the large number of students renting to go to the two universities, legislation is already in place to protect students and tenants. But this is a huge step beyond that. Fees will be forced onto the students and tenants and it is bad news for everybody. Check out the media information. Mike Milovick

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-90511062479370201892011-01-07T15:14:00.003-05:002011-01-07T15:29:56.999-05:00

Here are the statistics for December 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 289,425$ 264,882$282,492$262,099Percentage Change+9.3%%+7.7%Properties Sold326340155150New Listings/Sales Ratio90.5%81.2%73.5%87.3%Properties For Sale Now755689686696

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-70103528173932449652010-12-13T11:17:00.002-05:002010-12-13T11:23:52.086-05:00

Here are the statistics for November 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 282,624$ 283,858$291,408$272,832Percentage Change-0.4%+6.8%Properties Sold484543196224New Listings/Sales Ratio78.7%82.0%58.2%59.1%Properties For Sale Now19491710821814

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-11703731971550050662010-11-04T09:42:00.004-04:002010-11-04T12:02:59.339-04:00

The fall numbers continue to lag behind last year's fall numbers, but it's fairly stable out there. Prices continue to stabilize, and although it's not brisk, there is plenty of activity. Here is the article in today's Waterloo Region Record with some more detail.Here are the statistics for October 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 302,596$

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-73667727135561572010-11-02T21:36:00.003-04:002010-11-02T22:09:56.569-04:00

If you read some of the news articles about the recent Competition Bureau agreement with the Canadian Real Estate Association, you could truly be confused. But here are some clear facts:1. You MUST be a licenced Realtor to post a listing on the MLS system. As a Realtor, this seems pretty simple. We all pay a lot of money to join and maintain the system. Nobody is going to say a one-time user can

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-43369695586053583392010-10-24T17:18:00.005-04:002010-10-24T17:56:15.864-04:00

I was overwhelmingly inspired by my son today. That's something that seems to happen more often as my two sons have grown up to become their own person.My oldest son, Craig, ran in his first ever 10km race today in Niagara Falls, ON. In his own words, he was a couch potato four months ago, and he made a plan, and set a goal back in the summer to run in the race today. It was the culmination of a

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-32141191254621859302010-10-14T22:00:00.005-04:002010-10-15T08:26:14.114-04:00

I have been quiet publicly about all the press we have been getting over the past months on the Competition Bureau and the Canadian Real Estate Association coming to a resolve over the user rights on the MLS system. I just received a memo today about the vote that is happening on October 24th to ratify CREA's negotiation with the Competition Bureau. Here's what is going to be different after the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-75868242158310447432010-10-05T15:21:00.002-04:002010-10-05T15:27:01.201-04:00

Here are the statistics for September 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 281,469$ 260,087$272,946$256,023Percentage Change+8.2%+6.6%Properties Sold500521188251New Listings/Sales Ratio60.3%61.0%40.1%61.4%Properties For Sale Now20951944914915

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-55379421657218982792010-09-23T09:42:00.003-04:002010-09-23T09:57:40.884-04:00

It's been known to happen occasionally that a couple of neighbours, friends, or just acquaintances get together and talk about a property that one of them owns. The other party indicates that, for whatever reason, they would like to buy the property when the owner wishes to sell.They can enter into a legally binding agreement where the potential buyer has the first right to buy it. If the owner

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-15154058165437421782010-09-07T17:49:00.003-04:002010-09-07T18:02:59.569-04:00

I have just returned from a short trip to Chicago and did some touristy things there. Among the tours, I visited a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. The second oldest baseball stadium, it has always been a favourite of mine and I am very thankful to have an opportunity to see it live.There were many thinks I noticed there that day, but one that really stuck out that was unexpected was the staff/

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-87412601335976402112010-09-07T17:40:00.004-04:002010-09-07T17:47:35.882-04:00

Here are the statistics for August 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 280,493$ 256,305$276,033$257,350Percentage Change+9.4%+7.2%Properties Sold475586187240New Listings/Sales Ratio62.0%80.6%42.2%63.0%Properties For Sale Now20981940871965

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-54653778433868106722010-08-09T15:51:00.001-04:002010-08-09T15:55:29.608-04:00

Here are the statistics for July 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 284,344$ 281,589$287,923$250,396Percentage Change+1.0%+14.9%Properties Sold499654237283New Listings/Sales Ratio60.7%73.6%66.9%63.6%Properties For Sale Now13271305911868

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-84629826266393028512010-07-19T16:40:00.003-04:002010-07-19T16:55:51.288-04:00

Here are the statistics for June 2010:K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 290,880$ 267,457$276,517$267,771Percentage Change+8.8%+3.2%Properties Sold634721254307New Listings/Sales Ratio59.5%74.9%50.2%60.7%Properties For Sale Now219821449921099

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-67816560905319225522010-06-05T17:41:00.004-04:002010-06-06T21:19:49.097-04:00

As the national statistics are released, it appears there is a slowdown in sales in the major markets (Toronto and Vancouver). This is obviously due to some high prices that apparently people are not prepared to pay any more. I don't think this applies locally. The stats say that we're marginally behind May in 2009, but, I remember that after our mini-recession, May was an excellent month

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-81485127110217427342010-05-05T20:31:00.005-04:002010-05-05T20:51:00.372-04:00

We're definitely in a boom market. Sales volumes are at or near peak, and prices are definitely going up. Agents are complaining evry day that there are not enough listings. Good listings are sold quickly, and often with multiple offers. The press is saying it's a concern about the upcoming HST and the threat of higher interest rates. This may be true, but it's a good spring market with some pent

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-4385344999433779462010-04-21T10:58:00.003-04:002010-04-21T11:09:32.337-04:00

We're please to announce that for the first time, Canada has its own Sunshine Kids Spokesperson! He is Geoffrey Reyes and he is a high school student in Abbotsford, BC. We will be making arrangements to have him into the Waterloo Region to speak at one of our events some time this year. Here is his bio: Geoffrey’s first experience with the Sunshine Kids Foundation was on the 2009 Haunted

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-89590290553632506892010-04-09T13:10:00.004-04:002010-04-09T16:09:55.228-04:00

We're getting lots of press lately. That's probably an understatement. Lots of agents, friends, and business acquaintances have asked for comments. It is going to change our business, for sure. But, perhaps not in the way that some perceive.Everybody would agree that the media likes to pump a story up and sensationalize it. That is a fact of life. But some of them have reported incorrect

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-78075511564266480662010-04-08T09:24:00.006-04:002010-04-08T15:10:56.831-04:00

Prices are definitely going up. For the third month in a row, there is a significant increase in the average sale price on both real estate boards. At the recent Prudential convention in Austin, Texas, an American speaker said (and it's true on both sides of the border) that there has never been a better time to get into the market. Interest rates are at historic lows, and prices are very

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-58265978702012524922010-03-05T12:58:00.002-05:002010-03-05T13:07:37.471-05:00

I think by now it is pretty much common knowledge that we're experiencing one of the best spring markets in recent memory. But something jumps off the page in this month's numbers. For the first time in a year and a half, it looks like prices are starting to creep up. I don't get a sense of this from the day to day activity around the office, but the following statistics indicate that there is

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-41960212289411131132010-02-05T13:24:00.003-05:002010-02-05T14:07:43.391-05:00

A group of us from the office recently attended a seminar on the Harmonized Sales Tax and how it will affect the real estate transaction. I thought I would pull out the main key points and post them here. In some ways it is confusing, and in others, it is not.Like the GST, the HST is a value added tax which means the consumers bears the majority of the brunt of its impact. The speaker the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-78145204100948118612010-02-05T09:22:00.003-05:002010-02-05T09:33:04.386-05:00

Statistics at this time of year can be very misleading because it is such a short time span, and it is traditionally a "ramping up" time for a busy spring market. Also, we remember that that market was very slow at this time last year, so that skews the numbers as well. What I will say though, is that the market is very brisk and agents are very busy. This will be a very busy spring market,

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-78684658222160644782010-01-28T16:11:00.004-05:002010-02-05T13:24:39.081-05:00

Congratulations to all our Award Winners, who excelled in production over the past year. All will be recognized at our annual Awards Breakfast held on Thursday, April 1st at the Charcoal Steak House.Chairman's Circle, Platinum Award Jose Bairos & Nina DeebChairman's Circle, Gold Award The Hube Team Mike Milovick & Eric KlimstraPresident's Circle Award Dorinda Orser TeamLeading Edge SocietyWayne

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-88823621768614879552010-01-13T13:37:00.003-05:002010-01-13T14:00:28.481-05:00

2009 was another interesting year in real estate.We started the year mired in a recession, but the Canadian market came out of it the spring, and by April and May we were putting together good numbers. As a result of this, our statistics lagged behind last years numbers right though until the fall when we caught up, and, as you can see, we actually ended up the year ahead of last years number.We

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-3477723787852939882010-01-07T10:00:00.002-05:002010-01-07T10:06:14.237-05:00

Here are the monthly statistics for December, 2009.K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 255,105$256,807$262,099$245,442Percentage Change-0.7%+6.7%Properties Sold35622215094New Listings/Sales Ratio78.9%53.1%83.3%44.1%Properties For Sale Now8791220696736

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-46879635453630755182009-12-09T16:04:00.003-05:002009-12-09T16:12:06.383-05:00

Here are the monthly statistics for November, 2009.K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 277,649$266,373$272,832$244,189Percentage Change+4.2%+11.7%Properties Sold556296224123New Listings/Sales Ratio81.3%53.3%59.1%36.6%Properties For Sale Now16962133814846

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-33141866473409401002009-11-11T12:18:00.002-05:002009-11-11T12:28:41.001-05:00

It was this time last year that the Canadian real estate market went in the tank. So, over the next six months, we'll see some impressive year over year comparisons that may be a little skewed. The market is steady and good, but not busting at the seams. All reports show a good stable market for the foreseeable future. Here is the article from this week's Waterloo Region RecordHere are the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-79746860783049829822009-10-16T09:31:00.002-04:002009-10-16T09:35:05.191-04:00

We are presently organizing our 5th Annual Sunshine Kids Mini Golf Tournament. It will be held at the Cambridge office, 471 Hespeler Road, on Friday November 6th from 2 -6 PM. We are looking for sponsors ($ 100.00) and ticket sales ($ 20.00). It's a great event, and all proceeds go to Sunshine Kids. Last year we raised almost $ 13,000. at this event. There's food and refreshments, door

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-12539719194970212822009-10-09T15:19:00.002-04:002009-10-09T15:23:18.194-04:00

Over the past few years, cable television has been loaded with programs about buying, fixing up and reselling residential properties. Most call it flipping, although that term, in the old days, referred to reselling without any significant work.Programs like The Big Flip, Flip This House, The Real Deal, and Flipping Out have been both entertaining and thought-provoking. If you travel in real

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-88131033654375842972009-10-07T16:59:00.002-04:002009-10-07T17:30:34.919-04:00

Another good, steady month. I was at a national broker's meeting last week and the word from our U.S. colleagues points to a very, very slow recovery. This is definitely not the case here in Canada. Although we are not going "full bore ahead", we're definitely on solid ground.Here is the article in yesterday's Waterloo Region RecordHere are the monthly statistics for September, 2009.K-W This

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-90139683771166034582009-09-03T12:22:00.002-04:002009-09-03T12:46:02.557-04:00

It certainly has been an interesting year. Positive economic news continues and our housing market appears to be consistent again. Here is the article which appears in today's Record . People comment to me about the monthly price fluctuations and this month may indicate alarm to some of those people. Please remember that these numbers are only for a month and are not a true reflection on

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-76954833818488091162009-08-10T16:43:00.002-04:002009-08-10T16:50:46.788-04:00

Another good month. Here is the article which appeared in last week's Record . Here are the monthly statistics for July, 2009.K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 277,879$267,158$257,592$257,792Percentage Change+4.0%-0.1%Properties Sold654666283255New Listings/Sales Ratio71.8%71.7%62.1%54.3%Properties For Sale Now20402046868N/A

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-19555774540931978002009-07-07T21:16:00.002-04:002009-07-07T21:26:06.958-04:00

Our late spring market continues in a positive run. Both boards reported excellent numbers. Here is the the article which appeared in today's Record . Here are the monthly statistics for June, 2009.K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 263,737$277,325$267,771$263,500Percentage Change-4.9%+1.6%Properties Sold722713307277New Listings/Sales Ratio73.5%

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-20004839968346928732009-06-07T17:11:00.005-04:002009-06-07T17:23:44.359-04:00

A carload of us went down to Pearson Airport this morning to see off four Sunshine Kids who are off to Texas for a week of fun. Here is a picture of them with their nurse from Sick Kids, Karen (who has graciously donated her time) as they are about to check their luggage. It was great to meet them and tell them a bit about Sunshine Kids. None of them had met before this morning, so I think

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-47423903736566329382009-06-05T13:08:00.003-04:002009-06-05T13:34:34.691-04:00

For the first time since September, 2008, sales volumes for the month are ahead of last years numbers. We are enjoying a brisk sping market.Here are the monthly statistics for May, 2009. K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 270,650$269,782$265,455$260,562Percentage Change+0.3%+1.8%Properties Sold688626279259New Listings/Sales Ratio72.7%60.9%56.0%

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-22527887788834476222009-06-03T09:20:00.004-04:002009-06-03T09:35:23.523-04:00

The Kitchener office is changing things up this year for our annual fundraiser for Sunshine Kids. We are running a walkathon on Saturday, June 20th at Waterloo Park in Waterloo. Tickets are $ 20.00 per person or $ 30.00 per family. Registration starts at 9 AM and the 3 km walk starts at 10 Am.The event is designed as a family event with lots of refreshments and treats for the kids. We are

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-59220824739031052352009-05-31T13:51:00.003-04:002009-05-31T14:05:42.365-04:00

It has often been said that what happens in the Toronto real estate market follows in Waterloo Region a short time later. I have found this to be very true. With this in mind, I find an article in the Toronto Sunday Star to be very encouraging. Nobody has predicted that numbers (sale prices and sales volumes) will return to 2007-08 levels, but this article seems to speak differently.For sure,

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-14844853204143904862009-05-13T11:43:00.003-04:002009-05-13T12:24:11.296-04:00

As we travel through life and our real estate career, relationships sometimes drop off and we lose clients for an unknown reason, except for, "Gee, we haven't talked in a long time". Here is an article I just tripped across on the internet by Ken Brand, who is a Prudential Real Estate manager in Houston, Texas.He is saying there are four basic human needs that we must feed to maintain a

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-29143426239623243902009-05-06T10:00:00.002-04:002009-05-06T10:10:36.646-04:00

Some good news statistically. Every month since January the statistics have shown a narrowing of the gap in terms of unit sales year to year. In April, we're almost back to even with last year's numbers. Prices are a little soft, reflected in a statistic of a 2% drop, although many agents feel this number is a little behind and it's actually a little bigger drop than that. Buyers are still

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-60380629224087320702009-05-04T13:47:00.002-04:002009-05-04T13:56:06.877-04:00

This article appeared in Realtor Edge recently...The ability to obtain property insurance is a critical component of any real estate transaction. Without home insurance, a buyer cannot obtain a mortgage, and without a mortgage, the transaction falls apart.But insurance companies have tightened the rules for obtaining insurance and have become less willing to insure some types of property. Issues

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-5955173160110556672009-05-01T15:00:00.009-04:002009-05-01T16:02:47.142-04:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote this article about new legislation to make home energy audits a mandatory part of the transaction when a property is sold in the province of Ontario. The bill is under review at Queens's Park and some significant changes have been made, although not finalized.The Standing Committee conducted a clause by clause review of the bill. During that process, the government

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-61263496253889161992009-04-28T17:55:00.002-04:002009-04-28T18:01:09.005-04:00

It has often been said that history repeats itself, and we all know this to be true. But the McGuinty government should hope that their upcoming plans to implement the Harmonized Sales Tax does not follow what happened with the GST and the Mulroney government in 1990 and 1991.The Mulroney government knew that tax reform was needed to fix a problem with the manufacturers tax which disadvantaged

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-32312427021930174022009-04-27T12:44:00.003-04:002009-04-27T12:59:35.207-04:00

This article appears in the May issue of Canadian Real Estate Magazine and is written by our own Mike Milovick.Prospering in K-WThe start of 2009 has been very intense for me and my team – probably even busier than the record 2007 levels. I focus on income property in Waterloo. Kitchener – Waterloo- Cambridge is considered the province’s hot area with a lot of investor interest – in Waterloo

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-30336692918749325482009-04-25T11:43:00.004-04:002009-04-26T10:02:44.646-04:00

Mark Brenneman has joined Prudential Grand Valley from the Homelife office. He was born in 1952, and grew up in Milverton before moving to this area 25 years ago. Among his accomplishments are his 4 daughters, ages, 32, 31, 26 & 24 as well as 2 grandsons.Before getting into Real Estate, Mark worked in Tool & Dye as well as administration and management positions. In 1984 he obtained his Real

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-10622778291412464812009-04-24T14:53:00.004-04:002009-04-26T10:13:10.164-04:00

We welcome Eleonora, who has joined our Prudential team from the Homelife office.She was born in Hungary, immigrating to Canada in 1974 at the age of 10. Her family settled in Langton, Ontario area and eventually moved to Cambridge 14 years ago. Her family includes her husband Tom, son Tommy 23, daughter Katie 22, and a granddaughter Jaime-Lynn.After working as a hairstylist for 15 years, she

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-27296903683295579462009-04-13T14:37:00.002-04:002009-04-13T14:44:09.141-04:00

Here are the monthly statistics for March, 2009. K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 252,744$254,443$255,074$253,094Percentage Change-0.7%+0.7%Properties Sold497608209236New Listings/Sales Ratio54.0%77.3%39.8%54.9%Properties For Sale Now145812121094N/A

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-65886191874040083482009-03-30T20:46:00.002-04:002009-03-30T20:55:52.836-04:00

I am away right now and heard a very dynamic speaker this morning with an incredible story. Perhaps you have heard his story. His name is Dick Hoyt and he runs marathons and triathalons with his son, Rick, who has cerebral palsey. Next month, they will do their 27th Boston Marathon and 1,000th competition.There was hardly a dry eye in the house. Just an incredible bond between father and

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-18835280804358818132009-03-24T17:19:00.004-04:002009-03-24T17:37:18.435-04:00

With mortgage rates at near all time lows, it is very important in these times to pay attention to early payout penalties before a seller puts their home on the market. Lately, we have been finding that newer mortgages have some things in the fine print that need to be watched.It is common knowledge that lenders charge an early payout fee (penalty) when the mortgage is paid out prior to maturity

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-11730315837904725322009-03-20T20:10:00.004-04:002009-03-21T09:45:12.719-04:00

Home inspections have become an every day occurrence for real estate agents over the past ten years. For sure, that is a good thing. Real estate agents and buyers themselves usually can't be expected to be an expert on such things as electrical, plumbing and building code issues. Inspectors have come to be an integral part of the transactions.For some real estate agents, they don't see the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-13680741366032869372009-03-18T12:02:00.005-04:002009-03-19T09:23:08.190-04:00

Congratulations to all our Award Winners, who excelled in production over the past year. All will be recognized at our annual Awards Breakfast held on Thursday, March 26th at the Charcoal Steak House.Chairman's Circle, Gold Award Jose Bairos Scott and Lisa Hube Mike Milovick Li LiPresident's Circle Award Nina DeebDorinda Orser TeamLeading Edge SocietyChristian KriegerMary McMurranNino

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-6830666834755404622009-03-18T11:34:00.003-04:002009-04-13T14:46:07.157-04:00

I know we all talk about how the press always puts the bad news on the front page and seems to make an effort of spreading bad news. With the way the economy has been for the past six months, I think they are in their glory. But, surpising enough, the last two days has brought news that it appears that the recession has "bottomed out".This Canadian Press article which appeared in The Record

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-71881858608703197292009-03-14T13:03:00.003-04:002009-03-14T13:08:53.917-04:00

I ran across this photo several times in the past week and I really don't know its source. It certainly falls in the category of "often thought but seldom spoken."A couple people have commented this past week that I have been slacking off on the blog, which I will acknowledge and apologize sincerely. I have been extremely busy and had a week of holidays in there, too. We're back on track now.

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-38228547504257948402009-03-12T09:54:00.002-04:002009-03-12T10:00:08.433-04:00

Here are the monthly statistics for February, 2009. K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 246,846$260,055$245,689$249,699Percentage Change-5.1%-1.6%Properties Sold369494154218New Listings/Sales Ratio49.0%62.0%35.2%58.1%Properties For Sale Now20191768953684

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-2608562676065014122009-02-06T08:35:00.003-05:002009-02-06T09:09:36.291-05:00

Here are some good works being done across the country through Sunshine Kids donations.In Halifax, Sunshine Kids made a donation to the Halifax Children's Hospital (IWK Health Centre) towards a new nurse/patient calling system in the Children's Cancer Ward.In Toronto, Sunshine Kids has supported Sick Children's Hospital with the purchase of five computerized IV units for the cancer/oncology

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-50446599675495224592009-02-05T10:39:00.003-05:002009-02-05T10:51:17.240-05:00

Here are the monthly statistics for January. K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 249,972$263,247$239,405$251,640Percentage Change-5.1%-4.9%Properties Sold255383106177New Listings/Sales Ratio29.1%41.2%22.0%38.1%Properties For Sale Now18551620876483

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-1735957141796205322009-02-04T13:02:00.002-05:002009-02-04T13:10:28.984-05:00

I often get asked by staff for a schedule of local RECO Update courses. As most of you know, the K-W Board runs the RECO Update course every month in the board's downstairs classroom. If you wish to attend, you need to register through OREA, either online or via telephone. The fee has now been reduced to $ 60.00 and the book is no longer a handout, but a pdf file online. You can register by

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-3289147646612440522009-01-28T11:53:00.003-05:002009-01-28T12:28:42.162-05:00

There was not a lot of stimulus in the federal budget to affect us in the real estate industry. The only change was one that was in the works for some time. The limit for borrowing from your RSP to purchase a home has been increased from $20,000 to $25,000 in the Home Buyers Plan. This plan has been around since 1992 and the increase is more of a housekeeping change to reflect the increases in

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-26908274934079123372009-01-26T13:44:00.004-05:002009-01-26T13:56:41.789-05:00

This is a reminder for home owners on these cold January days that there are numerous grants available to Ontario home owners to upgrade your home and save energy. Rebate grants for upgrading your furnace, air conditioner, hot water heating system, windows, and insulation are available.The steps to Getting Started are explained here.The Rebate Chart showing the amounts you can get back are also

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-72556178053191032232009-01-21T09:14:00.004-05:002009-01-21T09:46:12.811-05:00

This is just an update on an existing program run by the region. They have decided to extend the program one last time to March 6, 2009. They will be selecting about another 185 applicants after that date.For those not aware, the program provides low to moderate income households with the downpayment loan of 5% towards the purchase of a a home. There are rules that apply and they can be found

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-44317871469893647572009-01-19T10:11:00.002-05:002009-01-19T10:20:34.872-05:00

Prudential Cares Grants are available from Prudential Financial for your good works in the community. If you have spent a minimum of 40 hours per year volunteering in 2008, your group is probably entitles to a $ 250.00 US grant from Prudential on your behalf.You can download the application form on PREA Centre under Community Programs, or see Goran or me. The deadline for this year's

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-16419522991836783802009-01-14T11:40:00.003-05:002009-01-14T15:16:22.714-05:00

Some of you may have seen this article which was written by Merv Burgard in this month's Realtor Edge Magazine. His "Legalbeat" article appears there every month. Merv is a lawyer in London, Ontario and writes and teaches legal courses for the Ontario Real Estate Association.As a Buyers agent it is very important that you check Teranet, MPAC, the municipal tax bill (if available) and DEFINITELY

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-12495295942065194152009-01-11T07:39:00.003-05:002009-01-11T08:00:55.877-05:00

The Ontario Legislature has recently passed a second reading of a private member's bill (Bill 101) that will make it mandatory for home sellers to provide their buyers with an energy audit of the home.Home Energy Rating Act 2008 will mean that buyers will be able to have an accurate estimate of heating and cooling costs. Also, it will encourage owners of older homes to do some retrofit work to

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-74454979193646192292009-01-09T08:54:00.003-05:002009-01-09T09:19:16.191-05:00

2008 was certainly a different year. We entered the year hoping to avoid getting caught in the American meltdown, and ended the year finding out that U.S. troubles were much bigger than we thought, and our attachment to their problems were unavoidable.The numbers for the year are strange. In late spring, the volume of sales started to decline, but oddly enough, the prices continued to rise.

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-35252032247083736732009-01-08T16:48:00.003-05:002009-01-08T16:59:00.595-05:00

Here are the monthly statistics for December. I will post the 2008 annual within the next day or so.K-W This MonthK-W Last YearCambridge This MonthCambridge Last YearAvg. Sale Price$ 257,076$247,073$245,442$245,954Percentage Change+4.0%+0.2%Properties Sold22130393124New Listings/Sales Ratio52.9%91.0%44.6%79.1%Properties For Sale Now15621231847736

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-77800115618130886232009-01-01T14:13:00.002-05:002009-01-01T14:33:41.933-05:00

I had a good conversation with my accountant, George Szczepski, yesterday as we went over some company financial statements. Of course, the conversation turned to the economy and the future of the housing market.George thinks we are going through a "correction" rather than a recession. I tend to agree with him. With the exception of the car industry, our local economy is very sound. It's the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-34401381321251930332008-12-24T14:55:00.002-05:002008-12-24T15:13:35.496-05:00

As we enter the holiday season, this article on the front page of the Waterloo Region Record caught my attention this morning.A father-son coaching partnership in Waterloo Minor Hockey has won an Ontario award from the hockey coaches association for the work with the house league team they coach in Waterloo. The remarkable part of the story is that the son Tony, is 12 years old and has Down

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-35644328009011658942008-12-23T20:34:00.006-05:002008-12-23T20:58:54.345-05:00

My son, Craig (who is presently studying economics at Brock University) sent me this link this morning. With my blog entry yesterday, it seems appropriate to pass along the basics of freeing up cash. We've heard lots in the news about how the American lending practices have dried up even when the cost of borrowing is almost "free".This Marketplace video explains what the American federal

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-55097601538179288812008-12-22T19:58:00.003-05:002008-12-22T20:07:17.540-05:00

The housing market in Canada is nothing like the situation in the United States. But, as time passes, more and more of the lending policies are rubbing off on us. A couple of months ago we heard that some conventional lenders were adopting a policy of not funding student income properties.Today I heard that a number of lenders will no longer underwrite mortgages for private sales. The reason

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-36075635081082815592008-12-21T13:13:00.005-05:002008-12-22T19:53:05.882-05:00

Through the National Association of Green Real Estate Agents and Brokers, (a Canadian affiliation), you can attain a designation in Green Real Estate. You can do this by taking courses and paying an annual fee. Three of the courses (which you can take online or in the classroom) qualify for RECO credits. The courses which are good for credits are:"Green Heating and Cooling Options for the

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-65894441310475955252008-12-20T20:42:00.006-05:002008-12-21T13:12:11.460-05:00

Times change. And I think truthfully, for all considered, I think I keep up pretty well. But, I must admit that, although not a total ignorant, I have been a little slow to pick up the pace on this issue. I think the first time my eyes were opened was with the movie, An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore speaking out.For the most part, I have "acted" green. Susan and I both drive cars that are

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-46238500946707640732008-12-19T11:31:00.002-05:002008-12-19T11:34:50.851-05:00

Celina Kiel is 29 and has had her real estate license for 4 months. The areas of real estate that she focuses on are Kitchener and Waterloo.Celina moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo area 6 years ago from Poland.

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-12110986742423006802008-12-17T07:54:00.001-05:002008-12-17T20:13:11.945-05:00

It happened again this week. It seems to happen in our brokerage several times a year, and it's the same story over and over again. It's just different people and different houses, but the same story.When buyers are looking for a house, the human nature is to look at everything. Most have a real estate agent, but they look on their own, too. The internet, weekly and monthly print publications,

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-64678962399271468072008-12-16T15:41:00.000-05:002008-12-16T15:51:40.850-05:00

Sorry for the delay. There were issues with vacation and the official statistician, (AKA Debbie). There is not much of a surprise here. My only comment would be based on press releases over the past week or two, that Waterloo Region is not as bad as the rest of the country. Canadian Press had a headline this week stating that Canadian real estate prices are down 10 per cent. This is truly

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-74941615540506866002008-12-10T09:18:00.000-05:002008-12-10T09:31:52.837-05:00

One thing that seemed to have slipped through the cracks with regards to the new 2008 Ontario property assessments, is that when a property owner wants to appeal an assessment, the assessor now has the obligation to prove the assessment is correct rather than the taxpayer having to prove the assessment is wrong. This is the exact opposite of how it used to be.If your client wants to appeal their

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-26489474368744061102008-12-03T18:38:00.003-05:002008-12-10T09:39:07.010-05:00

When you are selling a rural property now, more than ever, you must cover your bases to protect your buyers and sellers. Since the Walkerton situation a few years ago, the province has taken an agressive stance to ensure safe water for all of us. Clean drinking water is no longer an assumed.When listing a rural property with a well, the prudent thing to do is take a water sample right away.

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-82429993443814614862008-12-01T11:48:00.001-05:002008-12-01T11:54:48.884-05:00

Kathleen Anne has been licensed for 2 years and specializes in residential resales. Kathleen Anne has received the President’s Circle Award and the Honour Society Award.Kathleen Anne grew up in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and moved to the Kitchener Waterloo area 19 years ago. Before entering the Real Estate Profession Kathleen Anne worked for Rogers for 10 years as a manager. Kathleen Anne is also a

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-17166956901028206612008-11-29T18:09:00.001-05:002008-11-29T18:28:35.409-05:00

We are pleased to offer a seminar on web marketing. It will be held:Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 1 PMK-W Board Office (540 Riverbend Drive)Terry LeClair is the Broker of Record/Owner of Prudential LeClair and Associates Realty in Barrie. He is a selling broker, selling over 100 properties a year.Over the past few years he has focused on building his business through having a great website to

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-48281498645426330552008-11-26T17:13:00.001-05:002009-03-23T19:42:29.536-04:00

Next year's Prudential Convention will be here before you know it. It is being held March 28 -31st, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.You can preview some of the key note speakers and headline entertainment on the Prudential Convention website. You need to sign in with your user name and password in PREA Centre to get access.As usual, we have pre-booked a block of rooms and

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-72428966399100599092008-11-25T22:15:00.000-05:002008-11-25T22:22:56.671-05:00

Today you will receive a memo about the upgraded Prudential Grand Valley Realty Do Not Call List software. We now have a web address (password protected) where you can check a phone number quickly to see if the number is on the Do Not Call List. We've even ensured that the web page works on your blackberry! It's fast, simple, and efficient if you just need to check a number before you

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-39860486933838379692008-11-24T14:22:00.001-05:002008-11-24T15:53:06.542-05:00

I received an email recently from Carson Dunlop about the RECO continuing education credits that you can take through them. The topics are excellent for learning about construction and home maintenance.Here is the web address for the courses if you would like to check them out.CarsonDunlop.com

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-91945886307235016292008-11-22T18:59:00.000-05:002008-11-22T19:10:15.365-05:00

Goran sent this website along to me the other day. Interesting reading.Who is the top selling agent in North America? Second place isn't even on the horizon! It's Dolly Lenz from Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Manhattan! Last year she sold $ 748 Million in real estate. Second place? A paultry $181 million! You can view her website at dollylenz.com.No doubt, it's a whole different

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-71101662168554774412008-11-21T15:19:00.000-05:002008-11-21T15:23:35.456-05:00

Chris Leader is running his three day training program in Toronto at the Richmond Hill Country Club, 8905 Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill on December 3rd, 4th, and 5th. It is the same program that he ran in the summer in Kitchener. If you are interested in attending, please see me or Goran in the next few days and we'll get you booked.

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-23695359928028332632008-11-20T09:08:00.001-05:002008-11-20T09:32:02.607-05:00

I recently read the results of the National Association of Realtors (U.S.) on their annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Surveys for 2008. It is always interesting reading. There are 1.3 million realtors in the United States and they have many more resources than us, just based in the numbers. The annual survey always includes over 100,000 participants. The two Canadian factors to keep

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-89158288874078855162008-11-19T19:56:00.000-05:002008-11-19T20:01:56.587-05:00

Nelly has worked in the real estate field since 1987, with her specialty being in residential and relocation areas. Nelly received an Award of Excellence in 2007 and has also received ten Productivity Awards. Nelly has been successful at recruiting new agents into the business and prides herself on repeat clientele.Nelly and her husband, Walter, moved to Canada in 1951 from Poland. They have

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-63342037168411976172008-11-18T20:59:00.000-05:002008-11-18T21:10:21.394-05:00

At the recent Prudential conference in Toronto, I crossed paths with the Aeroplan people who have opened up your ability to offer Aeroplan Miles to your Buyers and Sellers.We always talk about ideas to make yourself unique among the agents you are competing with. Here is one of those concepts. For every 10,000 in value on a property, your client gets 500 Aeroplan Miles. So, on a $200,000

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-24681940076239298302008-11-14T20:50:00.000-05:002008-11-14T21:25:55.196-05:00

I realize that this is an old subject for Cambridge residents and Cambridge realtors. Unfortunately we occassionally run into situations where there are out of town realtors, or people buying privately, to whom the full situation has not been fully disclosed. A local real estate lawyer told me a story recently where, an out of town agent sold a property in the area to a buyer who also had an

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855760.post-31021440393934529292008-11-10T20:03:00.003-05:002008-11-11T13:35:12.371-05:00

Last Friday was the Cambridge office's Fourth Annual Mini-Golf Tournament. Every year things get a little better. More money, more people, and more prizes!This year, we raised $12,300 !Congratulations to the committee for all your hard work over the past few months. Sincere thanks to all our generous donors for making this such a great event.Brian Ashton, our unofficial Prudential

Keith Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444464465062988581noreply@blogger.com0