The Brantford Home Info Blog!: May 2012

Friday, May 25, 2012

Just Listed by Wally Dufrat: 122 Old Onondaga Road E, Brantford, CA N3T 5L4 - Updated Four Bedroom Bungalow on 1 Acre!

JUST LISTED BY WALLY DUFRAT AT RE/MAX TWIN CITY REALTY, INC:

Listed At: $362,500
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2

Owners purchased this home for the location and massive lot size. Complete with a one and a half car garage, two storage sheds and room for chickens, this home is an excellent value with a lot of upgrades! Recent renovations including a new pellet stove, addition, oil tank, hot water heater, windows, garage door, UV light in furnace, dual flush toilets, rear deck and a newer front porch and re-shingled roof! All of this, within a 5 min drive to 403, school bus stop at the front door and a beautiful yard boasting seven pear trees, two apple trees and toboggan hills, this home should not be missed!

Property Features

Central A/C	Central heat	Living room
Pellet Stove Fireplace	Recent Updates	Basement
Laundry area - inside	Rear Deck	Large Yard with Fruit Trees

Photos

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8 Direct: (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantofordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!

Connect with Me

Read My Active Rain Blog

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Find the Right Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent in Five Steps

Selling a home is a huge decision, and quite frankly, it’s also very stressful. That’s why so many people decide to hire a Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent to help them throughout their transaction. Each step of the process is tricky and complicated to navigate if you don’t have any experience, and hiring a professional takes that additional stress-factor off of your shoulders. Your agent will take care of everything on your behalf and give you the advice and guidance you need to prepare your home for sale. It’s a lot of responsibility to entrust to someone, which is why when you go to hire an agent, you have to be very careful about whom you select.

If you want to start your Brantford/Brant County Real Estate transaction on the right foot, then you’re going to want to take the necessary steps to finding the perfect agent for the job. Here are five things that you need to do to ensure that you find the right real estate agent for your home sale:

1.    Create a list of possible prospects. You can utilize websites like Trulia, Zillow and REALTOR.com to research various agents in your area of service. It would also be beneficial to get referrals from family and friends. It’s important to read reviews of the agents you’re considering and get a list of names from trusted sources. You’ll want to narrow down the list you make based upon the agent’s niche in the local market. You want the expert who will be the most familiar with your particular type of transaction.
2.    Don’t skimp on the tough questions during your interview. When you sit down and interview a potential Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent, you want to ask basic questions about their background and experience, but you also want to ask them some more difficult, probing questions that give you a sense of their work style and methodology. How familiar is the agent with your neighborhood? What is their plan to market your home? You’re going to want to hire someone who has a strong familiarity with your area and a clear-cut plan for marketing your listing.
3.    Get an idea of each agent’s agency relationship. Some real estate agents in the area participate in what is called dual agency, or representation of a buyer and seller at the same time during a transaction. This isn’t a bad thing, but you will ideally want someone who will only work on your, the seller’s, behalf. You’re going to want somebody who will go to bat for you and look out for your best interests, and that can get complicated when your agent is also representing the other party in the transaction.
4.    Does your agent have any backup? Most real estate professionals are incredibly busy. They’re always on the go. Since they’re supposed to be worrying about showing your home and negotiating with the buyers, they may not have the time needed to get the paperwork and administrative tasks done in a timely fashion. That’s why it’d be ideal for your agent to have an assistant or marketing team. They can be a point of contact for you, and you know that your agent has the manpower to get things done on your behalf quickly.
5.    Set your expectations. Before you sign a contract with an agent, you need to make sure that you have a clear idea of the timeline that will be in place to get your listing off the market. Most agents will ask for three to six months to sell a home. If you live in a luxury property, it may be up to a year. You need to know this ahead of time in order to know what to expect.

As an experienced Brantford/Brant County Real Estate professional, I believe that this is the best way to go about finding the right person to sell your home on your behalf. If you make a careful, thorough decision, then you are more likely to be happy with your quality of service. Feel free to contact me at any time if you’d like to know how to go about preparing your Brantford/Brant County Home for sale. I’d be happy to help you and answer any questions that you may have. I hope to hear from you soon!

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage

Connect with Me

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Find the Right Mortgage For Your Brantford Home

It can be difficult enough to understand the intricacies of your mortgage loan, but when you are given a bunch of different options to choose from, things can get even more complicated. As a Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent, I have to be familiar with the various types of loan options in order to help my clients figure out which would be the best for their financial situation. I also have developed relationships with a number of lenders in the area, all of which I refer my clients to for top-notch and superior loan advice.

Finding the right mortgage is not an easy process. It takes a lot of thought and planning. You need to be prepared to do a lot of research and weigh a lot of options before deciding on the best plan of action. Using the right mortgage lender in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market and your agent, you will be able to choose the best financing option for your transaction. Here is where you need to start when selecting a mortgage:

•    Ask yourself some important questions. The key is to start with yourself. Don’t focus on interest rates, taxes, homeowner insurance or anything else at the moment. Those numbers are what they are in this market. Your ability to pay those fees depends on your current situation, which is why you need to ask yourself some important questions before you start shopping around for rates. These questions include factors like, “Do I have a financial plan? Do I plan on getting married or starting a family in the near future? How much can I afford to spend on a home in relation to my other expenses?” Notice how these are all questions that relate directly to your personal and professional life, not the particular transaction you’re entering. If you can’t answer these questions confidently and with a plan in place, then now may not be the best time to take on the responsibility that comes along with a mortgage loan.
•    Familiarize yourself with what’s out there. Pre-approved mortgage. Open mortgage. Closed mortgage. Bridge financing. Is your head spinning yet? These are just a few of the many types of mortgages available on the market today. You need to discuss your personal needs with your Brantford/Brant County loan officer and review all of the options available to you. Do your research and familiarize yourself with the various kinds of mortgages on the market. The more you know, the better you will be able to find the plan that will work best for your individual situation.
•    Use your Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent to help. Not only will your agent have the connections to loan officers in the area that can help you, but they’ll also be able to answer basic questions about mortgage loans. They’ll also be able to help you figure out some of the answers to the important questions above as they guide you throughout the entire buyer and seller process. This is one resource that you will definitely want to use!

If you start by focusing on your needs and what is practical for your financial situation, then, with the help of your Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent and loan officer, you will find the right mortgage loan. It’s all about planning ahead and being honest about what you can afford. If you have any questions about how to go about buying a home in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to help in any way that I can. I hope to hear from you soon!

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage

Connect with Me

Thursday, May 10, 2012

A Few Ways to Tighten Security in Your Brantford Condo

Before I begin to give you some basic safety tips, I just want to emphasize that I am by no means saying that the Brantford area is unsafe. In fact, it is a great city to live in. It’s just sort of obvious that when you live in a condominium, you don’t always prioritize security as much as you would if you live in a single family home. Since many condominium complexes in Brantford, particularly high rises, have a security desk or phone system to let people in to your unit, you naturally think that you’re safe. In reality, you are just as susceptible to crime in this environment as you are in a single family home with a high-tech alarm system.

With that being said, given the difference in environment and circumstance, the security measures that you will need to take in your Brantford condo will be different than those you would take for a single family home. As your Brantford Real Estate resource, I have experience in working with people who want to live in both types of homes, and I can give you a few basic safety tips that will help ensure that should you choose to live in a condo, you remain just as secure as you’d be in a home:

•    Investigate the condo’s security features before you move in. Find out which security features that your building has ahead of time. Talk to the building’s superintendent or manager in order to find out the specific features offered. If the measures seem too relaxed for your liking, you will want to find a building that has more stringent safety measures.

•    Find out which doors are locked and secure. In most condominium complexes, the front door won’t be the only one that is locked. Garage, side and rear entrances should also be secured.

•    You should know how your building is monitored. Are there security cameras? How do the doormen know who is coming in and out of the building, besides those who just walk in the front door? These are questions that you will want to ask prior to purchasing a unit.

•    What type of keys will you be using to enter the building? Many modern buildings now will use high security keys or fobs for entrance. This is a feature that you will want to confirm that your building has, as it indicates a more stringent safety system.

•    Confirm your building’s lighting and extra security measures. During the evening hours, your condominium complex should be well-lit. It should also have secured doors on all storage units and other parts of the building that are typically meant for communal use, such as exercise facilities. See how your building goes above and beyond to keep all parts of the complex as safe and secure as they possibly can.

If you follow these measures listed above, you can ensure that your Brantford condo will be secure. As a Brantford Real Estate agent, I think that it’s important to give these reminders in order to help my clients find the property that is most ideal for their needs and living situation. If you have any questions about how to go about searching for the right home or condominium in the Brantford area, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to help you in any way I can. I hope to hear from you soon!

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage

Over 525 Closings!
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8 Direct: (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantofordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!

Connect with Me

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Five Ways to See Investment Success in Brantford!

Many investors in the Brantford area have seen success, but that’s come with years of hard work and experience. If you’re expecting to see the cash start flowing in overnight, then you may be in for some disappointment. There are ways in which your business style and practices can influence how much success you see, so if you’re interested in becoming an investor in the Brantford Real Estate market, you need to make sure that you have the right work ethic and drive.

As a Brantford Real Estate Agent who has worked with investors, I think that it’s important to advise and guide my clients on the best way to navigate the local market. Part of that is developing strong business relationships, so if there’s any way that I can advise my clients on how to best accomplish that, I do so. Here are five things that you, as an investor in Brantford Real Estate, can do to develop the contacts that will help your career in the industry be successful.

Be honest about how much buying power you have. It’s unethical to lie about how much cash you have to put into investments. It’s okay to take some risks sometimes, but people aren’t going to want to work with an investor who spends more than they have. It could cause financial issues down the line, so in order to stay successful, make sure that you stay honest.

Don’t back out of deals on a regular basis. No property is perfect, so if you back out of a deal because of minor issues, you could be seen as unreliable or difficult to work with. It’s important to carefully consider a decision before making a commitment, so if you need some time to think on an investment, take it. That is better than having everything prepared for closing and then backing out at the last minute.

Know what you want. Sure, picking a location and place for your next investment is a huge decision, which is why you should figure out exactly what it is that you want in a Brantford investment property BEFORE you start your search. These transactions will take much longer if you go in blind than if you do your research and have a list of requirements going in to things.

Have goals! The only way that you’re going to continue to expand and grow as a Brantford Real Estate investor is by setting goals for yourself. Appearing to have a lack of motivation and drive will hold you back, and people will sense that you don’t have anything to bring to the table. By setting goals for yourself, you’ll hold yourself accountable for your success and allow yourself to grow.

Communicate openly with your Brantford Real Estate agent. My job as a real estate agent in the Brantford area is to help my clients, and I can only do that if we communicate openly with one another. If you give me a clear-cut, honest idea about what you’re looking to accomplish, I can help you achieve that. Part of seeing success in this industry is communicating well, so in order utilize my experience and skills in Brantford Real Estate to their fullest potential, we need to be able to be open with one another.

If you can implement these five qualities into your day to day operations as a Brantford Real Estate investor, then you will find yourself seeing success in an industry that is difficult to break in to. If you have any questions about how to get started, or would like to see some of the properties available on the Brantford Real Estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! My many years of experience in the industry could help you throughout the entire transaction. I hope to hear from you soon.

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage

Over 521 Closings!
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8 Direct: (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantofordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!

Connect with Me