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Diane Mageau, Sales Representative

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Buying a condominium apartment or townhouse

July 9, 2014 By Diane Mageau Leave a Comment

Advantages & disadvantages of owning a condo Advantages of owning a Condominium apartment or townhouse:

  1. A minimum of 10% of your monthly condo fee goes towards a reserve fund for future repairs to what is considered common elements for your condominium corporation.
  2. There are by-laws in a condominium, rules and regulations that promote an environment that is reasonable and comfortable for all the owners.
  3. Restrictions to exterior changes by the owners will provide a clean and uniform appearance to the complex. If you drive by some freehold townhome complexes you might see some very interesting exterior paint choices, or recreational vehicles parked on the front lawn.
  4. Most condos have a landscaping contract for grounds maintenance and snow removal.
  5. Regardless of when you purchase your condo, whether newer or older, the reserve fund, providing the complex was well managed, should be sufficient to address any “anticipated” needed repairs e.g. shingles, driveways, painting of trim (the common elements covered by the condo corporation can differ from site to site).
  6. The condo act requires that a new reserve fund study be done every 6 years and reviewed every 3 years. This is in place to prevent inadequate contributions to a reserve fund. Gone are the days when some builders would promote unrealistic low condo fees to help sell units.
  7. You can have a say as to what happens in your condo corporation, attend the annual general meetings, become a member of the condo board for at least 1 term. You will understand and appreciate the process much better at the end of your term.

Disadvantages of owning a Condominium townhouse:

  1. Some would see Condo fees as a disadvantage. I see condo fees as a “home maintenance savings account”. Plus the guy or gal who just sold you the condo has been putting in his share towards this maintenance account the whole time he/she lived there.
  2. Every owner should take the responsibility of being on the condominium board at least once during the time they live in the complex, unfortunately this is not always the case. If you are living in a freehold townhouse or detached house you would be responsible for all the repairs of your home. In a condo the property management company together with the condo board look after the maintenance of the complex. It is only fair that you share in these responsibilities by taking a turn on the condo board. On the condo board you have 2 or more other home owners from within the complex as well as your property manager with whom you can discuss any needed maintenance or repairs.
  3. There are rules and regulations, some do not like this aspect of condo living but for the most part the rules are reasonable, common sense and for the benefit of all owners.

The majority of the owner disputes that come up in a condominium apartment or townhouse complex are for the most part as a result of new owners not understanding condominium living.  When buying a condominium reviewing  the Status Certificate which has all the documents pertaining to condos rules, regulations, budgets, insurance etc should always be a condition of purchase.   Your lawyer usually reviews these documents on your behalf and makes you aware of some of the specifics such as, is the corporation well managed and financially sound, is the previous owner up to date in paying his condo fees, what is included in the responsibilities of the condo corporation, what is allowed or not permitted, what are the guidelines if I want to rent out my unit?

Your real estate sales person also has a responsibility in making certain you understand condominium living.  If you have a specific need pertaining to home ownership discuss this with your sales person.  If he or she does not know the answer then further investigation should be done before removing conditions.  A commonly asked  question regarding rules and regulations pertains to pets, are pets allowed, how many can you have, is there a size restriction?  Not all condo apartment buildings allow pets, townhouse projects may also have certain rules and regulations pertaining to pets.  Another frequent issue is visitor parking areas, the visitor stalls are always for visitors only, residents cannot park on a regular basis in visitor parking.  If you have only 2 parking spots and own 3 vehicles, your 3rd vehicle cannot be parked in visitor parking.  I am certain you agree these are all very important questions that need to be answered prior to purchase.

If you would like to discuss any of this information with me, give me a call.

Freehold or Condo Townhouse

May 29, 2014 By Diane Mageau 1 Comment

FREEHOLD OR CONDOMINIUM TOWNHOUSE, WHICH SHOULD I BUY?Townhouse Living

Here is a list of a few points to consider which type of ownership suits you best.

Advantages of owning a Freehold townhouse:

  1. No condo fees.
  2. No rules or regulations to adhere to.
  3. I can make changes to the exterior as I want, e.g. paint or style of door and windows.
  4. I can park whatever vehicle I want in my driveway as long as I adhere to municipal regulations.
  5. I can landscape my front yard in any way I want and I might choose the natural look?
  6. If I buy my townhouse new, by the time major repairs are needed I can sell and move on and let the new owner pay for all the repairs that are coming up.

Disadvantage of owning a Freehold townhouse:

  1. You might be buying in just when all the major costs start, roof shingles, windows, A/C, furnace, doors & driveways to name a few. If regular maintenance has not been done to your unit and given some of the materials used by some builders the expensive replacements can start as early as year 10.
  2. You or your neighbor can paint the exterior of his townhouse, front door, trim & garage door any colour he wants? How does purple sound to you, or maybe pepto bismol pink? One persons dream is another’s nightmare. Or he may not bother to repaint when the paint starts peeling.
  3. When your home is attached in a row of townhouses, the example of a partially disassembled vehicle in your neighbors’ driveway or any lack of maintenance issues will reflect and affect the value of your property; no matter how well you care for your own unit.
  4. The fence between units is falling down and your neighbor does not want to share in the expense of replacing it? This same scenario can happen in a freehold detached home but not in a condominium. Typically in condominiums fencing and exterior maintenance are the condo corporations’ responsibility.
  5. Your unit is attached to an adjoining unit and the roof shingles need replacement, you are prepared to do this repair but your neighbor is not?

Check in to view next segment on “Condominium Townhouses Pros and Cons”.

What makes a public open house a successful experience?

May 22, 2014 By Diane Mageau Leave a Comment

Remember access to a public open house is a privilege!

Open house expectationsWhen visiting a public open house do be respectful of the home owner, the property and the agent hosting the open house.  Do not be surprised if the agent hosting the open house asks you for your name, contact information and whether or not you are working with a realtor.  The agent is responsible for the safety of the home and its contents, he or she has a right to know whom they are allowing through the property.  If for any reason you absolutely do not want the sales representative to contact you following the open house please advise him or her of this and make sure they note your preference on their guest list.

Consider this, if this was your home being shown at a public open house, would you not want your real estate sales representative to be equally diligent and responsible in protecting your property?

Visiting open houses can give you a quick start in getting to recognize property values for a specific neighborhood.  It is also an excellent way to meet a realtor that you may enjoy working with, someone who can assist you to sell your existing home or find a new home.

For the sales representative an open house is an excellent way to help her/him promote a listing to the general public, something which is important in any market.  The open house just might attract a buyer who otherwise would not have seen this property.  Perhaps the agent you are currently working with is not aware of all the benefits of the specific listing on open house.  Or perhaps your agent may know about this listing but it does not fit within the original guidelines you had given her/him regarding the type of home and location you had specified.  Either way, this might be a house that you would have missed if not for the open house.  And yes, in anticipation of the next question “I have sold a listed house at or immediately following a public open house.”

I personally also consider open houses an ideal time to conduct a series of mini job interviews.  Not only does it give you a chance to briefly interview me, it also gives me an opportunity to meet you.  Often times we know very quickly whether or not we are comfortable with a new person we meet.  If at an open house we feel that we can communicate well with each other than a further more private meeting can be scheduled to address your specific real estate needs.

Looking forward to meeting you at one of my open houses or by appointment!

Diane Mageau

Spring real estate market 2014: My opinion

April 24, 2014 By Diane Mageau Leave a Comment

We have all heard many varying reports about the real estate market, here are my observations.

First I think it very wise for Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville residents to not base their decisions regarding real estate market conditions solely on what they are hearing on the news for Toronto real estate.  Our markets though similar are very different.  Pricing is the first obvious difference.  Another significant difference is the process.  It is not uncommon for some areas of Toronto to see competing offers for properties.  For the greater Toronto area bidding wars where buyers are paying large sums of money over the asking price happen quite frequently.  Although this does happen here at times, it is not as common place as in the Toronto area.  Their inventory of available properties is also vastly different.Burlington, Oakville spring real estate market

The biggest impact on our real estate market this year has been “weather“.  It has been my experience that when there is a cold winter and delayed spring our real estate market is slow.  I recall one particularly mild winter when spring seemed to appear in February.  For that particular year our spring market pace started in February and had pretty well run its busiest course by the beginning of May.  This year is very different, I don`t believe we have yet to see the full surge of spring market conditions.  Supply and demand does drive our market but for some areas such as Burlington, the supply of new listings is further depleted by the lack of further development space.  There are hints of spring being close I can see buds on the trees.  I believe our spring market is about to really gain momentum.  So if a first home or a change of home are in your plans this year, get ready the time to make your move is just around the corner.   Contact me

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Diane Mageau, Sales Representative

Sutton Group - About Town Realty Inc.,
Brokerage, Independently Owned & Operated
3190 Harvester Road Suite 102, Burlington ON
Phone: 905.681.7900 | Fax: 905.681.8225
Email: diane@dianemageau.com