Martin’s Motto

Martin Elder Real Estate Ottawa Building CommunityHouses have held a special meaning for me since childhood when I experienced frequently relocation.

My motto, Selling Fine Homes, Building Community is central to my work. Houses shelter us from more than wind and rain. They offer comfort; a refuge, and in an unspoken way, provide the setting where families grow, build culture and flourish. I feel proud to help people. I offer my personal knowledge learned from years of home renovation and study. I like to put together a team of home buying professionals to make the process of ownership or sale smooth and enjoyable.

If you are struggling to find the perfect home, let’s talk. Call me at 613.236.5959

-Martin Elder

Ottawa Home Buyers and Sellers Seminar

Seminar Poster - Print QualityTeam Elder Home Sales is thrilled to be partnering with like-minded Ottawa real estate professionals to offer a free Home Buyers & Sellers Seminar. Please join us on Thursday, May 5, 2016 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the RBC Royal Bank in the Carlingwood Shopping Centre.

The four industry experts who will be available to answer your questions are:
RBC Mortgage Representative – Dennis Smith
Real Estate Lawyer – Izzy Farber
Home Inspector – David Carty
Real Estate Broker – Martin Elder

Seating is limited, so we encourage everyone to register early. RSVP at the Facebook Event Page, by emailing Martin Elder or by calling 613-722-3733

Prestigious Lot for sale – ROTHWELL HEIGHTS

High on the ridge and nestled into a natural setting of rock outcroppings and mature trees is the future location of your modern dream home. About half an acre(.48) or 21,000 sq feet of forested parkland. Enjoy the forest and south easterly view over the trees. Catch the morning sunrise and listen to the quiet. City services at the roadside. Over 130 foot frontage with Municipal water, sewage and power lines already present.  West side measures approximately 124 feet at the back wire fence. The north side is about 190.8 feet and the mid point up on the flat part is about 127 feet just before the rock out cropping. Imagine the possibilities; your home perched on the hill, the envy of Architectural Digest readers.

Direction:  From Montreal Road, North on Beckenham Lane, Right on Cedar Road, Left on Rothwell Drive. There is a residential property with a house at 61 Rothwell but continue further north to the lot know municipally as 61 Rothwell Dr

Martin Elder Real Estate Supports Ottawa Humane Society Furball

Every Pet Needs a Fine Home

Team Elder Home Sales is delighted to support the 2016 Ottawa Humane Society FurBall auction. Our contribution this year is an exclusive champagne sight seeing flight, piloted by Martin Elder himself!

Ottawa Humane Society Furball 2016

The OHS FurBall sells out every year, so be sure get your ticket to this black tie evening featuring exquisite cuisine, live and silent auctions, and enchanting entertainment. Tickets are $300 (charitable receipts are issued at $150 per ticket). For more information contact furball@ottawahumane.ca or 613-725-3166 ext. 263

 

Marketing – The Age of Persuasion

Marketing is powerful and works on many levels. I’m sure you’ve heard CBC Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly. He calls it the age of persuasion. Advertising pushes people who have made up their minds and it pushes people who have not. It even pushes people who want to visit open houses to visit them when  one is not planned. Human nature is fascinating!
 
Recall the scowl on Churchill’s face when Joseph  Karsh took the cigar from him and then snapped his famous photo. People don’t like to have what they own taken from them and this is the power of the open market. There is always the possibility someone else might want to launch an offer before I submit and offer. It provokes fear of loss.
 
An open house is a valuable tool to attract people and to persuade those who have already visited to hurry and make an offer. That is human nature. There is nothing about an open houses that suggests perpetual or desperation. I’d say it suggests: we are on the market and for sale. The seller is serious. Make an offer, Hurry! An open House is the most effective way to market and sell a house.
 
I believe you want as many people as possible to casually walk into your house and be surprised at the good value.  They tell their friends. You want to create a feeling of celebration and timeliness just like the auction format. 

4 Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Agent and one Warning.

1. Experience: considering that most real estate agents write forty or more transactions per year; that makes nearly one sale a week. Some people may buy a home every 15 years. Well, that means that the average person will not be up to date in legislation or mortgage financing requirements or legal matters concerning the purchase or sale of a house. And they will loose more often than win when side by side a skilled negotiator.
2. Access and Impartial: Most sellers provide access to their house trough a highly secure lock box allowing the buyer agent to enter the house freely and to tour room to room unhindered. They can look in closets and explore the home without the watchful eye of an anxious seller. Although the seller will be selling their home, the real estate agent sells all available homes and has access to all of them so if one home is not right, perhaps another home will work better. Maybe the location will be attractive or the side of the street will be nicer due to the sun rise and set location. These are important matters and the real estate agent can offer general as well as specific insight without fear of offending an owner or neighbour.
3. Skilled and Schooled: Real estate agents have extensive training as well as related skills learned prior to receiving their broker’s license. They are knowledgeable about acceptable building standards from various building periods.  People ask me all sorts of things that matter to them. You don’t have to fear the: This may be a stupid question but, where does the water go when you flush the toilet? Or how about the question; can I open up the living room space by removing this wall? Sounds funny but similar questions are common.
Real estate agents should know when a home owner renovations are acceptable and when something needs further investigation by an engineer or specialist home inspector. Agents have experience buying and selling and have encountered many situations. They have found techniques to manage risks through negotiation and effective compromise. And when events take a turn for the worse they know how to exit the negotiations without risking the buyer’s or seller’s position. Everyone has an interest to protect. The agent is the trusted expert to pull magic from a hat, making the deal work or knowing when to back off and avoid stigmatizing the house. Sometimes they must “think outside the box”, “thinking on the run” takes experience and a level head when under emotional stress. 

4. Fun and Entertaining: Yes! it’s fun to look at homes, to visualize how the furniture and think how nice it will be to play with the kids in the back yard. I often say that the best house should easily accommodate a party. So think celebration and see if it works! 


Open Houses can be exhausting. On the other hand, touring homes can be relaxing and enjoyable. Visiting six to eight similar homes will save time and money by focusing in on the essential wants and needs. I like the dialogue that grows with a seller or buyer helping them see the most important factors in the buying and selling situation and helping them focus on their goal. It’s like a trusted sports coach; you have a confidential relationship with your real estate agent guiding you toward the goal of home ownership. Its fun!
1. Warning: If there is one warning then its just this one! When a relationship between the real estate agent and the client is not comfortable, when there is a lack of trust or when the values of the parties are not on par it’s time to agree it’s not working and find another real estate agent. Simple! You most likely have signed an agency relationship. Say you’d like to cancel the arrangement and ask for their help in arranging that. No fuss. That simple! It’s happened to me even when I try hard to please difficult people. I can please most, delight others but can’t please everyone. Do you have question I should add?  www.martinelder.ca

The Exchange Condo in Westboro

“The Exchange” by Domicile is located in Westboro at the corner of Richmond road and Berkley; the former Ketchums Manufacturing .  They produced livestock tags in addition to the personnel identification tags, or DOG tags for the department of National Defence.  Today it is a sophisticated low rise condominium  in the centre of vibrant community of Westboro Village, Ottawa.

The location is a big plus for many urban living professionals because you can walk to grocery stores,  wine store,  restaurants, cafes, pharmacies and outing goods specialty stores. Florists and doctors offices are also near by. One of the biggest attractions for me is the proximity to the Ottawa river shore line with the associated walking trails, beach and the parkland.  I like to take in a sunset or an early morning Sun Salutation on the beach!

The condo building is a mix of ground floor commercial and residential above. The lower floors feature a light coloured, large block stone and the upper floors are a tan fired brick with concrete balconies. The residential entry is off Berkley ave. The parking garage and outdoor surface garage is accessed from Richmond Road.

The entry is a subdued, no frills entry. A mix of tall grasses and flower plantings greet the visitor. Postal reception and elevators are immediately at the front door entrance. With only seven floors and two elevators there is never a wait.

Although there is underground parking I like the covered surface parking because they have made use of the roof top to grow moss and grass. Apparently every season is a different colour and height of growth. Nice to look down on an eye catching rectangle of natural green space albeit a rather modest green space!

One of the units available for sale features a north west view with panoramic windows. on the balcony, sizzle Grilled Vegetables on the natural Gas BBQ. Yes I like that!  this is a spacious semi-loft style w cozy Gas fireplace. The two bedrooms are arranged diagonally, with two baths, so the smaller bedroom  could be a den, office or visitors bedroom.  The unit features light Hardwood flooring, an open Peninsula Kitchen, Shaker panel Cupboard Doors, Kitchen Aide Stainless Appliances, in-unit Laundry, and Sun Shade Blinds.  Condo parking is included. Hurry!

How to choose a cottage real estate agent?

Don’t you love the peace and quiet of the cottage; the uncomplicated, the slower pace of life? Its proximity to nature. The waves of the lake lap at the dock creating the familiar rhythmic sound of water and dock rigging. The Warm breeze on a sunny day, they are perfect for canoeing, sailing, or hiking.

For some people this is no longer what they want. They don’t like the long drive. They no longer like the isolation and inconvenience of leaving their city home and starting all over again supplying the kitchen for comfort. In short, they want to sell their cottage. How to choose a cottage real estate agent? or recreational property agent ?

Most Cottage buyers are city people and they list their cottage with their city agent. Many agents have expertise in the city as well as the cottage area. Some don’t. They are familiar with septic systems and wells. Some of them know about riparian rights and shared access or limited access to remote waterfront properties. Some don’t have the time or inclination to invest in recreational property sales. These are some of the important questions for the buyers. For the seller it’s another question; who to choose to sell the cottage !

Most remote cottages can be easily accessed by float plane making the hour or more on poorly marked or unmarked roads much easier. Imagine giving directions to your real estate agent hoping he’ll find the right cottage: go to the log cabin at the north east peninsula on Wolf Lake. Good luck and the trip may take the whole day! No one to ask directions during the week. Everyone is working in town. Oh yes! The cottage has two towering pine trees and a dock at the water front. Don’t they all? The key is under the bolder at the foot of the first tree. A real estate agent with a float plane is able to access the cottage with relative ease, take the measurements, take photos, post several For Sale Signs; one at the waterfront dock and another at the road entry. Attach a lock box and take an aerial photo to post on the agent’s favourite web sites.

It is sometimes possible to use the float plane to visit with the owner. They can review the condition of the property and adjacent cottages. Explain some of the important features of the geography. All this is so much easier and faster in a float plane.

For a cottage buying it makes sense to visit several properties located at different lakes all on a morning’s tour and be back in Ottawa or Kingston by noon. Wouldn’t that be a pleasant way to choose a cottage! Call me. Interesting discussion. There is lots to consider.

Ottawa Mortgage Interest Rates

It is fascinating to note that the rates for mortgages have not changed in months. Low interest rates mean that home buyers have access to relatively low borrowing rates. With the 5 year rate of about 3% you can easily calculate your monthly blended payment of a 100 thousand dollar mortgage. For each  thousand dollars it costs $4.75 a month interest and principal repayment. That translates to $475. dollars per 100 thousand borrowed per month. You can calculate your payment based on your need from this.

There are a few more factors that banks take into account when offering a mortgage pre-approval. They will have to know past credit history and the amount of down payment available for the purchase. They will want to see a minimum of 5% down payment with an additional 2% for closing costs. This approximate 7% of the closing costs must be cash or savings.

Call me about this.There is more you may need to know.

Terms
Bank Rates
Best Rates
 
 
 
1 YEAR
3.00%
2.65%
2 YEARS
3.14%
2.69%
3 YEARS
3.70%
2.75%
4 YEARS
4.64%
2.89%
5 YEARS
5.24%
2.99%
7 YEARS
6.35%
3.69%
10 YEARS
6.75%
3.79%

Ottawa Local Real Estate Activity

Westboro and McKellar Park: – Mid July to Mid August 2012

Total listings: …………………………….79

Total Sales:……………………………….11

Average Sale price: ……….. $574,400.

Average Condo price:……… $439,675.
Average days on the market: ……..14



BelAir / Copeland Park – Mid July to Mid August 2012

Total listings: ……………………………12

Total Sales:……………………………… 5

Average List price: …………$427,533.
Average Sale price: ……….$383,000.
Average days on the market: …….14.
Summer Adventure!
We’re about to explore the mysterious sunken St. Laurence River wreck of a wooden side wheeler, The Rothesay near Prescott . Launched in 1868, she was a popular passenger steamer between Fredericton and St Johns and later between Montreal and Toronto. One foggy day, she collided with a tug going downstrean
Celia Elder and I are pictured sporting wet suits and SCUBA gear just before our challenging dive. We were certified earlier this year after taking SCUBA instruction from Sharky’s Dive shop on Wellington St. What a great family activity, expanding our sense of community. Working together as Dive buddies and soon to be working together as a Father Daughter team of Ottawa Real Estate Agents .