Buying or Building:

If you are thinking of buying a home or knowing you are definitely going to purchase property, an excellent tool to use is the automated listing generator designed to meet your criteria. ‘dream home finder’.
Also, in order for a professional realtor to quickly and fully understand your needs and desires it helps if you complete the ‘Prospective Buyer Application’. Diane can then assess properties and locations that suit you.
There are no obligations or commitments with either of these tools; they are here to help you.

Prospective Buyer Application in PDF, please print and fill it out

Weekly interest rate sheet: Interest Rates click here:

There Are Many Good Reasons To Buy Your Own Home


Financial Advantages
Buying a home is wise decision because property is one of the best and most secure investments available. Rarely, if ever, does Real Estate decrease in value. Depending on the area in which you live, buying a home may boast significant tax advantages over renting. Equity is another consideration. The equity you build as your home appreciates in value will allow you to borrow for expenses like a new car or college tuition. Your home's equity is also the ideal down payment on the purchase of a second home or an "escape property" or vacation residence.

Emotional Advantages
Buying a home also has several emotional advantages. The independence of ownership means that you'll no longer have to worry about rent increases and the demands of a landlord. Another advantage is a homeowner's power to personalize! When you own your own home, you can paint and decorate as much as you want. It's your place!

Once you have made the exciting decision to buy a new home, careful research is a must. The following checklist will help you get started and make your search a little easier.
Determining a price range is the first step.calculator centre
Now that a price range is established it is time to decide where you want to live. Research the neighbourhood thoroughly before making a commitment.
Contact a real estate office and request a Realtor who specializes in new homes. Someone who is familiar with the professional homebuilders in your area
Select a quality builder. Ensure that the builder belongs to a professional association with a strict code of ethics. Ask for recommendations from people who have recently built. Talk to at least three registered and recommended builders before choosing one. Check out the quality of work in the builder's previous homes and talk to the homeowners. Ask about a follow-up system for any problems you may have after you have moved in.   Just remember, builders and developers are not Realtors and are not bound by the Real Estate Act. This means that an uninformed buyer may discover that the property they purchase is nothing like the property they were sold. Furthermore, because their builder is not covered by Errors and Omissions insurance, the unwary buyer may find himself or herself solely burdened with fixing problems left behind by the builder. Having an agent asking the right questions on your behalf and working for your protection is the surest way to ensure the timely and accurate fulfillment of your builders contract.

Considerations:

• Is the home in a safe neighbourhood where people want to move, buy homes, and raise families?
• Is there access to schools, transportation, and shopping?
• Is the area run-down, filled with high crime, or noisy?
• Are people moving away to better places to live?
• Look for an area where homes sell quickly and easily. It's a good sign if houses stay on the market for less than three months; if it takes six months or more for homes to sell look elsewhere.
• Avoid neighbourhoods with a large number of undeveloped lots, abandoned homes, poorly maintained homes and yards, a large number of FOR SALE signs, or mixed zoning (commercial and residential together).
  
  Before you embark on your search for the perfect house, it is important that you make a realistic "shopping list" in an attempt to narrow your choices of properties. Hunting for a home can be a time consuming process, especially if you have not determined in advance the parameters of your search. Many home buyers make the mistake of misinterpreting a WANT as a NEED. As a result, they often dismiss homes that perfectly fit their needs in search for one that has their wants. This is not to say that you cannot have what you desire in your home--just that you must be able to differentiate between what you truly need and what you would like to have. Note, also, that in the examples below, many WANTS can be changed in a particular home (if the house doesn't have that feature now, you can change it later).

Examples of NEEDS

Examples of WANTS

• Carpeting colour, paint colour, exterior colour, roof colour, etc.
• Pool or Jacuzzi (unless for medical reasons)
• Wood floors
• Bay windows
• Built-in entertainment center
• Brass lighting fixtures
• Skylights
• A pretty view

Take a few minutes to develop your own list of NEEDS and WANTS. The goal is to put the emphasis on finding a house that includes all of your needs and as many of your wants as is practical--yet remains in your budget. Once you have a clearer view of what your house will need to have, the next step, actually looking for a home, will be a great deal easier!  Call Diane

Typical One-Time Expenses
Mortgage application and appraisal fee (paid at time of application)
Appraisal fee (paid at inspection)
Property inspection (optional) (paid at closing)
Legal fees (paid at closing)
Legal disbursements (paid at closing)
Deed and/or mortgage registration (paid at closing)
Property survey (sometimes provided by seller) (paid at closing)
Land Transfer, Deed Tax or Property Purchase Tax (in Quebec within3 months following signing) (paid at closing)
Mortgage interest adjustment and take over fee (if applicable) (paid at closing)
Adjustments for fuel, taxes, etc. (paid at closing)
Mortgage insurance (and application fee if applicable) (paid at closing)
Home and property insurance (paid at closing and on-going)
Connection charges for utilities such as gas, water and electricity (paid on date of move)
Moving expenses (paid on date of move)

New Home Buyers, HST and Campbell River Stats: