Brighton Meadows

TEAM WEIR NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2020

In This Issue…

  1. David’s Update
  2. Quinte Real Estate News
  3. Three Lists To Make When Selling Your Home
  4. Colour Your World
  5. Should You “High Ball” Your Listing Price?
  6. Did You Know?

David's Update

Ce text est aussi disponible en Francais.

With all the news about interest rates, housing sales, and forecasts, you might think that the real estate market is a bewildering place. In some ways, you’d be right! The market is certainly active. There’s a lot going on.But, it would be a mistake to let all that noise discourage you from making a move. If the timing is right, and you’re ready to upsize or downsize – or simply move to a neighbourhood that better suits the lifestyle you want – you should at least get the information you need to make the best decision.I can help.

As your real estate professional, I’m always available to help. I can fill you in on what’s happening in the local market, help you determine what kind of new home you are qualified to purchase, and give you a clear idea of the properties currently available.You don’t have to try to figure this stuff out on your own!

Even if you’re just at the “thinking about it” stage, I recommend getting the information you need now. That way, you’ll be prepared to make the best decision when you’re ready.

Quinte Real Estate News

The 2019 average sale price of homes in the Quinte Region was approximately $366,676, which is an increase of over 9% from 2018.

The amount of active residential listings in 2019 was down 10% over 2018, creating a supply problem and, consequently, driving up prices.

The average days on market for each of the months of January, February, March and April 2019 was between 27-31 days.  In other words, the winter months don’t mean you will be on the market for any longer than the beginning of the spring market.

Just as importantly, these same months saw a list to sale price of over 99%.  For example, if you had listed a property on the MLS® in any of these months for $100,000 you would have sold for over $99,000.

In this seller’s market, the old adage of list and sell in the spring seems to have gone out the window!

Three Lists To Make When Selling Your Home

When you put your property up for sale, you want to make sure that potential buyers get all the information they need on the features of your home and its surrounding area. If, for example, buyers don’t realize there is a great school just a couple of blocks away, they might cross your property off their shortlist.

An effective way to make sure something like that doesn’t happen is to create three lists.

The “I’ll miss it” list.

Chances are, there are things about your home that you’re really going to miss when you move. One of those may be the spacious living room that’s ideal for entertaining or the nearby park with scenic trails that are perfect for walking and biking. Whatever you’ll miss, put it on the list! Chances are, those are features that will also interest buyers.

The “Just the facts” list.

What are the facts about your property that a buyer needs to know in order to consider purchasing it? This may be a very long list including such items as total square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, property taxes, size of yard, and more.

The “repairs and improvements” list.

Buyers are interested in the state of repair of your home, and in any improvements you have made to it. On this list include all repairs you have done during the past three years and, if possible, attach receipts. It’s especially important to include anything that has been replaced, such as the furnace or roof shingles.

For more information on selling your home, view our Sellers Series or contact Team Weir.

Colour Your World

If you’re looking to give your home a bit of love this winter, Pillar to Post recommends starting with paint!


“Are your rooms looking blah? Tired of the same old, same old? Sounds like you might need some fresh paint to brighten things up! Winter is a great time for interior painting. Whether you hire a professional or make this a DIY project, these tips will help you get results you’ll love.

  1. Test sample colours in the room. The best way is to paint sample swatches onto the walls or on poster board. You’ll see how the appearance will shift as the light changes throughout the day and when room lighting is turned on at night. Sample cans cost only a few dollars each and are well worth the small investment.
  2. Choose paints labeled low- or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) to benefit indoor air quality. These paints also have minimal to no wet paint odor.
  3. Sheen or shine? Higher gloss paints are easy to wipe clean and are good for trim, cabinets, doors and other areas that handle heavy traffic. Choose a lower sheen such as eggshell or satin for a softer look in bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms.
  4. Don’t forget the ceiling. A fresh coat of paint on a dingy ceiling can make the room look instantly fresher and cleaner.


Start with one room at a time, or make it a longer-term project and tackle several. Either way, you’ll enjoy your new look sooner if you start right now!”

Should You “High Ball” Your Listing Price? 

One of the most important decisions you make when selling your home is setting the listing price. It can be tricky. After all, if you price your property too low, you leave money on the table – perhaps thousands of dollars.

On the other hand, if you price your home too high, many buyers won’t even bother to view it because they believe it is too expensive.

Even with that reality, there are some sellers who contemplate setting a high listing price in the hopes of a windfall. They want some unsuspecting buyer to fall in love with the home and buy it – even though it’s overpriced. That rarely, if ever, happens.

Instead, the listing often languishes on the market because its listing price is conspicuously much higher than its market value.

Think about it. If two similar homes, side-by-side, are for sale, and one is priced $40,000 higher than the other, wouldn’t you wonder what was going on?

That’s exactly what the market thinks.

“Why is that home priced so high?”

Of course, many buyers, who might otherwise be interested in the property, won’t even consider seeing it, simply because it’s outside their price range.It gets worse. When an overpriced home sits on the market with no offers for several weeks, the price will often need to be adjusted down. That helps the situation a little. However, you’ve lost the excitement created by a “new listing.” Yours is now an old listing struggling to get attention.

There’s a better way…

Set your list price at or near the market value and it will be much more likely to generate interest from qualified buyers and maximize how much you make on your home.

That market value may even be higher than you think!Interested in finding out what that value is in today’s market?

Contact Team Weir today!

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The Common Loon was adopted as Ontario’s official bird on June 23, 1994.
  • The Eastern White Pine, Ontario’s official tree, was an important source of income and trade during the pioneering days, and continues to be a valuable resource for Ontario today.
  • Amethyst, the rich purple semi-precious stone, is the official gem of Ontario. Large deposits are found in Northwestern Ontario.
  • The flag of Ontario is called the Red Ensign. It includes the Union Jack, representing Ontario’s ties to Great Britain, and the Coat-of-Arms of the Province.
  • The Coat-of-Arms of the Province consists of a green shield with three golden maple leaves surmounted by the Banner of St. George, a red cross on a silver background.
  • The official motto of Ontario is “Loyal She Began, Loyal She Remains.”