Clovelly Trails Lot Prices now available

May 29, 2008 · Filed Under First Time Buyers, New Home Construction and St. John's Real Estate · Comment 

Clovelly Trails Phase 3a lot prices are now up on the website for the public and purchasers to view. Clovelly Trails appears to be the most popular subdivision in St. John’s this year. 69 of their lots have had deposits on them for months. Some dating back to 2007.

The lot prices range from $69,900 to $94,900 (plus HST). A hefty jump since the last phase (base price was approx $54,900) but the demand is there to justify it.

Almost all subdivisions in St. John’s and Paradise have increased in prices since last year some as much as ten to fifteen percent.

Remember Fraser and Stephen Winters can represent your interests in the buying of your new construction home. We will be there from lot and house design selection, through signing the paperwork, choosing your paint colors – all the way to final walk-through and beyond.

There are ZERO costs to use our services on the buying side of purchasing your new (or pre-existing) home. There is no cost to you – no decreased incentives – no increased price – the developers actually pay us to work with you through the buying process. Contact us and we’ll show you how we can assist you in finding the new home you’re looking for in ANY subdivision.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Newfoundland leads Country with increase in Unit Sales

May 14, 2008 · Filed Under Home Maintenance, Monthly MLS Stats, Real Estate Articles, St. John's Investments and St. John's Real Estate · Comment 

Unit sales in Canada for April rose the most in Newfoundland & Labrador at a 27 per cent gain over last year, followed by Saint John at 18 per cent, according to CREA.

While Home sellers flooded the markets in Toronto and Saskatoon last month, causing the number of listings to surge to a record level in Canada. Kitchener-Waterloo, St. John’s Newfoundland, and Thunder Bay actually saw a decrease in the number of homes on the market.

It appears that throughout most of Canada we are seeing a pull back in prices and real estate sales, a cool down. But not in Newfoundland. The only thing cool in Newfoundland right now is the temperature. Prices are continuing to rise. Buyers are continuing to flood the market and investors are still looking for rental properties.

In Saskatoon where prices are continuing to sky-rocket, buyers seemed leery about the idea of purchasing a new home. “70 per cent said it was not a good time to make a purchase.” In contrast to Atlantic Canada where 49 per cent were positive towards the idea of owning a new home.

CREA released it’s First Quarter Forecast 2008 earlier last week and as expected, MLS home sales are forecast to ease gradually in all provinces in 2008, but record-level activity in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland & Labrador during the first quarter will result in new annual records in these provinces.

Source: Homes Market Flooded by Sellers – Globe and Mail

Tags: , , , , , ,

How to stop your home’s rising energy costs

March 20, 2008 · Filed Under First Time Buyers and Home Maintenance · 1 Comment 

(NC)—The cost of moving into a new home can be quite steep. New homeowners are often focused on buying new home furnishings, appliances and accessories. But one other important thing to consider is how your home can help you save money in the long run.
Insulating your basement is one way to help put money back into your pocket. An insulated basement can help reduce energy costs and increase your living space, as well as help increase the resale value of your home.
A substantial amount of heat can be lost through uninsulated basement walls. Installing full-height R-20 PINK Fiberglas batts is a simple solution to achieve energy savings in your basement. Using PINK Fiberglas batt insulation will form a solid thermal barrier between studs and conserve energy to help reduce heating and air conditioning costs. Lastly, don’t forget to install a continuous vapour retarder on the warm side of the wall surface and drywall.
Here are a few other helpful tips that can help reduce your energy costs:

• Help prevent cold air escaping from your home by checking for drafts. You can reduce drafts by caulking, sealing and weather-stripping around windows and door frames.

• Replace old windows and doors to help reduce the transfer of air into the home and help decrease energy costs for homeowners.
• Consider installing energy efficient appliances.

To find out how much insulation you'll need for your basement renovation and how you can help reduce energy costs in your home visit, www.owenscorning.ca.

To achieve the best insulating system in your basement you will need:

• R-14 PINK Fiberglas batts between wall studs

• 2" CodeBord rigid foam insulation to apply on the exterior of wood stud walls
Combined, this insulating system will provide you with the best performance solution achieving a total R-value of 24 to increase your insulating power.

Tags: , , , ,

Choosing your new home

November 23, 2007 · Filed Under First Time Buyers and New Home Construction · Comment 

A common question we are asked is, how to make a choice between an older home in an established neighbourhood or a newer home in a new sub division?
This is a personal choice and your decision can change with each stage in your life.

A newer home will be relatively maintenance free for 5 – 7 years but you will have to wait 6 – 8 months (approx) for the property to be completed. One of the best features of building is you have the freedom and flexibility to choose all the items in your home (floors, cabinets, bathroom, paint and layout). Some people get overwhelmed at this stage but the end result will be a home YOU want.

An older home has the benefit of being in a mature neighbourhood with mature trees. The neighbourhood and its surroundings have been built allowing you to get a feel for the area. Depending on the age of the house it may still have all or most of its original character. On the flip side, older homes have higher maintenance. There is always something to repair or replace.

Which neighbourhood AND home would you and your family feel most comfortable in?

Tags: , , ,