Buyers Resource

I am committed to helping you acquire the property that is right for you.  You can expect from me extensive market knowledge and excellent negotiation skills.  I can offer you a full service program that includes the marketing services listed below and  together we can develop a customized program that reflects your personal needs.

• Buyer Consultation – I am particularly skilled in listening to you and learning about your needs and goals and then I do my homework to find the right property for you.
• Buyer Agency Alternatives – Our relationship will be defined by a contract.  I will explain to you the alternatives for agency representation either by way of a Buyer Customer Service Agreement or a Buyer Client Representation Agreement.  We will discuss the right one for you.
• Buyer Representation Agreement – I will present and explain to you clearly and concisely the Buyer Representation Agreement which is an agency relationship where I, as a sales representative am legally obligated to act in your best interests and protect your interests in acquiring a property.  This is the only agency relationship which will fully protect your interest. Most of the services described in this article assumes we have a Buyer Representation Agreement.
• Home Buying Process – I will explain the entire home buying process to you in advance and guide you through every step along the way.
• Financial Pre-qualification – If you wish, I will offer to arrange a pre-qualification or pre-approval appointment with one of our reputable mortgage lenders to identify your range of affordability and to provide you with a written pre-approval. This will then help us to determine your  price range for properties which would be suitable for you.  Mortgage pre-approval will protect you against any interest rate increases for the specified period offered by your mortgage lender.
• Property Searching – I will provide you with almost immediate access to new listings through my network of contacts in the real estate world as well as both the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s (OREB) and the Rideau St. Lawrence Real Estate Board’s (RSLREB) Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) systems.  My goal is to show you any property listed for sale that meets your criteria– whether it is a private sale, another real estate company’s listing, or an exclusive listing offered by my brokerage.  You will also be kept advised on all new listings which become available as they come onto the market on both MLS® systems or oftentimes before a listing hits the market.  You will be set up on an automatic e-mail notification of the MLS® properties which meet your criteria. These listings include full colour photographs of both the exterior and interior of the property.
• Property Showing – I will show you properties in your chosen neighbourhood(s) which meet the various criteria you have selected and I will offer you a frank, knowledgeable opinion of each property I will show you.  This will highlight  the features of a property which may affect it’s value and future resale.
• Property Evaluation – I will provide you analysis of the sales prices of similar homes in similar neighbourhoods  to assist you with determining what should be your first Offer.
• Estimate of Closing Funds Required – I will provide you with a preliminary estimate of your total costs as well as the approximate down payment you will be required to provide to your lawyer for the closing. The approximate down payment will take into account anticipated adjustments between you and the Seller.
• The Offer – I will discuss with you and make recommendations as to how to negotiate the terms of any Offer to Purchase, including the ultimate purchase price you pay for the property. I will review with you the Seller Property Information Statement which I obtain prior to submitting any Offer to enable you to accept or specify the remedy for any faults that may be disclosed in the statement. Remedies for any disclosed faults by the Seller should be addressed in the Offer to Purchase.  I will counsel you on what conditions are necessary to be inserted in any Offer to protect your interests.

  These conditions would include your lawyer’s approval to the terms and conditions of your Offer, if appropriate, a first mortgage financing condition which may include an appraisal condition, and a home inspection report by a qualified property inspector. If a condominium purchase, a further condition or lawyer’s approval of the condominium’s status report including a satisfactory review of the most recent reserve fund study and it’s recommendations. If a townhome on a private street, a condition for lawyer’s approval of the most recent estoppel certificate of the Homeowner’s Association of which you will be a voting member.

  These are some of the examples of conditions that are often included in Offers but there are many more possibilities for an Offer, which reflects on the nature and type of the property you are buying.

  Ultimately I will prepare a written Offer on any property you choose to purchase with the terms and conditions approved by you.  I will communicate your Offer to the Seller or the Seller’s Sales Representative and if there is a competing Offer, I will guide you through any multiple Offer situation.  I will counsel you throughout on Counter Offers and Offer amendments which I may recommend, especially if the results of the Home Inspection Report disclose defects that the Seller should remedy at the Seller’s expense prior to the completion date or such defects for which we will renegotiate a lower purchase price with the Seller.

• Negotiation – I have a proven track record as an effective negotiator and the ability to negotiate is key to protecting your best interests and obtaining the best deal possible for you.
• Offer Presentation – I like to meet the Seller if at all possible and oftentimes I am able to present your Offer to Purchase directly to the Seller in the presence of his/her Listing Sales Representative. A direct meeting with the Seller at Offer presentation is often helpful for me to obtain additional facts that might not otherwise be given by the Listing Sales Representative. This may help us in our negotiating strategy.
• Fulfillment or Waiver of All Conditions – I will throughout the condition period(s) follow up with the other professionals who assist with the fulfillment of the various conditions to ensure that all conditions are either waived or fulfilled in a timely manner or that the Agreement is either renegotiated due to the non-fulfillment of a condition or terminated with a quick return of your deposit.
• Closing the Sale – I will monitor and inform you of the progress of the Purchase Agreement once all of the conditions are either waived or fulfilled including the option of purchasing title insurance, including  an up to date Surveyor’s Real Property Report (Building Location Survey), contacting the real estate lawyer of your choice to assist with any unusual circumstances in the purchase transaction, and answering any questions you or your lawyer might have. I will forward all the documentation your lawyer requires to open a file and complete the lawyer’s end of the real estate transaction. Having done the lawyer’s end myself for 35 years, I can promise that the file going to your lawyer will be complete.
• Pre-Closing Walk-Through – It is important to include in every Offer a condition allowing you to have access to the property to do a final viewing a day or so prior to the completion date.  This will provide you with the peace of mind to ensure that no damage has occurred to the property since your Offer was accepted and I will assist you in dealing with any problems that may be discovered as a result of the “walk-through”(as it is called).
• After-Sale Service – I will contact you after the closing to follow up on any remaining details or service needs you may have.  It is important to both you and I that the transaction closes as smoothly as possible and that you are totally satisfied with every aspect of the transaction and the services I have provided to you.
• Ultimate Service – When my job is done, I will ask you to complete a Customer Satisfaction Survey telling me how I did and how I can improve my services.  At any time along the way through our relationship if you are not completely satisfied with the services I am providing you, I want you to tell me so I can rectify; failing which, you have the right to cancel our Representation Agreement.