How can a buyer stand out from the competition? 5 tips.

23/01/2022 by Olga Ouspenski

house sold Now that Covid19 has turned our lives upside down : someone has lost their job, someone has lost a significant portion of their savings due to the fall in stocks on the stock exchange, some homebuyers think that they can buy a house in this situation for much less than the initial price.

I have to disappoint them, the Montreal housing market is currently in a “seller’s market” situation. As you already know, 2020 and 2021 were record-breaking years for property sales in Montreal, and 2022 started with sales at prices above the initial sale price. This means that there are more buyers on the market than properties for sale. This situation occurs when the seller receives several offers to buy his house/condo. This happens when the object is listed at a low or adequate price and / or has good characteristics (location, area, parking, etc.). house multiple offers

There is a situation with several proposals for the purchase (offer) for one house. Are you a buyer and planning to buy a property in the coming months? Here are some tips that will definitely help you find the best strategy for buying property.

How can a buyer stand out from the competition? Here are my 5 tips.

Tip # 1. Have a good professional next to you.

To determine the price, the realtor has statistics of the sold similar houses / condos in the same area in recent months. Usually the buyer is stressed, especially in such a situation. Your realtor will advise you to keep an evenness of mind and not overestimate your abilities. Instead, consider how much you would like to purchase a property for and stick to that amount.

Tip #2: Get Mortgage Pre-Approval.

Choosing from 2 offers with the same price, the seller will give preference to the buyer who has already received a preapproval letter from the bank about the maximum mortgage that he can get. The seller will be sure that he will not lose 2 weeks waiting for the confirmation of the buyer’s creditworthiness.

Tip #3. Consider all the conditions of the purchase.

The offer contains several conditions for the purchase, except for the price. For example, the date of signing the purchase / sale agreement, the condition for the inspection, etc. It is best to ask your real estate agent for advice on what conditions will help you win the auction.

Tip #4: Present yourself in the best light.

Sellers are emotionally attached to the home they are leaving, and they will certainly want to get to know the future people who will live in their home. Your realtor will give you the best recommendation, which can make all the difference when sellers choose a buyer.

Tip #5: Give a bonus or be second in line.

If you know that you are competing with other buyers and the seller has not yet accepted or refused your offer to buy, you can improve it – offer a higher price, change the terms of the purchase, etc. To do this, your realtor will ask you to fill out a special form and send her after your offer. If your offer is still not accepted, your realtor may offer the seller to accept your offer second in line. Thus, if the first offer is canceled (the bank did not give a mortgage, the buyer refused to buy after the inspection), your offer automatically becomes the first.

In conclusion, the best advice I can give you in a multiple offer situation is to be patient and ask all your questions to your real estate broker.

Forecast for growth in property prices in Montreal in 2022.

30/12/2021 by Olga Ouspenski

In 2021, prices continued to rise both in Montreal and beyond in remote small towns. The issue of housing affordability has become critical in the Montreal region, especially for young families looking to buy their own home. Those who did not want to leave Montreal had to buy condos and 2-plexes to start at least somewhere and stop paying “someone else’s mortgage” for rental housing.

Selling for prices above the starting price is no longer surprising. As a result, more than 50% of real estate was sold for more than the initial price. Those who bought a house, condo or 2-plex 5 years ago are in a fortunate position and can afford to move on by selling their homes and buying the best.

But what about those who did not buy real estate 5 years ago and are desperately watching the rise in prices, realizing that they have to pay twice as much today? So, buy or wait?

Prices in Montreal are already near their highs, and most likely will not rise as much in 2022. The same cannot be said about the prices in the cities adjacent to it. If the average price for houses in Montreal increased by 23% in 2021, then in 2022 prices will continue to rise, but by no more than 1%, analysts say. The rise in condo prices in 2022 will also slow down and amount to 3%. My advice: if you can’t buy a home in Montreal itself, look at what you can count on in the surrounding area.

Canada in general, and Quebec in particular, due to its economic strength and financial stability, will continue to attract many immigrants. Quebec is currently the economic powerhouse of the country thanks to huge investments in its infrastructure and diversified economic structure. Therefore, in 2022, one should not expect a decline in property prices. In addition, many immigrants buy real estate in Montreal without a mortgage, so they will not be hindered by an increase in mortgage interest.

All analysts agree that there will be a large shortage of offered real estate for sale, which cannot but affect the rise in prices. The government is of course trying to slow down the rate of price growth. So, the Bank of Canada has already announced an increase in mortgage interest in 2022 in the hope of slowing down the rise in real estate prices and allowing native Canadians to buy their own homes.

Still have questions? Planning to sell or buy? Call +1-514-999-9260, ask me a question here on the site or write to my email

Factors that drive Montreal housing market.

01/12/2019 by Olga Ouspenski

Lower mortgage rates, help for first-time buyers and increased immigration levels are all pushing the housing market upwards.

The most optimistic forecast (or the most pessimistic, if you’re hoping for lower prices) comes from Capital Economics, which in a report last Friday said “momentum is building” in house price growth. If things stay at their current trend, house price growth will be running at an annual rate of 6 per cent by March of next year.

“The rise in the sales-to-new listing ratio suggests that house price inflation will surge,” senior Canada economist Stephen Brown wrote.

The sales-to-new-listing ratio measures how many houses are selling against how many houses are coming on to the market. The higher the ratio, the tighter the market, so the larger the price growth you can expect.

Though it varies from market to market, in general a ratio above 60 per cent suggests price hikes ahead.

The best rates available for a five-year fixed-rate mortgage at the major banks fell to around 2.7 per cent today from 3.5 per cent at the start of this year, Brown said, citing data from RateSpy.com. The lower rates mean Canadian buyers can afford about 10 per cent more on the purchase price of a home than they could a year ago.

Source – Read full article : www.huffingtonpost.ca.

Mortgage help for some first-time homebuyers

21/03/2019 by Olga Ouspenski

On the eve of a federal election this fall, the Liberal government is looking to help more Canadians buy their first homes by picking up a portion of their mortgage costs and increasing the amount they can borrow from their retirement savings for a down payment.

Helping people enter the housing market has been a growing preoccupation for the Liberals ever since they were elected in 2015, with soaring real estate prices in some of Canada’s largest cities putting home ownership beyond the reach of many.

An estimated 1.6 million Canadian households are considered in “core housing need,” meaning people who are living in places that are either too expensive or don’t suit their needs.

The means-tested incentive the Liberals unveiled Tuesday would only be available to households with incomes under $120,000 – roughly $50,000 more than the median household income as calculated by Statistics Canada – and on mortgages no more than four times the household’s total income.
Eligible buyers would see the government pick up part of the costs of their mortgages to lower their monthly payments, with the amount of help determined by their incomes and whether they’re buying an existing or newly built home.

The government also plans to raise the maximum amount a first-time buyer can withdraw from an RRSP: $35,000, up from $25,000. And while the program has long been restricted to new would-be homeowners, those who are recovering from the breakup of a marriage or common-law relationship would also be allowed to take part.

The measure, expected to cost $1.25 billion over three years beginning this fiscal year, would target Canadians “that face legitimate challenges entering housing markets” after qualifying for a mortgage, the budget document says. An additional $100 million would flow to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to help organizations that already provide the so-called “shared equity mortgages.”

The program, some details of which are yet to be finalized, is part of a tranche of spending that includes establishing a national expert panel on housing supply and affordability, better data collection, and $300 million for a contest to encourage cities to come up with new ways of expanding housing stock.

The new measures could increase the annual number of new homebuyers nationally to 140,000 from 100,000 by lowering monthly payments without creating higher household debt loads, said Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who was confident the measures won’t cause a spike in housing prices.

“We’re recognizing that it is challenging for people in the housing market; it’s a real issue, but what we’ve done is we’ve carefully looked at what’s the best way to deal with that issue,” Morneau told a news conference.

“It’s not going to make an impact on the overall market from a pricing standpoint, meaning people are actually going to be better off, more optimism in terms of housing, and it’s the reason we’re very excited about this measure.”