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With interest rates at an all-time low and houses at rock bottom prices now is the perfect time for first time home buyers or property investment. Whether you’re a buyer, seller or both, check out these 10 tips for navigating the real estate market successfully.

Tips for buyers

Rather than owning a condo or apartment, make it worth your while and go for a house. Now is the perfect time because the economy is slowly recovering, thus interest rates are at all-time lows and if you can get a mortgage for a house, there’s never been a better time.

It does not matter if you’re a first-time buyer, investor or existing homeowner, as the old adage goes location is everything. Look less at the size of the house and more on the location of the lot, as that will make the difference when trying to sell. Any condos or apartments near shopping, transit or university/collage will really set your property off from all the others.

This question is vital to a happy home buying experience. Meet with multiple mortgage lenders and obtain a few pre-approved mortgages before even looking for a house. Once you have a maximum amount established it will help to narrow down potential homes, and will help you avoid even looking at homes way over budget so you don’t get carried away. Most importantly stick to your budget!

Instead of just looking within major city limits try looking in established, well known areas a bit out of the city. This will more likely result in more bang for your buck, and is a better option for a family as it will allow for more space and the freedom to roam.

Know your credit rating
Make sure your credit is in good standing before meeting with a broker. This will not only avoid unwanted surprises and delays in the future, but may also save your reputation with your broker. Both Trans Union of Canada at 1-800-663-9980 or Equifax Credit Information Services Canada at 1-800-465-7166 can help you find your credit rating.

Tips for sellers

Before selling your house, bring its aesthetics up to par. Make sure to remove all clutter from within the house, and keep the yard tidy for maximum curb appeal. Add bright accents to area you want to highlight, and remove or recondition older furniture. Or if you’re not the best designer consider hiring a professional stager, it may cost a pretty penny but you can make a first impression only once!

This can be either in the form of a Real Estate agent or FSBO, it all depends on you and your needs. If there is no rush I would suggest trying online real estate classified websites such as The Home Machine as you could save thousands of dollars in commission, and learn a few things along the way. Or if money is no object or time is tight then a Real Estate agent may be the way to go, as it leaves you free for other things. Only you know your property so only you can decide.

Price your property right the first time, and according to the current market conditions. Some sellers believe that if they overprice their property, they have more room to negotiate or they can always reduce it later. This method is not worth the minuscule gain it may bring because many buyers will just skip over your home as they cannot afford it. Also continually reducing the price does not make potential buyers confident in the home as it leads to questions as to why the price keeps dropping.

If your homes till has shag carpet and dangling beads in place of a door consider updating such dated items as it hides the true beauty of the home and potential buyers will immediately be turned off by it. Don’t gut the entire house, but dated items MUST go before an open house.

If you receive an offer, but the closing date is 30-60 days later than the property you are moving to, don’t let that decided the fate of the deal. Most mortgage lenders will approve bridge financing for short periods if all conditions have been removed and the sale is firm. If you are still uneasy call your lender and confirm they will help you out in this scenario.