1. Inventory, what inventory?

Your home will be the belle of the ball in the current market which is crying for stock. It’s pretty simple economics: when supply is low, with high demand, you are in the most enviable driver’s seat imaginable. Given the bevy of buyers on the market, competition for your house will be fierce. So worries about keeping your home ship-shape for weeks or months on end while strangers roam through need not concern you.

2. Mortgage rates

Too bad there wasn’t a crystal ball that could tell us what was coming. For years, forecasters have been crying about a rise in interest rates and rightly so. They really don’t have much room to go the other way so up seems a likely option. The question is when? When rates rise it will impact consumers’ buying power. Putting your house on the market while rates are low is a smart move as more buyers will be attracted to your property than if rates rise a point or two. More interest means more competition and more competition usually always means more money for you.

3. It’s urgent

You could say that about buyers in February and March. Who else wants to trudge through snow, ice and cold, bundling up and unbundling with each new viewing? Those are some determined purchasers. Maybe they’re the result of a job transfer or an inheritance. Who knows? Just know that they’re more motivated.

4. It’s speedier

In wintertime, many of those who support the housing industry are not nearly as busy as at other times of the year. We’re talking about banks and lending institutions, mortgage brokers, lawyers, home inspectors, contractors, realtors, surveyors, architects. Finding the professional for the task or service you need will be easier and quicker now as, quite simply, they’re not as swamped.

5. House prices go up, up and away

High demand and low inventory add up to one thing: higher housing prices. That’s good news if you’re selling. Since you likely plan to buy another home, though, it may be best to sell now so that you aren’t affected by rising house prices or mortgage rates. Waiting could cost you more.

The cold winter weather traps many of us inside our homes till the first sign of spring. And being inside all that time may lead you to wonder about the quality of your indoor air.

In Canada, radon gas is something of a concern. In 2014, the CBC obtained data that showed over 1,500 homes had radon levels above Health Canada’s safety guidelines following a testing of approximately 14,000 homes across the country.

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It’s estimated that radon is responsible for 3,000 deaths in Canada each year.

Radon is a radioactive gas created in nature that seeps into poorly ventilated basements and crawl spaces. Radon is created by decaying uranium found in soil, rock and water. Because these three elements are found in the ground, they are more likely to leach into their first point of contact which would be cellars and crawl spaces.  Radon filters into a home through cracks in the foundation and gaps around pipes.

The scary thing about radon is that it’s invisible, odourless and tasteless. The only way to know for sure if you have it is to do a DIY test or call in a professional at your own expense.

According to the CBC, recommendations that the government help fund homeowners in need of testing and cleaning up their radon issue have not been addressed. Nor has a recommendation that homes undergo mandatory tests for radon levels as a condition of sale, as is the case in several American states.

Radon gas levels are measured in units known as the Becquerel (Bq). One Becquerel is described as one event of radiation emission per second and it is minute.

The old Canadian standard considered 800 Bq per cubic metre to be a safe standard. But ten years ago following a push to tighten guidelines the federal government changed its standard to 200 Bq per cubic metre, the same level considered safe by Russia and China. The U.S. pegs its safe level at 150.

For more information or to learn more about testing for radon visit Health Canada.

There’s good reason why buying real estate is considered such an emotional roller coaster of an experience.

It has something to do with the mechanics of the heart and how we respond to what we adore. Falling in love with a house or a neighbourhood happens all the time. It’s socially acceptable, expected even, to hear people talk about their affection for their home or the area in which they live.  Expressions of worship should be saved for big-ticket items that represent sentiment. When was the last time you heard someone say they became lovestruck by those blue bath towels or that vinyl siding stole their heart because it was the perfect shade of beige?

Exactly.

As we observe Valentine’s Day this month, we thought it would be apropos and fun to draw parallels between the worlds of real estate and love.

Falling in love with a house happens all the time and no one can fault you or prepare you for it. The feeling comes over you like a soft breeze of fresh air in spring. You’re smitten and everything about the house comes into focus. Imperfections start to fade and suddenly you’re getting a clear picture of the joy you will feel living there. From the dappled light filtering through the living room window to the subtle street noises to the home’s layout and sight lines, it’s perfect. Your heart rate picks up a little.

House hunting is a lot like dating. You keep trying one on until it fits. And realtors are in the enviable position of playing matchmaker, introducing clients to a number of possibilities until they find the right one.

To play matchmaker, real estate agents must possess a laundry list of traits that might include persistence, friendliness and a sense of humour. They also need to read people well so that begs the question are they superior at dating and finding a mate themselves? In the spirit of sweethearts everywhere, let’s look at what online dating website eHarmony has to say about the benefits of dating a realtor:

• You’ll learn more about your city. Date a real estate agent, and you’ll get an education in thriving neighborhoods, up-and-coming areas to watch, zoning laws and gentrification.
• Can’t handle awkwardness? Real estate agents depend on their people skills to survive financially. Invite a realtor to a dinner party, and he/she will bring out the charm.
• Real estate agents are smart — and good at math. They’re always updating courses and intentionally learning more about their business and the neighborhoods they sell in.
• No 9-to-5 here. If you’re also a freelancer, a real estate agent’s unconventional schedule might appeal to you. Sure, she might be busy tomorrow evening, but she might also be able to swing a weekday brunch.
• For realtors, beauty is more than skin deep. They can see the potential in a property that others can’t.
• He probably doesn’t live in his parents’ basement.
• According to Modern Family’s Phil Dunphy, “Every realtor is just a ninja with a blazer.”