Report #1

The TD bank released a special report outlining findings of a new research paper.  The report stated that since 1980, housing prices in Canada have increased by an average of 5.4 per cent per year.  They then predict that there may be a slight decrease in house prices for a year or two and then we are to expect an increase of 3.5 per cent annually from 2015 until 2025.

Report #2

The second report is a speculative one from Moody’s Investor Service.  This article discusses what could  happen to the housing market if there was an economic disaster similar to the subprime mortgage fiasco in the United States.  In fact the article states that this is speculation of what could  happen “in the event of a severe economic shock.”  In the same article, they describe how Moody’s also stated that Canada is not as vulnerable as other countries when it comes to experiencing a severe economic shock.

So are house prices going to drop by 44% in Ottawa?

In our opinion, the Citizen article has combined the two articles and sensationalized the headline.  Kent Browne, Broker of Record and owner of Royal Lepage Team Realty as well as owner of Royal Lepage Gale Real Estate in Ottawa had this to say about the Ottawa Citizen Article:

I take great issue with the sensationalizing of the content, and the extremely misleading headline…a reader is given the impression that housing prices are going to fall, wherein reality the findings state that the rate of increase in prices will fall from 5.4%-3.5%….instead of promoting the Ottawa economy, re-confirming the viability of our market, stating the facts of our current market, and having comments from local professionals…and praising the fact that our very solid and reliable Ottawa market will continue to grow at 3.5%,…the sensational headline strikes fear into the heart of every homeowner.

We agree.  The real estate market in Ottawa is solid.  While we may not see the 5.4% annual growth that we have been used to, a year to year growth of 3.5% is still a sign of a viable and healthy market.

(Image courtesy of flickr.)

Barrhaven is one of Ottawa’s fastest growing neighbourhoods with a large variety of new homes, mature homes and condominiums.  The Barrhaven real estate market is extremely active.

We are working on a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about Barrhaven.  Stay tuned!

Where is Stittsville?

Stittsville is officially a part of the city of Ottawa since amalgamation in 2001.  You’ll find this quaint suburb located in the west end of Ottawa, just south of Kanata, Ontario.

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What is in Stittsville?

With a population of just under 30,000, Stittsville has a country feel to it.  Yet, there is very little lacking.  You will find large grocery stores as well as quaint small businesses.  There are a number of restaurants that have been present in Stittsville for a long time. Here are some of our favourites:

• Cabottos – upper end Italian restaurant.
• Napoli’s Cafe- Another fantastic Italian Restaurant.
• JoJos Pizza – Great Pizza and Subs.
• The Glenn – Scottish Pub famous for fish and chips.

You will also find many family friendly features to Stittsville such as a swimming pool, a museum, an ice rink, and parks.  Stittsville has its own fire and police stations as well as a number of chiropractors, dentists and veterinarians. There are also a large number of churches.

Here are a list of schools in Stittsville:

• Holy Spirit Catholic School
• Guardian Angel’s Catholic
• Sacred Heart Catholic High
• St. Stephen Catholic School
• Ottawa Carleton District School
• A. Lorne Cassidy School
• Frederick Banting Secondary Alternate Program
• Goulbourn Middle School
• Stittsville Public School
• South Carleton High School
• Westwind Public School
• Jean-Paul II
• Ottawa Waldorf School

Photo of Stittsvile, courtesy Dougtone, flickr.

Access to and from Stittsville

Stittsville is approximately a 30 minute drive from Downtown Ottawa.  In under 10 minutes you can travel to Scotiabank Place in Kanata.  The OC Transpo bus service has regular trips to downtown Ottawa, both Ottawa Universities and Algonquin College, as well as to major shopping centres in Ottawa.  There is a “Park and Ride” just on the outskirts of Stittsville.

Residents have easy access from the town to the 417 which is the main highway that travels through Ottawa.  Also, Stittsville is not far from the 416 highway which goes south to Toronto.

Stittsville Real Estate

Stittsville has a variety of real estate opportunities.  The town has a large number of detached homes compared to other Ottawa neighbourhoods.  In our recent article about Ottawa’s Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Stittsville ranked as the fifth best neighbourhood in the entire city.  

Here are some examples of house prices in Stittsville:

• A four bedroom, two storey, detached home would sell for approximately $450,000.
• A three bedroom row house in Stittsville would sell for approximately $300,000.
• A three bedroom bungalow would sell for somewhere between $425,000 to $485,000.

Looking to buy a house in Stittsville?

Do you need more information about buying a home in Stittsville? We would love to help! We can send you a report that contains every listing in Stittsville that meets your criteria. We are Stittsville realtors who know this suburb well! Contact us over the internet or give us a call at 613-795-7111.

It’s that time of year again!  If you haven’t experienced the Ottawa Zombie walk then you are missing out on something special!  A few years ago, I happened to come across a whole pile of zombies stumbling down the streets of Ottawa.  Many of them were screaming.  I heard a lot of mention of BRAAAAAAINS!  I had no idea what this was about, so I decided to do some research.

History of the Ottawa Zombie Walk

I spoke with the current organizer of the Ottawa Zombie Walk, Bryony Etherington.  She told me that the walk originated in 2005 but no one seems to know exactly how it got started.  (If you have information on how the Zombie Walk originally got going in Ottawa, please leave a comment below.)  Bryony says that most likely it was originally “kids from the punk scene” who originally got the walk started.  In 2009, Bryony noticed that no one was actively organizing the walk and so she stepped in and grabbed the rains.  She has been organizing the walk ever since.

The walk has grown considerably in popularity, and so have the costs.  This year, the Ottawa Police is requiring a significant sum of money be paid for security reasons.  Fortunately, the radio station CHEZ 106 volunteered to pay the security costs!

The purpose of the walk

The walk allows zombies all over Ottawa to strut their stuff.  You will see gruesome sights as men, women and children drag themselves moaning across the city.  But why do they do this?  I think that the primary reason is because it is fun.  But other people benefit from the walk as well.  They will be collecting donations to support the Ottawa Food bank.

What is the date of the Ottawa Zombie Walk?

This year’s walk will take place on October 27, 2012.  Blood and makeup stations start at 2:45.  Sounds absolutely lovely!

What is the route for the Ottawa Zombie Walk?

In the past, the walk used to originate at the Beechwood cemetery, but this year the route is different.  They will be starting at MacDonald Garden Park in Sandy Hill.  Here is the route that will be followed:

View OZW12 in a larger map

After Party

If you’re taking part in the walk, then be prepared to party afterwards!  The Sparks Street BIA and D’Arcy McGee’s pub on Sparks street have come forward as places for zombies to party in  a huge ‘After Life’ party following the walk. There will be live music by the Devillaires, a DJ, signature ‘Brains’ shot, prizes and more.

Previous walks

If you’ve never seen a zombie walk then check out these videos.  I’ve found one for each year that the walk has been in existence in Ottawa:

2005:

2006:

2007:

2008:

2009:

2010:

2011:

Great Zombie Resources

Are you taking part in the walk? Do you need to know how to get “Zombified”? How does a Zombie dress? How does a Zombie talk? You may get some great tips from the following resources:

How to do zombie makeup:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Zombie-Makeup/

http://diyfashion.about.com/od/facepainting/ss/zombie_makeup.htm

http://www.365halloween.com/zombie-costume

How to dress like a zombie:

http://girlhack.com/how-i-did-my-zombie-outfit-and-natural-zombie-makeup/

http://www.wikihow.com/Look-Like-a-Zombie

http://www.ehow.com/how_2060338_make-zombie-costume.htm

How to make fake blood:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fake-Blood

http://www.extremepumpkins.com/howtomakfakb.html

How to walk like a zombie:

http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-Like-a-Zombie

How to speak like a zombie:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Speak-Zombie-Guide-Living/dp/0811874885

Thinking of attending as a spectator?

Here are some tips to help you survive the zombie walk!

How to survive a Zombie Apocalypse:

 http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/04/how-to-battle-z/

 http://thefw.com/zombie-apocalypse-survival-guide/

How to defend yourself in hand to hand combat with a zombie:

http://www.fvza.org/zdefense.html 

I wanted to write a short post though to give some kudos to someone who really helped us in our move and that was to Arden Robitaille of Ottawa Piano Mover.  (You can find him at www.ottawapianomover.com).  

Part of the move to our new house included an upright piano.  It was incredible to watch Ardie and his team skillfully and safely maneuver the piano on to and off of his truck.  

If you’re moving and have a piano that needs to come with you, we’d definitely recommend that you give him a call!

• There were 1366 house and condo sales in Ottawa, which is an increase of 3.6%.
• The average sale price was down 1.2% to #337,518.
• The average “Days on Market” was 40 days.
• There was a 12% increase in new listings.
• The sales to inventory ratio was 21% which means that Ottawa is now considered a Balanced Market.  (Previously we were in a slight seller’s market.)

Photo ©RAV Animated Visuals, iStockPhoto

These beliefs are very strong for many Asians to the point where they will not purchase a home whose house number ends in “4″, and they would greatly prefer to purchase a home whose number ends in “8″.

Feng Shui

Something that has become quite popular in recent years in regards to real estate is practicing Feng shui principles.  Feng shui is an ancient Chinese tradition that is used to balance energies in a room and bring good luck.  Even if you are not a believer in Feng shui, there is a good chance that it is important to the person who is buying your house.  Feng Shui also put emphasis on numbers, believing that some will bring good luck and others will bring bad luck. And once again, “4″ is considered bad luck and “8″ is good.

Evidence?

But really, can a house number affect how much your house is worth?  Is good or bad luck real or just perceived?  We looked at several interesting studies:

Hedonic Prices and House Numbers: TheInfluence of Feng Shui: This study looked at house sales in Auckland, New Zealand.  They found that houses with lucky numbers sold for an average of 2.4% more than average!

The Pricing of ‘Luckiness’ in the Apartment Market: This study looked at apartment sales in Hong Kong during a real estate boom.  They found that apartments on floor numbers 8, 18 and 28 sold for significantly more than average!

Superstitions in the Housing Market: This was the most interesting study that we found.  This large study looked at house sales in Vancouver which has a relatively high Chinese population. They concluded the following:

• Houses whose house number ended in 4 sold for 2.2% less than average.
• Houses whose house number ended in 8 sold for 2.5% more than average.

What about house prices?

Does it matter if the house price ends in a lucky or unlucky number?  We were unable to find any studies that looked at the significance of the price of a property.  However, it makes sense to us to avoid ending a house price in the number 4.  This may be a turn off for people who abide by these beliefs.  Quite often, we will price a house at a number ending in 8 (such as $420,888 or $408,000).

What do you think?

Do you think the last number in the price of a house will make a difference in how attractive the house is?  We would love to have your comments below!

Just to be fair, we thought we’d make a direct comparison between Ottawa and Calgary.  What do you think?

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• Many professionally taken photographs
• A video tour
• A thorough information page about your house
• Driving directions (via Google Maps)

And now we are pleased to also provide panoramic photos of the best features of your house and property!

You can see a sample of these photos here: 

Panoramic photos.

As always, you will find that our real estate listings will appear at or near the top of most related Google searches. We go above and beyond to make sure that your house looks as spectacular as possible and gets as much exposure to potential buyers as possible as well!

We’d love to talk with you if you have questions about buying or selling a house in Ottawa! Contact Us today!

For similar listings contact us by email or give us a call at 613-795-7111. We can find you rentals in Glen Cairn or houses for sale in this neighbourhood.

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