Ottawa Real Estate - Homes & Land

Conspicuous Consumption to Consciencious Consumerism. Need a moment? Ok, we'll call it the 4Cs. Back in the day when Baby Boomers were calling the shots, real estate had a much different perspective. Rising land costs somehow translated to requiring larger homes. It also was a measure of success; take that Mr. Jones! The average size of ...

The ongoing housing mess south of the border is beginning to have an impact on how we view our homes in Ottawa. And that is: - smaller is smarter. Money sucking McMansions are necessarily going to become less attractive as energy costs continue to skyrocket, uncertain economies, and eventually, social pressures. Got $500k for a home? Great! Why ...

The other day there was a report from Japanese census takers that 840 people over 150 years of age were missing. Probably just trying to get out of paying taxes.

As I stand back and look at Ottawa housing market canvass, I see the recession effect is that of a time shift. Demand is there, it's just laying low as people sort through the economic news and how it affects them. Even as severe as these times are, life for most goes on pretty much as always. Once fears subside, that demand will swell up, ...

We are exposed to a flood of information every day, every hour if we look for it. Lot's of bad stuff, good stuff too, but for the most part, we are immune to feeling or caring about what we see and hear because we are almost never 'part' of it. Well cue the recession. Got your attention? Mine too! It starts with "I think I'll ...

People often ask: "Wayne, why go green?" I always reply with the same enthusiasm: "You ignorant son-of-a-***, get off the planet, now!"   Ok, I need a do over. I'm often asked about the the effort required to adopt a lifestyle that promotes both environmental respnsibility and cost efficiencies. As a Realtor ...

Buying and selling property in Ottawa should be a pleasant experience. But our beloved media insists on the use of Journalism 101, selective/slanted reporting, to announce the impending demise of the Canadian housing industry. When I last checked, even the most westerly point in Ottawa is not all that close to the most easterly point in Calgary. ...

In these times of economic uncertainty, people search out ways to weather the downturn, or merely just to survive. Many unfortunately go broke in the process, which in some cases leads to crime as a last resort. As a Realtor, I'm not immune to the thought of losing my home. What would I do? Rob a bank, or a jewelry store, or God ...

Over the years, I've had occasion to need varying amounts of cash to finance, at first, the necessities of life - home, transportation, etc., then comfort stuff. Yes it came at a premium in the form of interest but I'm going to die someday, so there was no time to waste. All good. Now it came to me the other day, in the midst of my stuff, ...