REAL ESTATE BLOG

Introduction For those who may not know me, I am a retired Canadian Foreign Service Officer who had the privilege of serving Canada on seven international assignments throughout my 30-year career. During that time, I gained extensive firsthand experience with relocation, housing, and real estate from both a professional and personal perspective. While I was a federal employee, I bought, renovated, sold, and rented ten different properties while navigating the unique challenges that come with... [read more]

Back in November, I made the transition to Engel & Völkers Ottawa. Over the past few months, I’ve taken the time to fully immerse myself in the brokerage and better understand what it truly offers — not just for me as an agent, but more importantly for the clients I serve. This move was intentional. While Engel & Völkers is known worldwide as a luxury brokerage, what that truly represents is a higher standard of service. Luxury is not defined by the price of a... [read more]

When it comes time to sell your home, you will likely be put in a situation where home updates, repairs, and upgrades are recommended in order to boost the value of your home for maximum returns! Now before tearing down a wall or throwing your money at everything it's important to understand not all home renovations are equal. Below you will find a list of the top 5 home renovations that have significant impact on your selling potential: 1. Improve energy efficiency This... [read more]

Obtaining a mortgage can be intimidating and confusing. Similar to the buyer and seller guides, I’ve outlined the mortgage process for you in 4 easy steps! 
 
Step 1: Mortgage Application 
 
Before an application gets filled out, it’s important to first asses yourself financially. Figure out how much money you have and how much you need to borrow. It’s always critical to sort out how much you can afford so that when you apply for a mortgage you will be able to... [read more]

Your satisfaction and happiness is something that is very important to me. I understand how hectic it is to sell a house and it can be difficult if it’s not handled properly. To help you through the entire process, I’ve put together five simple steps: Step 1: Decide to Sell When you sell, you want to get as much value as you can for your home. So you might want to consider the timing of the sale because it definitely has an effect on the value. You don’t want to sell... [read more]