Tomorrow, I swear

Ok. I might have jumped the gun a little. I'm a guy that likes to get things done and over with without having things linger for a long time. I was pretty certain that I would have been able to sign my papers last week to be a real estate agent, but it has taken a few days on the brokerage's end to set up the appropriate appointment. I would have been there to sign if I could, but I had to wait. Tomorrow, I am meeting with Keller Williams at lunchtime to sign the dotted line. At that point, I'll be open for business. If you've got any leads or potential referrals, I would love to hear from you. I might have some hockey tickets for you.

I've met my match

Today, I met with a brokerage that I think will fit my needs very well. There are some kinks to iron out because of the part-time scenario that I am looking for, but tomorrow I should be able to make it official. I haven't signed any papers yet, but I expect to do so tomorrow. I'm just anxious about the news, and want everyone to know about it.

Hot market

Maybe it's just the people I know, but the real estate market in Ottawa definitely seems pretty hot this month. I know of a couple of people that have just bought or are looking to buy and the properties they are looking at are being eaten up rather quickly. Is it time to buy? Is it time to sell?

I like to think that it is time to buy. 5 year rates have recently inched up, but still near record lows, plus, we're expected to have a mild recovery in the economy next year, and home prices had remained steady over the last year. It seems like it's a good time to take advantage of the buying power you may have, and be able to buy when rates are low and prices are about to rise again.

Now, I think a better indicator of the market is the activity the mortgage people are doing. Usually, this is their busy time of the year, but it seems as if there are a lot of deals out there being had. Not only are people buying again, people are upgrading current real estate investments. It seems as if I can hardly get a hold of my mortgage guy these days. I won't need him for awhile, but I am sure he is doing fine these days.

What's next?

Ok. I've mentioned in a few posts in the past that my next step was to purchase the other half of the semi-detached house. Check.

So, what now?

Well, the first thing is to save up a little bit of money again. It's time to invest into the properties that I own. I need to upgrade things like the heating and cooling systems. I might even try to build a deck in the back yard. I'm going to add some value to the existing properties, and I am considering selling the Stittsville property in the near future. The Stittsville market seems pretty hot at the moment, and it seems as if it is a good time to cash out.

On the other hand, the current tenants have been good. There really is no rush to dispose of the property. If the Stittsville market is hot, I might as well let it fully appreciate. I should do this for two reasons. First, I should try to maximize the value I get for the house. Second, I can maximize the value for the house as I continue to save some money and do a few little upgrades that will expediate the sale.

There is the latest.

It's official!

I'm now a proud owner of 73 Arlington. Ok. Maybe not proud. The place is certainly a student house, but nonetheless, I own in and now have complete control over the semi-detached. SLUMLORD!!!

Gone Fishin'

This weekend is our annual fishing weekend and it's a great chance to get caught up with the boys. On Monday, the deal for 73 Arlington should be completed and any stress that I've had in the last couple of weeks should subside somewhat. If not only because of the deal closing, but because of a nice weekend of fishing.

My business group

Today I had lunch at Mexicali Rosa's on Bank Street. It was decilious. I had a lunch version of fajitas. It was reasonably priced and not overfilling. You might be asking yourself, why do I care about what Chad had for lunch?

The answer is simple. The people I shared lunch with have a variety of backgrounds in business, not only in real estate. The great thing about this group is that we are trying to expand, so that we have a very solid network of professionals that we can go to with various problems. From a real estate perspective, we have lending professionals that serve both residential and commercial properties. We're trying to establish some trust within the group, so that we know that we can refer friends, family and clients to get the best deals possible.

How is this important for you? Well, I'm an accountant, and not a mortgage professional. If you need advice on tax related matters, (or even real estate matters now) I am your man. If you need money, I am not your man. However, I do know people that can help you. I know people that I can trust. Hopefully, you can come to trust them too.

This is how the group works. I refer someone like you to a member of the group. I may know you from Carleton, Bell High School or from just around the neighborhood. If you decide to use my mortgage guy, my mortgage guy might send someone he knows to me for help with a purchase of a home or some tax advice. We both can double our business.

It's a pretty simple idea, but its benefits are great. It's one of the ways that I am trying to make sure that all my clients are 100% satisfied. Making money is about making good relationships with clients. I don't want to simply help you out for a quick buck. I want to help you so that we both benefit from a deal and you'll not only be happy to do business with me, you'll be happy to refer your friends to me too.