Thank You!

We had a great year in 2007 ... in fact, better than any other year to date! So why do you care? As we go forward and, unfortunately get older :>), Donna and I want to share in our success by giving back to our local community and to those less fortunate than ourselves. By supporting us you help Trenton, Brighton, and Belleville charities, as well as children in third world countries. Know someone in need? Give us a call at 613.394.4837. For all you do, this Blog is for you! Happy New Year and all the best for 2008!!

Freezing or Florida?

As Christmas quickly approaches, it seems that winter has arrived! While you prepare your home for the cold, keep in mind that we are offering our 3rd Annual Florida Resort giveaway to all of our Real Estate clients. To enter, send Donna an email at donna@davidweir.com. Your odds are better than 1 in 100 ... much better than 649 and you don’t even have to buy a ticket!

Go Green to Save Green!

This photo shows me, David Weir BA, CD, being congratulated by Mark Rashotte, Owner/Broker, Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty. I am the first Royal LePage Broker in the Quinte West/Brighton area to obtain the National Association of Green Agents & Brokers (NAGAB) Designation. This new course enables REALTORS® to better market and assess the enery efficiency and environmental impact of a home, from both the Buyer's and Seller's perspective. For more information on the importance of this designation as it relates to your home, give me a call at 613.394.4837.

High Tech Tax Man

Would you like to know the difference in the tax rate of a home in Trenton compared to other wards within Quinte West? Well, now you can with Quinte West's new online 'TAX QWEST'. Quinte West is one of the only cities in the province to provide this service. For example, if you are thinking of buying a home in the Trenton or Sidney wards that has been assessed at a certain value, you can now go online to see what the difference in taxes would be between the two locations. You might be surprised at what you discover. Want to know more? Check it out at www.city.quintewest.on.ca/services/finance/tax_calculator.htm.

Burn Baby Burn!

It's that time of year when homeowners with functioning wood fireplaces/stoves in the Trenton, Belleville and Brighton areas should be checking the safety and compliance of their wood burning appliances. Did you know that home insurance companies make it mandatory for you to have a certified inspection? To get a stove certified a WETT inspector has to check it for you. WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer and local WETT certified inspectors can be found at www.wettinc.ca If you are buying a home with a wood burning stove/fireplace why not use a Home Inspector who can do both inspections at the same time! Contact me for more info. I'm at 613.848.0615. Cheers until next time.

NOT 109,000!

It's my understanding that since WWI over 108,000 Canadian soldiers have lost their lives in battle. While lives are lost every day, most are not members of a voluntary force in defence of our freedoms and beliefs. Donna and I did not serve in a theatre of war during our military careers but we, like many others, are deeply touched every time a soldier's repatriation ceremony takes place at CFB Trenton ... 3 minutes from our front door. Let's hope and pray we don't lose another son or daughter in a foreign land in defence of our freedom. Lest we forget ... today or any other.

MINUS ONE

The recent announcement regarding the one percent reduction in GST for 2008 will be another plus for the Quinte housing industry. Not only will there be a savings on new home construction (normally the GST is built into the price), but it will also impact all the other services associated with new and resale home purchases for which you pay GST i.e., legal fees, real estate commission, survey fees, etc.

The one per cent reduction in the GST will also help residents of Trenton, Belleville, Brighton and other Canadian cities pay for upgrades such as home renovations or the purchase of appliances or furniture. "According to research conducted by CREA, Canadians spend an average of $7,475 on renovations when they buy a home, and spend another $3,950 on furniture and appliances. The GST cut represents $114 in savings based on these averages."

Of course, if you are a resident of Toronto you may have lost a lot of these gains now that the Mayor has insituted yet another government grab with their own Land Transfer Tax. Lets hope that mindset doesn't make its way east!

Great Numbers to Match this Great Weather!!

How about this fantastic fall? Not only has the weather been absolutely amazing, the local Real Estate numbers are out for the third quarter of 2007. Please keep in mind that these figures include the entire Quinte region which stretches from north of highway 7 to Prince Edward County. Homes in the Trenton, Belleville and Brighton areas will have different averages when looked at in isolation.

This week, the Quinte and District Real Estate Board reported a 12.4% increase in the number of housing units sold to the end of September, compared with the same nine-month period in 2006. That is, 3,077 units sold as of September 30th, up from 2,738 sales at the end of September 2006.

There has been a 4.7% drop in the number of new listings received to the end of September and the total number of active listings is also down by 8.2%. Last, the average amount a purchaser is spending on a residential home in the Quinte area has shot up by almost eight per cent from $182,297 last year to $196,713 in 2007. Let me know if you need more information about your particular home or area. I’m at david@davidweir.com or you can call me directly at 613-965-3637. Happy Halloween!

Thanks for Your Referrals!

Hi Folks! Just a quick note to say thank you to all past and present Real Estate clients who took time from their busy schedules to attend our 9th Annual Open House in Trenton. We truly appreciate your business and your referrals to friends and family! In that vein, everyone who referred us to someone else this year was entered in a draw for 2 tickets to see Kenny Rogers live at the Empire Theatre in Belleville this coming weekend. The winner will be contacted on Tuesday, 11 September. Keep watching for more exciting happenings! Yours in successful Quinte Real Estate ... David Weir.

Trenton Market Red Hot!

We had a great turn out at our 10th Annual Home Buyers'/Sellers' Seminar held at the Military Family Resource Centre, 8 Wing Trenton last week. There were several excellent real estate questions about buying and selling homes in the Trenton area.

The real estate market is heating up in Trenton as homes of military members come on the market. CFB Trenton drives the real estate market in our area and it looks like it will be another good year for a great selection of homes.

Our complimentary home staging and free handyman labour is being well received by people who are thinking about selling a home in the Trenton area this year. We are offering the same service to those buying a home in the 8 Wing area as well.

Please send me an email if you would like more information about selling your home in Trenton ... david@davidweir.com. We offer top notch real estate services! Check out our website for other great information too. www.davidweir.com

Ask About Our New 'Feedback' System!

One of the most common complaints about REALTORS® is the lack of feedback they give their listing clients after their home has been shown to a prospective buyer. I have to admit, this is very frustrating for me as well. Quite often it takes days to get feedback from an agent. Whatever the reason, it takes too long! And when we finally do get feedback, it is often short, ambigious, and via a pager message i.e., "not suitable". To improve the feedback service to our listing clients, we are in the process of buying a software program that will provide more detailed information in a timely and professional manner. The feedback will be available online 24/7 via a secure website. Because it will be internet based, a spouse who is out of town will also be able to view the potential buyer's comments. If you have any questions, be sure to give me a call or send me an email at david@davidweir.com. Phone # is 613-394-4837 or 1-800-263-2177. Cheers til next time.

Welcome Bloggers!

Welcome to the first installment of my Blog ... probably a first for REALTORS® in the Quinte area. I thought it would be appropriate to launch a new and improved website that included a Blog so you, our clients and potential clients, could be kept abreast of real estate happenings in the area. So, what is new? Well, we are offering free staging or free handyman labour to anyone who lists or sells with us in 2007. Keep in mind that we are sub-contracting this work to people who do it best! Our thoughts are that if you're hiring us to sell your house, you likely don't want us spending our time 'staging' or repairing, when we should be out looking for Buyers for your home! Stay tuned for my next entry when I will talk about one of the most common complaints about REALTORS®.