Let’s Talk Real Estate — Feb. – March, 2018
Lynda Cox
Over the years I have witnessed many couples buying and selling. Here are some of my observations:
Couples in a good relationship know how to compromise. He wants new windows and she wants good natural light….they keep looking until they find both. They can overlook the insignificant deficiencies of the home because they can see themselves living happily there, each of them finding enough positives to be happy with their choice. Needless to say, these are my favourite clients.
You can tell that a relationship is in trouble when the couple walks around the house commenting on this or that but never imagines themselves living there. I showed one engaged couple many condos and townhomes and instinctively knew that something was wrong. They could not make a decision even when the house was perfect in every way. They finally broke up. Each of them eventually found the right partner and the right houses followed…happy endings after all.
Couples just starting out in second-marriage relationships often want to sell off their individual homes and restart their ‘togetherness’ in a new one. One couple I worked with just couldn’t see eye to eye. One wanted waterfront, one wanted urban. We combed the city and countryside. They finally found a lovely home near the water yet still in an urban setting. The husband just couldn’t make up his mind and they were in a bidding war to boot so had to decide quickly…he eventually told me to flip a coin. Yes, he asked me to flip a coin. She won the toss and they put in their best offer. They got the house and have had many happy years there! That was a first for me.
Relationships are very exposed in the house buying or selling experience …the good and the bad. You can easily see if the relationship is balanced or not. If not, it quickly becomes evident who holds the most power.
Selling a home and dealing with an offer is also a very good indication of the individual personalities in the couple and how they work out their differences. One might want to hold out for every dollar while the other is more generous and wants both sides in the negotiation to be happy. This can often be a battleground. I recall one negotiation where the two sellers were in two different provinces for work. They were on speaker-phone as we dealt with an offer. I opted to leave the room while they yelled and hashed it out. Not my favourite situation.
When you are happy with each other, decisions about housing are not too hard to make. Only start looking to buy or sell when you have worked out your needs and priorities. You need to be on the same page. You will find the process an exciting one and your realtor will love working with you no matter how long it takes.
Sandy Hill Update
Residential: There were three sales over the last two months. There are 12 active listings.
- A row on Besserer sold after 143 days on the market. List Price $689,900.
- A semi-detached on Stewart sold in 24 days. List Price $664,000
Condo: There were 10 sales in this period. There are 33 active listings.
- 417 Laurier (heritage condo at Marlborough) sold in 29 days. Asking price was $979,000
- Active Listing at 220 Wilbrod, 1 bed, 1 bath, List Price $249,000
To be completed in the new ArtHaus Gallery LP on the 23rd floor, 2 bed, 2 bath, List Price $1,224,990