Every potential home buyer has a wish list when it comes to what they want in their ideal home. As a seasoned Oakville realtor, Sue Heddle Homes has helped hundreds of clients find homes that meets their needs. While tastes and preferences do differ, there are often similarities when it comes to groups of home buyers.

For example, empty nesters are often looking for a smaller home that has a layout that supports ageing in place. For larger families, storage and multiple bathrooms may top the list. When it comes to first time home buyers, this group also tends to have a common wish list in mind when they begin the search for their first property purchase.

6 Features That Appeal to First Time Buyers

Before you begin any home search, make sure you have a trusted and experienced Oakville realtor that can guide you through the process. You want a realtor that is familiar with the area, knows how to negotiate on your behalf and has the knowledge to make your...

Whether you chose a newer home or a home in a more matureneighbourhood, when you bought your current home, you did so based on it having features you love and enough space inside and out to accommodate your family and your lifestyle. However, over time, things change.

Undoubtedly, there will most likely come a time when you start to feel like moving to a bigger home in Oakville or Halton is the next logical step. If you’re still not sure and want more information before you take the leap, Sue Heddle Homes is sharing five signs that it’s time to buy a bigger house.

1. A Growing Family.

New baby on the way? Whether it’s the need for a nursery or you have aging parents or other family members moving into your home, adding more people generally means you’ll need more space. When there are more people in a home, you’ll need space for more stuff and you’ll certainly notice a bigger demand on bathroom space. Expanding families are one of the most...

House hunting can be a very exciting time, but it can also be a stressful time – especially if you're completely unprepared!  When you decide you are ready to start touring homes, make sure you start the process with a plan in hand.  By taking the time to get organized before you start, you will save yourself time and money and make the process much more enjoyable.

So, let’s take a look at what NOT to do!

1.     Not having your financing in order.

How can you really know what price you can afford without being pre-approved for a mortgage?  Sellers may actually be scared away by your offer without pre-approval as they will assume you aren’t really a serious contender. There were some big changes to mortgages recently, so be sure you know where you stand before you start shopping for your next home.

2.     House hunting on your own.

If you are serious about buying a house, you...

The Canadian government has proposed new rules related to the mortgage stress test which would take effect on June 1, 2021. To review, the mortgage stress test was introduced by the government to help limit the number of Canadians who run into financial trouble by overextending themselves by assuming a mortgage they can’t comfortably pay for. 

As the real estate market has experienced continued growth and significant price increases during the global pandemic, many have been calling for regulatory changes in order reduce the risk of a market crash and to stop Canadians from assuming too much housing debt. 

Here’s How These Changes Will Affect You 

The proposed changes will increase the minimum qualifying rate for an uninsured mortgage from 4.79% to 5.25%. As a result, it will make qualifying for a mortgage more difficult for many Canadians. Simply put, on average, home buyers will be able to qualify for four to five percent less in funding because of this change....