Français
Welcome Page
Properties for sale
Regional History
Laurentian Place Names
What's It Worth
Associations
E-mail us

T

he main seasons for sales in the Laurentians are March through June and mid-August through November. July is a month during which people like to visit homes, but unless it is raining a lot, or cold, there aren't many sales. If you want to sell acountry property, it should be on the market in March, especially if it is a waterfront. The buyers are starting to look, and will make decisions as the snow melts.

Some people like to buy in the spring because they can move right in and enjoy the summer season in their new home. They generally prefer one requiring no major modifications or repairs and will pay a decent price. Great improtance is placed on the quality of the kitchen, the bathrooms and the subsystems. Such a buyer is less likely to appreciate the site than the amenities.

As the summer moves on, the buyer who is more concerned about the site will still be around and looking. A buyer who recognizes the site for its potential will buy virtually any time. Often this is someone who has been looking for a long time and knows what he and she want. They will be more tolerant of older or less well planned kitchens, provided the potential is there to imporve it. They will lend much more importance to the solidness and quality of construction of a house than to the interior finishing, but they will not compromise on location.

By the fall, buyers have oftne been looking all summer. They may be hoping for a bit of a bargain, or they wanat to get the kids back into school, review their fiscal year and make the decision from the office, when the decision can perhaps be made more dispassionatley. This is often the season when the most sales happen, but they only happen if the agent is following up and keeping in touch, with both the potential buyers and sellers. We have some sales late in the year, as well, but usually it is unfinished business from earlier in the season.

Choosing an agent to represent you should be a very considered decision. Calling up a real estate brokerage because you have seen a lot of that company's signs in your neighbourhood may not be the best approach. Think about actual turn-over. Some signs have been in place so long, they may have put down roots!

If you are planning to sell, talk with someone you know who has bought or sold recently in your neighbourhood. Ask who they dealt with and their level of satisfaction with the experience. When you have been given a name from such a source, you will have a perspective on the weaknesses and strengths of a particular office, and you will be able to compensate for them in discussion with the agent or office you choose. The person you choose will also be meeting you with an introduction and will be more aware that he or she has a community to answer to, that you are someone who knows someone they know, and that if the agent satisfies you, that you, too, will pass on his or her name to your neighbour when asked about your experience.

The rest is up to the agency and you. Each brokerage has its own style of working. An agent should be able to find your property without excessive directions, otherwise you know from the outset that he or she is not really that familiar with the territory. The agent should be able to discuss the demographics of your neighbourhood, as well. Often whole second residence areas are popular to residents of specific neighbourhoods in Montreal or Ottawa. If the agent doesn't know this, he or she may not know where to advertise, or may not recognize the profile of a likely buyer when one makes an inquiry.

It is surprising how little advertising most local businesses do in the the English press, or elsewhere in English, given that seventy-five percent of our second residence homes are owned by people who claim English as their first language.

Ours is one of the most popular recreational areas in Canada. Our major competitor is the Stowe, Vermont area, and, to a lesser extent, the Eastern Townships. Our prices are among the most reasonable of recreational areas anywhere in North America, or most of Europe. Our water is cleaner, our air is purer, our crime rate is low, and the other social infrastructures are of excellent quality. It is a prime area in which to buy and almost any buy is a good buy when measured on this scale. A Laurentian property is a proud possession and should be treated that way, especially in its marketing.

Return to What's it Worth index