Canada’s government has stepped in to try to broker a deal between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

With prospects growing that a postal strike will take place from midnight on Thursday night, Canadian government minister Lisa Raitt is now attempting to force compromise between the two sides.

The Federal Minister of Labour has proposed a meeting today (June 1) for the union and Canada Post president Deepak Chopra to attend.

The union handed in its legally-required 72-hour notice of an intention to strike on Monday, a notice that stated the strike would be held from 11.59pm on Thursday (June 2).

After receiving the notice, the government minister said she was “concerned” a strike was being considered and was “taking this situation very seriously”.

“Any work stoppage would impact Canada’s economic well-being. We are currently going through an economic recovery, which remains fragile,” Raitt said.

“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting unions and employers, while advancing stable labour relations. I remind the parties that the best solution in any dispute is one that the parties reach themselves. I therefore urge and encourage the parties to reach a negotiated agreement as soon as possible.”

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For the 4th year in a row Royal LePage Performance Realty,has ranked in the top 14 best workplaces in Canada.

As a seller, your relationship with your real estate professional is vital – so meet with several before making your final decision. A good place to start is in your neighbourhood. Check the FOR SALE signs to see who’s doing business in your area. Ask them about their track record, their knowledge of neighbourhood selling prices, and why you should list with them. Choose someone you feel comfortable with; one who will handle the sale of your home as if it were their own.

What you need: One of the first things a real estate professional will ask is why you are selling your home. He or she will also explore any time constraints you might have, your financial situation, and any future plans.

What you want: Arriving at an accurate estimate of value for your home is one of a real estate professional’s primary tasks. It involves analyzing your home and comparing it to other, similar houses for sale or recently sold in the neighbourhood. It may also include a broader market survey, and members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board can access sales statistics available from the Ottawa MLS® system to provide a more accurate picture of what your home can sell for. In the end, you will be sure the price you set reflects the true value of your home under current market conditions.

Marketing your home: Depending on your circumstances, and on the prevailing market, your real estate professional will develop a marketing plan that may include:

• An Open House: There are two kinds of Open House: one is solely for other real estate professionals, so they can assess your home against the needs of their clients; the second is an advertised Open House for all potential buyers. In either case, your real estate professional takes care of all the details and acts on your behalf at your home while you spend the Open House hours elsewhere.
• Listing on Ottawa’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) system. If you are selling a property, listing with a member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board who provides MLS® services means your property gets maximum marketing exposure to all other members of the local Board. Ottawa’s MLS® system provides other members of the Board with detailed information about your property. Every OREB member has the opportunity to find the right buyer for your property. This kind of marketing can be very helpful, especially if you are trying to sell a property quickly.
• Advertising: Effective newspaper advertising, tailored to your home and local market, can be placed for you by your real estate professional. Advertising forms commonly used can include lawn signs, direct mail flyers featuring your home, and online advertising on property search websites. If you work with a member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board and your property is listed on Ottawa’s MLS® system, your home will appear on the Board’s public website, OttawaRealEstate.org, and on the Canadian Real Estate Association’s website REALTOR.ca.

 

Selling tips: Whether or not your home shows well to prospective buyers can determine how long it stays on the market and the price it sells for. Your real estate professional can give you tips – fresh paint, flowers, keeping the house clutter-free and rearranging furniture – to improve the marketability of your home and create a good first impression.

Get serious: Real estate professionals know how to separate “lookers” from “buyers.” He or she will “pre-qualify” potential buyers to save wear and tear on your home and lifestyle, and to ensure that only serious offers are tendered.

How to close the deal: real estate professionals are experienced in arranging financing and closing deals. On your behalf, he or she will assist in negotiating a better offer, acting as a mediator to head off potential conflicts between you and the buyer, and drawing up a legally binding contract.

Professional service: When you decide to work with a real estate professional to sell your home, you will sign a listing agreement. This is a legal contract that gives your real estate professional the right to act as your exclusive agent in the sale of your house for a specified period. The listing agreement spells out exactly what he or she will do on your behalf, and he or she will take all the time necessary to explain it to you. The agreement will also specify the amount of professional fees to be paid to your real estate professional from the sale of your home. Fees can be set as either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the selling price of your home.

Most of the actual work done to accomplish the sale is carried out by real estate professionals operating in a broker’s name and for whose actions the broker is legally responsible. A real estate professional’s fees are normally shared with the broker who supplies such essentials as office support, training and consultation services.

Selling your home is a major undertaking. A member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board can ease this sometimes risky, difficult, and frustrating process. A real estate professional has the skills, experience and knowledge to effectively market your home at the best advantage to you.

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Spring in our fair city has been good to the resale housing market so far. At the beginning of the

month, the Ottawa Real Estate Board reported a 2.2 per cent increase in sales in April of this year

compared to April 2008. Back in March, sales were up more than seven per cent over the same

month last year. Any way you slice it, that’s good news for both buyers and sellers.

Spring is historically the busiest time in the Ottawa real estate market, and clearly this year is no

exception. Both local and out-of-town buyers are taking advantage of the current low interest

rates as well as Ottawa’s stable housing market. I expect that sales activity will remain very

strong through until the summer.

But don’t take my word for it. Last week the Ottawa real estate market was in the news again,

when the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its spring housing

forecast, in which it stated that Ottawa is one of the four tightest resale markets in the province.

It also said that our employment and economic situation is looking very good here in the national

capital. CMHC’s report says that “Ottawa is well set to reaffirm its historic resilient performance

during broader economic fluctuations, thanks to a stable economy and a robust labour market.”

Even though CMHC is predicting a slight drop in the average sale price of homes in Ottawa this

year, that number does not signify a decline in property values. Rather, it’s due to “current

economic prospects and affordability considerations [that] will continue to favour high-density

construction,” according to CMHC Senior Market Analyst Sandra Pérez Torres. In other words,

people are choosing lower-priced townhomes and condo apartments more often these days.

That’s not surprising, given that many of the buyers currently active in the resale market are

first-timers purchasing starter homes. It’s also notable that CMHC is only predicting a drop of

one-half of one per cent in the average sale price, which is hardly dramatic.

As a working REALTOR® who talks to many colleagues in this business every day, I can tell

you that it’s busy out there. My fellow REALTORS® are reporting many multiple-offer

situations. Buyers are feeling confident and are going after the properties they want – the ones

that are well presented and priced right for the market. So if you’re thinking about buying or

selling a home this spring, consider working with a local REALTOR® who knows how to

navigate the market no matter what you’re looking for.

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