The Orchard is one of Burlington’s newest, most vibrant communities. This community is located in the northeast corner of Burlington, Ontario. It is just a very short distance away from Oakville, Ontario. The Bronte Creek Provincial Park borders the neighbourhood in its entirety.

The History of The Orchard

Construction began on the homes in The Orchard around the late 1990’s. Since then, this community has become a hub of cultural and natural amenities. Today, 3,800 homes are located in The Orchard. Due to its close proximity to the Bronte Creek Provincial Park, some folks still refer to this neighbourhood as Bronte Woods. Over the years though, it has come to be known as The Orchard.

Homes for Sale in The Orchard

There is a home for every budget in The Orchard. Choose from a wide variety of two storey detached homes, modern condominiums, and semi-detached homes such as duplexes and townhouses. The major home builders in The Orchard are Mattamy Homes, Branthaven Homes, and Sundial Homes. If building your home from scratch is a dream of yours, these experienced and professional home builders are ready to make it happen!

Home prices in The Orchard make it possible for both entry level purchasing and luxury living. Many residences are detached homes with double car garages and expansive front porches – perfect for spacious family living!  If you’re lucky, you may even find a prestigious home located right along the ravine! There are also entry-level condominiums and apartments in The Orchard, making it more affordable to put down roots in one of Burlington’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. Of course, you’ll also find options in between, including numerous townhouses and semi-detached homes for those searching within a mid-range budget.

When selling your home in Burlington, you need a plan for success. The posts below will get you off to a great start!

• 8 Important Things to Remember When Selling Your Home
• Why Home Sellers Need to Think More Like Buyers
• Why Did My Neighbour’s House Sell but Mine Didn’t?

Living in The Orchard

Choosing to buy a home in The Orchard opens up a world of possibilities. From this community, a whole host of cultural, commercial, and natural amenities are only a short walk or drive away! Furthermore, the Appleby Line makes public transportation a fantastic alternative to driving! However, if you are commuting by vehicle, The 407 ETR is just a few moments away.

Orchard Community Park is well loved by families in the area, offering a long list of amenities that include an outdoor basketball court, sports field, skateboard area, and beautiful trails perfect for hiking or cycling. The Art Gallery of Burlington is a short drive away, where you can take in fascinating exhibits and works of art all year long. Community theatres include the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and Theatre Burlington, which ensure a steady flow of intimate, live performances.

There are plenty of shopping opportunities near The Orchard. Directly to the west, at the corner of Dundas Street and Appleby Line is the Burlington North Smartcentre. Here you will find a Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Winners, Sport Chek, as well as a variety of banks, restaurants, and grocery stores. The closest branch of the Burlington Public Library is the Alton Branch.

There are several public schools in The Orchard: Alexander’s Public School, John William Boich Public School, and Orchard Park Public School. In addition, there are three Catholic schools: St. Christopher’s Elementary School, Corpus Christi Secondary School, and St. Elizabeth Seton Elementary School.

Bronte Creek Provincial Park

Without a doubt, the Bronte Creek Provincial Park is one of The Orchard’s greatest assets! Spend the day walking the trails along the 50 metre deep Bronte Creek Ravine on one of the park’s five hiking trails. Families with young ones love to make a trip to the Children’s Farm where they can pet live animals, or to the Spruce Lane Farm House. During the winter the park is a winter wonderland complete with skating, tobogganing, and cross country skiing!

If you’re looking at conveniently located homes for sale in Burlington, The Orchard might be the place for you. Contact us for further information on The Orchid.

Welcome to Alton Village, Burlington’s newest residential community! You can find Alton Village in the northeast corner of Burlington, just a short distance from the GTA, Hamilton, Brampton, Oshawa, and Oakville. In this growing community you can enjoy fitness activities, cultural attractions, and the natural beauty of the surrounding agricultural property. Read on to find out what makes Alton Village a beautiful place to live.

Real Estate Opportunities in Alton Village

Development began in this enviable community in 2006. Today, the majority of the homes are two storey homes, with a balanced mix of detached, semi detached, and townhouse options. The most frequently consulted home builders for Alton Village are Mattamy Homes, Branthaven Homes, Sundial Homes, and Emery Homes. Home prices in Alton Village offer accessible price points for any budget. Apartments and Condos begin at $250,000, Freehold and Semi Detached homes begin at $375,000, and Fully Detached homes begin at $600,000. The upper price point for each home style is approximately double the entry price. Alton Village, Burlington offer homeowners gorgeous, custom family homes to suit the lifestyle of their dreams.

Commuting from Alton Village

Commuters love that the 407 ETR and the QEW Toronto make accessing the entire Greater Toronto Area quick and convenient. Take advantage of the efficient 407, and downtown Toronto is only a 50 minute drive away. Meanwhile, online essay writer Brampton is a mere 30 minutes away, while Hamilton is just a quick 20 minutes down the Queen Elizabeth Way. For those who prefer to use public transit, the GO Train, Appleby GO Station is the closest station to Alton Village making commuting both cost effective, and environmentally conscious.

Alton Village Amenities, Burlington

Alton Village is an increasingly popular residential neighbourhood. Those who live there frequently visit the Burlington North SmartCentre at the corner of Dundas Street and Appleby Line for both recreational shopping and daily necessities. Here you will find a Walmart, Winners, Longos, Walk-In Clinic, Starbucks, and perhaps most importantly: a Cora’s! Take the whole family out for dinner at Boston Pizza, Kelsey’s, or the Sunset Grill before grabbing a cone at the local Marble Slab Creamery. Golfers will love the proximity to the Millcroft Golf Club to the Southeast of Alton Village, one of Burlington’s most professional 18 hole golf clubs. Connecting each neighbourhood throughout Alton Village, and Burlington at large are well maintained footpaths through beautiful green spaces.

Infrastructure in Alton Village, Burlington

The Alton Village Public School is the neighbourhood’s primary educational institute, and children of all ages are welcome at The Alton Kids Child Care Center where children are encouraged to learn through play! Alton Village is home to The Haber Recreation Centre. This state of the art facility is home to a three storey public high school, the Alton Branch of the Public Library, and a full fitness centre with four gymnasiums! There’s a program or activity for the entire family at the Haber Recreation Center. Alton Village makes it possible for families to engage in a physically active, exciting lifestyle. With Toronto and the entire GTA so close by, there’s no shortage of activities, and festivals for the entire family!

If you are interested in Alton Village real estate, feel free to contact us for more information.

If you are planning on selling your home, you definitely want your home to look as clean and presentable as possible. When buyers walk into a home that has not been staged / prepared for showings or cleaned properly, they get distracted and this can impact the sale. Gutter cleaning professionals are high priority in the fall season as well, so, timely order their services. Just as you clean up all the clutter, dust the cobwebs and ensure that all the rooms are clean and neat, it is also very important to ensure that your windows are sparkling clean which you can easily get done by hiring experts who laver vitres à Laval and also replace/install custom screens with customscreens.com.au. If you notice a crack in one of your windows you can have someone come out for repairing residential window glass.

Impress the Buyers

When you opt for professional window cleaning in Woolcott, they do a thorough job and the windows become spotlessly clean. This also brings in more natural light into the rooms and brightens-up interior spaces and makes your home look cheery and bright.

All of this goes a long way in impressing buyers and it improves the possibility of a successful sale. Ideally, window cleaning should be done 2-3 times a year. Homeowners generally opt for a quarterly cleaning schedule while business owners prefer to have windows cleaned on a monthly basis.

Why Opt For Pre-Winter Window Cleaning?

For those who are wondering whether this is the best time to get windows cleaned by pros from a reputable place like Window Installation Louisville KY– there are a number of reasons why you should get your windows cleaned before winter:

• Though it is possible to clean windows in the winter if the days are clear, getting them cleaned just before it starts snowing is a much better option. It is possible to do an excellent job as the weather permits thorough cleaning and there is no snow to deal with
• The winter will last for a few months and since there is less dirt in the outdoor air during this season, your windows will stay clean for a longer period of time
• At times, the cold will compel you to stay indoors and you will have more time to look at the scenery outside. Having clear glass to gaze through is much better than looking through dirty panes, isn’t it?
• Winter is also about Thanksgiving and Christmas and inviting friends and family over to your home. You will surely want your windows to be as clean as you like the rest of your home to be
• No matter what the season, fingerprints and film from candles & fireplaces as well as dust accumulates on windows. Getting a pre-winter eco-friendly cleaning helps in easing the cleaning job and maintenance become easier
• When you have beautiful cityscape or landscape views outside, you want to be able to enjoy them through sheets of clear glass and getting professional window cleaning is the best way to ensure this.

Though pre-winter might seem like an unlikely time to get windows cleaned, as you can see- there are actually a number of reasons to do so and this is especially true if you are planning on selling your house. Whether you want the windows of your home or business in Woolcott cleaned, getting professionals to handle the job, is recommended and a smart thing to do.

You finally have your dream home and you are going to make an offer when you see the word “deposit” on on the paperwork. Is this just another word for “down payment” or is it something else altogether?

It get’s confusing, but deposits and down payments are two very different things to consider in any real estate transaction.  Although both require saving, they occur at different times during the transaction. Let’s look at what these terms mean and what you need to know and when.

Deposit

If you bid on a property, a deposit is expected to show how serious you are. Similar to a rental deposit, it shows that this is the place you want to live. Once a seller accepts your offer, you make a deposit quickly, usually within 24 hours.

Deposits are usually in the form of a bank transfer or certified check. The deposit amount is decided between you and your realtor and really depends on the local property market. Expect the deposit to be between one and five percent of the purchase price.

If the offer is accepted, the deposit is likely to be held in trust by the listing broker agent. This offers you buyer protection if the seller goes bankrupt. It is also protected by the insurance company, so even if the agency goes bankrupt, you can get your money back.

A question often arises, can the buyer can get the deposit back if there is a problem with the fulfillment of the conditions or if the buyer does not want to go ahead with the purchase? There is no simple answer to this, as every situation is different.

However, the deposit cannot be released until both parties agree. If a condition is not met, the seller may refuse to release the deposit if they believe the buyer is not acting in good faith.

Another thing to consider is that not paying the deposit doesn’t make the deal null and void. If the seller chooses to sell the house to someone else and not be able to get the same purchase price, you can be sued for the difference and the cost of legal fees. Placing an offer on a house is serious business, and you should only ever take this step if you intend to move forward.

Down Payment

Once you have paid the deposit and the offer is in, it’s time to look to the next phrase, the down payment. The down payment is the total amount of money you put towards the purchase price. This amount actually includes the deposit, which you have already made.

Generally speaking, the higher your down payment, the smaller loan you require and the less interest you’ll pay over time. This is where the savings really comes into play which can help you pay a lower mortgage rate!

In Canada, you have to put down a minimum of 5 percent of the purchase price. For example, if you bought a house for $400,000, you would have to put at least $20,000. However, if you want to avoid mortgage default insurance you want to pay at least 20% ($80,000 in this case). Suppose you pay 20 percent, your payment will be deducted from the purchase price, and what is left is the amount you need to finance with your bank. For example: $ 400,000 (purchase price) – $ 80,000 (down payment) = $ 320,000 (mortgage loan amount).

Do you have more questions about buying or selling a home? You’ll find more answers in the posts below:

• Fact Vs Fiction About Working With A Real Estate Agent
• FSBO vs Real Estate Agent Assisted Sales: What’s Better?
• What’s in Your Listing Agreement?

Summary

In short, the deposit is the money you give the seller right away to accept an offer and to show that you are motivated and serious about the deal. The down payment is the amount of cash you pay towards the house. Upon closing day, the deposit gets added to the rest of your down payment. The funds are released to the seller, along with the money from your   mortgage – and you then take possession of your brand new home!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or give us a call at 905-332-9223 and one of our sales representatives would be more than happy to go through this with you!

You might not know this, but when a seller puts their home on the market, they are responsible for disclosing all defects in the home. However, not many owners are very aware of the issues they might have in their home.  Or they might be aware of an issue that might not strike the buyer until a few years down the road, in which the buyer could not seek any recourse.  This is why it’s important for a potential buyer to always employ the services of a home inspector.

The average home inspection can lasts about four hours and costs anywhere from $400 to $600. Basically what the home inspector does is visually inspect the structure and components of the home to ensure everything is working and in safe condition.  After he is done inspecting the home, the inspector will complete a report post-inspection, in which they outline any issues that should be addressed.

Since home inspections can find critical issues, they can end up saving you thousands of dollars.  This is why it’s important to always to have a home inspection before you buy property.  Not every home inspector is fantastic, so here are some key qualities to help you narrow it down to the person you will benefit from the most.

References and referrals

Unless you’ve moved from a far away city or town, you probably know of someone who has recently bought a house in your city. So start by asking friends, co-workers or relatives if they know of a great home inspector.  If you’re the new kid in your city, and have no one to ask, ask the home inspector for referrals, and then make sure you call them.  Also, if you home inspector has a website, check for reviews and testimonials. Sources like Google and Home Stars are two great spots to find honest reviews about a home inspector.

Ontario Association of Home Inspectors Membership

Home inspection in Ontario is an unregulated industry, meaning anyone can claim to be a home inspector. The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors is a non-profit professional society that was established to create a uniform standard for all private home inspectors. Membership is voluntary, but this is a good starting place to find a home inspector who is committed to providing a quality service.

Inspect the inspector

During the inspection, be sure to ask lots of questions.  An experienced inspector should know how to explain things properly to you, if you are not experienced with construction jargon.  During the inspection, the home inspector should have lots of input on what might be a future issue, and these are things you should keep an eye on further down the road.  A home inspector should be able to recommend preventative maintenance tasks for you as well, in order to keep everything running smoothly.  After the inspection, the home inspector will often give you a report.  In the past this was a detailed sheet, nowadays, they are often as a searchable pdf report that is mailed to you electronically.  In that report you will find lots of good information, such as if there is mold, if the basement is leaking, if there are holes in the attic.  An estimated repair cost is also included, and from there you can determine if the current home owner can deduct this from their asking price, or pays for the repairs themselves.

We get a lot of questions about home inspections—and for good reason. Before buying a property, most home hunters opt to have a qualified home inspector take a look at it. An expert eye can catch all kinds of things you might miss, from plumbing defects to structural problems. That said, some issues are more serious than others. Knowing the difference can help you make a more informed purchase (and maybe even negotiate a better price).

When you’re going through the results of a home inspection, here are five red flags to look out for…

1) Dampness in the basement

If your report notes any dampness, you’ll want to figure out where it’s coming from. Is it a burst pipe or plumbing leak? An improperly sealed basement? Depending on the source, it could be an easy fix, a costly repair, or an ongoing problem. The worst-case scenario is mold. In addition to making it harder to sell your home in the future, this nasty surprise can create serious health problems. If you suspect there may be mold in a home you want to purchase, consider contacting a specialist. Better safe than sorry!

2) An old or damaged roof

A roof built with high-quality materials should remain in good condition for 20 to 25 years, and some can last even longer. On the flipside, damage—from wind, rain, and general wear and tear—can reduce the lifespan of this critical home component. That’s why it’s so important to have a good sense of the age and condition of the roof for any home you’re considering. If you’ve never replaced one before, trust us: it can get pricey! We’re talking thousands of dollars. Given the cost involved, you may want to try negotiating to get the sellers to replace it for you.

3) Foundation cracks

Chances are, the home you’re considering will have some cracks in its foundation. Those that run vertically are common, and they’re usually nothing to worry about. But horizontal cracks may be a sign of something more serious. The good news is, a foundation expert can tell you how structurally sound a home actually is—before you sign that purchase agreement. Once you’ve read your report, feel free to follow up with your inspector about any foundation cracks they may have found. If there’s any uncertainty, bringing in a specialist may be your best bet.

4) Outdated wiring

Faulty wiring is a leading cause of house fires. Fortunately, an inspector can help you figure out whether the home you’re considering is at higher-than-average risk. The biggest thing to look out for is knob and tube wiring. This method is no longer used for new houses, though it can still be found in a lot of older homes. We want to stress that knob and tube wiring isn’t always dangerous—it’s only when it’s poorly maintained or repaired using DIY methods that issues can arise.

5) Grading

Wondering what your property’s “grading” is? It has to do with the slope of your land and the direction that water runs in. This isn’t just about how your landscaping looks. Improper grading can lead to pooled water around your home, foundation problems, and even basement flooding. To avoid these issues, be sure to ask your home inspector if you have any unanswered questions about a home’s drainage and grading.

Ready to buy the home of your dreams? If you’re looking in Hamilton, Burlington, or the surrounding area, we’d love to help. Get in touch to start a discussion about what you’re looking for!