Remax Nova

RE/MAX nova, was established in 1996 by its then President and sole Owner, Eldon Chaisson. In 2010 REMAX nova merged with another leading Real Estate company in HRM to form what is now a 100 person team that conducts business all over HRM and in all maters of Real Estate. Under this leadership, the company has expanded to 4 locations with a central office located in Dartmouth. RE/MAX nova has the largest team of professional Realtors within the RE/MAX franchise system in Nova Scotia and serves the entire Halifax Regional Municipality. RE/MAX nova is part of an independently-owned franchise network now in its 36th year of consecutive growth and operating in 70 countries around the globe with over 113,000 member sales associates. Our agents are part of worldwide relocation network and lead the industry in professional designations, experience, and negotiating skills. Specialties Residential sales, New construction, Commercial, Development

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Today marked a very special day for RE/MAX nova & one of our staff members in particular. 

For several years now Cheryl Canning has been working hard within our company to ensure our team of staff & REALTORS have the education and tools they need to properly service our clients. This is no small task to say the least. A quick glance at our demographics for one shows we have agents who are new in their 20s while others have 40 years experience and are in their 80s (yes 80s & still working every day!). The struggle with this wide range of age & experience is that educational needs become very different as you speak to each individual. Cheryl continually polls our staff on the help they feel is important to them & has developed programs to suit those needs. Over the past several years Cheryl has brought training to serve both those who need brush-ups on basic computer skills all the way to those using advance social media strategies. The result for us has been a happy & effective team of REALTORS. For that we are thankful. 

Further to all this, it is important to note that today, September 7th, marks International Literacy day. Today serves as a reminder of how important literacy & education are; both at home & in the workplace. Ensuring our workforce is educated supports the positive growth of our economy and development as a society. Efforts like Cheryl’s have a ripple effect that often flow well beyond the initial individuals taking part. Literacy & continuing education should be a goal of all Nova Scotians regardless of the reasons, the benefits are immense. 

Once again, thank you Cheryl - We look forward to continuing our workplace education & training programs well into the future.

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Come visit the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon this summer!

August 9th - Range Park - Bedford

August 10th - Merv Sullivan Field - Halifax

The First RE/MAX Balloon

When RE/MAX began its relationship with hot air ballooning in 1978, the desire was for a marketing image that would get noticed. Word of mouth was spreading fast about the network of highly experienced real estate agents who were proving to be more experienced, productive and knowledgeable than anyone else on the scene. But market studies showed that among consumers in general, name recognition of RE/MAX ranked well below many lesser competitors. Meanwhile, in New Mexico, a few RE/MAX agents and their regional leaders dreamed up the idea of entering a red-over-white-over blue RE/MAX Balloon in the 1978 Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The RE/MAX ground crew wore jackets with patches that read, "Above the Crowd!®", a phrase devised by an Affiliate. And as often is the case with hot air balloons, the RE/MAX Balloon really grabbed some attention. Plus, the imagery meshed perfectly with the RE/MAX network's emphasis on innovation, freedom and leadership! At International Headquarters, in Denver, the RE/MAX executives immediately recognized that a hot air balloon flying free "Above the Crowd!®" represented independence, freedom, and professionalism - everything the organization had set out to be. They enthusiastically adopted the balloon image as the RE/MAX corporate logo.  The fleet of RE/MAX Balloons began to rapidly grow. The first gathering of RE/MAX Balloons was at the 1982 RE/MAX Great Balloon Race in Toronto. Six balloons participated.  Only six years later, 18 RE/MAX Hot Air Balloons were brought together outside Fenton, Michigan. Spectacular helicopter footage of their morning flight over the misty Midwestern countryside provided the basis of the RE/MAX "Take a Step Above the Crowd!" advertising campaign.  The third and thus far the largest mass ascension of RE/MAX Balloons took place in the foothills outside Denver in 1989, when 54 RE/MAX Balloons launched and were filmed in flight for yet another RE/MAX commercial. 

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Well Canada Day weekend is upon us once again & we'll be celebrating this great country of ours. Here's a few facts you may or may not know about Canada: 

Canada became a country on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act was passed by the British Parliament.

Kanata is the St. Lawrence-Iroquoian word for "village" or "settlement."

“O Canada,” originally named “Chant national,” was written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier (French lyrics) and Calixa Lavallée (music) and first performed in Quebec City in 1880. The song was approved by the Parliament of Canada in 1967 as the unofficial national anthem and adopted officially on July 1, 1980.

The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. At 5,525 miles, including 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska, it is the world's longest border between two nations.

The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means "From sea to sea."

Although Nova Scotia was granted the British Empire's first flag by King Charles I in 1625, Canada did not have a national flag until February 15, 1965, when its maple leaf flag was adopted by its parliament. Before that, the red ensign, a British maritime flag, was in general use.

The east coast of Canada was settled by Vikings around the year A.D. 1000. Archaeological evidence of a settlement has been found at L'anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.

The average life expectancy at birth for a Canadian is 81.16 years, the eighth highest in the world. The United States ranks 46th, at 78.14 years.

Ice hockey is Canada's official national game. The modern game of ice hockey was developed in Canada, based on games that have been played since the tenth century. The rules were first published in the Montreal Gazette in 1877.

The capital city, Ottawa, was originally named Bytown after Colonel John By, who headquartered there while building the Rideau Canal to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario.

                                                        Happy Canada Day! 

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Here's a look at some interesting statistics for the Halifax Real Estate market as of the end of April (based on NSAR statistics, compiled by CMHC).

A few key points to take note of:

Sales: It is busier overall (# of transactions) that it was at this time last year by almost 18%.

Days on Market: Note that the average time for a house to sell so far this year is 94 days. Which means if a house is priced reasonably it will take just over 3 months for it to sell (closing date would be in addition to this). This stat is very important when determining expectations & meeting deadlines, the main factors of course in forcing a property to sell quicker is exposure and pricing. 

Active Listings: Also another key indication of the market condition is how many listings are available at a point in time - ie. inventory for sale. Note that the inventory as of April is down 7% over that time last year. This creates a "sellers market" atmosphere where due to the limited selection demand is up & may lead to prices increasing along side. 

Prices: The average home price in HRM continues to increase slowly and steadily as it has in this area for years. Currently avg prices are 4% higher than that of last year at end of April - $270,280

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Be on the lookout for our new Facebook listings application. If you're house is listed with us, it has just reached a brand new audience. All of our REALTORSⓇ who use Facebook now have the ability to have an app with listings posted within Facebook - equipped with all current info, Google StreetView, photos, share links, & more. Be sure to "Like" the pages if you come across one. Click the photo above to check out a sample

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Well here's a sneak peak at the first views of the interior of our new Halifax office. This week marks the first week we are open. It seems that the weather has turned sunny now that we're here - not saying there's a connection but sure is a coincidence : ) 

Be sure to drop in for a visit! 

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All of our insightful thoughts and witty humour can now be viewed in style at http://twitter.remaxnova.com

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Finally! Well after much preparation & hard work, our Halifax office is finally opening for business this Monday - June 11th. The first signs are on the building as you see above, with 3 more to come in the upcoming weeks. This week the final touches have been made on the interior - carpet, painting, awnings, networking etc. It has been a big project but we're excited to better serve the Halifax market!

Come visit us at our new location at - 6363 Lady Hammond Road, Halifax B3K 2S2

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Thanks to the gang who pulled off another great Yard Sale For The Cure! This year was another success raising $1400 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. We were happy to send many satisfied customers home with their new finds! 

A special Thanks to our own Cheryl Canning for organizing the event & Darrin Boudreau for hosting the Yard Sale at his house again this year. Thanks again! 

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Join us this Saturday at 6285 Almon Street in Halifax for our annual Yard Sale For The Cure in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Drop by to find yourself a deal while supporting a great cause. Watch for the balloons & you'll know you're at the right place!

What: Yard Sale in Support of CBCF

When: Saturday May 26th 8am-12pm 

Where: 6285 Almon Street, Halifax 

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Luxury homes are selling in higher numbers, and at higher price points, than ever before in a number of markets across Canada, according to a new survey of the high-end real estate market.

Of the 16 major Canadian markets surveyed by RE/MAX in its Upper-End Report, 13 posted an increase in high-end sales, with 10 of those markets setting records.

Michael Polzler, executive vice-president of RE/MAX for Ontario-Atlantic Canada, said the luxury home sales spike is due to a couple of factors.

“The fact is there are a lot of people who see Canada as a safe haven. So we have our traditional successful business people but also a lot of people coming in from the outside who are already successful and have money to spend, Polzler told CTV’s Canada AM. “And that of course creates competition and demand.”

Among the wealthiest shoppers in the real estate market, economic turmoil in Europe and around the world seems to have had little effect, Polzler said. Luxury home prices continue to climb, starting at around $500,000 in St. John’s and Halifax, up to about $2 million in Vancouver, and there are people lined up to make an offer.

“Their confidence abounds from coast to coast, irrespective of price point,” Polzler said in the report, released Wednesday.

Of the 16 markets that were surveyed, Regina saw the greatest year-over-year increase, with upper-end residential sales up 56 per cent from the first quarter of 2011.

Quebec City marked a 50 per cent increase, with the Greater Toronto Area just behind at 49 per cent. However, when the numbers were broken down within the GTA, Mississauga recorded an incredible 275 per cent increase, with 30 high-end homes sold, compared to eight in the same period a year earlier.

The London-St. Thomas area in Ontario marked a 43 per cent increase, while Saskatoon was up 21 per cent

In Greater Vancouver, the number of luxury home sales actually dropped by 31 per cent, from 573 sales in Q1 of 2011, to 393 in 2012.

While the numbers overall are up more than RE/MAX had predicted, Polzler said he’s not entirely surprised because dollars — or in this case millions of dollars — stretch farther in Canada.

“This sounds funny but it’s true — we’re a great value. If you compare our high-end prices to somewhere like London, England or Paris, around Europe or Hong Kong, we’re a bargain,” Polzler said.

Following are some market-by-market figures from January 1 to March 31 (luxury home starting price point in brackets).

Greater Vancouver ($2 million)

2011: 573

2012: 393

Difference: -31 per cent

Calgary ($1 million)

2011: 106

2012: 115

Difference: 8.5 per cent

Greater Toronto ($1.5 million)

2011: 277

2012: 412

Difference: 49 per cent

Greater Montreal (750,000)

2011: 197

2012: 261

Difference: 32.5 per cent

Halifax-Dartmouth ($500,000)

2011: 52

2012: 66

Difference: 27 per cent

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Charity Auction in support of the Children's Miracle Network - IWK

We're almost ready!!

Join us this Saturday May 12th 2012 at Brewsters Restaurant in Bedford, with Peter Harrison of the C100 Breakfast Club. Start time at 630pm, lots of great items for all ages. 

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Thank you!! We would like to send out a sincere thank you to all of the supporters and donators who helped make our 2012 CMN IWK Auction a Great Success! We raised $13,800 in support of the IWK Foundation through the Children’s Miracle Network. These funds go directly to fund services, care & research provided to Children with illness. The video above does a great job portraying what these Children are faced with. 

We look forward to having another successful event next year & once again thank you to all those who donated, attended, volunteered, & purchased items.  

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Real Estate... in Winter!

            The recent cold snap we've been having in HRM lately has provided for some interesting conversations with those out shopping for (or showing) houses in these conditions. I thought I would take a minute to reflect on some of the characteristics about our business a la Winter time. 

The Winter market: 

Residential Real Estate in HRM, like in most cities across Canada, is a very seasonal industry. Real Estate Brokerages & their respective REALTORS(R) generally sell & close 65-70% of all properties sold in 4-5 months - May-September. Some of this results from economic factors but much of it is due to the seasonal basis our lives revolve around. Often people avoid moving during the Winter time due to the fact that children are in school, the Christmas & New Year holidays, March break, and finally of course the weather. In most cases December through March is a slower period with less inventory (houses for sale) and fewer active buyers. This year however it seems the lack of inventory is still true but the number of active buyers seems to be up substantially. In fact here at REMAX nova our agents have been involved in numerous multiple-offer situations over the past two weeks. Even though Winter is regarded as a slower period in our business, it can sometimes be a great time to list or buy due to that exact outlook. Both as a seller or buyer "less competition" (inventory & buyers) can lead to a more desirable outcome, which is what we've been seeing in our market recently. 

Practical Considerations:

Some considerations to keep in mind when buying (or selling) a home in Winter...

Snow covered rooves - inspectors are often unable to fully identify how old & in what condition the roof of a home is due to ice & snow covering it. On the positive side, you may be able to see if a roof has poor or inconsistent insulation due to "patches" of snow where heat loss has melted snow in certain areas.

Landscaping - Again due to lack of visibility, the lawn & grounds surrounding a house can turn out to be quite different than what you envisioned under the snow & frost. Be sure to look at past photographs or clean off parts of the lawn to ensure it is indeed lawn & not gravel or swamplands :) 

Freezing pipes - Often an issue with vacant homes, this can be a very costly and damaging hazard. If buying, be sure to have the plumbing inspected and water tested. If selling, be sure to keep the heat at a reasonable level and run the water periodically. Even under a "firm" sale the homeowner is responsible for the condition of the house right up until the actual closing takes place. 

Viewings after dark - It sounds simple but there are a lot of viewings that take place after dark. Just like above this limits what you can see as a buyer. Be sure to schedule at least one viewing during the daylight to walk the property & see the home from the outside. 

Watch your step - As a seller be sure to shovel & salt driveways & walkways to ensure someone can enter & exit the house safely. If someone injures themselves it's the homeowners insurance that will ultimately have to respond in the event of a claim. 

Prepare Accordingly - Dress warmly, wear appropriate footwear, bring hot chocolate, & most of all - have fun!! 

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Shoppers Beware

  “Tis the Season for the busy hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping.  And with Christmas just around the corner, the malls are getting busier and more crowded by the day.  But, as you venture out into the malls this holiday season, pay special attention to your packages (especially if you sit down for a snack or a refreshment) because I guarantee you that there's definitely someone else paying attention if you're not.

 Last weekend, I was out with my 3 year old son, shopping for some Christmas presents for my wife at our local Dartmouth mall.  My wife was at bingo, so it was a perfect opportunity to pick up her gifts.  We shopped for about two hours, and when we were done, my son asked me if we could go get some ‘hot bread” (his terminology for cinnamon rolls).   We made our way down to the main floor and ordered up a freshly baked cinnamon roll at Cinnabon. 

We then sat down at one of the two tables that were, situated in the mall corridor, in front of the store.  I sat down, back on to the corridor, while my son sat in front of me, facing me.   I am usually very aware and protective of my bags when I go shopping.  I put both bags on the seat next to me, and pulled the seat in tight to the table. In the one bag, there were three Christmas presents.  It was all clothes, so the bag relatively packed well, and not high off the seat.  The second bag was a bag I was given that held gift boxes for the presents I had the first bag.  But the second bag stood out much higher than the first.  It was more visible.  It also looked like it had some presents in it. 

Now, it’s important to note that we never left the table the entire time we were there.  I watched my son eat his Cinnabon roll, and then we were ready to go.  When I got up, to my surprise, there was only one bag left on the chair.  Luckily for me, it was the smaller bag, the one containing all my presents. Whew!!

So, shoppers beware. Keep your eyes on your belonging.  This includes coats, purses, and yes, especially your bags.  You just never know who’s watching.   

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Well it's that time of year... when we have to put our "pink" For Sale signs in storage until next year. It was a fun month & we raised a lot of awareness for this great cause. We also received lots of compliments from our clients on their new pink lawn ornaments! Because this was our first year we definitely learned a few things about organization; replacing 400 + signs in a weekend is not an easy task :) Over the upcoming weeks as October sales "firm-up" we'll have a final tally for the amount we've raised for CBCF. We'd like to thank all of our REALTORS® for their help and our clients for letting us swap their signs. We look forward to doing it all over again next October!

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So here's some of our team posing the rainy day of the run! Quite a good looking bunch if I do say so myself. Thanks to everyone who participated and donated to our team, we raised in excess of $5000 (& still counting). It was a wet day but all had a great time for a great cause!