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Why Rent When You Can Own?

Monday, February 28, 2011 10:16 AM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

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Dollhouse in Marsktay! Why rent when you can own this renovated bungalow for only $341.00/month! Just outside of Sudbury, this 2 bedroom bungalow is situated on a large 100` x 150` lot, large enough to build a garage on! Renovations include new kitchen with oak cupboards, hardwood in living room & bedroom, 3 piece bathroom, plumbing, electrical and most windows, also enjoy the 3 season sun room! Close to school & golf course! Great investment opportunity. 






Tips for First Time Homebuyers

Sunday, January 30, 2011 1:35 PM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

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Buying your first home is a major life event. You will have many decisions to make both before and after you find the right home, including financial decisions. Here are a few tips to make financing your first home a little easier.

1. Get pre-approved for a mortgage.
A pre-approved mortgage gives you an edge. Before you even go house hunting, you will know your maximum mortgage amount, the interest rate and the amount of your monthly mortgage payments. A pre-approved mortgage may also put you in a stronger bargaining position when you make an Offer to Purchase because the seller will know that you are a serious buyer.

2. Determine your home price range.
With your financing already figured out, you can concentrate on finding the right home within your price range. There are two things to consider when determining how much you can afford to spend on a home.
  • How much do you have for your down payment?
  • How much can you afford for your monthly payment while still enjoying life?
To help you answer these questions, you can either call your financial institution or go to your branch and talk to your personal banker. Some financial institutions have tools on their websites that can help you calculate what you can afford. Just enter your information in response to a few questions and the calculations will be done for you.


3. Determine your down payment amount.
You can buy a home with as little as 5 per cent of the purchase price. However, if you have a down payment of less that 25 per cent it will mean your mortgage must be insured by an insurer such as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The amount of your down payment will determine whether you need mortgage insurance or not.
Your insurance premium will depend on the amount you are borrowing and the amount of your down payment. Premiums usually vary between 1.00% and 3.25% of the mortgage amount.

4. Consider tapping into your RRSPs.
If you qualify as a first-time home buyer, you and your spouse can each use up to $20,000 from your RRSP savings towards your down payment. This money will not be included in your taxable income, as long as you repay the amount withdrawn from your RRSPs within 15 years.

5. Be aware of additional costs.
Your mortgage will cover off the greater part of the purchase price of your home, however, there are other costs associated with buying a home. These are called closing costs and they usually range between 1.5% to 3.5% of the total cost of your home. Here are a few examples of the additional expenses you may incur when buying a home and the approximate costs of each.

Also, don't forget to consider general expenses such as moving and home decorating costs.

A Picture is Worth More than a Thousand Words

Sunday, January 16, 2011 7:47 AM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

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As agents, we all know that for the most part, listings are first seen on the Internet.  House hunters surf the net, looking for homes to add to their list of Sunday open houses.  What do they see when they see yours?  Are your photos grainy and small?  Are they taken in poor lighting in late afternoon? A photograph can be the only reason someone looks at your listing, and if taken poorly, the only reason a potential home buyer looks somewhere else.  You need to make every pixel count, and make certain the photos look professional, and clearly presented.  

The home you are showing is your canvas, and you need to make certain your listing photographs are not unprofessional looking.  If a buyer sees the photography of a listing, and finds the listing unprofessional, they could associate you with also being unprofessional.  The home needs to really stand out in the photographs; you need to make the house hunter drool, and put your house first on their list of Sunday visits.  A professional photographer can even make the less desirable properties look amazing.

The Jan Oystrick Team uses a fantastic photographer by the name of Peter Zwarich, his photos are inviting, warm and give the home a "I must live there!" feeling.  We use him to photograph many of our listings because he can show the home for all it's worth (and more).



It's very important to show the listing to it's full potential, and give the home buyer a sense of what the home is all about.  You don't want to lose a potential buyer before they even leave their computers. 

Until next time, thanks for reading.

The Jan Oystrick Team.



Moving into 2011

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 1:03 PM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

Like a home; moving into a new year is exciting. It can (at times) be challenging, and overwhelming however The Jan Oystrick Team feels nothing but excitement about a brand new year.  New clients on the horizon, and current clients are of the utmost important to us, and we would like to take this time to wish everyone a very prosperous New Years.

We look to the new year with many changes in our team; mostly in the big world of social media.  Our team now has a Facebook Fanpage, Twitter account, YouTube channel, and of course, this blog.  Reaching out to Sudburians, and Canadians alike we hope to engage our audience, and maybe even educate while we're at it.

We look forward to our move into 2011 and hope you all enjoy similar experiences.  Stay tunes for weekly blogs, videos and so much more from our team.  We are super excited!

All the best from our family to yours, 

The Jan Oystrick Team


Legend of the Nutcraker

Thursday, December 23, 2010 8:37 PM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

E.T.A. Hoffman wrote the famous ballet of the nutcracker, which was first performed in 1892. However, the story was considered to be too morbid for kids and thus, Alexander Dumas Pere rewrote it to infuse more optimism and happiness in it. The story is about a young girl named Clara. His doting uncle Drosselmeyer gifts her a magical and mysterious nutcracker that she always keeps by her side. One night, when she was sleeping, the evil Mouse King came and tried to take her to his kingdom.

Then, the Nutcracker Prince sprang to life and fought the Mouse King and rescued Clara. The ballet becomes even more interesting and fantasy runs wild from here. After his victory, Clara goes with the Nutcracker Prince to the land of magic and dreams. She visits the land of the dolls and that of the Snow Queen where she met snowflakes of all types. She also goes through the candy land and kids love to hear the sweets from all over the world that she met there. The beautiful flowers and the sugar plum fairy capture their imagination. It is only on the Christmas day that Clara wakes up to find herself back at home, surrounded by her family.

Marius Petipa, the first ballet master to the Tsar of Russia requested Piotr Tchaikovsky to compose the music for the ballet and he did an excellent work on it. Piotr used many different and unusual instruments such a celesta with its bell-like sound in the ballet and kept it very secret until it was first performed because he was worried that somebody might steal his idea before he could use it. The ballet became one of the most famous ballets of its time.

The Jan Oystick Team Unwraps Social Media in Time for the Holidays

Monday, December 13, 2010 11:41 AM

Posted by JanOystrickTeam

With over 30 years as a real estate agent in Sudbury, it felt natural to reach out locally through social media. Recently, The Jan Oystrick Team decided to go virtual; we set up a Facebook, and a Twitter account, and we've also decided to start a blog which will showcase tips, information, and our journey as we take the social media world by storm.
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