All Forum Posts by: Luc Boiron

Google adwords seems to work better than a lot of mailing, but might depend on the market you're in.

@Trish Spurlock I'm not an agent but I now that I would be able to edit the site to add that if I wanted, so it's definitely something that can be done easily.

How old is the house?

Is there any basis on which the seller doesn't want to sell?

Our laws will be slightly different, but if you have a binding deal, I would let them know you are not just letting this go. Might be difficult to sue for specific performance but lost profit may be possible.

A key is to make sure you can prove you were ready, willing, and able to close on the closing date.

Otherwise, we need more info.

@Jordan B. House hacking is a great idea.

If you can't get out of your lease, sub-lease the space to someone else, or try to rent it out on AirBNB. 

@Danielle R. I think staging is great, but I stage empty houses. Your house seems pretty nicely furnished. From looking at the pictures, if you were selling, I would remove a few things from certain rooms, such as taking everything off the counters in the kitchen. removing one of the couches in the living room, removing both night stands in the bedroom, etc. Too much furniture makes the space seem crowded.

Also, I find staging isn't just about the furniture, but stagers are great with colourful accents that really help complete a room.

The staging prices you are looking at seem high. I tend to stage the living room, kitchen, dining room, all bathrooms, and only the master bedroom. It usually costs around $2,000 - $2,500. 

Take a look at this 3D tour of a property I recently renovated and am selling. It was professionally staged and I love how it looks: http://gallery.vrlisting.com/3d-model/18-sydenham-...

Also, consider that there are many stagers who can stage using your furniture, and recommend some accent pieces to finish the staging. This could be an affordable version of staging.

We're not allowed asking for criminal records here, so we can't even know if someone has a criminal record.

@Chris Habets Looks like a pretty good deal. Get your offer in low and see where they come back. Consider asking for some special terms such as a partial VTB (borrow 60% from commercial lender and 20% from the seller), or consider asking the seller to have some work done on some bigger ticket items (such as new roof or boiler), so that cost is built into your purchase price and your loan basis.

@Larry H. I have gotten screwed by contractors. One contractor a few years ago scammed me and ended up walking away with $2,800 without doing any work.

However, I'm still willing to pay contractors up front. I'm a little more careful now. Make sure you have a proper contract, ask for proof of their electrical license, their business insurance, and a photo of their ID to confirm who they are.

I've asked contractors for a photo of their ID, and they said fine, but then I want a photo of yours. I don't care. 

@Prasad Mahes I have sent you a colleague request. 

Also, I host a monthly meetup for RE investors in Toronto on the fourth Wednesday of every month, the next meetup is this Wednesday if you would like to come.