3,633 homes were sold through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board (KWREB) during the first six months of this year, just 96 units short of 2007's record breaking first half. The total value of those sales broke the one billion dollar mark for the first time to the end of June.

According to KWREB, consumers continue to have a strong sense of confidence in the value of home ownership in the region, and they expect the market will remain steady and healthy for the remainder of the year.

The increase in home sales occurred predominantly in the top half of the price range spectrum. There were 2,093 sales of residential properties for more than $250,000 in the first half of the year, compared to 1,446 for the same period in 2009, an increase of almost 45 percent.

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Here is an interesting article from HouseLogic.com on the value of maintaining your home:

If you think home maintenance is an unavoidable series of weekend-eating chores, remember the age-old advice of Benjamin Franklin: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The fact is, proactive maintenance is essential to preserving the value of your home-without it, your home could lose 10% of its value. Regular, routine maintenance enhances curb appeal, ensures safety, and prevents neglected upkeep from turning into costly major repairs.

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Tracey and Robert have sold the 3 bedroom condo townhouse at 60-279 Bluevale St N in the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood (Waterloo ON).

More information about 60-279 Bluevale St N

by Stuart Hough

A lot has been made of the Ontario government's decision to combine the province's PST/RST regime with the federal GST, the dreaded HST. As of July 1, 2010 most goods and services will now be HST taxable at 13%. Arguably, no sector will be harder hit by the new HST than the real estate sector. Unfortunately, there appears to be a lot of misinformation with respect to how the HST will affect the purchase and sale of real estate in Ontario and the purpose of this article is to try to dispel any such misinformation.

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Getting your home ready for sale can take anywhere from one to six months, depending on the condition, age of the house and how long you've lived there.

So before you list your house, go over the property to determine what needs to be repaired or possibly replaced. Make a list of both major and minor jobs. Tackle big projects first.

It's tempting to wait until the home inspection and offer to adjust the price in lieu of repairs, but doing so may put the entire sale in jeopardy and may ultimately cost more. Buyers generally tack on extra dollars to any estimate. Most importantly, a major repair left undone creates the impression that the house has not been maintained.

So here is a timeline to help you prepare your home for sale:

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When you decide to renovate or upgrade we always suggest that you get at least three estimates from trusted professionals before you hire someone to complete work on your behalf. However, if you would like a "ball park" estimate of the cost to complete a project, this may be the tool you are looking for...

This tool, provided  by Pillar to Post Home Inspection, provides a list of the estimated costs to upgrade or replace the major systems and components in a typical home. It also provides a general guideline for the life-expectancies of those systems.

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Did you know that you can find the Real Estate in Kitchener Waterloo blog on Facebook?

Join our Facebook page and receive up to date local real estate information on your Facebook News Feed: Facebook.com/Real.Estate.in.KW

According to a report from Teranet Enterprises and Generation5, the average person living around Angler Way in the Eastbridge neighbourhood of Waterloo speaks English (92%), is married (70%) and has a University or College education (49%).

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The rental price on the furnished home at 517 Beaverwood St in Waterloo's Laurelwood neighbourhood been reduced to $1,395 per month (plus utilities).

More information on this rental property: 517 Beaverwood St

According to this recent press release from the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board, the local real estate market has remained strong throughout the first half of 2010.

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (July 6, 2010) - During the first half of the year, the number of residential properties sold through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board (KWREB) increased 16 percent.

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You can now use Google to plan a trip using public transportation in our local area. You can find an explanation of the service here: Ride smarter. Plan your public transportation online. The service includes both the Grand River Transit Service and the Go Transit Service.

Here is a link to use on your web browser: Google Transit

You can use the service on your mobile device here: Google Transit Mobile