Dream a little dream of home

The team at McGarr Realty knows all too well how easy it is to dream beyond your budget when searching for a new home.

While we don’t suggest you should buy more home than you need or can afford, we do suggest you check out all types of Niagara real estate to best understand what the region has to offer before seriously beginning your search. Heading into the market with a prior knowledge of what's available in beautiful Niagara gives potential buyers and their families a sense of which municipality best suits them (we have 12!), and how much they will likely be spending.

It’s not unusual for our McGarr Realty team to host an open house and meet nice people who, while they are looking with an eye to their upcoming purchase, have no intention to put in an offer at that moment. They are checking out the market, seeing what’s out there, and getting an idea of how much they will need to budget to get what they want.

There is nothing wrong with that; it’s how you stay informed.

The Internet is also a wonderful tool for keeping curious home seekers informed of market trends. “Dream big,” we like to say. We advise people just beginning their search to both be aware of their budget, but also to dream above it. You never know when the market will surprise you with a drop in price, or a home for sale that might need a little TLC, but is located right where you want to be.

A couple of websites we tell folks to check regularly are: 

• Celebrity Real Estate by Realtor.com, which is chock-full of real estate stories involving people in the news, along with luxury listings and photos that give home seekers all kinds of ideas for things to look for in their own homes.
• Luxury real estate listings are also available at luxuryrealestate.com a site for news, listings and posts from market experts, along with photos from showcase properties for sale.

Don’t neglect our own backyard though by searching Niagara Region real estate listings:

• Search all area listings or specifically McGarr at www.mcgarrrealty.com/listings
• Realtor.ca is one site with which every home seeker should become familiar. In Niagara, it is powered by the Niagara Association of Realtors.

In the search bars on realtor.ca, enter details such as the community in which you wish to look; the upper limit for price; how many bedrooms you are seeking, and other details as you prefer. The map will fill in, giving you plenty of choices for checking out the state of Niagara’s real estate market.

Use the photos accompanying each listing to help you decide on many details, and even help you come up with colour schemes; furniture arrangements; type of driveway/garage you best prefer and loads of other ideas – age of home; size of yard; whether you want an attached garage; a pool; a garden; a finished basement; an attic, etc.

When you have gathered enough information about your own tastes, make a wish list, then come see our experts at McGarr Realty.

Together, with your wish list and our experience, we’ll find the perfect match. We’re excited to have you come home to Niagara!

Reach our staff by calling the McGarr Realty office at 905-468-9229 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, or 905-687-9229 in St. Catharines. Alternatively, send us a message HERE.