FRESH BRICK: CARPE DI-BRICK

You better be nimble...you better be quick...before its FRESHLY picked.

I can remember the first house we lost out on. It was a gorgeous centre hall Victorian on Aberdeen Avenue with plaster medallions, pocket doors, marble fireplaces, 3 sun rooms, original tub with fixtures...the list goes on. Sadly it was scooped from us. It was sitting on the market for quiet some time with several price drops and something finally compelled us to take a look and make our move.

Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

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We booked a viewing and it was even more gorgeous in person. We were in LOVE. We put in an offer, conditional on the sale of our house, and they accepted. It was truly a whirlwind of emotions. This was our dream home, on an amazing street, full of character and within our budget! It was too good to be true and we were one step closer to reality with our conditional offer buying us time. All we had to do was sell our home and it was ours.

Unfortunately the weeks went by and we did not have any serious interest in our house. I wished we did not need to sell our house to firm up, but we didn't have the luxury of carrying two mortgages. We were held captive by our existing home and the dream was diminishing. Then one night it was extinguished. I walked by 'the house'...the lights were on...a Lexus SUV was parked out front (shit they have money was all I thought)...all signs pointed to OFFER. And my intuition was right. Our dream was FRESHLY PICKED. It was like having the rug pulled out from beneath us.

Of course, we got over it. But even today I wonder, "What if we had found a better way to sell our house?"...A better way to move on and move out.

Being nimble and being quick are key to securing a hot property these days. You never know when they are going to pop-up, and when they do you can almost guarantee you are not the only one with your eyes on it. Especially with increasing interest from out of town buyers who see the incredible value our city has to offer. And conditional offers are rare. You may get lucky but even then, there are no guarantees -- a cash deal will trump yours.

Essentially you have to be ready to go in conditions free if you want a fighting chance - meaning your house is sold, you are a first time buyer or you have the capital to carry two properties. Most of us fall in the first category and if you are like me, you have very particular wants in a home - namely character - and would never risk selling and hoping you find 'it'. You need to be enticed by a tangible, FRESH on the market, offering. Sounds risky...almost impossible. Good news, there are options that give you the autonomy to score that FRESH piece of BRICK, keeping your dream alive. Consider the following:

MOVE ON and MOVE OUT. FRESH BRICK FANS & FOLLOWERS, Addison Estates and Doug Folsetter at RE/MAX are collaborating to launch a large-scale purchasing initiative in the greater Hamilton area.The two are looking to procure homes of any price and in any condition.

Jason Waxman, President and Executive Director of Addison Estates says, "Selling your home is a stressful endeavor. Our goal is to provide sellers with an opportunity for a worry free process. No costly renovations or long days on the market. Simply the ability to sell and move onto a new home."

Doug Folsetter of RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage says, "We strive to make the home selling process as easy and as fair as possible. Don't worry if your home needs work, that's what we are looking for! Rest assured that it will be transformed to its former glory by the skilled craftsmen of the Addison Estates team."

-- Doug Folsetter has been a leader in Hamilton real estate since 2005 --
-- Addison Estates has been refurbishing homes in Hamilton since 2006 --

For more information visit www.addisonestates.com

Addison Estates BEFORE and AFTERS...