Homebuyer's School

Should you buy a home before or after you are married? In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, Realtor with ReMax First, and discuss the pros and cons of buying a home before and after getting married. You'll learn key family and economic conditions that will impact your decision to buy a home.

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories.brookfieldreside...

Planning on buying your first home this year? What are the top mistakes other first time home buyers make and how do you avoid them? In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, Realtor with ReMax First, and discuss some common mistakes when buying your first home such as assuming every home on the market is a good buy or being not ready to actually make a purchase. 

Prefer to watch the video or read ...

Before buying a home, what do you need to consider and prepare for? In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, Realtor with ReMax First, and discuss what are the top five things you absolutely MUST consider before buying a home for the first time. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories.brookfieldresidential.com/homebuyersschool/top-5-things-to-conside...

Thinking about buying a home in 2020? What are some things you need to consider? In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, Realtor with ReMax First, and discuss what are the key factors to look if you are planning to buy a home in 2020. We explore if you should time the market and what non-monetary reasons to consider. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://...

Ready to sell your home? Is staging your home required?  In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, realtor with Remax First, and discuss if staging actually helps sell your home faster. We explore how to make your home "less personal" for visitors and if it's better to have an empty home or a staged home. Finally, we provide some DIY staging tips if you don't want to pay for professional staging. 

...

Wondering what the true cost of homeownership is? In this episode, we talk with Brad McCallum, realtor with Remax First, and discuss all the costs when buying and owning a home that aren't readily apparent. We talk about home maintenance costs and how location not just affects your home's cost but also lifestyle. We also explore the costs associated with new and resale homes. 

Prefer to watch the vide...

Wondering what the differences are between closing costs and a down payment? How do they affect you when buying a home? In this episode, we talk with Troy Champ, Mortgage Advisor with Mortgage Tree and discuss the differences between the two, how closing costs are applied when buying a home, what home builders may cover. Finally, we also look at differences between the two regarding new and resale homes...

Planning to buy a new home? Wondering if you should buy new or used? What are the pros and cons? In this episode, we talk with Cory McDonald, Community Manager with Brookfield Residential, and discuss whether to buy a new or resale home and the benefits of each. We talk about pricing and additional fees as well as the impact of location when making your decision. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcri...

What's the best way to light up your home's interior? How about for every room? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Hotchkiss, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss how to choose lighting for your home, lighting maintenance, as well as the best lighting design for each room of your home. We also explore different lighting design ideas. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

ht...

Debating whether to put porcelain or ceramic tile in your home? What are the best uses for each? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Hotchkiss, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss the difference between porcelain and ceramic and where the best places to put them in your home. We also explore how to clean, maintain and if they need to be replaced. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the...

Thinking about changing carpet for your current home? How about for a new home? How do you choose the best one for each room? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Hotchkiss, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss choosing the best carpet for your home including: quality and durability and which carpet is easier to clean. We also explore which carpet makes your home look bigger and how to choose the right colour...

Looking to use tile for your new home? Which ones are best suited for each room? why?In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Hotchkiss, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss how to choose the best tile for each room in your home including maintenance and colour. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories.brookfieldresidential.com/homebuyersschool/how-to-choose-the-b...

Looking for different flooring options other than hardwood for your home? What are the costs and maintenance? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Hotchkiss, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss flooring alternatives and when you would need them. We also explore how to maintain and pricing. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories.brookfieldresidential.com/hom...

Renovating or designing a bathroom? What countertops should you use? In this episode, we talk with Mackenzie Schurer, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss bathroom countertop ideas and how to choose the best one for your home. We explore cleaning and sealing, and modern design ideas to complement the rest of your house. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories....

Updating the interior paint colours of your home? Choosing colours for a brand new home? How do you choose the colour that will complement the rest of the home? In this episode, we talk with Mackenzie Schurer, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss how to make this decision based on the type of room and complementary elements like flooring and countertops. We also explore which colours to choose to improve your ...

Planning on a renovating or installing new kitchen tile countertops? What are the best types of tile? How about the latest designs? In this episode, we talk with Mackenzie Schurer, Interior Designer with Brookfield Residential, and discuss new countertop tiles for your kitchen, benefits of each, maintenance and price. We also review some tile countertop ideas, combinations and trends. 

Prefer to watch the video or read and take ...

Wondering if you can actually afford to buy that home you've been eyeing? How much can you  afford? How much will your lender provide? In this episode, we talk with Mujtaba Syed, Mortgage Specialist with the Bank of Montreal, and discuss how much mortgage you can afford and how the banks/lenders determine how much they can lend you. We explore how your income and debt impacts mortgage affordability and how you should set up a month...

Planning to apply for a mortgage? Who do you talk to? How do you get the best rates? In this episode, we talk with Mujtaba Syed, Mortgage Specialist with the Bank of Montreal, and discuss choosing the right mortgage lender for you. We also explore how to do your research when looking for a lender, questions you need to ask and if you can (or should) change lenders when renewing your mortgage. 

Prefer to watch the video or read an...

Before applying for a mortgage, what do you need to prepare? How do you get your finances in order? In this episode, we talk with Mujtaba Syed, Mortgage Specialist with the Bank of Montreal, and discuss how to prepare for a mortgage including how to understand your budget, ways to improve your credit and how the mortgage approval process works.

Prefer to watch the video or read and take notes? See the transcript:

https://stories...