Real Estate Locations

Mississauga Real Estate Offers Global Appeal

If you’ve ever considered moving to Mississauga or buying real estate in Mississauga you can be confident in Mississauga’s global appeal.

Mississauga real estate is a particular attraction being that Mississauga is in fact Canada’s sixth largest city and one of Canada’s fastest growing hubs. Formed in 1974, Mississauga’s current population is approximately 695,000 residents and offers diversity in culture from around the world.

With 50 of Canada’s Fortune 500 offices located in Mississauga, it’s a popular choice for commercial and business activity. In total there are approximately 18,000 businesses in the city, thus owning real estate in Mississauga can provide an opportunity for many to work close to home.

As a globally competitive city, Serving national and international visitors, the main International Airport is located in Mississauga. Toronto and it’s surrounding communities all link to Mississauga via the vast network of public transit, including buses, go trains and subways.

Rated as one of Canada’s safest cities, is yet another reason Mississauga remains a popular place to live. This fact combined with a city rich in the arts, parks, culture, recreation, sports and entertainment draws visitors from around the world.

Mississauga’s quaint historic villages, it’s bustling waterfront and it’s art and theatre are enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. For the avid shopper, there’s “Square One”, Ontario’s largest shopping mall and for those seeking solitude a visit to the magnificent Rhododendron Gardens is a must. Visitors or those interested in Mississauga Real Estate will find plenty to be impressed with.

Not just a well planned community, Mississauga is also a forward thinking city. The eventual shift of demographics to an aging population has Mississauga preparing itself to accommodate this growth. To help Mississauga prepare, the community services department has implemented an “Older Adult Plan”. Enabling people to age actively in the City of Mississauga is an integral part of this plan. Facilities and services are being planned for on the basis of assisting an eventual older adult population.

Whether to visit, or to live, Mississauga remains a popular choice.

Mississauga Real Estate and GTA Market Statistics

If you’ve been watching the news and following the pundits and commentary, essentially the message has been that real estate prices have declined in the 905 region, including Mississauga of course, by about 8% from October of 2007. Keeping factors in perspective, there are bright spots. Mississauga and the surrounding 905 area have had prices decline by 8%, however they’re still 1% higher than October of 2006. The average price of a home in October 2006 was $332,822, and October 2008 is $336,049. As opposed to any kind of market downward trend, many analysts believe we are simply witnessing a market adjustment.

Mississauga Real Estate statistics summarized in the totals of all sales in the 905 region, also known to most as the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), indicate sales figures from January 1, 2008 to Mid November 2008 to be 70,474. During that same period for 2007 sales totaled 84,994.

Real Estate in Mississauga showed a total of 1791 new residential listings added to the local multiple listing service in the month of October 2008 increasing by 16% over October 2007. The total number of residential properties listed for sale in Mississauga at the end of October 2008 was 3,101. Real estate buyers will have a larger inventory to choose from along with lower pricing. Purchasers will have a larger inventory of real estate to choose from.

In the first two weeks of November 2008 the average price in the 905 region was $358,130 from $358,610 recorded a year ago. During the first half of November 2006 the average price was recorded at $336,576.

In summation, a study by the International Monetary Fund based upon housing markets in seventeen countries determined that Canada was only one of two nations where house prices are supported by the economy. Canada is positioned very well to ride the economic downturn due to many factors, including more stringent regulation within the banking system. Canadian regulations have assisted in averting the kind of massive upheaval being experienced in the US real estate market.

The above real estate statistics can be found discussed in greater detail at either the Toronto Real Estate Board or The Canadian Real Estate Association.

Do Your Due Diligence When Buying Property in Costa Rica

As with any major investment, when buying real estate in Costa Rica, it is important to do your due diligence.

Focus on getting facts and information about all the steps of your transaction. This means you need to understand what exactly you are buying, what the purchase includes and what the limitations (if any) are. In many areas, there are limits to building heights, depth of setbacks, and other details which you need to be aware of before purchasing there.

While the Internet has made real estate investing and land purchasing easier, it is wise to approach any large transactions from a perspective of information gathering and fact-finding. Do not try to buy land or homes without visiting them in person.

It can be tempting to try and purchase a beautiful piece of land from the Internet pictures, but you can make a grave mistake if you end up paying for land, or a home, or some property which is not what you actually take ownership of at the completion of the sale.

Some areas in Costa Rica can not be built upon, but since there are few regulations on who can sell land; the unwary buyer may end up purchasing land which can never be built on. This is why doing your due diligence is vitally important when investing in Costa Rica.

You must work with seasoned professionals who know the details of investing in this country. Select a company or individual who has experience in this area, who has successfully sold to other happy customers, and, who, ideally, has purchased property in the country him or herself. Keep looking until you find someone with whom you work well, and don’t hesitate to get expert advice and ask a lot of questions.

The more you know, the better prepared you will be to make a good decision.

Costa Rica Property: What To Know Before You Buy

Real estate investors will often say there are only three things that matter in real estate, they are location, location and location. We all understand that a ten bedroom, eight bath home with cathedral ceilings and a swimming pool that is sitting next to a garbage dump has no value.

On the other hand a little one bedroom, one bath shack sitting in the middle of downtown Boston might be worth a small fortune. So you can see that the location is of the utmost importance when you are considering a piece of real estate to invest in.

The same thought process holds true when you are considering investing in Costa Rica. Costa Rica property has been returning at very high levels, since investment first began there.

Like in any other situation, you should ask yourself, “what makes the location of a piece of real estate a must have? The answer is fairly simply really. The value is based on nothing more than the desirability factor. Desirability is in the eye of the beholder.

Property that is totally undesirable to one person might be just the next person’s dream-come-true. And this phenomenon is true for real estate investors and for home buyers and for renters. It is true for all aspects of the real estate market.

The main point for any real estate investor to consider first is what their strategy will be for making money from the investment. Buying is only part of the picture and determining a good location from a bad one relies on how you plan to profit.

For example: If you are planning to purchase a property with the intention of just waiting for the market to go up, prime real estate is probably the very best choice. Locations that are near entertainment centers or newly developing areas would be best because the likelihood is pretty good that that the property will increase in value with little other effort.

On the other hand, if you are planning to invest in a property with the intention of renting it and making a monthly income from it, you might be better off to look into urban properties. Urban properties wouldnt always be considered prime real estate but they are prime rental properties. What these properties may lack in space or amenities, they make up for by being very close to the action.

And we can’t forget the real estate investors who are handy with their hands. These kinds of investors enjoy renovating, and will buy properties below market value. They can make repairs and renovations to rundown properties themselves, sell it for a great deal more than their purchase price and make a very nice profit. Working neighborhoods with mid-priced homes make up the best location for these kinds of investors.

There are many factors that real estate investors consider when they are deciding which property to invest in. Knowing what kind of investor you are, and what your profit strategy is for the investment will help you decide where and how to find the perfect property in the perfect Costa Rican location.