Morgan and Joe were in the car again this week after a morning of showings. They covered two of our own listings, a few homes they toured, a recap of Brighton Applefest, and the talk about where interest rates are going.
Two of our own listings
First is a condo apartment on North Park Street in Belleville. It is a two bedroom, one bathroom unit on the third floor with a south facing balcony, and it is really clean. It has in-unit laundry, and there is a pool on site, so you get to use the pool without doing any of the upkeep.
Bay Street, close to the hospital. It is well maintained, backs onto green space, is move-in ready and is priced really well. It is a great spot.
What we saw on tour
Out in Stirling, on Flying Club Road up by Oak Hills Golf Course, there is a raised bungalow with an in-ground pool on a couple of acres, plus an attached two car garage.
In town, there is a brand new build on Purdy Street. The house that stood there before was lost to a fire, and the new one was built from the ground up. It has a big basement with room to add more bedrooms.
Are interest rates going up?
There is chatter that rates could rise before the end of the year. There are two more rate announcements to come this year. Rates are sitting around 4 to 4.5 percent right now, and the talk is of an increase of a half to three quarters of a point. Some buyers are still getting rates around 3.8 percent.
Nothing is guaranteed. Rates might not go up at all. But if you plan to buy in the next couple of months, get pre-qualified now. Most lenders will hold your rate for around 120 days. If rates go down in that time, you still get the lower rate. If they go up, you are protected.
If you are an active buyer, you should be pre-qualified before you make an offer anyway. Financing is usually a condition of the purchase. You do not want to find out after an offer that you cannot afford the home, or that you could have afforded more.
Brighton Applefest recap
Applefest was this past weekend, and if you drove through Brighton and wondered why it was so busy, that is why. The street was packed and there were more vendors than ever: woodworking, ceramics, pottery and lots of food, from donuts to meat on a stick to pierogies.
Our local pick is @marshlandcreations on Instagram. She makes bags and purses out of thrifted Levi’s jeans, with the Levi’s logo on the front. Her booth was busy all day, and we saw people carrying her bags all over the street.
Did you make it out to Applefest? Tell us what you thought and what your favourite booth was.
Thanksgiving is next weekend
September went by fast, and Thanksgiving is already next weekend. It is also Joe’s birthday. If you want to send a card or some baked goods, you can drop them at our office. He will not turn them down.
Thinking about a move?
If you are thinking about buying or selling this fall, we are happy to talk it through. We can help you get pre-qualified, and we can tell you what your home is worth right now.
Tara Lyons, Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
tara@taralyons.com · Call or text 613-922-3200
taralyons.ca
Serving Belleville, Quinte West and Prince Edward County