HawthorneVillager.com

If you are looking for a house currently being sold by an agent, MLS is it. This is where they are all listed nation wide.

Maybe find an agent and have them look for you and line up a bunch to go and see on a regular basis.

Other options are to look at on the independants websites. These are houses being sold by the owners with no agent involvement through services that will list them online (which anyone can really do on their own) There is less of a selection, but less likely to sell as quickly.

privaterealestate.ca comes to mind.

_________________
Professional - Audio - Video - Data - Security - Central Vac - Insured - Trained - Certified
http://www.phand.ca/

the reason they are usually sold by the time you are on mls.ca is that it often takes 2-3 or sometimes more business days before it is on there after listing. Agents have that "lead time" for the clients they are working with, as they have access and are notified of new listing prior to that.

In today's very fast spring market, especially in our area, I DEFINATELY recommend working with an agent....they will have the "ins" on the new listings much faster than you ever will on your own.

I also recommend getting preapproved so that you know you will have no options and then you can go into a multiple offer situation without a financing clause....very appealing in this market where there are also often multiple offers on properties.

Good Luck!
Jessica

Great answer Jessica.
We do get notice of listings 2-3 days before they go on the public MLS. The power of sales etc. are usually snapped up before the public even knows they were ever on the market.
Remember, buyers pay nothing to a Realtor so it makes sense to get one on your side helping you out.
In a hot market, pre-approval is almost a must. When multiple offers come in, sellers will always gravitate towards the "cleanest" deal and if your offer is conditional upon financing, you may not get the property.

Hope this helps,
Cliff Barron
www.callcliff.ca

Agent is a must. Many times, many places, same situation... Owner is trying to sell at his own... Nothing for weeks..., getting agent - one week - it is done. The problem is to find good one, too many of them now on the market and they are charging different fees. Good agent must know lots of things. Once one of our agents saved us 1K - our lawyer was trying to screw it up.

Here's what I learned while selling my house last year:

Do not try and sell after September if you have a family sized house.

No one is going to take their kids out of one district and put them in another one.

So that makes selling at the end of the school year and early in the summer very easy.

_________________
Professional - Audio - Video - Data - Security - Central Vac - Insured - Trained - Certified
http://www.phand.ca/

What size of house are you looking for? On our street we have 2 up for sale and the street behind us has 2 as well. We are on Crozier Cres which has just a couple 46 houses and the rest are 56. 56 are the ones for sale they look really nice. Our street is great nice and quiet only about 12-14 house total on our street.