We're off to Winnipeg in a couple weeks and wanted to check out some properties whilst we're over there to give us an idea of what we'll be able to afford. My question is:-

How do we go about doing this? Do we email from the UK saying 'we'll be over next week, can we view this property?' or do you not have to give as much notice as you do in the UK? (it being unheard of to get a same-day viewing over here - in our experience anyway).

Do we mention the fact that we're probably not coming over for a year or will this make them think we'd be wasting their time as we're not looking at buying yet?

Has anyone managed to view properties on a recce and, if so, how have they gone about doing it and what have they said about their circumstances?

Cheers,

Anita

I'd be inclined to select a realtor (buyer's agent) - someone on here can probably suggest one - and then tell them exactly what you're doing. I think you'll find that a decent realtor will be more than happy to show you what your money will get you, if they think they will be acting for you sometime down the road. My impression of Canadian realtors is that they take a rather longer-term view of things than their UK counterparts.

If you want to look at homes in Winnipeg, I can help you with that.

You can e-mail me or phone me when you arrive, my contact details are on my web site. www.stewartmann.com.

Thanks for that, yes we'll be in touch when we get to Winnipeg :-)

Anita

have you checked out the listings on http://www.mls.ca/map.aspx?AreaID=805

When you get here there are lots of open houses for you just to drive upto and look around.

Do you know what you're looking for ?

City Rural / large/small yard / 4 -3 beds / bungalow 2 storey as that will help narrow do the search range.

Best to start from totally unacceptable - to ideal world.

Assuming we break even when we sell up here (which in the current climate is really the best we can hope for...), after solicitor's / estate agent's fees etc. we'll have around #70k GBP (sorry, pound sign doesn't work for some reason) - so around $140k. We're after a 3 bed house - semi or detached, whichever we can get. Need a garden cos of the little one, don't wanna be in the centre of town (a nice suburb near the outskirts so not far to travel to be in the countryside would be ideal) but close enough for me to hop on a bus to get downtown if necessary. Near good school (possibly French immersion - I'm still working on Sean on that one...).

That's all!!

PS - far away from the mozzies too as they eat Sean alive - he gets massacred, bless! (so not near the river presumably)

p.s. forgot to mention that amount ($140k) is to hopefully buy a house in cash, no mortgae. If we must have a mortgage then we want a teeny-tiny one - no bigger than $40k.

Anita

As mentioned before, if you chec on MLS.ca you can find some property that would be 'Open House' when you get there. This will allow you to wander around someones house, and possibly get coffee and biscuits from the realtor, and see how things look in a 'lived-in' property. Alternatively, search for home builders in the city, Winnepeg, of your choice. This would allow you to mooch around their showhomes and see what you cash could get you in a new build home.

Thanks, yes I think we'll certainly look for some open houses. Not considered new build but I guess it may still be just as affordable, right? Most of the houses we've seen on mls / point2homes are old / secondhand (ie not new!). Or alternatively another option is buying some land and paying to have a house built - is land expensive in (the outskirts / suburbs of) Winnipeg, does anyone know?

Am going onto mls now to look for open houses!

Anita :-)

Prices for both vacant land and houses have been rising very fast in Winnipeg.

The average price of a resale house in Winnipeg has just topped $200,000, still cheaper than many Canadian Cities.

The cheapest new house in the City is $167,500 this is 818 sq.ft on the main floor, and 818sq in the finished basement, 4 beds, 2 baths. Double detached garage. But its in one of the less desirable areas of the City.

Vacant land in the City runs from $50,000 to $200,000+ and building costs are about $200 per main floor sq foot for a bungalow with a finished basement.

Whenever you travel to a new Canadian City contact a Realtor prior to your visit, tell then what you want to see, and why, and they will be happy to show you some houses and explain the neighbourhoods to you. Most will be more than happy to spend half a day or a day with you showing you houses. Its something we do all the time, so don't be embarrassed to ask and tell the truth about your circumstances.

Here's a link to some homes that have sold in Winnipeg in the last 7 days for between $100,000 and $150,000:-

http://my.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailVie...06&s=WPG&t=WPG

If you want to just check out what is available with not much pressure you should take a Satuday or Sunday to view open houses.

You get LESS pressure when you work with a Buyers Agent, rather than dealing with the Sellers agents at open houses.

With a Buyers Agent you get to look at the house when its convenient to you, with no one else in the house, and you get the expert opinion of someone who is working WITH you to find YOU a home.

Because you have formed a close working relationship with your Buyers Agent, and because of a Buyers Agents legal duties to a client, you will find that they do not pressurize you to buy, its rather the opposite in fact, with the Agent pointing out problems and disadvantages with the properties, that an untrained eye might miss.

Your Buyers Agent will also be able to value a home prior to you putting in an offer, so you don't work blind. They will also write up that offer to favour you, rather than the seller.

Good luck trying to dodge the mozzies in the prairies.

cheers, although we're hoping we won't get massacred as much as we did in thailand recently - spoke to the immigration officer at winnipeg the other day and she said she's not seen any yet (apparently may was quite cool and spring was pretty dry). i hear they have special vehicles that go round spraying everywhere when things get really bad! still, every province has them, and at least in the prairies you can see 'em coming! (they can't behind a hill or anything, hehe).