Recent content by DirectSignal

The costs after completion changed my view more than the purchase price did. Our Bogotá country home has now completed after several unsuccessful bids and a document stage that took longer than expected, but the cash needed for service charges and early work could easily have been overlooked. I...

I’d follow each listing as a cohort rather than rely on the portal-wide days figure: original asking price, first reduction, final advertised price, completed or withdrawn, and any relisting. Otherwise a withdrawn apartment can vanish without appearing as either a sale or a long-running listing...

Agreed on separating the outcomes, though withdrawn stock should not disappear from the picture. If many unattractive units are withdrawn, completed sales alone can make demand look stronger than it is. For this C$685,800–C$1,029,000 range, I’d build small building-level groups, mark cumulative...

That distinction matters. I’d also avoid treating all central neighbourhoods as one market. A converted condo in the Plateau and a newer tower unit in Griffintown may attract different buyers even at similar prices. The useful boundary is probably the smallest area with genuinely comparable...

I see why insurance could explain part of the discount spread, but I am not convinced it is the main cause. In Montreal condos, a dated unit may also point to deferred work elsewhere in the building, while 99 days on the market can simply mean the seller started too high. For Griffintown, I...

Buyer financing can also explain why an apparently acceptable deal does not complete. When comparing offers, the seller may care about financing uncertainty and timing as well as headline price. A lower but straightforward offer is not automatically weaker, though the buyer should avoid...

How much financing proof has the seller requested, and do you know what is motivating the sale? A seller prioritising certainty might accept a lower offer with solid funding evidence. One chasing the highest figure may view any valuation condition as an easy route for the buyer to renegotiate.

Before comparing deals, what loan-to-value and amortization period are you using? A 4.96% rate alone doesn’t show the actual debt-service burden. I’d first calculate the duplex’s unlevered net operating result, then test several equity levels. If it still looks poor without financing, adding...

Photography and transaction coordination should not be treated as the same service. A photography quote should clearly state the images and formats delivered, turnaround, revisions, usage rights, access arrangements and total fee. Negotiation or closing support needs its own written scope, named...