Here are some browsers you can download for free:

•    Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0
•    Mozilla Firefox 3.6
•    Google Chrome
•    Safari 5.0

Still functional, but…

You can still use IE6 to surf the ByTheOwner.com website, and our team is working hard to ensure that your experience is enjoyable even if the browser does not provide you with an optimal performance.

Also, please note that some important platforms such as Google, YouTube and Facebook have already announced that they will no longer be providing support for IE6.  The time has come to change.

For more information:

The drawbacks of IE6 have been well documented on the web. On Wikipedia, it states that this version of the navigator often appears in “worst tech products of all time” lists and is recognized as the “least secure software on the planet.”

Click here to read the article »»»»

In its official blog, Google made the same recommendation as the ByTheOwner team by saying that it takes “Modern browsers to use modern applications.”

Click here to read the blog »»»»

According to Techcrunch, YouTube and Digg have also announced that they will stop supporting IE6 for some of their features.

Read about it by clicking here »»»»

We are working for you!

To those who are unable to update their browser at this time, we are continuing our efforts to ensure that you will be able to use and enjoy ByTheOwner.com to its full potential.

To help you learn how to use this new interface, we have identified six (6) important website components which have been modified and could raise some questions.

We invite you to read it so you can be able to use our tools to their full potential.

1. How I can perform an advanced search?

The advanced search has been integrated into the main search engine located in the top centre of the page.

To execute an advanced search, click on the link Add Options, which is located at the far right of the tool bar.

2. How can I search by map?

To search by map, you must begin by starting a search with the main engine located at the top center of your screen.

When the search results are shown, you will be able to choose to see them in List or Map form, by clicking on one or the other, in the top right section of the results.

3. How can I search by access code, street or phone number?

To search by one of these alternative search methods, proceed by clicking on the link Search for a Property in the Buyers menu located above the main search engine.

You will then be directed to another page where you may proceed to search by one of these options.

4. How can I filter the search results by criteria?

On the Search results page, click on the Filter Properties tab. Then you can view the properties For Sale, Sold and those which have an open house.

You can also view those which have been online for 2 days, 7 days, one month, or no time limit. Beside these options, you also have the choice to hide the New Homes/Builder properties in the results.

5. How can I see the Other Details section of a listing?

You can see the complete list of Other Details of a property by clicking on the link See the Complete List at the bottom of the Property features section of the listing, located below the Owner’s comments box.

6. How can I access the section Your Account?

Simply click on the link Log In located above and to the right of the main search engine.

Please note that you can give us your comments by clicking the link What do you think of our new website? located at the top of your screen.

You have some questions about the new website? Feel free to contact a member of our customer service team by email (info@bytheowner.com) or by phone (1-866-336-9637).

The most noticeable changes are related to the platform and to the research tools. We have modified the search engine, to make it more user-friendly and powerful, therefore improving the users’ experience on our website and contributing to their quest for the perfect house.

Also, the information is now more accessible and easy to consult thanks to the website’s reorganization.

In effect, these improvements will all contribute to a more enjoyable and efficient experience for the website’s users.

Slight changes for sellers

The same tools and services previously offered by ByTheOwner.com will be available to homeowners. The Your Account section will remain unchanged and they will be able to access or modify their listing as usual.

In related news, the pictures of their property will be shown in a larger format on the website.

If you experience any kind of problem…

We have tested the applications many, many times. However, we cannot predict that everything will be error-free. If you experience any kind of problem, please report it and we will make the necessary adjustments to correct the situation. Write as many details as you can at: comments@bytheowner.com

ByTheOwner’s team wishes to inform the population that we have been multiplying our efforts in order to satisfy the increasing demand for our services since the beginning of 2010. Please stay calm!

All our efforts are directed to maintain the same quality of services for all our clients. Please do not put your safety at stake!

Taking unnecessary risks is not recommended. ByTheOwner will make sure that everyone gets the full service for which they have signed up. No one will be left out!

ByTheOwner’s traffic updates

Luckily, our users are benefiting from this increase in traffic. The number of houses sold through our Website has gone up by 75 % in the past month of February. The urge with which people are visiting our websites and our open houses has nothing surprising!

We have gathered a few stories of consumers who have either been ‘victims’ or ‘witnesses’ of this success :

Sold in 10 days….Great traffic & and presentation with the pics (thx Renato)…………..and thx to the team at ByTheOwner.com

Andy Pham
Brampton
2010-03-23

Offer was accepted, the website made it easy to setup. The staff was friendly and helpful, thank you bytheowner.com!

Gregory Wolfson
Richmond Hill
2010-03-16

Thanks Magda for all your fabulous help and great pictures. The web site is wonderful, everything you need is at your finger tips. Good Luck to all.

Jacqueline Steele
Mount Albert
2010-03-25

In what exactly do these amendments consist?  Will consumers really have more options when it comes to selling their homes?  Where does ByTheOwner.com fit in?

Accessible through an agent

It will become possible for homeowners to list their property on the MLS, but only with the help of an agent. The price options will now include a fixed rate, and the seller will play a crucial role in negotiations (by presenting offers and counter-offers).

Prices and regulations have not yet been specified, and the date of application of these changes remains unknown. The Competition Bureau has deemed the amendments unsatisfactory and estimates that more must be done in order to solve the problem.

A listing service. Period.

In contrast with ByTheOwner’s complete packages, which offer tools and professional assistance, the new service proposed by the MLS will only allow the sellers to show their property on the Website. No further assistance is guaranteed.

Once these changes become effective, homeowners will have another platform to showcase their property. Up until now, there has been no mention of a package that would include more options than simply listing the property on the MLS.

ByTheOwner.com, the most relevant alternative

With all that is happening in the real estate business, our team is convinced that we offer the optimal solution when it comes to selling your property without having to pay a commission. Our packages offer great visibility on one of the most visited Websites by home buyers; tools that make the selling process so much easier and professionals who can assist you when you need it.

All in all, ByTheOwner is more than a great platform to showcase your property.  Our mission is to provide clients with a professional real estate service, and our primary objective is ensuring our clients’ success.

It’s a $ 300 rebate from the regular price !

With the Regular Package, home owners have access to all the marketing tools, the professionnal assistance and the visibility that they need to sell their homes.

It’s an incredible opportunity for them to try our services and save a huge amount of money !

How to subscribe ?

You can subscribe online by clicking the link below and following the instructions.

Click here to complete the subscription online »»»»

You can also subscribe by calling us at 1-866-336-9637.

Hurry up ! This special offer will only be available for a limited time !

“Thanks to the website and sign, we received 2 serious offers and have successfully sold our home!”

The ByTheOwner.com lawn sign is 3 feet by 2 feet and it is included with every subscription package. Our local representative places the owner’s phone number on the sign before the appointment. Our website and a large “For Sale” banner are also displayed on the sign. The phone number can be inputted into our website in order to take the buyer directly to the photos and info.

“We were very happy with the ByTheOwner experience as a whole. The ByTheOwner pictures look better than any other pictures we have ever seen! We had open houses every weekend and got quite a bit of traffic. Having a big open house sign and lots of directional signs gets way more drive by traffic…Ultimately our offer came in from someone who saw the house on the website and liked it.”

ByTheOwner.com also provides open house toppers which slide into the top of our lawn sign. On the open house topper, the owner can indicate the day and time of the open house. ByTheOwner.com’s open house directional signs, and directional signs are perfect for directing neighbourhood traffic to your house for sale. These signs can be temporarily placed on major intersections to promote your open house. All our signs are attractive and make the buyers take notice.

Not only do the ByTheOwner.com signs attract buyers, but they also make sure the buyers know that the owner is serious about selling. Some private sellers purchase their signs at a local hardware store and write home details on the signs with a black marker. When you are attracting buyers, it’s very important to have a professional image, a great home, and a fair price. If any of those factors are not appealing to buyers, it will make it difficult to sell your home.

“It was a wonderful and interesting experience. The pictures where very helpful in bringing the calls and visits. We got offers within two week of listing with this site. Half of our calls are people who saw the lawn sign.“

ByTheOwner.com

It is a very cool renovation and hopefully the owners will enjoy it. Perhaps it fits the owner’s style and it was exactly what they wanted. However, this kitchen brings to mind the “catch 22″ with renovations. Renovations do not always achieve a “return on investment”. Owners, if they are planning to sell the property in the future, must always consider a renovation that would appeal to a broad range of buyers.

As mentioned in a previous post (Renovations: “Ya, but it has a new roof” ), sometimes “extreme” renovations might not be great for resale value.

ByTheOwner.com adds more than 10,000 properties per year, and occasionally we see sellers who have renovated to their own taste and when it comes to sell, they realize the difficulty in finding a buyer with the same taste as they have.

Just a friendly reminder that if you want to “mauve” into a new home, you have to sell your old home…and a purple kitchen might not help you sell.

ByTheOwner.com

This first step is key. Many sellers that use real estate agents, don’t work out how much it’s going to cost them. They simply agree to pay 5% commission because “It’s standard for the area”. If you are agreeing to pay 5% commission, then calculate how much that will cost you (plus GST). Remember that when you sell your home, it’s tax free money. If you are paying $15,000 to $20,000 to an agent, then also calculate how long would it take you to work to earn that (after tax). For example, if $1,000 is deposited into your bank by your employer on a weekly basis, that means, for a $20,000 commission, it would take you 20 weeks to earn that (5 months!).

Tip: If you think it’s outragous to pay an agent $20,000 to sell your home (which could be like you working full time for 5 months) then look for an alternative.

2. Is the listing contract breakable?

Before signing your rights away, make sure you understand if the listing contract is breakable or not. Most are not. This means that if you sign with an agent for 3 months, and he does nothing, then you have no way of breaking the contract. This could be very costly.

Tip: Make sure that the agent adds a clause that says that the listing contract is breakable, by you, at any time. The agent shouldn’t worry because they still will maintain rights to a buyer that saw the home while it was listed (hold over period), so there is no reason that they would object to the clause.

3. What will the agent do for their commission?

You should ask for a detailed, written, list of items that the agent will do in order to sell your home. Remember that if you are agreeing to pay 5%, which will amount to a lot of money, you should know what the agent will do to earn that money. Will your agent be present when buyers come to the home? If not, how will the buyers know about the important qualities of you home?

Tip: Try to put a value on the items that the real estate agent will do. Ask yourself is it worth it or is there an alternative?

4. When will appointments be scheduled?

Your agent will most likely provide a lock box so that a different agent can show the buyers around your home. Your agent will call you before the other agent arrives. You will want to know how much “warning” time will your agent provide. Will the appointments be anytime? Anyday? Does this mean that you have to keep your home clean 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Tip: When you sell privately, you control the visits and appointment. Many private sellers simply schedule visits on the weekend during set times. This allows them to live their life during the week, clean their home Sat/Sun morning and then accept buyers at a convenient time.

5. What price will be asked for the home?

If you are asking $400,000 and then sell for $390,000, then that means that you will take home $369,525 (assuming 5% commission). When you are using an agent, you really need to calculate how much you will keep from the sale of your home. You need to know your “bottom price”. Remember, if you drop your price by $10,000, then it costs you more than $10,000, but it only reduces your agent’s commission by $500. Large drops in price affect the seller a lot more than the agent. Sellers also need to understand that if they agree to sell their home with an agent for $400,000 and an agent brings a solid offer at that price, then they have done their job. The agent might have a right to the commission whether you accept that offer or not (check the fine print of the listing contract).

Tip: When you sell privately there is no commission to pay and you are in complete control. If you don’t want to accept an offer, you are under no obligation to do so. You also have more flexibility on price. If you wanted to sell your home for $400,000 with an agent, you would only take home less than $380,000. If you sold privately, you could sell for $400,000 and keep $400,000. You could even sell for $390,000 and you would still save $10,000.

The Fraser Institute publishes rankings of the elementary and secondary schools in BC, Alberta, and Ontario. You can see all their reports here. Here is a sample from the Ontario Elementary Report.

Here are some links to the reports:

Ontario Elementary
Ontario Secondary
Alberta Elementary
Alberta Secondary
BC Elementary
BC Secondary

There has been some criticism of these reports and rankings. Most people will agree that there are many factors that contribute to the success of a child’s education. Many brilliant minds and outstanding individuals have graduated from schools that were not considered “good” and vice-versa. However, the environment does have an affect on an education, so attending a good school increases the odds of obtaining a good education.

Private sellers are the best person to explain to buyers about the quality of schools in the area because they live in the area, and their children will have attended the school.

ByTheOwner.com