Dan DaCosta Real Estate Group

If you're having trouble selling your home in today's market, renting it out may be worth considering. I've had conversations with homeowners who are sitting on a property that isn't getting the offers they expected. Sometimes the problem is the price. Sometimes it's the market. And sometimes, the best move is simply to stop trying to force a sale and look at the numbers from a different angle. Could renting your home out for a year or two make more sense than selling it today? Maybe. But the first question I usually get is: "How much can I rent my house for?" The answer isn't always as simple as looking at what your neighbour is asking. Getting the right rental price is important. Price it too high and your property could sit vacant. Price it too low and you're leaving money on the table. Here's how I would approach it. Start With the Market, Not Your Mortgage One of the biggest mistakes I see homeowners make is basing their rental price on wh...

If you've been sitting on the fence about buying a home in Kingston, Ontario, you're not alone. Many buyers are hoping mortgage rates will magically plummet, prices will drop, and the "perfect" house will appear with freshly baked cookies on the kitchen counter. Unfortunately, real estate doesn't usually work that way. In fact, trying to perfectly time the market is a bit like trying to predict a Canadian summer. One minute it's sunshine, the next you're wondering why you packed shorts instead of a raincoat. The Kingston Real Estate Market Is Always Moving The Kingston housing market has remained one of Eastern Ontario's most stable markets over the years. Thanks to Queen's University, CFB Kingston, St. Lawrence College, local hospitals, and a growing population, demand for housing continues to stay relatively strong. While the market naturally experiences seasonal shifts, buyers who wait too long often discover they're competing against more p...

Let’s be honest: the weather in Kingston lately has been absolutely wild. One minute we’re dealing with a massive heatwave with humidex values pushing into the mid-40s, and the next, our phones are screaming with a sudden tornado warning. When I first started out in Kingston real estate 15 years ago, summer weather meant a few sticky July days where you’d sweat through your suit jacket while showing a house. That was about it. Now? We are looking at sustained, extreme heat blocks and severe, fast-moving weather systems that feel completely different from what we used to expect. Whether you are trying to keep your current home comfortable, showing properties, or just trying not to melt on your afternoon walk, you need a plan. Here are 5 practical, real-world ways to deal with the extreme heat in Kingston right now. 1. Give Your AC a Fighting Chance (And Check the Simple Stuff) If your AC is running non-stop and your house still feels like a sauna, don’t panic and call an emergency techn...

What makes a country official? Is it a signed piece of paper, a giant party, or just a mutual agreement to start doing things our own way? With July 1st right around the corner, everyone is stocking up on sparklers and planning backyard BBQs. But if you stop and ask the average person how Canada actually came to be, you’ll usually get a blank stare, or a guess about a war we didn't actually fight. Let’s look at how Canada became "Canada," the funny quirks of our semi-independence, and why the ultimate way to celebrate is by owning a literal piece of it. Who "Invented" Canada Anyway? If you want to point fingers at who started all of this, look no further than Sir John A. Macdonald and the Fathers of Confederation. In 1864, a bunch of politicians got together in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Fun fact: they originally met up to discuss joining just the Maritime provinces together, but the Canadians crashed the party with a boatload of champagne and convince...

Let’s be honest for a second. We’ve all looked at real estate commissions at some point and thought, “Man, I could just put a sign on my front lawn, throw it on Facebook Marketplace, and pocket that extra cash myself.” It makes perfect sense on paper. You do the math, look at the potential savings, and it feels like a no-brainer. But there’s a massive gap between real estate theory and the actual boots-on-the-ground reality especially in Kingston, Loyalist, and the surrounding areas right now. The illusion of saving money by going "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) is incredibly tempting. But in today’s market, attempting to run your own transaction is a fast track to actually netting less money at the closing table. Here is what really happens when you try to fly solo in the current Kingston market. 1. This Isn’t the 2021 Market Anymore Remember a few years ago when you could practically list a doghouse on a whim and have twenty unconditional offers by midnight? Those days are gone...