If you're thinking of selling your Toronto real estate and buying a property in Omaha, Nebraska, you preparatory checklist should look something like this: look over finances, consult Toronto real estate agent, investigate market conditions in Omaha, and so on. If you're wondering why you should bother to look into the market conditions instead of just hiring a realtor to handle it for you, remember: not all realtors are the same. In order to find a trustworthy one, you should have some idea of what you're talking about.

This is a rather unlucky time to be selling real estate anywhere in America because of the recession and the mortgage crisis that struck a few years ago. The market hasn't yet recovered, though in many places it is on its way. Canada survived a little better than the United States, which is good news for you if you're unloading Mississauga real estate rather than a home somewhere in the U.S. However, the people who are currently in the best position are first time buyers.

This situation is what's known as a buyer's market, where people like you, who are just now buying into the Omaha property market, have the advantage. Right now the average listing price for a house in Omaha is around $208,000, which is less even than most Ajax homes on the outskirts of Toronto. The value looks even better when you take the median sale value rather than the aggregate of the asking price, since it's only $143,000, which is lower than the listing aggregate by over $50,000.

This is just an average price, of course, so if you want a more accurate valuation of how much a house of the size you're looking for will cost you the statistic most helpful to you will be the average price per square foot. With it, you can calculate how much your current Scarborough condo would cost in Omaha, thus determining whether you can afford to trade up or not. As of early November 2009, the average price per square foot was $116, which is about the same as it was at the same time last year.

The current market conditions can also help you determine which neighborhoods you can tell your Omaha realtor to concentrate on when you do finally hire one. The average listing prices will tell you whether selling new homes in London, Ontario will net you enough to buy into each of Omaha's neighborhoods. The most popular ones right now are: Benson ($101,000), Keystone ($139,000), Prairie Lane ($164,000), Country Club ($178,000) and Hillsborough ($240,000). If you're looking for more affordable housing, neighborhoods like Clifton Hills, Bedford Place, and Belvedere Point are listing for under $100,000 ($44,000, $41,000, and $73,000 respectively).