With the new laws introduced to the real estate industry surrounding the MLX many people have been considering selling their homes on their own without the advice, support, and protection of a real estate professional. If you are one of these people here is a great article done by Property Wire. A little food for thought.
http://propertywire.ca/features/features/market-intelligence/1045-seeking-advice-and-other-necessary-tools-to-sell-your-house.html#
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Loyalty
I had an eye opening experience this past week where I learnt alot about the real estate industry. This lesson was: Many consumers aren't loyal to their Realtor. So this got me thinking "Why not?" I've heard numerous stories from my colleagues where their buyer clients have left them high and dry after working for them for months.
-As a Realtor we do all the work up front. This mean incurring high costs, spending time, money, and resources. It isn't until we find you a home to purchase or your home is purchased that we get paid.
-Commissions are paid by the seller. This means that as a buyer there is nothing to lose by having someone represent you.
-For some reason my buyers believe that writing an offer with the listing Realtor is their best option. However by doing this you no longer have someone in your corner that has your best interest in mind.
-Working closely with clients can be a very intimate experience where you get to know each other very well. Ex. One of my co-workers was working with buyer clients who although they only had two children needed to have at least four bedrooms. It was later learnt that they required this because the husband was a snoring machine and therefore slept in a different bedroom.
Real estate is a career where your success is dependent upon mutual trust, support, and of course referrals. My promise to you is that I will provide my full attention, knowledge and expertise in the industry, negotiate on your behalf, as well as always protect and have your best interest in mind. My only expectation in return in your loyalty.
-As a Realtor we do all the work up front. This mean incurring high costs, spending time, money, and resources. It isn't until we find you a home to purchase or your home is purchased that we get paid.
-Commissions are paid by the seller. This means that as a buyer there is nothing to lose by having someone represent you.
-For some reason my buyers believe that writing an offer with the listing Realtor is their best option. However by doing this you no longer have someone in your corner that has your best interest in mind.
-Working closely with clients can be a very intimate experience where you get to know each other very well. Ex. One of my co-workers was working with buyer clients who although they only had two children needed to have at least four bedrooms. It was later learnt that they required this because the husband was a snoring machine and therefore slept in a different bedroom.
Real estate is a career where your success is dependent upon mutual trust, support, and of course referrals. My promise to you is that I will provide my full attention, knowledge and expertise in the industry, negotiate on your behalf, as well as always protect and have your best interest in mind. My only expectation in return in your loyalty.
Monday, January 17, 2011
New Mortgage Rules Announced
New rules for Canadian mortgages were announced early this morning:
- Mortgage amortization periods are to be reduced from 35 years to a maximum of 30 years.
- When refinancing a mortgage, Canadians can now borrow a maximum of 85% of the value of their homes, this is reduced from 90%.
- The government will withdraw its insurance backing on lines of credit secured on homes (ex. HELOCs)
As for the real estate market here in Calgary we may see a surge of buyers entering the market in hopes of purchasing a home before these changes are enforced. From speaking with my mortgage broker this morning our understanding is that all sales closing before March 18th will not be affected. Pre-approvals however will not be transferable to purchases made after March 18th.
For more information on how this will affect you as a seller or purchaser feel free to comment here or contact me at brittney.macmillan@creb.com
Ciao for now!
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Importance of Pricing Right
Happy New Year everyone! I took a little blogging break over the holidays and hope you all had as great of a time with those closest to you as I did.
This week's blog topic is all about the importance of pricing your home properly. When a new property initially enters the market a surge of interest occurs. We want to maximize this interest!
-the average buyer looks at 10 properties, the goals is for yours to perceive the greatest value
-properties have a greater exposure the first few weeks on the market, make sure you're priced correctly during this time
-price reductions don't reflect well on the home
This week's blog topic is all about the importance of pricing your home properly. When a new property initially enters the market a surge of interest occurs. We want to maximize this interest!
-the average buyer looks at 10 properties, the goals is for yours to perceive the greatest value
-properties have a greater exposure the first few weeks on the market, make sure you're priced correctly during this time
-price reductions don't reflect well on the home
-the price you set should reflect your selling goals ex. are you in a time constraint?
-competitive pricing can result in a quicker sale and more money in your pocket
-many buyers have subscribed to auto-notifications, this mean that if your home meets their criteria they are informed of your property entering the market immediately
Many people have the mind set that we should "test the waters" and then we can lower the price later if we need to however this can be extremely detrimental to the sale of your home.
I hope you found this posting helpful! Ciao for now!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Tips to Winterize Your Home
Brrrr it's cold out there. Here are some quick tips to help keep your home safe and yourselves warm through these cold winter months in Calgary.
- Clean your gutters: make sure that the melted snow has somewhere to go. Blocked gutters can form ice dams which can cause water to seep into your home. Ensure the downspouts carries the water away from the house's foundation.
- Check your furnace: make sure everything is in working order. Nothing's worse that having your furnace quit on the coldest day of the year. Also make sure to change your furnace filter regularly.
- Insulate: attics should have a minimum of 12 inches of insulation. If you can see your ceiling joists (10-11 inches wide) in the attic you know you don't have enough.
- Use the sun: open curtains facing the sun during the day and keep the others closed to help naturally warm your home using the sun's rays.
- Don't let those pipes freeze: insulate pipes that are against outside walls and make sure you know where your water main is for emergancy shut offs. Check out my previous blog for more info on frozen pipes.
- Consider a programmable thermostat: this is a great way to save money. Set a comfortable minimum temperature and only have it warmer in your home when needed most. Who doesn't love saving money when your sleeping or out of the house...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Frozen Pipes... Yikes
Walking into your dream home on possession day is a very exciting time for purchasers, unless of course you discover the floors are covered in two inches of water. With Calgary winters not uncommonly reaching -30⁰C comes an important issue many home owners have to deal with, prevalently in vacant properties. This issue is frozen pipes. Frozen pipes are not a simple leak. The water expands as it turns to ice causing the pipes to burst, potentially spilling several hundreds of gallons of water per hour.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- In-flooring heat can take up to 24 hours to reach the desired temperature.
- Keeping the window open and the door closed in the bathroom at very cold temperatures can cause the toilet tank and pipes to freeze, burst, and cause water damage in your home.
-Outside walls, under sinks against outside walls, and unheated crawl spaces are pipe locations most susceptible to freezing.
-Check your policy. Many insurance companies don't offer coverage for homes that have been vacant after a couple of days.
- As a seller DO NOT cancel your home insurance until the money from the sale of your home is in your bank account.
Ciao for now!
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- In-flooring heat can take up to 24 hours to reach the desired temperature.
- Keeping the window open and the door closed in the bathroom at very cold temperatures can cause the toilet tank and pipes to freeze, burst, and cause water damage in your home.
-Outside walls, under sinks against outside walls, and unheated crawl spaces are pipe locations most susceptible to freezing.
-Check your policy. Many insurance companies don't offer coverage for homes that have been vacant after a couple of days.
- As a seller DO NOT cancel your home insurance until the money from the sale of your home is in your bank account.
Ciao for now!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
New Listing in Coventry Hills!
MLS#: C3453930 Price: $334,800
11331 Conventry Blvd NE
Make sure to check out this former upgraded show home. This four bedroom bi-level is conveniently located in Coventry Hills close to all amneties and only minutes from Deerfoot Trail. This home features four bedrooms, new maple hardwood floors throughout the kitchen, living, and dining room, a west facing backyard, and basement development including a wood burning fireplace. Pride in homeownership is evident. Excellent value!
11331 Conventry Blvd NE
Make sure to check out this former upgraded show home. This four bedroom bi-level is conveniently located in Coventry Hills close to all amneties and only minutes from Deerfoot Trail. This home features four bedrooms, new maple hardwood floors throughout the kitchen, living, and dining room, a west facing backyard, and basement development including a wood burning fireplace. Pride in homeownership is evident. Excellent value!
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