Moving During the Holidays

 

Moving during the holidays can be stressful, especially if you have young children.  Here are a few tips to make your move easier:

• Give yourself enough time to get organized.  Schedule a moving company, pack a little bit every day and remember to label all your boxes.  Confirm who will be helping you move if you need a helping hand and make plans for somebody to care for your little ones while you're moving.

• You can also hire a professional moving company that will take care of everything for you and all you have to do is take care of the bill.  This way you can enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

• Once you move into your new house you might feel overwhelmed as there's boxes everywhere and lots to unpack.  Instead of stressing about that celebrate Christmas with loved ones.  Visiting family and friends can make moving during the holidays more enjoyable.

• If you moved farther away from family and friends keep in touch by emailing, talking on the phone or by Skype.  This can help you feel more connected with loved ones during the holidays.

Winterizing Your Home

                                                                                            

• Make sure your interior and exterior walls are properly insulated.  Add extra insulation where necessary.

• Check areas in the house where cold air can seep in and hot air can leak out as this can increase energy costs.  Install caulking and weather-stripping where needed.

• Use a programmable thermostat so you can change the temperature in your house whenever you want.  

• Check your furnace and water heater to make sure they're working efficiently.

• Make sure the gutters are clean with no leaves or debris to prevent ice dams that can cause water damage to your roof and walls.

• Turn off the water to your outside garden hose and drain the lines as this will prevent the water from freezing.

Selling a Home During Christmas

The holiday season is a busy time of year.  People are shopping and visiting family and there's not that many people looking to buy a home, but all you need is one buyer.  Here are some tips to remember if you're planning on listing your home:

 

• Make the outside of your home look inviting.  Make sure the walkway is dry and there's no snow or ice.  Decorate the outside of the house with some Christmas decorations to make it stand out.

• It's a good idea to have a nice smell in the house for when people stop by.  Maybe you could bake some ginger bread cookies.

• Christmas is a special time of year so why not give the house a nice touch.  Put up the Christmas tree and set up Christmas decorations.  

It's Christmas time but that does not mean the real estate market is totally dead.  There's going to be somebody looking to buy a home.

Beware of Real Estate Fraud

There are three types of real estate fraud that home buyers should be aware of:

Title fraud-when somebody changes the title of the property to their name so they can sell  or refinance it.

Mortgage fraud-when somebody intentionally leaves out information or lies on a mortgage application to obtain a loan.

Value fraud-when a home buyer is given the impression that the property is worth a lot more than it really is through intentional misrepresentation.

 

Home buyers can prevent themselves from being a victim of real estate fraud by:

• Working with a real estate professional with good credentials

• Believing if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is

• Never disclosing personal financial information over the phone, through mail or email unless they have met in person and know who they're dealing with

• Never paying for real estate transactions in advance

Victims of real estate fraud can suffer a large financial loss, so use common sense and do your homework.

How to Price Your Home to Sell

 

When you're ready to sell your home it's important to price it properly.  This will result in more showings, offers, and of course, a faster sale.  The price you originally paid for the home or the amount you spent on improvements have little influence on the market value. 

When pricing your home you must put your personal opinion aside.  Contact a real estate sales representative and get a comparative market analysis done to find similar properties that have recently sold, that are currently for sale and didn't sell. 

Be sure not to overprice your home because you'll attract less buyers and your home will be viewed as a comparable. 

What to Look for in a Home

 

You decide it's time to buy a home and there's so much to think about.  It's exciting and such a big decision, so you want to make sure you make the right choice.  There's a lot to consider when purchasing a home.

Where are you thinking of buying?  The neighbourhood is important, especially if you have children.  You want to know if there's other children nearby and what school your children will be going to.  Parks that are close would be nice too.  It's convenient to have grocery stores and malls close to do all your shopping.  If you work the distance to and from your job might be a factor.  If you don't drive you want to know if public transit is available.

Of course, you want to make sure the house is in good condition.  Make sure the plumbing, heating and electricity is working well. 

Renting vs Buying A Home

Some people can't decide whether it's better to rent an apartment or buy property.  A young couple might feel it's better to rent and save money for a home, while a young married couple thinking of starting a family is ready to buy a home. 

Renting might seem like the best option for those who can't afford to buy.  Some people think renting is no good because it's like throwing money away.  Others see it as a way to put more money away as they don't have all the added expenses of owning of a home.  However, rent usually increases every year due to inflation.  Renting an apartment can seem unsatisfactory when it comes to grocery shopping.  It can be challenging carrying all those bags to the apartment, unless you have a shopping buggy or live in a basement apartment in a house.  Living in an apartment with a pool or a gym can be a bonus because buying a house with those things can be expensive.  Before you paint or make any changes to the apartment you have to get permission from the landlord as you don't own it.  When renting the landlord is responsible for any repairs.

Owning property is a huge investment.  There's something about owning property that makes a person feel good about themself.  Buying a home is a big decision and there are more expenses, such as mortgage payments, utilities and property taxes.  You have to pay for any repairs, renovations and home maintenance.

What do you think is better?

The Cost of Buying a Home

Buying a home is a big decision, so it's important to know all the costs involved. 

• Down payment-this comes from the buyer's own funds (usually between 5% and 20%) and is applied to the purchase price.

• Mortgage payment-this is money that's borrowed from financial institutions to buy the home, which can be paid back monthly, weekly or bi-weekly.  This payment includes the money borrowed (principal) plus the interest.

•  Home inspection-it's recommended buyers get the home inspected by a professional.  This is paid in advance.

• Property tax-taxes paid to municipal government for services received.

• Transfer tax-might have to be paid when the name on the title is changed. 

Not to mention the cost of moving, connecting utilities and property insurance.

Buying Your First Home

Buying your first home is a very important transaction and a big investment.  There are certain steps  you can follow to help make the whole process of buying your first home go a lot smoother.

• Make sure your credit is in good standing as lenders look at that to determine if you qualify for a mortgage.  They base their decision on your income, your assets, your employment and your credit score.

• Create a budget for yourself and start saving your money for the costs associated with owning a house.

• Get pre-approved for a mortgage so you know how much you can afford to pay for a house.

• Find a competent real estate salesperson to represent your interests and help you negotiate. 

• Be sure to have the home inspected by a professional home inspector to look for serious issues.

Home Staging vs Interior Decorating

Some people think home staging and interior decorating are the same, but they are completely different.

Home staging is preparing a home for sale by making it more appealing to many buyers, which helps it sell faster.  It's more than just cleaning and decluttering.  It's about making it warm and inviting.  This can include painting, repairing and adding accessories.

Interior decorating is decorating a home to create personal comfort.  It's fixing up the place according to personal taste.

Sales Representative vs Private Sale

Some people prefer to use a real estate sales representative to buy or sell property, while others are more comfortable doing it themselves.  Whether or not one method is better than the other depends on the individual. 

Hiring a sales representative can be convenient because they help relieve most of the stress.  They do all the paperwork, arrange showings for sellers and help buyers find the perfect property.  In return for their services a fee must be paid.  Some people don't mind paying the commission because it saves them a lot of time and effort. 

Some people may decide to sell privately so they don't have to pay the commission to a sales representative.  The disadvantage is if they are buying they won't have the experience a sales representative has to negotiate a price.  If they are selling they will have to pay for advertising and do some market research to ensure they are listing their home for the right price.

License

I temporarily parked my license at New World 2000 Realty Inc. because I recently had a baby, but I can still help people with their real estate needs. I plan on going back to Sutton in November. I'm soooo happy that I finished all my articling courses :) 

My baby

I can't believe my baby is already a month old!

Meeting

I had a great meeting at work today! I love the support I'm getting at Sutton :)

Settled

After everything that happened with Brekland, it feels good to finally be settled. I got my new business cards today and I love them :)

Office

Going into the office today.

New Brokerage

Yesterday I transferred to Sutton Group-About Town Realty Inc. Brokerage.