How a simple credit error can ruin your home-owning dream

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 7th, 2016

Imagine the anxiety of watching your credit score unexpectedly plummet after spending your entire adult life maintaining good credit.

Now suppose this credit decline blocks you from getting a mortgage on the house you planned to buy.

That’s precisely what happens to many mortgage applicants all across the country with surprisingly high frequency.

All too often the culprit is unpaid phone bills. In some case's your cellphone provider will send an account's to a collection agency after being just more than a month late, especially on its cancellation fee. That causes your credit score to drop like a lead pickle, approximately 80 points (out of a theoretical 900) virtually overnight.

It never should have happened that way. Collections are meant…

1787 Views, 0 Comments

Three ways to pay off your mortgage faster

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 6th, 2016

Things like traffic, work and dirty dishes can seem to go on forever; your mortgage doesn’t have to.

Even if you have signed on for a long mortgage, with payments scheduled to continue until you’re old, there are ways to speed everything up, experts say.

It’s a matter of knowing your options and paying attention to detail.

“Obviously there’s budgeting, where you cut back on some of your spending,” says April Dunn, a mortgage broker at Red Door Mortgage Group in Kelowna, B.C.

“But that only works if you actually take the funds to pay down the mortgage.” If you can’t bear to give up that triple skinny latte with an extra shot and some foam, “there are other things you can do.”

Some of these may seem simple but knowing more lets you make the…

2629 Views, 0 Comments

Keep the closets clear of clutter; Buyers will judge a home's space by 'snooping'

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 4th, 2016

Sometimes your closet organizing can say a lot about your home space

If you live in a condo or house and feel that your storage isn't terrible, but the closets are crammed with everything from bags to shoes and jackets you might want to get them organised. People looking to purchase a property will open and see how closets are organized Investing in an organizer to help the spaces look more spacious can make a huge difference on first impressions.

Most buyers will certainly open up and look at cupboards for a very practical reason: they want to know whether it's realistic to think their stuff will fit in the space.

When buyers see an organized closet it calms their minds and allows them permission to say 'Yes, I can see myself living here in a…

1807 Views, 0 Comments

10 tips for first-time homebuyers in Kamloops

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 3rd, 2016

10 tips for first-time home buyers in Kamloops

How to navigate the real estate market

Home buyers are currently caught in a storm of low inventory, high demand and tight credit availability. 

In these market conditions, even simple tactics or connections a potential home buyer can have could make the difference between owning a home or not.

1. Know what you can afford  

When looking for a new home, make your search more effective by knowing how much home you can afford. Carefully calculate the overall monthly payments. Be sure to include additional costs like property taxes, property transfer tax, insurance premiums, homeowners insurance, homeowners' association dues (if applicable), etc. Look at your monthly budget to understand how…

2146 Views, 0 Comments

Polish up that barbecue when staging your home

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 3rd, 2016

Selling your home don't forget the BBQ!

When Marc and Jen Robinson were looking to sell their home, their real estate agent advised them to spruce up their barbecue.

“He said it would add value to our backyard,” says Marc, a health-care professional, 34. “The problem is that our barbecue is old and very well used.” He asked whether it’s worth cleaning the old grill or whether investing in a new one would be smarter.

“In some cases neglect can cause a barbecue to seriously decay and start falling apart. In the worst cases it can even become dangerous,” says Charles Munro of Barbeque Pro Inc. “If your barbecue was purchased for under $400 and is heavily used, you may want to opt for a new cheap one.” For listing purposes, you don’t have to worry…

2177 Views, 0 Comments

Selling your home - 5 Things that turn buyers off

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 1st, 2016

When trying to sell your home, it is imperative that you keep the buyer in mind.

This does sometimes mean that you may have to live uncomfortably or invest your own money into a property that you hope to sell. When preparing to sell your home, keep the following deal breakers in mind to sell your house and move into your dream home.

Piled Up Junk

If a prospective buyer visits your home and finds the garage is currently inaccessible due to your hoarded junk, this will immediately turn them away.  Piled up old furniture, appliances and other assorted unnecessary items make any area of your home seem smaller and less inviting. To appeal to buyers, you want the storage areas and rooms in your home to feel as open as possible.

Old Appliances

…

1844 Views, 0 Comments

How To Sell Your Tenant Occupied Home

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 31st, 2016

You have an investment property and your looking to sell.

You still have current tenants, so what are the tips to help you get a sale while your tenants are in your property?

If your Tenant has something to gain from the sale of the house, they would be more willing to cooperate showing it.Think of ways to motivate them!

If at all possible, it would be best to wait until the tenants vacate the house prior to listing, however, that may not always happen.

There are several ways to motivate your tenant so they have the house in “Show Ready” condition at all times. Let’s be honest, it is work to keep the house in good, show ready condition even if it’s the homeowner living in the house.
Once you list your house for sale, you’re now asking…

5706 Views, 0 Comments

How can we get multiple bids on our Kamloops Property or just make sure its the best price?

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 27th, 2016

So you are going to sell your Kamloops home.

Obviously you need get the maximum price possible for your home. so what’s the best tactic for getting multiple offers?

The market in Kamloops continues to be a sellers market (low inventory is still an issue right now) and will continue until one of the market variables changes. How to work with listing agents in Kamloops

So how do you, the seller, make sure you are able to make the most amount of money possible from the market conditions? Creating demand is a fundamental aspect of attaining multiple offers while selling Kamloops real estate, and there are many ways to do so and a pretty specific path to follow. Your Realtor will discuss each of the options with you and give you the ones to do for…

2196 Views, 0 Comments

What do you do when your parents are living in poverty — in a million-dollar home

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 24th, 2016

A million-dollar home but a property in a state of neglect and a bare-bones lifestyle that doesn’t fit your wealth.

In today’s housing market where the average price detached home is now $1 million in Toronto and $1.8 million in Vancouver, it’s becoming increasingly common to see seniors living in poverty even though they have enough home equity to lift themselves out of it. Across the country, the average price of a home reached a record $442,857 in 2015 — much of that wealth an untapped resource.

“I’ve seen people who are eating cat food but they own a $1.5 million home,” says David Batori, the broker of record with Toronto-based Re/Max Hallmark Batori Group Inc. ”Some of these seniors just don’t have any idea what their home is worth because they…

2727 Views, 0 Comments

Who pays for damage caused during a home inspection?

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 24th, 2016

Sellers may end up having to pay for damage

During a home inspection who would be liable for damage caused, interesting question read this example and see if you agree with the experts who replied.

"A couple signed an agreement to buy our townhouse and one of the conditions was a home inspection. During this inspection a three-inch superficial window crack was made significantly worse when someone tried to crank open the locked window. Now the crack is about 24 inches long and travels straight across the window. What recourse do we have? Are we responsible for paying for this repair? — Feeling disrespected, North York, Ont."

 

Answer No. 1: Probably the best solution would have been to repair the window before listing. If you…

2034 Views, 0 Comments