Understanding Buyers Remorse - Tips you help you feel at ease.

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 12th, 2016

Buyer’s remorse is a common feeling during the home buying process.  

You loved your future home when you signed the contract to purchase it, but now you’re not sure if you made the right decision.

What if you acted too quickly and a better house comes on t - he market next week? What if you paid too much for the house? What if something happens to your finances and you can’t make your house payments? Did I bite off more than I can chew?

"Buyer's remorse is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. It is frequently associated with the purchase of an expensive item such as a car or house. It may stem from fear of making the wrong choice, guilt over extravagance, or a suspicion of having been overly influenced by the seller" - Wikipedia

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Fixed or floating? The great mortgage debate of our time...

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 11th, 2016

For those taking on a mortgage or renewing one, it’s a question that can be complicated.

On one hand, interest rates are at historic lows. The Bank of Canada’s benchmark overnight lending rate is at 0.5 per cent. To some borrowers, this might suggest it’s a good time to lock in at a low rate for a long time.

On the other hand, to the surprise of almost no one, the bank suggested that it anticipates no changes. “The near-term outlook remains broadly the same as it did in January,” it said in its most recent rate-setting statement, on March 9. That suggests a floating rate might make sense.

See our BLOG article on interest rates HERE

The issue becomes more complicated, though, because borrowers likely won’t find much advantage.

Compared with…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 21st, 2016

Signs of spring include robins appearing, crocuses poking through the earth, buds popping out on tree branches — and homeowners who start thinking about maintenance work.

There are many possible tasks, but some should take priority. From the top down, here are spring projects that will help keep your house in tip-top condition.

Gutter Guard

Winter conditions dumped debris back into the trenches, so it’s time for the springtime gutter purge. As long as you can reach gutters safely, climb a ladder and pull out the accumulated muck. Blast water from a hose to clean the downspout. If gutters are out of reach, it doesn’t mean you get a pass on this chore. Call a professional.

Roof Reconnaissance

While you’re already on the ladder cleaning out…

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Dealing with the untidy house next door and the best way to sort it all out....

Posted by Steve Harmer on March 21st, 2016

Curb appeal can increase or decrease a home’s value by 30%

How do you deal with a neighbour who does not look after their property like you when you are going to list your home for sale?

Neighbour disputes can arise from a variety of circumstances. The best way to tackle a dispute with a neighbour is to talk it out and find a mutually agreeable solution. If the dispute is not resolved through constructive talks, there are legal remedies to address them. Note that suing a neighbour in court may be a lengthy, stressful, and costly process, but it is an option to exercise when all else fails. 

 

 

The most common types of neighbour disputes arise from:

• Untidy premises;
• Nose complaints;
• Mishandling of dogs and other pets;
• …

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