Avoid mistakes that can derail selling a house

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 18th, 2016

Things that can affect a home sale

Are the neighbours nice? What's the kid's favourite spot to play? What repairs have you made? What does THIS thing do? How long does it take to get to the airport? Really, that quick? Well, what about in rush hour?

No one's better able to answer those and a million other buyers' questions than you. You can be a font of wisdom and confidence and expertise, the ideal person to advocate for your biggest asset.

But there are some common mistakes, errors we see in the real estate industry every day, that could make you, let's say ... the less-than-best person.

Beautiful pictures, a thoughtful comparative market analysis, a smartly worded MLS listing, great exposure through Internet real estate sites and your own…

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Moving? Plan ahead

Posted by Steve Harmer on April 18th, 2016

Anyone who's ever moved can tell you how much of a hassle it is

And spring and summer are peak times for moving. Matt Guest, owner of First Rate Movers Inc. , helped compile this list of moving to-dos to take some of the stress out of the process.

RESERVATIONS

Try to book a moving company or a truck as early as you can to make sure you have what you need on the date you need it. Guest says that although the busiest times for moving companies is between April and August, it's even worse during the last week of each month. Make arrangements sooner rather than later.

NOTIFY & COLLECT DOCUMENTS

If you're moving out of the area, make sure to let all the firms you deal with know about a month before the move so they can collect your records - in…

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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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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…

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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

…

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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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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…

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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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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…

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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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