Dealing with Seller's Remorse

When Sellers Get Cold Feet

Seller’s remorse: that sinking feeling in your heart and stomach knowing you may have lost something you can never get back. In real estate and especially home ownership, this “syndrome” is very real and have sent some into a downward spiral that has a ripple effect into other parts of their lives.

The leading cause of seller’s remorse and how to avoid it is when an offer presents itself before the seller has time to fully consider and process the option to sell or keep.

With buyer’s remorse on the other hand, you are often able to get out of the contract because of certain subjects in the contract but you won’t be stuck with a house you don’t want.

With seller’s remorse you don’t have that option; you can only hope…

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4 Home Strategies Believed to Increase Luck and Fortune at Home

While success in real estate depends on many factors, including choosing the right real estate agent, the current market conditions and the condition and location of the property itself, there’s a few tricks that property owners can use to boost their luck!

People have been looking for divine intervention with their real estate transactions and properties for centuries, turning to everything from crystals to Catholic saints! Some of these methods involve buying and selling a piece of real estate while other luck-enhancing techniques aim to improve the luck of the occupants of a home.

In the spirit of the lucky Irish four-leaf clover, here’s four ideas you can use to help create your own luck with your real estate investment!

Designing and…

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Things to Consider When Buying And Selling A House At The Same Time

There are certainly several things to consider when buying and selling a house at the same time.

The process of buying a house can be difficult and stressful. Tons of research is required in terms of the location you want to live in as well as the local real estate market. Then you’ll need to go house hunting in order to find properties that are for sale, not to mention find houses that you actually like. It can be an overwhelming process.

The same can be said about selling the house you’re currently living in. You’ll need to make repairs, invest in upgrades to help boost its value, stage your home, hold open houses and more. Like buying a home, selling a home can prove to be quite a challenge. With this in mind, you’re probably wondering how the…

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Unlicensed foreign agents leverage lax regulation to sell B.C. real estate

They’ll arrange showings, set up negotiations with the seller’s agent, and even pick you up from the airport.

It’s the kind of pitch a real estate agent might make.

But no – this is the work of an unlicensed foreign agent working in B.C.

The man on the phone is cheery and confident, with the practised ease of someone accustomed to calming anxiety.

There is no need to worry, he says. Buying a home in Vancouver is simple. His company will dispatch people to the airport, then guide an inexperienced buyer through the entire process. No other company will be involved, he promises. “If you go to look at a house, our headquarters staff will take care of you,” he says.

His colleagues will come every day to arrange showings and, when a suitable home…

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6 Rules for Protecting Yourself When Buying Outside of Canada

Often, during the winter, the weather seems to freeze the logic portion of some people’s brains as they head south to thaw their bodies. (Sorry, if that is a little harsh, but sadly it’s true). Given that winter weather comes to this country at different times, I thought this was a great time to start thinking about it. We land in these little warm retreats and begin to fantasize about “owning a piece of paradise.” That is when the justifications begin and as we all know humans can find a way to justify anything they really want in their life.

Canadians Have Targets on Their Backs

Sales teams know Canadians begin to make desperate decisions as winter closes in and feels like it may never end. Sure, a piece of tropical or recreational paradise may…

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Are the new changes in Canadian mortgages affecting the wrong people?

Housing policy is being created for the whole country based on markets in Toronto and Vancouver

They are Canada’s two hottest housing markets, and even some in the real industry don’t question the need to cool prices in both Toronto and Vancouver, but that opinion changes once you get beyond the orbit of those two cities.

There is almost a sense of bewilderment in places like Halifax and Edmonton or Montreal, where people wonder what overheated housing market anyone is talking about, because it’s not happening in their jurisdiction. DBRS Inc. said this week that from July 2015, to July 2016 prices across the country are almost flat once British Columbia and Ontario are excluded.

“It’s raining in Vancouver, but first-time home buyers need an…

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8 common mistakes when selling your home

Some common sense tips to make sure your home sells

You can always find tips and tricks for selling your home, but what do you need to know to avoid making a mistake? Here’s eight ways you squash a good house sale and how to avoid making these mistakes.

Number 1: Bad photos

If the online photos of your house are dim, blurry, taken at odd angles or of odd rooms, don’t be surprised if you get fewer than expected appointments to view your home for sale. According to recent stats, 91% of all buyers start their home search on the Internet—and the vast majority of those buyers will pass over a listing with bad photos (even if it meets all their criteria on paper!). In fact, there have been times when I’ve had to convince a buyer to give a listing a…

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Mortgage rules: What do the changes mean?

There are new changes that are going into effect this month surrounding Mortgage Guidelines in Canada.

A major shift in mortgage rules announced by the federal government this week will drive up rates for consumers and cut competition in the lending sector, say some in the industry.

The Liberal government has announced sweeping changes aimed at ensuring Canadians aren’t taking on bigger mortgages than they can afford in an era of historically low interest rates.

Mortgage expert Robert McLister says Ottawa is cracking the housing market with a “sledgehammer.”

He predicts consumers will bear the brunt of the blow and that housing prices will tumble because a “sizable minority” of first-time and high-ratio buyers will no longer qualify for the…

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Who Pays for What When Buying a Home?

Buying a piece of property is not a simple transaction, and buyers are often surprised by the number of parties involved, who of course, all need to be paid. 

But how is it determined who pays for what?  What is a seller expense and what is paid by the buyer? 

Inspections and Reports

It is generally up to the buyer to pay for a general home inspection and any other more specialized inspections such a roof, plumbing, or electrical inspection. If there is a well or septic system on the property it is generally up to the buyer to have those systems inspected and and to do a water test.  On a large property the buyer may also want a survey that marks the corners of the lot.  This may or may not be paid by the seller.  The allocation of costs for…

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10 Homebuyer Tips For Making The Most Out Of An Open House

The open house is one of the best resources a home buyer can take advantage of

It’s a great way to go check out a house that you might be interested, ask some questions and inspect both the interior and exterior in person without feeling any kind of pressure or obligation from the seller or their agent. The following are a few tips that will help you get the most out of an open house:

1. Use an Agent to hold the houses open exclusively to you

The best open houses are the ones you choose, based on your price, your criteria, and  a selection you have made with an agent. Instead of following open house signs that go on forever that lead you to a home way out of your price range, or not in the right school zone, or without the right number of…

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