How To Increase The Value Of Your Home

How To Increase The Value Of Your Home

If you are a homeowner who wants to sell your home, you probably have a lot of questions. Some of the most common questions are based on how to make ones house sell for more. This article gives several tips on increasing the value of your home and helping it to sell faster.

It is important to pick the right realtor. Both the real estate agency and the realtor can make a big difference in how your house sells. You should pick an agency that is close to your property this enables them to show it more often. It is also important to find an agent who is enthusiastic and optimistic.The realtor should take quality pictures that will be posted on the internet. Most people won’t even look at an announcement if it doe…

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Should You List in January Or Wait for the Spring Selling Season?

Conventional wisdom says wait until the warmer months to put your house on the market. Here are a few reasons to rethink that idea.

Thousands of homeowners speak to their real estate agent this time of year to consider their sale options — typically for the spring. It takes a few months for the agent and seller to plan and prep to list the home, so starting now makes sense. There's a common misconception that the only time to buy a home is in the spring and summer, with plenty of homes on the market, you're bound to find the right house, but if you just can't wait, don't fret. Here's why you should reevaluate your idea of the home buying seasons.

Over the years, I’ve asked sellers if they would consider listing their home in January, right after the…

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Don't Be a Scaredy Cat About Selling Your Home

Listing your home is enough to make anyone want to run and hide. But if it’s time to sell, you’ll have to face your fears.

Selling a home is one of the most challenging activities we undertake in life. It’s a huge transaction with financial, emotional and practical implications. Not unlike meeting with your CPA or going to the dentist, the thought of putting your home on the market may be enough to make you run for the hills.

If this is true for you, rest assured — you’re not alone. Here are five big fears many sellers face, and ways to cope with them.

My home won’t sell

The home sitting on the market is the number one fear of most sellers. Particularly if they need the money to buy another house or move on, the fear of the home not…

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Top Tips for Downsizing Without Compromising

Downsizing can be stressful.

Moving to a new home is a big change in itself, but moving to a smaller space can be an even bigger adjustment.

Here are a few tips to help you navigate through the downsizing landmine.

Plan Ahead

Give yourself lots of time to prepare. You should start at least three months before your actual move, so you don’t feel anxious about running out of time.

If possible, get a floor-plan of your new space to help with planning.

Purge

We all have lots of stuff. It just magically accumulates over the years. Deciding what to keep and what to get rid of is often the biggest challenge.

Ask yourself: If everything you owned was lost in a fire, what would you replace? Take stock of the things that are actually…

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5 Common Misconceptions About Real Estate

Popular misconceptions about real estate make many people hesitant to get into the home-buying or -selling game. And that’s a shame.

If you’re considering buying or selling a home, don’t let the following conventional wisdom stop you. There’s not as much truth to it as you think.

Misconception: You don’t need a real estate agent to buy a home now that all the information is online

Today it’s more important than ever to have a great local real estate agent on your team. And there’s no cost to you, so why not get an experienced pro on your side?

It’s no longer about agents having access to the proprietary data — it’s all out there. But since buying a home is such an infrequent transaction in your life, you need someone along on your journey who…

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British Columbia November Home Sales Second Strongest on Record

Vancouver, BC – December 14, 2015. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 8,032 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in November, up 34.5 per cent from the same month last year. Total sales dollar volume was $5.38 billion, up 56.4 per cent compared to the previous year. The average MLS® residential price in the province rose to
$668,317, up 16.3 per cent from November 2014

“Housing demand last month was the second strongest ever recorded for the month of November,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “You’d need to look all the way back to the frenetic market of 1989 to find more homes trading hands in November.“

The largest increase in consumer demand occurred in…

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Assessment notices will not shock Kamloops homeowners

Kamloops should escape the price shock homeowners in many parts of the province will experience when they tear open assessment notices next month.

Area deputy assessor Graham Held said yesterday that, while real-estate sales volumes in the Thompson region remain healthy, the market is not seeing the wild price increases found in the Lower Mainland.

“We’re looking at another flat market this year, a marginal increase,” Held said of assessment valuations.

Property owners across B.C. receive assessment notices in the first week of January. Those notices reflect property values as of July 1 the previous year.

“Certainly in the Kamloops market, it’s marginal increases,” Held said.

Kamloops & District Real Estate Association president Cyndi…

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Increase to Minimum Down Payments - Canada wide increase from 5% to 10% minimum on houses over $500,000

Todays news from the Canadian Real Estate Association

Today, the government announced its intent to raise the minimum down payment requirements on homes valued over $500,000. Requirements will remain at 5 per cent down payment for homes under 500,000. Any amount over $500,000 will require a 10 per cent down payment. For example a $700,000 home will require a $45,000 down payment, 5 per cent on $500,000 and 10 per cent down on the remaining $200,000. The announced changes will take effect on February 15, 2016.

The government cites its desire to “contain risks in the housing market” as the reason for its decision.

As you know, the issue of an increase to minimum down payments is something CREA has effectively and successfully fought against since…

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Paying off mortgage safer than investing the cash

Study after study suggests that Canadians are having a tough time paying off their mortgages, as debt levels continue to hit record levels year after year. Why?

Could it be that there are more opportunities to spend? Could it be that some people don't want to pay off their mortgages faster?

Or are some professionals advising alternate investment strategies, suggesting that paying off the mortgage is not the best financial strategy?

BIG MORTGAGES AFFECT RETIREMENT

Rebecca and Darcy are in their mid-50s and are starting to think about retirement planning; they would like to retire in the next five years.

One of their biggest hurdles is a $225,000 mortgage. Currently, their $2,200 monthly payment would have the mortgage paid off in 10 years.

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It’s More Than Putting A Sign On Your Lawn!

It’s More Than Putting A Sign On Your Lawn.

Just as much goes into selling a home as it does into buying one.

It’s a bit of a science actually. You want to get the best price, but you can’t be out of line with market conditions. What to do? Start by being as informed as you can and by choosing an experienced agent who knows your neighbourhood inside out.

Since 1913, Royal LePage has been helping Canadians sell their homes and guiding them through every step of the process. From showing you how to increase the appeal of your home and setting a price that will maximize your profitability to discussing offers and closing the sale. Below, you’ll find it all outlined in eight simple steps.

STEP 1

Deciding to Sell

Everyone has their own reason…

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