Blog Archives
Tips & Tricks to Make Your Home Selling-Ready
When it comes time to sell your home, it’s generally better to find a buyer sooner rather than later. The longer your house sits on the market, the worse it tends to fair. Fortunately, there are ways to make your home look more inviting to potential buyers. Here are just a few ideas to make your home selling-ready! Inside Renovations can vary a lot in actual return. The fact is some renovations are simply better investments than others. When it’s time to sell your home, put your money into the ones that will benefit your sale the most. Of all the investments, new lighting has one of the best returns. New lights make rooms feel bigger and brighter. While you’re at it, take down any old window coverings. If you preferred your walls in interesting rather than neutral colours or if you haven’t painted in over two years, you’ll likely see a good return on repainting as well. Potential buyers aren’t going to respond well if they walk into your home and immediately see things they want changed. For this reason, replacing floors with an affordable tile or hardwood will likely earn you money when you sell. For larger projects […]
First Time Home Buyer: So You’ve Found the House of Your Dreams… What Happens Now?
While it would be great if finding the home of your dreams meant the hard part was finished, your house-buying journey has in fact only just begun. As you move forward with your offer, you’re going to need to have an inspection done. Inspections aren’t mandatory, but they are a very good idea. Purchasing a house is a huge investment; you don’t want to put down your savings just to realize that there’s black mould in the attic and the foundation is unstable. Once the inspection is finished and you know you can live with any issues that are present, it’s time to move forward. Making an Offer to Purchase. This is one of the steps that make most first-time homeowners extremely grateful for their realtor. Creating an Offer to Purchase can seem complicated and many soon-to-be homeowners are anxious about making mistakes. Besides your name and the price you’re offering to pay, your offer will also include any items in or around the house that you believe should be included in the purchase of the home, the amount of your deposit, the closing date, a request for the current land survey, and the date the offer expires. If you […]
Should You Listen to Local Economists or Non local Economists?
With different messages coming from all different sides, it can be challenging to know who’s right, who’s wrong, and who’s just stirring up trouble when it comes to Calgary’s economic situation. Are local experts more likely to be correct since they’re close to the action? Or are they going to be biased to make the news more positive than reality? Are non-local economists too removed to says how the economic situation really is? Are they biased to be more negative than is really accurate? It’s honestly pretty hard to say. Like the weather, the economy can be hard for people to predict and interpret. Usually the best bet is to try and hear a variety of opinions and go from there. Arguing for Weakening. At the moment, there is a lot of support for the idea that the economy in Calgary being at its weakest since 2009 that saw the economic recession in both Canada and the States. The Conference Board of Canada’s is anticipating that with the currently low oil prices, Calgary’s economy will inevitably suffer. Historically, this is a pretty reasonable guess. Calgary’s economy and housing market often follows the oil industry closely, and economists from across the […]
First Time Home Buyer: The home Buying Process
Don’t be deceived into thinking that the home buying process is quick. It can often take a long time and usually involves many people as well as a lot of money. That’s why it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into before you begin. Step One: Set your Budget and Investigate Mortgage Options. This begins well before the rest of the steps start. Plan out how much money you can put aside for your down payment, how much money you want to save, and what are the minimum and maximum home prices you’re looking at. After you’ve save your down payment, it’s time to look at mortgaging options. If you don’t have a full 20% down, you’ll need mortgage default insurance. It’s a good idea to be pre-approved before house hunting. Step Two: Choose a Real Estate Agent and a Lawyer. Your realtor is your consultant, advisor, negotiator, and local expert. Our last blog lays down some guidelines for choosing a good real estate agent. If you choose to hire a lawyer, pick one who specializes in real estate. They’ll help by check for outstanding taxes and liens on the home you’re interested in. They can also help […]
First Time Home Buyer: How to Pick a Good Real Estate Agent
When you’re new to the real estate market, it can be challenging to know what you’re supposed to do. It may seem like all your peers already have homes or at least seem to know what they’re doing. It can be easy to be convinced to use a friend or family member as your real estate agent even if they aren’t the best choice. Fortunately, we live in a world where it’s easy to access the information you need. Instead of defaulting to an agent who may not be the best option, you can move forward confident you know what you want from your agent. Time and Expertise. Many real estate agents only work part time. While some of these part time agents will likely be good matches, it’s generally a good idea to steer clear of those who aren’t working real estate full time. There are a few reasons for this. The first is if real estate is just a hobby for your agent, they aren’t likely to take it as seriously as someone whose livelihood is dependent on excellence in the industry. Beyond that, if you’re buying your first home, you want an agent who is going to […]
First Time Homebuyers: Why use a Real Estate Agent?
In the world of the internet, many first-time homebuyers are feeling as empowered as ever. Many questions can be researched and answered with a well worded search and a click. It can lead homebuyers to wonder why they need a real estate agent at all. Expert Insight One of the best things about working with an real estate agent is the expertise they bring to your search. An experienced agent is going to know which areas of the city should be avoided and where the best school are located. Buying your first home can be overwhelming. Even with the magnitude of information available, it’s difficult to know everything you’ll want to know and to remember everything you need to remember. The expert insight of a Calgary real estate agent can make all the difference between buying an okay house and buying your dream home. A Knowledgeable Guide Because of the overwhelming amount of knowledge, it can be useful to have someone you know is on your side. Your real estate agent is legally bound to be honest and help guide you to make the best decision for you. Having a guide during the homebuying process is exceptionally useful — especially […]
How Canada’s Anti-Spam Laws Affects Communication with your Realtor
Canada’s anti-spam laws have been in effect for almost six months! These laws were created to prevent Canadians from receiving spam — basically the electronic form of junk mail. However, it doesn’t just affect your inbox, the laws also protects against unsolicited communication via text and social media. But what about the times you do want a business — or your realtor — to contact you? How will the new Anti-Spam Laws affect your communication then? Prior Consent is the only real change on the consumer’s end of this law. If you’re hoping to receive an email from a realtor you met the other day or want them to forward you information, you’ll have to give them both your email address and your consent. Consent can be verbal, written, or electronic (often in the form of a checkbox). For veterans of the real estate market, you may find that some of your real estate contacts haven’t been sending you their regular news letter. Be sure to give them your consent if you want to continue receiving it. Forwarding a Message If you’re enquiring about information on a property or services with the intention of passing them on, keep in mind […]
About Real Property Reports (RPRs)
You may be wondering what exactly a real property report (RPR) is. The Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association defines an RPR as, “a legal document that clearly illustrates the location of significant visible improvements relative to property boundaries.” However, it’s probably better understood as a plan or illustration of a property plus some details. Usually, an RPR will include drawings of the physical features of the property and written notes offering the surveyor’s opinions or concerns. It will include a legal description of the property, the property’s address, and its dimensions. It may also show any adjacent properties, any relevant improvements, and more. Anyone working with or owning property is going to benefit from having an RPR. Realtors like me use an RPR to give a potential buyer a visual representation of the property and how it is laid out. As a homeowner, a real property report makes it easier to design improvements. If you choose to add on a garage or build a shed, the RPR will help guide your decision and keep you from encroaching outside of your property’s boundaries. Municipalities often use an RPR to determine if a property complies with the local fire and building codes. Whether […]
Technology in Real Estate
We live in an amazing time. The internet is possibly the most brilliant tool for communication and education ever created and, while the beta is hardly impressive, we in fact live in a world that includes hoverboards. I’m not holding out for a flying car any time soon, but since I first began as a realtor, it’s safe to say a lot has changed. The internet has been an incredible resource for spreading information like home listings. People on the other side of the ocean can view homes listed in Calgary! Like I said, it’s pretty amazing. Another useful technology in the real estate world has taken some time catching on, but it’s still worth discussing: electronic signatures. Electronic signatures were first made legal in the U.S. in 2000; they have been used by realtors in America since 2004. Canada, however, has been slow to follow. In fact, a lot of Canadian’s don’t even realize that in most provinces, Alberta included, electronic signatures are as legal and binding as the traditional pen to paper variety. One of the biggest reasons for the confusion and the uncertainty surrounding electronic signatures is that each province has handled it differently. Manitoba for example […]