From getting emergency cash to filing claims, here’s what to do

Even as first-responders continue to manage and control the wildfire situation in Fort McMurray, Alta., displaced residents continue to make a home in temporary accommodations set up in various cities and towns throughout southern Alberta. But as the situation stabilizes, questions pile up. Has my home burnt down? Will the smoke have caused irreprebable damage? Is my car still stuck, with an empty gas tank, on Highway 63?

To help, here are six steps to take if the wildfires have had a direct impact on you.

Step 1: There is no urgency, but emergency cash is available

For many homeowners, the biggest concern is whether or not the most expensive asset in their nest egg—their home—is

The Calgary real estate market is in flux.

There have been recent warnings of a market correction, and now word that building permits on single-family and two-family homes fell 37.1 per cent in 2015.

Even with the recent downturn, buying a detached house in Calgary is still expensive. The average price last month was $526,758, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board.

For most in the city, their home is their single biggest investment and the one which matters most.

But whether you own a home or are considering buying or selling a home, recent market fluctuations and trying to figure out what comes next can be confusing.

Don Campbell is the senior analyst with the Real Estate Investment Network, and author of many books on buy and selling

Are you preparing your home for sale and wondering if you should make any changes?

There are ways in which you can force equity back into your home, and make it more appealing to buyers. Just be careful not to overdo it and improve your house outside of the neighborhood price range!

The tips we will discuss in the article are low cost ways to net your more money on the sale of your home. If you’re preparing your home for sale you’ll want to be sure to pay attention to the tips in this article that will help you maximize the return on your investment!

Don't forget to call me at (250).319.5896 to discuss your home selling needs

Without further ado, here are…

Home Improvements to Increase Value

Cleaning your Home Before Listing it for Sale

Selling your home is a big deal. Thinking of selling on your own?

Do you hire a Realtor, a discount brokerage, or do it yourself to receive top dollars? Before we continue, let’s get one thing straight, in any profession there is a dividing line between a true professional and the average Joe, and real estate is no exception. With the understanding that I’m speaking of the former, here are my thoughts.

Hiring a discount brokerage or doing it yourself is almost one in the same thing in my mind. For $500-$1000 you can have your listing posted on MLS through a discount brokerage and then you’re left to sea, just like doing it yourself minus the whole MLS thing. Here’s some food for thought:

Additional Legal Fees

You pay more than normal to your

When buyers look at your home, you want them to focus on the features and upgrades.  You don't want to distract them with items that might offend or puzzle them.  

It's amazing how many times we show homes and the buyers will refer to one as "the one with the guns" or the "one with the pictures".  Granted, you're still living in the home but it's time to start packing up your personal items.  In many ways, packing is an important step in moving on with your life.  

Putting away as many of your knick knacks and personal items as possible is a must when getting your home ready to show.  On top of getting rid of clutter, there are some items that should not be left for buyers to see.

Things Buyers Shouldn't See When Viewing Your Home

Guns and

High end restaurants train their staff to "up-sell" diners.

 It starts with the designer water.  The server may continue to suggest the higher priced appetizers, entree and wines.  The restaurant and the server make more money if you run up a big tab.  Some top restaurants hold training classes to teach the staff how to recommend the more expensive items.  They seldom recommend the less expensive item if you ask for an opinion.

Car dealers and department stores are also good at upselling consumers.  Buyers worry that Realtors will work the same.  This is one reason buyers are cautious about letting a Realtor know they're looking to buy.  Here are some tips to help you establish and stay with a reasonable budget when buying your home.

Setting

Spring can be the busiest season for buying and selling homes.

The rising temperatures and Spring flowers make it a pleasant time for house hunting.  It's good timing for families who want to move at the end of the school year.  There are good articles about "Selling" your home in the Spring.  Here are some tips for home buying in the Spring Real Estate market.

1 - No Surprise here - Hire a Good Realtor.  I know.  Everyone is tired of blogs that talk about how you need to hire a Realtor.  How they'll hold your hand through the process and they'll save you money.  No need to repeat all of that. Fact is, you can search homes for sale online. Some of the ones you see may still be available.  Some sites will let you see homes after they went into

Selling your home in Kamloops?

You have heard all about staging your home and getting it ready for sale but does your home have to fit a ideal look?

A sellers question. "We've been to a few open houses (doing research as we prep to sell our space) and we've noticed that everyone seems to have the same style of interior decoration. It's all white, minimalist with some rural flair (antlers over a fireplace, for example). Our house doesn't look like that. Is this something that people are looking for? Do we need to redecorate our place to optimize a sale?"

"When you're getting your home ready to sell, it's a great strategy to tour open houses and see what's appealing to the marketplace," says Andre Alves, a real estate agent in Toronto with Re/Max.

The Canadian and British Columbia governments are complicit in fuelling Vancouver's housing crisis as foreign Chinese buyers continue to shut local residents out of the market, a new study says.

Josh Gordon, the study's author and assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, said people's dreams of owning a home are being crushed because they can't compete with foreign investors and no longer accept "distraction" excuses such as low interest rates for the state of the super-heated market.

"People recognize what's going on, and they're willing to call a spade a spade," he said, stressing that such views are based on reality, not racism.

His report compiles a number of other studies, including data on home-buying

Millionaire homeowners cashing out of Metro Vancouver’s red-hot real estate market are seeking greener pastures elsewhere in B.C.

Real-estate experts say they’re seeing more city slickers selling off their urban homes and heading north or east to buy hobby farms and acreages, where they can live off the land with cash to spare.

And in regions where property prices haven’t yet been affected by the Vancouver market, some realtors say it’s only a matter of time. Landcor Data Corporation tallied 3,226 sales of single-family detached properties of more than two acres in 2015, up from 2,988 in 2014. The real estate data and analysis firm also counted 1,139 units of residential, vacant land larger than two acres sold in 2015, up from 803 in 2014.

Ian