February 2019

When buying a home – most of the negotiations occur before the seller and buyer sign the contract.

You’ve found the perfect Kamloops home for sale. You write an offer.  It gets accepted. And now, you feel like the transaction is a done deal.

Although, the negotiations don’t necessarily end with the acceptance and signing of the purchase contract. In fact, sometimes negotiations continue after the signing. In many cases, just after the buyer home inspection, issues typically arise, and any such issues can spark another round of buyer and seller negotiations.

So, you do the home inspection, which brings up a whole slew of issues. The electrical wiring isn’t up to code, there’s water leaks in the basement, and squirrels have wreaked havoc on the

British Columbia and Ontario continue to be the most expensive place to rent a room, or rooms, in Canada.

A new rental report from PadMapper shows that Montreal is the only city in the country outside of those two provinces to crack the top 10.

Toronto takes the top spot for priciest one bedroom units with an average cost of $2,270, but Vancouver is easily the most expensive market for two bedroom units with an average cost of $3,280.

Alberta's major cities managed to stay out of the top ten, with Calgary and Edmonton ranking 13th and 18th respectively.

In Calgary, one bedroom units average out at $1,130 a month, while in Edmonton the average cost of a one bedroom home is $950.

On the east coast, Halifax leads the way at 16th with one

Several factors affect the value of a house, and a single house may be valued at varying figures.

The two assessments of primary concern to buyers and sellers are the market value and the appraised value but other factors such as appraised also comes into play. Understanding a home’s true market value is about more than pictures, software assessments and price-per-square-foot. Whether you’re a current homeowner thinking of selling or are house-hunting, it’s crucial you understand what factors affect home valuation. By partnering with a local market expert, sellers will avoid pricing their house out of the market (the kiss of death in real estate) and buyers will ensure they get a good deal on their next home. 

The market value of a home is

Homes cost a lot of money to maintain.

But are you spending extra money unnecessarily on upkeep? Here are the 10 most expensive mistakes you could be making in your home.

1. Using Traditional Light bulbs

If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could be throwing a lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over its life span, an incandescent bulb can use $180 worth of electricity. A CFL will only use $41 worth of electricity over the same time period. Even better is the LED bulb, which only uses $30 per bulb. Think what replacing every light bulb in your home could do to your home's bottom line.

2. Ignoring a Leaky Faucet

A leaky faucet that drips one drop per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per

Creating good spending habits is a very valuable skill for anyone.

Did you have good habits before you left home? If not, what kind of difference would it have made in your life? In the current world economic environment it is more important than ever to get your kids to understand the true value of money. With interest rates for saving low it is critical that as your kids look to move out of the family home and into their new life they can manage their financial obligations and be able to afford the essential items for life. When still young it's a great time to start showing them the costs of things and getting them to manage money early in life. Here are a few powerful concepts that can make a huge difference in the way your teens manage their

Ask your Real Estate Questions

It’s time to sell your home and you have a few questions that you need to clear up, as they’ve been weighing on your mind; some more heavily than others.

You won’t be the first to ask such a question and that you’ve been afraid to ask a Realtor. Please understand that your question(s) have likely been asked before by home Sellers. Ask the question. Clarity is essential for peace of mind. Without peace of mind, how could you ever begin to prepare for selling a home.

Can I exclude something from my home sale?

If you absolutely must exclude something from your home sale, it must be made known upfront for any prospective Buyers. For example, if that one of kind, hanging chandelier over your dining room table is a

A smoker’s home can be a massive deterrent to potential buyers.

Not only does smoking leave strong smells in your house, it can also stain walls, cause wallpaper to peel, and stick to furniture. Trapped nicotine residue, known as thirdhand smoke, can pose a threat to anyone living in the home. Here are five ways to get rid of signs of smoking from your home to make it appealing to buyers.

Steam clean carpets
Carpets trap nicotine residue more than anything else in the home and can protrude lingering odors. If you have a carpeted home, take the time to deep clean it with a powerful steam vacuum. Use carpet shampoo and routinely go over areas where smoke stains and odor are most prevalent. Hire a professional steam vacuuming company if you need help.

There’s the joy of cooking, the joy of fishing, the joy of cupcakes, the joy of photography, the joy of eating, just to name a few!

Why shouldn’t there be a “joy of selling a home? Joy can be defined as having an emotion awakened from the sense of well-being.  When you sell your home any homeowner wants to know that everything is going to be okay, that you’ll have success at getting your home sold without a whole lot of aggravation, that you can have joy!

1) Hire an accomplished Realtor.

One who knows Real Estate, loves their chosen full time profession as a Realtor and knows their local Real Estate market.

One who has a track record of selling homes and not just listing homes for sale.   Ask them about the homes they list for sale and how

One of the beauties of real estate investing is the numerous options to make money which the industry gives you.

Whether you are looking for quick cash or for long-term income, whether you are after passive income or don’t mind rolling up your sleeves, real estate has the right answer for you. Make sure you have a great Realtor and financial advisor when embarking on any of these life altering decisions.

The Advantages Of Fix And Flip

• Quick Money

The number one pro of the fix and flip strategy is that you make fast money. You can conclude your whole endeavor in a few months and walk out of it several thousand dollars richer. As far as real estate goes, this is the fastest way to make money. And depending on how good you are at buying low

Selling Your Kamloops Real Estate

Homeowners don't generally think about filling the shoes of a first-time home seller until they decide to buy a new home. Usually, the motivating factor is the need to move -- due to work-related issues or the needs of a growing family -- and that generally involves buying another house.

Before you begin the selling process, really evaluate why you’re moving. Do you have too few rooms, or too many? Has your job moved to another city and you’re relocating? Are the neighbours driving you away? Or are you simply looking for a change? A complete analysis of your current position will set a good foundation for your next home hunt.  The questions will be coming thick and fast, when is the Best Time to Sell Your Home? What