Province posts highest number of residential unit transactions ever recorded for the month of December, propping up weaker Canadian markets

 Home sales across BC smashed all December records, according to BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) figures issued January 15. There was a total of 6,590 residential unit sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in December 2015 – a rise of 29.8 per cent from December the previous year. BC’s total home sales dollar volume in December hit a record $4.62 billion for the month of December, up 55.4 per cent compared to the previous year.

This is attributable to both rising transaction volumes and the average price in the province climbing above the $700,000 threshold for the first time in BC, rising 19.7 per

If you're selling your home, there are ways to minimize re-negotiations because of issues arising from a home inspection

Q: How do I renegotiate with my home's buyers over problems arising from their home inspection?

A: When you are selling your home or condo, often times there are issues with the property that you might not be aware of. At this stage the buyer will often want to renegotiate the agreed price based on the results of the inspection. So how should you, the seller, respond? This is when you get the value out of your Realtor, they will be working for you in this process so make sure you choose a good realtor.

With a home there are often issues that be very costly to repair. One approach to take, as the seller, is to address the issues

So you got a “Low Ball” Offer on your house for sale…Unfortunately, “low ball offers” on homes are more common than you may think, particularly among investors. A “lowball offer” is an offer that is far below a home’s asking price (sometimes ridiculously low—but the value of “low” is in the eyes of the recipient). There is not really a benchmark for how low an offer is to be considered a “low ball,” but believe me, if you receive one when selling your home, you’ll know!

So…how should you respond? Should you tell them where they can stick it?

(It is soooo tempting!!) I say, usually, no! WHY?? You know, a bird in the hand and all that…

More than likely, you are angry. You are probably also insulted. It is difficult to do, but try to place your

Spring and all its glory is right around the corner—just take a look at the signs all around you.

No, we’re not talking about the budding flowers or the chirping birds—we’re referring to those “For Sale” signs that start popping up on lawns across the country as the weather starts heating up.

And once the home-buying season commences … so do the bidding wars and mad dashes from one open house to another.

Since the housing market can be a tricky one to suss out, we asked agents across the country to give us their assessments for this season’s real estate landscape.

Their overarching observation? This will be a competitive home-buying season—so if you snooze, you may lose out on that perfect home you’ve been eyeing.

The current market is a

So are you looking to buy a home in Kamloops? Tired of looking on www.mls.ca and constantly sorting out the good from the bad? Ever wonder how folks get to see the latest properties first?

Why not give me a call today and I can set you up on your very own Private Client Services (PCS) program.

PCS is your very own web based page that we setup together. It uses your criteria for location, price, bedrooms etc. and will email you a list of properties that match your specifications, not only that but you learn about new properties before they hit mls.ca. In today's market of low housing inventory that could be the difference in getting your home or losing out.

Its free and there is no obligation whatsoever, you can cancel anytime or request the

Canada’s Housing Market Posts Strong Growth in Fourth Quarter Led By Gains in Country’s Largest Markets 

TORONTO, January 13, 2016  – Canada’s residential real estate market showed strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2015, led by hot Vancouver and Toronto markets according to the Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast released today. Looking forward to 2016, Royal LePage expects continued price increases in most markets, but not at the pace that has been the recent norm. Instead, the national real estate market is expected to slow later this year, principally due to the effects of a dampened economy in Western Canada and eroding affordability in Toronto and Vancouver.

According to the Royal LePage National House Price

Your rental suite may be a big plus when it comes to selling your home, but there are issues to consider.

Selling a home with an income-generating rental suite has many advantages to potential purchasers, thus giving you, the seller, an edge on the competition in today's evolving real estate market. In general, a rental suite is qualified when the secondary accommodation has its own separate entrance, a kitchen, living area and a bathroom with either a shower or bathtub.

But what type of suite does your property contain? Is it a legal authorized suite, an authorized illegal suite or an illegal unauthorized suite? Let's explore the differences.

A legal, authorized suite is a suite that meets the conditions of your local municipalities zoning

Buying Home Insurance

As a homeowner, you need to insure your house for replacement costs so that in the event of serious damage or destruction you have adequate coverage. Be sure to keep your home insurance current by reporting material changes or upgrades.

Bricks, Mortar and So Much More

Home ownership is one of the largest financial investment decisions Canadians make. Your home may be your biggest source of equity. No matter how well built, your home is vulnerable to fire, vandalism and other types of damage and destruction.

What Is Covered

Coverage can vary from one insurer to the next, so it’s important to select a policy that suits your specific needs. Home insurance covers the dwelling, contents and personal liability of you (the

Is rent to own for you? How does it work?

You may have seen more and more people advertising that they have a house or condo for sale, and offer to do a rent-to-own. It seems to be becoming a popular way for selling a property, but not a lot is known about exactly how it works, and to whose benefit.

When a seller advertises that he will consider doing a rent-to-own deal, he will be looking for someone to lease the house with two contracts. One contract will be a regular lease contract, and the other will deal with the purchasing part of the deal. This contract will be for a period of time that is agreeable to both the seller and the buyer, usually anywhere from one year to three years. Many people think that the seller will simply set aside

The full results of the 2015 selling season have been released from Kamloops and district real estate association (KADREA)

So after a very busy year Kamloops saw 2001 sales with Brocklehurst posting the most sales just ahead of Aberdeen and Sahali.

So how did your community fare this past year?

Some facts on December sales:

Kamloops and District Median Residential Price: $348,000

Kamloops only Median Residential Price (does not include condominiums or mobiles): $375,000