All Blog Entries by Steve Harmer

As many Baby Boomers near retirement age, the stage is set for social shifts nearly as dramatic as the ones that shaped the 1960s – shifts that are already affecting housing patterns. People in their late 50s and 60s will be asking themselves important questions about the suitability of their living situations to changed professional, personal and financial circumstances – and the current market offers a number of intriguing possible answers to those questions.

Of course, one of the wonderful things about home ownership is the way we become attached to the places we own, especially when we’ve raised our children in them. In some cases, that attachment will trump any other considerations. However, those other considerations can be very persuasive,

If you look online you will find tons of articles supporting both FSBO and Realtor supported real estate transactions.

The real answer to the undying question of whether you should use a Realtor to sell your home or if you should go it alone, is really up to each individual seller. There are pros and cons of both processes, most involving money, but to say one is better than the other can be kind of difficult depending on what criteria you hold most important. If cost is your main concern and you have the relative experiences needed to negotiate, write a contract, and perform all the legalities of such, then by all means, you may find doing a FSBO more beneficial.

Cons of For Sale By Owner

If time, security, expertise, and ease are more important

Moving into a new house involves a lot of things

From supervising the final touches and buying new fittings to hunting the right moving company to help with relocation, one is likely to feel overwhelmed. Unfortunately, your house doesn’t feel like home not until you have given it a thorough cleaning. If you are wondering where to begin or how to go about it, this cleaning guide for new home owners has all the answers you need

1. Clean before you unpack

First of all, it is a good idea to do your cleaning before you begin unpacking. In an empty house, you have enough space to conduct proper cleaning of places that would be difficult to reach when items are already arranged. For instance, you can take care of the closet effectively when it has no

Have you been pre-approved for a mortgage?

Have you started looking for your starter home and or your dream home? Maybe you are wondering what you need to know and what you should do before you begin checking out open houses.

We’ve already covered the timeline to possession in a previous blog but we thought it would be beneficial to understand house hunting etiquette in order to best understand the viewing process and in order to best utilize your time.

1) Show up on time:

We get it, life happens. No problem. If you are running you late call ahead and let your agent know you will be late. This is good etiquette for any situation in which you might be late. They might have other showings after you that they need to move back a little but to

Life has a funny way of changing

When you buy your first home it could be that you bought it as a forever home but as life moves on things change. Jobs, kids and a multitude of other things can happen. Lets face it moving is not the most of relaxing life events (rated the third most stressful life event) and added to that the stress of selling makes for a difficult time. Then there are other factors that can effect the process, weather, seasonal issues, so If you are contemplating listing your home, here are a few tips you may find helpful:

1. DE-CLUTTER WELL IN ADVANCE

Even before your realtor sets an eye on your home - and at least a month prior to listing (make that two months if you still have VHS tapes) - confront your basement and open your

If you have bought a house before you are most likely aware of the steps required to get pre-approved, approved, compile a deposit and the many other steps that fall into buying a home. However, if this is the first time you are buying a home you might not know where to start.

Rest Assured, I am here to help! I want to ease you through the guess work of home ownership and take off the stress of the unknown.

Let me help you get ready to buy your first home. All of the times suggested are of course dependent upon the market, time of year etc. so don't use them as a hard and fast rule.

Step One – Getting started

Timeline = 1 - 3 weeks

Sounds easy enough but there are a few steps that are required from you before you can walk into your

There’s an undeniable thrill in house hunting

After all, for most of us, a home is the most expensive and important thing we’ll ever buy. Chances are, your search will turn up a lot of properties that don’t fit into your plans at all, so the excitement of finding a potentially suitable place in your sights can certainly be overwhelming.  It’s got enough rooms, the neighbourhood seems nice, and it’s in your price range. Where do you sign – right?

Well, perhaps it is the Shangri-La it seems to be – but there’s no harm in pinching yourself a few times to make sure your dream home isn’t just a mirage. By asking a few tough questions now, you can ensure the right answers down the road.

Here are 5 ways to make sure the house you are considering has

Imagine walking up to a home that you are considering buying; The first thing you notice is that the roof shingles are curling. Then you walk up to the door and notice the paint on the front door is chipped and peeling. What kind of first impression would you have of this home?

I am commonly asked by my seller clients if they should put the time, effort and most importantly money into their home or to simply price it well and sell it as is. I decided to write this post to help sellers easily make the decision to fix or to not fix.  Most times a small investment on your part will result in a quicker sale, more positive feedback and hopefully an great offer (or maybe even multiple offers if you’re lucky!)

Obviously, there are few people who wish to

If you have been thinking about selling your home, you probably heard that it’s best to wait until spring.

Many people think of the spring as the best time to sell their home because people are not overwhelmed with the holidays. Plus, school is just coming to an end in the spring, making it the ideal time to relocate your family. If you want to sell your house before the holidays, here’s how to do it fast.

Take Advantage of Less Competition

One of the biggest perks of selling your home right before or during the holiday season is less competition. In general, most people wait until spring to list their homes. What this means for you is that there are going to be fewer houses for buyers to look at, increasing the competition in your favor.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Kamloops? Need to get a great Kamloops Realtor?

Will you be looking to sell your property in the next year? Want to know the essential qualities of a great real estate agent? Need to know how to identify agents with these qualities? If your answers to these questions is YES then read on and learn how to get the right Realtor.

When seeking real estate agents, experts agree that locating a good agent will make a difference in your real estate experience. Good inspectors, contractors, attorneys and other professionals are also important for the same reason.

No one asking a real estate agent if they are efficient, honest or knowledgeable has ever heard an agent say “No.” They will say, “Yes,” because they believe