Selling your home

The B.C. Real Estate Association has released its first quarter housing forecast summary and it's projecting a slight boost in the number of sales and a steady increase in the price of homes in Kamloops and across the province.

"We've seen a tremendous amount of growth the last few years, and the unemployment rate is incredibly low right now. So it certainly signals full employment in many sectors, which is certainly positive for consumers, for housing demand," noted the chief economist for the B.C. Real Estate Association Cameron Muir, who is predicting the growth over the next two years.

Kamloops is following the downward trend of housing sales in 2018 — down 10.8 per cent in housing transactions last year compared to 2017. But housing sales

Everybody knows that British Columbia in Canada takes pride in its most temperate climate and the most breathtaking views. But everyone also knows it is the most expensive province to live in Canada.

Despite higher costs of living, BC is still a top choice for many Canadians and immigrants to relocate. 

Why Choose British Columbia for Relocation

If you are planning a move anywhere in British Columbia, you are about to discover one of the most spectacular places in Canada. British Columbia has a pretty diverse climate, depending on where you choose to live. Near the coast, you’ll experience dry summers and wet but mild winters. Near the Okanagan or Cariboo, winters are warm and summers quite hot. In contrast, the northern coast gets more rain and

Real estate association offers optimistic forecast, saying buyers are gradually “adjusting” to mortgage stress test

Home sales in B.C. are likely to rise slightly this year, and more in 2020, according to a forecast released February 25 by the B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA).

The association said it expects residential sales in the province to rise two per cent to 80,000 units this year. This follows a slow 2018 in which 78,345 homes traded hands on B.C.’s MLS®, which was 24.9 per cent lower than in 2017.

BCREA also predicted home sales to increase a further 6.9 per cent to 85,500 units in 2020. This would be a very normal level of activity, as the 10-year average for home sales in the province is 85,800 units.

The association said that

A special thank you to my past and present clients, friends and family for another great year.

I am proud to announce that I have been recognized at the ‘Red Diamond’ award level by Royal LePage corporate. The ‘Red Diamond’ recognizes some of the country’s top performing Realtors, and I have been ranked in the Top 2% of Royal LePage’s 18,000 Realtors. 

 Thank you SO much to all of our clients. Obviously, we could not have achieved this without your trust in allowing us to support you through the buying and selling process. We feel so lucky to be able to do what we do for a living, and we are extremely excited to see what 2019 brings.

 I very very pleased to also announce that I ended the year at the Royal LePage number 1 Realtor for Kamloops

There are some parts of Canada where the prices of real estate have already shot up toward what is likely to be a peak for the time being.

In some other areas, though, the markets are just heating up, and interest rates are still relatively low. This makes this a terrific time to start investing in real estate. However, if your liquidity is on the low side, where do you get the funds?

Why borrow against home equity?

What is home equity? It’s the difference between the market value of your home, as determined by an appraisal, and what you owe on the mortgage. If you bought a house for $750,000, and you’ve paid down the balance on the mortgage to $250,000, but the value of the home has gone up to $900,000 in the years since you bought it, you have

Many homes these days have surveillance equipment ranging from high-tech motion detector and video cameras to so-called “nanny-cams.”

Home buyer beware! The seller may be watching. And listening.

A growing number of home sellers are using security cameras and microphones to watch potential buyers as they tour their houses or condos. They then may use what they hear or see as leverage in price negotiations.

Home sellers also use such equipment to protect their belongings during open houses and showings. The trend has been fueled by the spread over the past five years of inexpensive Wi-Fi enabled cameras and mics that homeowners can buy and set up themselves for home security. Motion sensors notify them by text or email that a visitor is in their

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

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