While success in real estate depends on many factors, including choosing the right real estate agent, the current market conditions and the condition and location of the property itself, there’s a few tricks that property owners can use to boost their luck!

People have been looking for divine intervention with their real estate transactions and properties for centuries, turning to everything from crystals to Catholic saints! Some of these methods involve buying and selling a piece of real estate while other luck-enhancing techniques aim to improve the luck of the occupants of a home.

In the spirit of the lucky Irish four-leaf clover, here’s four ideas you can use to help create your own luck with your real estate investment!

Designing and

There are certainly several things to consider when buying and selling a house at the same time.

The process of buying a house can be difficult and stressful. Tons of research is required in terms of the location you want to live in as well as the local real estate market. Then you’ll need to go house hunting in order to find properties that are for sale, not to mention find houses that you actually like. It can be an overwhelming process.

The same can be said about selling the house you’re currently living in. You’ll need to make repairs, invest in upgrades to help boost its value, stage your home, hold open houses and more. Like buying a home, selling a home can prove to be quite a challenge. With this in mind, you’re probably wondering how the

On Monday the 17th of October, stricter new federal rules about who can qualify for an insured mortgage took effect across the country.

Now, all new mortgage applicants have to pass a ‘stress test,’ which tries to predict whether they can keep up with mortgage payments, at their current salary levels, if interest rates were to rise.

Low interest rates have fueled red-hot real estate markets in south-central Ontario and, especially, Vancouver. As real estate values have skyrocketed in both places, uneasiness has grown about affordability and whether real estate has become a bubble economy. Because of mortgage insurance guarantees, Ottawa has a stake in home buyers not buying more than they can afford (leaving aside risks to the wider economy).

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They’ll arrange showings, set up negotiations with the seller’s agent, and even pick you up from the airport.

It’s the kind of pitch a real estate agent might make.

But no – this is the work of an unlicensed foreign agent working in B.C.

The man on the phone is cheery and confident, with the practised ease of someone accustomed to calming anxiety.

There is no need to worry, he says. Buying a home in Vancouver is simple. His company will dispatch people to the airport, then guide an inexperienced buyer through the entire process. No other company will be involved, he promises. “If you go to look at a house, our headquarters staff will take care of you,” he says.

His colleagues will come every day to arrange showings and, when a suitable home

Often real estate investors look at purchasing foreclosed homes in Canada.

Are there really deals to be had? What if you plan to renovate and flip it?

A foreclosure is the legal process that takes place when a homeowner can no longer pay his or her mortgage. The bank or lender seeks to recoup monies owed by selling the property, wherein, the borrower loses any financial interest in the property.

The foreclosure system in Canada does not create the extravagant deals that the system in the US does. Although “deals” can be found, it is mostly on properties that have very little interest from buyers. In Canada, each province has its own system, as well, which makes the process of buying a foreclosed home more complex for buyers. For instance, in BC,

Housing policy is being created for the whole country based on markets in Toronto and Vancouver

They are Canada’s two hottest housing markets, and even some in the real industry don’t question the need to cool prices in both Toronto and Vancouver, but that opinion changes once you get beyond the orbit of those two cities.

There is almost a sense of bewilderment in places like Halifax and Edmonton or Montreal, where people wonder what overheated housing market anyone is talking about, because it’s not happening in their jurisdiction. DBRS Inc. said this week that from July 2015, to July 2016 prices across the country are almost flat once British Columbia and Ontario are excluded.

“It’s raining in Vancouver, but first-time home buyers need an

To most Canadians, buying a property is a daunting task in itself. But what about securing a mortgage? 

What factors are taken into consideration by lenders and underwriters that can make or break the loan?  Obviously, credit is a major decider in the equation, but what exactly goes into deciding credit worthiness?  What most Canadians aren’t aware of is that credit is not just a score or an ability to make payments on time. Credit is actually composed of a few different categories known as the five C's of credit.

The 5 C's of credit consists of: Credit, Capacity, Capital, Character & Collateral.

1. Credit shows the lender a snapshot of what the borrower’s repayment history has been over a period of time. This is the only way a lender can predict

Well 2016 is three quarters over, that was fast.

For people who happen to be planning on purchasing a house in the last part of 2016 or early 2017 there is a great deal to look forward to. Why?

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE NEW MORTGAGE RULES FROM OCTOBER 17 2016 HERE

A number of factors this year have dovetailed to make this an ideal time for home buyers to get out there and make a (winning) offer and finally allow them to buy a house in Kamloops. Here are six house-purchasing factors to be grateful for:

Reason No. 1: Interest rates are still at record lows

While they might creep up, it is nevertheless true that interest rates on home loans are at historical lows, you only need to read the news and speak to a lender to confirm this.

There are new changes that are going into effect this month surrounding Mortgage Guidelines in Canada.

A major shift in mortgage rules announced by the federal government this week will drive up rates for consumers and cut competition in the lending sector, say some in the industry.

The Liberal government has announced sweeping changes aimed at ensuring Canadians aren’t taking on bigger mortgages than they can afford in an era of historically low interest rates.

Mortgage expert Robert McLister says Ottawa is cracking the housing market with a “sledgehammer.”

He predicts consumers will bear the brunt of the blow and that housing prices will tumble because a “sizable minority” of first-time and high-ratio buyers will no longer qualify for the

Buying a piece of property is not a simple transaction, and buyers are often surprised by the number of parties involved, who of course, all need to be paid. 

But how is it determined who pays for what?  What is a seller expense and what is paid by the buyer? 

Inspections and Reports

It is generally up to the buyer to pay for a general home inspection and any other more specialized inspections such a roof, plumbing, or electrical inspection. If there is a well or septic system on the property it is generally up to the buyer to have those systems inspected and and to do a water test.  On a large property the buyer may also want a survey that marks the corners of the lot.  This may or may not be paid by the seller.  The allocation of costs for