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The process of buying or selling a home is incredibly difficult and stressful! That's why I've put together a blog to help you find tips on renovation advice, real estate insider secrets and how to save money, and much more.
Cruising through new opportunities
In 2022, over 300 cruise vessel calls are expected at Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver, nearly an 8% increase from 288 calls in 2019.
For more than 35 years, Vancouver has been a leading homeport for cruises to Alaska and is the only homeport to offer both one-way and roundtrip itineraries through Canada’s scenic Inside Passage to Alaska. Prior to the pandemic, forecasts indicated record growth in demand for cruises to Alaska, and demand is expected to remain strong in the future. The Vancouver cruise industry is a key contributor to the local economy, helping generate $3.17 million (CAD) indirect economic activity for each ship that calls at Canada Place and $2.2 billion (CAD) of total economic impact.
The return of cruise passengers to Vancouver and Victoria will provide a much-needed boost for restaurants, hotels, entertainment and other hospitality-based businesses, as well as tourism-dependent businesses and attractions. Calling for a new wave of tourists and immigrants to the city of Vancouver, boosting demand for real estate as well!
Curious to learn more about the real estate opportunities in Vancouver? Let me guide you and help you with your search. Give me a call today and let's find you that dream home and/or investment you always wanted (604-916-7325)
BC ASSESMENT 2021
Metro Vancouver home sales reached an all-time high in 2021 as housing needs remained a top priority for residents in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 43,999 in 2021. Last year’s sales total was 33.4 per cent above the 10-year sales average.
Patio Season Inspiration
An outdoor living space is an important area of your home; you can entertain, lounge and have family meals. It's a space that is quite often utilized and deserves your attention, especially given we've spent far more time inside these past months.
Click here to see out other patio inspirations.
Renovating Your Space
Whether you’re looking to buy a new house or just want to update and refresh your current home, planning a renovation isn’t an easy task. It can easily take a great amount of your time and effort. A well-organized plan will be needed in order to bring your ideas to completion.
In today’s blog, we are going to help you organize your ideas and budget to get the best renovation results.
8 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Home
You've been saving for awhile, weighing your options, looking around casually. Now you've finally decided to do it - you're ready to buy a house. The process of buying a new home can be incredibly exciting, yet stressful, all at once. Where do you start?
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The Best Asking Price for your Home
Setting a realistic price for your home that reflects current market values will help sell your home quickly and for top dollar. When you price your home properly, you increase the chances that the offer you receive will nearly match your asking price, and that there will be competing offers—which may net you even more in the long run.
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Buy or Sell First
If you are considering looking for a new house, and are a current home-owner, then chances are you’re wondering what your strategy should be: do you wait to find the perfect new home before you put your current home on the market, or do you sell first and then look around? You have a few options. Use the following as a guide to explore what might be the best move for you.
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“Drive-Up Appeal”: Get your Property Ready to Show
When preparing your property to show, work your way from the outside in. It is essential that your home possess a certain “drive-up appeal.” Remember, a potential buyer’s first impression of your house is formed while s/he is still sitting in the realtor’s car. So, first you need to view your house from this perspective. Go stand on the opposite curb and observe your property. Compare it to surrounding properties.
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Buying a Home: What Expenses to Expect
Budgeting for a new home can be tricky. Not only are there mortgage installments and the down payment to consider, there are a host of other—sometimes unexpected— expenses to add to the equation. The last thing you want is to be caught financially unprepared, blindsided by taxes and other hidden costs on closing day.
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Hire the Right Agent, For the Right Reasons: 8 Questions to Ask
Finding a real estate agent who is right for you requires doing a little homework, and asking the right questions. Choosing an agent is a decision that could ultimately cost or save you thousands of dollars. Keep in mind the individual you choose will be handling almost every maneuver in the biggest financial investment of your life. Experience, interests, and expertise vary from agent to agent, so you should be asking very specific questions in order to align your own needs with the abilities of an appropriate representative.
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Home Inspections: Top Ten Problems
Each homebuyer has different ideas of what will constitute the ideal home for them, these notions often based on particular aesthetic preferences. But one thing that unites all potential homebuyers is the desire to find a home that is fundamentally sound—in areas beyond the immediate sweep of the eye—and that will provide a safe, comfortable, and efficient foundation for their life behind a new door.
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How to Get Top Dollar for your Home, Fast!
Your home is likely your largest asset, so selling it may be the biggest financial move you've ever made, one that requires significant thought and strategy. However, once you've entered the market, the process may move very quickly: your property has the best chance to sell within its first seven weeks on the market. Studies indicate that the longer a property stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for. So, you need to ensure you're ahead of the game. Get your property into top selling shape before it hits the market in order to increase its chances of selling within the desired window of time and drawing top dollar.
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How to Set an Offer Price
There is no set equation to determine how you'll reach an offer price. Rather, the process involves a range of research and comparison that will vary with each situation. You'll need to look at sales of comparable properties, and factor in additional data such as the condition of the property, the current market, and seller circumstances. With this information in hand, you will be able to determine a fair price range and, from there, establish the price you're willing to offer.
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Know the Market before You Buy
The asking prices of most homes on the market indicate the current state of the market, and usually mirror the prices for which other similar homes in the area have recently sold. In deciding upon a selling price, a home-seller must establish a balance between the desire to draw the highest offer and finding a price that will be reasonable enough to attract an appropriate pool of prospects, and competitive offers. While most selling agents counsel their clients to consider this equation when pricing their home, keep in mind that some homes are not properly priced.
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7 Things to Look for in a New Neighbourhood
Whether seeking solace, activity, schools, churches, or green space, every homebuyer looks for a different combination of attributes in a new community. Choosing a neighbourhood that suits your needs and wants is one of the most important decisions you'll make in the home-buying process; your choice of environment will affect the way you experience your new home.
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Prepare the Inside of your House for Showing
Once you've minimized the clutter in your home, clearing out excess items and furniture, you'll be ready to concentrate on repairs, cleaning, and decoration. Your goal is to get each room looking its sharpest and most fresh - the better your house looks, the greater your chances that it will sell quickly and for top dollar. Concentrate on the following areas to get your home into selling shape.
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Second Time's a Charm!: Sell the House that Didn't Sell
Don't get discouraged if your property hasn't sold during its first appearance on the market. Your home may actually have been one of the most appealing listings of its kind - and the reasons it didn't sell may have nothing to do with the property itself or the market. Rather, a number of separate factors may have influenced the outcome. Take a step back, break your original selling method into parts, and allow yourself time to evaluate each one. Make a commitment. Establish a new approach. Stick to it. A reassessment of your system, and a shift in perspective, may be just what you need to realize your ultimate goals in the sale of your home.
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Showtime: Tips for Showing your Home
After putting in a huge amount of time and effort to get your home looking good and ready to sell, your hard work is finally going to pay off: your home is on the market - you're ready to begin showing. Your house should always be at-the-ready for a tour, as agents may bring clients by with very little notice. If they catch you unprepared and you aren't able to show the house on the spot, you could be losing out on a sale.
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Stop Paying Your Landlord!: Own Your Own Home
The thousands of dollars in rent you've already paid to your landlord may be a staggering figure - one you don't even want to think about. Buying a house just isn't possible for you right now. And it isn't in your financial cards for the foreseeable future. Or is it? The situation is common and widespread: countless people feel trapped in home rental, pouring thousands of dollars into a place that will never be their own - yet they think they're unable to produce a down payment for a home in order to escape this rental cycle. However, putting the buying process into motion isn't nearly as impossible as it may seem. No matter how dire you believe your financial situation to be, there are several little-known facts that may be key to helping you step from a renters rut to home-owning paradise!
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Tips for the Moving Process
It's official: you've signed the papers, dotted all the i's and crossed the t's - you own a new home! You've almost reached the end of your journey. However, now, faced with the daunting task of moving, it may seem as though the journey has just begun. Moving can be a time-consuming and stressful experience if you let yourself be overwhelmed by the job. Remember, though, having a successful move means taking care of the details, one by one. If you break the process down into steps and arrange your time accordingly, you can make it manageable.
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Top Legal Mistakes to Avoid
The process of buying or selling a house seems to involve a million details. It is important that you educate yourself on as many parts of this process as you can - this knowledge could mean the difference of thousands of dollars in the long-run. The legal issues involved in the process are often particularly intricate, ranging from matters of common knowledge to subtle details that might escape the untrained eye. Any of these issues, if not handled properly, could develop into larger problems
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