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Increase The Value Of Your Home When Time Is Limited

Want to increase the value of your home but don't have a lot of time?

  • Clean... get in there, lots of elbow grease and clean the place up. Get into every corner, every vent, every everything to make it sparkly and shiny

  • Paint ... paint is money in a can, freshen up the space, make it bright and airy

  • Landscape .... add some nice touches so that the curb appeal shines

  • Clean more .... power wash the driveway, and make sure your exterior is clean

It is as simple as that if you want to have your home present better, make more buyers excited and in turn increase the value of your home.

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Lenders Are Getting Super Picky

Lenders are getting SUPER picky right now. For 2 years they let nearly anything fly through the approval process and now they have each and every deal under a microscope and it seems I am constantly saying "I have never had a lender care about that before!" all too often.

If you are buying right now be prepared for the lender to pick you and the house apart. If you are a seller, know that it might take a little extra patience to put it all together as the lender picks away and make sure that they are happy. And as always if you have questions let us know, we are here to help.

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Do You Need Title Insurance?

You bought the house, you jump for joy, then your lawyer sends you a welcome package and in there is questions about title insurance, and which package do you want?

This is the time when I get the text "do we have to get title insurance?? is it worth it?" So... sometimes (most of the time) you don't have a choice, the lender makes it mandatory in your mortgage conditions that you must get title insurance.

And if you do have the option, it is still a great idea to get it. This is what helps to keep you protected from things you didn't know about. I have seen people who had discovered frozen pipes in the wall that the seller didn't disclose and have it covered.

Where a flip didn't do things to code title insurance may pay to have it fixed. Like any other insurance it can feel like a waste/extra up front, but when you need it you will be so very thankful that you have it.

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Divorcing & Selling Your House?

Divorce.

It’s a hard word to say.

It’s a hard emotion to feel.

It sucks, to put it plainly.

We’ve recently helped several clients who are going through a divorce or separation navigate the home sale process.

We know that divorce is already a difficult and emotional time, and we want to do everything we can to make the sale of the home as stress-free and smooth as possible.

We’ve learned a lot about how to navigate a home sale in the midst of a divorce and we’ve found that communication and amicability between both parties is key.

We work closely with it’s our sellers to ensure everyone is on the same page and that the sale is handled in a way that feels fair and equitable to everyone involved.

We have "rules" in place on how we communicate and do things with a divorce to ensure everyone is involved, listened to, and a part of the process.

If you or someone you know is going through a divorce and needs help selling their home, we’re here to support you.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for questions or to just talk more about the process from start to finish.

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Things Are Looking Pretty Normal

Did you know that when we look at data from pre-pandemic we are pretty darn normal right now?

It feels off, it feels so different after the crazy that we had for 2 years, but most of what is happening in our market is quite normal.

So, whether you are buying or selling, keep your cool, we are here for you to guide you through the intricacies of the market and what to expect.

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Selling Your Home With Pets

Pets and selling your home.🐾

It is a tricky and annoying thing to deal with, but what you have to remember is that it is all about the future buyer of your home and them envisioning themself in your space..... and their vision may not include pets. They may hate pets, they may have allergies, and so much more.

At the end of the day, it is all about neutral, in every way, and that includes pets. We are talking a lot about it this month, so hang around, make sure you have all the tips on selling your home with pets.

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Paying Your Mortgage Faster

5 tips for paying your mortgage faster:

  1. Make biweekly payments instead of monthly. This will help pay off an extra month's worth of payments each year

  2. Round up your payment. Every little bit counts and this can add up over time.

  3. Make extra principal payments whenever you an/ This will reduce the overall amount of interest you pay.

  4. When interest rates drop, refinance to gran a lower rate

  5. Consider a shorter loan term. This may mean higher monthly payments, but you will pay it off faster and save interest.

And then, live mortgage free!

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Practice Makes Perfect

Let’s say your rent is $2000/mo and you’re considering a $2500/mo mortgage payment.

Before shopping for houses, spend 3-4 months practicing that payment.

When you go to pay your rent, immediately put $500 in a separate account. It’s gone with your rent.

How does the rest of your month feel?

Are you still living your best life or do things feel tight?

Adjust accordingly.

Bonus: now you have more $$$ saved for a down payment, closing costs or any other costs associated with buying your next home.

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What’s Your Timeline?

When meeting with buyers I often get asked about timelines, concerned about how long I am willing to work with one person.

The answer: I have had some buy the first home they see and others have taken years to buy. I move at your pace. Sometimes what you need is super unique and it will take time to find that right place. Other times there are loads to choose from and we can come at it fast and furious and the journey will be done super quick.

But there are no rules, no timelines for what we will or won't work with. We love our clients and working with you is all that matters, not your timelines.

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Let’s Talk About Homestead Rights

Some people can be confused when we are asking someone that isn't on title to sign off on the offer to purchase, whats more we have to do that in a private room without the person on title present.

It is a piece that gets some people's backs up, but also a piece that if not done properly can completely halt the sale of your home. Not everyone can gather the signature either, you have to have your commissioner of oaths to get that signature, which sometimes can mean the individual has to meet someone else at a later date to sign off if the Realtor doesn't have their commissioner of oaths.

It is a simple yet big and important thing, and if you have questions know that we are there for you.

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This We Will Never Do

Things we will never do as your realtor:

Pressure you to buy - we are about you finding the right home for you, it is a big decision and that might take time. There is no timeline on how fast you have to buy when working with us.

Rent shame - we won't give you grief if you are renting. There is a time and a place for it, let's make sure you are buying when the time is right for you.

Take on business outside of our expertise - We know where we are great, and we know where you might be in better hands with someone else. We have great referral connections that we will send you to if it isn't an area that we are experts in.

Prioritize profit - we love you and will find what is right for you when it is right for you. It isn't about pushing you towards something that is right for us, it is about you.

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Scared To Enter The Market

We hear it often, "I want to wait till rates go down" "It is too expensive to buy right now" "It feels scary I want to wait"

Lots of buyers are sitting on the fence, they don't want to pay these rates.... but let's sit down and talk, what do you think will happen when the rates go down?

When we saw a rate HOLD this past winter... just a hold... things went a bit bananas, everyone got super excited, let out a big sigh of relief and jumped into the market, and the price of homes went up. After that happened the Bank of Canada saw it and was like "We need to calm things down more" and we have now seen more rate increases.

So, in the future when rates go down, what will happen to home prices? Most likely they will go way up. All these buyers who have been sitting and waiting for the rates to go down will jump, both feet in and it will be a feeding frenzy again.

So.... buy now, do a short-term mortgage or a variable, and then wait for the rates to go down. Buy when the market isn't crazy, buy when others are sitting back scared, take advantage, and then sit back and relax in your new home when everyone else jumps into the market.

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Should You Stage Your Home?

Should you spend the money to stage your home?? I think nearly 100% of the time the answer is yes. It can be a hard one to wrap your head around, to spend that money in hopes of a return, but it is so worth it.

It helps the buyer envision themselves there

It helps add depth and warmth to the home

It makes the photos and videos look better

It shows the possibilities

It is amazing, and I almost always recommend staging.

Need contacts for staging? Have questions? We are here for you. DM us!

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Interest Rate Are On The Rise Again

You heard the news and all the scary info and media headlines that the mortgage rates went up again right??

Now, calm down, don't panic...

  1. We live in Winnipeg, and here our market is strong and steady, we don't have high peaks and valleys. When these changes happen we don't feel it as much as where these headlines are coming from

  2. If you are a buyer and have already been pre-approved you likely have a locked-in rate, so you are good for a while yet to buy a home without having your rate go up

  3. If you are in a fixed-rate mortgage right now you are unchanged, you can ignore the news

  4. If you are in a variable (Like me) then your mortgage payments are going up, riding out the storm till it comes back down and you can enjoy the lower rates

  5. If you are a seller, don't stress that the market is going to plummet, there are still loads of buyers out there looking for a roof over their heads, and all we need to worry about is pricing your home correctly.

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A Cohabitation Agreement Is A Good Idea

Are you buying a home with a friend? Venturing out to pool your resources to jump into home ownership together? It is smart and amazing, but you also need to protect yourself.

A cohabitation agreement is something that should be drawn up to make sure that both of you are protected if there is a split. What happens if one person wants out? If you have disagreements? This legal document will keep you both safe if anything goes sideways.

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Let’s Talk About Aluminum Wiring

Did you know there are different types of wiring? The most common is copper, but aluminum is another option. It was commonly used in the 70s as it was more cost-effective. Generally, it is fine, but it does take a bit more work when it comes to home insurance to make sure that your provider is happy.

If you are buying a home from the 70s or have one and have questions, let me know, we are here to help you.