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October Update

The ghosts and goblins may be knocking at your door but that means the busiest time for real estate is just beyond the pumpkin patch. Will your home ready to sell when January comes around?

Before the busy holiday season gets underway, now is the perfect time to take a walk around your home. Take an honest look. Do you really need the dried flower arrangement your kids made for you in 1995? Has the paint seen better days? Have knick-knacks and kitchenware taken over your countertops?

The old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is never more true than when you decide to put your home on the market. Did you know that a cluttered home makes your home appear smaller? Not only does that leave a negative effect on buyers, it can have a negative impact on OFFERS!

Don’t try to do it all at once, take it step-by-step, and room-by-room. Keep in mind that you wont have to pack, store or move the things you really don’t need to your brand new home. But if you still can’t part with those “seen better day” mementos, I know people who can help you.

In fact, I would love to help you with all your real estate questions; I’m just a phone call away.

Happy Halloween!

 

September Update

Nothing says family like a home filled with the smell of turkey, the sounds of chatter, of clinking plates and happy kids, and embers crackling in the fireplace. Thanksgiving is a special time to reflect and be grateful but reminds us also that, just as the temperature begins to go down, that the fall real estate market is heating up. If you are thinking listing or buying, Fall is a great time to do it. Call me anytime for all your real estate advice.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

July Update

As an individual with close ties to both real estate and charity work, I couldn’t help but notice on my recent European tour that the housing crisis is an issue shared by many countries beyond our Canadian borders. I also couldn’t help but compare the B.C. NDP’s model of applying punishing speculation taxes to address the crisis with those adopted by countries such as Finland.

ARA, The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, monitors costs and quality standards, promotes innovation and excellence, and has tackled many of the issues with different strategies. Some include offering grants and guarantees on long-term loans and financing the provision of affordable rental housing. Other initiatives include applying a mix of preventative measures to social and land policies.

According to FEANSTA, an international organization working to end homelessness in Europe, Finland has actually managed to decrease the number of homeless persons without taking money out of its citizens pockets, (and ultimately its economy). If you would like your B.C. government to start looking at other ways – smarter ways – to deal with this very real issue without applying harsh taxes, contact your MLA today.

June Update

It’s hard to believe that summer is only a week away and with that, effective June 15, comes new real estate rules and legislation.

These new rules were implemented to protect the consumer, however, they also restrict absolute consumer choice when it comes to deciding which realtor you may use. For example, if your realtor lists your home, that realtor cannot introduce buyers to your property due to the concern for conflict of interest.

More information and a petition is available regarding the new policies through the Real Estate Alliance of British Columbia at https://therealbc.ca/

Have a wonderful June!

May Update

As you read this months’ newsletter I hope all “Moms” have enjoyed and celebrated a well-deserved day.  No other job in this world is more gratifying, and I am thankful every day for my wonderful children Cory and Nicole, and my step-children, Denise, Rene, Michele, Chris and Stephen, all of whom I love to the ends of the earth.

I thank my 96-year-old mother, for giving me the tools and the strength to become the woman I have grown into, and for the convictions that I pass to my children. I love you Mom.

When you are a Mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.

A Mother always has to think twice–once for her herself and once for her child.”

     -Sophia Loren

April Update

Did you know that as your realtor, not only do I have an ethical obligation but a legal one as well, to represent your best interest in purchasing your most important asset? As a buyer, you need to be informed and educated, and our buyer’s agreement, takes you painlessly and accurately through the process. Don’t fret over signing documents you don’t understand, or miss out on the home of your dreams because of a technicality. If you are looking to make that important purchase, you can rely on me to do it professionally with in your best intentions in mind. #expectexcellence

Even though sales and listings for the Victoria area are down from the same period last year, RE/MAX continues to soar “Above the Crowd!”

March Update!

No doubt you have heard talk of speculation tax the NDP Government imposed in their recent budget.  Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich and the Gulf Islands says his constituency office has received more emails about this issue than any other, a sampling of them are available in his blog.

Says Olsen, “For a retired fixed-income couple or individual, assuming the fact they can pay (an) upfront tax, the unknown of whether they’d get money back at the end of the year when they file their income taxes is problematic.”

Indeed, Mr. Olsen’s comments are a reality for at least one client couple who have already been forced to list their Victoria condo, and a deep concern for another client who wrote the eloquent letter below. 

If you face the same choice or have concerns, join the 9,000 people have signed the petition to stop this tax.  You can also write your MLA, or the Hon. Carol James, Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier.

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