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.  This is a very personal decision, influenced by countless unique factors, but you should always keep the following in...

Selling your home is a complex process that can be stressful and time-consuming.  An experienced Realtor has the knowledge, skills, and connections to help you through the process every step of the way.  Consider the following benefits of working with a Realtor:

Professional Experience:

With knowledge and training in marketing strategy, negotiation tactics, and the workings of the current real estate market, a Realtor will be able to guide you through the steps of the home-selling...

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.  Concentrate on the following areas...

Where to Start:  Begin to Prepare your Home for Showing

“You never get a second chance at a first impression.” And while you are preparing your house to sell, it should not be far from your mind.  While logical factors such as price and location narrow the pool of houses a potential buyer will look at, the ultimate decision to buy a particular house is fuelled by a mixture of logic and emotion... and emotion often wins out.  The same might be said for the process...

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.

These expenses vary:  some of them are one-time costs, while others will take the form of monthly or yearly installments.  Some may not even apply...

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 they are 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 and then concentrate on the following...

Selling your home is a complicated process.  It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of details involved, but the experience can be very manageable when broken down into its component parts and plotted out into steps.  The following is a list of common pitfalls encountered during the home-selling process.  Use these as a guide to help your journey remain a smooth one. 

1. Faulty Pricing

It is essential you determine the asking price of your home based...

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.

Sell First:

There are several benefits to selling your current house before searching for...