How I work

2 Reasons for this blog post today

1) To explain how I work and     2) to tell you about a website I discovered today.

In a few months I will be celebrating 13 years as a REALTOR® here in Campbell River.  The business is always changing, especially so in the last few years.  The changes are actually changes that I embrace and make me love my job even more as I like the direction things are going.
For the past few years I have been working mostly by referral, which means I don't spend my time knocking on strangers doors or calling random numbers trying to pick up buyers.  I hated that part of the job.  I honestly don't want EVERY buyer thats out there.  I really only want the ones that truly want to work with me, the ones that we click right away, not the ones I have to convince to do so. 

Now this is not the way I was trained when I started in Real Estate.  I was trained to appeal to everyone, adjust the way I do things to get along with everyone and to meet the needs of every type of buyer, all personalities, all styles, all ages.   We were and I think are still taught that you have to take alot of listings to suceed.  Working with buyers should not be your main business.  Well many of you know that I used to be alot busier than I am these days, I worked with everyone and anyone that came by and at times I was very drained and tired.  My life has changed, I now have a 2.5 year old who takes up a good chunk of my days.  My priorities have changed.  I now time block.  I make appointments around my husbands work schedule and babysitters and its works, it works really well actually. I dont aim to get  every bit of business out there.  Now more than ever my time is extremely valuable to me.  Every hour at work is an hour away from playing with my little one, so I make it fun, and I make it count.  Working by referral has always felt right to me and now more than ever it just makes so much sense.  Work for me now is more enjoyable than ever.  I work mostly with buyers, Yes I take listings, I just don't take on as many as I used to. 

When I start working with buyers I would by lying to say it isn't nice to have them buy the first house you show them! of course it is, its awesome!  But this is not what I am counting on. The majority of the time new buyers come to me as a referral from someone I already know and have worked with.  Likely someone I will really get along well with as their friends would not have sent them to me if they didnt think we would be a match. 
I am  not looking for the quick sale and wanting to move on to the next client. I strive to build a lasting relationship with these people and then they send their family and friends to me.  They send me people that are similar to them, and likely similar to me too.  After the sale goes thru and the buyers move into their new home, YES if its okay with them I WILL keep sending them real estate info.  Keep them up to date with the real estate market and make sure they have my info readily available for the day that a friend says "hey do you know a realtor I should work with."  I also just come right out and ask for referrals from these people.  Its my business. 

I thought I should write about this today because sometimes I still do hear things like  "we are sorry we are taking so long to pick a house to buy"  or "oh sorry we dont like this house, we wont be buying it today, sorry to waste your time"  and a very common one  "why would you send those people real estate email updates?  they just bought with you, why would they want to move already"

I send them stuff because they want to be kept up to date, and in turn they always have my info when they need to give a family member the contact info of someone they trust to use as a REALTOR®
And spending time building a relationship with people I like and people that trust me is NEVER a waste of time!  that is how I work, that is how I view the process.

I love that these days facebook and twitter are part of my work.  The Naysayers out there have quieted down in the last year.   I now rarely hear Facebook will disappear, or facebook is not an appropriate place to advertise what you do.  I love that in this day of real estate REALTORS®  can do something different if they choose to.  Not everyone has to agree with or like eachothers style.  The old textbook rules of how to list a house, how to advertise a home, how a realtor should dress what we should say is really not relevant anymore.  Not in real estate and not in any business as far as I am concerned.  And I love that.  I don't think every REALTOR® should be on social media.  I think everyone should have their own style.

This brings me to #2.  I came across this website today http://www.bluliving.com/  when it comes to real estate websites I will say this website in one word is "REFRESHING!   Its not like most Real Estate websites I have seen.  I think this is very fun and very inspiring!  The best contact us form I have ever seen under  "contact"   take a look! 
If you or somone you know is in need of a Vancouver REALTOR® I would check them out.

Time for a play break. My little one has been sitting beside me patiently adding up 'cats' on my calculator and I think the novelty has worn off!

I finish up typing here feeling inspired to think outside the box and not necessarily follow the rules.  Make up your own rules as you go! why not.

2012

I am feeling like 2012 has already started out with alot of optimism in the Real Estate Market!
Interest rates have dropped and are once again making history with all time lows.  Forecasts all seem to point in the same direction with most agreeing rates will stay at these all time lows through 2012 and likely into 2013. 
Our Royal Lepage Advance office 2011 statistics are in and we came out on top again with 47% of the sales, the remaining 5 offices in the area sharing the other 53% of sales.  I am very fortunate to work with the people I do, we all work very much as a team and and we offer uncomparable marketing and cooperation of the homes we list for sale. 
In 2012 I am fully available to help you with buying or selling your home.  Don't forget if you know of someone in need of a Realtor I will take great care of your friends and family and make sure you are rewarded for the thought!
I want to wish you all a very exciting and fun filled 2012! 
Here is a quote I love to leave you with   "Don't Look Back, You Are Not Going That Way" - unknown

going through the 'E'motions of buying and selling

Almost everytime I order food in a restaurant as the waitress walks away I get what I call 'Orderer's Remorse".  I think to myself  'why did I order that?  I get that everytime, why didn't I try something new' or if i do order something new, something a little risky I panick and think I should have ordered my usual!

I see the same sort of thing happen when people buy and sell homes. Buyers seem to go from a super high of excitement and as the hours or days go on they may dip right down to a panick about their decision and then they usually come back up to comfortable level where they are maybe just a bit nervous and stressed, but know they are making a good choice.  What I find interesting is alot of these emotions are brought on by outsiders, people not even apart of the transaction.  Friends, relatives and even strangers will for whatever reason put doubt into the buyers heads.  "you are paying to much, its a bad market to buy in, Oh that house has been for sale a long time there must be something wrong with it"  

The same sort of thing often happens when you sell your home, a neighbour or friend will make comments like " Oh you only got that much for your house eh?? hmm I would have thought it was worth more than that" 
I guess its human nature, us humans can be a bit on the negative side at times.  I now make a point of preparing buyers and sellers that this will likely happen.  The more 'emotional' of a person you are the more extreme the highs and lows of buying and selling can be.  Some people need minutes, some hours and some take days or weeks to decide on a home.  Knowing what kind of buyer or seller you are before you get started is helpful and knowing what kind of buyer/seller your husband/wife/partner is can also help with the process.  happy friday and happy halloween weekend everyone!

House for sale house for sale!

Just listed my own house for sale last week at $365,000 and today we have reduced to $349,900. 

You could say we are 'motivated sellers'  We have an offer in to purchase another home and need to sell this one first!     

So here is.....2580 Rainbow Road in Holly Hills .  1/2 acre lot

We have lived here for 7 years and have loved the location and privacy the property offers. 

 

The house is very funky and was custom built by a very creative man who built over a natural ravine. 

The main living area has a wall of south facing windows overlooking mostly deciduous trees that keep the house nice and cool in the summer and in the winter when the leaves fall the living area is flooded with extra light which we all need in the winter! 

The kitchen has teak cabinets and a new coffer ceiling, stainless appliances included a JennAir cooktop. 

There are 2 full bedrooms plus a large den or possible 3rd bedroom. 



built in file cabinets



The backyard is fully fenced and very private and sunny with a large deck, firepit and a hot tub

And probably one of the best features is the huge detached garage and shop.  

Basically a double garage with an attached 24x38 shop with a 3rd garage door. 

The shop has lots of room to build an at home office, gym or maybe a pottery studio!

There is also a hot and sunny garden area beside the workshop. Huge driveway with loads of room for parking.  I will miss this location being just a 2 minute walk to the logging road trails and only a 2 minute drive to downtown.  This subdivision is very quiet, with the houses nicely spaced apart on oversized lots. 

More details here   http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11215325&PidKey=-740189915

Campbell River Real Estate historical stats

I love Real Estate Statistics especially in the form of an easy to look at graph!

I think this graph speaks for itself showing that Real Estate prices have their ups and downs, but over time values always go up. 

STATISTICS FROM VANCOUVER ISLAND REAL ESTATE BOARD -CAMPBELL RIVER AND NORTH ISLAND

Summertime fun

We have all heard the saying "Be a tourist in your own backyard" before but how many of us actually take the time?  About 10 years ago a wise fellow I work with told me that summer on Vancouver Island is the time to take your holidays, its the time to use up your 'sick days' and 'vacation days.'  He said there are beaches around here just as nice as Maui in the summer and they are only a short drive away.  There are resorts here as nice as a 5 star in Mexico.  Why save up all year long for a 1 week trip away in the winter when you spend 2 days of it travelling when you can have a few mini vacations around here in the summer for a fraction of the cost too.  
I now realize just how correct he was.  Until recent years I had never travelled north of Campbell River, figured there was nothing worth seeing up there.  Little did I know Telegraph cove ttp://www.telegraphcoveresort.com/and its funky cottages would become a favorite getaway destination for me.   A Whale watching trip from the resort there blew me away! Unreal scenery and wildlife like I had never seen before.  Whales, sealions, and literally 100's of eagles swarming over the ocean. 
It wasn't until a few years ago that I also discovered San Joseph Bay on the west side of the Island.  We walked in from the parking area along a trail and came out of the trees to find white sand beaches as far as the eye could see.   We set up a tent and stayed overnight, there were only 2 other people on the entire stretch of beach and they were surfing.  I had no idea there were beaches like this so close to home.

 

We all know Tofino is famous for their beaches but it blows my mind to hear how many people have lived on Vancouver Island all their life and have never been.  The same goes for the Gulf Islands, Saltspring, Saturna, Hornby and Cortes are among my favorites.  I want to spend more time discovering these islands.  I always feel I am thousands of miles from home on a 'real' vacation if a ferry is involved.  Cortes Island is a short trip from Campbell River and the lake and beaches there are unreal!

Another thing that blows my mind is how many people live in the area and have never been out on the water surrouding Campbell River. Some have never even been on our fishing pier!  I got lucky, or maybe it wasn't luck,  maybe I was the girl scouting out my future husband on the docks of Painters Lodge many years ago when I worked on the dock there.  My husband has had a boat of some sort since he was a kid.  Having a boat is not a luxury item for him, its his job.  He has worked as a fishing guide in the summers since he was a kid. https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/BC-Fishing-Charters-Campbell-River/163386570386140.      We have been lucky enough to spend alot of time on the water over the past decade, fishing and touring around.  Just last week we came across 100+ pacific white sided dolphins off the south tip of Quadra Island.  We stopped the boat and they swam and jumped all around the boat.  It was unreal!

It was on this day last week that I started thinking about 'vacation in your own hometown" and I thought to myself  I would rather float in a boat next to wild dolphins over swimming with captive dolphins in a hotel any day!  ( no offense to anyone that has swam with hotel dolphins)!!!  I realize that not everyone has access to a boat, but almost everyone knows someone with a boat.  Why not hire them for the day or offer some sort of swap.. A you take my family out in your boat for the day and I will....... whatever that may be.
So take a mini vacation this summer somewhere around here!
Not everything awesome has to cost alot of money.

Campbell River Listing Stats

When choosing a REALTOR®  to list your home for sale the first question you may want to ask is "What is your office List to Sell Ratio? In other words for every 10 listings taken, how many actually sell?

When selling your home be sure to choose a company that will not only accurately price the home, but will also professionally market it for sale and cooperate with other REALTORS®  in order to get it sold.  After all, SELLING not just listing the home is the goal isn't it?

You may not be in the market to sell right now, but you may know someone that could find this information very helpful.

DE-CLUTTER for a great cause

On Saturday, May 14^th, ROYAL LEPAGE Advance Realty and Royal LePage offices across Canada will be transformed into an oasis for bargain hunters as we join together to host the National Garage Sale for Shelter in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. As the only Canadian Real Estate company with our own charity, we have raised $10 million dollars to date!!   Last year Royal LePagers raised over $315,000 in one day with garage sales!

I am encouraging people to de-clutter and find us a few items they no longer need that we can sell!  100% of donations go directly to helping women and children and actually stay here in Campbell River with our local sale proceeds going to our womens shelter- The Ann Elmore Transition House.

If you have a box or a truckload of gently used items to donate PLEASE CONTACT ME deannacollins@royallepage.ca about drop off or pick up options!

THANK YOU

Simple tips to get your house 'show ready'

First impressions count, especially when you are selling your home. 
Getting your house "show house ready" doesn't have to cost alot of money either.  One of the best things you can do is DE CLUTTER and its free!  When I say de clutter I mean get serious and expect to pack up alot of boxes.  Take down the fridge pictures, knick nacks, clear the kitchen counters of everything! Get rid of carpet runners, area rugs, bulky curtains, even furniture.  Taking a few chairs, maybe an extra coffee table and putting them into your garage for a few weeks can really open a room up.  You will likely love your new space so much you will wonder why you didnt de clutter sooner!
Washing walls and adding a fresh coat of paint where needed is also a great way to freshen up a house.  New light fixtures and simple things like kitchen and bathroom cabinet knobs can update a room.
When the day arrives that you have buyers coming to view your home be sure to leave all the lights on, curtains open, fire on, and most importantly LEAVE the house!   Buyers will spend more time in your home if its empty and they don't feel as though they are intruding. 
For full staging details just ask! and I will email you a package.

March 2, 2011

I often get asked "hows life on the island?" alot of people think I live on Cortes Island and thats the only place I work.   

The truth is I have lived and worked out of the Campbell River Royal Lepage office since 1999.

I did spend alot of time and lived a summer here and a winter there on Cortes in the late 90's

When I first started with Royal Lepage I worked almost exclusviely with Cortes buyers and sellers, but over the years I have found a nice balance working from Campbell River with buyers and sellers here and still servicing some listings on Cortes, travelling there on day trips as needed. 

If I cannot help you Please know that I can always refer you to a reputable REALTOR® in any City - I have connections!

Ozzie Jurock's Hot tips, alot of info here, but some pretty interesting stuff if you have a few minutes

http://www2.jurock.com/hotproperty/tips.asp

2011 all about Shelters

Yesterday we were all shocked with disturbing news about the slaughter of 100's of Whistler sled dogs.  http://www.vancouversun.com/news/sled+dogs+slaughtered+Whistler+when+tourism+slumped+Report/4196610/story.html
It is a sad reality, but acts of animal cruelty happen around us all the time.  I believe that we were the ones to domesticate these animals for our own use or pleasure and therefore we owe it these animals to take care of them.  Sadly these animals don't have a voice.  We have to be their voice.

In January I decided to donate $100 from every sale in 2011 to the Shelter Foundation http://www.royallepage.ca/en/community/shelter-foundation/index.aspx
I have decided 2011 is going to be all about SHELTERS for me.  Shelters for people in need and Shelters for animals in need too.  So....along with the $100 a sale going to the Womens Shelter I will also donate $100 per sale to our local S.P.C.A through the Paws for a Cause campaign.  

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day...If its sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow it means winter stays around another 6 weeks.  If its cloudy apparently it means spring will come sooner.  The forecast for tomorrow shows cloudy with sunny periods.  I am sure hoping its cloudy tomorrow. 

How times have changed

Yesterday I realized how much the Real Estate Industry has changed in a decade.  I was in the office doing some new year clean up and opened up my 'junk drawer' I saw a recipe box I have not opened in years.  Inside I found 100's of pictures of listings, some rolls of film and even a few floppy disks.  Some of my co workers that started a few years after I did had a good laugh at my old stuff.  In 1999 when I started we took pictures of homes and had the film developed!  We would send 1 picture to the real estate board to upload to the mls site.  The other pictures we would paste onto photo boards and hang up in the office.  When I started we all shared a few computers, it wasnt til years later that we all started to get our own.  We had catalogues that arrived every week from the real estate board with all the listings.  Buyers would come in and ask for a catalogue when they wanted to know what was for sale. We all had pagers and when we got paged to call a client we had to get to a phone to return the call.  I dont think everyone had a cell phone at that point, maybe they did, I don't remember.  I know that I went about 6 months as a Realtor before I actually got a cell phone.  For many years we all had pagers and cell phones...then finally text messages came along and most of us got rid of the pagers!

Also in that recipe box I found a handwritten photocopied list of names, phone numbers and fax numbers of realtors I took my final course with in Vancouver in 1999.

At the end of the course we passed the paper around and wrote our names on it so we could stay in touch, but there were no email addresses on that sheet! not one of us had an email address or if we did we did not even think of writing it down.

What I find crazy is that I am not talking about 30 years ago, or even 20 years ago.  10 years, thats it.

In 10 years the technological changes have been unreal and they are a big part of what I think makes the job fun. 

Most Realtors now use a program called PCS, basically you give your realtor your email address and house searching criteria and instead of going through realtor.ca or other sites every day looking for new listings, this program will automatically email you when a new listing comes up or a home price is reduced into your price range. 

Yesterday after looking at my recipe box full of ancient old fashioned 35mm pictures I realized just how important pictures really are when it comes to selling your house.  Stats show over 80% of buyers decide whether or not to make an appointment to see a home based on information they have seen online ( usually from realtor.ca which is the website almost all Realtors post their listings too)  The more pictures and the better the quality of picture the better chance a buyer can get a good idea if its a house they may like.  We now have the option of uploading slideshows, 20+ pictures and virtual tours to our listings.  Virtual tours are nothing new, in fact in the larger city centres my guess is almost every realtor uses them.  In Campbell River they have been around for a while but not many people use them. 

I am now offering virtual tours as part of my marketing package to Campbell River sellers.  Virtual tours will not only help a seller to professionally showcase their home, but I think they will help to ensure that sellers are being inconvenienced by cleaning up and having to vacate for showings only when its a serious buyer, not a buyer that will walk in and say " I dont like this layout'  

So here I sit on hold with telus on my blackberry, typing on one computer about to forward to my laptop so I can finish in the other room.  In a moment with a few clicks I will upload to my blog and then post to facebook.  Maybe one day I will get with it and also tweet about it, but for now this will do. 

 

Another sunny day and I am getting excited for spring and summer, so I leave you with this beach shot to get excited too!

Exciting news for 2011

After a relaxing holiday season I am excited to get back to work!
As a REALTOR ® ( the word realtor is now a trademark and this is how I must type it from now on!) starting a new year means setting goals, budgeting, thinking up new ideas for marketing homes and new ways to give back and help others.  Over the years I have donated to the SPCA and will continue to do so.  I have also organized and been a part of a few fundraisers for The Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation.  It is Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and violence prevention and education programs.  Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation and since it started in 1999 we have raised over $10 million

This year I wanted to do more, make more of an individual difference.  I am thrilled to announce that I am going to donate $100 from every real estate transaction this year.  That means every listings sold or house bought with me I will donate $100 with 50% to our local womens shelter in Campbell River and 50% will go towards our BC directed education programs that support the long term solutions to break the cycle of violence.  The great thing about the shelter foundation is that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to the cause. 

check out this video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WCfyMZnJ2A

Happy 2011 everyone!

looking back at 2010

Looking back at 2010 I have alot of amazing clients to thank for their ongoing support and referral business. 
Thank you to all of you who have passed my name on and trusted  me with the purchase and the sales of your friends and relatives homes. 

what will 2011 bring in the real estate market??  If I had a crystal ball I would tell you, but I don't!
here is a link to one prediction  http://www.pwc.com/ca/en/media/release/2010-11-02-emerging-trends-in-real-estate.jhtml

If I don't get back on here before, have a very happy holiday season!

maybe this is a good market to sell in

If you currently own a home and would like to move some day, but think this is the wrong market to do so I want to point out a few things that may change your mind.   As you have probably noticed there are alot of homes for sale right now.  This means a great selection to choose from when you are buying!
It is correct you may not be able to sell your current home for as much as could have a couple years ago but a couple years ago when you turned around to buy you did not have a whole lot to choose from and there was a good chance the house you wanted others did too and you were in a multiple offer situation.

Don't forget- if your house is worth $30,000 less than last year, so is the house you are going to buy- its all relative.   In a market like todays you actually get ahead if you are moving up to a higher price range.  For example you are selling your $250,000 house to buy a $350,000 house.  Sure your house is down 10% from last year ( was worth $25,000 more last year) but the house you are buying is also down 10% which works out to $35,000. As long as you are moving sideways to something of the same or higher value a market like this can really work to your advantage.
If you are the type of homeowner that does not want to sell unless you have first found the ideal home to move to in todays market you have the luxury of many homes to choose from plus the likely chance that a seller will actually accept an offer subject to the sale of your house.  In a hot market many sellers will not even look at an offer subject to the buyers house being sold, and they dont have to because there are other buyers out there that dont have a house to sell, have cash, or can get bridge financing. 
If you are concerned that this slower market means you won't be able to sell your house, the truth is houses are still selling they just have to be priced and marketed correctly.  If you have any questions about real estate, wonder what the house down the road sold for, anything real estate just email me! deannacollins@royallepage.ca  I am here to help!

Happy Halloween

When it comes to listing and selling homes I stick to the Campbell River and Discovery Islands areas which I know best.  If you need a realtor in Courtenay or even Fort McMurray I can still help by referring you to a specialist in that area.  Just ask and I will point you in the right direction.   

On another note I often get asked if I know of an accountant or a painter and yes I am happy to give you some names of people I know and trust.  I love shopping locally and supporting local companies and just people in general.  I see more and more people doing this kind of thing on blogs and facebook and I love it!  So here I go too!

This is the one that got me thinking about doing this post today.  I saw a sneak peek of their 2010 holiday cards and wanted everyone I know to see how great they are! 

RUNAWAY SOUL for super unique and fun greeting cards  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Runaway-Soul/297784166110

HEARTSTRONG FITNESS Sarah Wright for personal training and fitness  http://www.heartstrongfitness.com/

MORTGAGE BROKERS 

Cait Holmes is a newly licensed mortgage broker and works with a great team at Dominion Lending Coastal Mortgages  http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dlccoastalmortgages.ca%2F&h=252eb

Michael Campagna http://www.northvancouvermortgagebroker.ca/

Victor Anamisiv    http://www.islandmortgagespecialist.ca/

Website design and marketing Jeremey Latham http://www.lathamcommunications.com/

Graphic Design – Shannon Andrews http://www.facebook.com/pages/Runaway-Soul/297784166110#!/pages/Campbell-River-BC/Shannon-Andrews-Design/291857955850

Photography- Erin Wallis     http://www.erinwallis.com/blog/

Jewelry- Alana Millward and Zudora Jeweleryhttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=563420010#!/pages/Zudora-Home-Parties-with-Alana/130473043633819

Hair accessories Leah Jones http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=563420010#!/pages/Sweet-Accessories/296931555772?v=wall

CR dog walking – Dogs Best Fried. I love Cesar the Dog Whisperer and think this new company is so wonderful! because as Cesar says a dog needs at least an hour of exercise a day to be a happy and balanced dog.  If some days you don't have that hour check this out  http://www.dogfriend.ca/

Music – top quality music and dj services http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=563420010#!/pages/Campbell-River-BC/Top-Quality-Music-DJ-Services/412598643501

Elemental Energy Advisors http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=563420010#!/pages/Elemental-Energy-Advisors/167393446812

Construction- Travis Youngson 250-203-0678
Electrician - Darcy at Artisan Electric 250- 203-0378

ok thats all for now, I am sure I am missing some good ones, but there will be a part 2 I am sure!
have a happy halloween weekend everyone!

Generation X and $

Did you know that 6 out of 10 Canadians live paycheque to paycheque.

Did you know that more than half of us spend more than we earn every year

Did you know the average credit card balance is $8000 per household

Stats show that about 50% of us spend more than we earn each year and only half of Canadians pay their credit cards off in full each month, the majority of the other half paying only the minimum balances. 
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Generation X is the name given to those born from aprox 1966 - the late 70's early 80's.  This age group is especially caught up in the buy now pay later attitude and most affected by the  ‘keeping up with the joneses” syndrome.

Stats show that gen X'ers all expect to retire by the age of 60, some sooner, but very few are actually on track to do so.  Gen X is the largest consumer of leather sofas and big screen TVs with "no payments for 24 months" all just hoping they will have the cash to cover the payments in 2 years.  Gen X'ers typically don't buy economical used cars, instead they buy or lease brand new cars with payments they usually can't afford.  They also buy brand name designer clothes and eat out a lot.  
Of course we are grouping all Gen X'ers together here when obviously not all actually do spend like this. I just think its interesting how Gen X which I am apart of is totally drowning in a 'material goods world' ("totally" is totally a Gen X word!) We are now more than ever inclined to define ourselves by what we possess.  When it comes to our financial well being we seem to care more about buying the flash to impress others, but who are we really trying to impress? strangers?  and do they really care how well we sleep at night worrying about our financial situations?

How many times have you asked yourself “ how do they afford all those toys? The brand new cars, the clothes, the gadgets?”  well the truth is more often than not THEY actually cannot afford any of it.  THEY are in the 50% of Canadians that are in credit debt.  I am not talking about mortgage debt here, that’s a good type of debt to be in as long as its within reason.  I am talking about car loans, credit cards maxed out, and the worst- the buy now pay later on furniture, appliances, electronics.  Debt towards investments that appreciates or provides a cash flow is ok.  Its the debt on depreciating assets that gets us in trouble.

In my experience I have watched as people have got serious about their financial situations and have become truly happy inside once they feel they are on track and financially stable and the funny thing is once in that position the extra money seems to find these people and they can splurge on toys and not feel the guilt.  The interesting thing is when these people come into extra money they seem to get more of a rush investing it than they would splurging it.  Its a feeling secure and in control of your world type rush.

I say - today is a new day, a new day to start working for yourself, start paying yourself by putting your money to work for you.  Yes of course you should still splurge on yourself as long as its with excess money, as long as you are not going into debt to do so and as long as you are paying yourself 1^st.  Pay yourself 1^st…what does that mean? It could be any type of savings or investment.  My pick of course would be real estate. But it could be anything- a simple savings account, mutual funds.  One of the best things you can do is forced savings.  Set it up as a direct transfer from your account, every month that money is transferred out and eventually you wont miss it, its forced savings.  Putting money into investments and creating a nest egg for your future may not be as cool as a flashy new truck but you may sleep better at night. Feeling financially stable may also do wonders for your health and home life with reduced stress!  Financial problems are the # 1 cause of stress and the #1 subject that couples fight about.

 

Deciding to not worry and think about the future is a bit risky these days as pensions and retirement benefits are disappearing and may not be around by the time we retire.  We are also living a lot longer and therefore needing more money in our senior years.  Many Gen X'ers are also going be looking after their own parents financially as their parents will be the first generation to outlive their own retirement savings and many of them will be in need financial assistance.  

OKAY enough doom and gloom!  The exciting thing is we are in control of our own financial worlds.  We really just need to ask ourselves what our priorities are. It really is not about how much money we make, it truly is about what we do with that money. 

Buying Basics

Its easy for Realtors to sometimes forget to explain the basics during the excitement of buying a home.  I think this happens in many professions actually, doing whatever it is over and over to the point that the process becomes second nature.  I remember what it was like being a first time home buyer…a bit confusing, a bit overwhelming, maybe a bit stressful trying to understand all the lingo, but at the same time so very exciting! Whether you are thinking about buying your first home or its been a few years since you have gone through the process, here is a little re-fresher.

Pre approval- find out what you can afford

Seek out a mortgage professional and get ‘pre approved’  Find out what payments you can afford, the down payment you will need to come up with and what your closing costs  (legal fees, taxes may be)

Choose a realtor- you only need one

There are likely 100’s of realtors in your area to choose from.  With the MLS ( multiple listing service) you only need to choose 1 realtor.  Gone are the days of skimming through newspaper ads and calling up each realtor one at a time asking for details about the homes they have for sale.  Once you choose a realtor they can email you all the homes in your price range.  You can also view homes at http://www.realtor.ca/  Previewing pictures and details online and doing actual 'drivebys' is a great way to narrow down which homes you actually want to take the time to go in and see.  Your Realtor can show you any listing, it doesn’t matter which company has the actual listing.  Some people don’t want to ‘commit’ to a realtor, they want to go it on their own, touring open houses and watching the papers until they find the right house. This may work, but there is a risk of missing a new listing.  If you have a realtor actively working for you hopefully you will get a phone call or better yet they will have you set up to receive an automatic email when a listing comes up that fits your criteria.  The most interesting homes and best buys often sell within days of being listed, long before they hit the newspapers and the general public is even aware they are for sale. 

Making appointments- best to give your realtor the list of homes you want to see with at least a day or 2 notice.  Some homes require 24hours notice to view.  Your realtor will make the actual appointments to view each home for you. 

Making the offer- Your realtor will prepare the necessary paperwork, including the contract of purchase and sale which contains the offer price, deposit, terms/subjects to the sale, included and excluded items and closing/possession dates. 

The deposit which is often confused with the down payment shows ‘good faith’ when making an offer.  The deposit is usually held in a trust account in the real estate office and is then applied against the purchase when the sale closes.  Later on in the process the lender requires a down payment on the mortgage.  Your deposit already held in trust can go towards this down payment.  The subjects/terms are typically ‘subject to financing’ subject to a home inspection. Each subject has a deadline or subject removal date.

Here is an example of a typical timeline.

October 1 -view the home and submit an offer, its accepted by the sellers.  Deposit is paid.

On or before October 14 ‘remove subjects’

During this period the buyer will work to remove the subjects.  Getting the financing approved, home inspection done.

If the buyer is satisfied the next step is to sign a subject removal form and the sale becomes ‘unconditional’ The deposit is now non refundable and the sold signs go up!

A typical possession/completion date would be somewhere between October 31-November 15 (could be longer if both parties agree)  This is the date the money actually changes hands and you get the keys to your new home.

A few days before the completion date the buyer would sign final papers at a notary or lawyers office and make arrangements for the bank/mortgage broker to get the down payment.

  

Some MISC and MYTHS

I have heard this one a few times recently.

“ The More You Pay for a House, The More an Agent Makes”. Well I guess its correct to a degree, but the truth is the difference between $300,000 and $305,000 is about $50 and that is before we pay office splits, expenses and taxes!

WHO PAYS?

When you buy a house listed for sale the seller pays the commission to any realtors involved in the sale.

Typically the mortgage broker gets paid by the bank/lender 

The buyer usually pays for any home inspections, chimney inspections etc.
The buyer may also have to pay legal fees, insurance, HST and property transfer tax ( some exemptions apply) 

Hopefully I covered all the basics here.  If you want more complete details of the process just let me know and I can email you more info.

a bit of background

Maybe this should have been my first post...oh well better late than never.  About me and what I do…..

In 1999 I joined ROYAL LEPAGE Advance Realty in Campbell River.  Royal Lepage is a Canadian company and the great thing about our office is that a number of the realtors are actually owners of the company which is very unique for a real estate office and I am sure its what makes us not only a fun office to work at but a successful one too.  Our office makes up the majority of sales/listings in the Campbell River area with over 40 Realtors plus a property management division. 

I grew up in Campbell River spending many of my summers on Cortes Island.  I spent time in college in Victoria and Vancouver, but every summer I was drawn back to Cortes, one summer I actually never left! After a couple years living the island life I decided to take the Real Estate course and moved back to Campbell River in 1999.  Since then I have sold real estate in Campbell River and the outer islands including Cortes. 

I had no idea what I was getting into when I took the course.  I flipped through the textbook and thought it looked interesting and signed up!  I was ready for a change, wanted to dress up for work and get fake nails.  I did both, the fake nails lasted only a few months and the nice clothes,  well its still fun to dress up once in a while but lets say I am more often in ‘casual Friday’ mode. 

I am a salesperson, but I don’t really think of myself as one.  I prefer to think of myself as a facilitator.  I facilitate the purchase and the sale of clients homes.  I hate the old fashioned pushy sales techniques that are often associated with being in sales. 

I love buying clothes but I sure dislike being in a changeroom with a salesperson knocking on my change room door every 30 seconds asking how I am doing, even after I have nicely said "FINE THANKS, will call out if I need you" 

Different strokes for different folks I say, so if you are looking for a super aggressive realtor- thats probably not me.  I will aggressively market your home for sale, but I personally take a more laid back approach when dealing with actual buyers and sellers.  I am available to give you as much or as little help along the way as you need.  I am basically a 'tool' in the process that buyers can use to access information.  Some buyers I work with like to look after alot of the steps on their own, others have me basically take over and arrange all the inspections, deal directly with their mortgage broker etc.. I am fine with either as long as the client is getting what they need.  

Us realtors come with all different styles and personality types allowing you to choose accordingly! 

more to come on the basics of how buying and selling works, and some of the myths too!  

  

Blogging for balance

Just home from a crazy walk at the tyee spit.  My 1 year old in her stroller covered in a plastic rain bubble screaming.  The few other crazy people out in this storm looking at me like I was so cruel to have a baby out in this weather crying.  Little did they know she was actually having a meltdown because she wanted to go the "b" which is what she calls the beach.  This is the first time since the weather changed that we have been near a beach and she could not understand why i wouldn't let her out of the stroller to play. Actually I guess its the second time, a few weeks ago we were at a campground and walked to the beach and she wanted to play in the water but it was cloudy and starting to rain, but she began to cry so I thought..hmm OK I will let her scout to the waters edge and feel the water, she will see its cold and we can leave, but she crawled right in and after a few seconds started to cry.  As fellow campers stared in horror it began to pour with rain and I scooped her up whipped her wet cloths off and wrapped her in a blanket I luckily had!  I guess thats not exactly how I thought it would turn out.
The above pictures are from a huge storm we had in the fall of 2007, people were surfing off the willow point reef.  I had fun taking pictures that day.  Even though we will have to wait many months before we can play on the beach again I am kind of looking forward to the stormy season and cozy days inside. 
With just over a year under my belt of being a new mom, I see now more than ever how important balance is on our lives.  Spending much of my days playing, feeding and cleaning up after this cute little human being the days can go by with very little adult interaction and an awful lot of babyness ( not sure if that is a word, but I like it)  We all need to remember to take the time to re fuel, re charge our batteries by doing something for ourselves, whether its a full day at a spa or simpy just 30 minutes curled up with a good book and no interuptions.  Re charged we have so much more to offer to those in our lifes be it our kids, our clients our family or friends.  I think that this blog is one of those little things that is going to help give me a little more of that balance by giving me an outlet to be creative and also somewhere to release some of the many things I want to share.

So I am only a few days in and already I cannot help myself but here I go about to stray from real estate related topics!
I get email updates from Dr.Pincott, our local naturopathic Doctor in Campbell River.  Here is a link to the most recent one, its about kids and keeping them healthy but it applies to everyone so here it is
http://www.drpincott.com/publications/publishedarticles/Articles/article281.htm

Also stopped at Healthyway natural foods market today ( on elm street beside Home Hardware)
If you have not been there lately you should check it out, its expanded and has a wide range of local goodies and fresh veggies.  I love the idea of shopping locally and supporting stores like this and local growers. 

Late this summer I also discovered Coastal Roots Vegetables at Hudsons farm http://www.coastalroots.ca/  Organic, fresh local vegetables sooo nice! they have a cute store or sign up for weekly deliveries.

Tonight is a big night..game one for the Vancouver Canucks after a long summer break from hockey.  Enjoy the game and happy thanksgiving everyone.