Posted by
paige on
November 30, 2010 |
No Comments
if the sale price on a home you’ve purchased is $10,000 or $15,000 off the list price?
I’ve been working on an offer for the last couple of days on a home that is priced extremely well. It was priced that way to attract the attention of buyers and consequently generate offers, which has happened. However, the buyer currently trying to purchase this home feels that the seller isn’t coming down off the listing price enough for them. The buyer has been provided concrete and current information why this home is priced right on the money but they’re still balking. Does the seller back down to capture the ever elusive buyer today or stand firm and believe a buyer who accepts the current information on that particular house vs. the ”big real estate picture” will come along? Time will tell… I’ll keep you posted on this one.
Talk to you later…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 24, 2010 |
No Comments
I was chatting with my good friend and associate Tamara Stone the other day. We were discussing awards and designations that real estate brokerages hand out each year to their realtors (by the way Jane Hoffman with Coldwell Banker is the number #1 realtor for this franchise in Canada!). Are they important to the consumer or the realtor? I’m still thinking on that…
Anyways, I’m off topic. HST and implications surrounding real estate has been a real problem since it was first introduced in July … much along the lines of the GST when it first arrived. There is still so much confusion that it’s hard to figure out what’s fact and what’s fiction. HST is collected on new housing and some resort/vacation property but NOT on “used” housing (view: Kelowna real estate). There’s some great websites by local law firms that help answer some of the questions. I also found a great HST calculator that helps when figuring out numbers!
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 18, 2010 |
No Comments
Here we are with 38 shopping days until Christmas and the real estate market is still experiencing fall-like activity! Kelowna’s October residential sales were up to 132 over September’s 117 sales. The winter months can be a successful time of year to sell your home mostly because there is less competition and the buyers out there tend to be more serious. Let me explain… Usually at this time of year sellers let their listings expire and/or pull them from the active market. True to timing, we are seeing a reduction in current residential listings available right now. Buyers that are shopping are generally very focused, particularly those that come from out of town, and have less to choose from. I’ve noticed that my listings have seen an increase in showing activity with less product for buyers to look at. Also, those buyers may be feeling a sense of urgency now that fixed term interest rates have gone up. Those that are “locked in” at the lower rates will need to choose soon or be faced paying a higher rate. Yes, you still have to keep the house “show ready” and the driveway shovelled, but when those buyers come, they’ll be taking a good hard look at your house. If you’re thinking of selling your home, please give me a call on my direct line 250-862-6464.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 16, 2010 |
No Comments
Positive news from Canadian Mortgage and Housing! In their november 2010 outlook for early 2011, demand for housing will pick up in the first quarter next year. At he same time, it’s predicted that prices may edge up slightly as listing inventory is consumed. Interest rates are low and all indications show they’re not going up fast. All good news for our local Kelowna real estate market!
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 12, 2010 |
No Comments
I posted this almost a year ago and I’ve had so many people ask about it, I thought I’d post it again…
And now for something completely different… Here`s the top 10 craziest things that have happened to me over the last 24 years of being a real estate agent in Kelowna.
10. My brand new car phone getting zapped by lightening on the 2nd day I owned it.
9. Having my cell phone, stored between my car seats, accidentally dial up a seller who could hear us talking about their house… that we`d just been through.
8. Having to ask a busker to loan me a dime to make a call (before cell phones!). He did, and I paid him back later.
7. Having someone try quite persistently to kiss me during a listing presentation.
6. Sending a text full of love, hugs and kisses to a new client instead of my daughter. Very embarassing mistake.
5. Locking my lock box key INSIDE a house after I had locked it up.
4. Having my slip fall off during a tour of someone`s house.
3. Showing a house to a client who happened to be a police officer, right after the seller had smoked pot… a lot of it!
2. Calling a buyer with a counter-offer, explaining the whole thing, only to be told I had the wrong number.
1. Showing a home at a pre-arranged time, only to get to the master bedroom and realize the sellers forgot about that pre-arranged time, and had come home for a nooner! YIKES.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 10, 2010 |
No Comments
This seller has been reducing their price by $2,500 a week and it’s getting a lot of attention. Already a great deal at $241,500 the price for this lofted townhome includes 12 months worth of strata fees! The last 2 recent sales of these popular lofts was $255 and $265K in early summer 2010. The fantastic thing about #207-2350 Stillingfleet Road, is that you can potentially save over $140 per month on your housing cost due to the fact it’s on a leasehold land. Let me explain… some people will shy away from leasehold property because the property usually has a monthly lease cost and that concerns them. Consider this: this same townhouse on freehold would cost somewhere between $300 and $310,000. The difference between these two in cost is about $60,000. The lease payment is $170 per month and the mortgage on that $60,000 is over $309 or $140 more! The lease is held by 2 local and well known Kelowna families and most banks will fund in this complex.
$140 x 12 = a week in Mexico… or just sit around your own pool! An interesting train of thought for sure.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
