Posted by
paige on
April 28, 2011 |
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Although overall sales for Kelowna real estate are down, there’s been some healthy sales happening! In the last 2 months we’ve had 7 homes sell under $400K in the Kelowna North, Glenmore neighborhoods. This bright and cheery older home in Glenmore with new kitchen and windows sold for $365,000. There is a park, tennis courts and great schools nearby.
This newer home pictured below in North Glenmore recently sold for $375,000. Built in 1994, a few cosmetic updates will bring it up to date and the fenced private yard is fantastic! Close to all ammenities including some easy to advanced walking/hiking trails, this house is a winner!
If you’re looking for something new with no HST and still have all the fantastic ammenities the above houses have, check this listing out. Unique and beautiful open plan 2 bedroom 2 full bath townhouse with spacious deck, magnificent views, and upgraded interior. Concrete soundproofing, granite, stainless appliances, hardwood & tile are top notch for this very central location.
Call me on my direct line to learn about successful strategies for buying a house at the best price possible. Paige Guernsey at 250-862-6464.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
March 11, 2011 |
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It’s great to see people out in their front yards as the weather gets better and the urge to tidy the yard takes over! I was recently showing homes to a lady who is re-locating to Kelowna from Winnipeg… Brrrrr. The day was sunny but still cold, and we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We pulled up to one house where the seller was hosing off the driveway. As we pulled in, we waved and parked. He looked like he wasn’t expecting us so I went over to chat with him. The seller explained that his wife looked after all the showings and I should talk to her. I asked him if she was inside and as he nodded his head, the hose followed his actions and he hosed me down. We both were totally stunned! Not sure what to say, and feeling a little silly standing there dripping, I turned to head to the front door and the seller returned his hose to the ground. Never a dull moment selling real estate!
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
December 14, 2010 |
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In my last blog I wrote about what buyers felt was a “good deal”. In that particular case, the buyers and sellers both compromised and an agreement was made. The interesting thing about this piece of Kelowna real estate is that there was already an offer in place when this second agreement came in! This second offer triggered a time clause notification to the buyers with an offer already in place.
The first buyers who we’ll call Ted and Aly, made an offer a month ago subject to them being able to sell their home in South East Kelowna. If another buyer came with an offer, the sellers who we’ll call Alec and Kristy had the option of asking that Ted and Aly remove all their subjects. When the time clause was triggered by this second offer Ted and Aly had some soul searching to do. Did they want to run the risk of owning 2 peices of real estate for an indeterminate amount of time?
In the end Ted and Aly decided that they would not remove all their subjects and the second offer became firm. Those buyers, Bill and Clare were ecstatic and Alec and Kristy are now homeless come the end of January! Their story is one for another blog… they can’t decide if they’re going to actively pursue buying now or rent and see what the market is like in the spring.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
November 18, 2010 |
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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 12, 2010 |
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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
October 25, 2010 |
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You may have been aware that there was litigation recently involving the Canadian Real Estate Association and the Commisioner of Competition. In a recent letter, Competition president Dale Ripplinger told members “the bureau is concerned that CREA’s rules have restricted consumer choice and limited the scope of alternative business models.” He added: “Please note that although we describe the Bureau’s position, CREA (Canadian Real Estate Board) does not agree with the Bureau’s views.” What was being debated was whether or not there could be discount brokerages and/or other business models who could have access to the MLS (R) system.
This is the part I don’t get… I’ve been in real estate for almost 25 years and over those years I’ve seen dozens and dozens of different different real estate brokerages offering all kinds of listing services… all with access to the MLS (R). Every aspect of todays consumption is offered at a variety of different prices. We all know this and we all have the opportunity to choose how we want to proceed with any service we need. It’s no different when selling Kelowna real estate. So why all the fuss? People have the choice to decide how they want to sell there house, and we as realtors have the choice to offer a variety of services at a variety of prices. There’s always been choices. Here’s the CREA Media Statement released today. My opinion? Onto the next big story.
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
October 14, 2010 |
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I’m working with an amazing family who is looking after their grandmother. They’re currently selling grandma’s home using Power of Attorney. Many fine details are involved when looking to sell property using this tool. I came across this informative article dealing with these details. Banks and lending instutions can also have their own rules surrounding Power of Attorney, particularly with mortgage fraud being in the news lately. The business of buying and selling real estate is complex and ever-changing. I’ve been in this business for almost 25 years and I learn something new weekly!
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
September 20, 2010 |
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Like the rest of the country, Kelowna real estate has been impacted from the recent economic conditions of 2008 and sale prices have dropped. However, depending on location, this does not mean some sellers won’t get a price for their home they’ll be happy with and that will allow them to move ahead with their plans. The sale may take longer than in the past, but a little creativity can help get your home SOLD without having to drop the price too much.
Here’s a couple of creative tips that I’ve tried recently to help bridge the gap between a buyer and a seller.
Offer a “seller’s contribution.” Sellers can sweeten the deal by including assistance to the buyer in ways that do not require lowering the asking price. Examples include:
- Offer to pay a portion of the closing costs.
- Cover the buyer’s mortgage payments for up to the first six months. Depending upon the size of the mortgage the buyer can save several thousand dollars and the seller still gets the original asking price for the home. Again, depending on the mortgage, the seller will get more for the home than if he or she dropped the asking price by $10-, $20- or $30,000.
- Many condos, townhomes, and bare-land stratas have monthly strata fees. Paying the first year’s fees could be a big incentive to a buyer nearing the limit of his or her liquid assets.
- Offer to pay off a buyer’s bills. According to Realty Times, some loan programs allow sellers to pay off the credit card debt or auto loans of the buyer which will help him or her qualify for a better mortgage and prevent the need to buy a smaller, less expensive house.
Remember, everyone needs a home and with level-headed negotiations and the help of a professional real estate sales associate, you will be able to sell your home. Even with tougher economic conditions, it truly is a smart time to buy.
If you’d like to know how I can help with creative ideas on how to get maximum dollar for your house please call me directly at 250-862-6464 or email at paige@kelownahome.com
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
September 15, 2010 |
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Sometimes it makes me crazy to think of how many thousands of dollars I spend on my internet presence. My web page, my SEO, my twitter, facebook, and linkedin accounts, and the countless other places that see information from me. Last week, I had the one thing happen that helps me maintain my firm belief that the internet and how information is moved is a revolution that is just beginning.
I had a gal phone me from Vancouver. She had found my web page, read through all the information about me and decided from that alone she would call. We met and I listed her funky townhome in a great location at a super price. In particular she found the testimonials that I’ve received over the years to be very reassuring and she liked what she saw on the sellers information page.
With print advertising there’s no way to track who reads what and what people want to read. Google Analytics solves that with detailed information about what people are searching for, what they like in those searches and what they don’t. Keywords change from time to time and keeping on top of those changes helps drive more traffic to the product. Truly amazing what can be done! Twitter alone has increased traffic to my website in the last year by just over 40%. Who would ever have thought that possible a couple years ago.
The long and short of it is that if you’re not using the internet agressively to sell Kelowna homes, how will you find yourself in front of the people who want to buy?
Please call me directly at 250-862-6464 if you’d like more information on how to get your home listed on Kelowna real estate listings and to learn how the internet can help get your house sold! Of course, you can also check my twitter account at paigeguernsey or my facebook group page at kelowna real estate expert, Paige Guernsey
Talk to you soon…
Paige
Posted by
paige on
June 22, 2010 |
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When I first moved to Kelowna over 20 years ago and began my real estate career here, one of the things you did to build your client base was make phone calls… a LOT of phone calls. I logged hundreds and hundreds of hours calling people out of the phone book asking if they or anyone they knew was thinking about buying or selling real estate. Seems ridiculous now, but back then there was success to be had if you could tough it out. After that I graduated to door knocking. The last door to see my knuckles was opened by a gentlman in underwear who seemed perfectly content to stand there chatting.
Last night I received a call. You probably know the one, right at dinner time and asking to speak to Mr. or Mrs. Guernsey. My last name gets terribly mis-pronounced sometimes … in a funny kind of way. This person asked if I was Mrs. “Going-say”. I laughed and said yes, remembering all those phone calls I had to make years ago. Note to self: Don’t do that again. This person would not stop talking and when I politely said I had to go, they talked right over me. Finally I hung up, feeling guilty. That same person called back last night 3 times. I went from feeling sympathetic to feeling choked that our space was invaded like that.
I haven’t “cold called” in decades and I wonder if new realtors do that. Would you respond positively to a realtor calling asking if you were interested in buying or selling real estate or would a text or tweet be more in line with todays world?
Talk to you soon…
Paige
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