Tips from Shirley

In our opinion, the assessment authorities try to be fair in assessing your property. Given the sheer number of properties they must assess, however, it is almost impossible for them to be fair to everyone...

1. Home Buyers’Plan

Qualifying home buyers can withdraw up to $25,000 (couples can withdraw up to $50,000) from their RRSPs for a down payment. Home buyerswho have repaid their RRSP may be eligible to use the program a second time...

Lower Mainland Housing Outlook, Trends to Watch in 2013: Economic Factors,  Mortgage Interest Rates Expected to Remain Low,  Contrasting Picture of Job Markets and more!

Watch the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Housing Market Update for January 2013 with REBGV president Eugen Klein. For more news and statistics visit us at http://www.rebgv.org or follow us at http://www.facebook.com/REBGV and http://www.twitter.com/REBGV

Pick up any newspaper today and no one could blame you if you got a little worried about the state of the economy or the fear of a pending market correction in Canadian real estate...

When you’re thinking of selling your home and buying another, you face the inevitable question: Should I list my property first or buy my new home first?...

There are many reasons why you may need to sell your home quickly: a sudden job relocation; a change in family situation; or perhaps an opportunity to purchase a new home that you just can’t pass up...

Say you’re viewing a home and are impressed with how it looks. The walls are freshly painted. Everything seems bright and new. You’re considering making an offer.

If you take care to price your home correctly — that is, at a price that is in line with what similar properties in the area have sold for recently — then you have a good chance of selling it at or near your asking price.

When you put your home up for sale, you want it to look its best to potential buyers. That’s why you clean, tidy and de-clutter every room.

Some sellers, however, miss the backyard. You need to pay just as much attention to that space as you do to the interior of your home. The backyard is as important a living space as the family room. To some buyers, even more.

When would you talk to a car salesperson? Probably only once you’re ready to buy a new car. You would do some initial research (perhaps on the internet), get an idea of what you want, and then go to the dealership to meet a salesperson, test drive the car and make the purchase.

One of the most important decisions you make when selling your home is setting the listing price. That can be tricky. After all, if you price your property too low, you leave money on the table — perhaps thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if you price your home too high, many buyers won’t even bother to see it, believing it is too expensive.

When you make an offer on a home, it’s a smart idea to have a professional home inspector check it out from top to bottom. This inspection will ensure that the property doesn’t have any unexpected “issues”. After all, you don’t want to buy a home only to discover that the roof needs to be replaced, immediately, for thousands of dollars.

As you’re probably aware, the list price you set for your property has an impact on how quickly it sells — and how much you earn on the sale. What you may not realize is just how significant an impact it has.