Calgary Real Estate Podcast with Eric Mortimer

Here are the numbers you need to put yourself in a position to win. A lot of people in Calgary are confused when it comes to the real estate market. Should you buy or sell now, or should you just hold on? There's a lot of conflicting information out there, and most headlines are designed to elicit a strong emotional response. People see what's happening in Toronto and Vancouver, signs of inflation, disruptions to the supply chain, and more.  What's the truth? Are we playing a deadly game of “Red Light, Green Light” a la Squid Game? I'm going to go through all of the important info with you today. The thing to remember with all of these statistics is that they are averages. Averages can be dangerous because your feet could be in the oven while your head is in the freezer. For example, sales are down in Chestermere by 15%. However, parts of Calgary are seeing an average of a 25% increase in sales. Calgary is up 10% in price, whereas Okotoks is only up about 5%. It really depends on where you are in the Calgary region, what your situation is, and what your style of home is.  “We're not quite sure what to expect in spring for now.” From a macro perspective, Calgary saw an increase of 8.9% in price year over year. Most of that average comes from single-family detached homes, which were up by 10.5%. Semi-detached homes were up 8.9%, rows were up 7.3%, and apartments were up 0.4%. If you look at the district sale numbers, the City Centre only increased 3.9%. With so many people working at home these days, they're moving into the outskirts. That's why North West Calgary prices are up 10.5% on average. Home prices were trending up for most of the year, but the mark has gone a little sideways. However, supply has dropped with it. I expect the strong demand for homes to continue, and I anticipate prices will remain strong for the next few months. We're not quite sure what to expect in spring for now. In Airdrie, they had a 14.5% increase in sales, with most of those happening in the $300,000 to $400,000 range. Arkran hasn't seen as large of a bump. They're only up about 5%, but the $300,000 to $400,000 price range is strongest. In Chestermere, although sales are down, prices are still up about 10%. In Okotok, prices are up 5.4%. Just like with any game, there are always going to be statistics and ways of winning and losing based on those statistics. If you have any questions or want to learn how you can win the real estate game this year, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Enter your address here to find out what your home is currently worth.

Halloween will be here before you know it, so today I’ll share some quick tips that will help you and your family have a fun, safe holiday.   Skeletons, spiderwebs, and jack-o'-lanterns galore are popping up all over our neighborhoods, and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is just around the corner. If your preparations so far have involved stocking up on candy and choosing the perfect costume for yourself or your children, you're on the right track. Getting in the Halloween spirit is great, but decking out your yard with spooky decor and buying sweets for trick-or-treaters isn't the only thing you should be doing to get ready for the holiday ahead. Ghouls and goblins might be nothing more than fun, fictional frights, but there are some real dangers to watch out for on Halloween night. Thankfully, by following a few simple safety tricks, you can help make this Halloween a fun and safe treat for everyone. 1. If you're a homeowner expecting trick-or-treaters, make sure you: Keep your home, yard, and sidewalks brightly lit (and shoveled if applicable) Clear debris and obstacles from your yard, steps, and walkways Keep pets kenneled Park your car in the garage Use LED candles instead of real candles inside Jack-o'-lanterns Tone down extra-scary decor Keep a close eye on your front door 2. If you're a parent with children who plan to trick-or-treat, make sure you: Always accompany young children to each house they visit Visit neighborhoods with sidewalks to avoid walking in the street Always use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street Add reflective tape to your child's costume Keep masks at home, as they can obstruct your child's vision Have your child carry a flashlight Establish a curfew for older children venturing out on their own Remind older, unsupervised children to call 911 in case of emergency Tell unaccompanied children to never enter a stranger's home “You can help make this Halloween a fun and safe treat for everyone.” 3. If you're going to be driving on Halloween night, make sure you: Stay alert and watch for children in the street Eliminate any distractions within your vehicle Drive slowly Be especially cautious at intersections and corners Be mindful when pulling in or out of driveways With Halloween holding such a high risk of accidents involving child pedestrians, following these safety tips will be essential. Still, even after your children have made it home with their Halloween haul, there is one more important safety concern you'll need to address: their candy. 4. Check candy for the following red flags before letting your trick-or-treaters dig into their treats: An unusual or discolored appearance Spoiled or unwrapped items Tears or holes in wrappers In addition to following these tips, you should also be wary of homemade items or baked goods. If you don't personally know who made them, these should be discarded. As a general rule for any treat: When in doubt, throw it out. Parents should also be mindful of treats that could pose a choking hazard. Hard candies, gum, peanuts, and small toys should only be given to older children. If you have any additional questions regarding tainted or unsafe candy, you can contact Poison Control or your local police department. Along with the tips above, this year we must do our part in protecting ourselves, our children, and our families amidst the pandemic. 5. Follow safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Trick-or-treating: Don't go out if you feel ill, minimize contact with others, wear a costume that allows a facemask as well, and avoid touching doorbells or railings (call out “trick or treat” instead). Handing out candy: Don't hand out candy if you're feeling ill or isolating, wear a facemask, hand out treats from your driveway or front lawn, and make candy bags to space out on a table or blanket. By following these tips, you and your trick-or-treaters will be all set to have a safe and happy holiday. Fangs for reading and sharing this. Happy Halloween!

Mortgage expert Bob Reader joins me once again to discuss interest rates. Today I’m joined once again by Bob Reader, a veteran of the mortgage industry, to talk about the present and future of interest rates in our real estate market. There are plenty of misconceptions out there regarding this topic that we’ll clarify. Current rates are so low that they’re not sustainable for the banking industry, and we’re seeing this reflected in the financial markets. The bond market is increasing in value, which, in turn, will push interest rates up soon.  Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch it in its entirety, or use these timestamps to browse specific points at your leisure: 0:35—A little background on Bob 1:13—Comparing mortgage rates from 1990 to now  2:14—The statuses of fixed rates and variable rates  5:03—Are cash-back mortgages a good idea? 6:57—How hard is it to get a mortgage? 8:43—Why you need to get in touch with a seasoned mortgage professional before shopping for properties  9:23—Wrapping things up  If you have questions about this topic or are thinking of buying or selling a home, feel free to call or email me. I’d love to help you.

Here are 10 mistakes not to make that will trip up your home-buying plans. The market’s starting to heat up already here in 2021, and we’re seeing more action in the Calgary region than we’ve seen since 2014. Unfortunately, people are getting a little overeager and making some silly mistakes. Here are 10 you should avoid at all costs: 1. Don’t take advice from just anyone. Your Uber driver or go-to hairdresser are perfectly nice people, but their opinion on real estate isn’t necessarily correct. Make sure you’re working with a team of advisors who can boast a proven track record of success and point to lots of five-star reviews from raving fans. 2. Don’t change jobs or quit. I’ve had two different clients do this while buying a home, and it slowed down the process. Also, don’t switch your pay structure to contractor or self-employed status, as it can have the same effect. 3. Don’t make large purchases or seek other types of financing (e.g. car loans). If you’re planning to buy a washer, refrigerator, or a car to go along with your new house, know that it’s better to wait until after closing to do so. You don’t want to mess up your credit and debt-to-income ratio. 4. Don’t reduce your work hours or take unpaid time off. Since that will impact your income, it can cause a big problem for a lender during the financial review process. 5. Don’t use mattress money—i.e. a bundle of cash. Unfortunately, you can’t do this. The lender has to be able to source the funds to finish the loan. If you do have a bunch of cash lying around and want to use it for your home, deposit it and make sure it’s in your bank account for at least 90 days before starting the financial review process. “Your Uber driver or go-to hairdresser are perfectly nice people, but their opinion on real estate isn’t necessarily correct.” 6. Don’t run your credit multiple times. You can run your credit multiple times while you’re shopping for a rate, but you want to do it within a 15- or 30-day period. Each of the three credit bureaus has different periods, and you should talk to your licensed lender first before making any assumptions about your time frame. 7. Don’t overuse credit cards. When you’re under contract, this can affect your credit score and debt-to-income ratio greatly. Keep your credit card limits where they usually are. 8. Don’t cosign on a loan. Whether it’s a home or car loan, don’t cosign while you’re in the process of buying a home. It’s another thing you’ll want to wait to do until after closing. 9. Don’t go on vacation during closing. You have to physically be at the closing table to sign some documents. Any delay in closing could jeopardize your whole transaction. 10. Don’t wing it. When using RRSPS for your down payment, there is a proper order to the process as well as rules that must be followed. If you have even a shadow of a doubt about something, you need to ask a qualified professional for more information. If you have questions about these tips or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Home sellers “mark” their territory without even knowing it. I’ll explain how. What does prepping your home for the market have to do with a dog marking its territory? I’ll get to that in a little bit, but first I want to touch on home improvements. The majority of people who don’t contact me early enough for a consultation make some poor assumptions on what they should be doing to get ready to sell. They work on the wrong things, which costs them months of time, all kinds of stress, thousands of dollars, and even a sale. The last thing most people need right now is extra stress and expenses. I will often go over to a client’s property only to find out that they’ve already spent their time, energy, and money on the wrong things. Money that they won’t ever get back. In this current market, I don’t recommend spending a nickel unless you are going to get at least a dime back. Basement development, new windows, insulation upgrades, furnaces, furnace cleaning, and retaining walls are all examples of items that you don’t get a good return on. The other thing that happens is sellers get stressed out, run out of energy and motivation from working on the wrong things, and fail to address the dog urine issue. Okay, what the heck am I talking about? Most commonly, dogs mark their territory with a small amount of urine. They tend to lift their back leg and urinate on an object or area, thus claiming it as their own. This is called urine-marking. Just by smelling it, another dog can know the sex, maturity, and social status of the one who left the scent. It wants other dogs to know they are not welcome in this space. People do an equivalent to marking their properties all the time. This is fine when you’re living in the home with no plans of selling; you want the space to be your own. However, when you are selling, you want the property to help buyers feel at home. If they don’t, they will feel uncomfortable, as if they are invading someone else’s space (much like a dog in foreign territory), and they’ll want to get out of there. “Remove any evidence of pets from your home before showing it.” Buying a home is a very emotional experience. We want buyers to feel at ease by allowing them to imagine the home as their own space from the start. Here are five tips to help do that: 1. Minimize any evidence of pets. As much as we may love our pets, many people don’t. They don’t like the smells, allergies, or fears associated with them. Make sure all the food and water dishes, beds, and poop are picked up for pictures and showings. 2. Take down any family pictures or paintings with a face. Again, this makes the space yours, not the buyers. We want them to feel comfortable with imagining their own family pictures on the walls. They can’t do that when they see your family staring at them. 3. Pack up any knickknacks or personal items that are smaller than a football. 4. Neutralize your feature walls or rooms that are crazy paint colours. You probably loved that bright blue or pink when you painted it, but it’s likely out of style now and the buyers will have a harder time imagining what to do with such odd-coloured spaces. 5. Take the day off and hire a professional cleaner to do a thorough job. By the time you have prepped the basics, you will probably be a little tired. We need to do an extremely thorough cleaning job to help reduce smells and show the buyers the property is well-maintained and move-in ready. Relax and let the pros do the work! If you would like a free, in-depth home prep guide, let me know, and I can send that to you. I can also do a FaceTime or Zoom walk-through of your property to give you a few other custom tips or a full evaluation. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.

Should you sell your home now or wait? Let me give you some insight. In the past, I probably would have advised you to wait until the snow is gone to sell your home when things are a bit greener and your home will look its best in photos. However, there are a few things working in your favor if you decide to sell right now. For one, interest rates have reached historic lows, meaning more people can afford a more expensive house than they could have in the past. People often purchase based on their monthly payments as opposed to the home’s total purchase price, and because rates are so low, monthly payments are reduced, as well. “In some price ranges, your odds of selling within 90 days are over 100%.” Additionally, demand is at an all-time high. Home sales in the Calgary region are the highest they’ve been since 2007. We’re not sure how much longer this will last; it may just be a pocket in the market, or it may continue. There is also less competition right now. Inventory is low and demand is high, and in some price ranges, your odds of selling within 90 days are over 100%. These market conditions are unheard of, so you should strongly consider taking advantage of the times by selling now. If you have any questions about selling your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you formulate a strategy so you can realize your dreams.

Here’s what you need to know about Calgary real estate as we begin 2021. We had a pretty slow start in real estate last year, but we finished 2020 strong with December sales the highest they have been since 2007. There were a lot of economic challenges including oil prices and unemployment rates. Then COVID and the lockdowns hit, slowing things down a bit. Many would think that this would have caused even more issues and price drops. However, with the necessity of being able to work from home and some people’s safety concerns, “home sweet home” became even more important. The other major factor driving the market is interest rates. People will often make their purchase decision based on how much their monthly payments will be. Money has become extremely affordable—almost free with our low rates. Looking at these figures you can see how much monthly payments have gone down in just the last year. “Money has become cheap due to our low interest rates.” With these kinds of savings it can be worth making a move or perhaps even refinancing your current home. So, what’s happening with prices? City-wide prices remained relatively flat compared to last year. Overall detached homes were at 0%, ½ duplexes were down 1%, and row and apartments down 2%. It depends on what you have and where you are. There were also some notable surprises. For example, the south and southeast parts of the city saw a 2% increase in single-family detached  home prices. If you would like the latest scoop on a specific area or property, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I have five tips for those looking to sell this holiday season. It’s the holiday season once again, and that means I’m hearing a familiar question from both buyers and sellers: Do properties move during this time of year? The answer is yes, plenty of properties sell over the holiday stretch. In fact, it can be a particularly great time to buy or sell a home. For buyers, there’s often less competition, as many folks take a break from home shopping to avoid any fuss amid their festivities. For sellers, it’s a plus knowing that those buyers who do remain active at the end of the year are serious about getting into a home; they’re certainly not braving the weather and working around busy schedules just to find fun holiday decoration ideas. “If you’re doing things right, your utility bill should go up a bit when you’re trying to sell your home.” If you’re considering a holiday home sale this year, here are five tips to help you prepare: 1. Tastefully decorate your home for the holidays. Some people worry that by decorating their homes for the holidays, they’ll risk offending potential buyers who are of a different cultural background. My advice: Don’t think too much about it; there’s nothing wrong with decorating your house for a holiday that you and your family celebrate. The buyers who are attracted to your neighborhood will likely be more similar to you than different, demographically speaking. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then you shouldn’t buy tons of lights and turn your house into a cartoonish sideshow reminiscent of National Lampoon’s. Whatever you do, it should come from your heart, not your head. 2. Deep clean before you decorate. The goal is for Santa to run his hands over your whole house and still have pure, white gloves to show for it. Watch out, though—if you leave behind traces of dirt, you might get coal in your stocking! 3. Keep the home warm. With vacant homes especially, people tend to turn down the temperature, but you don’t want to do that. If you’re doing things right, your utility bill should go up a bit when you’re trying to sell your home; your heat should be notched up a little higher than usual, and all your lights should be on. Light scented candles, blow them out before you leave, and flip on the fireplace (if you have one) to create an inviting ambiance. Also, the nostalgic aroma of fresh baked goods never hurts! 4. Price your house properly. This isn’t a time to be testing the market and hoping for a Christmas miracle. If you’re selling now, you’re serious about moving on from the home, so the last thing you want to do is scare off that buyer who would have otherwise been the perfect match. 5. Be patient during the process. You may find yourself a tad frustrated juggling a holiday schedule that keeps changing, but keep your eyes on the prize. The buyers coming to that next showing are not an inconvenience, they’re the potential solution to all your worries. If your property doesn’t sell over the holidays, be sure to take down all of your decorations by New Year’s so it doesn’t look dated, then have your agent take brand-new photos for the listing. For an easier way to sell your home during these times, check out our Guaranteed Sales Program. If you want to eliminate risk and worry while getting a great deal on your next home, consider our Virtual Insiders Program. Just complete the form linked below the video to learn how you can look at your five favorite homes from the comfort of your couch. I look forward to hearing from you soon, but in case I don’t, I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year! As always, reach out by phone or email if ever have any real estate-related questions or needs.

Here’s the story of how my clients were able to sell quickly in a slow-moving segment. I’m joined today by Darren and Melissa, wonderful clients of mine whose home I recently had the honor of selling. They’ve graciously agreed to share some details of it so that you can benefit from their experience and have a successful sale of your own. Darren and Melissa were in an out-of-town market, and theirs was a larger home above the price points that had been successful. They knew they wanted to sell, and had gotten a quarter of the way through some renovations on the home when COVID-19 hit. After a few months of waiting, they were finally able to finish up the work on their home, but still needed to locate a professional to help them start the selling process in earnest. After meeting, with a friend’s recommended agent, Darren continued their search by Googling Calgary Realtors and found my name; I’m so glad they gave me a call. “Right from the first meeting we knew,” Melissa said. “We wanted someone to come in and tell us what we needed to do. We needed to know where to start and that’s exactly what you did for us.” They wanted to be out of the home before Christmas, which they knew would be challenging given the fact that many homes in their price point have been sitting on the market for quite some time. However, they did what other sellers didn’t, and they were able to meet their goal. “They cleaned, rearranged some items, and got rid of distractions so buyers could easily envision their own lifestyle.” So, what exactly did they do differently? Well, they listened and tried to be as coachable and supportable as possible. I had given them a checklist of things that would make the home more presentable, and though there were times when they worried about whether it was possible to meet their deadline, they took my encouragement to heart and persevered. They cleaned, rearranged some items, and got rid of distractions so buyers could easily envision their own lifestyles. They received two showings right off the bat and got an offer within a week. Those results were better than anything they had hoped for. The product, pricing, promotion, distribution—we did everything right. Darren and Melissa’s home sale set a record; theirs was the first home in two and a half years to sell in that level of the market. They stuck to the path, had faith in the process, and didn’t allow their emotions to take over. “I think you knew the market, you knew the price points,” Melissa said. “You knew what was moving. You seemed the most educated and understood what we were expecting. You can drive around town and see how long the signs have been on everyone’s front lawn; I didn’t want that to be us. We knew it was going to be hard work, but we were up for it. We did it. We made it happen. Thank you!” If you’re ready to start getting serious about your own home-selling goals, please reach out to me by phone or email. I’d love to check out your property and hear about your specific circumstances so we can assemble an actionable plan suited to your needs.

When selling, staging and curb appeal should elicit emotions from buyers. What does Dr. Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” have to do with curb appeal and staging? People purchase homes based on emotion, then rationalize with logic afterward. Therefore, you should make the walk-through a positive emotional experience for buyers. You want buyers to feel something when they see your house and when walking through it. Start with curb appeal: For example, make sure your lawn is well manicured before showings. As people walk into a home, they make their buying decision within seconds, then confirm it while walking through the rest of the house. Thus the entryway is crucial; it needs to look its best. You’ve heard the cliche that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression—well, it’s the same with staging. Flowers are an easy way to provoke emotions; they’re a symbol of life, so people simply feel better with flowers around them. Dates, anniversaries, and funerals often include flowers for this reason. “People purchase homes based on emotion.” Earlier I asked what Dr. Sheldon Cooper has to do with curb appeal and staging. To see him, go to 2:15 in the video above. We like to place this Sheldon cutout in different areas of homes. He surprises, scares, and makes people laugh—they have an emotional reaction. When people are surprised, endorphins are released, and they feel differently; that’s what you want when they’re in your house. Like our Sheldon prop, you want your property to stand out and be memorable. (Why Sheldon? His character is pretty memorable, too.) If you have any questions or would like to learn more strategies for staging your home, give me a call, drop an email, or send a carrier pigeon. I’d love to help you realize your real estate dreams. View this home in Matterport:  

Here’s why we utilize 3D tours for our home sales. Today I’m sharing three huge perks of 3D virtual tours and how they can help you solve the challenges of selling in any market. 1. It’s like doing an open house 24 hours a day, seven days a week without even having to leave the house. It lets buyers take a look at your home at their own pace. For example, we took over a property in NW Calgary that was on the market with another agent for 252 days before COVID and we were able to sell it in under 30 days after the pandemic began. One of the reasons we were able to sell the home was because of our 24-hour open house. As you can see in the video above, we had over 54,000 Calgary area people come through our virtual open house on Facebook alone. You probably couldn’t do that on a Sunday afternoon open house between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. “We can show a home at any time with these tours.” 2. The buyers can determine if your home really is a fit without bothering you. With a 3D tour, buyers self-select. This pre-screening saves you time and it saves the buyers time, too. That’s a win-win. 3. If the property has an occupant we don’t always have to bother them and kick them out. We can show the home anytime with these tours instead. We had one luxury property with tenants that was going to be difficult to get into because of personalities, kids, and COVID. We knew it had the potential to be a tougher project because another agent had previously tried to sell it before COVID and failed after 273 days. We overcame the problems, did videos and 3D tours, and were able to get it sold in 17 days for 99.4% of the asking price all during COVID. Bonus perk: We helped make it safe, convenient, and efficient for the buyers, tenants, and service providers and they were able to get everything they needed without having to physically access the property. They were then able to start work right away after possession without delays. These are just four of the many perks that come with using a 3D tour to help sell your home. This is one tactic inside of a larger marketing strategy that we follow. To see the 3D tour in action, check out the interactive window below! If you have any questions about how we can market your property or find you a new home please give me a call or send me an email today. I look forward to hearing from you.

Is real estate really like how you see it on reality TV shows? Many consumers and would-be real estate agents have been disappointed, stressed out, and even financially harmed by having real estate reality shows as the basis for their education and belief systems. A lot of people know that what’s on TV isn’t a reflection of reality and use their common sense, but you’d be surprised how quickly common sense can go out the window after a 17-hour binge-session of “Selling Sunset” or “Love It or List It.” Here are five myths perpetuated by real estate reality TV: 1. Homeowners decide to sell their homes after a five-minute conversation. In reality, those sellers have spent hours, weeks, and months deliberating the decision to list their home and move on with their lives. Some people start having that conversation a year or more before they act on it. 2. If you list your home for sale, it will ALWAYS sell at the open house. The truth is that open houses are sometimes an important marketing tool used to expose your home to buyers in the area, but they’re only a small piece of the overall marketing of your home. In our experience, homes rarely sell as the result of an open house. Instead, they typically sell during regular showing appointments. “Despite their reality TV label, these shows are just not an accurate representation of what it’s like to buy or sell a home.” 3. Buyers look at three houses and then decide to purchase one of them. Buyers spend hours and even weeks meeting with their agent and mortgage brokers and getting their lives in order. The hunt for homes can start even years in advance. Sometimes buyers fall in love with the first home they see, but statistically, the average homebuyer tours at least 10 homes after looking at hundreds online. 4. The houses that buyers tour on TV are still for sale. Most of what you see on these shows are staged for TV; many of the houses are already sold and off of the market. These shows are scripted and set up months in advance, so you can’t actually buy many of those houses. 5. The buyers haven’t made a decision to purchase yet. The truth is, since there’s no way you can shoot one of these shows in 30 minutes, the TV producers often choose buyers who are further along in the process and have already selected a home to buy. The bottom line is that you can go ahead and enjoy watching these shows, but keep in mind that, despite the reality TV label, they’re just not an accurate representation of what it’s like to buy or sell a home. If you have any questions about buying and selling homes or real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

If you’re struggling with mortgage payments, we have information for you. Bob Reader of Canadian Mortgage Professionals joins me today as my special guest. Believe it or not, he just completed his 10,000th mortgage, so he’s definitely a mortgage expert. I brought him on because last time, we talked about how crazy sales in our area are—but it’s not all rainbows for everybody. Some people are having a really hard time, so today we’ll discuss some options you have for deferring your mortgage and what the ramifications of doing so might be. Q: What options do those going through a hard time have? The banks have been offering a deferred payment program for individuals who are struggling due to being laid off or because their expenses are piling up and they just don’t have the money to make regular mortgage payments. If this is your situation, contact your lender immediately. Each case is handled individually, and each lender has their own program. They’ll take into consideration where each person is in terms of their income and establish a time frame for repayment, which could be anywhere from one to six months. Q: Is it true that the worst thing you can do would be to ignore the banks and do nothing? Maintaining your credit is super important, not just for the short term, but also for the long term. Your bank needs to be informed as soon as possible if you have trouble making your payments or anticipate that you will. The repayment of the loan varies by the bank, so be sure to discuss how to repay the loan with your lender. Q: Many people who took advantage of loan deferrals didn’t realize that it affects their credit. What’s going to happen with their mortgages down the road? Will mortgage payments skyrocket in the fall? Some lenders will add the accumulated interest and payment to your mortgage balance upon renewal—whether that be two, three, or four years from now—and then refinance it. Some lenders will add the payment to your balance as soon as the deferral program is over and increase the payment to be reflected over the remaining amortization period of the mortgage. As to whether you can expect your mortgage payments to increase in the fall, that depends on your lender. Lenders have the option to renew the mortgage or not, and if someone is in the deferral program and gets laid off, the lender may extend the mortgage or offer renewal. Be sure to shop around when looking for renewal options and renegotiate what you get in that renewal. These are some great points for people who have already started the process and have concerns, as well as those who aren’t currently in trouble and want to make sure they get the best deal. Right now, we have high-ratio mortgages under 2%—it’s almost like free money. “Your bank needs to be informed as soon as possible if you have trouble making your payments or anticipate that you will.” If you’re looking at selling your home as your last option, reach out to us to learn more about our guaranteed sales program or if you have any other questions. We’re here to help you solve your problems and realize your dream.

Find out what the media still isn’t saying about the Calgary region's real estate sales. Today I’m sharing the latest real estate market statistics for Calgary and nearby areas. We anticipated that sales would be relatively strong in July and August, primarily because of the pent-up demand brought on by the pandemic. Boy, were we right! The sales levels in July were about 12% higher than they were in July 2019. We haven’t seen sales at this level in five years. Airdrie even saw a price increase in single-family detached homes because you can get a ton of value for your dollar there. Also, compare the average price in Strathmore of $319,000 to Canmore at $984,800 and you’ll see what a difference location can make. “There’s an opportunity in every market.” People aren’t as tied to Calgary right now because they’re working from home. Parts of Calgary are even seeing decreases in price of up to 8%. There’s an opportunity in every market. If you want to learn what opportunities there are for you or if you’re struggling right now, give us a call or send an email. We have all kinds of systems and strategies in place, no matter what you need. For example, you can learn more about our Guaranteed Sales Program here. We’re here to help you solve problems and realize your dreams.

Here’s how to tackle a home sale prudently from start to finish. How do we move sellers from ‘Just Listed’ to ‘Sold’ so quickly? What you want to avoid is a price reduction, or adding a stigma to your property by having it expire on the market. We’ve taken over a number of properties that have expired two or three times and we’ve managed to sell them simply because we employed the right strategies. There was a time when sellers could wing it and still get their home sold, but flying by the seat of your pants is no longer an option. In today’s market, you have to master product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. At 1:22 in the video above, you can catch us finishing up the pre-launch period of a property. We promote and prepare properties for showings and advertisements a full week before they hit the market. That way, we can ensure that everything is lined up properly and that our ‘coming soon’ promotions are well-crafted. Think about it this way: Could you imagine if the first time anyone heard about the latest Star Wars or Marvel movie was after its release? Of course, studios promote those films weeks, months, and sometimes even years before they premiere to create buzz. We do the same thing for our sellers’ homes. For example, a buyer came two weeks before a property of ours in Cochran was even listed because they had seen the ‘coming soon’ signage and promotional content on social media. I was also feeding information to the buyer’s agent during that two-week period so that when the property officially hit the market, they submitted an offer close to asking price within 24 hours. “Think about the showing process like a Band-aid being ripped off: You can do it quickly, or you can do it slowly.” Don’t cheap out and forego professional photography. People are still using their cell phones for pictures, or just opting for one good photo. Always make sure you have top-quality HD photography. You may also want to consider creating a 3D virtual tour or something of the sort. Remember: Don’t tell, show. For example, don’t just tell me a certain area of your house could be used as an office—take the time to set it up as an office space. At 3:16 you can see our stager did an awesome job converting a corner of this home into a lovely work area. Make sure your bathrooms and kitchen show their best by cleaning them and keeping them free of debris or clutter. Your closets should be at least half empty so that it looks like they offer ample storage. When it comes to pricing, you want to make sure you’re offering the most value for the dollar. So, if two properties are identical, you’ll either have a pricing war or beauty contest, both of which need to be approached aggressively. We’re going to price it such that your property will be the no-brainer pick; not only will it be presented more beautifully than the other property, but that beauty will be at the best price. Distribution is the ease of access. People should be able to enter your home easily and safely. A property that has a tenant in it and requires a 24-hour notice for showings will not be as attractive as one that’s vacant. That means if you’re living in the home you’re trying to sell, it’s incumbent upon you to be as flexible as possible with your availability. You won’t have to have a ton of showings if you do things properly from the jump. Think about the showing process like a Band-aid being ripped off: You can do it quickly, or you can do it slowly. Even in today’s market, you can still expect multiple offers if you nail down the product, price, promotion, and distribution. Should you fail in any one of these areas, your home may not even sell. If you have any questions about how you can optimize your home sale, give me a call, text, or email. I’d love to chat with you about your specific situation.

Here’s what you should know about Calgary real estate. After three months of COVID-19 weighing heavily on the housing market, sales activity has continued to trend up from the previous months. Monthly sales are nearly 2% lower than the activity recorded last year. However, this represents a significant improvement compared to the past several months, where year-over-year declines exceeded 40%. Pent-up demand, very low interest rates, price declines, easing mortgage rates, and the CMHC rule changes all contributed; people were ready for change. This will most likely affect us for a couple of months. It will be interesting to see what happens in the fall if there is a second wave or more shutdowns. The job market is one of our biggest drivers, and double-digit unemployment rates may affect us more in the future. The recent rise in new listings caused inventories to trend up, but they remain well below last year’s levels. Despite some recent monthly gains in supply, sales activity was high enough to cause the months of supply to dip below four months for the first time since May 2019. If this trend continues, it should help to ease the downward pressure on prices. Residential benchmark prices are comparable to last month, but they remain nearly 3% lower than last year’s levels. HOUSING MARKET FACTS Detached Sales activity in June totaled 1,092 units. This is an improvement over the past few months and only slightly lower than last year’s levels. Despite citywide declines, year-over-year sales activity improved in the City Centre, Northeast, North, Southeast, and East districts. June also saw an increase in new listings, which is causing some monthly gains in inventory. However, increased sales offset the rise in new listings, causing the months of supply to trend toward more balanced conditions. Detached benchmark prices remained relatively stable compared to last month but were 2% lower than last year’s levels. Year-over-year price declines were recorded across most districts, with the largest declines in the Northwest, Northeast, and City Centre districts. Apartment Apartment sales totaled 227 units in June. This is an improvement from the 136 units last month, but it is still nearly 13% lower than last year’s levels and more than 30% lower than longer-term averages. New listings rose compared to last month and last year. This did translate into some monthly inventory gains, but overall inventory levels remain lower than last year’s levels. The months of supply has come down from the high levels recorded over the past few months. Benchmark prices continued to trend down this month, totaling $240,900. This is a year-over-year decline of nearly 4%. The resale apartment sector continues to be one of the hardest hit in terms of relative declines in both sales and prices. Attached The attached sector has faced the smallest impact from the pandemic. June sales were nearly 3% higher than last year’s levels and remain comparable to longer-term averages. The attached sector has generally benefited from its status as a more affordable alternative to the detached sector. Like the detached sector, the attached sector saw new listings rise compared to both last year and last month. However, the months of supply trended toward more balanced conditions and improved over last year’s levels. Benchmark prices remained relatively stable compared to the previous month, but fell by nearly 4% compared to last year. The higher price decline in this sector could be a contributing factor to improving sales activity. REGIONAL MARKET FACTS Airdrie Following declines over the past three months, June sales rose above last year’s levels. While the monthly gain was significant, it was not enough to offset the previous pullback, as year-to-date sales remained nearly 8% below last year’s levels. Airdrie also saw new listings rise, but inventory levels remain well below last year’s levels. The months of supply dropped below three months and is lower than pre-COVID-19 levels. If the supply/demand balance stays in this range, we could start to see some of the downward price pressure ease. Airdrie’s benchmark price was $327,400 in June. This is down compared to the previous month and more than 2% lower than last year’s levels. Year-to-date prices remain just below last year’s levels. Cochrane Sales in Cochrane this month improved over last year’s levels. At the same time, new listings also rose, causing some growth in inventory levels. However, the improvement in sales outpaced the gains in inventory, causing the months of supply to trend down. Supply/demand balances are improving, but it takes time before this is reflected in prices. In June, the benchmark price was $394,900. This is slightly lower than last month and nearly 4% lower than last year. It will likely take several more months of more balanced conditions before there’s an observable impact on home prices. Okotoks June sales remained relatively stable compared to last year’s levels. However, with steep declines in April and May, year-to-date sales remain well below both last year’s levels and longer-term trends. Recent gains in new listings caused some monthly gains in inventory levels. The monthly gain in inventory was not enough to offset the monthly increase in sales, causing the months of supply to trend down to three months in June.  Benchmark prices were falling before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pace of decline increased during the past several months. In June, benchmark prices remained relatively stable compared to last month, but they remain more than 4% lower than last year’s levels.

Learn how our Virtual Insiders Program can keep you safe amid COVID-19. If you can’t wait to make a move, we understand and are here to help. We’re changing the way people in the Calgary area buy houses. Our Virtual Insiders Program can keep you safe during this health crisis while also allowing you to see homes like never before. Buying a home should be an exciting and enjoyable time, but it can be nerve-wracking and more stressful than ever if you don’t do it properly.

As we continue to navigate the real estate market during a pandemic, it’s clear that business is still being done. Here’s how we’re helping buyers and sellers remain safe. A lot of people have been asking me the same two questions: “Are properties selling in Calgary?” and “How can I sell right now and reduce my risks?” To answer the first question, we’ve had over 307 sales in the last two weeks, so yes, plenty of properties are still selling. If you are in a position where you need to sell, we can help you take the necessary steps to prepare your home and get it listed, even in a market where physical contact is kept to a minimum. For a full list of questions you can ask buyers before they view your home to keep your health risk at a minimum and information about new rules and regulations made for real estate in Alberta, see below. If you have any other real estate questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I’d be happy to answer them. Optional questions to ask of buyers before showings: 1. Has anyone in their house travelled internationally within the past two weeks? 2. Have they been in contact with anyone in the past two weeks who has tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, is that exposure due to employment relating to the health care profession? Please provide any additional information regarding exposure. 3. Does anyone currently in the house have any symptoms of COVID-19? Including but not limited to a fever, dry cough, or flu-like symptoms?  4. Have you or anyone in your house tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, when? When were you determined safe by Alberta Health Services? 5. Are you or anyone in your house awaiting test results for COVID-19? 6. Is there any additional information or procedures that would make you feel comfortable showing your house during this time? You also will need to keep people coming into your space safe too, so it’s important to review the below questions if you are selling your property. Potential Exposure to COVID-19 (Yes or No) 1. Has anyone in the house being sold travelled internationally within the past two weeks? 2. Has anyone in the house being sold been in contact with anyone in the past two weeks that has tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, is that exposure due to employment relating to the health care profession? Please provide any additional information regarding exposure. 3. Does anyone in the house currently being sold have any symptoms of COVID-19? Including but not limited to a fever, dry cough, or flu-like symptoms? If yes, your Realtor® may wish to have further discussions with you regarding showings. 4. Has anyone in the house being sold tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, when? When were you were determined safe by Alberta Health Services? 5. Is anyone in the house being sold awaiting test results for COVID-19? If you have answered yes to questions 1, 2, 4, and/or 5, your listing cannot be shown until 14 days have passed since the arrival home of the person who travelled internationally, or when you were in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (health care professionals excluded), and/or have been determined safe by Alberta Health Services. Your listing can remain on the MLS® system as active, however, there must be clear disclosure that no showings will be permitted.

If there is anything our team can do to serve or support you, please reach out to us. Licensed real estate agents have been deemed an essential service and brokerages are encouraged to remain open. Homes are still selling and our closings are still going smoothly. We have had four in about the last week and there were no hitches or delays or issues with the banks, lawyers or land titles or anything. Real estate can be bought or sold safely. We have implemented new protocols, systems, and strategies for listings, buyers, virtual meetings and showings. Read COVID-19 Information for Real Estate Consumers here.  General Eric Shinseki said: “If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”  Take your current situation; play it forward 6 months then plan today for that tomorrow. The worst thing you can do is freeze up. Fear and doubt have killed more plans than failure ever has. If there is anything our team can do to serve or support you, please reach out to us. It doesn’t need to be real estate related. We are very well connected with people from all walks of life. Also, remember to go to 5kdraw.ca for weekly and monthly drawings, and of course the grand prize draw of $5,000. What’s happening in the market? March sales activity started strong, but quickly changed with social distancing, business closures, layoffs and the dramatic shift in the energy sector. Overall real estate sales in the Calgary Area are down 11 % from last year. This is the lowest sales number in 25 years.  New listings dropped by 19% this month. This decline in new listings compared to sales caused supply levels to ease and helped prevent a larger increase in oversupply. Overall, the months of supply remain just below five months, similar to levels recorded last year. Prices were already forecasted to ease this year due to oversupply in our market. In March, the citywide benchmark price was $417,400. This is nearly 1% lower than last year’s levels. The reduction in both sales and new listings should help prevent significant price declines in our market. However, price declines will likely be higher than originally expected due to the combined impact of the pandemic and energy sector crisis. HOUSING MARKET FACTS Detached Detached sales eased by 15% this month, driven by pullbacks in all districts except the North, which remained flat compared to last year. The decline in sales was met with a larger decline in new listings, causing inventories to fall by 17% and keeping the months of supply slightly lower than last year’s levels. Detached benchmark prices have remained relatively unchanged compared to last year at $480,800. Price declines this month continue to be the highest for the City Centre, North, East, and West districts. Apartment With 217 citywide apartment sales in March, this was the only category to record a year-over-year gain. Much of the gain was due to improving sales in the South, South, East, and Northwest districts. New listings this month did ease, helping support a small decline in inventory levels. Persistent oversupply has resulted in continued downward pressure on prices. In March, the citywide benchmark price eased by more than 2% compared to last year for a total of $243,700. Attached Both semi-detached and row sales declined this month compared to last year. Like the other property types, there was also a significant reduction in new listings. The decline in new listings helped push down inventory levels for both property types, but it was not enough to prevent a rise in the months of supply. However, this segment was oversupplied before the recent changes, impacting prices. As of March, prices remained nearly 1% lower than last year’s levels for both semi-detached and row properties.  REGIONAL MARKET FACTS Airdrie Like many other areas, Airdrie saw a decline in sales activity, along with a reduction in new listings and inventory. The reductions in supply and demand helped prevent any significant changes to the months of supply. While the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis has not yet played out in the housing market, March prices remained comparable to last year’s levels. Cochrane Both sales and new listings fell this month compared to last year, causing inventories to fall to the lowest levels in five years. Like many other markets, Cochrane remains oversupplied, with easing prices. The March benchmark price was $398,700. This is nearly 2% lower than the previous year. Okotoks Trends changed this month, with flat sales and a decline in new listings. The decline in new listings was enough to cause a significant reduction in supply levels and the months of supply fell below five months. Prices are trending down monthly, but remain comparable to last year’s levels, with a March benchmark price of $405,000. REAL ESTATE The government of Alberta has deemed real estate agent services, and services that provide access to credit, stocks or other forms of liquidity or finance to individuals, groups or businesses to be essential. This exempts licensed real estate and mortgage professionals from restrictions during the COVID-19 outbreak, as long as they follow all public health guidelines, including physical distancing measures. This means brokerages will not need to shut down operations at this time. Albertans rely on these professional services, and brokerages are encouraged to remain open. If you have any questions, give me a call at (403) 827-8081. I’m here to help.

The 2020 Dream Vacation Sweepstakes from Maxwell has begun. Could you be the second consecutive winner from our office? There has been a lot of bad news intruding on our daily lives lately. Today you have a chance to do something completely different, as I have some great news to share. What would you do with $5,000? I want to invite you to enter the Maxwell 2020 Dream Vacation Sweepstakes. The previous year’s winner came from our office, so maybe this year it could be you. All you need to do is follow this link and fill out the information. There is no purchase necessary and no obligation required. If you win, you’ll get $5,000 to plan the vacation of your dreams. “Last year’s winner actually came from our office.” I’ll be holding weekly draws for just my clients and MaxWell is also holding smaller monthly drawings, so enter today to increase your odds of winning. If you have any questions about real estate in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why has the government allocated $1.2 billion toward this new home buying program? As you know, in previous videos I’ve spoken about some great opportunities for first-time buyers in the Calgary real estate market. Today I’ll tell you about Canada’s First-Time Home Buyer Incentive—a program that the government has allocated $1.2 billion toward. It’s got both pros and cons, and I’m joined by Bob Reader of Canadian Mortgage Professionals to help you decide whether it’s right for you. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch it in its entirety or use these timestamps to browse specific points at your leisure: 1:09 - The goal behind this program2:03 - Who it’s intended to help2:59 - How the government shares in the upside and downside of the property value4:41 - Potential pitfalls7:41 - The criteria for qualifying9:27 - Wrapping things up Be sure to check out the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive here if you have questions. For more information, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I’d be happy to help.

From annual price growth to interest rates, I’m covering it all; here’s what the market did in 2019 and where I think we’re headed. Are you surprised by the tax assessment you just received in the mail? Maybe you’re sitting on the sidelines waiting for real estate prices to be just right so that you can get into the market. Making sense of it all can be pretty confusing; the markets across the country have varied significantly, and media outlets are blasting all kinds of information. Today I’m helping you get a grasp on things as we head further into 2020. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure: 0:24 - Year-over-year change in benchmark prices across Canada1:34 - Summary of the Calgary Real Estate Board’s annual forecast event held on Jan. 143:35 - Annual sales and price growth for Calgary in 2019 (residential, detached, attached, apartment)5:10 - Price growth prediction for 20205:40 - The impact of interest rates, crude oil, and employment on the market in 20206:30 - Wrapping things up If you have any questions about this topic or real estate in general, please feel free to reach out by phone or email. I would love to speak with you.

I have several predictions to make for our 2020 real estate market. Happy New Year! It’s time for my 2020 real estate market predictions. A lot of people have been asking for this forecast lately because, quite often, it’s contrary to what other experts have to say and it comes straight from the market trenches. If you want to know what’s happening with your home’s equity or you have some life changes happening next year that involve buying or selling a home, this message is for you. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure: 1:41 - The chances of selling your home within 90 days are 28.5%—will that go up or down?2:07 - The difference between one of our team’s upcoming listings and a home across the street that hasn’t sold yet3:03 - How our team staged the home3:37 - How far I expect prices to drop and where our economy is headed4:34 - Where vacancy rates are headed5:00 - Which types of homes will be in high demand in 2020 and which won’t5:57 - Wrapping things up If you’re curious about your home’s value or you have any more questions about our future market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

How should you respond to receiving a lowball offer? Here are a few tricks and tips for navigating this sometimes awkward situation. We're in a very unique market right now and we're seeing a lot of different kinds of offers. Not knowing how to deal with them properly can cost you thousands of dollars, an enormous amount of stress, and even a sale. Whenever you receive an offer, respond promptly and keep the momentum going. When receiving an offer, sellers have the option to accept it, reject it, or counter it, and there is a time to do each of these things. Most of the time, I don't recommend rejecting an offer right off the bat since the buyers have shown an interest in your property and have gone through the time, effort, and expense to put it together. So here's what you do when you receive an offer: A. Make sure it is a lowball offer versus a fair offer. One of the first things you have to determine is whether it's a lowball offer at all. Sometimes buyers can be right—you could be off on your pricing. I have seen many occasions where people have turned down offers in the beginning only to eventually reduce their list price lower than what they could have sold it for. B. Don't take it personally—this is a good reminder for everyone, whether you are buying or selling real estate or not. I recommend that you read or re-read Don Miguel Ruiz's book “The Four Agreements.” One important lesson is to not take the actions of others as personal attacks against you. When we get emotional, it can cloud our reason and cause us to make silly mistakes. This is another reason it's important to have a great agent as a buffer. It's one of those things that can be simple but not necessarily easy. C. Contact other people that have expressed interest in the property. If other people have viewed the property, make sure your agent lets them know what's happening; they may want to put in an offer, too. If that happens, you may end up having multiple offers. I have negotiated numerous times with people that started out with lowball offers, and they ended up getting more than asking price. Assuming that you don't have multiple offers going, here are some ways that you can respond to a lowball offer: 1. Have a sense of humour. Bear in mind that you should build a little rapport before trying this, though. For example, if a buyer submitted an offer of $75,000 under your $300,000 asking price, you respond with a number that's $75,000 over your asking price. If they react in the ways I expect they might, you can tell them you thought that was the game you were playing—throwing out silly numbers. Then suggest meeting in the middle at $300,000. Have some fun. 2. Ask them to start with something better. It's tough to cover all of the nuances of this point, but sometimes it's possible to get people to come up on their own without countering their offers. 3. Counter, but stick close to the asking price. Going back to the earlier example of the $300,000 house: If someone gives you a lowball offer, you could counter with $298,000. You can also go straight to this tactic and skip the humour; sometimes keeping tight and coming down slowly can bring people up in larger steps. Also, remember that there is more to a transaction than just the price. There are conditions, terms, deposits, possessions, and goods included. Price often isn't the thing that holds up a negotiation. 4. Adjust your list price for another buyer. A lot of people won't do offers substantially lower than the list price, so if it is evident that you are overpriced, you may be missing out on buyers. If your asking price is $300,000 and your last offer was $260,000, but you can't seem to move any higher, it may be a good idea to put this negotiation on hold and, for example, reduce your list price to $280,000. This could potentially get offers for around $270,000, $275,000, or even full price. “Sometimes, keeping tight and coming down slowly can bring people up in larger steps.” Here is one bonus tactic that is useful in any financial negotiation: Quite often, people will come to a point where neither party wants to give an inch on a particular detail. In these cases, one or both parties might say, “Why don't we just be fair and split the difference?” For example, suppose you are at $280,000 and the other party is offering $260,000. They might say, “Okay, let's be fair—we are willing to split the difference and meet at $270,000 and have a done deal.” Here's a potential counter to this situation: “Wow, splitting the difference is a great idea. I appreciate your creativity. We were at $300,000, and we have now come down to $280,000. You are offering $270,00. Let's split the difference and do $275,000!” I hope you've enjoyed these tips from the vault of a certified negotiation expert, and I hope you can make or save yourself some money with them! If you have any questions about dealing with lowball offers, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd be glad to help you.

To know the best time to sell your home, there are several factors to consider. When is the best time to sell your home? This question was recently asked by a viewer of my video blog named Neil who benefited from my home selling advice earlier in 2019. Neil was preparing his home for the market, but he was flexible in terms of when to list it. When he sought my advice, I ran the numbers and figured out that the best time to put his property on the market was in February. Inventory would be low and I foresaw more competition hitting the market and prices dropping after February was over. When Neil did list his home, it generated multiple offers and he got a great deal. Afterward, prices declined, more homes hit the market, and inventory increased—just as I predicted. A lot of people would’ve assumed in this case that it would be better to wait until spring to list, but that wouldn’t have done anybody any good. February might not be the best time to put your home on the market, but if you list during the winter months, you know that buyers are serious. Nobody looks at properties in freezing weather just for decorating ideas. Before you decide what’s best, it’s important to know your type of home’s recent sale history—look at the days on market, the level of inventory, and the selling history of your neighborhood in general. If you look at the statistics at 4:21 in the video above, you’d be surprised at how many sales are spread throughout the year. “If you’re not ready to make a move and are overly attached to your home, buyers will know, and you’ll probably sabotage your sale.” Another factor to consider before deciding when to list is life changes. We real estate agents are agents of change, and we understand that life happens. People are born; people die. Marriages begin and end. Job situations change. When one of these life changes take place, that could be your best time to move. It’s important that you’re ready to change, as well. If you’re not ready to make a move and are overly attached to your home, buyers will know, and you’ll probably sabotage your sale. If you’re still in the early stages of planning your sale, please give me a call. I’ve seen many people overdevelop their homes and spend too much money preparing it for the market. Then, once they did list it, they had to chase down the market and ended up losing whatever investment they put into the home. If you schedule a consultation with me, I can advise you on what you should and shouldn’t do to prepare your home for the market. Additionally, we’ve just launched a new home selling program that removes a lot of the hassle of selling a home that we’d love to share with you. To learn all about it, visit guaranteedsales.ca. If you have any more questions about when to sell your home, feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to speak with you.

By changing your environment, you can change your life. Here’s what I mean. Are you 100% satisfied in all areas of your life? What if you could take a magic wand and change one or two things—what would they be? What if I told you that there's an ancient Chinese secret that will help protect what you have now and help you skyrocket in areas you want to improve? I specialize in helping people get massive momentum and create more outstanding lives. It's in your moments of action that you shape your destiny. Follow along in the video above to learn how to take action for yourself by adjusting the environment around you. For your convenience, I've provided timestamps so you can skip ahead to various sections: 0:57 - The most effective use of energy, or Qi2:02 - Feng shui-ing your friends: Why we're the average of the five people we spend the most time with3:11 - My personal history of adopting the goals of those we surround ourselves with4:38 - How I changed my environment and influences for the better and the biggest reason behind this shift6:12 - Who do you want to spend more (and less) time with to improve areas of your life?7:38 - The world needs you more than ever to step up and fulfill your potential Remember: Life is a gift. Unwrap it, play with it, and be grateful for it. If you'd like to know more about how to improve areas of your life or you have any other questions I can answer, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd love to speak with you.

Is it better to work as part of a team or to work as a solo agent? The real estate industry is challenging to work in right now, thanks to shifting market conditions, and this has left many agents looking for ways to put their careers back on track. If you've been working as a solo agent, perhaps the best route moving forward is to join a team. But why? What's so great about joining a team? Well, first of all, while being a solo agent does mean you don't have anyone to report to, this is actually a double-edged sword. Not reporting to anyone is great in concept, but can really damage your success and productivity in practice. The first major benefit of working with a team is that, unlike working on your own, you'll never be without guidance or support. Sure, you're going to be held accountable to your potential—but isn't that what you want? Surrounding yourself with like-minded people who are real movers and shakers in the industry will always bring you greater success than trying to go it alone. You've probably heard of the idea that you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and this is especially true in a professional setting. That's the real value of being on a team—it will keep you accountable and help you grow. “Surrounding yourself with like-minded people will always bring you greater success than trying to go it alone.” But what about the fear of splitting a commission? Think of it this way: Have you ever thought to yourself that FSBO sellers are making a mistake? After all, even though they'd have to pay a commission fee to hire an agent, they'd walk away with more money in their pocket at the end of the deal by doing so. The same applies for real estate professionals. You might have to sacrifice a small portion of your revenue to be part of a team, but that minor sacrifice actually goes toward giving you more resources and a greater opportunity to succeed. Beyond that, you'll have a mentor working alongside you. A lot of brokerages simply aren't set up to offer this experience. Being on a team is truly unique in its advantages. Of course, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. It's easy to go online and find advice about why you should join a team, but only you can take the necessary steps to follow through and do it. As it happens, our team offers business planning workshops for just this reason. We want to help you act on your goals, so sign up for our next event soon. Find out more information about these workshops here! If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How should you respond to receiving a lowball offer? Here are a few tricks and tips for navigating this sometimes awkward situation.   Whenever you receive an offer, respond promptly and keep the momentum going. When receiving an offer, sellers have the option to accept it, reject it, or counter it, and there is a time to do each of these things. Most of the time I don’t recommend rejecting an offer right off the bat since the buyers have shown an interest in your property and have gone to the time, effort, and expense to put it together. So here’s what you do when you receive an offer: A. Make sure it is a lowball offer versus a fair offer. One of the first things you have to determine is whether it’s a lowball offer at all. Sometimes they could be right and you could be off on your pricing. I have seen many occasions where people have turned down offers in the beginning only to eventually reduce their list price lower than what they could have sold it for. B. Don’t take it personally—this is a good reminder for everyone, whether you are buying or selling real estate or not. I recommend that you read or re-read Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “The Four Agreements.” One important lesson is to not take the actions of others as personal attacks against you. When we get emotional, it can cloud our reason and cause us to make silly mistakes. This is another reason it’s important to have a great agent as a buffer. It’s one of those things that can be simple, but not necessarily easy. C. Contact other people that have expressed interest in the property. If other people have viewed the property, make sure your agent lets them know what’s happening; they may want to put in an offer, too. If that happens, you may end up having multiple offers. I have negotiated numerous times with people that started out with lowball offers and they ended up getting more than asking price. Assuming that you don’t have multiple offers going, here are some ways that you can respond to a lowball offer: 1. Have a sense of humour. Bear in mind that you should build a little rapport before trying this, though. For example, if a buyer submitted an offer of $75,000 under your $300,000 asking price, you respond with a number that’s $75,000 over your asking price. If they react in the ways I expect they might, you can tell them you thought that was the game you were playing—throwing silly numbers out. Then suggest meeting in the middle at $300,000. Have some fun. 2. Ask them to start with something better. It’s tough to cover all of the nuances of this point, but sometimes it’s possible to get people to come up on their own without countering their offers. 3. Counter, but stick close to the asking price. Going back to the earlier example of the $300,000 house: If someone gives you a lowball offer, you could counter with $298,000. You can also go straight to this tactic and skip the humour; sometimes keeping tight and coming down slowly can bring people up in larger steps. Also, remember that there is more to a transaction than just the price. There are conditions, terms, deposits, possessions, and goods included. Price often isn’t the thing that holds up a negotiation. 4. Adjust your list price for another buyer. A lot of people won’t do offers substantially lower than the list price, so if it is evident that you are overpriced, you may be missing out on buyers. If your asking price is $300,000 and your last offer was $260,000 but you can’t seem to move any higher, it may be a good idea to put this negotiation on hold and, for example, reduce your list price to $280,000. This could potentially get offers for around $270,000, $275,000, or even full price. “Sometimes, keeping tight and coming down slowly can bring people up in larger steps.” Here is one bonus tactic that is useful in any financial negotiation: Quite often, people will come to a point where neither party wants to give an inch on a particular detail. In these cases, one or both parties might say, “Why don’t we just be fair and split the difference?” For example, suppose you are at $280,000 and the other party is offering $260,000. They might say, “Okay, let’s be fair—we are willing to split the difference and meet at $270,000 and have a done deal.” Here’s a potential counter to this situation: “Wow, splitting the difference is a great idea. I appreciate your creativity. We were at $300,000, and we have now come down to $280,000. You are offering $270,00. Let’s split the difference and do $275,000!” I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips from the vault of a certified negotiation expert, and I hope you can make or save yourself some money with them! If you have any questions about dealing with lowball offers, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

Halloween will be here before you know it, so today I’ll share some quick tips that will help you and your family have a fun, safe holiday.   Skeletons, spiderwebs, and Jack-o’-lanterns galore are popping up all over our neighborhoods, and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is just around the corner. If your preparations so far have involved stocking up on candy and choosing the perfect costume for yourself or your children, you’re on the right track. Getting in the Halloween spirit is great, but decking out your yard with spooky decor and buying sweets for trick-or-treaters isn’t the only thing you should be doing to get ready for the holiday ahead. Ghouls and goblins might be nothing more than fun, fictional frights, but there are some real dangers to watch out for on Halloween night. Thankfully, by following a few simple safety tricks, you can help make this Halloween a fun and safe treat for everyone. 1. If you’re a homeowner expecting trick-or-treaters, make sure you: Keep your home, yard, and sidewalks brightly lit (and shoveled if applicable) Clear debris and obstacles from your yard, steps, and walkways Keep pets kenneled Park your car in the garage Use LED candles instead of real candles inside Jack-o’-lanterns Tone down extra-scary decor Keep a close eye on your front door 2. If you’re a parent with children who plan to trick-or-treat, make sure you: Always accompany young children to each house they visit Visit neighborhoods with sidewalks to avoid walking in the street Always use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street Add reflective tape to your child’s costume Keep masks at home, as they can obstruct your child’s vision Have your child carry a flashlight Establish a curfew for older children venturing out on their own Remind older, unsupervised children to call 911 in case of emergency Tell unaccompanied children to never enter a stranger’s home “You can help make this Halloween a fun and safe treat for everyone.” 3. If you’re going to be driving on Halloween night, make sure you: Stay alert and watch for children in the street Eliminate any distractions within your vehicle Drive slowly Be especially cautious at intersections and corners Be mindful when pulling in or out of driveways With Halloween holding such a high risk of accidents involving child pedestrians, following these safety tips will be essential. Still, even after your children have made it home with their Halloween haul, there is one more important safety concern you’ll need to address: their candy. 4. Check candy for the following red flags before letting your trick-or-treaters dig into their treats: An unusual or discolored appearance Spoiled or unwrapped items Tears or holes in wrappers In addition to following these tips, you should also be wary of homemade items or baked goods. If you don’t personally know who made them, these should be discarded. As a general rule for any treat: When in doubt, throw it out. Parents should also be mindful of treats that could pose a choking hazard. Hard candies, gum, peanuts, and small toys should only be given to older children. If you have any additional questions regarding tainted or unsafe candy, you can contact Poison Control or your local police department. By following these tips, you and your trick-or-treaters will be all set to have a safe and happy holiday. Fangs for reading and sharing this. Happy Halloween!

Today Barry Malesh from A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections joins me to provide you with some tips on how to prepare your home for the winter. Calgarians are getting ready for winter—they’re preparing their cars and their garages are swamped with snow tires. But what about their houses? Barry Malesh from A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections is here to give you some tips about what you should be doing to prepare your home for the coming winter. 1. Service your furnace. Now’s the time of year that you’ll start needing your furnace the most. Make sure you get it serviced and have your ducts cleaned out because you don’t want to have any problems with it when the temperature is 40 below. Cleaning your unit and changing the filters will also help you avoid carbon monoxide leaks, keep the air in your home clean, and keep your bill lower. 2. Check your smoke detectors every time you change your clocks. This includes carbon monoxide detectors, as well. Change out the batteries regularly, and replace your units once about every five years, since they don’t last forever. 3. Reduce the inside temperature when you’re gone to save heat. Many people think that if they lower the temperature at night, they’re just wasting money reheating the house the next day. Tests on this scenario have been done, and it’s actually been proven that the larger the temperature differential between the inside of the house and the outside of the house, the more heat is lost. So, if you do lower the temperature in the house when you’re gone more than four hours, you can save on heating costs. 4. Make sure the attic is the same temperature as the outside of your home. Here’s a great tip for keeping the heat in your home from leaking out of your attic: seal off your attic hatch with vapor barrier, and be sure to weather strip it, as well. Make sure that the vents for your bathroom and kitchen range lead to the outside, too; that air is warm and moist, so the condensation could freeze and cause damage if it isn’t vented outside. Heat escaping from the attic will also cause melting on your roof and create ice dams. Barry has seen homes where, because of ice damming, water seeps under the shingles and the melt runs down the interior walls, shorting the electrical system. “Change out smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries regularly.” 5. Always shut off your outside taps. Disconnect your garden hoses, turn off the water shutoff valve, and then go back outside and open the tap so that the air can escape. It’s the compressed air in water lines that causes them to break, not the ice. 6. Have your downspouts extended at all times. If ice on the roof melts and runs down your house without proper drainage, the water will pool at the foundation. Here, it can freeze, crack your foundation, and let more water in. 7. When going away for winter vacation, shut off the main water to the home. This way, if anything starts to leak, you won’t have any water issues. The valve for this is in the basement. Additionally, have someone walk through your house while you’re gone. Your insurance might have a clause that mentions this as well: Every three days to once a week, someone should walk through the house to make sure the heat’s on and that there aren’t other issues with the home. Failure to do this might allow for problems to go unnoticed, and your insurance may not cover it. If you would like more tips about how to protect your home in the winter, reach out to me. I’ll send you a free report that includes a checklist you can follow every fall and spring.

Our team has access to a secret set of listings that you won’t find on the MLS.   Today I am going to share with you, not one but three of our top coming soon listings before they are out on the MLS and available for purchase to anyone else. Have you been, or do you know someone who is, frustrated because you keep just missing out on the best deals? You find a place you love and go to the open house or call the agent and it’s already gone. This can feel like a waste of time and be heartbreaking. Would you be surprised to know that you are probably missing places that were actually perfect for you because they were gone so fast? It happens to people every day, particularly in the styles, communities, and price ranges with the highest demand. Often this happens because somebody else heard about it either before it hit the market or the instant it came on. Our coming soon inventory is constantly changing, so make sure you let us know if you are looking for anything in particular, and we can keep you updated. We have access to a number of other agents and their coming soon listings. This not only gives you a secret advantage over other buyers, but it also makes sure you don’t miss out on some of the best places. All three of these properties are in desirable areas in the fastest moving price range of $375,000 to $475,000. As you’ll see, these homes are going to see a lot of action. “These will get scooped up quickly.” Our first property is a bungalow in the SW neighbourhood Westgate. It is currently being painted, so it’s going to look even better than it does now. People just love the mature trees and the easy access to bow trail and downtown. The next property is a 1,400 square foot bungalow with hardwood floors in the NW neighbourhood Dalhousie. This is located on a great crescent and close to sought-after schools. This really has some great potential for somebody that is willing to do a little bit of work and updating. Do you want to build some sweat equity? This is an opportunity to do so. The third secret deal is a nearly 1,600 square foot two-story with a double-attached garage and a fully developed basement for under $375,000. It is currently being painted inside and the huge back decks are being stained. This one will get scooped up quickly. It’s also close to schools, shopping, transit, and the Stoney and Deerfoot trails. If you want more information on these, other properties, or our other unique home marketing systems and strategies, give us a call or send us an email today. We’d be happy to put our particular set of skills to work for you.

To have a successful home purchase, there are certain buyer fears you need to overcome.   As a buyer, if you can acknowledge your fears about the home buying process, you can overcome them and move forward with your purchase with clarity, courage, and commitment. What kind of fears do buyers usually have? Here are four of the most common: 1. Fear of loss. In this case, buyers will come across a property and get scared that they have to buy it soon or someone else will. 2. Fear of missing out. Here’s where the analytical brain kicks in and tells you that, even though you really love this house, it’s only the third one you’ve looked at, and there are thousands of more listings on the market you should look at too. 3. Fear of overpaying. Nobody wants to look like they overpaid for something. If you think a house is overpriced, the tendency is to not want to pay too much for it, wonder why someone else hasn’t bought it yet, and/or wonder whether you’d get a good deal or not. 4. Fear that something is wrong with the house. What if there’s a structural defect and that’s why nobody has bought it? If it’s a condo, a structural defect might necessitate a special assessment or increased fees. “It’s not a perfect market out there, and a home’s list price might be either above or below its true value.” You’ve probably heard the phrase, “What you think about, you bring about.” In other words, the fears you think about can manifest themselves in the form of mistakes because you overcompensate to avoid those fears. With that in mind, here are five common mistakes buyers make that are caused by the fears above: 1. Not getting pre-approved. It’s common for people to start searching for homes and making offers without knowing how much they can afford. This can cause you to lose out on the home you want or lead you to become “house poor.” 2. Overpaying. It’s not a perfect market out there, and a home’s list price might be either above or below its true value. Not everyone has access to records of previously sold listings, expired listings, or other statistics that indicate where the market is going. 3. Not having access to all properties. In addition to the properties listed on the MLS, there are “coming soon” listings, “For Sale by Owner” listings, off-market properties, and other options available to buyers. 4. Listening to the wrong people. There are all sorts of people out there who claim to be real estate experts, so make sure you listen to an actual expert. 5. Not having your own agent. Make sure you hire a proper buyer’s agent to represent you. They’ll have a fiduciary duty to you and only you, which will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Also, make sure you hire the right agent—one who has a team of professionals behind them to look after all of your needs. For example, most agents average between zero and three deals per year. Our team, on the other hand, closed three deals just last week. I don’t say this to brag—I say it to assure you that we cover all our buyer clients’ needs. Here are some specific services we offer that you should look for when selecting your agent: We have a VIP buyer program that gives you access to all properties online and offline We do a careful market analysis to make sure you never overpay for a property We supply competent affiliates and professionals (home inspectors, lenders, lawyers, etc.) If you have any questions about this topic or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to help you.

There are three signs you need to watch out for to know whether your home is overpriced.   If you’re putting your home on the market, it’s important that you price it correctly from the start. Overpricing it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars—not just in terms of carrying costs, but because you’ll end up chasing the market downward. A lot of people assume a buyer will eventually make an offer for less than what they ask, but that doesn’t happen very often. Think of the TV show “Shark Tank,” where people offer a percentage of their company in exchange for an investment: Some of those companies are amazing, but their founders will still walk away without a deal because they ask for too much of an investment. The same thing can happen to sellers in our Calgary market, so if you do overprice your home, you’ll need to adjust quickly. How can you tell if this is the case, though? Here are the three signs you should watch out for. 1. Your listing has expired. If it’s been on the market for six months or more, it’s already gone through a lot of exposure. “Overpricing it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.” 2. The Rule of 10. In other words, for every 10 showings you have, you should get at least one offer—if you go 10 days without a showing, your home is overpriced. 3. Feedback. People will give you feedback after a showing if your Realtor is doing a great job. Make sure you listen to it. A lot of sellers try to block this feedback out, but if buyers give you feedback without wanting to buy your home, it means they’re trying to help you. A lot of their minor complaints can be solved once the price is right. If your price is right, the only feedback you want to hear is an offer or a clarifying question. If your home has been sitting on the market and you want it sold soon, we specialize in fixing bad listings, so give us a call and we’d be happy to help you.

Having great photos of your home is a great way to start the home sale process. Here’s why.   In today’s competitive market, you need to do everything right in order to sell. One of those things is capturing the right photographs of your home. We look at bad real estate pictures every week, and that’s not where you want to be. We’re joined by a real estate photo expert today to answer some common questions about what he does. I’m a big believer in the 80/20 rule that says 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. In real estate, photography comes within that 20% of work. Danny Boutet of Visual Marketing knows a lot about this topic. He’s been in business for 11 years and has shot over 7,000 homes in and around the Calgary area. According to Danny, the biggest mistake he sees homeowners make when it comes to photos is not having their spaces decluttered. If you’re not using something, get it out of the way. Misplaced shoes, clothes, jackets, and trinkets should be out while photos are being taken. He also recommends double checking your lights, windows, and mirrors to ensure they are clean. HDR photos can pick up things that we didn’t have to worry about in the past, but it can also show your home off in a way that’s never been possible before. “80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts.” If you have any questions for Danny about how you can make your home’s photos sparkle, give him a call at (403) 470-4350 or send him an email to d.boutet@visualmarketing.ca. Feel free to watch one of our previous videos on prepping your home as well. If you have any other real estate-related questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Two of the four keys to marketing your home are product and promotion, and here’s how you can focus on each.   As we know, product and promotion are two of the four keys to marketing your home (the others being pricing and distribution), but how can you make sure you focus on these two keys so that your home sells quickly and for top dollar? If you follow along in the video above, I’ll show you how you can by using these tips.First, start with a clear palate, which means you need to declutter and depersonalize. Remove any oversized furniture and pack up any personal items, knick-knacks, and fragile items. Also, remove your valuables and any items that aren’t going with you to your new home. Make sure you keep your countertops and surfaces clear of any portable electronics, and if you have a pet, try to minimize any evidence of their presence. When it comes to your deck and patio areas, bring the outside in by laying down some carpet and sitting up tables and chairs. Don’t tell buyers you have a great outdoor space—show them. “Your home’s marketing should happen both online and offline.” Also, don’t cheap out. Hire professionals to help you do the job. We have professional stagers and photographers on our team who would love to help you. Lastly, if you really want to turn your home sale into a blockbuster, you have to promote it well in advance. Can you imagine if the producers of the next Star Wars film only started promoting it after it hit theaters? In this regard, your home’s marketing should happen both online and offline. If you’d like to know more about how to market your home or you have any other real estate questions, feel free to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you.

The spring market has arrived, so here are a few key tips that will have your home ready to sell quickly and for top dollar once you list it.   How can you prepare your home for the spring market? There are a few simple tips to remember. First, keep in mind that nothing is more important than curb appeal. In the video above, I’m at the home of one of my seller clients, and they’ve power-raked their lawn so that it will grow extra green in the coming weeks. They’ve also added fresh mulch to their landscaping. Besides doing these kinds of things, power washing your home’s exterior is always a good idea, too. Inside the home, the owners have done a great job handling another important task: cleaning and decluttering. Specifically, don’t forget to clear the countertops in your kitchen and bathrooms. In general, do whatever you can to show off the master bedroom, master bathroom, and the kitchen area. In each room, the beds should be made and the closets should only be half full. The goal is to show off how much storage you have, so pack up all your winter clothes and store them away. “Do whatever you can to show off the master bedroom, master bathroom, and the kitchen area.” When it comes to the windows, they should be cleaned from both the inside and the outside. This brightens everything up and enhances the home’s cleanliness. Lastly, if you have a great deck, don’t be afraid to show it off—sweep the floor, bring out your furniture, and clean everything off. Also, don’t forget to power-rake your backyard just like you did your front yard. These tasks might seem like a hassle in the short term, but they’ll pay huge dividends down the line. Please contact us for more information, or to receive a guide on how to prepare your home for sale for free. If you’d like to know more about preparing your home for the spring market or you have any other real estate questions for me, feel free to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you.

Today I’ll be doing a SWOT analysis of the Calgary real estate market—that is, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as what they’ll mean to you.   The Calgary Real Estate Board released their 2019 forecast a few weeks ago, and in the past, I haven’t been in full alignment with the numbers they’ve put out. Last year, they predicted 0% growth, whereas I saw house prices fall 2% and apartment prices fall 5%. This year, however, I think we’re more in line with the Board’s predictions. Let’s first take a look at what happened in 2018: Detached home sales dropped 15.95% and prices dropped 1.45%. Apartment sales dropped 7.24% and prices fell 2.70%. Attached home sales dropped 15.43% and prices decreased by 1.49%. For the City of Calgary overall, there was a 14.61% drop in sales and a 1.52% decrease in prices. As always, putting too much stock in averages can be dangerous—if your head is in the oven and your feet are in the freezer, your average temperature would be okay, but you’d be dead anyway. Perspective does matter when it comes to analyzing these figures. This year, as I said, we’re more in alignment with predicted trends. Overall in Calgary, home prices dropped 2.35%, which makes this the fourth consecutive year of price decreases in our city. That constitutes a decline of about 9% since 2014; those who purchased their homes in 2014 will be the most affected by the current market conditions. Why is this happening? Well, in addition to oil prices and the uncertainty of the political environment, interest rates are a big factor. Not only have interest rates been creeping up, but when the stress test came into effect on January 1 of last year, it was the equivalent of having a 2% increase in interest rates—this really reduces people’s buying power. What is negatively impacting home prices in 2019? The energy sector and the economy are continuing to soften. Consumer confidence is down. People aren’t certain about their real estate prospects, and when people aren’t certain, they either fight, flee, or freeze—a lot of people are freezing. The number of good-paying jobs continues to decrease. The lending market is tightening rules as interest rates continue to rise. The housing supply continues to rise, and when that happens, prices decrease. “Overall in Calgary, home prices dropped 2.35%, which makes this the fourth consecutive year of price decreases in Calgary.” On the other hand, the increasing population and net migration to Calgary are working in our favor. Many immigrants who come begin by renting for a couple years before buying homes, which contributes to the decreasing vacancy rates over the past year. This creates opportunity for investors: If you can buy for less and your vacancy rates are decreasing, your rates will begin to increase. There are other opportunities to be had, as well, if you’re looking at moving up or down. Right now, properties—especially detached homes between $350,000 and $450,000—are really hot. We’re even generating multiple offers in some cases; though it may take two or three sometimes, we’re still getting the job done. If you’re someone who owns a home in that hot zone and wants to move up to a higher-priced home, then that market is softer and you can get a better deal. If you’re looking at moving down, the condominium market is softer, and there are better deals there than ever. The gap that you’re paying is actually smaller; if you remove your personal reservations about selling your house for less and look at your net numbers, you’ll see that there are some pretty significant savings and opportunities that we haven’t seen in Calgary for years. What threats might present themselves if the 2019 predictions don’t come true? Pipelines/energy sector. If major employers move into the area or leave it, that will affect the market. Employment. Jobs are the biggest driver of real estate trends. Consumer confidence. People’s reservations and optimism definitely affect the market. Interest rates/lending markets. We’re expecting interest rates to creep up, but not much, since it’s an election year. Again, rising interest rates do reduce buying power. Government. With this year being an election year, there’s some uncertainty in the market. A lot of people may be waiting to see what happens. While all of these factors are important, they all take a long time to shift. If you need help reaching your real estate goals, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll help you with your own customized SWOT analysis to help you solve your problems and realize your dreams.

Here’s what to avoid during your home renovation.   When renovating your home, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Joining me today is Ian Galvin of Velao Projects, a home restoration and remodeling company. Ian has over 30 years of residential construction experience, and we’ll be discussing three of the biggest mistakes you can make during a home renovation. Here’s what to avoid doing: 1. Not hiring a competent design professional. Some services both design and build while others do not, so it’s important to find out what you’re getting. Who is going to build the project? Who is going to advise them? You want everything laid out for you from the beginning: What your countertops will be made of, the colors of cabinets, the type of wood, etc.  2. Being your own supplier. Problems arise when you provide your own products for others to install. If there’s a mistake, what happens? Who looks after you if something is broken? That’s between you and your contractor, and it can be a messy situation to navigate. It’s advised to use an outside supplier to avoid the issues that can arise from supplying your own products, especially during larger projects.  3. Not asking enough questions. Don’t ever assume things are going smoothly. You want to visit the project and get updates on its progress. Make arrangements with your contractor to review the project periodically so you can catch things before it’s too late. Things can move very quickly during a renovation, so fixing problems before they grow is important. “Make arrangements with your contractor to review the project periodically.” There’s a specific license for Alberta contractors that allows them to handle the process of advanced payment. So if they ask for advanced payment, ask for the license. Beware of large payments unless they are defined—front-end draws can be substantial if there are a lot of materials to pre-order. If you want more information on preparing for a renovation or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The new year is almost here and we’re excited about what we have planned in 2019. Here’s what you need to know.   I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all the best for 2019, as well as share a unique idea that might make this your best year yet. 2018 was a challenging year for many people. How was it for you? I’d love to hear. Hopefully, you’ve been able to spend plenty of time with your friends and family and find success in your career. Are you ready to buckle down for 2019? We’re expecting it to be another year of negative growth in the Calgary region. We’ll likely see fewer sales than we did in 2018, and I expect prices to drop by an average of 3%. “One of the best ways to have a booming business is by having raving fans and plenty of referrals.” One of the best ways to have a booming business, even in a bad market, is to have raving fans and tons of referrals. We’re so grateful for all of the referrals that our clients have sent us and we want to do something special for all of you as a token of our appreciation. Send me an email that tells me about your business or a local business you think is great. We’ll compile that information and share it with the thousands of people in our network, so they’ll know about all of these great local Calgary businesses. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Fellow Realtor Sarah Johnston joins me today to talk about how politics are affecting our Calgary market.   Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with fellow MaxWell Realtor Sarah Johnston to talk a little bit about how politics and policy are affecting the Calgary real estate market. Sarah recently attended the NAR Annual in Boston, Massachusetts and got the chance to talk with many agents across Canada and the U.S. According to her, although markets in the states vary, they’re doing just fine as a whole. Unemployment levels are low, and they’re keeping up with the cost of inflation. While some markets might be doing better than others, she didn’t notice any areas that were outright struggling. I always like to say that if they sneeze in the states, we in Canada catch a cold, so this news bodes well for our near future. What Sarah is more concerned about right now, though, is what’s happening here in Canada. In her opinion, politics are getting in the way of what’s going on in our market. “I was in Ottawa a month ago with the Political Action Standing Committee for the Calgary Real Estate Board,” she says, “and they didn’t seem to think that housing was a big deal right now—not anything that they wanted to concentrate on.” In fact, it was her impression that they wanted to increase some of the legislative changes coming up, which means it might get more difficult for homebuyers in our market. In addition to a growing concern about Canadians’ household debt loads, we expect to see interest rates continue to increase in 2019. Regulation is essentially collapsing housing industries everywhere outside of the major cities, and our sales haven’t been this low since the late 90s. This trend affects other industries outside of real estate. The housing industry produces between $30 and $40 billion per year, and a lot of other industries make a living off of houses being built and trading hands. The inability to slow that down can have crippling and far-reaching effects. “Regulation is essentially collapsing housing industries everywhere outside of the major cities.” On a lighter note, while at the NAR Annual, Sarah also got a chance to listen to Mark Wahlberg speak. Although Mark is known as an actor, he’s diversified his portfolio and he’s heavily involved in commercial real estate. “It was inspiring, actually, to listen to him. We’ve heard about his past indiscretions. He was a bad apple. He did some terrible, terrible things, but people really like a coming-of-age, good news story, and he’s turned his life around.” There are plenty of lessons to be learned from Mark’s story and how he’s been able to build a franchise around his name by working hard. That’s advice we can use no matter what industry we’re in. I want to thank Sarah for joining me today. If you have any more questions for her, you can reach her at (403) 272-0033 or email her at sarah@sarahjohnston.ca. As always, if you have any more questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

If you put adequate care into understanding and addressing your clients’ needs, market conditions won’t matter nearly as much as you might think.   I recently took a trip down to Phoenix, Arizona, so today’s message comes to you straight from the States. With everything going on in our Calgary real estate market, though, some might think I’m out of my mind for traveling out of the country right now. If you aren’t already aware, Calgary is on track this year to see the fewest sales since the year 2000—since which time we’ve had a 53% increase in population. Prices have, of course, gone up. They’ve actually risen 167% since 2000. Despite all of this, I don’t actually believe our Calgary market itself is the problem. Allow me to illustrate why with a brief anecdote. Recently my wife and I decided to go to Kensington on a date night. As we were walking around, we noticed the incredible number of vacant businesses in the area. Even many of the businesses that were technically open were virtually abandoned. We went to a sushi restaurant, for example, and found that it was next-to-impossible to receive any kind of service. After some time of waiting, we left and decided to try somewhere else. “Market conditions aside, Realtors must be able to understand their clients’ pains, pleasures, and dreams.” Our experience at the next restaurant couldn’t have been more different from what occurred at our first stop. We were greeted at the door, escorted to a table right away, and given great service through the duration of our meal. The food was good, but the service was what really mattered. And this same line of thinking can be applied to real estate. Whatever may be happening in the market, real estate professionals must remember that they are, essentially, in the service industry. The “product” itself is far less important than how consumers are treated. Agents must be creative and resourceful when meeting the needs of their clients. Market conditions aside, Realtors must be able to understand their clients’ pains, pleasures, and dreams. Now is not the time to cut back on marketing costs and personal growth. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team or me a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Are there men in your life you trust and can turn to for support and wisdom when you need it most?   Have you heard of MDI? Eric Mortimer is the Calgary Division Coordinator of Mentor Discover Inspire, an international men’s organization consisting of hundreds of men’s teams throughout North America and is open to any adult man who seeks to live a purposeful, passionate life and seeks to achieve new levels of personal success. MDI’s mission:“To cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities.” Find a Men’s Team today, or learn more about MDI here. You can also call Eric for more information (403) 827-8081.

I am at Sherwin Williams to talk with assistant manager Alex about how to choose the right paint for your home and have it look its best.   You have sent us a lot of questions lately, so today I’ll the answer one of the most commonly asked: “What should I do to prepare my home for sale?” One of the answers is often to paint, which is why I have Alex, the assistant manager of Sherwin Williams in Avenida Village, here with me today to share some do’s and don’ts of preparing to paint your home. These apply whether you’re selling or you’re painting because you simply want to enjoy your home a little more. Alex says that when customers come into her store to purchase paint, she starts by asking if you have a certain color in mind, as well as if it will be for the interior or exterior. From there, it’s all about finding out specifics such as tones and how you feel about popular trends. She tells us that the grays, off-whites, and creams are currently the most popular colors. Beige is also popular because it mixes both gray and warmth together. After you pick out your colors, Alex says you need to choose your sheen level. Typically this is an eggshell or satin for walls or a semi-gloss for trim. For ceilings, most people go with flat. If you bring in a sample for them to match, both color and sheen level will have to be matched. For kitchens and bathrooms that are prone to moisture, Alex says they can recommend paint that is more resistant to mildew and moisture, such as Emerald. This is the most washable and can even come with a flat sheen. There is also Duration paint, which is designed for bathrooms and kitchens, as well as Harmony, which has a high mildew resistance just like Duration. “For kitchens and bathrooms that are prone to moisture, Alex says they can recommend paint that is more resistant to mildew and moisture.” Harmony, she tells us, is zero VOC, or volatile organic compound. Having zero VOC is important to her clients because they are more concerned than ever about the environment and their own personal health. Volatile organic compounds can make people sick, so painting companies have moved away from it using oils and instead creating waterborne paints. For all the do-it-yourselfers, Alex says that the biggest mistake is not completing prep work properly. People tend to want to skip to the fun part of painting so they don’t sand, wash the walls, or tape things off and, unfortunately, that’s when things don’t work out. To avoid having your painting look bad, you will need to prepare accordingly. If you do this and also follow her directions, Alex tells me that you’ll be really happy with your beautiful end-product. To end, I have a surprise: Alex is more than just the assistant manager. She is also my stepdaughter and she has arranged a special account for us and our clients and friends! You can visit any Sherwin Williams in the country and mention our phone number, (403) 827-8081, to bring up our contractor discount. Alex does suggest that you include your name and address so that if you ever need more of the same color, you can easily match it through their system. If you have any more questions about this or anything else real estate related, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Today I am explaining the differences between the three types of values that your home is assigned.   What is the difference between assessed value, appraised value, and market value? First, let’s talk about assessed value. The City of Calgary assesses homes using an algorithm. When a property sells, they use this to help calculate what the nearby properties are worth. By looking at the most recent sales, they can extrapolate what you’ll be paying in taxes based on those other properties. Your property may not have sold, so they do not know the true market value and therefore go by similar properties. Now, let’s look at appraised value. An appraiser will have more recent sales, so they will look at a property that sold recently as a comparable for another. By doing this, they can know whether you paid too much or if you got a great deal. An appraiser also takes things like view and other factors and adjusts for it. What an appraiser does not take into account is what is currently happening inside of the market. They only look at what happened in the past. If a market is going up, a property may be worth more than another within a month. Meanwhile, if a market is going down, the property may be worth less. “Real estate is not a perfect market like the stock market, where you can look at the price and what it is is what you pay.” This is where market value comes in. We look at supply and demand and see what is happening with the competition. These are the biggest differences between the three different types of value. Real estate is not a perfect market like the stock market. A seller may be motivated, so they may accept less money than what it is worth, or a buyer may be willing to pay more because they missed out on other places previously. If you have any questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to help you solve your problems and realize your dreams.

You may have heard of the ancient art of feng shui, but do you know what it can do for your life and your home? Today I’ve brought on an expert to explain.   How can your home’s exterior improve your health, wealth, and relationships? Feng shui expert Myrna Brown joins us today to explain. First of all, what is feng shui? In Myrna’s words, feng shui is a “way of looking at our physical environments, and seeing how we can manipulate them so that we feel better in them.” As you could imagine, feng shui is a vast subject. So today we’ll just be covering how this ancient art can be applied to the outside of a home. Implementing feng shui into your home can help you when it comes time to list, but can also benefit you while you’re still living in a property. There are three pillars in feng shui. The first pertains to everything from the curb to your home’s front door. This area is especially critical in real estate, because first impressions are vital. Buyers will often drive by a property they’ve seen online to solidify their opinion of it, so a potential buyer’s first impression based on your home’s exterior could determine whether they end up submitting an offer or walking away. But what constitutes a good (or bad) exterior? To start, if a home is obscured by large trees or if the entryway is overly dark, buyers may tend to shy away. Things that look gloomy will make it more difficult for buyers to feel engaged or enlivened by a space. “When you change your space, you can change your life.” Myrna says it’s best to avoid planting a tree in line with the front door or any large, front-facing windows. Instead, she recommends adding lighting and removing excessive foliage to make the home feel more inviting. Curb appeal can make a huge difference in a property’s energy and value. In feng shui, transitional spaces (like that between the curb and front door) should welcome you gently from the outside world back into your home. A property’s exterior can often reflect the transitions a person is going through in their life, and can also serve as a means of improving those transitions. For example, when Myrna was in high school, her father was nearing retirement and was feeling quite stressed. He was, in her words, trying to block out the world. He allowed a small hedge in front of their home to become wildly overgrown. This sent out a clear message to the world outside of their property: Stay out. It may be subconscious, but people understand such messages when looking at the spaces we encounter in our lives. Interestingly enough, as Myrna’s father proceeded into retirement and his stress levels went down, the hedge began to shrink as well. This is a clear example of how feng shui can impact your attitude and the way you approach what’s happening in your life. When you change your space, you can change your life. If you’d like to know more about what Myrna does, feel free to reach out to her at (403) 874-1817 or at myrna@myrnabrown.com. And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information from me, please give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How do home stagers help sellers save, and earn, money? Special guest Rachel Borrelli of Diversa Designs joins us today to explain.   Today I am joined by special guest Rachel Borrelli, Owner of Diversa Designs Home Staging and Redesign to cover some inside tips on effective home staging. These helpful hints are absolute musts in our current market. But before we move on to these tips, let’s go over a question many ask when the subject of home staging arises: How do stagers help people save and make money with their home? The way stagers help people save money is actually quite simple. Stagers can enter a seller’s home right before they list to tell them exactly what should be done to prepare the property. This prevents sellers from wasting time and money on unnecessary upgrades or repairs. Having the advice of a professional stager can guide sellers to making informed, effective renovations. According to Rachel, kitchen updates bring some of the highest returns. She also said that these updates can sometimes be as simple as changing out knobs on cabinets. Beyond just helping sellers save, stagers can also help sellers earn more for their home—as we mentioned earlier. In fact, studies have found that professionally staged homes can earn between 6% and 20% more than other listings. And our team here at Eric Mortimer & Associates can absolutely verify this trend. According to statistics pulled from the Calgary Real Estate Board, our team sells 96% more homes than other agents. We also sell homes 48% faster and for 100.7% of the purchase price, on average. Our collaboration with Rachel and Diversa Designs has played a significant role in achieving these incredible statistics. Moving on, let’s talk about what stagers are looking for when they step into a home. Rachel says that the first thing she considers is how to highlight a particular home’s best features. Making sure a home appears spacious in person and in all marketing materials is very important. Modernizing a home can also be helpful in boosting its appeal. While some may feel these tasks are something they could take on alone, the guidance of a professional stager is critical to any seller’s success. “Staging gives buyers the opportunity to really fall in love with the home.” Professional stagers stay on top of current trends because what appealed to buyers 10 years ago is not necessarily effective today. Of course, not all buyers will have the same interests and tastes. Professional stagers have an extensive knowledge of what is attractive to various demographics. With that being said, it is no wonder why having the help of a professional stager is so important. Nevertheless, some still question whether hiring a stager is worth it. If you are still unsure, consider the following statistic: 77% of agents believe it is easier for potential buyers to see how a given room can, or should, be used. Vacant rooms look smaller and make it more difficult for buyers to see past flaws. A staged home, on the other hand, could entice buyers to spend eight times longer during showings. This gives buyers the opportunity to really fall in love with the home. If you want to know more about home staging or have any other questions for Rachel, you can reach her by phone at (403) 813-2719 or by email at rachel@diversadesigns.com. And if you are interested in selling your home, feel free to give me a call or send me an email and our team will send you a free home preparation guide. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I was recently joined by mortgage broker Bob Reader to discuss the latest with interest rates. Here’s what we learned.   There have been some big changes in the real estate and mortgage market this year, which is causing confusion, myths, and misinformation that may be affecting homeowners and home buyers. Today Bob Reader joins me to help explain this problem and how to solve it. Bob is a mortgage broker, which means he works for the buyer instead of the bank. He helps his clients shop the entire market, look at every option, and act as an agent for the consumer. When you have someone that’s working for you instead of working for the bank, you’re going to see a much better shopping experience. With these new changes, everyone who is applying for a mortgage now has to qualify for the stress test rate, which is 2% higher than the best rate that is being offered. Right now, that rate is at 5.14%. This has dropped affordability for buyers anywhere from 16% to 20%. In Calgary, we haven’t seen a dramatic affect on home affordability, but other markets like Vancouver and Toronto have been affected quite dramatically. If you already have a mortgage, lending institutions generally don’t require any qualification for renewing a mortgage after the end of the term. However, if you want to take some of your equity out to pay off some debt, you will have to re-qualify with the stress test, but a simple mortgage renewal shouldn’t require any of this. “The variable mortgage probably offers the best chance of saving money right now.” We have been hearing a lot from buyers about some first-time home buyer programs disappearing. However, anyone who wants to buy a home in Canada only needs to put 5% down, whether it’s their third or their first home. There’s really no restriction on down payment requirements, and we’re pretty much in the same ballpark as we were before. Finally, let’s discuss interest rates. With them creeping up, should buyers go for a variable or a fixed-term? According to Bob, it depends on the buyer. However, the variable rate mortgage probably holds the best chance of saving money right now. Over the last 12 years, rates have remained very stable and there’s no reason to expect them changing dramatically anytime soon. Thanks to Bob for joining us. If you have any questions for him, don’t hesitate to give him a call at 403-819-0500 or send him an email to Bob@canadianmortgagepro.com. If you have any other questions for us about the market or real estate in general, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why do people choose to work with Eric Mortimer as their Realtor? Just ask Kimmy, a client who worked with Eric to get her home sold. Here’s what she had to say: “Eric was different from other agents. He was calm and centered about everything. What matched him with me is our shared spiritual beliefs in the way that we approach life, the belief that everything is connected and that are things that you can do to help set up the intention and have it just work out right for the house. He was very positive about how we were going to set the price and about how the process was going to come along. Eric helped me get the most I could from my home sale. Certainly, the house that I was selling was very unique in that we had renovated it and put a lot of extra, special items in it. Eric was actually the last of the Realtors that I had interviewed. A lot of them had brought the same data that he had concerning the pricing for the house, but because this was such a unique house, we actually went with getting an appraisal, per his recommendation.  We set the price based on that. I knew that I wasn’t going to get the full cost of the renovation out of the house, but it was certainly a much higher price than what any of the other Realtors had come up with. They were strictly basing it on market analysis instead of looking at the unique features the house had. The statistics didn’t really speak to the value that was in this house. Eric knew that once he got people in to see the house, they would definitely see the value at the dollar amount we were asking for. “Eric and his team went above and beyond just the home sale process.” His negotiation skills definitely showed up when we had an offer on that Saturday night. We basically had it pretty much all signed except for the final signature from the buyer, who waited until Sunday, so the offer was still pending. Just before the open house that Sunday, we had another offer come in. Eric had been speaking with the Realtor of that second offer, letting them know that we did already have another offer on the table. The second offer came out to be for full listing price. Eric and his team went above and beyond just the home sale process. My initial intent was to sell the house and then go on to rent. When I wasn’t finding anything to rent, I asked Eric if he would help me look at a couple properties I could possibly buy. He arranged the showings, and even though one of the properties had a conditional sale on it, we were able to just go in and look through it. That gave me a little more sense of what I wanted to do; as it turned out, I didn’t want to buy in Calgary. I ended up finding a place on Cooper Island. He went over and beyond what any other Realtor would do.  Living in the electronic age made this process amazing. I could be on my computer in a coffee shop when an offer came in, and I could just electronically sign in acceptance of the offer or counteroffer. Other Realtors don’t even use the DocuSign system yet. It’s really great for getting work done quickly and efficiently anywhere you are in the world.” As you can see, you don’t just get the standard amount of service when you work with Eric Mortimer & Associates. We go above and beyond to help you with all your real estate needs. If you have any questions or if you need a resource to help you buy or sell a home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help you.

Today I’m joined by special guest and certified home inspector Barry Malesh to talk about things homeowners can do to prepare their property for the market. Little things like having the fireplace lit and ready to go before a buyer enters the home will make a great first impression. Another area to pay close attention to is the bathroom. Determine whether the showers and bathtubs are properly caulked. This prevents maintenance issues and makes your home look more appealing. When buyers sense that a home is well-maintained, they will feel more inclined to put forward a strong offer. As a homeowner, it can be difficult to see which areas in your home might need improvements. It never hurts to have a friend over to look at your property with fresh eyes. “When buyers sense that a home is well-maintained, they will feel more inclined to put forward a strong offer.” Minor issues that might go unnoticed by a homeowner could be more obvious to a buyer. And, even if you aren’t getting ready to sell, periodically fixing small problems with your home is a great way to keep your property in good shape. As for the exterior of the home, one of the issues Barry notices regularly is raised downspouts. This, along with grading issues, can cause cracks in the foundation as water freezes and expands. Your downspout should always be running away from your foundation, not toward it. If you’d like to get in touch with Barry, you can do so by calling (587) 582-5855 or by visiting www.northwestcalgary.abuyerschoice.com. As always, if you have any other questions or would like more information from me, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

This post may be controversial for some because it doesn’t necessarily reflect what everybody is saying about our real estate market. Today I’m going to share some challenges and opportunities for people in the apartment, detached housing, and attached housing markets. I’ve got a forecast for the 2018 market to share as well. Some people say real estate is all about location, location, location. In my opinion, it’s actually all about money, money, money. Ultimately, the real estate market is affected by how much money is in the system. It comes from three different places. First, it comes from the money that is available through jobs and wages. Statistics show that our unemployment rate is decreasing, but it can be very misleading because the replacement jobs are not in the same salary range. This statistic also doesn’t show who has had their hours cut back, who is on furlough, and who is receiving reduced salaries and bonuses. On the other side, there are good things that we’re not hearing about, such as what’s going on in the fracking and drilling market. Secondly, the money that is available from banks. The impact of stricter lending criteria and higher rates mean there is less money available for buyers. This will push demand for the lower-priced detached homes even higher. If you have a home you’re looking to sell, there is a great opportunity here to be a move-up buyer. “There are a few things you need to be prepared for in 2018.” The third kind of money is the money in the stock market. Our market has been overvalued for a long time in my opinion. We should be due for a correction (or three) soon. When people start losing money in their investments and retirement portfolios, it always affects the economy. When you combine those three types of money with our current inventory, which includes a lot of new construction, I don’t think we will see much of a change in our market as far as the number of sales are concerned. At the same time, I think you should be prepared for a few things in 2018. Because of the increased supply of apartments on the market, I think values will drop around 5% this year for apartments. The attached home market should remain pretty flat and the detached home market is in for about a 2% drop in pricing. If you have the right product in the right neighborhood, you can do very well in this market. We’ve been seeing a lot of multiple offer situations out there. With a complex market like this, the first thing you need to do if you’re thinking of buying or selling is to call an expert. I’d be happy to be your real estate expert and I’m always here to answer any and all of your questions. Just give me a call today! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

You can bet on your property assessment notices to be mailed to you every January, but can you trust everything else about them? People often look online or at their assessment letters and believe that the number they see is a true reflection of their property’s value. This can be a mistake. The city of Calgary does assessments to calculate your fair share of property taxes. However, the figure you see on your assessment doesn’t reflect what buyers would be willing to pay for your home. The city doesn’t have all the information on your property. They base the value on recent sales and on an algorithm, but they have no idea what upgrades you might have made. They also can’t take into consideration a number of other important facts. The kind of data they use to generate your assessment might be more accurate in areas where homes are identical, but it otherwise this value isn’t of much practical use to you. Also, the assessments the city issues are instantly out of date when you receive them. “You wouldn’t trust your health to a website’s best guess, so don’t trust the value of your home to one either.” As the great Wayne Gretzky used to say, “Skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has been.” This applies to real estate, as well. The market is changing all the time. Your assessment is kind of like WebMD. If you’re curious about a health issue, you may turn to websites like WebMD to search for your symptoms. However, when you are truly serious about obtaining a diagnosis, you most likely turn to a medical professional or specialist. You wouldn’t trust your health to a website’s best guess, so don’t trust the value of your home to one either. In order to know what your home is truly worth, you’ll need to contact a trusted advisor. If you like, you can send your assessment to me. I would be happy to send you some recent comparables. Also, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.