Eric Vallee
604.788.5133
|
|
During the process of buying or selling a home,
you'll unearth countless questions. I know how difficult it can
be to sift through all the details in order to find answers relevant
and meaningful to you. I've put together the following series
of reports that provide clear, concise and useful information
on a wide range of issues related to real estate. Here you'll
find tips on how to save money, real estate insider secrets, renovation
advice, and much more.
I'd be happy to personally answer any other questions you may
have. Remember, I will be here to assist you every step of the
way!
|
|
8 Mistakes
to Avoid When Buying a Home - You've been saving
for awhile, weighing your options, looking around
casually. Now you've finally decided to do it - you're
ready to buy a house. The process of buying a new
home can be incredibly exciting, yet stressful, all
at once. Where do you start? |
|
 |
Benefits of Using a Realtor to Sell your Home
- Selling your home is a complex process that can
be stressful and time-consuming. An experienced
Realtor has the knowledge, skills, and connections
to help you through the process every step of the
way.
|
|
|
The Best
Asking Price for your Home - Setting a realistic
price for your home that reflects current market values
will help sell your home quickly and for top dollar.
When you price your home properly, you increase the
chances that the offer you receive will nearly match
your asking price, and that there will be competing
offers - which may net you even more in the long run. |
|
|
Buy or Sell First? - If you are considering
looking for a new house, and are a current home-owner,
then chances are you're wondering what your strategy
should be: do you wait to find the perfect new home
before you put your current home on the market,
or do you sell first and then look around? You have
a few options. Use the following as a guide to explore
what might be the best move for you.
|
|
|
"Drive-Up
Appeal": Get your Property Ready to Show
- When preparing your property to show, work your
way from the outside in. It is essential that your
home possess a certain "drive-up appeal".
Remember, a potential buyer's first impression of
your house is formed while s/he is still sitting in
the realtor's car. So, first you need to view your
house from this perspective. Go stand on the opposite
curb and observe your property. Compare it to surrounding
properties. |
|
|
Buying
a Home: What Expenses to Expect - Budgeting for
a new home can be tricky. Not only are there mortgage
installments and the down payment to consider, there
are a host of other - sometimes unexpected - expenses
to add to the equation. The last thing you want is
to be caught financially unprepared, blindsided by
taxes and other hidden costs on closing day. |
|
|
Hire
the Right Agent, For the Right Reasons: 8 Questions
to Ask - Finding a real estate agent who is right
for you requires doing a little homework, and asking
the right questions. Choosing an agent is a decision
that could ultimately cost or save you thousands of
dollars. Keep in mind the individual you choose will
be handling almost every maneuver in the biggest financial
investment of your life. Experience, interests, and
expertise vary from agent to agent, so you should
be asking very specific questions in order to align
your own needs with the abilities of an appropriate
representative |
|
|
Home
Inspections: Top Ten Problems - Each homebuyer
has different ideas of what will constitute the ideal
home for them, these notions often based on particular
aesthetic preferences. But one thing that unites all
potential homebuyers is the desire to find a home
that is fundamentally sound - in areas beyond the
immediate sweep of the eye - and that will provide
a safe, comfortable, and efficient foundation for
their life behind a new door. |
|
|
How to
Get Top Dollar for your Home, Fast! - Your home
is likely your largest asset, so selling it may be
the biggest financial move you've ever made, one that
requires significant thought and strategy. However,
once you've entered the market, the process may move
very quickly: your property has the best chance to
sell within its first seven weeks on the market. Studies
indicate that the longer a property stays on the market,
the less it will ultimately sell for. So, you need
to ensure you're ahead of the game. Get your property
into top selling shape before it hits the market in
order to increase its chances of selling within the
desired window of time and drawing top dollar. |
|
|
How to
Set an Offer Price - There is no set equation
to determine how you'll reach an offer price. Rather,
the process involves a range of research and comparison
that will vary with each situation. You'll need to
look at sales of comparable properties, and factor
in additional data such as the condition of the property,
the current market, and seller circumstances. With
this information in hand, you will be able to determine
a fair price range and, from there, establish the
price you're willing to offer. |
|
|
Know
the Market before You Buy - The asking prices
of most homes on the market indicate the current state
of the market, and usually mirror the prices for which
other similar homes in the area have recently sold.
In deciding upon a selling price, a home-seller must
establish a balance between the desire to draw the
highest offer and finding a price that will be reasonable
enough to attract an appropriate pool of prospects,
and competitive offers. While most selling agents
counsel their clients to consider this equation when
pricing their home, keep in mind that some homes are
not properly priced. |
|
|
7 Things
to Look for in a New Neighbourhood - Whether seeking
solace, activity, schools, churches, or green space,
every homebuyer looks for a different combination
of attributes in a new community. Choosing a neighbourhood
that suits your needs and wants is one of the most
important decisions you'll make in the home-buying
process; your choice of environment will affect the
way you experience your new home. |
|
|
A Manual
to Prepare your Home for Selling - "You never
get a second chance at a first impression." We've
all heard this expression before. And now, while you
are preparing your house to sell, it should not be
far from your mind. |
|
|
Prepare
the Inside of your House for Showing - Once you've
minimized the clutter in your home, clearing out excess
items and furniture, you'll be ready to concentrate
on repairs, cleaning, and decoration. Your goal is
to get each room looking its sharpest and most fresh
- the better your house looks, the greater your chances
that it will sell quickly and for top dollar. Concentrate
on the following areas to get your home into selling
shape. |
|
|
Second Time's a Charm!: Sell the House that
Didn't Sell - Don't get discouraged if your
property hasn't sold during its first appearance
on the market. Your home may actually have been
one of the most appealing listings of its kind -
and the reasons it didn't sell may have nothing
to do with the property itself or the market. Rather,
a number of separate factors may have influenced
the outcome. Take a step back, break your original
selling method into parts, and allow yourself time
to evaluate each one. Make a commitment. Establish
a new approach. Stick to it. A reassessment of your
system, and a shift in perspective, may be just
what you need to realize your ultimate goals in
the sale of your home.
|
|
|
Showtime:
Tips for Showing your Home - After putting in
a huge amount of time and effort to get your home
looking good and ready to sell, your hard work is
finally going to pay off: your home is on the market
- you're ready to begin showing. Your house should
always be at-the-ready for a tour, as agents may bring
clients by with very little notice. If they catch
you unprepared and you aren't able to show the house
on the spot, you could be losing out on a sale. |
|
|
Stop
Paying Your Landlord!: Own Your Own Home - The
thousands of dollars in rent you've already paid to
your landlord may be a staggering figure - one you
don't even want to think about. Buying a house just
isn't possible for you right now. And it isn't in
your financial cards for the foreseeable future. Or
is it? The situation is common and widespread: countless
people feel trapped in home rental, pouring thousands
of dollars into a place that will never be their own
- yet they think they're unable to produce a down
payment for a home in order to escape this rental
cycle. However, putting the buying process into motion
isn't nearly as impossible as it may seem. No matter
how dire you believe your financial situation to be,
there are several little-known facts that may be key
to helping you step from a renter?s rut to home-owning
paradise! |
|
|
Tips
for the Moving Process - It's official: you've
signed the papers, dotted all the i's and crossed
the t's - you own a new home! You've almost reached
the end of your journey. However, now, faced with
the daunting task of moving, it may seem as though
the journey has just begun. Moving can be a time-consuming
and stressful experience if you let yourself be overwhelmed
by the job. Remember, though, having a successful
move means taking care of the details, one by one.
If you break the process down into steps and arrange
your time accordingly, you can make it manageable. |
|
|
Top Legal Mistakes to Avoid - The process
of buying or selling a house seems to involve a
million details. It is important that you educate
yourself on as many parts of this process as you
can - this knowledge could mean the difference of
thousands of dollars in the long-run. The legal
issues involved in the process are often particularly
intricate, ranging from matters of common knowledge
to subtle details that might escape the untrained
eye. Any of these issues, if not handled properly,
could develop into larger problems.
|
|
|
Where
to Start - "You never get a second chance
at a first impression." We've all heard this
expression before. And now, while you are preparing
your house to sell, it should not be far from your
mind. |
|
|
