DON’T FALL FOR THESE COMMON HOME BUYER MYTHS Myth #1: You need a 20% down payment. Plenty of buyers are purchasing homes with down payments that are much less than 20% of the total cost of the property. Today, you can buy a home with as little as 3-5% down. There are multiple programs out there that allow you to have a lower down payment, and a lender or mortgage broker can talk you through which option is the best for you. Since you’re putting less money down, you’re a riskier borrower to your lender than people who put down a full 20%. Because of this, you will most likely need to pay mortga ..read more

Thanks to Marie Kondo and her hit Netflix series “Tidying Up,” home organization is a hot topic right now. Marie encourages her viewers to minimize their possessions and keep only those items that “spark joy.” With spring in full bloom, now is the perfect time to do some spring cleaning and add organizational systems to your own home. Not only will you clear out clutter, your efforts can actually increase the value of your home. Ready to give it a try? Here are six home organization ideas that will “spark joy” for you and your property value. When was the last time you cleaned out your bathroo ..read more

Most new homeowners have something about their property that they want to change. And as family needs and design trends shift over time, many will eventually choose to remodel. Some homeowners make updates to their property before listing it to maximize their potential sales revenue. Whatever your reasons are for taking on a home improvement project, it’s wise to consider how the money you invest will impact your home’s value. We’ve taken a look at six popular home renovations and identified those that—on average—have the best and worst returns on investment. So before you lift a hammer or hir ..read more

STEP 1: Stage Your Home to Show Its Full Potential The average seller will do the minimum to prepare their home for market: clean and declutter, fix anything that’s broken, mow the lawn. And while those tasks are essential, today’s buyers want more than just a clean house and tidy yard. When they dream of buying a new home, they envision a designer house with modern finishes. Help them see your property’s full potential by staging it. Home staging is one of the hottest trends in real estate—because it works! According to the Real Estate Staging Association, homes that are professionally staged ..read more

After the frenzy of spring cleaning and the many social gatherings that summer brings, we can forget that our homes can use a little love come fall. Here is where you should be focusing your attention with your fall deep clean. And why it may be more important than the oh-so-popular spring clean ..read more

You don't have to break the bank to celebrate the holidays in style—even in this season of inflation. Prices may be higher on everything from food to gifts to decorations, but there are still plenty of opportunities to eke out extra savings.  For example, you can trim your energy bills by up to 20% just by sealing air leaks in your home.1 Other small fixes—such as swapping old light bulbs for LEDs and plugging electronics into a powerstrip—can boost your yearly savings enough to pay off some of your holiday budget. And thanks to a pandemic-era boom in online shopping, it is easier th ..read more

Staged homes can sell quicker and for a higher price, because they showcase the home’s best features and downplay its weaknesses.  Home staging is the process of preparing a home for sale by increasing its appeal to a wide range of homebuyers.   You want homebuyers to easily envision themselves moving in and living there. They need to see it as their dream home.  1. Focus on the key rooms  There are several areas that homebuyers are zeroing in on when they look at your home, with the living room, kitchen, primary bedroom, and dining room toppin ..read more

Canada's housing market hit a boiling point last year as homebuyers clambered for real estate in regions with significantly more demand than supply. But now that homeowners and buyers alike are feeling the pinch of rising interest rates and record inflation, the market appears to finally be simmering down. That, in turn, could create a welcome opening for shoppers to be more selective with their searches. However, buyers hoping for a major downturn in prices may be left disappointed. Although home values in some segments are beginning to sag under the weight of higher borrowing costs, a persis ..read more

No matter what’s going on in the housing market, the process of selling a home can be challenging. Some sellers have a hard time saying goodbye to a treasured family residence. Others want to skip ahead to the fun of decorating and settling in a new place. Almost all sellers want to make the most money possible.  Whatever your circumstances, the road to the closing table can be riddled with obstacles — from issues with showings and negotiations to inspection surprises. But many of these complications are avoidable when you have a skilled and knowledgeable real estate agent by your side. F ..read more

The process of buying a new home can be both exhilarating and exhausting. But the journey doesn’t stop when you close on your property. On the contrary, you still have quite a bit to do before you can begin the process of settling into your new place.  Fortunately, you don’t have to do everything in a day. You don’t have to do it all alone, either. When you work with us to sell or purchase a home, you’ll have an ally by your side long after your transaction has closed. We’ll continue to be a resource, offering advice and referrals whenever you need them on packing, hiring movers and contr ..read more