How to Get your Dream Home - 10 Tips

Is the search for your dream home getting to be a lot more than difficult than you expected? Maybe you figured it would just be a matter of time before you came up the perfect setting that you've always envisioned. It's got to be out there right? Well, yes, if you can keep an open mind. Here are some practical ways of conducting your home search.

1. Channel your inner yogi. The home search process can take on average 11 months so of course there may be times of frustration. But keep an open mind (and a good sense of humour) because who knows, it may just be what keeps you going during a long day of viewings - to catch that one perfect house you might have otherwise missed out on.

2. Research and educate yourself. Having the right tools includes arming yourself with the necessary info. Did you research real estate websites, newspapers and magazines? Check. Have you found a licensed real estate agent whom you trust, who understands your market? Check. More information never hurts and finding a reliable professional with the right expertise will lead you to success.

3. To thine own self be true. You need to assess your needs and get very specific. It's not just about the house you want but whether the home and its neighbourhood will support the lifestyle you want. It may be the perfect house but if the neighbourhood it's in does not have all of the amenities and features (ie: good schools) you need, then in the long run it may have not been the right choice for you. Be honest with yourself and up front with your agent.

4. Get your renovation on! If you fall in love with a neighbourhood then do consider even the cheapest house in it because you may be able to renovate it to your liking. Say the homes average $800,000 but you find a smaller property and modest house listed for $350,000 and your budget is $500,000. Spending an extra $100,000 to build an addition, expand the kitchen and master bedroom, well, that totals $450,000 which was still in keeping with your budget.

5. But don't "over" renovate. Some structural work like creating a great room with an open concept kitchen, dining and living room may actually make a home a plus for you. But watch out for cosmetic work that you don't like which you'd have remove and fix, which could be an unnecessary cost that's avoidable.

6. Look outside (or inside, rather) the box. By seeing the bigger picture, you might be able to see past the duckling right at the swan. For example, you may initially avoid homes that have been made into a duplex or triplex but you should know that changing it back into a single dwelling is not as difficult as you may imagine. Tearing down some kitchens, opening up walls, some new paint - hey, some of the remodelling may even be DIY-possible.

7. Location, location, location. You can have control over your house and property but there's not much you can do to change an entire neighbourhood.

8. Make sure there's parking. Whether it's a condo or a house, parking should be part of the investment. It makes your property more valuable for resale; compare two similar homes but one doesn't come with parking - which do you think will sell better? And perhaps you may be able to rent out the space should you not be a car owner.

9. Make a list of what you can live with. Unless you're looking at a custom home built to your specifications, it's not likely going to be your perfect house. Have a frank discussion about what you can and cannot live with.

10. Think with your head not just your heart. Purchasing a home is a huge investment but it's also an emotional decision so be prepared when things don't work out. Don't forget that if you lose some bids or a deal falls through beyond your control, maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Rest assured one will work out for you.

Is a broker cheaper than a "sales" agent?

Zoocasa Ask the PROS Featured Question:

"Is a broker cheaper than a "sales" agent?"


Featured answer:

"Nope. Under REBBA 2002, in a Real Estate transaction, the duties of a Broker and the duties of a Sales Representative are the same. As for cost, all renumeration is to be agreed upon by the seller and the agent. The differance between a Sales Representative and a Broker is actually quite simple: a Broker choses to take an additional two courses beyond the courses required to be a Sales Representative and this in turn will give/ allow them the title of Broker. The main differance between a Sales Representative and a Broker is that a Broker can be a Broker of Record and therefore run their own office and a Sales Representative can not.

So to simply answer your question - no - a Broker is no cheaper then any other Real Estate Professional; the fees are specific to that individual, not their title."

See the original post and more PRO answers to this question.

Social Media Marketing So Simple Even Grandma Can Do It!

by michael krisa

Gloria Valvasori with Better Homes & Gardens is 67 years old, raising three grandchildren, a full time Realtor® … oh and a wiz at seo and social media marketing!

Now before you say she must have been a computer geek all along … nothing could be further from the truth.

Gloria realized that her time is a precious commodity, especially with three grandchildren depending on her, so by leveraging the technology available today she is more productive and profitable.

In this video interview Gloria shares:

1. The attitude you need to win on line
2. How to overcome F.E.A.R.
3. Simple Facebook strategies that you can use
4. and much, much more

You can visit Gloria at her web site http://GloriaValvasori.com or email her gvalvasori@rogers.com

Be sure to pass this video to others you know .. share the love!

All Good Wishes,

michael krisa

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About the Contributor

Michael has always been fascinated by success, specifically as to why some real estate professionals are really successful and why others - working equally as hard - barely get by. This challenge motivated Michael to begin interviewing some of the top agents and thought leaders in the world to share their tactics and strategies to help others. The launch of the series enjoys major success and has been featured in almost every major online publication in the real estate industry.

Michael has managed a top producing office, worked as a freelance marketing consultant and functioned as a vice president of Business Development, is a syndicated columnist… and he plays the banjo! As an innovative entrepreneur himself, Michael’s interview series took on a new dimension as video interviews, which have exploded both on and offline … and he loves it! He is passionate about providing great content - especially if it will have a positive impact on the viewer.

Michael was nominated by Inman News Innovators Award in 2010 and was cited as the Inman News People Choice 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate. Michael is an internet marketing consultant and a syndicated videographer. He is an expert on how video can be used to attract, engage and “capture” a viewer into a raving fan. Michael's website is http://ThatInterviewGuy.com and he can be reached via email - michael@ThatInterviewGuy.com.

Decrease your Interest Payments Significantly and Pay Your Mortgage Faster

by CanEquity

Increasing Your Mortgage Payments in Line with Inflation

Turn your Mortgage Cents into Interest Dollars

In 2010, less than 25 per cent of Canadians took the action to make an extra payment toward their mortgage balance, however, it is important to keep in mind that every year inflation rises an average of two per cent, and so too should your income. So why not adjust your mortgage payments to get the most out those key dollars?

Let’s say that the average mortgage balance in the country is around $250,000, at about 4 per cent with a 30 year amortization, making the average mortgage payment $1,188 per month. This means the average mortgagor currently pays roughly $14,256 per year. Upping this by two per cent equates less than $300 that first year. Would you notice roughly $23 extra per month?

In increasing your payments by two per cent annually, you can actually eliminate nearly 25 per cent of the funds you would have paid in interest. In the above example, almost $178,000 would have gone to interest over the life of your mortgage had you never increased your payments. By making the two per cent increase in payments every year, you shave off over $42,000 from that sum, plus cut eight years off the total length of your 30 year amortization.

Think you can handle even more? Try popping mortgage payments increased by different percentage points into an online mortgage calculator and check out the amortization table for yourself. If your annual household income is about $70,000, and rises two per cent per year, that’s an extra $1,400 your first year and so on for you to budget into rising costs accordingly.

You may also want to implement this strategy in conjunction with a switch to bi-weekly accelerated mortgage payments. Using the example above, switching to bi-weekly would mean making 26 payments of roughly $594, for a total contribution of $15,444, to your mortgage per year. That’s already nearly $1,200 more per annum than a monthly payment would allot, and would slice over four years off your 30 year amortization. Couple that with a two per cent increase to your mortgage payments per annum and you will have your mortgage paid down in less than 20 years. For more information, and help number crunching, contact your mortgage broker or lender. Alternatively where possible, and where you are comfortable doing so, manage your proactive mortgage changes online.

Article provided by CanEquity.com.

From jewellery to snow blowers – protect your valuables

For all of us, our home, and the belongings inside it - are special. Usually you’ve got things of sentimental value, as well as items worth a significant amount of money. With home insurance, you’re usually covered for loss or damage to most items, but often, only up to a certain amount. It’s important to understand what your coverage is and that you’re comfortable that your belongings are properly insured.


For example, an average home insurance policy may provide up to $5,000 in coverage for the theft of jewelry, but a diamond engagement ring alone can easily exceed that amount. Although covered if stolen, your policy may not cover unexplained losses like the diamond falling out of your ring.


Other items that typically have a maximum on insurance coverage can include: jewellery, watches, precious or semi-precious jewels, memorabilia even tractors and equipment like snow blowers, and riding lawn mowers.


So, when it comes to protecting your valuables, insurance companies may offer additional coverage that you can add to your policy to protect these items. Ask about it and they’ll explain how to insure your belongings properly.


The key to having the most suitable home insurance policy is to understand the coverage you already have, identify the coverage you need, and amend your policy to fill the gap.



This article was provided by RBC Insurance. For more information visit rbcinsurance.com or call your licensed insurance advisor to discuss your specific options.