If you're thinking ahead to your next dream home in Kelowna, the road you need to take
to get there may seem confusing. Do you search for listings online? Drop by
Open Houses on the weekends? Call the number on For Sale signs?
Let's break it all down! Here are the specific steps you need to take to
ensure you find a home that fits your wants, needs and budget.
1. Find out how much your current property will likely sell for on today’s
market. (Ask The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team!)
2. Arrange for financing, so you know what you can afford.
3. Select neighbourhoods you'd love to live in. (That may involve some
fun exploring!)
4. Decide on the type of home you want to buy. (For example:
detached, three-bedroom, etc.)
5. Prioritize the property features you want most, so you can be flexible
if a feature is missing from a home listed on the market that is
otherwise ideal.
6. View properties on the market that closely fit your criteria, particularly
new listings that may not yet be posted online. (Tip: Have The Dion-Ivans Team immediately notify you of new listings that are a good fit.)
7. When you find a home you want, make an offer designed to get the
property — without overpaying.
8. Negotiate until you secure the deal. This may involve counter-offers.
9. If the negotiation is skillfully done and all goes well, the home is
yours.
As you can see, there isn't a lot of mystery in finding your next dream home.
You just need to take the steps and get the professional help you need
along the way.
Looking for a real estate agent that can get you to the finish line?
Call The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team today!

Congratulations!

You’re ready to graduate from the world of renter to homeowner for the first time! It’s a big investment, but well worth it if you know what you are doing.

During this rewarding and high-pressure time, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of simply having a place to finally call your own. However, whether this is a “for now” home or a “forever” home, there are definitely some guidelines that you are going to want to follow to make your you walk away with best deal and future free of headaches!

Just because a prospective house looks perfect on the outside, doesn’t mean there isn’t some more investigation to be done. Here are The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team’s top tips for new Kelowna homeowners!

STOP! Do These 3 Key Things BEFORE Purchasing Your New Kelowna Home

Explore The Neighbourhood

Sure, the house is beautiful, and the neighbourhood is charming! But, what about the neighbours? Spend some time investigating the neighbourhood or your dream home may quickly become your living nightmare. Is the neighbourhood family friendly, or (if you are looking for peace and quite) does the neighbour run a daycare in their backyard? Is there enough parking for yourself and visitors, are any of the neighbouring houses unkempt or have unseemly people coming and going? Are there lots of dogs barking? This can be a pro or con depending on your pet situation! Some of the nicest looking neighbourhoods have the highest crime rates. Depending on your needs, you are going to want to explore the neighbourhood’s traits as much as you would the house. Be sure to take a stroll down the neighbour hood at different times of day-especially at night- when the atmosphere is completely different! Remember, when you purchase a house, you are also buying the neighbourhood!

Leave It To The Professionals

It can be easy to opt out of professional inspections, but The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team strongly discourages that! A professional, qualified inspector or construction expert can save you thousands! We all like to think the people we are dealing with are honest, genuine people, and for the most part, they are! However, even the most well-intentioned individuals can make mistakes or be unaware of the risks their property holds. For this reason, it is imperative you hire yourself an unbiased professional inspector (sorry, cousin Rick. Your online certificate won’t hold here!) to inspect those hard to see areas including the roof, foundation, plumbing and electrical systems. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and raise your concerns. Avoid using a contractor hired by the seller to ensure there is no conflict of interest. After all, they may have a cousin Rick of their own!

Check Zoning Laws

You may have big plans for your new home! Maybe an extra room, pool, or even a solarium. Before you do anything, including putting your money down, check with the local zoning authorities to find out any restrictions that may be imposed on you. It’s better to find out before you purchase, especially if building a pool is a deal breaker for you!

Kelowna provides some of the greatest real estate in all of British Colombia!
If your looking for expert guidance on purchase your new home or have questions on how to navigate the real estate industry, contact The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team, today!

Check out the newest Kelowna real estate for sale here!

For some people, the thought of listing their home for sale is stressful. They
worry about all the things they have to do — and all the things that might go
wrong.Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way. Here are some tips for making your
home sale go smoothly:

· Give yourself time to prepare. If you're thinking of selling six months
from now, start preparing your property now. Do any necessary staging,
and get it looking its best. Avoid doing these tasks at the last minute.

· Set the right price. Pricing your property too high will likely result in few,
if any, buyers coming to see it. You might end up having to lower your
price later, causing your home to linger even longer on the market.
That's stress you don't need!

· Have a flexible viewing schedule. If you make it too difficult for buyers to
see your property, they might lose interest or simply choose to buy
another home. Be as flexible as possible when a buyer wants to view
your property.

· Plan get-away activities. When a buyer comes for a scheduled viewing,
don't be home. Instead, plan some fun activities for your family. Think:
playground, shopping, cycling, the zoo, etc.

· Accept the ups and downs. Prospective buyers might say they love your
home and plan to make an offer. Then you don't hear from them again! It
happens! Accept the inevitable ups and downs of selling your home.

· Get help with repairs. You'll probably have things that need to be fixed
around the home, like a dripping faucet that needs repair or a room that
needs painting. If possible, hire a professional to do some of that work.

· Finally, work with a great real estate team like The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team!

That will make the biggest difference in ensuring your move goes smoothly and stress-free.

Looking for a real estate agent like that? Call us!