Does your home have a lot of personality?

There’s nothing wrong with that.

In fact, you may have pictures on the fireplace mantle showcasing happy family memories over the years… or trophies and other awards in the kids’ bedrooms that represent achievements that make you proud… or a fridge door covered with notes, a calendar and other items that make it a de facto family bulletin board! 

These are all things that help make a house truly a place to call “home”.

But when it comes time to sell, all that personality can work against you.When buyers view your property, they want to visualize themselves living there, not you and your family. 

Have you ever noticed how model homes are often furnished and decorated? All the rooms look beautiful and enticing. They draw you in.Why? Because, although all the rooms in the model home look great, they’re also impersonal. There’s no uncomfortable sense that you’re in a stranger’s home. So you can easily see yourself living there.

And that’s exactly what you should strive for when preparing your house for sale.

You can’t get rid of every personal item. That would be impractical.  But there’s a lot you can do to depersonalize your home. For example, you can:

• Take down family pictures
• Clear items from the fridge door
• Store trophies in a box
• Remove personal knick knacks and similar items
• Keep only general titles on a bookshelf and store the rest.

The more easily buyers can see themselves living in your home, the more likely they are to become interested in it and make an offer. 

Want more ideas for making your property look even more appealing to potential buyers? Call the Dion-Ivans Real Estate Group today!!

Royal LePage Newsletter - March 2013 

The Bank of Canada announced this morning that it is holding its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent.  The Bank sees economic growth in Canada picking-up through 2013, as growth in exports and business investment offset a slowdown in household spending and residential construction.  On inflation, the Bank noted that low core and total CPI inflation have been more subdued than the Bank projected, owing to significant excess capacity in the economy. Given low inflation and what the Bank terms a "constructive evolution of imbalances" in the household sector (meaning a lower pace of debt accumulation), the Bank has walked back its previous rate tightening bias stating that, "current levels of monetary stimulus will likely remain appropriate for a period of time, after which some modest withdrawal will likely be required."

Weak economic growth through the second half of last year will likely bleed into the first half of 2013, which means a continuation of subdued inflation of just over 1 per cent. In fact, the outlook for growth and inflation is weak enough that, if the Bank had not spent the last year voicing concern over the perilous state of household finances, a 25 basis point cut in the Bank’s overnight target would be increasingly likely.  Instead, the Bank will put a future rate hike on hold for the foreseeable future, with rates gradually increasing in 2014.

Information provided by www.bcrea.bc.ca

Like heat, water and air conditioning, insurance is a home expense you have some degree of control over. In fact, there are ways to reduce your insurance costs by as much as 20%.

The thing to keep in mind is that insurance companies will often reward you – in the form of lower rates – when you do something to reduce the risk of damage to your property. That's why you can often get a discount when you install smoke detectors on all floors. Other discounts may be available if you get better door locks, an alarm system, upgraded wiring, and so forth.

Contact your insurance company and ask how you can lower your insurance costs. Sometimes just a few minor changes can save you a bundle.

When you’re shopping for a new home, you want to find a property that has all the features and characteristics you want. A large deck surrounded by picturesque landscaping ... a beautiful kitchen with gleaming marble countertops... a cozy finished basement with fireplace....

You should look for the ideal home. You deserve it! But some home buyers make the mistake of becoming fixated on finding the "perfect" property, and passing too quickly on those homes that don't quite measure up.

Why is that a mistake? Because some of those less-than-perfect properties have the potential of becoming your next dream home.

First of all, a home that is lacking some desirable features, such as a finished basement, will probably cost less. Those savings may be more than enough to cover any needed upgrade or renovation.

Secondly, if you look at a home in terms of its potential, rather than the features it happens to have now, there will be more properties available on the market for you to consider.

If you're determined to have a large wrap-around deck for entertaining, for example, don't cross homes that don't have this feature off your list. At least not yet. Instead, view these properties with an eye on potential. Is the backyard big enough to accommodate a large deck? How would a deck like that look if added to this particular property? How much would such a renovation cost?

There's no doubt about it. You want to find a home that has all the features and characteristics you want. If you work with a good REALTOR® like Rob Dion or Lee Ivans, there is a good chance you'll find a property that has most of them.

But keep an open mind. Sometimes a "diamond in the rough" can – with an upgrade or renovation – become a home you'll treasure for years.

Below is a summary of where the buyers are coming from, who they are, and what type of properties they are buying. Contact The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Group for the latest market stats.

Property Type:
24.8% by First Time Buyers (up from 17.5% in December)*
19.8% of purchases were by Move-Up Buyers (down from 29.9%)
13.2% buying Revenue/Investment Property (up from 9.3%)*
11.6% purchasing Recreation Property (similar to December)
10.7% moving from Single Family to Strata (up from 5.2%) *
3.3% moving from Strata to Single Family (down from 4.1%) 
2.5% moving into Retirement/Seniors Community (down from 3.1%)

* During the month of January, there was a substantial increase in purchases by First Time Buyers, and Single Family Homeowners moving to Strata Unit,  and in the sales of Revenue/Investment Properties compared to December, while sales in other categories declined.

Buyer Type (Family Dynamic):
32.2% Two Parent Family/Children (up from 29% in December) **
25.6% Couple without Children (up from 20%) **
19.8% Empty Nesters/Retired (down from 21%) 
10.7% Single Female (down from 15%) 
9.9% Single Male (down from 13%) 
2.5% Single Parent with Children (down from 4%)

** In January, there was an increase in purchases by Two Parent Families with Children, and Couples without Children compared to December, while other categories saw decreases.

Moving From: 
61.5% from Within OMREB Board Area (down from 68.7% in December)
14.8% from Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island (up from 7.1%) ***
11.5% from Alberta (up from 9%) ***
4.1% from Other Areas in BC (same as December)
4.1% from Eastern Canada/Maritimes (same as December)
2.5% from Saskatchewan/Manitoba (up from 2%) ***
1.6% from Outside Canada (down from 3%)
0% from NWT/Yukon (down from 2% -- 16th month reported)

*** Compared to December, there was more migration from the Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island, Alberta and Saskatchewan/Manitoba in January, but less movement from within the Board area, from NWT/Yukon, and from overseas.