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The First Impression.

You only have one chance to make one. Some say it takes only seconds for that impression to stick. Sounds pretty important, if you ask me.

In our day to day, we focus on taking care of that for ourselves. We curate our clothing, we do our best to look good, and try to present the best version of ourselves to the world – especially to those we are meeting for the first time.

For your home, one of the things I focus on as your realtor is to help make those first thoughts of the next potential owner be as positive as can be.

I am working with a couple of clients with listings coming to market in the near future. I was in both of those homes this week – one could use a kitchen facelift, the other needs some tidying up and addressing those lingering little things that always seem to find their way to the bottom of the list.

Admit it – you have that list too!

My advice – let’s take a bit of extra time to present the best version of your home, so we can get the interest your home deserves, and ultimately, get the best price possible. After all, money talks, right?

If you’re considering selling – I’d love to help you. And it helps to get me involved early in the process, so we can talk about those things that will provide the best return for your unique situation.

When those potential buyers first walk in your home, let’s have them saying WOW!
In the best way possible.
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Green!

The spring season seems to bring out the most vibrant green colours that we get all year long. The leaves are starting to bud, the grass has woken from its slumber, and the sun just seems to make it pop that much more.

The warmer, longer days bring a renewed energy to all of us – and it’s a great time to take on those projects we’ve dreamt about all winter long. Doing some landscaping around the yard, finally putting that addition on the house that you’ve been waiting so long to do, or maybe you want to do some exterior updates or shingles this year.

(Pssst, if you have some green trim on your house and you live in town, it might be time to consider changing that up!)

The other thing that’s heating up lately is the real estate market! We’ve still got a back load of buyers looking for their new home, who are looking to move in summer (I mean, sounds more fun than hauling boxes and couches in the snow right?). While we have more listings coming on the market, there are still many communities with very low inventory (Morris, St Jean – I’m talkin to you!)

So if you’re considering a move in the next while, let’s chat about what that could look like for you. I’m happy to do an in-person evaluation of your home and provide my professional opinion of how much equity you really do have right now. (It might surprise you!) I mean, we could all use a little more green in our life, right?

And for those of you content to take on that project, tackle that next big thing, or just need to have a little encouragement to get started or keep going, don’t worry…

You got this!
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Tick, Tick, Tick… BOOM!

It seems like that’s the timeline. Things have been humming along for years, building momentum, and then seemingly, in the past few months, it seems like the whole thing just blows up and has taken the world by storm.

Female sport.

Yep, real estate can hope that it feels the surge that female sport has. We’ve seen it at highest levels with professional leagues taking hold, many of us locked into NCAA basketball playoffs and watched Caitlyn Clark elevate her game (again) and bring millions along for the ride on TV, and we see it happening at the grass roots level with female athletes growing in our home towns.

It’s amazing to watch, and so fun to be a part of!

I get to experience it first-hand. My older daughter plays soccer & volleyball… my younger daughter just finished her first year of hockey on an all-female team and practices setting a volleyball against the wall pretty much every day, and my stepdaughter plays high level female hockey & softball (and manages to slide volleyball & badminton into the mix too!). The energy and the team interaction are just different with the girls.

Good different. They constantly encourage and support each other and truly cheer for the success of every one of their teammates.

I was able to take in my first PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) game this past weekend with my 2 girls and a few of their hockey teammates. The atmosphere was fun & energetic, and honestly, a notch or two above the NHL game experience. It was so great to see so many young female athletes there while they dream of what could be in their own futures in a few short years.

So as a proud girl-dad, I’m blessed to watch the growth of sport through the unique lens of these girls. They work hard, they make great friendships, they learn so many awesome life skills and even if the scoreboard sometimes tells us otherwise, I’d say they are winning.

Big time.
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GGWP.

What the heck could that mean? My old school lender friends may have it figured out. I first saw this acronym during my banking days while looking at a credit application from the 1980s.

“Good guy. Will Pay.”

That’s it. That was the credit write up. No credit checks, proof of employment, appraisals, etc… just neighbourly lending at its finest. Shake hands, and that’s the only security we need.

Man, have things changed in 40+ years. Not just in banking, but in everything we do. The same is true in real estate. Selling and buying property isn’t the same it was in previous generations, it can be a complex transaction with many moving parts. It's important to get the details right.

There’s certainly times when we all miss the deal written up on the napkin at the coffee shop.

However, for good reason, documentation of promises and intentions are here to stay. It makes it clear, for everyone involved, what is expected and when the steps need to happen. When buying & selling properties with me, I do my best to make that process as seamless as possible, even though it may seem like the forms to sign may never end!

Don’t worry, just because times have changed and yes, we do need to submit more documentation to buy the house or get the loan, some things have stayed the same.

Believe it or not, GGWP still exists.
Professional realtors and lenders can sense those 4 letters in the first few seconds of meeting you.

Be the good guy.
It pays off in the end.
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The Window seat.

Anytime I fly, I’ll choose seat A or F. The window seat. I don’t fly a lot, but when I do, I always prefer to be beside the window.

And why not? It’s the literal window to the world. Flying over the mountains, seeing irrigation circles from 40,000 feet, trying to figure out what city you’re going over, seeing the sun set in the west with the most gorgeous array of colours you’ve ever seen.

So, yeah, give me seat A or F.

But why save that only for when we are up in the air. The windows of our homes give us the view into the world too.

My papa always said he could never have enough windows in his home. His old farm office was all windows. He loved having the sun rise to do his morning paper work before we all woke up. And most of the windows in the house faced the yard - after all, that’s where the action was.

It has always stuck with me.

So, be honest. How are the windows in your world treating you. Do they bring you the joy that you want? Think about how finding more light could change your mood, how seeing your kids playing in the back yard could bring you peace.

If you’re thinking you may need different windows in your life, reach out. A different home may help you find the view you truly seek.

Pick the windows to the world.
Every time. Enjoy the view.

Choose A or F.
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New jeans.

It’s one of those simple pleasures in life, they just feel good.  This past weekend, I picked some up on the way to a concert – I wanted a new pair to go with my boots.  Yes, my cowboy boots – the ____ kickers.  They don’t come out very often, but when they do, might as well go all out.

You see, I didn’t need the new jeans, but they sure felt and looked a lot better than my old ones.  And dang, they were comfy! 

I think sometimes our homes can be the same way.

Perhaps, we don’t really need a newer home, but we may want one.  Like jeans, sometimes our homes get a little too tight and other times, there’s some extra space, or maybe, they are just simply worn out and it’s time for something different.

If you find yourself feeling that way, let’s go shopping for new “jeans”.  

Give me a call, and we’ll find the right size, cut, and colour for you. 

Never know, along the way, we might even go lookin at houses too.

Oh yeah, Lainey Wilson & Chris Stapleton blew the roof off!

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Don’t beat a dead horse.

In other words, don’t keep saying the same thing over and over again. This saying came to mind this week as the temps rose, the sun came out, the spring real estate market has woken up and I felt like repeating myself!

However, at the risk of feeling like I’m a skipping record, I’ll say it - it’s a GREAT time to sell!! After all, a great time to sell, usually means the best return on your investment! Which is ultimately what we’re all after.

It’s an interesting saying though, isn’t it? I’m sure it came to be many moons ago, but the origins of it, I’m just not sure. But first of all, let’s be kind to the animals, especially a horse. Secondly, who has really been near a dead horse lately? My assumption is most of us haven’t.

Well - I have.
While camping. In a town campground. Sitting around a bonfire. Horse comes through the fence. Stumbles, falls, and takes its last breath. Right there in our camp site. True story!
Call me - I’ll tell you about it… it’s a good one! (I promise, no beating of the dead horse occurred, just care to take him to his final resting place)

ANYWAYS, got a little off track there…

All that to say I’m encouraged by where the market is at. There are many buyers searching for a home, and there are still very few homes to choose from – the ones that do come to market usually sell pretty quickly.

So, if you’re considering making a move – I dare say it again – it’s a great time to sell!!
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Paperwork.

Admit it, you love it. Right??
It’s one of those things we all have to do. Whether it’s for your job, or keeping track of the family budget, we just can’t get away from it.

Some of us are pretty good at it (I like to think I am), but sometimes, it’s in our best interest to get some help with it.

Given the time of year, let’s take filing taxes as an example. We can gather documents, find some software (or old school paper & pencil, if you wish!)to file it to CRA, and hope that we’ve done things right. However, many of us have chosen to use an accountant to ensure that our taxes are done correctly and all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. After all, that’s what professionals are for.

I’d say that real estate is much the same.

Investing in a professional Realtor to sell your home ensures that those i’s and t’s are taken care of. In the market we are heading into, it will be competitive. There could be multiple offers and conditions of sale. Your buyer may have a home to sell before they can officially buy yours. The complexities can add up quickly, and it’s in your best interest to get it right the first time.

So call me.
I’ll get your home sold quickly and…I’ll take care of that paperwork for you, too.
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The clock keeps ticking.

We get reminders of this fact every day, but there are some days when it just stands out a little bit more than others, that we are, in fact, getting older. Sure, there’s the obvious ones – the kids have a birthday, the seasons change, all of a sudden the kids are moving out.

There’s subtle ones too. The ones that sneak up on you.

This evening, I played in an oldtimer hockey game. We chose to call it an “alumni game”, fooling ourselves into thinking we weren’t all over 45, and likely well past our prime. We made it though, and we even had a few fans in the stands (thanks Emma & Sadie!)

But man, that all sneaks up quicker than you think!

The same can be true when it comes to our homes. All of a sudden we fully process that we have gotten older, that the kids have gotten bigger and we’re running out of space, or that they simply left the nest, and we’ve got way too much space! Maybe it’s time for a change? It all happens way too fast.

Regardless, next time you’re asked, just play the game, and enjoy every second of it.

That clock is gonna keep ticking.
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Thursday Thoughts - March 14, 2024
Don’t judge a book by its cover.

It’s a saying that, I dare say, has been around longer than I have. And quite honestly, it’s darn near impossible to do.

We all judge the book by its cover. We can walk through that book store (or scroll through that app) and decide in less than a second if we think we’ll actually enjoy that read. We’ve been told repeatedly not to do it, but we do it. Nearly every time.

Guess what? We judge houses by exteriors too.

So, I challenge you, next time you’re thinking about a renovation project, consider the outside of your home too. It can make a world of difference, and give a return on investment likely as good as a kitchen or bathroom.

A few years back, we flipped a house in Steinbach. The stucco on the house was fine – it had been painted fairly recently, and our first thought was to leave it. However, the more we updated the interior, the more we realized that the exterior just wasn’t a good reflection of the story inside – and the results speak for themselves.

(Don’t remind me about actually removing the stucco…that was a dusty weekend, but worth it!!)

If you’re considering a reno, but not sure what to do, give me a call. I’d be happy to chat through some ideas on how to bump up that curb appeal, and give your home that extra boost in value.

After all, that book may be an awesome read, even if the cover didn’t stand out… but let’s not take that chance with your home. Make that cover the most memorable on the street.
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Shoveling snow.

Yep, one of the “perks” of living where we do. However, I do enjoy the white blanket of snow that greets us after a storm, and the subsequent snow clearing that ensues. A freshly shoveled driveway is just something that brings a certain joy and satisfaction. Weird, I know.

But, let’s face it, yard work, whether in winter or summer, is a reality of home ownership. It’s work and time consuming, but maintaining your property regularly and over the long haul can certainly add value! But, at some point, all that shoveling snow and mowing grass gets to be too much, right?

So I must admit - today, I had a tempting thought.

Emma listed a condo in La Broquerie today, and proudly stated “no more clearing snow or mowing lawn in a desirable end unit”!

Well, dang! Sign me up!! Could I be ready for that?? Nahh, not quite yet…

But let’s imagine for a moment - you are ready for it. Put behind the yard maintenance and snow shoveling for good. That option is out there. Many condos or life lease buildings include that as a “perk” of living there (unlike the sarcastic use of “perk” earlier). If that’s something you can see yourself enjoying, I can find options for you (psst, scroll back for more info). And with so many families looking for a place to buy and call home, now could be the perfect time to explore a change for yourself as it’s a great time to sell.

On the bright side, if you didn’t shovel the snow that fell this week, don’t worry - it’s gonna be melting like crazy by Monday!
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“So, how’s the market??”
 
I was asked that question last week while playing rec hockey in Morris last week. (Yes, I still put the skates on from time to time, and most of the time even stay upright!) It seems to be the most common question I get asked when I tell someone I’m a REALTOR. Everyone seems to be curious – just out of general curiosity, or simply because we are all hoping that the largest asset we own is going up in value!
 
The answer for the past while has caught mostpeople by surprise - THE MARKET IS HOT!
 
In most communities, we find ourselves with many more willing buyers looking for a home, than houses actually on the market. The houses that are priced correctly and have been well maintained, are snatched up within days in many cases.
 
So what does that mean for you?
 
Well, if you’re looking to buy, connecting with a trusted real estate agent (aka: me of course!) early in the process is important. I can keep you up to date when new listings hit the market (or even homes that are available off-market), and also guide you to be best prepared to put in an offer that will be accepted when the right house comes your way!
 
If you’re considering selling… now is a great time to get your house on the market! Many reports are saying that this year will be another record year for home sales – getting your home in front of buyers early could give you the best chance of getting top dollar and have less homes to compete against when the traditional spring market hits in the next couple of months!
 
If you’re just curious what your home is worth, I’m happy to provide an informed opinion on what today’s market value could be, given recent sales and properties currently on the market. You know what - I’ll even do that for free!
 
Reach out if you’re considering making a move – I’d love to help you navigate how to get there!
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