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Decisions.

In real estate, decisions are a non-negotiable.  Whether it’s figuring out if you need a bigger house, contemplating taking on a career move to a different community, or moving out of a rental and purchasing your first home – you need to make a choice.

Where do we turn when we have these thoughts floating around? 

Family.  Friends. Co-workers.  The headlines in the news. 

Your LOCAL real estate agent? 

It’s likely one or all of these, but I throw out the idea of your local real estate agent, because as realtors, we do our best to be the experts in the areas where we focus.  And there’s value in that.

The headlines are all around us – inflation, housing prices, interest rates.  Often times, those headlines are based on a macro view of Manitoba or Canada, but in reality, the micro view of the local market is what we need to pay attention to.

In many of our communities in Southeast Manitoba, the number of homes available to purchase is still relatively low.  Prices of homes are relatively stable.  There are more buyers out there than you might expect.   Most of these may be contrary to what we hear in the news.

So, I encourage you to reach out.  When you are contemplating a real estate decision, I’d be more than happy to chat it through.  I got one of those calls yesterday, and next week I’m looking forward to helping a family work through the local market information to make their decision. 

I’d love to help you with yours too.

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Thursday Thoughts - October 19, 2023
Community.

That’s what’s been on my mind this week. The importance of having those around us be there when we needed, in good times -- and in those rough moments that we will inevitably go through. It’s an important aspect of the journey of choosing where we want to live, which includes who we have surrounding us in those times of need.

I have been fortunate in life to have lived in many great communities. For the past 20+ years, I have had a connection to St Jean Baptiste – I currently have a home there, it’s where my kids go to school and where I spend much of my time.

There’s good times -- A month ago, we hosted one of the largest ATV derbies in Canada, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the event, and had great attendance.

There’s rough moments -- This past weekend, we all stood and watched in awe and sadness as our local elevator caught fire, and burned to the ground, endangering homes and people living nearby, and affecting an important local business.

What was the same with those two events, was the people that came and supported those that needed help. During the derby, to welcome people to our town, and raise funds for local causes. During the fire, to help those in immediate danger in the middle of the night, and then to support the firefighters and the family that lost a major part of their business with food, a helping hand, or just words of encouragement.

That’s what community is about. That’s what makes the town we live in feel like home. My hope for you is that you feel that same about the community you live in.

In St Jean, the skyline has an empty space now, but the helpful spirit fills that void.
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Thursday Thoughts - October 12, 2023
This is the time of year to take a moment and reflect on all we have to be thankful for. Life is busy and sometimes it flies by much faster than we’d like, but I’m hopeful that each one of you had the chance to slow down a little bit and spend time with those closest to you – friends & family. I got to spend most of my weekend with family, enjoying the great fall weather, and catching up with those I haven’t seen in a while.

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
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Thursday Thoughts - October 5, 2023
The Blue Jays blew it.

I admit, I didn’t watch the whole game, but from all accounts, management relied solely on analytics to make their decision, and took the feel and emotion right out of the most important game of the year. It didn’t work. At all.

Real estate can work the same way. We can rely on all the stats – days on market, sold price to list price ratio, square feet, number of bathrooms, etc – to make our decision to buy or sell. Using only those stats won’t work. It just won’t. Home buying is about more than just the numbers; it's about finding a place that feels right, a location that resonates with you, and a property that matches your emotions.

Emotion and how you feel are essential in the world of real estate. Personally, I’ve moved a number of times, and sometimes it was because I wanted a bigger house and more bedrooms. Sure, that was great, but there was something missing. The times it really worked was when the feeling was right, even if statistically, it didn’t all add up like I thought it should.

If you’re feeling like the time is right for you to explore a change in homeownership, reach out. I’ve been there. Let’s talk through how you’re feeling, and we can make a plan as to what the right steps are for you. Your real estate agent is there to guide you through the emotional journey of buying or selling a home.

I’m still a fan – Go Jays Go.
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