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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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Thursday Thoughts - February 22, 2024
Twenty-One.
 
For many of us, we have that number that we may consider “lucky” or “ours”. It may have started in sports or it may be just a number that we think looks cool. For a long time, I never really had THE number for me, but over the past while, it has become more and more clear.
 
21.
 
For those that know me, yes, that’s my birthdate. Makes sense, right? But there’s a few things over the past couple of years that have affirmed that it just fits.
 
First and foremost, I got married in ‘21. Secondly, I became a real estate agent in ‘21, taking a huge step in making a career change after twenty years in financial services. In fact, when I started at Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate, I was the 21st agent to join the office.
 
A coincidence, I think not. The fun part - it doesn’t end there.
 
But before I get to that, I’m thankful. Thankful for the belief in me from my wife, Emma. From my family and friends. From my colleagues at the office who encouraged me this past year to continue to push through some bumps in the road, and have faith that the hard work will pay off.
 
I am especially thankful for all the friends and clients that have trusted me to guide their real estate decisions, I am truly grateful.
 
As a result of that belief & trust, I am humbled and excited to announce that this past year, in my 2nd full year as a Realtor, I ranked #21 out of the over 100 agents within our brokerage! In addition, I received the International Sterling Society Award which places me in the Top 11% of Coldwell Banker agents Worldwide! WOW!
 
Once again, thank you! Here’s to you having your “lucky” number, and being as fortunate with it as I have been.
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Sunshine! Finally!
 
I’m pretty sure I’m somewhat solar powered. I think many of us are. The past couple of weeks of cloud & fog has been tiring, dull, and finding the extra oomph to keep things going has been tricky.
 
I’ll take a colder -15°, if it means sunshine.
 
Weall have that thing that energizes us. Maybe we don’t really notice it when it’s happening, but when it’s gone for a while is when it really hits us. What’s that thing for you?
 
Sun? Family? Music? Family? Sports? Dancing?
 
Whatever your thing is, go find it. Recognize it and energize yourself and those around you. Because after the past couple of weeks of dull, I think we could all use that extra bit of zing.
 
For those of us with kids in sports & activities or you’re simply just a fan of your local team, the playoff push is around the corner. I’ve got a few things on my hockey playoff schedule -- last night was the High School Mavs, tonight it’s the Senior Wild, and we’re only days away from U13 Girls Selects & U11 Girls Wild!
 
It’s gonna be busy and I need all the energy I can get to cheer them all on.
 
See you at the rink, hopefully with shades on
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A picture is a worth a thousand words.
 
For the past 10 or so years, we’ve all had a camera in our pocket. Some of us don’t use it very much to capture all of life’s moments, and others, well… we might as well call them the paparazzi.
 
Regardless, when we decide to post those photos out there for the world to see, we can be quite selective as to what hits that social media page. We all want to look our best – a good angle helping us to look slim, pushing our jaw up to avoid thedreaded double chin, sometimes even using a filter to make our complexion look like we’re on the cover of a magazine.
 
We all just wanna look good and have those thousand words be an amazing story.
 
You know what? When your house is ready to find a new owner, you want it to look its best too! Time and time again, I look through listings where the photos have been taken with an iPhone. Don’t get me wrong, the camera on that thing is great, but in my humble opinion, it’s just not good enough to show off your most valuable asset.
 
That’s the reason why I use a professional photographer for all of my house listings! She does an amazing job, makes homes look bright and fresh, and I do believe it brings a better return for my clients, as sellers.
 
When it comes time to sell your home, you can be confident that the thousand word picture story we tell is going to be great. If that’s as important to you as it is to me, call me when the time is right for you to market your home in the most professional way possible.
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Three degrees. In February.

Seems like some pretty awesome weather when moving to a new home in the winter! Some of you might be saying – who the heck moves in winter?!? Well, five of my clients are doing just that over the next 10 days – so apparently quite a few!

Sure, dealing with colder temps, snow and occasionally icy roads may not be the perfect situation (I may or may not have slipped a U-Haul cube van into the ditch during a February move of my own..), but regardless, there are people moving at all times of the year.

Simply put, that means there are buyers… at all times of the year!

Currently, there are VERY few houses for sale, especially in the Red River Valley corridor, and believe me, there are buyers looking every single day, hoping to see that right home come on the market so they can jump at the opportunity.

If you’ve been considering selling your home sometime in the next year, RIGHT NOW may be one of the best times to put the For Sale sign in your front yard. Spring-like weather, low inventory and interest rates being down all make for a great situation to bring it all together.

Enjoy Spring #1 of 2024, and while you’re out for a walk in the slush, picture my sign in your front yard – and then give me a call, I’ll take you through the process step by step.
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Friday thoughts??
 
From what I understand, many blogs out there are written days & weeks in advance of when they are actually put out into the interwebs. For myself, I have chosen to give you my actual Thursday thoughts each week, and write them that day.
 
Clearly, today is not Thursday.
 
Yesterday was a busy day at the office, and last evening was spent celebrating my wife’s birthday and we had an evening relaxing, enjoying family and… ok, let’s be honest - having a piece of cake, maybe two. Shhh.
 
This blog, I admit, got put on the backburner. But Adam, what are you getting at?
 
Simply put – better late to get this done than never. Sometimes we have things on our list, and we just don’t get to them when we intended to. That’s ok.
 
The same can be true with our homes – we all have a bunch of things we want to tackle, and our dream timeline of when that gets done. You might not always hit that timeline, but keep at that list, and get ‘er done - even if it's later than you originally wanted.
 
Because when it comes time to sell, you’ll be happy you did.
See you next Thursday
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Fail to plan, plan to fail.

I remember the first time I heard this saying – over 20 years ago when I was acquiring my mutual funds sales licence when I worked for a chartered bank.  As much as I appreciate cheesy sayings, I admit, I rolled my eyes at this one.

However, as I have reflected on it over the years, it’s hit me a different way. The reason is pretty simple – it’s true.

It’s the time of year where many of us spend some time reviewing last year, and setting our goals for the new year.  Personal, fitness, business – it doesn’t really matter – it applies to them all.  I’m refining my 2024 goals and where I’d like to end up twelve months from now. 

In short – Personal: read more & get smarter, Fitness: make better choices and trim down a little (yes, this has been on every year’s list since 2005!), Business: double last year’s volume.

And let’s be honest – it applies to where we live too.  All of our homes require maintenance, updating, TLC, and we can be sure there’s an unexpected surprise or two in there somewhere.  I challenge you to make a plan on how to tackle projects to improve your home a little bit each year so that when it’s time to make a change – you’ll be ready. 

Not sure what your plan should look like?

Let’s sit down together and hammer one out together. 

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Family Time.

A couple weeks back, my contribution to Thursday Thoughts was quite short. Holidays were on, and I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my family.

As life would have it, the kids are getting older and it seems like it will be harder and harder to spend that time with them, and enjoy all the fun that comes along with it. So this Christmas season, Emma and I made sure to carve out some time for just that.

It was great to do some new things, ski the slopes in the mountains, cheers on the Jets at the barn, take in some city amenities, and take a little break from the BUSY-NESS of life.

But here we are, nearly the middle of January, and the BUSINESS of real estate is back in full swing. New listings on the market, interest rates coming down, showings and offers being made on properties, inquiries coming in on my commercial listings which have been quiet for a while.

If you’re thinking of making a move, now is a great time to start exploring what that looks like for you – the opportunities are out there.

Family time was fun. Jets are flying high.
I truly hope your holiday season was as great as mine.

Happy New Year!
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