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selling real estate: Is This House Haunted? Selling Stigmatized Properties - 04/06/10 04:13 PM
I once listed a house for sale in Collingwood where a suspected murder had taken place. I consulted with two lawyers about disclosure requirements and got two answers: one was to follow the instructions of my client and the second was more of a question: would want or need to know this and, then make my decision from there. I'll tell you what happened later.
In an interesting seminar that I attended earlier this year, the instructor neatly categorized property stigmas into three categories:
1. Pure Stigma where a property has been psychologically impacted by a suspected or actual event such as … (8 comments)
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selling real estate: An Interview About the Competition Bureaus' Challenge of MLS® Rules - 03/08/10 04:30 PM
As many people know, the Competition Bureau has challenged the real estate industry's MLS® rules. I could say A LOT about what I think of this however, this clip does it much better and is well worth a listen if you are interested in the topic.
It is an interview with a non-partisan, consumer and real estate investor whose comments mirror my own feelings. He also raises a number of very good points to ponder and clarifies many misconceptions that exist. It's a bit long at just over 16 minutes but explains the issue very well.
… (13 comments)
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selling real estate: Why, Oh Why Didn't Your House Sell? - 02/22/09 04:21 PM
Today, we present another guest post written by my ever-so-talented assistant, Chris. (She sure writes better than I do!) It was precipitated by showing her the picture below of a laneway of a chalet in Blue Mountain that I tried to show. The four foot icy snowbank was a show stopper. How can you sell a house you can't even get into?
Here, just a few more dead honest reasons why maybe your house didn't sell:
1. This is a ski area, we know. People also like to snow-shoe around here. Buyers, however, do not come to a showing expecting to … (7 comments)
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selling real estate: You Get The Keys To Your Home As Soon as the Deal Is Closed - 02/19/09 10:18 PM
I could write a book about closing day stories. Some that were perfect, some that were funny and some that were nightmares.
I remember one situation where my buyer clients called me up at about 6:00 pm on the closing day saying, "Marg, we're in the driveway with our moving truck and it would appear someone is in the house watching TV." I went over right away and sure enough, the elderly couple who sold the house were relaxing in front of their TV set after having just enjoyed a nice dinner. It would appear that they got the closing date … (5 comments)
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selling real estate: How Would Your Home Score? - 01/23/09 01:15 PM
If you were selling or renting out your property, would you agree to provide the potential buyer or tenant with a report describing the energy efficiency of your property? What would the results of such a report show?
In October 2008, the Ontario legislature passed the second reading of Bill 101 known as the Home Energy Rating Act. If approved, this new act will require that owners of detached, semi-detached homes and units in multi-unit, low-rise buildings, who enter into an Agreement of Purchase and Sale on or after January 1, 2011 or into a tenancy agreement on or after January … (16 comments)
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selling real estate: The Truth About The Present Market Trend - 01/05/09 07:14 PM
The boom is over. That's old news by now and the question is, how far will the market fall and for how long? While none of us knows the answer to that, it's important to monitor the trends closely.
I've been reading lots of year-end wrap-ups of various different markets but, in my opinion, a full year is far too broad a time frame for monitoring emerging trends. For example, in our market, prices over the year fell around 2% but that does not take into account upticks early in the year and declines in the last quarter. So, because I'm … (0 comments)
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selling real estate: Is a Pre-Purchase Inspection a Good Idea? - 11/01/08 03:41 PM
I'm off for another pre-purchase inspection Monday morning for a deal set to close that day. Most people wonder what this is and if it is necessary.
Most offers today include a clause in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale giving the buyer the right to one or two further inspections of the property following acceptance of the deal and prior to the closing. One of those usually takes place on the day of closing. The purpose is to ensure that the property is in essentially the same condition that it was when the buyer made the offer.
If you read … (4 comments)
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selling real estate: Marketing A Luxury Home in Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain; Part 3 - 10/27/08 01:03 PM
After looking at the basics of selling in the first two posts on marketing luxury homes, it's time to consider some specific actions.
We know that the single most important tool today is the internet. When a property is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, it automatically appears on the public REALTOR.ca site which is one of the most heavily visited websites in Canada. Listings will also usually appear on the Brokerage website and agents personal website if they have one. In most cases, all of these three places will have the same information but, it's just not enough for a luxury … (3 comments)
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selling real estate: Power of Attorney and Selling Real Estate - 09/20/08 07:47 AM
Many years ago, my widowed mother executed two Power of Attorneys: one for personal care and one for property. It was one of the best things she could have done.
Five years ago, my Mom had a debilitating stroke that left her partially paralyzed and unable to speak. As a result, her home had to be sold and I had to take over responsibility of all of her assets and personal care. This was easily possible because of the existing and valid Power of Attorneys; without them, the Public Guardian and Trustee for the Province would have stepped in and taken over … (8 comments)
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selling real estate: Preparing Your Home For Sale - 05/18/08 02:01 PM
With the Spring Market now here, it's timely to talk about getting your home ready to sell.
Did you know that most buyers make a real decision about a house purchase in the first eleven to fifteen seconds of seeing a property? By then they will already have developed a perception of your property that will colour their feelings for the rest of the showing and perhaps dramatically affect their perceived value of the property.
You want to sell your home for top dollar as quickly as possible with the least amount if inconvenience, right? You can start by changing … (5 comments)
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selling real estate: What A Difference A Decade Makes - 04/04/08 06:15 AM
Do you remember riding the escalator in the middle of Woolworth's in Collingwood? Today in its place, you'll find the Admiral Building which is home to a flagship LCBO along with other shops and services. In the 18 plus years that I've been practicing real estate, just about everything has changed.
Back then, we typed offers using carbon paper for copies and white-out to make corrections. Our daily MLS® data came from paper spewed out from a little ticker-type box. We'd copy, cut and paste listings and pop them in the mail to be received a week or so later by our … (1 comments)
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selling real estate: An Insider Secret About Your MLS® Listing - 11/09/07 04:07 PM
In less than a decade, the web has gone from being a novel idea for advertisers to an essential part of our economy and everyday lives. In terms of real estate, the majority of potential buyers now come through the internet and the latest statistics say that roughly 80% of all home buyers start their property search online. In Canada, the mls.ca website operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association on behalf of its 90,000 members, attracts an astounding three million plus unique visitors each month.
When I list a property for sale, I really take time to think about what the … (3 comments)
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selling real estate: Can St. Joseph Really Help to Sell Homes? - 10/25/07 04:47 PM
Over my last two decades as a REALTOR®, I've had a few people tell me about St. Joseph and that he can help to sell homes. Legend says that if a statue of the Saint is buried on the property, that it will help to increase the chance of getting the home sold. I have to say that I never paid much attention to it but that's about to change.
The other day, I was chatting with a Seller about marketing strategies and tongue-in-cheek, told her about the St. Joseph rumours. Her response was, "Hey, everything is worth a try!" Well much … (9 comments)
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selling real estate: Speed-Cleaning Can Be Done! - 10/13/07 10:01 AM
While reading an article in a Pillar To Post newsletter this morning about speed-cleaning your house, it brought back a hilarious memory of the time my assistant Chris and I had to do just that for one of our clients homes.
Our seller clients were busy professionals not quite known for their superior housekeeping skills. As a precaution, we'd run over before each showing to make sure things were in relatively good order and usually, they were. One day, we got a call from another agent who wanted to take his clients through for a second time as they were ready to make … (15 comments)
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selling real estate: Curb Appeal Adds Real Value - 09/29/07 01:40 PM
How often do you drive by a house and notice how fantastic it looks? Sometimes it's the landscaping and sometimes it's the appearance of the house and sometimes both. You don't need to wish and dream that your house could look like that - you can do it!
Adding curb appeal to your home also adds value and often, a relatively small investment can make a significant difference. If you search "Improving Curb Appeal" on the internet, close to 2 million sites come up brimming with ideas that can make a difference. Back in June, I posted a before and after … (2 comments)
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Marg Scheben-Edey - Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood,
ON
More about me…
RE/MAX four seasons realty limited
Address: 67 First Street, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 1A2
Office Phone: (705) 446-1762
Cell Phone: (705) 446-5066
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