home buyers: Female home buyers a growing trend - 02/06/14 03:03 AM
Female home buyers a growing trend
Why The Buyer Of Your Nanaimo Home May Be A Woman
Across North America - and Canada and B.C. especially - the odds are that the first-time buyer of your home will be female.
Why?
In the old days a woman had to have a man in order to buy a home.  Think dual income and perceived stability.
Now days, having one income and no man is not a problem.
Societal trends are changing, and women far more often than men are not waiting to find the right mate before buying their first home.  More and … (1 comments)

home buyers: Top 4 Free Real Estate Apps For Smartphones - 02/06/14 02:59 AM
Top 4 Free Real Estate Apps For Smartphones
It doesn't matter if you have an iPhone, Android or another type of smartphone, having these apps could save you time and money, especially when you're in a competitive home market like Nanaimo.
Here are some of the most popular and useful real estate apps for smartphones:
1.  Realtor.ca - this is a free app offered by the Canadian Real Estate Association that lets you quickly and easily search for homes and property across Canada.  This free smartphone real estate app can be downloaded from Realtor.ca or at the iTunes store.
2.  Zoocasa … (1 comments)

home buyers: What To Do About Mold in your Nanaimo home - 08/31/12 06:48 AM
What To Do About Mold in your Nanaimo home
Whether you looking to sell a house or buy a house in Nanaimo, one of the things that you’ll want to keep an eye out for is mold.
This may sound clichéd, but one of the easiest ways to deal with mold is to prevent it before it even starts or begins to spread too far.
 
Here are a couple of things that can cause mold inside your home and what you can do to keep the mold from getting out of hand.
1.  Poorly ventilated bathrooms. 
Older homes especially … (2 comments)

home buyers: 10 Things To Look For In A House - 08/31/12 06:29 AM
10 Things To Look For In A House
 
Sometimes there aren’t a lot of homes for sale in Nanaimo to choose from and sometimes it seems like there are too many choices.
Either way, it helps to have a check list to make sure that your top wishes for a new home are being met.
 
Here are 10 things to consider when buying a new house in Nanaimo:
1.  Curb appeal: Will you be proud of driving up to your new home each day, or is there some landscaping work that needs to be done?
2.  Outside storage:  Is … (1 comments)

home buyers: Buying a house in Nanaimo? Top 9 reasons to work with a Realtor - 06/11/12 09:55 AM
Buying a house in Nanaimo?  Top 9 reasons to work with a Realtor 
Why go it alone when buying a house in Nanaimo?  Some buyer’s think that with all the information they can access online, that they could probably buy a house on their own; without Realtor representation.  So, if you have wondered about the same thing I’d like to share the top 9 reasons why it makes sense to have a professional Realtor on your side.
 1.       Realtors are trained to know how to buy a home.  Most consumers are not.  It   makes   sense to hire a professional when … (0 comments)

home buyers: How Necessary Is A Home Inspection? - 05/20/12 07:29 AM
How Necessary Is A Home Inspection?
When you’re buying real estate in Nanaimo doing a home inspection should always be at the top of your list.
A home inspection is fairly inexpensive compared to the other costs of buying a home and it is actually one of the best investments you can make.  It’s much easier to address any potential problems with your new Nanaimo home before you buy the house and move in.
Here are some reasons why doing a home inspection is a must-do:
1.  Sellers don’t always know if there’s something wrong with their home.  Many times people … (0 comments)

home buyers: The 5 Most Common Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make - 03/17/12 07:55 AM
The 5 Most Common Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make
Now is a pretty exciting time to be buying real estate in Nanaimo, especially if you’re a first time home buyer.
But let me suggest you step back, take a breath, and make sure that you follow a few simple steps when you’re buying real estate in Nanaimo for the first time.
Here are five tips that I hope will make your first time experience of buying real estate in Nanaimo a pleasant one.
Prearrange Your Financing
Even before you get in your car for the first time to begin your … (1 comments)

home buyers: The BC First Time Home Buyers'Bonus - 03/04/12 07:48 AM
The BC First Time Home Buyers'Bonus
 
Are you or someone you know a first time home buyer?  If so, the following information on the new, and temporary, first time home buyers bonus in BC may be of interest to you.
Subject to approval by the Legislature, the B.C. Government has announced plans to implement a temporary BC First-Time New Home Buyers' Bonus.  It will be effective February 21, 2012 to March 31, 2013.  The Bonus is a one-time refundable personal income tax credit worth up to $10,000.
Purchasers will qualify if:
*  You purchase or build an eligible new home … (0 comments)

home buyers: Hawthorne Estates Nanaimo – A Review - 08/30/11 11:06 AM
Hawthorne Estates Nanaimo – A Review
 
Our weekly real estate tour took us through Hawthorne Estates, in the University District of Nanaimo, today.  I am always happy to tour homes in Hawthorne Estates.  The neighbourhood is made up of new and newish homes.
 
Hawthorne Estates is made up of several hundred homes and has been built in three phases.  The developers are Insight Developments.  The development is situated near Nanaimo’s city centre and is just three blocks from Vancouver Island University.   In addition, Hawthorne Estates is situated close to schools, pools, ice rinks, playing fields and Buttertubs Marsh and … (0 comments)

home buyers: The most expensive home and the least expensive home in Nanaimo - 08/20/11 07:00 AM
The most expensive home and the least expensive home in Nanaimo
I noticed another real estate blogger on Active Rain had done a post on the broad range of prices of homes available in his area.  I thought that was a great idea so I have done up my own blog post on the most expensive home and the least expensive home in Nanaimo.
As of today the most expensive home in Nanaimo is worth $4,500,000.  For this price you will get a lovely home on your very own island!  Jesse Island is a small island at the entrance to Departure Bay, and … (0 comments)

home buyers: Single women and real estate sales in Nanaimo - 08/19/11 11:35 AM
Single women and real estate sales in Nanaimo
 I was interested to learn that according to NAR (National Association of Realtors) 20% of home buyers in 2010 were made up of unmarried women.   It stands to reason that this statistic stands true for real estate sales in Nanaimo, in 2010.   What was equally interesting was that only 12% of single men purchased real estate during the same time.
 There were 8% more single women than single men buying real estate in 2010.  According to The Joint Center for Housing Studies in the US there are several reasons that single women are … (0 comments)

home buyers: Property Disclosure Statement – What is it & why is it used? - 08/15/11 09:44 AM
Property Disclosure Statement – What is it & why is it used?
In Nanaimo, as well as the rest of B.C., it is law that when listing a home you must complete a Property Disclosure Statement.   The property disclosure statement is a document completed by the seller, about the property they are trying to sell.  The PDS is part of the paperwork necessary to list a house.  There are specific property disclosure statements for residential, strata and rural property.
Why is a property disclosure statement important?
The seller and the seller’s licensee (Realtor) must, by law, disclose any known material latent defects … (1 comments)

home buyers: Meredith Courts in Nanaimo - A Review - 08/06/11 10:08 AM
Meredith Courts in Nanaimo - A Review 
I was working with buyers who were looking for a nice, brand new, condo in a central location in Nanaimo.  As part of our tour of new condos we visited Meredith Courts in Nanaimo.  I was quite impressed with the units.
Prices at Meredith Courts start at $199,900 plus HST.  This will buy you an 875 sq. foot 1 bedroom and den unit.  Two bedroom units appear to start at around $224,900. Plus HST
The first floor homes include a small, exclusive fenced yard area with a patio and lawn.  The homes on the … (0 comments)

home buyers: Difference between Assessed Value (BC Assessment) and Market Value - 08/05/11 04:24 AM
Difference between Assessed Value (BC Assessment) and Market Value
 
Recently, VIREB has started adding the assessed value to listings that we Realtors send out to our clients.  I am not very happy about this addition.  It just causes a great deal of confusion for clients. 
There is a big difference between assessed value (BC Assessment) and Market Value
 
Assessed value is the Provincial system by which your property taxes are based on. They take into consideration the size of the house and materials used and age factor then determine a value by which you are charged a percentage rate … (0 comments)

home buyers: Interactive map of Nanaimo neighbourhoods - 07/03/11 06:44 AM
Interactive map of Nanaimo neighbourhoods
I am excited to introduce my new map of Nanaimo Neighbourhoods.  My brilliant web designer, Chris LaVigne has designed a wonderful interactive map of Nanaimo neighbourhoods.  This new map, available on my website, makes house hunting so easy.
If you know what Nanaimo neighbourhood you are interested in, you click on that neighbourhood on the Nanaimo map, and it will re-direct you to a page of listings available in that neighbourhood.
Go ahead and have a look at the map.
Another wonderful search option now available on my site is that you are able to link … (0 comments)

home buyers: Top 5 ways to take the stress out of buying a home - 06/17/11 12:55 PM

Top 5 ways to take the stress out of buying a home
As a Realtor in Nanaimo I often hear people comment on how stressful it is to buy a home.  Hearing these comments made me think "what are the most stressful parts of buying a home?"  Five things stood out to me as being key stressors in the home buying process.  Based on these stressors, I have listed below what I think to be, the Top 5 ways to take the stress out of buying a home.
•1.  Get preapproved BEFORE you start shopping for a home.  Once you have … (2 comments)

home buyers: What houses will look like in 2015 - 05/27/11 04:00 AM
What houses will look like in 2015
I was reading a very interesting article about a study completed by the NAHB (National Association of home builders).  This survey sheds light on the likely characteristics of the average, new single-family detached home in 2015.  This survey was released in December 2010 in a report titled The New Home in 2015.
Many of the members of the association were wondering what to anticipate in the way of changes over the next five years in the home building industry.  The survey was sent out electronically to 3019 builders, designers, architects, manufacturers and marketing specialists.  … (6 comments)

home buyers: Do I need a home inspection if the home is new construction? - 05/18/11 10:17 AM


Do I need a home inspection if the home is new construction?
When I am showing new construction homes and townhouses I am often asked if it is necessary to have a home inspection with new construction.  It makes sense to feel that it might be a waste of money to pay for a home inspection when everything is new.  I always advise clients to have one regardless of whether the home is brand new or otherwise. 
This recommendation was really brought home to me yesterday when I attended a home inspection in a new construction townhouse.   During the … (0 comments)

home buyers: Nanaimo homes for sale- this week's Best of Show - 04/30/11 07:04 AM
Nanaimo homes for sale- this week's Best of Show
Every week our office does a tour of new listings. This week's tour was Central Nanaimo homes for sale. 
This week's winner of "Best of Show" in central Nanaimo  is:
1078 COLLEGE DRIVE
This College Heights home enjoys beautiful views of Newcastle Island, Protection Island, Departure Bay, Nanaimo Harbour, Georgia Strait & Mainland Mountains. Homes behind are quite a bit lower, so the view is even outstanding from the lower floor & back yard. The landscaping is second to none with a sprinkler system and a custom waterfall /stream that runs from … (0 comments)

home buyers: 2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse in Parksville - 03/21/11 05:42 PM
2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse in Parksville
Are you looking for a 2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse in Parksville.  If so, look no further!  This 2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse is located in ' Oceanwood Gardens on Blenkin Ave.

 
Oceanwood Gardens is a 55+ secure, gated, adult oriented community.  This patio home has an open functional floor plan, vaulted ceiling, maple kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, den/breakfast nook, laundry room, master bedroom ensuite, walk-in closet, forced air gas heat & a large crawl for storage. Double car garage is attached and has some built in cupboards.
Relax in front of the … (2 comments)