Welcome to my Website
As a CENTURY 21® Real Estate professional, I am dedicated to providing you with the highest quality service possible.
My personal knowledge of the local Real Estate market is combined with the power of the CENTURY 21 brand - the most recognized name in Real Estate today.
Let me assist you in finding your dream home, in a neighbourhood that is right for you, and in the price range you want.
Or if you are interested in selling a property, I also have the expertise to help you get the fastest sale possible and at the best price.
I look forward to the opportunity of working for you!
What It Takes To Be A Realtor
Acredited Senior Agent
The ASA Seniors Real Estate designation is recognized by OREA (see 2012 article in Realtor Edge) and is also recognized by all major franchises and many independent real estate brokerages.
It is of note to Canadian readers that designations are not the same in Canada as they are in the USA; Canadian licensing authorities do not issue designations; they approve courses.
Over the course of the past 8 years, more than 3,300 real estate professionals in Ontario and British Columbia have graduated from the program.
The ASA (Accredited Senior Agent) designation denotes a real estate professional who is dedicated to serving the mature/senior market. They have skills uniquely suited to serving this market with advanced education.
Click here to learn more: http://asamembers.com/page-1192145#sthash.appQjwtJ.dpuf
Professional Interests
I enjoy helping my clients find the home of their dreams. Call me today to get started!
Why Use A Realtor?
In today's sellers market, many homeowners have considered "going it alone" and selling their homes without the help of a REALTOR® to "save the commission." However, once you realize how complex and intimidating a real estate transaction can be, most people reconsider and enlist the services of a REALTOR® to guide them.
In reality, a "for sale by owner" transaction usually doesn't result in the cost savings the homeowner may have hoped for. Most often, "for sale by owner" translates into "discount" for potential homebuyers. As well, the sale of a home requires an organized, step-by-step approach that many homeowners just don't have the time, skill or experience to carry out.
Do you have the time?I provide many services including identifying your needs and wants, helping to set a listing price within current market guidelines, developing a marketing plan, offering tips and advice to make your home more attractive and "saleable," and acting on your behalf during negotiations to ensure your interests are protected. Even if you had the time to do all this yourself, how much would you really save when you factor in the amount of time you'd have to invest.
Another advantage of working with me is the far-reaching market exposure your home will receive through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
MLS is a computer-based system that relays information about your home to a vast network of REALTORS® and therefore, potential homebuyers in your market.
The greater the exposure your home receives, the more likely you are to find a buyer willing to pay your price.
My expertise
I have vast amounts of real estate knowledge and the experience required to stay cool, even in a hot real estate market.
In Ontario, I am a licensed real estate professional who is a member of a local real estate board as well as the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).
When you work with a me, you can expect strict adherence to provincial law as well as to a code of ethics ensuring you'll receive the highest level of service, honesty and integrity.
Community Involvement
I am proud to be involved in the ‘Caring for The Kids' program. Every year we liaison with 5 local schools to provide a magical Christmas for needy children and their families. In 2008 we were able to help 15 families and 48 children.
Investing In A Second Property
If you're thinking about buying a piece of real estate as an investment property, market conditions are definitely in your favour.
While the resale housing market has seen a tremendous amount of activity from first-time buyers in the past year, it's also a perfect time for existing homeowners to invest in secondary residential properties.
With record-low interest rates and significantly lower prices it's hard to go wrong - unless, of course you lack the financial means to make the investment. After all, you have to be ready to meet all the obligations that come with owning more than your principal property.
For instance, keep in mind that if you intend to rent out the second property, you'll also have to be prepared to deal with tenants and handle maintenance costs.
LeverageSecondary home ownership is an attractive investment option because it gives you even more leverage than you have with your principal residence. Leverage is when a relatively small amount of your money controls a much larger asset - like a property.
The more leveraged you are, the greater the financial return on your down payment becomes if the value of your property increases. There are very few other investments which can be purchased with such a small percentage of your own money.
For instance, let's say you acquire a second property for $100,000, with a $15,000 down payment, and during the first year that you own it, the property increases by a value of three per cent for a $3,000 gain. As a result, the return on your down payment of $15,000 is 20 per cent - $3,000 divided by $15,000.
Other InvestmentsBy comparison, let's say you were to buy a term investment of $100,000 (in cash) for one year and it increased by $8,000 over the course of the first year.
Since it cost you $100,000 in cash to buy it, the return on your investment is only eight per cent before taxes. Obviously, leveraging is a powerful way to make your money work for you.
Getting FinancingYou should be aware that many lenders place non-owner occupied deals in the high-risk categoryand it's not that unusual to find lenders who will not finance rental units at all - or those who will only finance them if they are insured.
Obviously, lenders will want to know whether the property will carry itself. (Is there sufficient rent to cover the mortgage payment?)
Don't make the mistake of assuming that a rental income of $500 per month will carry a mortgage payment of $500 per month. Only a portion of the rent is used to pay the mortgage; the remainder must cover taxes, maintenance, vacancy, bad debt and expenses.
(Many inexperienced purchasers think that owning rental properties will allow them to "get rich quickly" and when this does not happen, the owner becomes disillusioned and loses interest in the property.)
CostsYou should also be aware that the cost of obtaining a mortgage (for legal and appraisal fees) on a non-owner occupied property can be higher than the cost of obtaining a mortgage on an owner-occupied property, when more than one unit - such as a duplex or triplex is involved.
Interest rates charged on rental properties might also be higher because some lenders view these properties as being a higher risk.
As mentioned above, the main responsibility of having a second property is being able to carry it financially. And if you're like most people, you'll probably have to rent it to someone as a result.
This is also a great deal of responsibility because you will have to maintain the property in addition to your own principal residence, and you'll be responsible for finding tenants who you trust and feel comfortable with.
Some parents with grown children ready to go off to university or college choose to purchase secondary properties for their offspring to live in while they attend school. This gives them an excellent investment and they are assured that the occupants will take good care of the home.
Education
When you are ready to sell your house you'll want to enlist my help. I will provide the professional advice and service you need to make the selling process go smoothly.
Showing you ways to make your home as marketable as possible is just one of the many ways I can help. Here are a few tips from the experts:
Clean everything in and out of sight
With clipboard in hand, take a tour of your home. Take note of every opportunity to remove clutter and dirt. Rooms, closets and cupboards will appear larger and more inviting when you get rid of unnecessary stuff and tidy up what's left. Remove bulky or unused furniture and rearrange the rest to make the best use of space.
Most of us are pack rats, so apply the following test to every questionable item: Have I used this in the past six months, or will I need to use it soon? If the answer is no, throw it away, store it elsewhere or sell it in a yard sale.
Be equally aggressive in disposing of dirt. Pay particular attention to the two most important rooms in a buyer's mind: bathrooms and kitchens. And once you've removed all the dirt: keep everything clean, every day. You never know when the person who will ultimately buy your home will visit.
Repair as much as you can
During your home tour identify the things that are broken, cracked, stuck or just plain don't work anymore. These can include: leaky faucets, holes in window screens, stuck or broken windows, lights that don't work, doors that squeak or don't close properly, missing or broken cupboard handles, cracks in the walls and ceilings, and dozens of other "little things" you've been meaning to do for years. Now is the time.
Certain items, such as roof or basement leaks, must be repaired, along with any water damage. Electrical or heating system problems must be fixed.
Some repairs, however, may not be necessary. Will that hairline crack in the driveway really make or break the sale? How about a chipped floor tile in the entryway? Some buyers will have their own ideas about how to deal with these problems.
You may find it easier to adjust your selling price to reflect the cost of these repairs, rather than pay for them yourself.
De-personalize your home
Your house reflects you. It is decorated with your taste and your sense of style. Unfortunately, that heart-shaped table lamp your grandmother left you may distract potential buyers from seeing the home itself.
Grit your teeth and store all personal items (framed family photos, trophies, etc.) out of the way.
If you have brightly coloured accent walls or heavily patterned wallpaper, consider repainting or wallpapering these areas with light, neutral colours that enhance a room's size and make it more flexible to receive any kind of furniture.
Remove area rugs, light fixtures and other items that buyers might find too difficult to imagine in "their home", even if you were not intending to include these in the sale.
Beautify the house and yard
Peeling, dry paint is relatively easy to fix or replace and can make all the difference in your home's appearance.
If your carpet or other floor covering is in really bad shape, consider replacing it. The same holds true for badly tattered window coverings such as drapes and blinds.
Outside the house, weed the flower beds, remove dead tree branches, keep your lawn well-mowed and edged, trim the hedges, rake the leaves, sweep the sidewalks, fix and paint the deck or fence, plant a few flowers and do anything else you can think of to enhance your home's curb appeal.
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