To buy or not to buy? That’s really an intimidating question, isn’t it? With homeownership comes responsibility, while renting may be relatively carefree. Let’s look deeper into the benefits of buying a home versus renting.

Pros of Renting a Property

• The lack of responsibility and maintenance

• Fewer expenses that might be paid by the landlord (including utilities)

• Fewer (if any) maintenance costs

• No down payment when necessary

• No commitment

Cons of Renting a Property...

Not a lot of homebuyers expect to go into foreclosure, but due to the recent economic downturn, it is a consideration or situation a lot of people in Fort McMurray are in. Just know that you are not alone. Hopefully you’re reading this before actually ending up in foreclosure. But even if you’re already in foreclosure, as long as you’re still in the house there may be a way for you to continue to stay in it, long-term.

First things first: What is foreclosure?

Foreclosure is the legal means in which your lender is enabled to repossess or take back your house in order to get their mortgage money back and settle any outstanding fees. Apart from wilful mortgage fraud, where someone has no intention of making payments, most homeowners face foreclosure due to a sudden event that leads to them being unable to make their mortgage payments on time. The most common reasons include:

• Sudden...

THE BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT IN FORT MCMURRAY?

Sometimes you hear people call themselves "the best" this or "the best" that. When it comes to who is "the best" Realtor in Fort McMurray, I am not as worried about whether I am "the best" Realtor. Here's why:

The best is totally subjective. Some real estate agents may claim to be the best because they sell the most. Or maybe they  think they are the " best real estate agent " because they won an award. Or maybe they made the most money. The truth is that just because a real estate agent may have some reason to claim they are #1, truly does not mean that they will be the BEST for you. 

What's My...

Home Price Appreciation / Depreciation across Canada

That is a great question. For parts of Canada where there are major cities and metropolitan areas, the monthly home price appreciation is not only calculated, it is available online here. (Hat tip to my REALTOR friends in Kelowna for the link to that page.) 

Using that online Appreciation map gives us a general idea in the biggest cities in a province how home prices are doing month to month and year to year...and that is good...BUT that does not show us the following:

• How homes are doing in Fort McMurray?
• How is YOUR home doing?
• How much equity do you have in your home?

The good news is that WE can help you with that! Let us provide you with those answers. We are happy to give you at no cost or obligation. Getting started is easy. Simply fill out the information...

Thinking about going the FSBO route?  You don't have to do it alone.  A highly-skilled and qualified Realtor is here to help you out!  Before you consider selling your house on your own, take the time to read the following reasons why For Sale by Owner listings tend to fail in the real estate market.

Prep Work

Preparing a home for sale properly plays a big role in the success of selling a home.  One of the most common reasons why people who attempt to sell their home without the help of an experienced agent is because they have little to no idea about how to properly and effectively prepare their home before it gets listed for sale.

Some of the most important pre-listing tasks that FSBOs should do before listing their home for sale include:...

Current Fort McMurray Mortgage Rate Environment:

The Bank of Canada announced last month that it would be remaining at current interest rates (for now), but those on adjustable mortgage rates and buyers looking for financing are wondering what’s next. Should they lock in? Which is a better option, variable or fixed? If rates climb, how high will they go? How much extra monthly budget should you allocate for mortgage payment interest increases?

The correct answer is - It depends.

The last two times before the latest meeting when the Bank of Canada met, they raised rates. This time they held the line with the overnight rate at 1.00%, due to their concerns about the increasing strength of the dollar along with the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation....

Selling your house?  You may be thinking about going down the “For Sale By Owner” route.  Here are a couple of things that you need to know before you decide on selling your house on your own.

There are a number of parties involved in a real estate transaction.  People with whom you would otherwise not have to deal with if you were to hire an agent to help you sell your home.  Realtors act as a buffer in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transaction.  Should you decide on selling...

Home sellers always aim for one thing - selling their home as fast as possible.  In neighbourhoods with lots of homes for sale, sellers must be willing to take their efforts up a notch in order to beat the competition and make sure that their home is on top of every buyer's list.  Here are some of the easiest and inexpensive tips on how to achieve your goal in selling your home in no time.

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A home is one of the most important purchases you will ever make, so the need to make sure that you are getting the best value for your hard-earned money.  It is vital for you to be certain that everything in your target home is checked and evaluated before you buy a home.

Enter the value of home inspection.  A home inspection is an inexpensive way to become aware of the overall condition of a home.  It is important to make sure that you are not making a costly mistake of buying a home that is in need of major repairs or replacements.  In line with this, you also need to know the key questions that you need to ask during the home inspection process...