Hi Everyone:

I've recently had several inquiries by First Time Buyers. In these days of 'bidding wars' for houses, especially in the south end, it is nice to see that $150,000 still buys a nice home.... albeit a condo.

Currently, there are 18 condos available in the south end of the city between $99,000 and $160,000. As an example, an 800-sq-ft condo which shows in absolutely impeccable condition, recently sold for $160,000, where a similar sized house in the same condition, with unfinished basement and no garage would fetch between $220,000 and $230,000 in the same neighbourhood.

Condos are an excellent alternative for First Time Buyers. If you're thinking of becoming a home owner, please call me anytime.

Hi everyone:

After issuing a market update for Lindenwoods I wanted to take a look at Whyte Ridge, another very popular Winnipeg neighborhood.

Currently, there are 9 homes for sale in Whyte Ridge, 8 of which are priced between 259,900 and $400K. The 9th home is over a million dollars.

In the past 30 days, a total of 9 homes have sold in Whyte Ridge.

For the 30 days before THAT, (between Feb 18th and March 18th), 7 homes sold in Whyte Ridge.

If you're thinking of selling a home in Whyte Ridge (or anyplace else in WInnipeg, for that matter), please call me for your market evaluation.

...and if you're thinking of buying a home or condo, in Whyte Ridge or other areas, please call me for a free consultation.

Bo 333-2202

Hi everyone:

It's funny how, when we have a Listing in a certain neighborhood, we tend to pay extra-special attention to that neighborhood. And so it is with Lindenwoods, where my client's home at 6 Hawkesbury Cr. is for sale.

A few weeks back I reported that there were 14 active listings in Lindenwoods, a number which increased to 25 active listings during the past couple of weeks (NOT counting condos), and has now gone back down to 18 homes.

Of those 18 homes, 9 are between $300,000 and $400,000. Whats even more significant is the fact that in the past 30 days, 22 HOMES HAVE SOLD in Lindenwoods.

This is a significant increase from the 30 day period between Feb 18th and March 18th, when only 3 homes sold in Lindenwoods.

If you're thinking of SELLING a house in Lindenwoods, right now may be an excellent time to do so.

If you're looking for a house (or condo) in Lindenwoods (or other parts of Winnipeg), please call me anytime.

Bo 333-2202

Hi Everyone:

There is an old saying that goes: "Your home is never more exciting than the first couple of weeks on the market". So when you put your home on the market (and I mean the REAL MARKET, by LISTING IT with a REALTOR®), make sure that your home shows it's best.
Because here is a bit of reality: About 80% of your total showings are going to happen in the first 5 days...... This is very important to remember.
When you put your house on the market, there are any number of potential buyers who have been waiting for YOUR HOME. And they will rush in to see your home in the first few days, checking it out to see if it's worth competing for. If the buyers find fault with your home, they simply move on to the next one and MAY NEVER RETURN.
So it's very important to have your home as 'show-worthy' as possible. Here are a couple of simple tips to get you started:

1) CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN
Counters, bathrooms, carpets, lights, windows. Kitchen cupboards, sinks and the garage. Clean everything. Don't leave buyers with a bad impression.

2) DECLUTTER
Kitchen counters should be empty, except for perhaps those Tea-Sugar-Flour-Coffee canisters. Less furniture is better than too much. Box up everything you don't need. You could designate a room in the basement as the 'junk room' and move extra stuff into there.

3) PAINT
If there are any areas where the paint is fading or flaking, paint it. Stay away from the wild colors and stick to earthy, neutral tones. That "Bright Red" kitchen wall looks funky in a magazine, but is not everyone's cup of tea.

These are just a few things to get you started. If you're looking to sell your house or your condo, call me for more advice and to show you my marketing presentation.

Bo 333-2202

Hi everyone:

As a real estate agent, I receive many requests to "Send Me Some Listings". Many of my competitors are putting out ads that say "Call me for the latest listings", and it seems that the average house and condo buyer believes that this is all an agent does. In my humble opinion, FINDING the listings is just a small part: I think that PREPARING an EDUCATING the buyer to compete in today's market is far more important. This is also a reason why several buyers have recently come to me after working with other agents and seemingly getting nowhere.

Here is my list of 7 Reasons Why a house or condo buyer in Winnipeg should be working with their own agent!

1) Save Time

As their agent, I can show ANY listing to my buyer. Whether it's Re/Max®, Century 21®, Royal LePage® or any of the 180-plus brokerages in Winnipeg.

2) Save Money

Often, I may be able to save my buyer money when it comes time to make the offer. I may have valuable information regarding the listing of their choice, which can help the buyer make an informed decision.

3) Convenience

Every call a Listing Agent and wait for hours for a call-back? And then make the appointment according to the agent's schedule? By working with me, my buyers enjoy direct access, quick callback and convenient showing scheduling.

4) I Represent My Buyer

Did you realize that the Listing Agent works for the Home-Seller. Doesn't it make sense to have your own REALTOR® working for you?

5) Get Results

There are ways to win these "Bidding Wars", and yes, even ways to avoid them in the first place. Let me show you how.

6) Get the "Straight Goods"

You may not always like the answers, but you're gonna get 'em.

7) My service is Free

That's right. No gimmicks. In every case, the Home-Seller has already set aside the amount for a Buyer's Agent.

So if you're thinking of buying a house or a condo, please call me anytime. I'll make certain that you're prepared for the market, and represent you every step of the way.

Hi everyone:

In this crazy time of bidding wars (especially on entry-level houses) a first time buyer might consider purchasing a condominium for their first home. In fact there are many great reasons to buy a condominium, not just for a first time buyer. To see a list of reasons, read 7 Reaons

With 700-sq-ft bungalows selling in the south end of the city for over $200,000, there are a number of condominiums available for prices perfect for the first time buyer. To find out a little more, read Condos between 120K and 180K

As an example, an 800 sq ft apartment style condominium, with upgraded kitchen, bath, flooring, new appliances and much more, sell for approximately $160,000. And 1100 sq-ft townhouse condos, with c/air and insuite laundry can be purchased for approximately $165,000 to $170,000.

As an added bonus, although condominiums sometimes do receive multiple offers, these situations are far more rare, making condominiums an excellent choice for the first time buyer who need to put financing conditions into their offers.

Hi Everyone:

I'm happy to say that 601 Jubilee Ave sold last night. It was shown by 31 Real Estate Agents to their clients, and in the end, received 7 offers. Privacy laws prevent me from publishing the selling price,...let's just say that my clients were quite happy!!

Hi everyone:

It has come to my attention that some private sellers are selling condos WITHOUT providing the proper condo documents to their respective buyers. If buyers are looking on their own and don't know the requirements, they can get stuck buying a condo without these documents. The problem arises that, if at the time of possession, the buyer discovers that the facts surrounding the condo were not properly presented, the buyer CAN back out of the deal, citing 'lack of condo document presentation' as their reason for backing out.

So here are the 6 items that a Condo Seller MUST (by law) provide to the Condo Buyer AT THE TIME OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFER. The Buyer, upon receiving these documents, then has 48 hours to look them over (NOT counting weekends or holidays) and during those 48 hours the buyer can withdraw their offer for ANY REASON. So here are the documents, in order of increasing importance (in my opinion)

6) Management Agreement

This is the agreement between the condo corp. and the current management company. These usually run for between 1 and 5 years. I consider this the least important, because as a single owner, you would have very little influence over the management company. Plus, if they really do a BAD job, the corporation simply does not renew the contract.

5) Condo Declaration

Fairly standard legal-eze that was drafted at the time when the condo came into 'being'. It tells how the condo board meetings are to be held, and other legal issues. Fairly standard.

4) By-laws (and Rules)

Funny thing: It seems that someone, wayyyy back, drafted a standard set of by-laws and then EVERY condo uses these. The original set where obviously drafted for a high-rise condo building, and so you will see things like "No Laundry to be hung from the balcony". Whats funny is when you look at buying a stand alone bungalow condo and see this as part of the by-laws. For the most part, fairly standard, but as the condo grows and matures, owners can (and often will) update and add new rules. So looking at this a little closer is a good idea. Difference between "By-laws" and "Rules"? By-laws govern the entire building and property, whereas rules apply to the 'common areas', such as hallways and parking lots. By-laws require a majority approval of all owners (usually around 75%), but rules can be passed by the current board at any time.

3) Financial Statements

This is usually a couple of pages long and shows where all the money has gone in the past year (or two) So it will show a total amount of money received thru the condo fees (and other sources, such as parking fees, laundry fees in buildings with coin-op laundry), and then shows all the items that had been purchased and repaired and maintained over the past year or more.

2) Budget

This is the projected budget for the next year. Estimated costs of any repairs or improvements.

1) Condo Disclosure

THIS is the most important item. I've attached a sample condo document below. It will show whether there are any increases in condo fees being planned, any major repairs or renovations being considered, and special assessments coming along the way, any law suits or insurance claims pending against the condo. Keeping in mind that as the buyer, you are buying a small percentage of the entire building (or buildings), this is most certainly information you should have.

A final point: The Disclosure Certificate has to be dated WITHIN 90 days of the offer. So for example, if you are making an offer on a condo on April 15th, 2010, the date on the Disclosure can not be more than 90 days in the past... so that Jan 5th, for example, would not be acceptable.

I read a great reminder on a Jewelers business card a little while back : "If you don't know jewelry, KNOW your Jeweler".   And so I would like to say : "If you don't know Real Estate (especially Condos),.. KNOW your REALTOR®"

If you're thinking of buying (or selling) a condo (or a house), please call me anytime for a free consultation. Any REALTOR® can send you listings via e-mail, but my buyers are among the best prepared in the market. Let's go condo-shopping.

Conversely if you're thinking of SELLING your condo, please call me. As a condo owner, I DO understand them a fair deal better than the average agent, and this can come in handy when your prospective buyers have questions.

Bo 333-2202

Sample Condo Disclosure Certificate