Hi Everyone:

I just checked the condo-availability for Winnipeg, and found that there are currently 276 Condos in all price ranges. Lets look at some of the different price ranges:

$140,000 to $200,000:

There are 68 condos available in this price range, which many people would consider an 'entry-level' type of investment. In this price range you can expect to find 1 or 2 BR,s outdoor parking spot, most likely a Window A/C unit (although some of these might have central air), insuite laundry and balconies. There are some very nice condos available in the Swindon-Tuxedo area in this price range.

$200,000 to $300,000:

There are 87 condos available in this price range. Here you could expect to find Central Air, underground heated parking spots, larger suites (1000 sq ft and up) and more.

$300,000 to $500,000

Here you could expect to find a newer building and an upscale neighbourhood, such as Wellington Cr. Amenities should definitely include underground parking, c/air and furnace, and most likely a nice view of the river or the city. There are currently 61 condos available in this price range.

$500,000 and up:

Luxury galore: Expect full-service such as security personnel at the door, large suites and the better locations and views. There are only 13 condos in this price range, including 4 condos over $1 million, all of which are located on Wellington Cr.

If you're thinking of buying, or selling, a condo in Winnipeg, choose your agent wisely: While all REALTORS® are allowed to sell condos, not all of us are equally trained, experienced and qualified to do so. As a current condo owner, and past president of a condo board, I am ready to help you with your condo-decisions. Call me anytime.... 333-2202

Hi Everyone:

I just checked the condo-availability for Winnipeg, and found that there are currently 276 Condos in all price ranges. Lets look at some of the different price ranges:

$140,000 to $200,000:

There are 68 condos available in this price range, which many people would consider an 'entry-level' type of investment. In this price range you can expect to find 1 or 2 BR,s outdoor parking spot, most likely a Window A/C unit (although some of these might have central air), insuite laundry and balconies. There are some very nice condos available in the Swindon-Tuxedo area in this price range.

$200,000 to $300,000:

There are 87 condos available in this price range. Here you could expect to find Central Air, underground heated parking spots, larger suites (1000 sq ft and up) and more.

$300,000 to $500,000

Here you could expect to find a newer building and an upscale neighbourhood, such as Wellington Cr. Amenities should definitely include underground parking, c/air and furnace, and most likely a nice view of the river or the city. There are currently 61 condos available in this price range.

$500,000 and up:

Luxury galore: Expect full-service such as security personnel at the door, large suites and the better locations and views. There are only 13 condos in this price range, including 4 condos over $1 million, all of which are located on Wellington Cr.

If you're thinking of buying, or selling, a condo in Winnipeg, choose your agent wisely: While all REALTORS® are allowed to sell condos, not all of us are equally trained, experienced and qualified to do so. As a current condo owner, and past president of a condo board, I am ready to help you with your condo-decisions. Call me anytime.... 333-2202

Hi everyone:

I'm happy to report that my buyer just purchased a condo at 193 Victor Lewis Dr in Lindenwoods.

If you're looking for a condo in Winnipeg, let's set up a meeting and find you a great condo in Winnipeg. Call me anytime.

Hi everyone:

This has happened to me a couple of times this spring: a 'new' client (new to ME) calls me and we meet in my office and discuss the house (or condo) buying process. I will usually ask; "Have you looked at homes recently?" On a couple of occasions, the reply has been; "Yes, but our last agent didn't explain anything to us. He just sent us the listings and when we wanted to write an offer, we lost the house by $30,000"

Those buyers were not upset at loosing the house..... they WERE upset at getting 'blown out of the water' with no guidance or assistance from their real estate agent.

And so the reason for the headline of this post: "FINDING a house or condo is EASY". It really is. Here is what you do: Pick up the phone or send an e-mail to any one of the 1400+ REALTORS® in Winnipeg. Most will be only to happy to set you up on an automated search thru the new Keystone MATRIX® search system (an excellent system, by the way... check out this video)

After setting up the search, you'll be receiving listings by the dozens, maybe even by the hundreds. Then, when you find a house you like, you can call or e-mail that REALTOR® and go see the house and then even write an offer on it. This is where the problem occurs. Are you truly prepared for the bidding process? Have you been pre-approved by the RIGHT lender? Are your funds still tied up in RRSP's and will it take a couple of weeks to free them up? What's the house of your choice really worth? Can you trust the agent (whom you've never met until the day of the offer)? How much are your "Closing Costs"......

These questions just scratch the surface of what is required to actually GET the house or condo of your choice. So, FINDING it is easy....... GETTING it requires a little prep-work. That's why I start out with a meeting in our office, where we can make certain that you are prepared and ready.

If you're serious about buying a house or condo, call me anytime. Let's get started...

Bo   333-2202

Hi everyone:This has happened to me on a couple of occasions:  I meet with a new buyer for the first time, and we start to go over the buying process.  In this meeting, I explain what the market is doing, how best to write an offer, and generally discuss and describe the entire buying process.On more than one occasion, the buyer exclaimed:"We never knew THAT!".....  or, better yet: "Our LAST agent never explained THAT."In speaking to them further, I learn that they had been receiving listings from another agent, gone out to look at a few houses, tried to put in an offer and were promptly 'blown out of the water' by other, better prepared buyers.  So here is my point : FINDING a house or condo is the easy part.  The listings are out there, on MLS®, in magazines and newspapers and on the internet.  But FINDING is only a small part of what I do....  the key is in the PREPARATION.  To be blunt: We're not buying a pair of pants, a book or a loaf of bread.  We ARE about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into the real estate market, and we're doing it at a time when there is heavy competition for the same house we want to buy.  Being PREPARED is key to winning these multiple-bid situation.I have created a "Home-Buying Brochure" which helps my house and condo buyers understand the process.  A PDF version of this brochure is attached here for your information.  I do hope you find it helpful.  If you have any real estate related questions or comments, please call me anytime.  And of course, if you're looking to buy a house or condo, I'd love to help you FIND and GET the home of your choice.Click here to download your Free Guide:                          Bo's Home-Buying Guide

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

Hello everyone:

In order for the home-seller to be assured top dollar in Winnipeg's hot real estate market, it is in their best interest to create a bidding war, or multiple offer situation. Why?

"It is only thru competition that we try our hardest and achieve our best!"

I don't know who said this first, but I firmly believe it's true. Think about it: Track and Field records are not set during practice runs. They are set during the Olympics and World Championship events, when competition is at its highest level. The same holds true for the sale of a house. EVERY buyer thinks the house is over-priced, especially if he is the only one making an offer. If there is NO competition, the buyer will try to get the house at a reduced price. However, if the buyer realizes that there are 3 or 4 other people who are also putting in an offer, they then put their best foot forward and present their best, cleanest and highest offer.


Creating a bidding war is in the home-sellers best interest. If you're thinking of selling, be sure to call me and I'll be glad to sit down with you and explain how this works. Bo: 333-2202

Hello Everyone:

Do you own rental property, and feel that now is the right time to sell? You may be right, as property values have far outstripped our Province's controlled rent increases. As your rental income has increased by 2% to 3% each year, the value of the property may have incresed by around 10-15% a year.

Case and point: I recently listed a nice little house on Winnipeg Ave.

When I first saw this property, which had a tenant in it, the value would have been somewhere around $50,000, sold "AS-IS". The owners heeded my advice, gave the tenants their notice, cleaned and fixed the home up, and listed it for $89,900. In the end, it received multiple offers and sold for even more than that.

2nd case and point: I have a buyer for a condo in Lindenwoods. We were trying to get a look at this condo, which is tenant-occupied by a 'non-co-operative' (read: JERK) tenant, who keeps the place messy, and disrupts showings. This is not uncommon, as tenants quite often don't like the idea of 'their place' being sold, forcing them to find alternative accomodations. And so a condo, which should have sold quickly, has been on the market for 2-1/2 months, causing he owner grief and possible loss of money.

If you own property, and wish to sell it, call me first. Here is a short video on WHY it is in your best interest to sell the home WITHOUT the tenant in it.