Hi everyone:

[caption id="attachment_1191" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Photo by ryemang's photostream on Flickr"][/caption]

I've written about the subject of selling privately on the MLS®, which at this point in time is not an option. In fact, to my knowledge, it is never going to be an option, as this would simply reduce the M.L.S. ®' effectiveness to that of just another private sales website.

So what then are a Winnipeg home sellers options for selling his house or condo:

1) Word of Mouth: Just ask your friends, neighbours and relatives. Perhaps put a poster up at the church, your local grocery store and a few telephone posts. Advantage: Its FREE. Disadvantage: Your market access is very limited, and chances of getting a full price, let along top-dollar offer are very remote.

2) KIJIJI, Craigslist, Local Newspapers: Run some ads on local community sites like those mentioned here. Many of these are even free, although for a few dollars you can 'highlight' your listing. Advantage: Still very low-cost. Disadvantage: Although you are accessing a larger market than with word-of-mouth, your 'reach' is still limited.

3) Private Sales Companies: There are dozens of these, just Google "private sales companies" and you will see lots of choices. Advantage: Larger market reach, internet exposure and better chance of finding A buyer. Disadvantage: More significant cost and no money-back guarantee. If you cant sell your house or condo, you've missed out on being a "NEW LISTING", once you call a real estate agent, because home-buyers will know that you could not sell for x-number of weeks. So these are the options for selling privately.

4) Listing with a REALTOR® on the M.L.S. ®.

Access the entire home-buying market all at once. Disadvantage: Not the cheapest method. There are discount brokers around who will list your home on the M.L.S. ® for less, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Advantage: Access to a huge market of buyers, best chance at getting multiple offers and top dollar for your house or condo.

Even if you DO choose to list with a REALTOR®, you have plenty of options. Each REALTOR® has their own marketing plan and price. Click here for a look at my marketing plan.

If you're thinking of selling your house or condo, please call me anytime for a personal market evaluation and one-on-one consultation and discussion of all your options. Bo Kauffmann 333-2202

Hi everyone:

When the time comes to sell your house or condo, and you decide, like 90% of home owners, to 'list' your home with a real estate agent, how do you select from the 1400+ REALTORS® in Winnipeg? With some many choices, you would think that the choice would be a difficult one. Well, not really, as about 95% of agents follow the same program: List the property on the MLS® and let the system do the work. Nothing wrong with that, but there are a few other upgrades available.

In Winnipeg, REALTORS® seem to have 3 different ways of getting the home owner to choose their service: Quote the highest listing-price, Offer the lowest possible commission or (gasp) Offer an outstanding service coupled with an excellent marketing plan.

In this 3 part series, I will explain the pitfalls of the first 2 options, starting with that age-old favorite of the desperate agent: "Quote the Highest List Price".

So here is the scenario: You (the home-owner) call 3 agents to ask their opinion as to the value of your home. This is actually the wrong thing to do, as it invites agents to promise and predict higher and higher selling prices. Instead, the owner should be interviewing agents to find out their marketing plan for the home which is being sold. Anyway,.... I digress.

So agent #1 comes into the home, and the discussion turns to the value or price of the home. The agent pulls out some comparable properties and they seem to indicate a sale price of approx. $200,000.

The next day, agent #2 enters the home, and his comparable properties also seem to suggest a sale price of $200,000.

On day three, the miracle worker arrives: He looks at the house, (or condo) and 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' over the selection of colors, the 'stunning' beauty of that crystal chandelier, the functionality of that re-painted kitchen. Yes, his comparable properties also indicate a sales price of around 200,000, but since he runs a big team of agents, he is confident that he can get $220,000 or maybe even $230,000.

When reading this article in the cold light of day, we all realize the projected outcome, and we are likely to say :"Oh, come one.... this would NEVER fool ME." Well, folks, it happens every day.... and it works!!! Home-owners like to hear nice things about their homes, and they love positive projections and predictions, and so the "Big-Team" leader gets the listing. Many times with predictable outcome. Here's an example of what happens:
Agent #1 suggested a list price of $199,900.

Agent #2 suggested a list of $214,900. Homeowner lists with #2.   A few weeks into the listing, the price is reduced to $204,900 and then again to $199,900 and the home finally sells for $197,000.

IF the home had been listed at the proper price in the first place, it would most likely have sold right away, and very likely even with multiple offers, driving the price up from $199,900. Instead, it languished on the market, and after a few weeks, and a couple of price reductions, the 'bargain hunters' start coming out.

The home owner in this example probably never realized that a 'big team' has obligations to feed their assistants, and as such, the pressure to get the listing "at any price" is great. The reasoning is :"Better to get the listing at a high price and then reduce it later, than NOT to get the listing at all".

Now I wish to assure you that NOT all agents operate like this, but as a homeowner, please remember this: Look for other difference between agent #1, #2 and #3, but DO NOT choose by the higher quoted listing price alone.

In the next article, I will look at method #2: Offering the discount commission.

Until then, if you're thinking of selling your house or condo, please call me anytime for an objective opinion and diverse marketing plan for your home.

Bo 333-2202

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

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

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

Every buyer knows that "Pre-Approval" is a minimum requirement. But the type of lender is just as important. How do you find the mortgage specialist who is perfect for you? Simple answer can be found in this video:

To see the video, click here My Mortgage Lender

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There are 6 common mistakes made by home-owners when trying to sell their home. This is #3: Trying to Go It Alone. While there are a number of methods for selling your home or condo, selling privately can often be more expensive than listing with an Agent. Here is why! For all of my videos and valuable information for buyers and sellers, go to my website at http://www.winnipeghomefinder.com

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Hello everyone: Here is a little advance notice... in about 2 weeks, we will be listing a 1300 sq ft bungalow in the hamlet of Lorette. Extensively upgraded, with newer furnace, windows, roof, siding, 4-season sunroom, double garage and fully finished basement. All on an 80' wide lot and only a few minutes east of The Mint. Extremely low taxes (under $1600 net), and close to amenities and schools, you will find value here that you simply can not get inside of Winnipeg. Stay Tuned....the home will be featured here, as well as in the Real Estate News. Estimated arrival on market will be the end of September.

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Hello Everyone:

While the housing market in Winnipeg is, quite simply, NUTS, home-buyers can still find a very nice condo in a reasonable price range. Houses in the $150,000 to $200,000 range usually receive multiple offers, especially if they are nice and in good areas. On the other hand, condos in this price range can be found and quite often purchased without "bidding wars".

And so it was the case of this gorgeous condo in the South Pembina area. 1100 sq ft townhouse style, with 2 BR's,
insuite laundry, central air-conditionion and central furnace, complete appliance package, designer colors and all new lights.

If you're looking for a condo (or a house) make sure you give me a call, anytime. I love helping buyers find their dream-home. You can call me at (204) 333-2202.

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There are 6 common mistakes made by home-sellers. This is #2: Trying to sell the House/Condo in an "As Is" condition. Here is why you should not do that, and some basic fix-up suggestions.

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Even in Winnipeg's hot market, 1 in 4 homes do not sell. Although that is the best rate in the country, that is of little comfort to the home-owner whose home failed to sell. Find out the most common reasons, and how to avoid making these mistakes. Reason #1: Incorrectly pricing the home!

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