Ben Officer-REALTOR®

I have recently been asked the question: “Ben, the different condos we’ve been looking at have either titled or assigned parking. What’s the difference?

Titled or Assigned Parking? It’s a big difference.

Titled parking means that you physically own the parking stall. You have the title deed to the parking stall.

And no it doesn’t mean you can build something on it. (They would probably frown on that and it might be a bit of hassle getting a building permit….)

What it does mean is that it has a value to it, it can be bought or sold, that it transfers like normal properties, and goodie…. it has a property tax bill.

Assigned parking generally means you are assigned a parking stall by the condo board/property management company. It is yours to use but not to own.

The type of parking stall and whether it is above ground or underground makes a big difference to a lot of people when they are looking to buy a condo. It also makes a difference on the value given to it.

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If you have any questions or are looking to buy a condominium/ house give me a call now.

Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate (Edmonton)

There are dozens of ways to make your property more enticing to potential buyers. For example, you can invest in getting your home professionally “staged”, which involves making it look a little like a
model home. Or, you can do a major renovation to improve your home‘s look and value.

But what if you don’t have a lot of time and are on a limited budget? What can you do today to make your home irresistible to buyers tomorrow? Here are some ideas:

1. Paint

It doesn’t cost much to paint key areas of your home, like the foyer, kitchen or master bedroom. Yet the impression it makes on buyers is significant. In fact, compared to most other types of home
improvement projects, painting gives you the highest payback when you sell.

2. Create space

Homes naturally get cluttered over the years. Even a double car garage can seem claustrophobic if there are a lot of boxes, equipment and other items stored in it. Go through each room of your home and do a major decluttering. It will make your property seem more attractive and, when you sell, make moving easier too!

3. Clean and tidy

Obviously, you’re going to make sure your home is clean for viewings. But you’d be surprised what a homeowner can miss and a buyer notices. Closets, laundry rooms, side yard, basement
furnace room and all other nooks and crannies should be as tidy and clean as possible.

4. Roll out the red carpet

Not an actual red carpet! But you do want the entrance way to your front door and into the foyer to make the best impression possible. After all, those are the areas that a buyer sees first. Make sure
walkways are clear and clean. Ensure that when a buyer opens the front door and walks in, the impression he or she gets is that of a great looking place to live.

These four tips don’t take much time or money to implement. Yet, they can all help make your home even more irresistible to buyers than it is today.

Want more tips on preparing your home for sale? Call me today.

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Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

From my experience in the Edmonton and St. Albert real estate markets, most buyers know what style of home appeals to their tastes, how large a home they need, and extras like garage, yard etc… If they are coming from outside the area, then the search centers on which neighbourhood fits the bill for them.

One thing you can’t change as a home-owner selling a home, is the neighbourhood you are located in. Often young families buy their first home in a newer area with smaller, affordable houses. They get to own their own home, while keeping their mortgage payments affordable.

Fast forward 4 to 5 years. “June and Ward” now have 2 or 3 children, are making a fair bit more income in the household, and they need a bigger home. Sometimes they choose a newer, larger home or maybe an older home in a mature neighbourhood.

The newer home has its advantages with upkeep and area amenities' while the older homes usually have larger lots, big trees, and nice area parks.

When and where is their next move? Relocated to another city or maybe staying until the kids are grown and move-out? Then it’s likely down-sizing to a condo. Again, who knows?  The skies the limit.

It is often said that Canadians sell and move an average of once every five years.

It’s hard to predict the future, but keeping in mind what your future may hold could help you decide on what kind of home you buy, in a certain neighbourhood, so you can enjoy it for as long as you want without say…out-growing it.

Like you did with that 2-door Mercury Capri that had to go, when the first baby came along. I’ve been there myself.

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Looking at buying your first home? Do you want to work with someone who knows and cares. Give me a call. My family and I are now living in our 5th home (to stay for a long while), and I know what it’s like to

be in your shoes.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and find the different blog posts useful. Please don’t hesitate to post any comments or questions you may have.

Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

The lure of getting a good deal on house or condo that is foreclosure is strong. Why not? If you can get a good place for a reduced (read cheap…) price, go for it. There are a number of foreclosure listings in the Edmonton, St. Albert real estate markets.

We’ve seen lots of television reports from the U.S. listing the huge number of foreclosures that are causing a glut on their housing markets in certain areas. Here in Canada the story is quite different. We have a very low percentage of foreclosed properties.

The foreclosure process in Canada can take a long while, from the first missed mortgage payment, all the way to someone buying it from the Bank or Court of Queens Bench etc…

The process is also geared to let the home-owner buy their way out of the problem at any point before it reaches the market as a foreclosure.

Depending on the foreclosed home and who is selling it, you may or may not be able to get it officially inspected by a home inspector, or for that matter to put any conditions on your offer to purchase.

I’ve seen all kinds, from very nice to “holy crap I can smell the inside from the street!” Nasty.

From what I understand, almost all areas in Canada have legislation that generally says that foreclosed homes have to be listed for their approximate market value. That's not to say that you can’t get it a lot cheaper, it just depends on the situation and how much work is required to fix up the property.

Foreclosure listings are an entity unto themselves, so if you have questions please feel free to ask.

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You can send your home search criteria (including foreclosure properties) to me through RightHouseRightTime.com or BenOfficer.ca. I can help you find what you are looking for.

Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

Members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP are relocated within Canada and sometimes outside of Canada. If they own their own home or condo, they usually select a REALTOR® to list and sell their home.

As an ex-Canadian Forces member I have been through the process several times while I was serving. Now as an Edmonton and St. Albert real estate agent,  I can assist them to get their home sold and to find a reputable Realtor in their new location.

Normally, when they go to their new location to look for a home to purchase they have an abbreviated time (5 to 7 days) to find a home. These are known as House Hunting Trips or HHTs.

During the HHT they have to find a home, offer on the home, get a home inspection, and try to get as much done before they have to return to their old home. Busy for them and for their agent????  You better believe it.

The process of selling your existing home then finding a home in a new city and often a different province requires hard-work. Sometimes this involves making some tough choices for the RCMP or Military member and their families. I am one of the professionals that they can utilize to help them with their moves.

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Please refer to my HHT and Relocation pages on RightHouseRightTime.com and BenOfficer.ca  for more information or to get me working for you.

Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

The REALTORS® Community Foundation with REALTORS® and Friends are proud to announce the RIDE For KIDS is continuing again for 2010.

I am co-chairing the ride this year with Dave Schroeder, plus with the assistance of quite a few people I will name in future blog posts.

PointeWest Honda Powerhouse in Edmonton and Honda Canada have very generously donated a Honda VTX1300 motorcycle  to be the 1st Prize in our raffle this year.

Again this year, we will be raising money to support E4C Edmonton School Lunch Program and the Youth Emergency Shelter Society (YESS).

We will be out showing off the motorcycle raffle prize at the Edmonton Motorcycle Show Jan 15th – 17th, plus at Castrol Park raceway and hopefully other events.

If you are interested in going on the ride, it’s tentatively slated to go19, 20, 21, 22 August, 2010. If not, then please pledge to riders on the ride.

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Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

Some of the aspects of my profession as a real estate agent, are to represent my clients best interests, to carry out their lawful instructions, and to work to get them the best price.

The art of negotiation is very often required to successfully bring two parties to an agreement.

Now, during the negotiation process its not necessarily just the price that’s negotiated. It can be the possession date, the deposit, the terms, or the conditions. All aspects of the transaction could be subject to negotiation.

As a Realtor, I believe our clients benefit from our experience while we take a lot of the emotion out of the negotiation, and that is a good thing. If we help the buyers and sellers to reach a mutually acceptable agreement then both sides can feel well served.

It is often said that “3rd party negotiation saves money”. This means that having a professional Realtor, like me, negotiating for you, can save you money as opposed to you negotiating with the other person yourself.

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If you are thinking of selling your home yourself, please have a look at the information on either of my websites -  RightHouseRightTime.com or BenOfficer.ca. It will help you to get a feel for just how much service I put into listing and selling your home or condo.

Ben Officer, CD REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate

You see the ads on Kijiji and in small papers saying they will buy your house for cash, any condition, and quick possession. No Realtor required.

You say “What is this about?”  Very straight-forward actually. They are almost always investors.

What they are offering is a fast, fairly hassle-free way to sell your home.

Is there a catch, you say? Well  …. sort of. The price they will probably offer you is around 15 to 30 % below the actual market value for your home.

They have to build-in a profit margin for themselves, to be able to offer this to home-sellers. As with anything in life, if there is need then there will be someone to fill it.

Now who would look at selling their house through an investor like this? Maybe someone behind on their mortgage payments and they need to sell to beat foreclosure? Or someone who just has to sell fast and can’t wait for it to be listed and sold by a real estate agent.

No matter the situation, the homeowner should still get an appraisal done to establish the value of their home and also use their own lawyer to protect their interests.

Also, like any transaction…. read the fine print and ask lots of questions up front.

Investors can help someone out of a tough situation, when needed.

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Also, don’t forget to check out the listings search pages on RightHouseRightTime.com or BenOfficer.ca. If you sign-up for the extra info, I won’t bug you.

Ben Officer, CD   REALTOR

RE/MAX Real Estate