What To Fix Up In Your Calgary Home Before You Sell

If you have a Calgary Home that is due for a major or minor home renovation, you might be worried that it will be difficult to sell as a "fixer-upper". In fact, you might delay listing your property for that reason.

You don’t need to fix up everything in your home to prepare it for sale. You can be selective and choose only those projects that are most likely to help your home show well and sell quickly.

Here are some projects to consider:

• Repairs. Few things stand out more during a viewing than something in obvious need of repair. That includes minor issues, like a dripping bathroom faucet, as well as major concerns, such as the central air conditioning unit not working. Get these repairs done.
• Painting. Painting is one of the easiest and most affordable DIY projects you can do. Yet the impact it can have on your home is stunning. Some rooms are completely transformed by a fresh coat of paint.
• Kitchens & Bathrooms. Buyers love to see great-looking kitchens and bathrooms. In fact, there are even magazines devoted just to those rooms! You don't necessarily need to do a major renovation of these spaces, but a makeover can be a good idea. Consider replacing sinks, countertops, and/or cabinet hardware.
• Floors. If the floors in any of your rooms have become worn and unsightly, look at options for refreshing them. Consider replacing carpeting, refinishing hardwood, and/or getting tiles professionally cleaned and polished.
• Outdoors. Sometimes you can compensate (a little) for a less-than-ideal interior by sprucing up the outdoor space. Explore ways to improve your deck or patio, walkways, and landscaping. 
• Even if your home is older, you can make it more attractive to buyers with any one of these projects.

Want more ideas for finding eager buyers for your home? Call today.

Questions People Ask About Calgary Alberta Realtor® Real Estate Fees and Commissions

Q. Can I sell my house in Calgary on MLS® and pay no Realtor® Fees?
A. No there are always some fees to pay

Q. How are Realtor® Fees Calculated In Alberta?
A. Most Common is 7 and 3.  7% on the First $100k and 3% on the Balance of the Sold Price 

Q. Does The Buyer Pay A Realtor® Commission in Alberta?
A. Buyers really do pay because the commission is in the sale price most of the time

Q. Who pays the Realtor® Fee, the home buyer or the home seller?
A. The Seller pays the fees out of the sale proceeds

Q. Why are Calgary Real Estate Commissions so high?
A. Real Estate is a Business and no business works for free

Q. Are 1% and 2% Realty Companies Legit?
A. Is any company legit? 

Q. What Calgary Realty Company has the lowest Commissions?
A. Companies do not set commissions, Individual Realtors Negotiate Commissions.

Q. Are CIR Realty and Exp Realty Discount Brokerages?
A. CIR and Exp Realty have Realtors offering discounts and those that do not discount.

Q. Are Remax Commissions worth it?
A. Remax does not set commissions, Realtors do.

Q. How is the Realtor®'s Commission Calculated?
A. Could be a flat rate, % of the Sale Price or a combination of the two, Commissions are Negotiable

Q. Can You Negotiate Your Realtors®' Commission?
A. Yes
Q. How much are closing costs in Alberta?
A. Set aside $1,500 plus GST for legal fees and you should be ok

Q. Is there GST on Realtor® Fees in Alberta?
A. Yes GST applies to Real Estate Fees, but not the price of a resale home

Q. Does the Buyer pay Realtor® Fees in Canada?
A. Fees are included in the price 99% of the time, so Yes

Q. How much are lawyer fees when buying a Calgary Alberta house?
A. The vary and will be a combination of a flat rate plus disbursements

Q. What percentage do most Realtors® charge?
A. All fees are Negotiable, in Calgary we see 7 and 3 most often

Q. Are commissions paid on gross or net?
A. Gross sale 

Q. How do you solve commission problems?
A. Problems are usually solved by the Realtor and the Broker

Q. How do Calgary Alberta Real Estate Commissions work?
A. Very well in my experience

Q. Do Realtors keep 100% of the commission they collect in Calgary?
A. Commission cheques are like your paycheque after taxes, fees, expenses

Q. It is against the law to have fixed Realtor® Fees and Commissions in Calgary?
A. Real Estate Fees are negotiated between Calgary Home Sellers, Calgary Home Buyers, and Calgary Realtors®.

The selling price of any home on the Alberta MLS® System included the Real Estate Commissions plus GST. The fee could have been zero, or 1%, or 2%, or $2,500, or $8,550, or 7% on the first $100,000 and 3.5% on the balance of the sale price, or any other creative commission calculation you could imagine.

There is no set fee for Real Estate Commissions in Calgary Alberta, Canada.

Remax, Century 21, Royale Lepage, CIR Realty, Exp Realty, Sotheby's, 1% Realty, 2% Realty, 3% Realty, and hundreds of other Alberta Real Estate Companies are prohibited by law from fixing commission rates.

The above companies and their Realtors® all want your business and will negotiate your Real Estate Commissions.

Calgary Home Buyers pay 100% of the Reator® Fees because it's included in the Home Selling Price. It's like the mark-up on any product you buy at a retail store.

Some Calgary Realtors® claim they won't negotiate commissions. There are Real Estate Trainers and Coaches that charge Realtors® thousands of dollars to learn how to "Protect Commissions." Talk to a few Reatlors® and you hear the same old scripts. How if they are not tough on commissions with you, they won't be tough on Calgary Buyers on the home price. Blah, Blah, Blah.....

The bottom line is All Realtor® Commissions in Calgary Alberta Canada are Negotiable.

You can get a 1% Commission deal from a Remax Realtor just as easily as from a company that calls itself 1% Realty. 2% Commissions are offered by Century 21 Realtors® just as often as from the company called 2% Realty.

Brand means nothing in Real Estate, Calgary Home Prices Rule Everything.

Feel free to contact me anytime you want the Truth About Calgary Alberta Real Estate Fees and Commissions.

Have you ever found a home you love online only to find out it's conditionally sold?

Searching online for homes to buy can be fun. Also frustrating when you find the perfect home and it is already conditionally sold to somebody else.

So What Does Conditionally Sold Mean?

Conditionally Sold means the home seller has accepted a "Conditional Offer To Purchase" subject to "The Buyers' Conditions".

What Are "The Buyers' Conditions"?

One common Buyer Condition is "Subject To the Buyer getting Approved for a Mortgage".  Another common Buyer Condition is "Subject To The Buyers Approval of the results of a Home Inspection".

Buyers' Conditions are often referred to as "Walk Away Clauses". If a buyer does not waive the buyer conditions in writing by the specified time the offer to purchase contract is voided, the deposit is returned in full to the buyer.

The seller has options after accepting a "Conditional Offer To Purchase".

1. Change the MLS Listing Status to "Pending" and the listing disappears from the internet.

2. Leave the MLS Listing as "Active" to try to get offers in case the first one falls through.

From the seller's perspective if they are feeling confident or not about the first offer going through or not leads them to choose the option of leaving the property on the market or taking it off pending the outcome of the conditions.

Before we book property viewings for our clients we ask if the property is still active or conditionally sold. It's not ideal for our buyers to get excited about a property only to find out it's most likely sold already. But we do see the seller's point of view as well.

The best way to avoid the disappointment of missing out would be to get directly connected to the Real Estate Boards MLS® System. Then you would be amongst the first to see new listings that match your list of wants and needs.

Contact Us Today and we will get the MLS® System Working For You instead of against you! We reverse the process of you searching online for houses to the home finding you. We know our system works best because 100% of our buyer clients switch from wandering the internet and are glad they did.

Contact Us for more information on the entire home buying process in Calgary and how to avoid the disappointment of finding conditionally sold properties.

Should You Sell Your Calgary Home This Winter?

Pros of Selling a Home in the Winter 

• Fewer listings mean less competition from other home sellers in Calgary
• Fewer Looky Lou's and Tire Kickers wasting everybody's time
• Winter usually matches serious sellers with serious buyers
• Buyers and Sellers can agree to a warmer weather closing date

Cons of Selling a home in the winter

• Nobody likes moving when it is cold out
• Less qualified buyers actively looking
• Leaving the house for showings is not fun in the winter
• Keeping the house Ready to Show is a hassle
• Shovelling snow and salting the sidewalks
• Hard to see the condition of shingles when covered in snow

Buying and Selling Homes in the winter is not much different from any other time of the year except that it is winter!

Deciding to buy or sell a home is more of a life decision. Like buying a car or a new cell phone, when the time is right for you, the time is right! 

As a Calgary Realtor, I have worked many winters helping both home buyers and sellers. I have frozen my fingers trying to get frozen lockboxes open, shovelling snow on our vacant property listings. I am not a fan of the cold, and it has never stopped me from getting the job done.

Buying or Selling is your decision, and we can help make it easier winter, spring, summer, or fall.
Contact Us Today 403 831 0842 Free Home Evaluations

DIY-Friendly Bathroom Makeovers

Want to make your bathroom look fantastic without having to do a major renovation? There are a lot of projects you can do yourself. In fact, there are some improvements you can get done in less than a day that will transform the look and feel of your bathroom. Check out these ideas:

• Update the sink. If you have some basic plumbing knowledge, this is a project you should be able to do on your own. A new sink can make the entire vanity look like new.
• Buy new decor. New shower curtains, towels, window coverings, mats, etc. can transform the look of a bathroom.
• Install new hardware. Replacing cabinet hardware may not seem like much of a change. However, it can have a surprisingly big impact. Shiny new hardware is like jewelry. It stands out.
• Replace the vanity mirror. Even if there are no scratches, an older mirror is like an old pair of glasses. It can become foggy. No amount of cleaning will make it any clearer. When ordering a replacement mirror, be sure that your measurements are exact.
• Paint. There's no doubt about it. A fresh coat of paint makes any room look better.

These bathroom improvement projects can make a huge impact on the look of your bathroom. And, they can all be done affordably and in just a day or two.

How Much Mortgage Can You Get for Your Current Calgary Rental Payment? 

Using today’s best 5-year mortgage interest rate of about 1.64% and an amortization period of 30 years, the chart below shows how much of a mortgage your monthly rental payments would carry.

Rent and Mortgage Amount The Rent Would Carry at 1.64% amortized over 30 Years

• $1,000 - $284,408

• $1,200 - $341,289

• $1,400 - $398,171

• $1,600 - $455,053

• $1,800 - $511,934

• $2,000 - $568,816

• $2,200 - $625,698

• $2,400 - $682,579

Why are you renting instead of owning?

Get Pre-Qualified and Lock In The Low-Interest Rates.

Talk with your mortgage broker today and find out the truth about your unique situation. There are a lot of options available, even if you don’t have a down payment.

Maybe you could buy the house you are currently renting. Calgary Landlords love owning properties for a reason. And it’s the same reason you should own your own home instead of renting.

It’s a fact that many rental properties once were the primary residences of current landlords.  

A great way to look at buying your first home is to ask yourself, “What’s the Worst That Can Happen and Can I Deal With It”?

The worst that can happen is you could no longer make the mortgage payments, and you would lose the house to the bank and ruin your credit. But even that doesn’t happen overnight, so you would have plenty of time to try to sell the place, rent it out, get a roommate, etc. There’s actually a lot of options in the worst-case scenario.

The best way to avoid foreclosure is to make your payments. If you stay within the range of what you’ve been paying for rent, that shouldn’t be a problem. Don’t take on more than you can afford.

Take the first step today, and talk with a qualified Calgary Mortgage Agent.

If a mortgage agent wants you to borrow the maximum you might qualify for, instead of keeping you in the range you’re comfortable with, run away. This is not the type of mortgage agent you would want to deal with.

The bottom line is if you can afford the rent and have always paid on time, you are a good candidate for homeownership. And homeownership is a great thing to have; just ask your Calgary Landlord.