Understanding the offer

Prior to showing your home, and after a thorough evaluation with a Real Estate Professional, you should have the following: a realistic idea of the price, how low you will settle, what conditions you will accept; and what terms would be agreeable. 

With this information, you are prepared. When an offer is presented, you will be able to compare it to your initial guidelines. Your Real Estate Professional will evaluate these offers and, hopefully, arrive at one that comes closest to your objectives. At the same time, however, your Real Estate Professional will likely exercise some leveraging power with any other negotiable items. A Real Estate Professional works on your behalf, considering all the factors, you as a buyer, and

Reasons to Invest in Regina Real Estate

Solid reasons for investing in real estate

If you invest in the stock market, which includes an assortment of equities, bonds, mutual funds and options, you are in for a rocky ride. 2002 will record the third straight year of losses for North America’s stock market indices. Many financial advisors suggest that if investors can not stomach the rapid rises and falls of a stock, they might want to consider investing elsewhere. 

Stocks are not for the faint at heart. It takes a great deal of stamina to survive the roller-coaster ups and downs of an investment that is heavily dependent upon economics.

What about real estate? Has it done better than the stock market? Let us take a look at Bill and Marsha,

CMHC – helping with the Canadian dream

As the Government of Canada's national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), plays a major role in Canada's housing industry. The agency offers numerous housing services including research services, market evaluations, and access to affordable financing choices. Programs include aboriginal housing, residential rehabilitation assistance, home adaptation for seniors independence, public and private partnerships and numerous grants and awards.

For many people, especially first time home buyers, saving the necessary down payment is a challenge. Additionally, with less than 25% of the purchase price to put down, a lender requires mortgage insurance for protection against any payment

Before you start shopping for your home, why not give some thought to your lifestyle, the features you need and want, affordability, and the neighborhoods you prefer. With that information you'll come closer to finding your perfect home – sooner!

What Can You Afford?

Before shopping for a home, take the time to determine your budget. Consider your monthly expenses in addition plan for unexpected costs.

Home Buying Needs and Wants

When you develop a needs versus wants list, try focusing on your needs and you'll come closer to finding a home that meets your criteria while staying within your budget.

Consider Your Present and Future Lifestyle

A home must meet your needs now and for years to come.

House Hunting Tips

Location, access to

Plan Before You Start Your House Hunt

Homebuyer: take off the rose colored glasses and save $$$

"A home that meets my needs, at the lowest possible price," is every homebuyer's creed. Yet, when a home buyer goes shopping for a home, two homes compete for their dollar: a home that meets his needs, and a home that fulfills their desires. The goal is to find a home that meets these two criteria. However, in the real world, this rarely happens. Usually, it is a compromise of needs against wants relative to price.

Sometimes, a buyer falls in love with a home for the wrong reasons. Later, they regret the choice because the home does not match their needs. It may be too big, too far away from work or school, or even too large to maintain. In the

How to Save Money When You Move

How to save money on your next move 

Very few people enjoy moving. It is a necessary job most people avoid. However, it is a necessity of life that we all face, often at many times in our lives. Moving is inconvenient. It can also be costly. In this article we will give some suggestions on how you could save a few dollars on your next move. While some costs are unavoidable, like the cost of movers or renting a moving van, taking care of smaller items could produce significant savings.

Start early
Start moving, packing and cleaning your house as soon as you can. When you are prepared you won’t be spending extra money on boxes, storage costs or perhaps rush moving fees. As soon as you know when you are moving, book

How to Make the Most of Your Move Up

How to make the most of your move-up

When you are buying a first time home, the process is usually straight forward. However, when you are moving to a second or third home, other issues arise, making the process more complicated. You will need to consider financing, and selling your home at the right time. This way, you won’t have the added responsibility of paying the mortgage on two homes. You will also want to coordinate closings, so you can plan your move most efficiently. Here are some of the most effective things you can do to make the most of your move up. 

Save your feet and your time
Many people spend much time shopping for a home, only to be disappointed because it has either sold or is beyond the

How to Make Moving Manageable

Making moving manageable

For most of us, moving ranks among our least preferable activities. There are many other things we would rather be doing. However, the work and effort involved in moving all your belongings to your new home is well worth the effort. In fact, with some advance planning, you can make your move more manageable. 

It is never too early to start planning for a move. The more time you spend organizing your belongings, the less stress and load you will carry on that day, and for months to come. Moreover, as the weeks roll by, and you get closer to moving day, the following checklist will go a long way to reliving some of your anxiety.

8 to 12 weeks before

• If you are hiring a mover, call

How to Avoid Common Home Buying Errors

How to avoid the most common buyer errors

Shopping for a new home is an emotional experience. It is also time consuming and comes with a myriad of details. Some buyers, however, get caught up in the excitement of buying a new home and tend to overlook some items. Their home purchase turns into an expensive process. These errors generally fall into three areas:

• Paying too much

• Losing a dream home to another buyer

• Buying the wrong home

When you have a systematic plan before you shop, you will be sure to avoid these costly errors. Here are some tips on making the most of your home purchase:

Bidding without sufficient information
What price do you offer a seller? Is the

How not to pay too much for your next home

Whether you are buying your first home, or your fifth, the process of buying a home is a detailed, time-consuming venture. At the same time, it is an emotional period laden with difficult choices. You want to ensure that the home you purchase meets your family's needs now and in the future.

Each of these decisions often involves money. When you consider all that money it represents, you will want to ensure that you do not pay too much. This article helps you become a savvy buyer, by pointing out some of the pitfalls inherent in the home-buying process. These include such things as knowing what you want before you begin shopping, taking your time to shop, choosing the right Real Estate Professional, and