Real Estate Blog - Buying

Your New Nest

It’s time to spread your wings. Time to fly from the nest you once called home and find your own. Whether you are moving for school, work, or simply just to have an adventure, it’s a big deal! You’ll have to learn how to maintain a home, shop for groceries, and did you know that Wifi costs actual money?

Chances are that one of your many firsts in moving out on your own will be finding a home to live in! It can be rather daunting when you look at all the options, percentages, prices, and glamour of it all. However, fear not!

A realtor is your ‘in’ into the world of real estate. Your agent wants to help you find the perfect beginners property, so utilize them to the full extent of their abilities!

To help aid the process, we have come up with a…

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Why Realtors Are So Valuable

Buying and selling a home is a complex process requiring real estate expertise to ensure the transaction is completed competently and professionally. Realtors have access to pertinent information such as current market conditions, comparable prices and neighbourhood trends, to name a few.

Realtors will assist you in your home search, help you determine your buying power and understand your financing options, help you negotiate and guide you through the closing process and much, much more. In fact, Realtors will manage all the details of your real estate transaction providing you with priceless advice to save you money, and ultimately…peace of mind.

Team Ken Richter has prepared home sellers and home buyers for the adventure of entering the market…

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Why Good Homes Stay On The Market

A property that doesn’t generate as much interest and sell as quickly as expected isn’t necessarily one that’s flawed. There are several reasons why perfectly good homes linger on the market. Below are some of the most common.

•It’s overpriced. This is the top reason why quality properties don’t sell more quickly. Buyers tend to assume, rightly or wrongly, that a seller whose home is priced above fair market value isn’t serious about selling or open to negotiating. As such, buyers may feel they’d be wasting their time by even making an offer.

•It doesn’t show well. A home may have excellent “bone structure”, be fairly priced, and boast a great location, but if it doesn’t perform well at showings, it won’t sell quickly. What makes for a poor…

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Home Searching Don'ts

Whether you’re looking for your next home now or you’re planning to pound the pavement this spring, be sure to avoid these home-hunting “don’ts”.

If possible, don’t bring the kids – at least not in the initial home-hunting stages. They can divert your attention from where it needs to be: on the homes. Also, children tend to either love or hate each property, so it’s best not to bring them along until you’ve objectively narrowed your search down to the serious candidates, at which time you’ll want their input. D

on’t bite off more than you can chew. Filter your search to a defined area; if you run all over town without focus, you’re bound to tire sooner. And don’t schedule too many showings for the same day – you might find yourself suffering from…

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To Rent Or To Buy: The Great Choice

There are many factors to be considered when deciding to move with the first critical decision being whether to purchase some property or rent. Depending upon your circumstances, it may either be a clear-cut decision or one that requires a more thorough analysis to make that determination.

Factors to Consider

Career – For some individuals, it may not be practical to purchase property if their career will require them to relocate frequently. Although some people have the resources and inclination to accumulate property each time they move, for most of us that is either not an option or would be an undesirable outcome to find ourselves in the role of landlord. For the majority of us, that means we need to sell property each time we move, so careful…

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Home Shopping Online

The internet can be a wonderful tool to help find a new home, or it can be a frustrating time-waster. It all depends on how you use it. Let’s first take a look at the upside of using the Web when home shopping. Websites you should be visiting include some of the following:

• Pictures of homes available, including in some cases individual rooms and other property features.

• Property details, such as lot size, number of bedrooms, square footage, and other features.

• Information on the neighborhood and surrounding area, such as the location of schools, parks and public transit.

• “Virtual tours” (when available), which allow you to view a home on your computer almost as if you were walking through it in real life.

Previewing specific homes…

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4 Open House Mistakes To Not Make

When there is a showing at your home to a potential buyer, you obviously want to make the best impression possible. You don’t want to make a mistake, and miss out on an opportunity to sell. So here are some of the most common home viewing blunders and how to avoid them:

1. Being inflexible with scheduling: Don’t be too strict about when you’re willing to schedule a viewing. After all, if a buyer is unable to see your home in the times you’ve allotted, they’re not going to buy. Be as accommodating as possible. Sure, it can be inconvenient to okay a viewing on an hour’s notice, but if that buyer ultimately purchases your home, it’s worth it.

2. Hovering: It’s natural to want to guide buyers through your home and give them the tour. Regardless of your…

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Adjusting To The Market

Feeling nervous about what’s happening in real estate?

Team Ken Richter can guide you through today’s changing market. Whether you are a first-time buyer looking to take advantage of lower prices or a homeowner looking to sell in a time of high-inventory, we will help determine your best plan of action.

If you are buying: Falling prices mean that there are deals to be had if you are a first-time buyer. With high-inventory, you have more homes to choose from, and with homes staying on the market longer, you have more time to make a decision. You have more negotiating power now than in the frenzied, bidding-war market of the past. It’s a good time to buy if you are looking to move to a larger, more expensive house. You may have to sell your home for…

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Shopping For A Home

Shopping for a home doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. In fact, with a little planning, you can make the entire process fun for everyone – even if there are kids involved. 

• Get the whole family involved in deciding what kind of home you should consider. The more everyone, especially kids, feel a part of the process, the more likely they are to adjust well to the idea of moving.

• Bring healthy, light snacks and drinks with you when viewing more than a couple of homes in a row. It's difficult to have fun when your energy level is low.

• Easy does it. Don't see too many properties at one time. Feeling burnt out after viewing the tenth home on a Saturday afternoon will impact your judgement. Your fatigue might cause you to pass on a…

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