Summer is the New Spring!

Well, hello and welcome to June. Looking back to last week on the North Shore, we see the highest Sales to Listings Ratio since early March of this year. Impressive numbers ! 46% sales to listings in North Vancouver, and 61% in West Vancouver. The phone is ringing. The stress test has loosened. People feeling a little more comfortable in their day to day lives, and venturing our & about a little more. Plus, add some sunshine to the demand for North Shore homes ( people want to live here!), and you have a winning combination.

BUYERS: There's a little more choice for you now, in all categories.

SELLERS: This is the PERFECT TIME to book a Strategy Session with us so that we can help you get your home looking beautiful, and on the market before everyone else lists and your competition gets going!

Book your Strategy Session HERE: 

In a normal housing market, whether you’re buying or selling a home, you need an experienced guide to help you navigate through the process. You need someone you can turn to who will tell you how to price your home correctly right from the start. You need someone who can help you determine what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller with a low-ball offer.

We are, however, in anything but a normal market right now. We are amid one of the greatest health crises our nation has ever seen. The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the journey consumers take to purchase or sell a home. To successfully navigate the landscape today, you need more than an experienced guide. You need a ‘Real Estate Sherpa.’

According to Lexico, a Sherpa is a “member of a Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, renowned for their skill in mountaineering.” Sherpas are skilled in leading their parties through the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region – some of the most treacherous trails in the world. They take pride in their hardiness, expertise, and experience at very high altitudes.

They are much more than just guides.

This is much more than a normal real estate market.

Today, the average guide just won’t do. You need a Sherpa. You need an expert who understands how COVID-19 is impacting the thoughts and actions of the consumer (ex: virtual showings, proper safety protocols, e-signing documents). You need someone who can simply and effectively explain the changes in today’s process to you and your family. You need an expert who will guarantee you make the right decision, especially in these challenging times.

Bottom Line

Hiring an agent who understands how the pandemic is reshaping the real estate processes is crucial right now. Find that ‘Real Estate Sherpa’ to guarantee your journey is a safe and successful one.

The benefits of Home Ownership are many - and with interest rates at amazingly low levels today - the joys of Home Ownership may be closer than you think!

Our current world reality has closed cinemas and handcuffed the service industry - not to mention run up one major government deficit.

Several recent forecasts have predicted everything from near-collapse to rapid house price growth once the outbreak passes.

While I am feeling more positive than negative, about our housing market I am not going to make predictions. 

Here’s what we know for sure:

We anticipated April's numbers would be less favorable than those of March. Still, on the ground we see Sellers & Buyers finding ways to transact successfully, despite uncertainty. The good news is this situation is not systemic to the real estate or mortgage industry. If we’re not in a recession yet, we’re about to be in one. This time, however, most experts feel that housing will be the sector that leads the economic recovery.

BEWARE the articles in the MEDIA like the one we saw today whose headline reads, "BC Home Sales to plummet by up to 40% this month". What's the number you're going to remember here ? 40%, right ? But it's not until you read further in that it says, "compared to the same month last year". Spring is typically our busiest time for sales, and it is no surprise that this year is going to be different than last year! If you want to know what's going on in your neighborhood, talk to a Realtor who is working through this market and find out the true numbers in your area of preference. And you could also CLICK HERE

#realestate #northshore #realestatemarket #realestateagent #homeownershipmatters

• Virtual consultation!
  We will schedule an appointment by phone or video chat to learn what you are looking for in a home.

• Home Search!
  We will email you homes that match your search criteria as soon as they hit the market.

• Virtual Showing
  Depending on your preference, we can do a live or virtual tour.

• Electronically Sign
  You will sign your documents from the comfort of your current home.

• Virtual Inspection
  Home inspectors can walk through the findings via video and email you the reports.

• Virtual Closings
  In most cases purchase documents can be signed electronically

• Home Sweet Home
  We will deliver the keys to your new home
  Contact us to start your home search today! 604 984 7253

• Believe it or not, there are lots of things you can do to prepare your house for a sale without even going to the store.
• Your real estate plans don’t have to be completely on hold even while we’ve hit the pause button on other parts of daily life.
• Tackling small projects from cleaning the corners you may normally skip to tidying up your yard are easy and necessary wins if you’re thinking of listing your house and making a move.

With more than a million Canadian homeowners trying to defer payments, many with little success, five mortgage brokers offer insight and advice

 By - Joannah Connolly Glacier Media Real Estate - March 26, 2020

You would have to visit your local pharmacy or science lab to rival the number of potentially dangerous chemicals in the average home. You likely store everything from fertilizers to acidic cleaners to gasoline and corrosive drain openers. Obviously, it makes sense to ensure that everyone in your home uses and stores such items safely.

For example, laundry detergent packs – which have become popular recently – are attractive to children. Keep them locked and out of sight. You should do the same with all laundry products. Even exposure to fabric softener pads can cause skin irritation to a child. Always read and follow the labels on household chemical products. Use and store them as directed.

Keep corrosive, such as harsh cleaners and drain openers, separate from other chemicals and in a place where, should they leak, they will cause minimal or no damage. Also never put a chemical in anything other then its original container. You don’t want to take the chance that paint thinner stored in an old water bottle, for example, is mistaken for water!

Finally make sure you have the phone number to your local poison control center in a handy place, such as your fridge door. You can find a list of numbers at www.CAPCC.ca