Confessions of a Peterborough Realtor

The year is  coming to an end and I've been going through old files and getting geared up for another year.  As I was looking through my old blog posts I found this one and had a good laugh and felt the need to post it again.  If you have already read it, thanks for stopping by again, if not enjoy my story of selling our family home in Sarnia.

I wanted to write this evening about something a little different, not mortgages, green homes or tips on buying or selling, I wanted to write about the experience I had when we sold our family home eight years ago.

When I was four years old I remember my parents taking my sisters and I to see the new big dream home we were going to live in. It still had fake deer that the current owners had put in the garden for decoration and I thought that was the BEST THING EVER. To my dismay the fake deer were gone when we moved in, but I still loved our new home. As we all grew older the basement was finished, the backyard spruced up and every room was up to date with the latest interior decor trends. Just when it seemed every part of our home couldn’t get any better my parents broke the news, we were moving. Us kids had all grown up, almost all moved out and my parents needed a change in scenery. I hoped they would redo the living room again, but they insisted the house was too big and our time in Sarnia had come to an end.

The day the real estate agent put his sign up on the lawn I thought it was the ugliest landmark on the street and refused to accept that our time on Errol Road was coming to an end. Our house did sell as all homes eventually do and boxes we had to pack. It was hard on us all, but we had to say goodbye to our home of fifteen years. I hated every moment of selling our home, but you know what, I’m glad I went through it. I believe it has made me a better realtor. I’ve been working with clients who know a new home is needed for their situation, but are having a difficult time selling and saying goodbye to their home and I really do sympathise with these clients. I understand how hard a move can be on a family. Usually when people are moving it’s during a time of change, and change can be stressful.

Hopefully you're getting ready to move because you're moving into your first home, you're a newlywed or expecting another baby, but there are changes in life that require a new home that aren’t so welcomed. Our goal is to help make your transition in life easier.  So, if you’re about to make a move that is stressing you out, call us, we know it can be hard and want to help you. We won’t even get mad if your kid runs over the for sale sign with their bike, I’d be a hypocrite if I did.

-Jane Ross
sales representative

Capturing The Home's Best Features

When listing a home our team often invests in a professional commercial photographer to take photos that best display all the features the home has to offer.  These photos are posted on numerous websites and of course MLS.  Potential buyers are looking at these photographs and the more attractive and clear the photos are the more likely these buyers will call their agent to make sure they book a private showing.  Now a little about Colin Rycroft our go to commercial photographer:

Colin was born and raised in Whitby, Canada and graduated with honours from the Creative Photography Program at Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Canada. Colin also earned the Academic Award of Excellence for the highest grade in his program.

Colin enjoys all genres of photography, but his focus is commercial still life photography. The ability to control the subject and its lighting, and mould the image into his creative vision, is what draws him to the genre. 

To view some of his studio work visit www.colinrycroft.com
This is a little something extra our team likes to do for our clients; a picture says a thousand words and sometimes makes the difference when selling a house. 

-Jane Ross
Sales Representative

  

A Happy Client :)

This is what one of our clients had to say...
"They were extremely helpful.  They were kind, thoughtful, more than willing to help in every way.  I don't believe they could treat best friends much better.  On top of this they were a pleasure to be with."
-Ruth S.

We always love to hear feedback from our clients! Thank you Ruth for your kind words.

-Jane Ross
Sales Representative

What First Time Buyers Are Saying

"In under a month, we have bought our perfect first home and are anxiously awaiting our move in date.  John and Jane went the extra mile and then some.  I highly reccommend them as well as Bowes & Cocks.  In general this has been a PERFECT first time home buying experience!  Thanks so much!

-Curtis Plumton and Carley Bolton

Looking For Someone To Stage Your House? Look No Further!

Our team has recently used Home On Display to stage one of our listings.  They did a wonderful job.  At the first open house many people commented on how lovely the house was and the warm feeling they had from walking through it.  As a result we had two offers by Sunday and the home was SOLD solid within 48 hours of putting it on the market and our clients received more than the asking price.  Staging helps sell a home in many ways including making people feel comfortable and able to visualize their furniture in the space, often times if it is empty it looks much smaller than it really is.  So if you were to ask me, is staging your home effective? YES and Home On Display are just the people to help you with your staging needs.  Here is some information about this great local company.

Home On Display – Home Staging and Rental Furniture Peterborough, is a local home staging and rental furniture company -- the perfect complement to the services of a professional real estate agent.


Home On Display provides clients with consultations to help them sell their homes more quickly and for the best possible price. The results are spectacular: Home on Display client homes sell in HALF the time of the Real Estate Board average. For clients with vacant spaces, Home On Display will supply rental furniture, artwork and accessories.

The team at Home on Display is truly passionate about helping homeowners, real estate agents, builders and property investors create spaces that buyers fall in love with. They take great pride in every SOLD sign they are able to help achieve.

When asked what makes Home on Display a uniquely successful consulting service, Home Staging Professional Karen Searle says: “It’s all about a team approach. Selling a client’s property as a team with the homeowner, real estate agent and Home on Display ensures that the selling process is less stressful and more enjoyable for clients.” Karen says nothing makes her happier than seeing the fruits of that approach – often watching homes sell at or even over asking-price after just days on market.

Home on Display stagers know how to appeal to buyers. They are skilled at helping homeowners showcase their properties to appeal to the widest cross-section of potential buyers. Their team of staging professionals assess challenges to the condition and saleablilty of the home and make recommendations to the home seller, helping them sell their property quickly and for the highest  possible return.

This approach, this passion and this record of success is why Home on Display – Home Staging and Rental Furniture Peterborough is the fastest growing home staging company in the Kawartha Lakes.

For more information on how to get your home sale-ready, please contact us at 1-877-859-7112 and let us help your property STAND OUT AGAINST THE COMPETITION.
http://www.homeondisplayblog.com/
http://www.karensearle.ca/
http://www.homeondisplay.ca/


Sales Representative
-Jane Ross

How Much Are You Paying?

This chart is something I often give to my buyer clients when we are searching at homes to help them understand the costs involved with different types of heating systems.  Which system do you have and is it time to consider changing to natural gas to save money in the long run?  For more information about this subject feel free to contact us at 705-742-4234!

-Jane Ross

Sales Representative

Plan and $ave

As we all know gas prices keep climbing.  As a real estate agent I am often driving around Peterborough showing property and presenting offers and I'm sure you are feeling the crunch of gas prices too so you are in luck.  This is a link that displays current gas prices around the city, this way if you are planning to head to the west end of town for the afternoon and gas prices are cheaper there, you can save a few bucks and fill up there!  Check out this link and start saving now!

Jane Ross
-sales representative

That's What He Said

Jane, John and Ashley Ross comprise an excellent team.  Their skills are many and complementary.  They were friendly, readily available, listened carefully to their client’s concerns and exuded an aura of trustworthiness.

- S. Finn Gallagher

 Thank you Finn, it was our pleasure to work with you and sell your home.  All the best in your new place.

Sales Representatives

-Ashley, Jane and John Ross

Sales Representatives that SELL

The numbers are in and Bowes and Cocks sales representatives are very productive!  Check out this chart to see the most productive sales representatives are at Bowes and Cocks!  Call 705-742-4234 to speak with Bowes and Cocks sales representatives Jane and John Ross to help you with your next sale.

-Jane Ross
sales representative

Government To Introduce New Mortgage Rules

Government to introduce new mortgage rules: 

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is expected to introduce new regulations on Monday designed to reduce Canadians' skyrocketing household debt levels. 
Flaherty will announce the new measures at a news conference scheduled for 8 a.m., before North American markets open. 

CTV News has learned that Flaherty will unveil three new rules: 

• *Mortgage amortization periods will be reduced to 30 years from 35 years.

• *The maximum amount Canadians can borrow to refinance their mortgages will be lowered to 85 per cent from the current 90 per cent.

• *The government will withdraw its insurance backing on lines of credit secured on homes, such as home equity lines of credit.

According to a government official, the rules are aimed "at encouraging responsible lending and borrowing and encouraging people to increase their home equity."

"The rules are designed to significantly reduce interest payments to help Canadians get rid of their mortgages before they retire," CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported Sunday evening.

The new rules comes on the heels of a Bank of Canada announcement that Canadians' domestic debt burdens had hit the highest levels on record. The bank said earlier this month that the ratio of household debt to disposable income has reached 147 per cent.

Canadian household debt is now at $1.4 trillion, while mortgage delay payments have increased by 50 per cent," Fife said.

"In fact, the International Monetary Fund says household debt is the number one risk to the Canadian economy."

How To Make A Budget

Many people make resolutions for the New Year, this year I did something I hadn't done before, I made a budget for myself.  In the past I always had a budget in mind, but I never put it to paper...or an excel document.  I'm curious to see if my estimates are close to my actual spending.  I made this budget to help prepare myself for home ownership and to ensure my savings are on track.  If you have ever wanted a budget, but don't know where to start or even what categories should be included I have just the link for you.  It's from the CMHC Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation website, if you are interested in home ownership make sure to browse this site as it has great information on it.  Ready to make your own budget click here!

-Jane Ross
Sales representative