Not everyone took a vacation in August.  Buyers were out buying real estate in Metro Vancouver causing our August 2014 real estate market to be one of the highest it has during this month for the past five years! 

Watch the quick two minute video to learn about the Metro Vancouver real estate market and read thru the summary notes.

  • We are in a Seller's market for houses with 25.4% of the homes selling within a month and we are just teetering between a Balanced Market & Sellers Market for attached homes with 19.9% of the homes selling within a month.
  • Sales are up 7.3% from a year ago
  • Inventory is down -3.4% from a year ago.
  • The detached housing market has 4.5 months of inventory while our attached market has 5.5 months.
  • The…

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When you make or receive an offer to buy a property, it's important that you read and understand every clause. It is especially important to understand any conditions or any changes that are made to the standard offer.

An offer may contain several types of conditions. The most common are "conditional upon arranging financing" and "conditional upon passing a professional home inspection." However, there may be other conditions as well.

You should be aware of – and fully understand – all of them.

In addition, the wording of an offer may change during the back and forth negotiations that often happen. Aside from changes to the price, other clauses may be added, removed or reworded as well.

A good agent will always ask you to initial changes. This…

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If you have young children, or expect a visit from friends or relatives with little ones in town, it pays to ensure your home is free of hazards. The last thing you want is an injury that could have easily been prevented.

Here are some basic childproofing tips.

  • Remove everything that is toxic, hot or sharp, from within reach of a child. (For example, the leaves of some types of house plants are toxic.)
  • If possible, keep children out of the kitchen while cooking.
  • Install plug-in covers in electrical outlets. (These are inexpensive and can be purchased at any hardware store.)
  • Block or gate off areas where kids may fall.
  • Remove "pulling down" hazards, such as a heavy plant that a child can pull off a table.
  • Make sure there are…

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Buyers are more likely to make an offer on your home if they see a lot of things they love about it. So what do buyers love to see?

One of the main things they like to see is a lot of space. Of course, you can't change the size of your rooms, but there is a lot you can do to make small spaces in your home seem more spacious.

Buyers also love to see a clean and uncluttered home. Think of how inviting a hotel room looks at first glance, with everything neat and organized. Of course, your home isn't a hotel, but the more neat and attractive you can make each room, the better.

One thing buyers don't love to see is potential maintenance issues. So as much as possible, get things fixed or updated.

In fact, the more "finished" and "move in ready" your…

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