Showings vs Open Houses? What is the difference between a showing and an open house? What is an open house? You're probably more used to the term "open house" but what does it mean? An open house is an event where the real estate agent opens up the house to the general public. During an open house

Should You Buy A Home Before or After Retirement? When retirement nears, people start thinking about what to do about houses. Renting may have worked for you earlier but with rent increases and when no long-term lease seems to guarantee some sort of rent control, it may sound like your expenses wil

4 Things To Look For When House Hunting. The home buying process is complicated. It's a very emotional process where you need to juggle property values, pre-approval chances, and the possibility of losing out on your dream home. Whether you're only planning to start house hunting, you're already in

How To Avoid Buying a Bad Investment Property. Be realistic about your budget. Real estate investments are very attractive but being a real estate investor requires a lot of upfront money. You'll need quite a lot of financial flexibility and a sound investment strategy figured out before you start

Is Buying a Waterfront Property Worth It? Waterfront property is a house or land that has direct access to a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. These properties can be extremely desirable due to their location and views. However, they can also be more expensive than other properties. T

How To Create a Kitchen That's Easy To Clean. To make a kitchen easy to clean is one of the key things that will save many homeowners hours every week. If you're on the market for a whole new kitchen in a new home or planning for a kitchen remodel of your own, there are many things you can do to ha

A Quick Primer on Home Equity Once you own a home that you bought with a mortgage, you will have home equity. But what is home equity, what can you do with it, and what do you need to be careful about? What is home equity? Home equity is the difference between the market value of a home and any out

How Do Interest Rates Affect Home Buying? What are interest rates and how do they work? An interest rate is the percentage of a loan that is paid in addition to the principal amount. This amount is paid to the lender to compensate them for the use of their money. The interest rate for a loan is typ

What is a Good Location For a Home? Location is a key factor in determining the value of a home. There's a reason why an apartment in New York City or San Francisco can be more expensive than a large house in a remote location. Sure, what is the "best location" depends on the buyer but not only the

What is Billionaires' Row? In New York City, 57th street is a sight to behold. It's a beautiful facade full of relatively new construction, a place where ultra-luxury meets towering heights, and a stretch of real estate that is all but half-empty. With views of central park, the skyscrapers are not

The Winter and Your Heating System. When a few cold days add up to months, it's time to start thinking about your heating system. A home's heating and cooling systems are essential and they're built to last. Still, the wear and tear of long winters, especially here in British Columbia, can have a l

Home Renovation and Market Value. The link between home renovations and the real estate value of a home is a rather simple one but one that people don't tend to explore. The end result deals with the resale value of the home to potential buyers but before we get to that point, we need to return to

What You Need To Know If You're Moving Into a Smaller Home. People downsize for a variety of reasons and they don't all face the same challenges. Before we go into what challenges you may encounter when you move into somewhere with less square footage, let's take a look at why some people sell a la

All You Can Do With A Basement If you have a big basement but don't know what to make of it, you're in luck. There are a lot of things you can do with a basement. You can use it as a storage space, a workshop, or even a home office. If you have kids, you can use it as a playroom or a movie theatre.

Social Media and Real Estate Social media is an inescapable part of our daily lives, and it's no surprise that modern real estate agents are often on multiple social platforms for a multitude of reasons. In 2021 the American National Association of Realtors released a study that pointed out that so

Mental Health and Your Home. If you had a broken leg, you would make adjustments to your home to make things easier and promote healing. The same goes for your mental and emotional health. Mental illness comes in a vast array of different types with differing levels of intensity. The following isn'

The Risks of Buying a Fixer-Upper What does it mean to buy a home as-is? If you buy a house "as-is" you are usually getting the home at a lower price, but you could potentially end up repairing or doing work that would have been ordinarily completed by sellers. Buying a home as it is can require a

How Long Should a House Stay On The Market? The average time a house is on the market before it sells. The average time a house is on the market before it sells is around a month, sometimes less. This length of time depends on what kind of market you're in. In a seller's market, and even better a h

Can You Afford a Second Home? Some homeowners are lucky enough to wonder "Can I afford a second home?" Whether you are just curious or are in the early stages of considering buying a vacation home, let's go over how someone can afford a second home. What will you use the second home for? There are

Home Fitness is Not Out of Reach. Is a gym membership required to get in shape? People are divided on the answer but as is tradition when the year starts, many people a looking to lead a healthier life. With the pandemic, more and more people are working out at home or trying to at least. Start by