All of us- you, me, our clients, the entire country, all of us have certain things we long for, you can even say, we crave. We all have the desire for life and love. It is easy in the business world to stop thinking of people as human beings and just look at them as a potential sale. But the truth is, it is more profitable to go beyond the sale and touch the heart.Listen, your clients are important to you, and you are important to me. That is why I take the time to send these tips. Do you want more from this business? From your life? My goal is to help you get more for your time spent plying this wonderful trade. That is right, I think it is wonderful. I think it is incredible that we can create a strategy around our strengths and then apply it and make a great living regardless of the ... 05/03/2016

Why Live In Newfoundland? For anyone interested in all the best that life has to offer, they should consider retiring in Newfoundland.  This is quickly becoming one of the most popular provinces in Canada, owing to all of the different opportunities, both recreational and financial, people can find here.  The region is steeped in history, think Marconi’s first transatlantic transmission, which will make it an appealing choice for people everywhere.  But the region is quickly modernizing as well, offering some of the best all around schools and employment opportunities.  It may be helpful to get a breakdown of some of the different types of experiences that people can expect to get when they arrive here.   Any overview of this province will have to start with a picture of St. John's.  Th... 02/14/2014

OK I AM READY TO OPEN UP MY REAL ESTATE BUSINESS "NOW OPEN" I have been reflecting when I first started in the real estate business back in August of 2002. I just came off being laid off from my corporate job the same year. I decided it was better for me to start my own business than take another change to work for somebody else. We have all experience rough spots as we begin any business like real estate. I soon found out that overall sales is a cut throat business. Be ready to play with the big boys. I would recommend a mentor to any new agent coming into real estate. I was mentored for eighteen months before going on my own. Let's look at "The Big Picture" before we start making a business plan. A business plan will continue to assist us going in the right direction. 7 PIECES THAT MA... 05/25/2013

A review of the first quarter of 2013 MLS real estate statistics in St. John’s and Mount Pearl Newfoundland indicates an interesting trend.  During the period there were a total of 903 homes listed for sale on the MLS and just 202 homes sold.  Those sold represent 22.3% of those listed during the period. During the same period of 2012, the market finished with fewer home listed.  There were 857 listed and there were 426 homes sold.  Those sold in Q1 of 2012 represent 49.7% of those listed during the period. On the surface this indicates a significant drop in demand has occurred at the beginning of 2013.  Yet, when we take a closer look at the average prices for both of these periods, we see a counter intuitive trend is indicated.  In 2012 the average sale price for the first quarter was... 04/01/2013

HOW TO OBTAIN PROOF BACK CHILD SUPPORT LIEN PAID IN FULL TO CLOSE THE DEAL We were at the one yard line ready to close escrow and fund on my listing deal Thursday morning. Then, I received an Email at 9:28AM in the morning from the escrow title officer. The subject line read "WE HAVE A PROBLEM CALL ME NOW!" It is standard practice for title to run one more title search on the property to check if there are any outstanding liens against the property. Well, we had a BINGO. The escrow title officer asked me if the seller paid off his $13,000 in back child support dated in 2008. We had a five minute discussion. I informed her that I will call the seller immediately to get this problem resolved. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY AS FOR SALE BY OWNER IN THIS REAL ESTATE MARKET? Mr. Sel... 08/26/2012

Atlantic Salmon Jump Here! I recently visited Grand Falls Newfoundland, home of the Exploits River. The Exploits is a salmon river and as you drive along the river you can see anglers patiently trying to hook one. Every summer thousands of salmon make the trip back to spawn in the interior of Newfoundland.         I took these photos from the observation deck at the Salmon Ladder coffe shop.         You can walk down the hill to the salmon observation building and watch the salmon as they wait for their opportunity to take the next leg of their journey.           We had a fresh salmon for dinner that my brother caught the previous day, delicious! 07/28/2011

Just a Little Puzzle. OK, just a little puzzel? This is the puzzle from Sunday's blog. The idea was to come up with the name of the town "where the title of these blogs comes from,... figure out the name of the 'little mill town'." All the clues are in the first sentence "Long ago and far away on the western shore of an eastern island province there was a little mill town." And you are given this hint: "Of course using goggle is allowed." I did make one error. I should have said 'google maps" specifically.   So use google maps look at the eastern provinces. Where? Canada, the USA doesn't have provinces. So use google maps. Scan those eastern provinces that have western coasts. There are't that many. Especially island provinces. I'll give you another clue: Look for a place at the head of... 05/31/2011

  So financing options are now available for Canadians who wish to purchase vacation homes in Arizona. Arizona was a hotbed for Canadian vacationers who at the peak 2005-2007 of the Arizona market were often put off by the high prices and unfavorable exchange rate.  Now with a weak dollar plummeted property values Arizona now represents a Canadian dream not only for weather, amenities and now accessible appreciable real estate assets. However up until now you could only obtain one home and only pay cash! Today Canadians have the opportunity to leverage their cash and buy not one second home but multiple properties for investment purposes. So how does our program work? •1.       5 Year INTEREST ONLY Home Equity Line of Credit at Prime - ¾% with a floor of 4%.  ( APR 4.17%)( As of today, ... 04/06/2011

A panoramic view of St. John's, Newfoundland was something I had to see today.  We sure have been visited by old man winter in February, but today the sun was shining it all its glory, the sky was blue, and I think most Newfoundlanders were feeling pretty much on top shelf. So I headed up to Signal Hill with my video camera and tried to capture the view so you could appreciate something of the beauty of St. John's in winter.  The wind is always blowing even a little on top of Signal Hill so the audio gets a bit muffled in spots but I think you will get most of it. I am still learning how to use this video technology so in time I hope the results will be a little more polished but for now, enjoy the amateur at work.  You will get to see St. John's, the harbour, Fort Amherst, Cape Spear, ... 03/02/2011

  Today, on a rare, sunny and windless (but cold) day, my husband and I hiked to the most easterly point in North America, Cape Spear. Cape Spear is just outside of our capital city St. John’s.   If you don’t know where St. John’s, Newfoundland is, just look as far east in North America on a map as you can….and there I am, in St. John’s. Hmmm, an island, in the middle of the North Atlantic…..why would anyone live here? Here are just a few reasons why we make this rugged island our home. • Where else can you find such breathtaking beauty?• Where else can you find such clean unpolluted air?• Where else does everybody speak to each other when they pass on the street or in an elevator?• Where else can you go where there is rarely a traffic problem?• Where else do people care for neighbors/f... 02/19/2011

  Plan first then look - What do you need (i.e. Number of bedrooms, etc), what can you afford to pay each month on a mortgage, what things do you want (and are willing to forgo if necessary) Be practical - You are not going to get everything you want or need in a house.  Evaluate each property, if you get 80% of your needs and 50% of your wants, go for it. Do a financial self review - Do you have a down payment (usually 5% of the purchase price) and enough money to cover closing costs (usually about 2%).  Of so, get pre-approved to ensure you're not disapproved later. Trust to your own judgement - Many buyers hesitate to make their decisions and have their parents, their siblings, their friends and acquaintances comment on their potential purchase.  It is best to select one or two to tu... 12/07/2010

Before you buy, contact the condo board with the following questions.  In the process, you'll learn how responsive - and organized - its members are.  You'll also be alerted to potential problems with the property!   What percentage of units is owner-occupied? What percentage is tenant-occupied?  Generally, the higher the percentage of owner-occupied units, the more marketable the units will be at resale. What covenants, bylaws, and restrictions govern the property? What grandfather clauses are in place?  You may find, for instance, that those who buy a property after a certain date can't rent out their units, but buyers who bought earlier can.  Ask for a copy of the bylaws to determine if you can live with them.  And have an attorney review property docs, including the master deed, for... 12/06/2010

You've heard it a million times from friends, family, relatives, colleagues and even people you don't know: "When you rent you're throwing your money away!" Very true.  And the longer you rent, the higher the rent rate becomes and you'll throw more and more of your hard-earned dollars away. Here's an example.  If you're paying $700 a month for rent and you do so for the next 10 years you will have spent $84,000 and have absolutely nothing to show for it.  And if you paid that much for 25 years - a common mortgage period  - you'll have shelled out $200,000 and still have nothing! If rents went up over that time frame you would have paid much more.  Maybe it's time to consider the benefits of having a home of your own. With today's low interest rates owning your home is more attractive t... 12/01/2010

You've shopped around, seen many fine homes, decided on the one you want, made the offer, worked your way through negotiations and finally have an accepted offer.  Once the legal part of the transaction is completed, you'll be a home owner! Congratulations!   Unfortunately, the costs associated with the purchase of property in Newfoundland are high (but not as high as other parts of Canada).  The following descriptions and estimates are intended as a general guide and are as accurate as possible. Every real estate transaction is unique and some figures mentioned are subject to change.  It is, however, a guideline accurate enough to give you a good idea of what the general costs of purchasing a property would be and the specific items that are required. A Sheriff's Certificate is needed ... 11/22/2010

After you've made up your mind to sell your home, the next thing to do is to contact a Realtor to draw up a Listing Agreement which is a contract between you, your Realtor and the real estate office he or she represents.  It must clearly outline the rights and obligations of all parties and define clearly what is and is not included in the transaction to ensure there are no misunderstandings. Once signed by both parties, it becomes a legal agreement that binds both parties to all its terms and conditions.  Therefore it is exceptionally important you understand and agree to all the clauses to avoid any possible future conflicts.  Also, ensure you receive a copy of any document you sign. Generally in this agreement, you appoint a specific Realtor and firm to act as your agent in attemptin... 11/16/2010

A Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a system by which real estate salespeople share information with other salespersons by means of a centralized computer database to help market a property. Before the computer era, MLS providers kept their information on properties for sale on paper, and often printed a book or catalogue to distribute to Realtors.  As these came out every other week, the information contained was often outdated by the time it was printed.  Today we rely on computers for more up to date information. Approximately 500 Realtors belong to the MLS system in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Whenever a listing of a home, land, condominium or any other real estate for sale is taken by anyone of them, all important facts concerning the property are computerized and made available... 11/10/2010

Not so many years ago, the thought of an inspection on a home you were buying was basically never considered.  When you viewed a property, you looked at the roof, open and closed the windows, flushed the toilet, checked the basement for signs of water, and did a number of other things.  Then, relying on these impressions, you made an offer. Times have changed.  Today, perhaps 85 percent of all home buyers rely on a professional inspector to evaluate their homes (it was less then 10 percent 20 years ago!)  Such inspections help ensure many, if not all, of the problems your new home may have are discovered before you take possession and get stuck with unexpected repairs.  Its condition is exceptionally important to you because you are about to put down a huge down payment and commit to a ... 11/03/2010

The money you pay each month to "keep a roof over your head" should be money that's invested in your future.  If you own a home, then each mortgage payment you make is actually money you are saving.  When you eventually sell that home you will have "saved" a certain number of dollars that are yours to do with what you will - invest in a larger home, buy a cabin, go on that long-planned vacation, etc.  If you are renting you won't have that pride of ownership and feeling of stability and security. As buying your home is probably the single biggest and best investment you'll ever make, you should begin well in advance to plan for its purchase. The first thing you will need is a down payment, which is basically the amount of money you require upfront.  The money you can come up with for a ... 10/26/2010

Once you've made that major decision to buy a new home and know what you would like to have in it, your next step is to determine what you can afford.  There are two ways this can be done - get pre-approved or pre-qualified for a mortgage through a bank, credit union or mortgage company/broker. You should however be aware that there are major differences between pre-qualification and pre-approval! Pre-qualification for a mortgage loan is a relatively simple process.  Your mortgage counselor will ask you basic information concerning your income, your debts, etc.  From that, he or she can give you a verbal pre-qualification which is based solely on the accuracy of this information.  You will be told the amount of a mortgage loan you might be given - provided all the information is correct... 10/22/2010

    They see a home they like, take too much time deciding to put in an offer, and the house gets sold to another buyer.    They don't take the time to find out about their mortgage options and oftentimes miss out on the best deal.   They don't make their offer appealing to the seller and don't realize that a win-win result is best.   They don't look for an agent who they feel comfortable with and who they know will work with and for them.   Not realizing that the average first time buyer moves within the first five years of purchase, they don't consider the sale value before they buy. 10/14/2010