Over 2,000 Residential-Detached Listings Going Into June WINNIPEG  -  While no panacea for some homebuyers depending on the neighbourhood and price ranges they are searching for, the good news in May is WinnipegREALTORS®' MLS® residential-detached listing inventory is in better shape going into June than it has been in a long time.  Moreover, a good influx of new listings in early June bodes well for a healthier supply in the summer months. The same holds true for condominiums. You have to go back to May 2001 when supply is comparable to this year with over 2,000 residential-detached listings. Contrast this total with 2007, which had the busiest May and year on record, residential-detached listings for May were only 1,153. Similarly, there were 315 condominium listings at the end of May... 06/04/2010

That's easy it all depends. What it depends on, is the investors investment objectives.What really does determine what makes a good investment, entirely depends on what it is the investor is trying to achieve. The desired objective can and most likely will change often.Sometimes an investor needs quick cash in which case they need to look for flip and quick turn opportunities. Other times, when you're flush with cash from a couple flips, you want to invest in a long term, buy and hold type property. A property where long term capital appreciation and cash flow are the main objectives.I have seen so many people over the years make the same mistakes over and over. That being they do not objectify the investment criteria. They get caught up in the emotion of the deal. When you're making de... 06/04/2010

Ah, the age old question...Should I Lease or should I Buy? In dealing with entrepreneurs everyday, I hear it often. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to both. First let's consider the purchase of real estate. In buying a commercial building you are acquiring an asset that adds substance to the balance sheet. It builds equity over time as the mortgage gets paid off and as the value of the real estate goes up. It is an asset than can be borrowed against in the future or rented for income. It gives the company a tangible asset which often times ends up being one of the company's largest assets. It can become a large part of a business owner's wealth building and/or retirement strategies. A nice building can provide the owners of a company with other intangible benefits such a... 06/04/2010

May in Winnipeg (winter'peg) means it's time to get outdoors after a long winter...and get landscaping.  One of those things that I always admire is a great lawn.  It looks good and makes a great first impression on homesbuyers when they pull up in your driveway.  Here are a few tips I have found helpful in getting the grass looking green all summer long! FIVE WAYS TO ACHIEVE A GORGEOUS LAWN 1. Water = Green: Water is one ingredient that your lawn cannot live without, so make sure that you've got a great routine in place for keeping the lawn damp. If you have a good sprinkler system installed, you're already a step ahead of the game! If not, make sure that you're reaching all areas of the lawn if watering by hand or by moveable sprinkler. Water in the evening or very early morning for ... 05/28/2010

Some homes can sit on the market for extended periods of time. It's not because they aren't priced well, or other factors you might suspect. It's simply because buyers are turned off by details that are often overlooked. One of those details that carry a lot of weight is the way a home smells. I thought I'd share some tips with you and hope you'll find it as helpful as I do. TIPS: on Smells, and Odors  Nothing smells better than clean! The source of the most common problem odors: pets, smoking, cooking, and mold or mildew. A zippered pillowcase filled with cedar chips, placed under a pet's pillow bed, will absorb most of the unpleasant odors. Boiling an apple, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a few drops of vanilla on the stove will remove burnt smells in the kitchen. Add orange peels to ma... 05/28/2010

Here in the Winnipeg market, I get many people asking me "how do we get our house ready to sell", or "what do we need to do before putting our home on the market?"  Here are a few pointer I like to suggest: Overall, there is a necessary mental shift that must take place... of no longer thinking of your house as your home, but as a commodity that you are going to be putting on the real estate market.  Letting Go After you've lived in a house, it becomes much more than four walls and a ceiling. It's a home and it has a lot of good memories. Your first step to preparing your home to sell is to realize that you will take these memories with you wherever you go, but you won't be taking the house. It can be difficult to let go, but the task will be much easier if you start to think of it as a... 05/19/2010

  August was a busy month! One of the hi-lights for Realty Executives Frist Choice was our 'Build Day' with Winnipeg's Habitat for Humanity and Homes From the Heart.       From the minute we put our hard hats and steel toes on, we were busy- lugging, carting, laughing, & a lot of fun!              with of course the odd photo op.               It was an impressively organized day!   We were so well taken care of with dedicated foremen and Cliff Palmer assuring quality control!!                     ...snacks and a fantastic lunch!         We accepted the 'Adopt-A-Day' Challenge and our team helped with the post-build phase. There will be 15 homes completed for families by the end of this year. 53 kids and their families will live in these 15 homes.     And we are so proud to say...     ... 09/11/2009

HOME STAGING IN WINNIPEG, MB  My team and I did HOME STAGING for a beautiful house in an older established area in Winnipeg.  Our HOME STAGING revealed its great features such as coved ceilings, original hardwood floors, octagon tile in the bathrooms, a unique layout both on the main floor and second floor, with 4 window benches throughout the house.  Two beautiful fireplaces (one wood and one gas), a kitchen that would be a dream kitchen for anyone and a great colour scheme.  The house has many upgrades and that gave us a great base to work with when doing the HOME STAGING.  We used the majority of the homeowners furnishings, bringing in only 3 pieces of rental furniture and a variety of rental accessories.  Everyone who previewed the house said "WOW".  That is what we wanted the WOW f... 09/02/2009

Move or Renovate? You have decided that your home feels cramped and you need more space. You also want a better kitchen and you've had it with the lilac bathroom fixtures which are nearly four decades old and showing it. Still, you love your garden and your home's location. The school is nearby and your kids have their friends in the neighbourhood. It's a real dilemma. Do you but another home, or do you renovate? Not so many years ago, people generally sold a house when they became tired of it or found it no longer suited their lifestyle. But today, with construction and land costs so high, more and more people are taking a look at their existing home and deciding to transform it into the home of their dreams. By renovating, they get a different house without ever changing their address... 08/20/2009

Thank you everyone that showed up and made our Belize school fundraiser a super success!! We managed to raise almost $1200.00 for a school in Calcutta Belize. Thank you for the people that donated prices, all the people that came to the park to participate in our activities and a special thanks to the close friends that helped with setup and serving and most of all Barbara-Ann who was a fabulous help. Last but not least the band "Oh mother where art though" were wonderful!! Thank you all of the kind generous people. John S 07/26/2009

Are you a User or an Investor? There are two main types of commercial customers:    1. The Users who are seeking a property that will house their business. Their main concerns are location, visibility and the prestige that will accompany a particular property or location. Buying decisions will  be affected by the buildings' age, or newness of the property, the neighborhood, safety for staff, security, lighting, office size, window placements, and primarily whether the property enhances business opportunities. Their buying decisions are largely focused on the question "'What's in it for my business" and whether this property will offer the opportunity for growth without excessive increases in overhead costs.    2. The Investors who are motivated  by three slightly different factors of in... 03/02/2009

Well, this year appears to be started off with a bang here in Winnipeg!  While total sales are down by 8%, the total dollar volume for sales has set a new record for January. The real success story this year appears to be a 43% increase in condominium sales.  This is a welcome change as they seemed to be a little more sluggish last year than was hoped.  The number of listings has also increased this year from last year by 13%. Only 26 % of homes were sold at or above list price this January.  This is quite a change from the busy market that Winnipeggers were seeing most of the last few years.  It just goes to show that even in a slowing market, if your house is exceptional, you have a good chance of getting what you are asking for and maybe even more this year. As you can see from the ... 02/04/2009

Winnipeg, Manitoba Outlook for 2009 Winnipeg remains one of the hottest markets in the country for residential real estate, reporting record setting sales for the first nine months of the year. The market, however, pulled back in the fourth quarter due to rising economic concerns. As a result, an estimated 12,900 homes are expected to change hands in Winnipeg by year-end, a modest decrease from peak levels logged in 2007. Housing inventory was relatively tight through 2008. With a limited supply of listings for most of the year, values smashed all previous records with the average price up 22 per cent over one year ago from $170,502 to $207,882. Many purchasers experienced frustration with bidding wars but there were  fewer than in 2007. Multiple offers are still occurring and will cont... 01/14/2009

  Threat of global recession to hinder home sales in major Canadian housing markets in 2008 and 2009, says RE/MAX Global economic uncertainty weighed heavily on residential real estate activity in most major Canadian centres during the latter half of 2008.  Although the forecast for 2009 promises more of the same, most markets are expected to weather the storm, says RE/MAX.  Housing market performance will clearly be contingent on economic performance at a local, provincial, and national level in 2009.  Issues affecting the overall economy are impacting housing markets across the country and the situation is not expected to be remedied until consumer confidence is restored.   If inventory levels remain stable, pent-up demand kicks into gear, and lower interest rates stimulate home-buyin... 12/05/2008

It is 12:07 on October 27, 2009. The first day of the rest of my life as a Blogger. I am excited, anxious to get started as Ciabatta crumbs sprinkle down into my keyboard. I sip cold coffee, thickened with Borgers Sweetened Condensed milk, a decadent, high caloric vice, rapidly becoming a daily habit. Communicating from a7th floor condo, located in an urban center, a prestigious address, in a good neighborhood. Muddy waters flow below, as leafless trees brace for another long winter. I note my next door neighbors have replaced the high-rise outhouse ....                     with pre-fab roof panels, the icing on the cake. Progress. Construction. Real Estates.   10/27/2008

We are closed today, in Canada. To give Thanks. Our TSX is also closed. But yours isn't. Many of us Northerners watched today as the Dow rebounded from 'Free-fall Friday' to 'Miraculous Monday'. We tuned in to Obama talking about his rescue mission, tax incentives, mortgage breaks, foreclosure forestallers. If elected he will enforce a new 3 month 'grace' period before banks can ask homewoners to turn in their keys. I recalled hearing some banks were backed up over 6 months behind on foreclosures. Would this period include the 6 month backlog, or is it before or after that period has started/ended. Minutia, I decided. Then the bell rang, trading ended almost 1,000 points up, and we ate Turkey. With trimmings. Thank full for another harvest. Another day. 10/13/2008

BEST SEPTEMBER MLS® PERFORMANCE EVER Contrary to Media the Winnipet MLS® Sales are actually Up 3%;  With the Dollar Volume Rising 16%    The Winnipeg MLS® market continues to show resilience in the face of a national real estate market adjustment as it recorded its best September ever. This should not come as a surprise given a recent forecast from the Conference Board of Canada indicating Winnipeg will be one of the nation's leading economic performers in 2008. It forecasts real economic growth of 3.3 per cent. One significant factor helping the local housing market is the continual influx of new immigrants and decrease in out-migration. This was clearly one development that led WinnipegREALTORS® to remain optimistic in its 2008 forecast to call for a repeat performance of another exc... 10/11/2008

Winnipeg Housing sales were up 2% as the dollar volume rose by 15%The Winnipeg real estate market in September performed remarkably well, with MLS® sales and dollar volume activity being the best on record for this time of year. It has been an impressive nine month run with MLS® activity setting another year-to-date best ever pace. Nearly half of the entire MLS® inventory sold in the month of September and year-to-date conversions of sales-to-listings remains high at 78 per cent. WinnipegREALTORS® recorded its third million dollar plus home sale this year in September. It is a brand new luxury home in Royal Wood.September MLS® sales are up 2% (1,060/1,038) while dollar volume increased15% ($177.1 million/$153.9 million) when compared to the same month last year.Year-to-date MLS® sales a... 10/20/2007

I'm feeling a little confused as to what and why my client turned on me and became very angry when I showed him a paper aknowledging representation on an offer to purchase tonight.   Everything was going great, we sat down and wrote an offer had him intial the appropriate spaces, and then I pulled out a sheet of paper with our company logo on it and he just stood up and said... "I am not signing anthing that has a logo on it."!   I tried to explain it was a statement that acknowledges that since we were in a dual agency situation, all he had to do is sign knowingly that I represented the vendor and the buyer (namely him).   I couldn't even get a sentence out as he became very angry and repeated "I told you I am not signing anything that has your company logo on it."   I tried again to a... 08/31/2007