Edmonton Home Buyers: 10 Tips to Get the Most out of Your REALTOR®

This article brought to you by Rachel Schofield: REALTOR® at KENNEDY Real Estate.

If you’re buying a home, it may be the first time you’ve had the opportunity to work with a REALTOR®. Here’s top 10 list to get the most out of working with a dedicated, professional real estate agent.

1.  Communicate. Take time to respond to e-mails and phone calls.
2. Get pre-approved. Meet with a mortgage broker so you know what you can afford, and secure a great rate.
3. Give time for showings. Agents need time to communicate with other agents to book showings. Also, many properties are tenant occupied and may require 24 hours or more notice.
4. Work with one dedicated REALTOR®. With one focused professional at your side, you can be sure to target your needs with more efficiency.
5. Accept advice from your REALTOR®. Your real estate agent has experience with a wide variety of situations and what it takes to succeed given the circumstances.
6. Pick your professionals ASAP. It’s common to use a lawyer and a property inspector. Pick them before you make a deal. This will take the pressure off you during the transaction.
7. Sign a buyer brokerage agreement. Written buyer service agreements provide the best protection for buyers and their representative.
8. Sell your current home first. Unless you can afford paying two mortgages, sell BEFORE you buy.
9. Take your REALTOR® to Show Homes and FSBO listings. Your agent is not just at your side to “open doors” but to advise, and guide you through your real estate transaction.
10. Ask questions. If there is something you need to know, or something you don’t understand, just ask. We are here to help!

This informative article was brought to you today by our in-house “hybrid” REALTOR®/Interior Decorator:

Rachel Schofield Associate | REALTOR®
Your Downtown Area Specialist

KENNEDY Real Estate
YourEdmontonREALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

I would like to view a home in Oliver.

I would like to buy a home in Oliver.

I would like to sell my home in Oliver.

Only 20 minutes from Southwest Edmonton, Riverbend community, is the Family orientated ski hill, Rabbit Hill Snow Resort.

My boys and I have enjoyed many afternoons of riding there.  Rabbit Hill’s 2nd Annual Family Winter Festival is on February 16th.  With every lift ticket purchased $1 including all proceeds from the BBQ and bake sale will benefit the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

 http://www.rabbithill.com/w/pages.php?pid=27&sid=1

Get out and enjoy your family within your community!

Talk with you soon!

Carrie Wood
Business Development & REALTOR®
780-932-5589
Edmonton’s Buyer Agent 

KENNEDY Real Estate
Your Edmonton Realtor® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

KENNEDY Real Estate is reinventing Real Estate by leading the industry in innovation. We are looking to add to our awesome Team with some amazing people. Are you ready? We are….

Contact Jennifer Kennedy Broker/Owner direct at (780) 920-0709 for your personal interview.

Join the Pick of the Crop!

10 Commandments for how REALTORS® should treat one another:

1. Thou shalt always identify yourself on the phone when answering your phone or for making calls.
2. Thou shalt only email and not call for feedback.
3. Thou shalt not leave voice mail requesting a call back for showing feedback.
4. Thou shalt not assume the other REALTOR® knows why your commission cheque is late. He or she is not hiding it. You are just not that special that he or she would take the time to try and hide it from you. Patience my friend.
5. Thou shalt notify the listing agent when you cannot make a showing.
6. Thou shall NOT make the seller the showing coordinator. Please note they never notify of pendings or callbacks to confirm. Can you say frustrating?
7. Thou shalt always have your cell number on your feature sheet for showing confirmation. Do you enjoy calling trunk numbers, leaving a message, waiting for a callback only to have shown 10 properties by the time you get a confirmation back? Too late buddy. Too bad for your seller too.
8. Thou shalt clearly convey the location of the lockbox.
9. Thou shalt never go back on your word.
10. Thou shalt never sell yourself short. If you do the above you’ll be worth every penny.

Respectivley Yours,

Jennifer Kennedy

Broker/Owner

KENNEDY Real Estate

Brought to you by Rachel Schofield: REALTOR® at KENNEDY Real Estate.

Edmonton Home Buyers: Are you in the market to buy a home? If so, you Need the Protection of an Exclusive Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement. An important step, so often overlooked by buyers, is to sign an Exclusive Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement (EBBA) with their REALTOR®.

What is an EBBA and why does my REALTOR® want me to sign one?

An EBBA  is an important piece in the home-buying puzzle. It has more to do with protecting you, the buyer,  from any conflict of interest.

Do you want a REALTOR® working with you or for you?

Although there are duties owed to both client and customers, the highest duties are owed to clients. REALTORS® work with customers but for clients.

Do you want a REALTOR® to take you to view properties and give you advice?

As a client, it is ok for your REALTOR® to:

• Give advice with facts;
• Educate you (the buyer); and
• To compare competing properties.

However, if you are a customer, the REALTOR®:

• Can give just the material facts;
• Protects the seller; and
• Cannot help you (the buyer) compare competing properties.

When working under an Exclusive Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement, you the client, are ensured of getting the highest level of representation.

Your EBBA will provide:

1. Assurance your REALTOR® is dedicated to finding the right property and negotiating the  BEST deal for you.

2. Reassurance that you will receive expert professional advice, knowledge of neighbourhoods and market trends.

3. Solid contractual basis to receive services from your REALTOR®.

4. Accountability from your REALTOR® that your interests are held as a top priority.

5. Clearly defined relationship and customized tools to find a home that best suits your needs.

So, I will ask you again: Are you in the market to buy a home?

As your exclusive buyer’s agent, I pledge to:

• Perform a market analysis on the property so you will not overpay for your home;
• Help you prepare an offer that meets your needs;
• Present the offer on your behalf to the seller and their agent;
• Negotiate all of the terms and conditions of the offer in your best interest.

This informative article was brought to you today by: Rachel Schofield.  She is an  Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) candidate; a benchmark of excellence in buyer representation.

Rachel Schofield Associate | REALTOR®
Your Downtown Area Specialist

KENNEDY Real Estate
YourEdmontonREALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

Do Open Houees Really Sell Homes

Brought to you by Rachel Schofield: REALTOR at KENNEDY Real Estate.

I used to love going to open houses as a kid. It was free entertainment for me, and a way to satiate my curiosity and passion for homes. Was I a qualified buyer? No, I was a school-age kid traipsing through strangers’ homes on a sunny Saturday afternoon. My parents had no intention of putting in any offers either.

So, why did these sellers bother? Well, back when I was a child, open houses were a potentially useful tool to market homes. Buyers did not have the option of searching for their prospective homes online. However, nowadays, 90% of home shopping is done online. With easy access to www.Realtor.ca, and the like, open houses are becoming a thing of the past.

For the average home seller, open houses don’t produce results. If anyone does show up, they tend to be tire kickers, looky-loos and nosey neighbours. And not to unduly frighten anyone, but you’re also potentially opening your doors to a would-be thief.

The best way to bring qualified buyers to your door, is with the accompaniment of a REALTOR®. These agents spend time pre-qualifying buyers so that they can match their clients’ needs to the properties they view. There are far greater chances for a serious and sincere offer from a represented buyer, rather than from an unrepresented and unqualified one.

So, are open houses effective for anyone any more? In some cases, yes.

1. Unique or luxury properties: Special homes require special attention. But, perhaps not your run-of-the-mill  2 hour open house on a Sunday afternoon. Think more along the lines of a wine and cheese soiree.

2. For Sale By Owner Properties: Because these properties aren’t getting the exposure or access that MLS listed properties are getting, I say you have to take every opportunity you can get!

3. New agents: It’s a great way to get out into the public and add a few new contacts to your list.

Ok, but I still really want to have an open house. What should I do?

A. If you’re going to do it, do it right! Hold your open house early on in the game: within the first 4 weeks on the market. Make sure your home is in showroom condition.

B. Watch for upcoming open houses in the neighbourhood and “piggy-back” on theirs. Perhaps if customers go to one, they will go to another.

C. Don’t over saturate the market with your open house. Spread them out every 2-3 weeks…if your house is still on the market.

D. Listen to your REALTOR®. They know the market and the stats. They want to sell your home as much as you do, but don’t want to waste efforts on antiquated approaches.

I hope this helps. Happy home-selling!

This informative article was brought to you today by:

Rachel Schofield Associate | REALTOR®
Your Downtown Area Specialist

KENNEDY Real Estate
YourEdmontonREALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

Brought to you by Rachel Schofield: REALTOR at KENNEDY Real Estate

At KENNEDY Real Estate, we love apple green and it shows. Not only is it central to our corporate identity, but we love decorating with it.

As a REALTOR® and Certified Interior Decorator, I am in and out of homes and showrooms every day. I am able to identify current trends, and spot upcoming ones. Recently, homes have been awash in shades of grey. However, I think the trend toward a “greener” future is upon us.

If you are looking for design inspiration, visit KENNEDY Real Estate’s Pinterest account. We have an entire board dedicated to decorating with apple green.

This informative article was brought to you today by:

Rachel Schofield Associate | REALTOR®
Your Downtown Area Specialist

KENNEDY Real Estate
YourEdmontonREALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

Real Estate Tidbits: Title Insurance

Brought to you by Rachel Schofield: REALTOR at KENNEDY Real Estate 

This is a great article for Realtors/Lawyers/Mortgage Brokers and of course Edmonton BUYERS and SELLERS. There is much confusion about this topic. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to have Bhavna Chavda from FCT (First Canadian Title) come to our office for one of our team meetings and give us the skinny on Title Insurance. This is what we learned…

Title Insurance: what does it mean to you? If you haven’t purchased a  home before, chances are it doesn’t mean much. If you have, Title Insurance may set off some alarms in your head. You’ve probably become convinced that a Real Property Report is the only way to go. But does Title Insurance deserve this bad rep?

Let’s start by defining these two terms.

Real Property Report: A Real Property Report (RPR) provides information such as the location of utility right-of-ways and easements.  It also shows boundary fences, the overhangs of eaves and additional improvements such as swimming pools and hot tubs.  As a seller, you need to make sure that your RPR is up to date and has municipal compliance before selling your property.  Not having this can delay the sale and cause a lot of delay when it comes to transferring title from seller to buyer. Lenders will also need to know about issues with the RPR and make sure they are resolved before lending money on the property.

Title Insurance: Title insurance is an insurance policy that protects you, the home owner, against challenges to the ownership of your home or from problems related to the title to your home. The policy provides coverage against losses due to title defects, even if the defects existed before you purchased your home. A title defect is a problem with the title which prevents free and clear ownership. There are many types of defects such as rights of way, encroachments (from neighbouring properties), unpaid liens, etc.

Are you in the process of trying to sell a home, and is the Real Property Report causing you closing delays? Here’s how a title insurance policy may help you.

Did you know that a title insurance policy:

• is accepted by most lenders in lieu of an up‐to‐date Real Property Report (RPR);
• can provide coverage over known RPR problems and offers protection from loss if the land is unmarketable as a result of defects that would have been revealed by an up‐to‐date RPR;
• provides protection against real estate title fraud and issues such as unpaid liens, title defects, encroachment issues, construction liens, and costs arising from building code violations.

It also provides coverage for purchasers:

• Unmarketablility of the title or land
• Liens, including tax liens; Builder’s liens
• Easements; Work orders; Lack of building permits
• Someone else owning or claiming to own an interest in the property
• Documents not properly signed, sealed or delivered
• Fraud, forgery or incapacity (including post‐policy coverage)
• Defective registration of documents
• Registration gap coverage
• Lack of access; Restrictive covenants
• Encroachments; Neighbour’s encroachments built after purchase
• Adverse matters that would have been disclosed by a local authority search or an up‐to‐date survey

So, if you ever find yourself in a situation where an RPR is too costly or time-consuming to obtain, you can always consider Title Insurance as a viable option.

source: www.firstcanadiantitle.com

This informative article was brought to you today by:

Rachel Schofield Associate | REALTOR®
Your Downtown Area Specialist
KENNEDY Real Estate
YourEdmontonREALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager

Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing