Recent News at RE/MAX real estate - lethbridge

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RE/MAX Agents Share Ten Ways to Get the Best of Winter When Selling Your Home

— December 06, 2011

If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year. Here are 10 bits of sage advice from RE/MAX agents that can help put a “Sold” sticker on that yard sign.

Let Those Lights Shine: The best way to combat winter’s short and frequently cloudy days is to turn on your house lights. For a showing, every single light in the house must be on, even in the closets and utility/mechanical rooms.

“Make sure all the bulbs are working, and stock up on all the right bulbs for lamps and fixtures so burned out bulbs can be replaced immediately,” she advises. “Also, it’s a great idea to keep the lights on in the front of the house even if no showings are scheduled. People are always driving past the house, and keeping it lighted makes it look happy and welcoming.”

She also advises opening the drapes and blinds during the day to let in light and let visitors enjoy the view.
Provide Convenient Parking: It’s vital that buyers have a convenient place to park. They won’t want to walk very far in cold weather or be forced to climb over a snow bank to exit their vehicle. Because parking is often more restricted around condominiums, sellers should make sure their agent can pass along parking details to buyers.

Make It Easy to Enter: Winter showings can get off to an awkward start if prospective buyers arrive with snow or salt on their shoes.

“Make it easy for buyers to deal with their shoes when they arrive,” recommends Barbara Hibnick of RE/MAX Showcase, Long Grove, Ill. “Put a festive area rug at the front door for a great first impression and so visitors can wipe their feet. Have slippers or disposable booties available, along with a bench or chair, if there is room for one, where a visitor can sit and easily remove or put on their boots.”

Keep Odors Under Control: Any home tends to be stuffy in winter when windows are opened rarely. That can allow odors to build up, which can be a turn-off to buyers.

“Pet odors can be especially worrisome in winter,” says Mike Mondello of RE/MAX Synergy in Orland Park, Ill. “Use a room fragrance if needed, but nothing too strong, and I recommend that in winter sellers clean more often.” For example, change the cat litter daily, rather than every third or fourth day, or even consider using an air purifier.
If pets are in the house, consider setting the thermostat control so that the furnace fan runs constantly during the day to keep air moving through the house and dissipate odors. Also try to avoid strong cooking odors, especially if a showing is scheduled that day.

Cultivate a Festive Look: Appropriate decorations for Thanksgiving, Christmas and even St. Valentine’s Day help give a home a cheerful look during the winter months.

“I really believe that holiday decorations can help homes sell, but don’t go to excess,” suggests Starr Zook of RE/MAX On Track in Aledo, Ill. “Keeping small, decorative white lights on trees and bushes pretty much through the winter season is fine, but other decorations should be taken down quickly once the holiday passes.”
Don’t Ignore the Outdoors: Make a good first impression on buyers with a neatly maintained yard. Walks and steps should be kept clear, especially of snow and ice.

Look after Condo Common Areas: If the home you are selling is a condominium, your job as a seller may be relatively easy in winter, with no snow to shovel or yard work to worry about. However, that is only the case if your condominium association does its job well.

If the association isn’t doing it, the homeowner may have to take responsibility for keeping the entrance area and hallways clean. If the association isn’t getting snow shoveled promptly, consider buying some de-icing salt and sprinkling it judiciously around the building entry.

Don’t Roast Buyers: We all tend to prefer a specific temperature for our homes during the winter, but don’t blast buyers with hot air. Keep the temperature at a comfortable 65 degrees for all showings. Remember, buyers are likely to be wearing their coats even as they walk through the house.

Keep Seasonal Clothing under Control: “One major challenge of selling a home during the winter months is the overabundance of cold weather gear that must be stored,” says Mike Mondello. “A buyer doesn’t want to find the mudroom filled with boots or the hall closet overflowing with heavy coats. Shift some winter coats to another closet and put anything not needed in the closet into storage.”

To keep gloves and scarves from piling up in the front hall or mudroom, put a special container for them, such as a decorative chest, where the family typically enters the home.
Encourage Day Time Showings: A home shows to its best advantage during daylight hours, which are relatively scarce in winter.

“Encourage your agent to show your home before 3 p.m. and have it ready to show by 9 a.m. if you want the best results,” Granacki recommends.

Despite the special challenges of marketing a home during winter, there also are benefits, notes Laura Ortoleva, a spokesperson for the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network.

“Buyers out looking at homes in December or January are, as a group, quite serious about buying. Therefore, sellers tend to benefit because each showing is more productive, and fewer showings are needed to sell the property,” she said

60-Year Veteran’s Success Tip: ‘Don’t Give Up’

— November 29, 2011

By Deborah Ball Kearns, RE/MAX Editor
Posted 11/29/11

Real estate agents who want to stay in business for the long haul could learn a thing or two from Lorne Smith. Unlike most folks in the business, he measures his real estate career in decades – six of them, to be exact.
Smith’s colleagues at RE/MAX Eastern Realty in Peterborough, Ontario, threw him a celebration party recently to mark the 60-year career milestone for the 86-year-old broker. To make the occasion even sweeter, Smith was featured in the local newspaper.
Smith attributes his longevity to two factors: good health and hard work. He ran his own independent brokerage – Lorne L. Smith Realty – for more than 40 years.
When people tell Smith he should retire, he scoffs and quickly dismisses the notion.
"I get that comment a lot, and I always look at people with a straight face and ask them ‘Why should I?’" Smith says. "I like what I’m doing and find it interesting, and I’ll keep doing it until my health doesn’t allow me or I’m not interested anymore."
A few years ago, Smith decided to move to a big-name brokerage, putting his longtime independent brokerage to rest. At its peak, his operation had nearly 30 licensed agents. Among them was Helen Drury, a former secretary who became his sales partner. The pair has worked together for 47 years, and in 2005 they both made the switch to RE/MAX.
"We wanted to be with the best, so we joined RE/MAX," Smith says. "We’re in a group that’s here to work, knows how to have fun and is dedicated to their jobs."
The world – particularly real estate – has changed a lot since 1951 when Smith earned his license. Back then, he went door-to-door prospecting for business, and there was no such thing as a paperless transaction.
Although the shift to technology for home searches and transaction paperwork has thrown a learning curve at him in recent years, Smith hasn’t slowed down one bit and is still busy with buyers and sellers. And despite new business innovations, there’s never a substitute for people skills and good, old-fashioned hard work, Smith says.
"The main thing about this business is that you have to know your market and put in long hours," Smith says. "Once you lose a strong work ethic, you’re gone. You have to hang in there, and never give up."

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http://www.remax-western.ca/blog/remax-supports-live-life-pass-it-on/

— November 24, 2011

New 2011 campaign; LIVE LIFE. PASS IT ON., is focused on increasing online organ donor registration and knowledge through social media channels. It is our hope that you will share this message with your professional and social networks.

Featuring powerful images by photographer, Cyrus McEachern and late double lung transplant recipient, Eva Markvoort, the campaign is building on the movement that Eva created for organ donation through her blog and the film, 65_RedRoses. The campaign is an extension of her passion to make a difference and forms part of a legacy she hoped would inspire the public to take action to register.

New iPad App is a Hit

— November 16, 2011

RE/MAX agents are loving the new iPad app, RE/MAX Presenter, and they're putting it to good use just days after its release.

Nearly 3,000 people -- and counting -- have downloaded the new app so far. Here's a sampling of what Associates are saying about it:
"This new presentation app is fabulous! Great for showing both homebuyers and sellers what resources are available to them. Using it already. RE/MAX ROCKS!"
- Colleen DePodesta Gilpin, RE/MAX Garden City Realty, Burlington, Ontario
One of the real estate industry's first iPad apps for listing presentations, RE/MAX Presenter was developed and designed exclusively for you to display customized presentations and marketing pieces created in the RE/MAX Design Center. Now, you have the convenience and portability to accommodate your on-the-go business schedule without sacrificing cutting-edge technology.

When downloading the app, you'll be prompted to enter a personalized access key, which can be found by logging into the RE/MAX Design Center, hovering over the "Profile" tab, and selecting "iPad Access Key." Once you'd installed the app, you'll want to either download the presentations you've created in Design Center or get back there as quickly as you can to start working on one.

In Design Center, you'll discover a variety of professionally designed pieces in the "iPad Designs" folder ready for you to customize and share instantly. For more information about how to download and use the app, download the how-to guide.

RE/MAX REALTORS SHOW HALLOWE'EN SPIRIT

— November 02, 2011

These four "witchy" Realtors got into the spirit of Hallowe'en. (left to right)Tracey Dumonceau, Michele Mear, Yvonne Wakelin, Ashley Fox.