Real Estate Blog Quebec

Sales Clues For Interior Designers To Advance Closed deals

2012-01-24T13:27:00.001-08:00

Interior Design is a great career selection for talented andcreative individuals. However, this field can become stressful if you’re notable to meet deadlines, stay on budget, and fulfill the clients’ needs andwants.

One very important aspect of leads& sales is knowing your consumer. While this sounds obvious, it willgreatly boost your chances of fulfilling the customer’s needs on budget andhaving them recommend you to a friend.

Knowing your customer consists of knowingexactly what they want AND need. This means style, color, function, and budget.Knowing the difference between want and need is also extremely important. Let’stalk about want

since it can be difficult to pinpointwith some customers who may be indecisive or just not informed on what isavailable to them. Is your clientele traditional? Do they want the traditionalvertical window blinds their parents had

when they were a child? Are they moreworried about pricing? Are they looking for fresh window treatments? Or arethey simply in the dark and want recommendations?

Once you have figured this out, it`s time for you to make suggestions. Makesure you have good working relationships with the different window treatmentcompanies out there. Some might be able to give you a free working

sample. This would be a great weaponto have in your arsenal as it allows the prospect to operate the blind or shadeand better picture what it would landscape like installed in their interior.Make sure you know what styles are

better designed for the type ofwindow you’re prospect has. If you don’t know, then this is also where you’rerelationship with the window treatment companies comes in. Simply ask you’redeals rep what he or she recommends.

They also should be able to tell you what istrending or selling the most. Once you are educated on the unique styles andtheir pros and cons, making suggestions for your customers needs should beeasy. Are they interested in

modern window treatments but have alarge oversized window? This can be easily taken care of as there are numerousoptions out there to fit any planned disbursement or thing.

Beingeducated about window treatments should be mandatory if you are an interiordesigner. While furniture can make a plain room look stylish, the proper windowtreatment can put it over the top. I recommend doing some researchand finding out about the different styles out there along with their intendedpurpose. Once you have this readily available, your bank account should comenaturally since most customers will gravitate towards salesmen

I wouldlike to thank Logan Gardner for sharing this article with us.

The Importance of a Kitchen Hood

2012-01-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

A crucial to possess inside a kitchen, kitchen oven hoods assist hide the vent underneath that holds an important function with all the cooking. The number hood help filtration and circulate the environment around the stove, that is fabulous if someone is cooking something that needs to be ventilated due to the fact it gives of plenty of smoke.
Ranges hoods are situated inside oven or stove with all the cooking, mainly because of ventilation from the food that’s being cooked below it. Pollutants which are introduced within the cooking, like light up and grease, could be harmful for the wellbeing, together with a kitchen oven aids in preventing it from influencing people today.
Kitchen oven hoods are typically operated with a switch that is definitely about the range hood itself, then again, many models may perhaps differ from that style. With each other for that ride is seriously a vent out that can be detached to ensure that it may very well be cleaned. An uncomplicated is usually set up too, and fires the cooking element with the stove leading.
You are likely to obtain a variety of styles and also kinds that men and women can decide on, which can help keep using the inside d?cor from the kitchen region. From whitened to black, they comes in metallic or even solids.

According to in which the oven best is, your kitchen array hood might be unique proportions to increased fit the region it’ll be setup in. For that stove tops which have no surrounding cabinets and could be in the center of your kitchen, the volume hood may be larger producing a chimney attached, despite the fact that scaled-down ones can fit in in between cabinets.
Rates for cooking place oven hoods can differ inside the low $70s and may possibly zoom up entirely towards the $1000s, that may be ordinarily in line with the material and size your property array hoods. Evaluating charges on the net ne to obtain the most effective deal can support for those who have a particular spending budget that they want to preserve.
Kitchen oven hoods clearly are a staple discovered in a kitchen, due to the fact they’re what aid ventilate the location when preparing food. Utilizing the several colours and fashions attainable, there exists a kitchen oven hood that could squeeze into any kitchen style or space. Utilizing the added light to light up the actual stove best and also the vent out that is removable, everyone will learn a thing to praise with regards to if this entails kitchen array hoods.
Sarah Farlornerson knows that possessing a hood with your kitchen can genuinely assist to help keep your whole house smelling fresh and cost-free from negative odors. You can find several different kinds of vent hoods readily available just like the island range hood and so you must make sure that which you examine every single type cautiously to ensure that it is the style which you are seeking.

We wish to thank the following author , for contributing :

Author: sarahfarlornerson

Restoring Antique Furniture

2011-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

Antiquities are commonly the same as what they are said to be; old, delicate, beautiful to some degree, but mostly old and thereby are antique. The older plus more ! preserved old fashioned is however, the higher the value it holds. The worth is just not nominal values that certain might measure with money, additionally, there are sentimental values that is definitely simply priceless into a people and that’s why beautiful antique can be a searched item amongst its collectors.
Antiques are almost always deemed as an older common type of junk on the human eye and they are often neglected entirely from the corner of the attic somewhere. Any time you finally laid eyes on broken antiquities you’d likely to end up prompted to accomplish old fashioned furniture restoration immediately. Usually do not rush however and find that a correct planning is invariably one of the best step one to take the if you are addressing old fashioned furniture restoration project.
Evaluating the healthiness of the unique antique furniture is necessary to the whole of the restoration project. Appraise carefully the entirety of this piece and take notes of what parts are missing and are generally there scratches or dents that they are restored. Take note that some really rare antiques are prized regarding war scars – the only thing that dents and scratches and perchance a broken piece which will have altered the main cause of history – and you will really do good research around the antique piece you possess in your possession before trying to carry out a restoration for it.

This article provided by : GehRic92

Finishing the Bathroom: the Littlest Details Complete the Look

2011-12-09T13:47:00.001-08:00

The methodthat you style your bathrooms depends on many factors. First, you have thegeneral kind of your house. If my way through your own home carries a classiccountry type of feel, through an ocean theme inside your bathroom might seemout of place.

Second, there’s the concept of the experience you want to createwith all the bathroom. For kids, you could possibly choose a fun, cartoontheme; if you are searching for a relaxing atmosphere, a place where it ispossible to fully unwind at the end of an long day, peaceful colors like thosewho work in a spa will be ideal.

Similarly,the types of colors which you like – combined with the overall brightness ofyour bathroom – can see whether to look for colorful accessories or the onesthat are muted in color. Finally, there’s your personality, or the personalityof the people who’ll be utilizing the bathroom probably the most.
Normally,you will find four styles which might be commonly used when accessorizing therestroom – classy, muted, bright and fun.

Inside aclassy bathroom, you might find yourself choosing bath accessories in mutedcolors, perhaps with a subtle floral tone. Toilet seat covers, towels, bathmats as wall as bath accessories for your counter – a soap dish or soap pump, atoothbrush holder and the like – can be coordinated using the shower curtain.Start your speech which has a shower curtain that is the neutral color likebeige with a rose colored embellishment and match the other bath accessoriestowards the rose shade.

If insteadyou are looking to create a muted look in your bathroom, you probably willchoose soft tones at the same time, but instead when compared to a floral look,you may choose a little more modern bath accessories like people who you willprobably find with a spa retreat. Muted shades of green or blue, natural colorsthat resemble stone or clay are typical good base colors to your bathroom. Lookat a solid color shower curtain or one that is patchwork – squares ofcomplementary colors. Select a matching bath rug, shower towels, a toilet seatto match and simple chrome plated bath accessories.

Alternately,if bright, modern colors suit your needs, you will find that bright, singlecolored shower curtains, window dressings, bathroom towels and shower mats canproduce a crisp, modern look. While using a number of different bright, solidcolors with your bathroom to selecting exactly the same pieces which featurebright colors in geometric patters or simple stripes, viewers it is possible tobring the appearance of a bath room together, to produce a bright theme set upitems don’t necessarily match.

Thank you to : DianeCleverton3

http://ow.ly/7UJ19

Have Privacy window blinds and Also Keep Your Outlook At The Same Time

2011-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

I sometimes come across a customer who needs privacy but also doesn’t want their room to look like a vampire’s dungeon. One of the nearly popular roller shade styles for this purpose is the sun screen. This material usually allows 1-16% of light to come through will still maintaining some privacy. Of course, if you’d like to enjoy the sun you can easily roll the shade up. While I wouldn’t recommend this style if you’d like complete privacy, this material is the nearly commonly used for roller shades.
Sun screens are available in hundreds of color combinations.
Apart from the accommodation this material offers, some are fire retardant which make them a safe and practical choosing. If you’re worried about them losing their color, rest assured that most sun screens can last about 10-15 years without warping or fading. Care for this material is extremely easy. All it takes is some warm water and soap and most stains will come right off. This is another reason why sun screens are so popular with customers.
If you’d like something other than a roller shade, then horizontal window coverings are probable your next best option. The almost common horizontal window dressings are the 2″ faux and bass wood types. Like the roller shade, this technique allows you to enjoy some light while not giving away all of your privacy. If you are on a strict finances 2″ faux wood window treatments are among the cheapest of options. If you don’t want cheap blinds, then the bass wood 2″ window blinds are the next step up.
These are of natural materials so expect some of the coloring to be different from one another. Bass wood window blinds add a natural beauty that unfortunately faux wood simply cannot.

Thank you to Logan Gardner for providing us with this article.

How To Upgrade Your Residence By Yourself On A Tight Budget

2011-08-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

You realize that you’re spending a lot of time right in front of furniture stores, hoping to see how you could re-furnish your home. When you browse magazines or catalogues, you picture the life of the rich and famous. The thing that’s great fortunately, is that you don’t need to spend a bundle of money in order to hugely enhance your home’s visual appeal. With a minimum of work, you can find a large variety of improvements that you could bring about on your own.
The best place to get started is with a new application of coloring on the walls. An easy change of color makes a home seem to be brand new. And to top it off, not only will your house look new, it’ll also smell new. Instead of, or in combination with paint, wallpaper is also great for smartening up interior spaces. All you need to do is one wall, or maybe just a border, which you can do yourself. Up to this time you could do it all on your own. When you are done putting a new covering on walls, lighting style is the most effective way to give your home a different ambience. A basic standing lamp fixture is sometimes all that’s needed to jazz up a dull room. Unless you have a modern scheme of design, forget about halogen lighting.
A thing that looks great and you could easily do is put in wall sconces. The design of your house will change a lot, when you add a few new accessories. An affordable designer appearance is achievable by adding fresh-smelling candles, silk pillows, or even chenille throw blankets. A jar filled with fragrant rose petals, a tall white enamelled jug with fresh cut lilies – these are ways of creating an attractive centrepiece for a dining or coffee table. Depending on the look you want, you can hang up pictures, or paintings, to get a new look. There are lots of discount places, or perhaps re-sale stores, to find what you might be looking for.
Kicking back into new, solid yet comfortable upholstery is a tonic – try to get something that doesn’t exceed your budget. Dining room and lounge furniture, music systems and much more are usually had for lower prices if you look in the best places. Good places to discover second-hand goods include estate auctions, pawn shops, flea markets and consignment stores. The online world provides an alternate way to find good discounts at sites like online furniture stores. With smaller running costs, you can locate some good deals on the net. Remember, too, that just like painting a wall, an existing sofa can be spruced up with a new home-sewn cover.
Impress your friends and amaze yourself by following these tips on how to give your home a make-over. It may not end up being quite the palace of the rich and famous, but it will be your little castle, that you can enjoy with family and friends. Best of all the incredible gratification you’ll get from having accomplished it yourself.

I will like to acknowledge the author :: Lavenia Guadalupe

Portable air conditioners

2011-07-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

A portable air conditioner can work in all places. It can be placed anywhere for example warehouses, boats, trucks and recreational vehicles. Just like a window air conditioning unit, the portable one also uses electricity to function. It is small and portable and it is because of these traits that it can be used in small places. Portable air conditioners are placed in such places where installing permanent and central air conditioning is not possible.

Portable air conditioners are best suited for industrial places. This is because portable air conditioners can be rolled over around from one area to another. This saves the cost of cooling because it would be a great waste trying to cool the entire warehouse. The portable air conditioner is often put to outdoor commercial use. So it has been modified to suite such conditions. So the cooling technology was changed. Its size was reduced and it was made capable to adapt to battery converters.

Previously all types of air conditioners ran on coolants, which is similar to the ones, which are installed on windows. Portable air conditioners use a chemical called freon and the power is got from the ordinary 120-volt electric source. One thing should be kept in mind when you are using this portable air conditioner. The cooling process includes the functioning of chemicals and so the air conditioner must have an outlet through a duct or window. Portable air conditioners can be as large as huge windows and they are mounted on sturdy casters. This is of great help because it can be easily moved from place to another. These conditioners help to cool warehouses where people occupy only certain places. They can be used in small offices as well has areas where temperature sensitive equipments like computers or motors are kept.

Another new variety of portable air conditioners has come up. This new type uses the technology known as evaporative technology rather than using the coolant. This is quite similar to a swamp cooler. These are smaller and more portable devices. These have an inbuilt reservoir from where the cooling and humidification through evaporation takes place. This compact air conditioner can be carried almost anywhere be it your car, truck, boat, motor home and everywhere which has the provision to provide power from a 12-volt converter. It can be easily taken care of by refilling the reservoir on a regular basis. It is very effective and quickly cools and refreshes small areas. It also does not need to be vented ,

Complement of : Jason Uvios

17 Tips to Get More Twitter Followers and Tweeter Friends

2011-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 05:19 AM PST

To tweet or not to tweet was your question of 2010. Now that it’s 2011 you’ve decided to take the big tweet plunge. You finally get the guts to hop on Twitter.
Chances are your experience might have started out a little like this:
1. You setup your account.
2. You followed some famous people that Twitter suggested you follow. As you did this you thought… “hmmm… just what I thought… Twitter is a waste of time… why do I need to follow Justin Bieber?”
3. You listened to the advice of the people “who get it” and put a real photo of yourself as the avatar, not the generic egg Twitter provides you with.
4. You tried changing your Twitter background and colors but gave up as you don’t have a brand yet anyway.
5. You question the purpose and the fact that you setup your Twitter account. You don’t see what all your friends are getting so excited about Twitter. You might even be thinking to yourself that you’ll never set foot on it again after today unless at least one person follows you back within the next 24 hours.
6. You start to wonder if you are as cool as you thought you were before you hopped on Twitter. But then you think again and decide you aren’t going to let some dumb blue bird determine your cool factor.
7. You send your first tweet and it reads something like “hellllooo… It’s my first day on Twitter… anybody there?”
8. You wish you had more followers.
9. You decide to wait until tomorrow to figure out this Twitter thing. You have real work to do.
10. On your way home from the office you start thinking about what on earth you are going to Tweet about tomorrow! You just can’t seem to get that crazy little blue bird out of your head!
I know the above may not be exactly the same steps you went thru when you hopped on Twitter. However, from my experience in helping many small and medium size business leaders, my guess is it’s pretty close!
So, let’s talk about where you should go from here.

17 Tips to Get you Tweetin’, Makin’ Friends and Hopefully Some Followers Along the Way!

1. Organize your social house. Grab yourself a notebook and keep track of all logins, passwords etc. Create a folder in your email inbox to save all of the account creation confirmations and other information.
2. Develop your tweet plan. Random acts of tweeting and random acts of social media have offer only one guarantee and that is to waste your most greatest asset which is time. Ensure that your social media and tweetin’ activities align to your business goals and objectives. Having a purpose in your tweets will better organically attract people to you and your content.
3. Create a content message house. If you don’t already have one, create a message house for your business. At minimum it should include your vision, mission, value proposition, descriptions of business and products, key features, differentiation statements and key positioning messages. As part of the message create a list of potential tweets that could help an audience. Focus on educating and inspiring your target audience.
4. Start social listening. The first step in social media is to learn about the ecosystem you are getting ready to enter. Spend some time searching for, following and listening to interesting tweeters. Hop on to Kurrently, Twellow and Twitter Search for real-time searches. Kurrently offers real-time results for both Twitter and Facebook. These types of tools will provide you an easy way to find and connect with like minds.
5. Create Twitter lists to start tracking the people you meet and find interesting. Organize your twitter lists by topic, industry, demographics or whatever best supports your business and marketing objectives, goals, and plans.
6. Show some social media love! During your early stages of social media and tweeting focus on learning from and supporting others. Even if you aren’t yet creating your own content you can be a content curator which searches for and serves up great content from other thought leaders in your industry. Focus on finding good quality content creators in your market industry or niche. Then you can retweet and share their content on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
7. Connect authentically with other thought leaders. Now that you’ve done some social listening, started to curate some decent information and also share some of the best content you find with your friends, now it’s time to start building some relationships. Leave a comment on your favorite blog. Send your favorite writer a tweet about their content, their website or something you found interesting that they said.
8. Be authentic and real. Don’t pretend you know everything. Be humble and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you don’t understand something someone writes about or tweets to you, then by all means ask them for clarification. Let people know the real you. The more you do this the easier it will be for you to connect with real people.
9. Search for and start following more people. Now that you’re getting the hang of this “Twter thang” a little bit, it’s time to start finding more people to “tweet with”. There are numerous tools that will help you find and follow people easily. Check out HootSuite, TweetDeck, and simple do a search on Google for Twitter tools. Send a tweet and ask for suggestions or ask one of your favorite thought leaders you met during your early stages of social listening.
10. Continue to focus on adding value. Never stop giving when tweeting. Focus on sharing valuable, relevant content with your audience and you will organically grow your following.
11. Use hashtags such as #sm or #twitter. Hashtags increase the chances of your tweets getting found, increase your organic twitter following. Hashtags are basically a keyword that starts with a pound sign. For example people talking about real estate might use #realestate. Hashtags help people connect who have similar interests in topics. You can check out trending and popular topics using hashtags at What The Hashtag. You can also connect with groups or create a group for a hashtag at Hashtag.org
12. Make it easy for people to find your twitter handle. Add your new twitter handle to your online and offline signatures and identity. Don’t forget to add it to your business cards, email signature, LinkedIn profile and Facebook information page. Basically add it everywhere and anywhere you provide your contact information.
13. Learn and accept twitter and social media is one big conversation. This is not a gimmick or a bunch of crazy tweeters gone mad. Twitter is truly one big social conversation. The best thing you can do is join and add value. Become part of the conversation as early on as you can. Ask questions, provide answers, share quotes, and tell jokes. Just be the person you are but do it in 140 character increments.
14. Realize your success will greatly depend on relationships. The better you can connect with other tweeters via conversations and by providing valuable content, the more benefit you will reap. You will organically attract friends and followers as you build real and authentic relationships. If you think about it, it’s really no different than how you network offline. The big difference is instead of wasting time driving to a networking event and having to talk to Sally, Dick and Harry about the same thing you talked about at the last 25 networking meetings, you can now be more selective in where you spend your time. You can have side bar 1:1 conversations with 1, 2 or 10 people at a time. Learning the conversation and relationship duo in social media will jet set you above your competition and fast.
15. Know you are not going out of business if you lose a twitter follower! Followers will come and go. Everyone will not like you but that doesn’t matter. Focus on the ones who do! You aren’t going to learn everything over night. Learn what you can at the speed that makes sesnse for you. Focus on the good people you meet and give then your energy and focus. There are 10 more good people who will follow you for anyone who won’t or who unfollows you. Realize many people use auto-follow and auto-unfollow tools. Often times if you don’t follow someone back their auto-tool may drop you. So, if they un-follow it might not be personal at all!
16. Don’t get caught up in the lingo. Yes learn it but don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay if you refer to a twit as a tweet in early days. It’s not going to blow up your tweet account. We’ve all been there. You’ll learn it eventually!
17. Have fun. When all is said and done it’s not life or death if you “get twitter” within the next 30 days. You’ve been without it this long, what’s another 30-60 days. Integrate it into your business and find fun ways you can engage and leverage to build real relationships.
Your Turn

d Tweeter Friends

Better (A Song For You)

2011-02-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

CTV News | Is the U.S. housing market now in double-dip territory?

2011-01-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

CTV News | Is the U.S. housing market now in double-dip territory?

How Real Estate is doing, south of the Border

2011-01-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

HIGH MEDIAN PRICE IN SAN JOSE- HERE IS A SURVEY FOR YOU

There has been a remarkable increase in median sales price and with is the median days on market have drastically fallen. According to the statistics of San Jose Real Estate market report there has been an improvement but at the end the total units sold has depreciated as the buyers were not prepared for the price hike. Another reason of the decrease in units sold can be analyzed if we compare the ratio of sale price to list price. San Jose has experienced a rise in the median sales price comparatively than last year.

In Los Gatos, a neighboring city there was a decrease in the median sales price and the median days dropped almost by half and so there was a negligible appreciation in the units sold. Morgan Hill, also a neighboring city fell a prey to a sharp decrease in units sold and suffered the same ill-fate in San Jose Real Estate.

But overall homes have shown signs of improvement with median prices rising high and the sellers earned 100% of the asked price and houses selling like hot cakes. There are periodic reports based on extensive research on San Jose Real Estate which helps to locate San Jose houses. This is the third largest city in California and the tenth largest in United States and this is one of the main reasons for the city’s demand. It is the suburban magnet to the newcomers and so the city is facing new housing and industrial developments.

San Jose Real Estate has been doing well, the market is moving upwards but it is not as simple as it seems because you cannot ignore the number of units sold. If you are looking for a home, survey market thoroughly, take at the purchase list, calculate the PreQual Mortgage amount and match your profile with the offers of the lenders and then find the perfect home.

Kindly provided by R. P

for more information in Real Estate in the San Jose Area, contact : rockwithrocky@yahoo.com

Re-doing a Kitchen the Green way

2011-01-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

If you’re building a new home or updating an older one and want to go green wherever you can, you’ve got more options than ever in eco-chic materials for countertops, flooring and cabinets. Here’s a quick guide to eco-friendly kitchen materials — including five favorites of eco-design experts, plus top materials to avoid.

Thumbs Up: 5 Eco-Optimal Options

Recycled glass: “Recycled glass is one of my favorite things to use for countertops,” says environmental design consultant Michelle Bexelius. “It’s so beautiful and comes in so many colors.” Look for glass tile that is 100 percent recycled, either from post-industrial or post-consumer sources.
PaperStone: It’s a pretty cool concept — paper that’s pressed into a stonelike material. It’s strong and workable like stone, but made from recycled paper. PaperStone comes in various colors and uses no petroleum products. “I really love this stuff,” Bexelius says. It’s ideal for countertops — or anywhere else you would use stone. Find a dealer through Paperstoneproducts.net
Bamboo: Don’t be fooled by bamboo’s stick-like appearance in the forest — it’s an extremely hard and durable material that's ideal for countertops, cabinets or flooring. Bamboo's eco-friendly status comes from the fact that it’s a completely renewable resource — it grows amazingly fast. Also check out other sustainably harvested wood flooring options, such as cork oak.
Marmoleum: This natural flooring material is made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, jute and limestone. “It’s a great alternative to traditional linoleum flooring,” says Bexelius.
Natural plaster: Skip the dry-wall mud and the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) found in conventional paints. This fume-free wall finishing alternative, also known as earth plaster, is made from natural clay and pigments in a range of earthy colors. It goes directly on almost any material including dry wall, wood, adobe, straw bale or masonry. You can texture it as you like or leave it smooth. Either way you get an organic-looking finished effect that's far more interesting than the homogeneous wall mud sold at home improvement stores.

Thumbs Down: 4 Materials to Avoid

Particleboard: “Do not use particleboard for cabinets,” cautions Debra Lynn Dadd, author of "Home Safe Home: Creating a Healthy Home Environment by Reducing Exposure to Toxic Household Products." “It emits formaldehyde, which can make your eyes water and cause rashes.” It’s also a suspected human carcinogen. Cabinet-grade plywood is a better alternative, and custom-made solid wood cabinets (preferably reclaimed wood) are the best option, Dadd says.
Imported Materials: “Try to source materials as locally as possible,” Dadd says. The material itself isn’t usually the problem; after all, products like marble and granite are natural stone — usually a good choice. “But it’s all about how you get it here,” she says. Shipping granite from Italy, for example, uses a tremendous amount of fuel and other resources. Check with local kitchen remodeling stores and services to see if they have some decent-sized hunks of scrap stone that can work for your project.
Toxic glues, grouts and stains: Even the most eco-friendly product gets tainted if high-VOC products are used to adhere or finish it. Follow the process through and make sure you specify low-VOC products. Ask your builder or your local hardware store about the most environmentally friendly options, such as nontoxic glues, low-VOC tile adhesive and polymer-free grout. Using polymers does help prevent mold, so be sure to use an eco-friendly sealant in their place. And use natural materials — like beeswax to seal bamboo — whenever possible, Bexelius says.
Wood from non-sustainable forests: Hardwood is a wonderful natural material, but deforestation concerns make it important to do your homework. Contact the lumberyard, the manufacturer or your contractor and start asking questions. “Be your own reporter; find out if the wood is coming from a sustainably managed forest,” Bexelius says. “Are the trees being replanted? If not, don’t buy it.”

We would like to thank GAIAM LIFE for the information above.

Suzanne Dutoy : A service with the sign of Excellence

2010-11-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Dutoy has a lot to offer as a Realtor:
- A solid education: MBA (Master in Business and Administration), Scholarship for Excellence-Broker (2007) – RE/MAx

- Expertise in credit risks and considerable skills in project management and negotiations

- A smiling, fully motivated agent

- The personalized welcome you love to get

- The dynamics of efficient and rapid service

- The assurance of total availability

- The guarantee of absolute seriousness in carrying out the mandate

- The reassuring certitude that there is finally someone you can trust

- Her specialties: bringing sellers and buyers together

Here is one of the great properties that Suzanne has waiting for you :

Luxury on the lake! Located on a large lot directly on the lac St-Louis with a superb view on Baie d'Urfé. Relaxing site, only 15 minutes from the Island of Montreal.

The plan of this home is great due to the great layout
divisions, separate dining room, elegant living room,
cordial family room, exceptional kitchen including an
island, and to top it all off its solarium has a direct
view on the lake.

Enjoy the fairytale like sunsets on the water.

Feel like you are on a country vacation year round!

Visit more rooms of this lovely property by visiting Suzanne's Web Site: http://ow.ly/32SD9

For more information regarding The West Island , visit Agents par Secteur : http://ow.ly/32SF3

Gina Lavoie, Real Estate Broker in Lasalle, Qc

2010-10-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

For 24 years now, Gina has been very active in the Atwater market district (south west) as an experienced professional real estate broker. Well-known for her communication skills and her honest and efficient approach, her customers benefit from her expertise and her knowledge of the real estate market. Having lived and worked in this region, she can negotiate the best possible price and can also offer you excellent advice.

Graduated in administration, Gina worked in this domain before getting interested in real estate. She also acquired many years experience in a family firm in retail business. She started her career with ‘’ The Permanent’’ and joined the Sutton Group in 1994.

Your satisfaction is her priority; from beginning to end. She advises you in the process of buying or selling and will pay particular attention to all the details of the transaction. Gina has many sales to her credit including more than 29 transactions already this year. It is said that she really works for her clients and it’s the truth. She will offer you a highly professional service that will meet your very best expectations.

For a satisfactory transaction with complete peace of mind,
contact Gina Lavoie.
Office : 514-861-3000
Fax : 514-364-3649
E-mail : glavoie@sutton.com

Designer's house whispered 'art deco'

2010-07-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

- You've heard of the horse whisperer? Trevor Compton is more of a house whisperer.

The local interior designer says often, a house "speaks" to him about the kind of decor that suits it best, like his own, flat-roof, 1950s home, in which he found the perfect showcase for his collection of art deco furnishings and collectibles.

While art deco dates from the 1920s and '30s, some 20 years or more before his own North Glenora house was built, Compton has found the perfect marriage of the two in the clean lines and architectural esthetic they share.

The art deco movement encompassed a range of styles over those years, from soft curves and flowing lines in the 1920s, evolving into a harder, more architectural look in the 1930s, he says. His collection spans the gamut of styles.

His 3,000-square-foot house, which he bought seven years ago, was built in the art moderne style by a local architect for himself and his family. "He would have trained in the '40s, when they still would have had that art deco esthetic, but he did all kinds of things that were new at the time," like adding double-glazed windows, weeping tile and insulation, says Compton.

"I've tried to restore it, rather than renovate it. The house really spoke to me. It said art deco, kind of a Hollywood glamour," he adds. To that end, he's included geometric, leaded-glass inserts in the interior doors and had a matching glass panel made that runs along the side of the main staircase.

His furniture, decorative glassware, clock collection and many other accents are all art deco, amassed over many years of searching here and in Montreal, where Compton used to work as the head of display for the Eaton's downtown store. Since returning to Edmonton in 1991, he's worked at Finesse, Hothouse and now, at Cottswood Interiors as a design consultant.

"I go to lots of clients' houses and sometimes they want to imprint their style on the house and they don't allow the house to speak," he says. "Sometimes the house speaks a language that's quite definite as to what kind of style it should be."

He recalls one woman in a flat-roof house like his who had decorated the home in a Victorian style. "It was such a jarring disconnect between what the house style should have been and what it was. She actually did the house a disservice."

But that doesn't mean a particular house can take only one style of decor, he adds.

The prior owners of his house had decorated it in an ultra-modern, almost space-age style that worked very well in the home, though it was built more than 50 years ago.

"This clean-line esthetic can take an art deco look, it can take a '50s look, it can take a really contemporary look. ... This era of house was really a kind of chameleon for lots of design styles that would come after it was built," Compton says.

The house has been modernized in many ways, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Compton has also changed the doors and windows, but has tried to maintain the same graphic, clean lines of the house.

He has also added beautiful outdoor spaces, including a "plaza" on his front lawn that includes gorgeous landscaping, a water feature, sculptures and outdoor furniture. On the second floor, a large balcony includes a smaller water feature and a dining area.

"It's a real entertaining house," says Compton.

His modern kitchen opens to a large dining area and living room. A second, smaller and more intimate dining room used to be the owner/ architect's office. Now it's filled with an art deco dining suite and collectibles.

But soon, Compton hopes it will take on someone else's personal style, as he's selling his home and downsizing to a condo.

Our thanks to :
Marta Gold, Edmonton Journal

Caisse de depot real estate subsidiary to sell company to Australian bank - Winnipeg Free Press

2010-06-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

Caisse de depot real estate subsidiary to sell company to Australian bank - Winnipeg Free Press

How to make your home as easy to maintain as possible

2010-06-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Copy of a great article by Marc Atiyolil, celebrity designer

Dear Marc:

I am a mother of three and have a full time job. When it was just my husband and me living in our house, I found it easier to maintain and clean. There was less traffic and I had more time available to dust and clean because I didn’t have my kids to take care of. I have to say with my kids being at a young age, I want to spend time with them when I get home, as opposed to having to clean for hours at a time, and then put them to bed. I don’t want to be remembered as the mom who never spent time with her kids. Can you give me tips on how I can make my home easier to maintain so that I have more time to spend with my kids?

— Beatrice

Dear Beatrice:

It is understandable that you want to spend time with your children when they are young because they won’t be young forever. Every homeowner struggles between having a designer space and being able to maintain this beautiful space they have created. Let’s face it, some of the spaces we consider “chic” would take us hours to clean and dust.

As a working mother, you must prioritize and customize your design to fit your lifestyle. Your first step to modifying your design is to figure out exactly how much time you have to maintain your home. Once you have determined the amount of time you have to clean and maintain, you will be better able to decide what stays and what has to be changed.

The first thing that most parents have in their homes that is not necessary is an excess of accessories. They clutter up our homes, take hours to dust and the kids usually end up dropping them and they break. So, why do we clutter up our homes with accessories? Homeowners think the more accessories they have, the better. Well, this is not the case. Examine the designer spaces seen in magazines. These spaces are usually simple and use distinct accessories that add to the overall design. Each accessory is carefully chosen and placed in the room. They are not there because the designer had an extra piece that didn’t fit into any other room in the home so they decided “Why not place it here?”

The trick to decluttering your home is to prioritize your accessories. Which ones actually fit into your colour scheme? If an accessory doesn’t fit into your colour scheme, then it doesn’t belong in your design. There is one exception — if the accessory is a family heirloom or a painting from the kids, you probably want to keep it. Even these elements can easily be modified to fit your design. If grandma’s antique chair doesn’t fit into the colour scheme, have it re-upholstered. If it was grandma’s chair, it’s probably due to be reupholstered to cover up the years of wear and tear and it will look great once it’s redone. In another scenario where it is a child’s painting, change the frame or the matting of the piece to suit your colour scheme. With a creative mind and an eye for colour, every design element can easily be modified to fit one’s colour scheme.

Also look at different colours and textiles when modifying your design. One colour every family should avoid is white. Let’s face it: no matter how much we try to keep it white, it’s just not going to happen. I have white leather chairs in my home and even I, with no children, have to be extra careful because I could stain them simply by sitting on them when wearing blue jeans. White leather is just too much maintenance.

Another maintenance friendly idea is to try to have patterns in your fabrics. Nothing camouflages a stain like a busy patterned fabric. Why do you think restaurants always go with patterned fabrics for their chairs and booths? If a customer spills his drink on the fabric, the restaurant does not have to re-upholster the entire chair. Let’s take this tip of the trade and use this in our homes as well.

There are a number of ways to create a low-maintenance design. The key is to keep things simple and take into account your family’s lifestyle when designing. Ask yourself this question, “who will essentially be using this space when I am done designing it?” The answer to this question will guide you in the right direction to creating your family-friendly design.

Marc Atiyolil, celebrity designer and home trend expert is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends — Canada’s Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine, and regular contributor to numerous TV, radio and print media.

Condo board lords

2010-06-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Canada's borders span thousands of kilo-metres from coast to coast. The country is known for its vast expanse and abundance of space. In its urban centres, however, it has experienced steady increases in population density, creating the opportunity, and necessity, for an entire industry of condominium development. I should know. In my zeal to move from the north end of the city to the downtown King West neighbourhood, I became a condo owner, finding it the most convenient (and affordable) way to live downtown. It's a decision that hasn't disappointed. My "commute" to work is a five-minute walk. Everything I need, from a dry cleaner to my favourite yoga studio, is just outside my door. And I no longer have to deal with summers of grass-cutting or winters of driveway-shovelling. But I do have to deal with the condo board.

Oh, the condo board. The focus of a love-hate relationship for many owners. Here's a little background on the way a condo runs.

Where the owner of a detached freehold house may act as the king of their kingdom, the owner of a condominium is more like a citizen in a democratic land. Owners (considered the members of the official-sounding Condominium Corporation, a.k. a the condo) elect a board of directors (also known as the condo board) whose main responsibility is to make decisions about the building, its rules and its maintenance, on behalf of the owners. The board, in turn, hires a property management company, which runs the day-to-day activities of the building, including arranging for maintenance, cleaning and superintendant services.

Members of the board are typically elected on staggered one-, two-or three-year terms, so that the composition of the board is constantly changing to reflect a broad range of expertise and experience. Boards are usually made up of three to seven members (the actual number will be listed in the condo rules and regulations) who are all owners, and new members are elected at the annual general meeting as terms expire. The main responsibilities of the board are to ensure that the building runs smoothly, that owners' best interests are represented and that the value of the condo and its units is maintained. In practical terms, that means the board makes decisions on everything from the condo bylaws, to repairs of common elements. They also set the annual budget, which may include deciding whether there should be a change in maintenance fees paid by owners. With all their power, it may sound like the condo board has the final word on all things condo-related, but board members have their own set of rules to follow; they are governed by the provincial Condominium Property Act, which outlines how they must administer condo rules, how funds are accounted for and how the corporation must save for large expenses.

With condo boards representing such a large and diverse group of owners, all with different ideas, interests and beliefs, it's not surprising that there is often dissent among some owners and the board. While one group may agree with a board decision wholeheartedly, there will no doubt be others that oppose the decision with a vehemence rivalling Lady Gaga's opposition to pants. In my condo, tensions between the board and some owners once rose to a level necessitating lawyers' letters and Internet rants, creating an uncomfortably tense atmosphere that has thankfully subsided. It's understandable how tensions can arise, however, since there seems to be a central belief that, as a homeowner, I can do whatever I want with my property. In a condo, this freedom is significantly limited. Renovations, outdoor decor, even the colour of my blinds, are all governed by the rules of my building and administered by the condo board. As we all learned in the sandboxes of our youth, when you share space with others, you have to learn to share and play nice.

One way to ensure your ideas are heard is to become a member of the board. It's not for everyone. Sitting on the board requires a significant investment of time and effort, but board members have the power to vote on decisions that directly affect their home. On the other hand, they're also on the receiving end of owners' questions, comments and complaints on what can feel like a daily basis. So before volunteering to run for any board position, weigh the pros and cons, and figure out if you're the right person for the job. Board members should have the time and energy necessary to serve their position well and become educated about the inner workings of the Condo Corp.; the condo board at my building meets monthly, but communicates informally with owners on a day-to-day basis. They need to have excellent listening skills, great teamwork skills and a sense of diplomacy that will come in handy during disagreements with owners, or even the other board members. They need to be patient, hardworking, flexible and, above all, they must keep the owners' best interests as the central focus for every decision.

Love them or hate them, condo boards are a fact of life for condo owners. The best way to handle them is to become well-versed in the condo's rules and regulations, to maintain a sense of humour and grace and, if you're up for some hard work, run for a position on the board and become a key player in running your building.

Thank you to : National Post

http://agentsbysector.com

House prices to fall next year

2010-06-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

A “demand-driven downturn” will drive house prices lower by the end of 2011, the association which represents the country’s 100,000 real estate agents said Wednesday.

In an updated market forecast, the Canadian Real Estate Association said the national average resale price will reach a record $325,400 by the end of this year, a gain of 1.6 per cent from current levels.

And while most markets are expected to post “modest” price gains in 2011, lower prices Ontario and British Columbia will drag the national average down by 2.2 per cent.

Its January forecast called for a 1.5-per-cent decline.

“With interest rates soon expected to rise, Canada is widely believed to be entering a typical demand-driven downturn due to recent prices increases and rising interest rates,” said the organization’s chief economist Gregory Klump.
Tougher mortgage qualification rules and the threat of higher interest rates caused many buyers to jump into the market sooner than they may have otherwise, he said, effectively stealing sales from the second half of the year.

“CREA had previously forecasted sales would remain at elevated levels through the first half of 2010 before easing in the second half of the year and over 2011,” the association said in a statement.

“It has been pulled forward, with the fourth quarter of 2009 marking the peak of national activity. This has had the effect of lowering the forecast for national activity over the rest of the year and in 2011.”

CREA expects 490,600 units will be sold this year, a 5.5 per cent jump over 2009 and the second highest level on record. Sales will drop by 8.5 per cent in 2011, however, compared to its previous forecast of 7.1 per cent.

There is no threat of a “U.S.-style housing price correction,” CREA said, because of “Canada’s solid mortgage market trends, conservative lending practices, and prudent borrowing by home buyers.”

The report echoes a recent reports, which have also predicted prices will move lower in the next year. CIBC World Markets economist Benjamin Tal said last week that prices could fall by as much as 10 per cent in the next two years.

TD Bank suggested last month prices could fall by 2.7 per cent in 2011, while Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. called for higher prices in 2011, with an anticipated gain of 1.3 per cent.

From: Steve Ladurantaye
Globe and Mail Update

http://agentsbysector.com

Condo Buying : Brushing up on the Basics

2010-05-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Information provided by Kathleen Waters, vice-president, TitlePLUS

No matter if you're a seasoned homebuyer or a first-timer, you need to know about the many unique aspects of purchasing a condominium before you buy one. A good first step is to familiarize yourself with some condo basics, as outlined in this article. Then, before you buy, talk to your real estate lawyer who will not only be able to answer your questions but may also raise some specific issues you?ll want to discuss with the seller (or developer) before you ink the deal.

What is a condominium? A condominium is a residential structure in which the living space called the ?unit? (e.g., apartments or townhouses) is individually owned as a piece of real estate while the land and common elements (e.g., elevators, hallways and/or sidewalks) are jointly owned by all of the unit owners.

A condominium unit could be a suite in a high-rise tower, a townhouse or even a detached house. Each unit is given a legal description based on the space that it occupies.

Storage lockers and parking spaces may also be created as units within the condominium or they can comprise part of the common elements designated for the exclusive use of a specific dwelling unit.

The condominium corporation operates the condominium and the land. The unit owners elect a board of directors to oversee the running of the condominium corporation, including financial decisions. The board may contract out the day-to-day workings of the condominium (e.g., paying of utility bills for the common elements, cleaning the common elements, snow removal, etc.) to a property manager or property management company, or may run the day-to-day workings of the condominium itself.

What kind of condominium do I want to purchase? Types of condominiums in Ontario include:

Common elements condominiums: In a common elements condominium, you own the freehold land and the building(s) on the land. There are no specific units. You also own a percentage interest in the common elements. For example, homes could be freehold but roads and facilities, such as a recreational centre, could be common elements.

Phased condominiums: In a phased condominium development, different parts (e.g. new units or new recreational facilities) of a single condominium can be built in phases. As each phase is constructed, it is added into the already existing condominium corporation.

Vacant land condominiums: In a vacant land condominium, you purchase the land as a unit in the condominium. Then, you may decide what type of structure, if any, will be built on the land, subject to restrictions in the condominium's Declaration.

Leasehold condominiums: In leasehold condominiums, you own a unit and a share of the common elements, subject to the ground lease of the property on which the units and common elements are constructed. The initial term of the lease must be between 40-99 years, and the owner of the leasehold unit can sell, mortgage or lease the unit without the consent of the landlord.
Standard condominiums: Standard condominiums are those that aren't defined as the other types of condominiums (i.e., common elements condominium, phased condominium, vacant land condominium or leasehold condominium).

Fabienne Malenfant
http://agentsbysector.com

A conversation with a home staging specialist :Yves Doyle, affiliated real estate agent from la Capitale du Mont-Royal

2010-05-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yves Doyle, affiliated real estate agent from la Capitale du Mont-Royal*
The small world of real estate
Volume 2, Issue 5 – May 2010
A conversation with a home staging specialist
We have the pleasure, this month, of interviewing Lucie Desrochers, who specialises in home staging and interior decorating. Lucie works regularly with Yves on home staging projects.
The small world of real estate: How did you become a specialist in home staging and interior decorating?
Lucie Desrochers: I’ve been dreaming of home decorating since I was young… As life is made of a succession of detours, it’s only now, after having spent 16 years as a real estate agent that I’ve finally made the switch. I studied interior decorating at the end of the 90s, beginning of 2000, and I’ve always had a good eye for it. Home staging is a natural evolution for me.
TSWRE: What more do you bring your clients when they consult you for a home staging project?
LD: The keen eye of a specialist who knows exactly how to set furniture and objects, where to hang pictures, how to free up some space as well as what to keep and what to get rid of.
TSWRE: Do you work mostly with real estate agents or is your clientele more diversified?
LD: My home staging projects are almost always done in collaboration with agents who send me their clients when an intervention is deemed necessary to improve the odds of selling the property rapidly and at the best price. I also have a home decorating clientele who consult me because they’ve seen my website or because I was recommended by a former client.
TSWRE: What aspects of your profession do you particularly enjoy?
LD: The home staging projects are my favourite ones for the short term results that they bring but mostly for the challenge of transforming an ordinary space into something a lot nicer with what is available in the house. It’s often a huge challenge but it always turns out great. It’s like magic!

Here is an example of Lucie’s work. These pictures from her website (www.luciedesrochers.com) were taken during a home staging project in a condo on Parc Lafontaine:

See next month’s newsletter for the conclusion of the interview...

*La Capitale du Mont-Royal CHARTERED REAL ESTATE BROKER
1152, ave du Mont-Royal est Montréal (Québec) H2J 1X8
Office: 514-597-2121 Fax: 514-597-0712 Cell: 514-812-7582
ydoyle@lacapitalevendu.com www.yvesdoyle.com
© 2010 Anne Marie Joly — conception and translation — amjoly@aei.ca
© 2009 Lucie Desrochers — photos www.luciedesrochers.com

Yves Doyle, affiliated real estate agent from La Capitale du Mont-Royal

2010-04-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

The small world of real estate
Volume 2, Issue 4 April 2010

Internet and real estate: friends or foes?
How many real estate websites are there in Canada? No less than 400! According to an article on canoe.ca, 85% of people use the Internet to buy or sell their house. The social networking sites have also begun to transform the picture. Indeed there have been cases of people selling their property in just a few days after having sent a message to their Facebook and Twitter contacts. What exactly is the role of the Internet in the resell business? According to Yves, who has been following the trend over the last 10 years and who quickly realized that a website can make all the difference in the world, the Internet is a definite must. That said, one must not think that “tweets” will erase real estate agents from the map. Of course, it is possible to get a quick sell — without the help of an agent but with the contribution of real estate websites — for one’s lovely-two-bedroom-condo-on-the-Plateau-at-the-market-price. But will it really be the best price the owner could have gotten? We will never know because the property was not shown on the actual market. When the situation is a tad more complex, such as an undivided apartment, a plex located out of the mainstream or a property sold without legal warranty of quality, the owner will have to contact a real estate professional if he really intends to sell his property within a reasonable time frame. Yes, the future of real estate transactions depends on the Internet and the use of social networking sites but no, real estate agents are not on the endangered species list…!

Yves’s website in numbers
According to Google Analytics data for www.yvesdoyle.com from February 5 to March 7, 2010, there were 890 visits (including 668 absolute unique visitors). There was a traffic peak on February 8 and March 1st, when the monthly newsletter was put online. Visitors came from 5 countries, as follows: Canada (872), France (8), United States (6), Australia (3) and Haiti (1). On average, each visitor looked at 4.75 pages/visit and spent 2,36 minutes on the site. Finally, 65.51% of traffic was made up of new visitors. Keep reading and we’ll give you more stats at the end of 2010.

2009 Performance Gala
Just a few words to underline Yves’s fine performance as a solo real estate agent (remember he worked only part of 2009 as a solo agent): he was ranked 64th of the top 100 solo real estate agents of La Capitale in the province of Québec!

La Capitale du Mont-Royal
CHARTERED REAL ESTATE BROKER
1152, ave du Mont-Royal est
Montréal (Québec)
H2J 1X8

Office: 514-597-2121
Fax: 514-597-0712
Cell: 514-812-7582
ydoyle@lacapitalevendu.com
www.yvesdoyle.com

© 2010 Anne Marie Joly — Copy Writing and Page Setting

Fabienne Malenfant
Relationist
Agents by Sector

http://agentsbysector.com

National sale increase for Canadian Homes

2010-04-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Due to continuing affordability, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is calling for a national sales increase of more than 13 per cent this year compared to 2009.

It predicts about 527,300 resale homes will likely change hands this year -- a total that would surpass the existing 2007 record by 1.2 per cent.

Canada's economic health is improving at a faster pace that predicted, says deputy chief economist Doug Porter of BMO Capital Markets. "We're heading back to pre-recession levels on a number of indicators quite a bit faster than I think most people believed possible, despite concerns over how this would be a lacklustre recovery," he says.

Gross domestic product (GDP) was originally expected to grow by 3.7 per cent in the first three months of this year, an estimate Porter says could now be low.

Productivity is up 1.4 per cent and manufacturing sales are up 2.4 per cent.

"These figures suggest there's upside risk to that forecast and we could ultimately see something like we saw in the fourth quarter, when the economy barrelled ahead at a five-per-cent annual pace," say Porter.

In tandem with a resurging economy, consumers are taking advantage of low interest rates to get into home ownership, says CREA. Those low rates are expected to boost housing demand in the first half of this year, but will decline for the final six months because of expected hikes in mortgage rates as early as June.

The decline is expected to spill over into 2011, when sales could fall by just over seven per cent, says the association.

"Although interest rates are expected to rise, they will still be low enough to keep affordability within reach for many homebuyers," says CREA president Dale Ripplinger.

Indications are that rates will climb between 25 and 75 basis points (one per cent equals 100 basis points).

But Porter says "risks are growing" that the Bank of Canada will do more than hike by 25 basis points at each of its four meetings in the second half of this year.

Gregory Klump, CREA's chief economist, sees marginal increases.

"Fiscal restraint, a strong Canadian dollar and a subdued inflation outlook point to marginal interest rate increases over the next couple of years -- especially if the U. S, economic recovery proves to be weak and protracted," he says.

With sales activity pointing up in Canada, average prices will follow.

CREA numbers show a predicted 5.4-per-cent increase to the national average selling price to a record $337,500. In 2011, the price will likely slip back 1.5 per cent, again shadowing a decline in sales.

Thank you to Marty Hope for this article

http://agentsbysector.com

Housing market heats up

2010-04-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Royal LePage Q1 Survey: Real estate firm cites 'low borrowing costs, improving consumer confidence'

Although it experienced uneven growth nationwide, the Canadian housing market was generally buoyed by strong consumer demand in the first quarter of 2010, according to the Royal LePage House Price Survey released yesterday.

"The first quarter of 2010 continued where 2009 left off, with more Canadians enthusiastically participating in a rejuvenated residential real estate market," Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, said in a release. "One of the earliest sectors of the economy to return to growth after the difficult recessionary period, the housing sector has been a prime beneficiary of low borrowing costs and improving consumer confidence."

House prices were up across all key housing types surveyed by Royal LePage, with the average price of a detached bungalow in Canada rising 11 per cent to $329,209 in the first quarter, compared with the first quarter a year earlier. Standard two-storey homes rose 10.3 per cent, to $365,141, and standard condos were up 10.9 per cent, to $228,963.

The survey, which looks at 250 neighbourhoods coast to coast, found three different trends across the country.

The first pattern, seen in urban centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria, was a roller-coaster effect in which prices dropped sharply, then rose dramatically to levels that exceed pre-recessionary prices. The second trend saw non-stop growth in markets like Halifax, Ottawa, Regina, Saint John, St. John's and Winnipeg. The third pattern saw level markets, where house prices have remained relatively unchanged in centres like Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and Moncton.

The report notes, however, that price increases in all markets are expected to ease in mid- to late-2010.

"Even in our most frenzied pockets of market activity, the inevitable rise in interest rates coupled with home price appreciation will rein in demand as affordability erodes," Soper said.

"Expect house prices to continue to rise, but the rate of appreciation should ebb steadily, month by month, throughout the remainder of the year, as balance returns to the industry."

Thank you to the :

Financial Post

Does CREA rules on MLS ?

2010-04-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Commissioner of Competition recently made an application to the Competition Tribunal claiming that the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) uses control of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to impose exclusionary restrictions on the use of MLS.

The commissioner claims CREA rules on MLS lessen or prevent competition and deny consumers the benefits of competition in the Canadian residential real estate services market. CREA maintains it has adopted the MLS rule changes proposed by the commissioner. However, the commissioner remains unsatisfied with CREA's changes. It has sought redress from the tribunal.

The commissioner's challenge hardly matters. Powerful external change drivers are already at work altering the way real estate agents conduct business. These external change drivers are a more disruptive force for change than the heavy hand of government.

Canada's residential real estate industry structure is riveted around MLS. Until recently, CREA rules permitted only agents to place an MLS listing and required that the agent handle all phases of a sale. This included setting a list price for the property, preparing a written description of the home and uploading it to the MLS system, marketing the property, handling buyer inquiries, arranging showings and managing the transaction.

These rules limited the industry to one business model, restricting competition and service innovation. For example, the rules prevented flat fee and "à la carte" service. The MLS rule change adopted by CREA is a good first step that opens the way for service innovation, greater competition and consumer choice. It is only the beginning of more significant change to come to the sector.

Technology, demographics, globalization and social and economic change drivers will have a more profound impact on the sector than enforcement of Canada's competition laws. These change drivers, which will create opportunity for entrepreneurial organizations to innovate, will refocus the industry on the customer rather than on inward preservation of the status quo.

Consumers of residential real estate services have benefited only in a limited way from technology innovation. CREA began to convert MLS from a paper to an electronic system in 1995. While the world is swimming in a sea of technological innovation, the information available for public access on MLS is extremely limited.

For example, MLS does not provide access to listings for homes that have been sold and their closing price, agent fee information and the pricing history of a home. By contrast, U.S. purchasers of residential real estate services have an abundance of information found on real estate sites such as Zillow.com and Trulia.com, which give consumers enormous market power. These sites are effective competitors to Realtor.com, a National Association of Realtors site.

Canadian consumers of real estate services have limited buying and selling information to place downward pressure on house prices and agent fees. It is just a matter of time until an entrepreneurial, innovative, technologically smart organization seizes the opportunity and challenges CREA's lock on the residential real estate market.

Globalization is a significant change driver for most sectors of the economy. Many countries, particularly the United States, are experiencing significant stress in their residential real estate market. The healthy Canadian real estate sector is attractive to foreign organizations. These organizations seeking competitive advantage and differentiation will circumvent CREA rules and focus on the consumer's need for a superior value proposition.

Demographics will affect the long-term health of the residential real estate market. Declining fertility, increased life expectancy and an aging population will change the structure of Canada's population. A house will return to being a place to live rather than a get-rich-quick investment scheme. House prices will decline in the suburbs. Prices in the inner core of cities such as Toronto will stabilize. Demand for large homes will drop significantly.

By 2015, the residential real estate sector will decline as Boomers retire and downsize. This will be somewhat offset by a demand for country homes. New family formation will decline, resulting in reduced demand for new housing. In sum, demographics will negatively affect the residential real estate brokerage sector. The forecast is for a slow decline that will place pressure on the realtor's value proposition, push for service innovation, and place downward pressure on agent fees.

The Commissioner of Competition's task is to ensure that competitive forces determine market outcomes. This objective is often achieved through government intervention. However, intrusion in the market place is a quick fix that fails to have lasting effects and it requires long-term monitoring to ensure compliance. Companies soon learn how to game the system. Eventually the government watchdog is indiscernible from the "regulated" company.

Evolving market demographics, technology, globalization and social change drivers are significantly more effective and more powerful in bringing about change than is government intervention. Change creates opportunity for innovative entrepreneurial organizations. It refocuses organizations away from internal concerns to external consumer needs. Entrepreneurial organizations will cause creative destruction in the sector, bringing innovative services and the benefits of competition to consumers, and greater competitive rivalry to the sector.

In the long term, the commissioner's challenge will not matter.

ehoey@hoeyassociates.com

Eamon Hoey is managing partner of Toronto-based Hoey Associates Management Consultants.

http://agentsparsecteur.com

Hausse des taux d'intérêt: l'échéance se rapproche | Rudy Le Cours | Canada

2010-03-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hausse des taux d'intérêt: l'échéance se rapproche Rudy Le Cours Canada

Protecting your privacy while selling your home

2010-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Selling your home may be difficult, considering that you must open your doors to potential buyers. Your privacy and security may become an issue when showing your home to buyers, so it is important to consider all your options before you welcome someone into your home

For many individuals, it is very important for them to protect their privacy, while others are simply concerned that buyers will make assumptions about them and judge them instead of simply judging their home. However, the importance of protecting your privacy is all the same and that goes for anything personal from financial information, such as check books to banks statements and personal letters.

Private documents: Is it snooping to open a drawer? Not if the drawer is part of a built-in such as a kitchen cabinet or a dining room china cabinet. Buyers can innocently tug on a drawer to inspect its construction or depth and find important documents that you might not intend for anyone to see. If you have a lock on your file cabinet or desk drawer, now is the time to use it.

Don't leave mail where anybody can find it. Lots of sellers leave piles of opened mail neatly stacked on the kitchen counter. Buyers could find out how much you owe department stores or other credit cards. They can tell if you're late on your mortgage payments or other bills.

Remove diplomas and wedding photos from walls: Remove personal effects from your walls. From diplomas and religious artifacts to wedding certificates and personal photos, don't provide buyers with any personal information about yourself or your family. De-personalizing is also an important move to make when staging your home for sale anyway, so you can actually accomplish two things by removing the personal effects from your home.

Wedding photos might give away the seller's religion, as do certain religious artifacts left in the home. Buyers can be prejudiced. Don't give buyers a way to form any opinion about you at all. Don't let buyers form ideas about you from the type of music you like or the literature you read.

Don't leave your computer up and running during showings. Gaining personal information from your computer takes only moments for a professional hacker or thief, so be proactive and shut your computer down before your guests arrive.

Before you put your home in the market, prep it, empty out drawers, stage closets and pack up anything remotely personal including medications. Disassociate yourself with your home - remind yourself that it is a house - a product to be sold on an open market that is bound to see plenty of new faces throughout the term of the selling process.

Thank you to :

Anna Vozza is president of the Windsor-Essex County Real Estate Board

Http://agentspartsecteur.com

Canadian home resales

2010-03-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

By Alexandre Deslongchamps

March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian home resales fell 1.5 percent to 42,799 units in February, the second straight decline, the Canadian Real Estate Association said today.

The drop was most pronounced in Vancouver and the group said the Olympic Games may have had an effect on sales, according to a statement posted on its Web site. The average resale price rose 18 percent from a year ago to C$335,655 ($329,330), CREA also said.

“Housing markets are becoming more balanced,” CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump said in the release. “Further expected supply increases will continue to take the steam out of housing markets as the year progresses.”

Canada’s mortgage rates are close to the lowest since the Korean War, spurring home sales and prices as the country emerges from a recession. Housing starts rose to the highest since October 2008 in February, and the government-owned Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. predicted on March 2 housing starts will rise this year and next.

The total number of homes for sale fell 15 percent from a year ago to 188,334 units in February, even after 73,849 units were put on the market last month -- the most since October 2008. There were enough homes on the market in February to cover sales for 4.7 months, up from January’s 4.5 months.

--Editors: Paul Badertscher, Andrew Barden

To contact the reporter on this story: Alexandre Deslongchamps in Ottawa at adeslongcham@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net; David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net.

Canadian Real Estate Market in February

2010-03-09T09:55:00.001-08:00

As written in the Toronto Sun .

Canada’s real estate market showed no sign of losing steam in February, with housing starts rising faster than expected and a new survey showing 10% of Canadians expect to buy a home in the next two years.

Seasonally adjusted housing starts were 196,700 in the month, up from 185,400 in January, according to figures from the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corp. That was above analysts’ forecasts for a 190,000 gain.

RBC’s 17th annual home ownership study found that the number of Canadians saying they are very likely to buy a new home rose from 7% two years ago to 10%. The number of people who view their house as a good investment rose to a 12-year high of 91%.

Canada’s real estate market has been one of the main drivers of economic growth, with housing construction helping to power a 5% expansion in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter.

Some economists have forecast that the property market will begin to cool from the second half, when the Bank of Canada is expected to begin raising interest rates and demand and supply of available housing becomes more balanced.

“The gain in February housing starts was concentrated in the multiple starts segment, particularly in Toronto,” said Bob Dugan, chief economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre.

Urban multiple starts, or condos, increased by 19.1% to 89,900 units while single urban starts increased by 0.5% to 89,200 units.

Urban starts rose 28.6% in Ontario, 14.3% in Atlantic Canada, 10.8% in the Prairie region and 8% in British Columbia. In Quebec, urban starts dropped 14.1%.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17,600 units in February.

According to the RBC poll, younger Canadians between the ages of 18 to 24 are likely to lead the market. About 15% said they were likely to buy, almost double the number in 2009.

About 60% also believe housing prices will continue to rise this year, up from just 25% this time a year ago. They also expect mortgage rates to rise, with two-thirds expecting to have to pay more, the bank said.

That belief is being reflected in the choice of mortgage, with 16% opting for a variable rate loan compared with 20% last year.

We would like to thank Ms. Sharon Singleton of The Toronto Sun

http://www.agentsbysector.com

Four of Canada biggest real estate companies to share listings.

2010-01-21T12:58:00.001-08:00

-- Canada’s four biggest real estate companies are close to an agreement to share their listings, the National Post reported.

Century 21, Royal LePage, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada and Coldwell Banker have met “several times” in the past year to work on an accord under which they could take sales listings from each other’s Web sites and post them to their own, the Post said. Re/Max of Western Canada and Re/Max Quebec aren’t part of the proposed deal, the newspaper said.

The companies say the proposed agreement is unrelated to an inquiry by Canada’s Competition Bureau into a restricted-access system called Multiple Listing Service, which is controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association, the Post said. The pact could provide realtors with an alternative to the MLS system if it’s modified as a result of the two-year-old investigation, the newspaper said.

For now, only licensed real estate agents who are members of local real-estate boards can post listings on MLS, the Post said. The Competition Bureau has requested the real estate association remove all rules that prohibit or impede the posting of property information on MLS systems, the newspaper said.

To contact the reporter for this story: Frederic Tomesco in Montreal at tomesco@bloomberg.net.

Fabienne Malenfant

Relationist

http://agentsbysector.com

How to Remodel Your Kitchen Cabinets

2010-01-14T12:42:00.001-08:00

Tips to Remodel Your Kitchen Cabinets Economically

If you are willing to put in extra hard work, remodel your kitchen cabinets yourself. This will not only give your kitchen a personal look but also save money. But before doing this, it is of paramount importance to know to what extent you want to remodel the kitchen cabinets. If your kitchen cabinetry is deteriorating very fast, there are 2 ways to remodel or change its look, either refinish the doors or replace the whole cabinetry.

If you think only refurnishing kitchen cabinet doors is enough, go for it as it is a cheaper way to remodel cabinets. First decide on the paint color; if you are interested in doing this yourself, visit the hardware store to get the supplies. Most of the time, people in hardware stores are very supportive help to choose cabinet paint. Also, there are plenty of websites that offer a wide range of kitchen supplies at discounted rates. You can save plenty of dollars by buying material from these websites for kitchen remodeling.

While repainting your cabinet doors, try to match the color of the paint with the overall color theme of the kitchen. Thanks to wide variety of colors available in the market, you will not face any problem in finding a color to match the kitchen theme. This will greatly help to add a new look to your kitchen at economical rates.

However, if repainting is not the solution for your worn-out kitchen cabinetry, you need to replace them. For buying new kitchen cabinets economically, search discount stores and sales shops. You will get kitchen cabinets at low prices there. Also check out online furniture stores where they sell kitchen furniture at discount rates.

Another way to buy cheap kitchen cabinet is RTA or Ready-to-Assemble cabinets. These cabinets are ready to assemble with everything packed including cabinet doors, frames, hinges and drawers. As they are easy to assemble they don’t need any professional help for installation too thus making them an economic deal. They not only help you save money on cabinets but on shipping too.

We are always searching for new ideas for you on the Web

For mor info www.AboutCabinets.net

Fabienne Malenfant

Relationist

http://agentsbysector.com

You want to paint your home yourself ? Here is how

2010-01-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

So you are ready to do some home improvement and paint some rooms in your home. Here are a few steps that hopefully will help make the painting process a little easier. First of all what tools and equipment do you need?

• Paint and paint brushes, of course; use the size of paint brush that is easiest for you to hold

• A step ladder if there is any high work to be done

Roller bucket, roller frame, roller knap, roller grid

• Cut pot (for the cut in work around trim etc)

• Drop cloths or other material to cover floors and furniture or other items in the room

• Caulk, caulk gun, wet rag (make certain the caulk is a paintable kind)

• Painter’s tape - the preparation is probably the most important step of a paint job.

• Caulk all cracks and holes making sure to wipe off excess with your finger or a wet rag; remove all nails and hooks from the walls and caulk the holes

• Sand the caulk until it is good and smooth but do not sand it completely off

• Tape around all door frames, door knobs, trim, and any other fixture or item that is not to be removed from the wall or walls

• Put drop clothes or other material on the floor and furniture; make sure to never use plastic on the floor since this is so slick and can cause you to slip and fall

• Once you are certain the caulk is dry you can begin painting; for a lot of people doing the cut in first makes it easier; this simply means that you use a brush to cut in around all trim work, fixtures, and anything you have to get close to

• You are then ready to paint the walls; most people find painting goes quicker and easier if they roll instead of brush; if you do brush, make certain to always look for brush strokes you might leave; either brushing or rolling, it is easier to go from top to bottom

• Make absolutely certain that you go either left to right or right to left; do not start in the middle; and always make certain that you keep your paint bucket on the side of the hand that you use; you never want to have to pull the roller or brush across your body

• If changing colors you will more than likely need two coats; always, always make certain that the first coat is completely dry before beginning the second coat; after the first coat make sure to look at your work and try to "spot" anything you might have missed

• Apply the second coat and look again at the work, looking for anything that might have been overlooked or missed

• Then step back and enjoy your work

But you are not finished. There is the job of cleaning up.

• Unless you use cheap brushes (not recommended unless using oil-based paint), always make sure to clean the brush out with warm water; if you are using oil-based paint it is best to get a brush made for oil paint; you will need paint thinner or mineral spirits to clean a brush used in oil paint

• If you would like to re-use your roller knap (which is really not recommended but can be done; it is best to get cheap roller knaps and throw them away) make certain to clean it also

• There is not really much use to cleaning the buckets since most of the time the paint will dry in them and you can simply peel it out

• Be sure to put the lid back on, very tightly, on any leftover paint and store it in a cool dry place where it will not freeze or get extremely hot (either of these conditions will ruin paint)

Once you are finished with your cleaning process you can simply enjoy your new paint job that you did all by yourself.

A service with the sign of excellence

2009-12-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

The key to selling your property without worries or finding the home of your dreams!
SUZANNE DUTOY Remax Royal ( Jordan )

Specialized in luxury properties : Baie D'Urfé , Beaconsfied, Senneville, West Island

The secret:
- A solid education: MBA (Master in Business and Administration), Scholarship for Excellence-Broker (2007) – RE/MAx

- Expertise in credit risks and considerable skills in project management and negotiations

- A smiling, fully motivated agent

- The personalized welcome you love to get

- The dynamics of efficient and rapid service

- The assurance of total availability

- The guarantee of absolute seriousness in carrying out the mandate

- The reassuring certitude that there is finally someone you can trust

- Her specialties: bringing sellers and buyers together

If you are relocating to or from Montreal, enjoy an exciting and peace of mind experience with Suzanne Dutoy

See Suzanne's luxury properties : http://www.agentsbysector.com/ogrid.php?id=33

Fabienne Malenfant

Relationist

http://agentsbysector.com

Commercial Real Estate

2009-11-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

With the permission of : Le Collège de L'immobilier du Québec

According to the current Real Estate Brokerage Act, all real estate agents with a valid Certificate of Practice can work in residential real estate, commercial real estate or as a mortgage agent.

Under the next Act, which was passed in May 2008 but has not yet come into force, this situation may change since each “specialization” will require a different permit.

The duties and functions of commercial real estate agents are very similar to those of residential agents. However, they must have strong financial training. They must be able to handle a variety of brokerage operations such as the sale, purchase, exchange and leasing of a commercial property or lot, or a company.

They deal with clients who are supported (or represented) by various experts such as lawyers, tax experts, accountants, valuators, architects, environmental and commercial design specialists, etc.

If commercial real estate interests you, the Collège is now offering its Introduction to Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Program. This specialized program will be “recognized” when the new Act comes into force.
The program (in French only) consists of the following 10 seminars:

Commercial Leasing Basics
Public Relations
Preparing a Commercial/Business Sale or Lease File
Introduction to the Industrial Field
Understanding Business Valuation
Environmental Analysis
Taxation
Selling a Retail Business
Commercial Law
Marketing Commercial Real Estate

Fabienne Malenfant

Relationist

www.agentsbysector.com

Commercial Rea Estate

2009-11-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Origin :Le Collège De L’ Immobilier au Québec

Commercial Leasing Basics
Public Relations
Preparing a Commercial/Business Sale or Lease File
Introduction to the Industrial Field
Understanding Business Valuation
Environmental Analysis
Taxation
Selling a Retail Business
Commercial Law
Marketing Commercial Real Estate
Fabienne Malenfant
Relationist
www.agentsbysector.com

Collège de l'immobilier du Québec : The College of Real Estate Leaders

Real estate industry has more reason for optimism - Real Estate News

2009-11-03T06:43:00.003-08:00

Real estate industry has more reason for optimism - Real Estate News

Posted using ShareThis

Real estate industry has more reason for optimism - Real Estate News

2009-11-03T06:43:00.001-08:00

Real estate industry has more reason for optimism - Real Estate News

Posted using ShareThis

Much More Than a Representative

2009-10-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

We often associate the real estate agent profession to the one of salesperson.Yet, the agent is a lot more than a representative.Boasting certified education and a sound knowledge of the market, he is first and foremost an advisor, helping his clients make enlightened decisions.

The LISTING agent, who represents the owner-vendor,visits the property, produces a comparative market anlysis, prepares advertising strategies and gives great exposure to the property by listing it in a database, exclusive to real estate agents ahd brokers. He also manages showings, offers to purchase, counter-offers and legal documents, while coordinating the deed of sale signature.

As for the SELLING agent, he helps the buyer identify his needs and target the properties that suit him with a database exclusive to real estate agents and brokers.He then helps his client during showings, objectively analyzes properties and assists him during every step of the transaction , including the visit at the notary's office.

Fabienne Malenfant
Relationist
Agents by Sector
http://www.agentsbysector.com

Much More Than a Representative, courtesy of the Collège de l'Immobilier du Québec

Home ownership in Canada ,more affordable

2009-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Agents by Sector found this great article :

RBC Economics says home ownership in Canada became more affordable for the fifth straight quarter.
Senior RBC economist Robert Hogue says in a statement that home affordability level has now been restored to pre-housing boom levels. But Hogue adds the "recuperative phase of the affordability cycle seems to be drawing to a close."
He says housing prices are firming up in many parts of the country and mortgage rates no longer trending downward.
The RBC index examines the proportion of pre-tax household income needed to service the costs of owning a home.
During the second quarter, the index fell to 39.1 per cent for a detached bungalow, 31.5 per cent for a standard townhouse, 26.9 per cent for a standard condo and 44.4 per cent for a standard two-storey home.
Hogue says the levelling off of home affordability is "not expected to stop the impressive resurgence in the housing market."
"Supply of properties for sale is dropping as demand bounces back, which is working to heat up prices again in many parts of the country."

http://www.agentsbysector.com
The above article is from The Canadian Press, (September 09 edition)

The Potentiel of Social Networks for Real Estate Agents

2009-08-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

(Agents by Sector found this article via a contact on Twitter )
http://www.agentsparsecteur.com

Question: What do Facebook, Twitter, Youtube have in common?
Answer: They are all social networking sites.
OK, So what? What does that actually mean?
Social networking sites are places where you can find new “friends” and build relationships. That makes them potentially important marketing resources. So if relationship-building is important to your business, then you really should not ignore the potential of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and MySpace.
Waste of Time?Of course many people think online social networking is a complete waste of time. As a real estate agent, for example, you might say “I prefer to do my social networking with real people rather than ‘virtual’ people on the internet.”
There is a lot of truth to that. Much of the activity that takes place on social network websites is completely self-serving. There is a lot of navel-gazing and self-promotion going on, there’s no doubt about that.
But on the other hand, you can meet a lot of people very quickly, and if you have something to offer then you can very quickly put your offer out there and see what kind of people respond.
That is exactly what AgentMapIt is about – putting your profile in front of a lot of people who are looking for agents to “network” with and who are interested in sharing referrals. In fact, with AgentMapIt this is such a painless process that it is difficult to know why you would NOT want to do it.
No Effort, No Results
Many people think these sites (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) are just alternatives to magazines or newspapers, and they are disappointed that you cannot just place an ad and sit back and collect the results.
As with all other social networking sites (Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), the benefit you derive from them is completely dependent on the effort you put into them. People who are really good at making these resources work for them – not as entertainment, but as business/marketing tools – are unanimous thatyou have to work at building relationships online just as you do offline.
What does that mean?
It means you have to really “network” with people by staying in touch with them. And not just by sending out ads or promos to them (although that’s OK from time to time).
Just as in the offline world, the best online relationship-building techniques involve sharing information and expertise, expressing an interest in what others are doing, helping people with their problems and concerns – especially when there is no immediate payback.
Sometimes all that means is just saying “Hi. I just wanted to touch base with you. How are things going in your neck of the woods?”

Thank you to AgentMapIt for sharing this article with us.
Fabienne Malenfant
Relationist

http://www.agentsbysector.com

A Sutton Agent who deserve to be known

2009-08-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mme Gina Lavoie
Sutton Real Estate Agent

http://www.agentsbysector.com/ogrid.php?id=12

For 21 years now, I have been very active in the Atwater market district (south west) as an experienced professional real estate agent. Well-known for my communication skills and my honest and efficient approach, my customers benefit from my expertise and my knowledge of the real estate market. Having lived and worked in this region, I can negotiate the best possible price and can also offer you excellent advice.

Graduated in administration, I worked in this domain before getting interested in real estate. I also acquired many years experience in a family firm in retail business. I started my career with ‘’ The Permanent’’ and joined the Sutton Group in 1994.

Your satisfaction is my priority; from beginning to end, I advise you in the process of buying or selling and I pay particular attention to all the details of the transaction. I have many sales to my credit including more than 22 transactions already this year. It is said that I really work for my clients and it’s the truth. I will offer you a highly professional service that will meet your very best expectations.

http://agentsbysector.com

Real estate agent who deserve to be known

2009-08-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mme Renée Violette

http://agentsparsecteur.com/agents-immobilier-dans-ouest-de-montreal

After graduating in public relations from Laval University in Quebec city, Renée Violette worked at a television station for a few years. Then she put her career aside to raise her children.During these years, she gave a lot of her time to the Montreal School Board where she was an active member on different committees. A Montreal-West resident for 16 years, she was also very involved in her community. Among other things she was a volunteer member of the Montreal-West Architectural Committee.So she is very familiar with her neighborhood of Montreal-West, as well as it's nearby NDG area.A few years ago, Renée decided to give her professional career a new start. After taking a course in interior decorating, she decided to continue her studies and became a real estate agent. This career allows her to fulfill her love of meeting different people and work in a field where routine is not part of your daily activities.Her patience, her discretion, her ability to adjust to any situation and her good sense of organization are the qualities her clients appreciate the most. Also, her training as an interior decorator is a great asset for her work as a real estate agent as she can give her clients good advice on home staging as well as helping them see all the possibilities offered by the home they plan to purchase.Renée can serve her clients in French and English, and her client's satisfaction is her best motivation
http://www.agentbysector.com

Real Estate Agent who deserve to be known,

2009-08-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mme Colette Birks,

http://agentsparsecteur.com/agents-immobilier-dans-ouest-de-montreal/

A graduate in administration Colette Birks has worked for many years in public relations and administration within a paramedical organization as general coordinator on a provincial scale. In 1998 she turned to the field of real estate, which gave her new opportunities to exercise her skills. Her methodical and organized habits are much appreciated by her clients SELLERS, whom she guides through all the selling process. Colette Birks protects her client's interests and rigorously applies professional guidelines set by ACAIQ. My clients BUYERS also recognize the quality and energy she bring to her work on their behalf. A resident of the centre west of montreal she have successfully concluded many sales downtown, in Westmount, in Notre Dame de Grace and Côte des Neiges. Her perseverance and integrity and sunny personality inspire confidence in her clients who can look foward to concluding their transactions in a climate of absolute trust. She also can give you services in French, English and Spanish.

http://www.agentbysector.com

Six Habits of Successful Agents

2009-07-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Compliment of :
http://www.agentsbysector.com/

Comments posted by HomeGain
Six Habits of Successful Agents
Seller Leads

Here's what our highly successful HomeGain agent members had to say about their reasons for success with online sellers:

Respond Quickly Respond within 24 hours or less. A timely response is the most important element of success. It conveys professionalism and lets prospects know that you are eager to have their business. Often a consumer chooses the agent who responds first.

Customize Stand out by adding specific comments about what you have read in the prospect's profile. Demonstrate that you have taken the time to listen to their concerns by responding to their comments and providing information that is applicable to only that consumer. Let them know that you know their neighborhood by mentioning facts that will make their home more desirable.

Anticipate Their Needs Take this one step further and give your preliminary price range evaluation based on recent sales and your knowledge of the neighborhood. Let the prospect know that you would like to meet with them in person to give a more accurate appraisal. This will make them want to continue the discussion with you face-to-face.

Highlight Your Successes Showcase your track record. Mention any sales that you have recently handled in their neighborhood, either representing a seller or a buyer. Tell them the average time your listings stay on the market.

Convey the Value of Your Sales Strategy Your proposal should include the steps you will take to sell their home. Sellers want specifics, so be sure to include them. Prove how they will benefit from your work. List venues where you will advertise a seller's home. If your brokerage office runs weekly newspaper ads, or if you plan to place their listing on five Internet listing sites, include these. Sellers want to know that you and your company will make a commitment to market their home.

Show Your Personality Make your reply as personalized as possible, and show an awareness of the needs expressed in your prospect's profile. The prospect wants to know that you want their business and that you'll dedicate yourself to working hard for them. It's important to have a good Internet "persona"; if a prospect likes your tone and the information you communicate to him or her, you'll have a much better chance of being contacted.

http://www.agentsbysector.com/

Agents by Sector

2009-07-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

To sell or to buy a property, find easily and rapidly a real estate agent who knows the sector you are interested in and who will be able to give you advice about that sector. The real estate agents in this Internet portal are known for their experience and have the knowledge to guide you in your real estate transactions.
Whether you want to sell or to buy, an experienced real estate agent is a definite asset for the realization of your real estate projects.He can inform you about the value of properties in the sector of your choice; also about selling or purchasing strategies and the characteristics of that sector and much more.
http://agentsbysector.com