Buyer's Guide

Preparing Your Home for Selling

"You never get a second chance at a first impression."

Our team will walk you through our step-by-step guide to get your house into selling shape, and you'll be well on your way to a successful sale!

Pre-Inspection from a certified home inspector
Making sure all the deficiencies have been completed
Declutter
Paint & perform minor repairs
Put away personal photos
Landscaping, including all edges
Clean your gutters
Ensure all lights are working
Eliminate home odors
Pressure wash the sidewalks
Leave the home during showings
Consider getting the home professionally staged

Understanding Your Costs

Budgeting for a new home can be tricky. Not only are there mortgage installments and the down payment to consider, but there are a host of other—sometimes unexpected—expenses to add to the equation. Our team will guide you through the process to determine which costs will apply to your situation prior to structuring your budget.

One-Time Costs

Lawyer or Notary (Lawyers can give legal advice; Notaries can't)
Property Transfer Tax (1% on $200,000; 2% from $200,000-$2M; 3% greater than $2M on fair market value)
Down Payment & Deposits (typical deposit is 5% due at the time of subject removal)
CMHC Fees (if down payment is 19% or less)
Home Inspection
GST - if the property hasn't been lived in
Survey - if applicable
Title Insurance
Adjustments - for example, property tax, insurance
Appraisal Fees (majority of times are paid by the bank)
Application Fees, Broker Fees - if applicable
Elevator, Moving-In Fees - if strata and if applicable
Foreign Tax

Monthly Costs

Mortgage Payments - could be weekly, semi-monthly, monthly (Impacts your principal)
Strata or Maintenance Fees - if applicable
Hydro
Gas
Utilities (internet, cable)

Quarterly, Semi-Yearly, Yearly Costs

Water Utilities - depending on your city
Property Taxes - you have the option to pay monthly or twice every year
Insurance - you have the option to pay monthly or yearly
Extra insurance - for example, water issues

The Buying Process

Let me help you every step of the way. When purchasing a home, you are faced with a multitude of decisions! The primary one is whether you are actually prepared to purchase a home. Locating the perfect home is not always an easy task, and obtaining a mortgage loan can be a complex and tiring process. Although, once you have determined that you are ready to move forward with the required effort towards your home-purchasing goal, the rewards are unquestionable.

Your First Step

Your first step to buying a home is to first ask yourself why you want to buy a home: to stop paying rent? To start building equity? To have a place of your own? To raise a family? To entertain business associates? To move up to a bigger house? Next, list what kind of home you'd like and where you would like to be. Be specific. Separate the "must haves" from the "want to haves."

Loan Pre-Qualification

Once you have addressed the above needs, your next step in the purchasing process is to get pre-qualified with a mortgage company. This can be done over the phone or even online in a matter of minutes. Call me and I will refer you to a mortgage professional that has an excellent reputation and track record for successfully acquiring loan approval for their clients.

Finding Your Perfect Home

Once you've been pre-qualified and know what price range you want to stay in, I can help you determine which properties fit your needs by using the (MLS) Multiple Listing Service system to locate them. I have the best possible resources and communication systems available today to help you locate the homes on the market that match your specifications.

Our Commitment

I will help you complete your financing and inspections, and close on the transaction. My top priority is to make sure that your home buying experience is pleasant, cost-efficient, and successful.

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