New Ubertor website coming soon!

I`ve decided to take the plunge and start paying some money for a website. The original intent of my Wix site (www.sairawaters.com) was to have an online presence and present my listings. It looks pretty but it`s really not functional. Being a flash site, the search engines don`t even pick up the text from the site. I think the only way you would find it on Google is by searching my name. Not very effective at picking up new clients or leads.

With Ubertor, I hope to keep the prettiness of my website but add more functionality. So far things are going well. I`ve asked Mike Blaney (www.mikeblaney.com) to help me get started.

I`m looking for beautiful photographs of Victoria and the surrounding area for the flash banners along the top of the site. So far I have 3 photos but I`d love to get more. If you know a photographer who has some shots I could purchase for the site, please contact me.

I have big plans and big goals for 2011. It`s going to be critical to have a website that doesn`t take up so much of my time! Stay tuned for more blog posts (on my new site!)

Sneak preview below :)

Good Case of the Mondays

The first of the month is always an interesting time. It’s a day to look back on the previous month and reflect on what the market did and where it’s going. Today being November 1st, and also a Monday, means our Victoria Real Estate Board stats are available and timely. There were 467 sales in October (934 ends) which is an improvement from last month’s 395 sales. In my opinion, things are looking up for the Victoria market. Open houses have been busier, phones have been ringing and listings are selling. For anyone who’s trying to sell their home, hang in there! It can be stressful when you don’t know what to expect, but you have to trust that everything will work out.

For the full VREB Market report, click here!

Failure is an Option

I receive a newsletter every Tuesady called "Tuesday Tactics" which is geared towards real estate agents. This week they had a great article I thought I'd share with everyone.

Scott's Thoughts: Be Yourself, Honestly

As you pursue goals in your life, you need to be capable of measuring your progress. By hitting reasonable, achievable milestones, you ensure that your time is well-spent. Feedback in the form of an honest self-appraisal of your efforts and the outcome of those efforts allows you to make the adjustments required to keep your dreams on track. We all know that we're happiest in pursuit of our goals.

But what happens when we fail to honestly assess our own efforts? What if we lack the courage to admit that our effort hasn't been our best? In this situation, we suffer doubly: First, we continue to fail short of our dream. Second, we secretly know that we're failing to truly own our progress, and thus suffer the resentment inherent in self-deception.

Failure is an option. That's the first thing you must understand. In fact, reframe failure in your mind as progress. Understanding where you have failed in the past means you'll "fail better" in the future. If you can't even admit you're missing the mark, how will you ever improve?

To cultivate a deep self-honesty in your life, try to practice these five concepts:

1. Stop with excuses: While they may be comforting in the short term and help milk sympathy from strangers, owning your problems will empower you to begin fixing them.

2. Silence your inner critic: Accept who you are and what you're up to. Don't beat yourself up as much, but give yourself the permission to improve.

3. Abandon self-consciousness: Realize that no one is without flaws, no matter how you perceive them. Sometimes we're dishonest with ourselves because we're afraid of what others will think. Release some of your anxiety about how others will perceive your actions and you will, in turn, give yourself greater room to grow.

4. Cool off over conflict: A lot of energy and self-deception goes into "winning" arguments. When you're tied to being right all of the time, you create barriers to self-honesty. Practice keeping a cool head and you'll also be able to see things for what they are with greater accuracy.

5. Be open to your needs: Many times we deceive ourselves because we're too proud to ask for help, or we're too self-conscious about speaking our mind. If you can't voice these needs, you feed the very mechanisms which distort your perception of the truth.

We all have enormous untapped potential. Now give yourself permission to pursue it honestly!

Register for Tuesday Tactics here

October Market Slice

Here is my most recent newsletter (in Blog-form). To see what it really looks likes, check out the most recent edition here.
If you would like a copy sent to your inbox every other month, sign up here!

It’s that time again! Welcome to the newest edition of Market Slice, a piece of real estate delivered to your inbox every other month.

National: The Bank of Canada rose its rate, however the five year conventional mortgage rate (or “posted rate”) is still very low at 5.39%. There are discounted rates available as low as 3.45% for a five year fixed rate mortgage. There is some confusion over the Federal Government lending rules so I just want to clarify some points. First, you can still get high-ratio financing with as little as 5% down. Second, if you are getting a five year fixed rate mortgage, you only have to qualify at the discounted rate (3.45) instead of the bank rate. When in doubt, ask your mortgage broker or I can refer you to one.

Provincial: The HST referendum has caused some uncertainty in the new housing market. To reiterate, HST only affects new housing and not re-sale homes.

Local: The market in Victoria since August has been very slow. Sellers are being forced to lower their prices while buyers have been taking their time with purchases, chasing the low prices down. The prices will not continue to go down forever. I believe we’re reaching a tipping point where sellers are going to take their homes off the market and wait to sell or rent instead. As listings become restricted the prices will level off. The market in Victoria is cyclical in that prices move up and down but over the long run, they will continue to go up (so long as we stay the most temperate city in Canada!). If you are planning to move, find a home you’ll be happy in for at least 5-10 years and don’t panic when prices drop slightly.

BYOB

When there’s this many houses on the market in Victoria, it drives me crazy how much crap you have to sift through to get to the gems. What’s worse is that every price range is the same. You think the jump from $450 to $650 would be an improvement, but it isn’t. I just wish when searching our MLS we had a little tick box for Junk [ ] or Gem [ ] and that the realtors who selected had to be honest.

I’m sick of reading things like “Quaint little charmer in desirable neighbourhood” when in reality it translates into a 1940s 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home with original oil tank, knob and tube wiring, 800 square feet, possibly structural issues on a tiny lot that backs on to the highway. Why don’t you just write “BYOB”... Bring Your Own Bulldozer

Moral of the story: use a buyer’s agent to buy property; you’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

Riding the roller coaster

I love how the media has a way with words “some agents are having to take on second jobs to make ends meet amid declining sales”.

Well let’s do the math. There are 1330 agents in Victoria and only 395 sales in September (that’s 790 ends) therefore many realtors did not have a single sale last month.

A good portion of the public doesn't realize this: Realtors work in a commission based industry. We do not make any money if we do not make a sale. Also, we do not get a salary from our brokerage! In fact, we pay an arm and a leg to be a part of a brokerage. We pay to have an office, colour copies, parking, coffee, sale fees, listing fees, board fees… and then we pay a percentage of our commissions as well. It`s a very expensive industry to work in so it`s no surprise to me agents are taking on a second job or getting out of the market completely.

When the market slows down, it can be stressful. Listings we thought were going to sell 2 months ago are still on the market. When the homes eventually do sell, we do not get paid until completion. There is a lot of uncertainty about where your next pay cheque will come from and how much of it has already been accounted for by the long list of expenses. That`s why it`s important to have three months of income in the bank at any given time.

These slow times don`t last forever though because markets are cyclical. There is always going to be ups and downs. The lack of sales from August and September means there`s a lot of buyers out there waiting to buy. I feel like there is pent up demand in Victoria and in October and November we`ll see an increase in sales again. As an agent, it`s important to become an expert at riding the real estate roller coaster.

The things I do for Real Estate

First impressions are everything, especially when you’re trying to sell a house. I’ve experienced some rather humorous moments when I’ve run into obstacles that would prevent this excellent first impression.

1. Me against the moss

I was listing a home in the spring and it had moss on the front drive way. No big deal! Several people told me we could sprinkle Tide with bleach on it to kill it and it would simply sweep away… wrong. The moss turned a lovely brownish orange colour and would not budge. My client was leaving town and there was no time to have a professional come do the job. With the help of one of my dearest friends, we borrowed a power washer, got some gasoline to fuel it and headed out to blast the moss. It came up quite well with the high pressure water, but of course we were out there until it was dark, the day before the listing hit the market. I think it did the trick because the drive way looked amazing and it sold very quickly!

2. Little bird

Another time I was hosting an open house for a vacant home in Cordova Bay. I arrived at the home stocked with a trunk full of Febreeze, just in case. I wasn’t expecting to find a dead bird on the deck. Of course there was no paper towel to pick it up with and frankly I didn’t want to touch it at all.. so I left it. The first people through the house stopped at the back window.. “UGH! There’s a dead bird on the deck!” Right, the little thing had to go. I tried to kick it off to the side where you couldn’t see it from the window. The next set of people commented after they saw it from another window. So out I went, in the pouring rain, to pick up this bird thinking to myself “I didn’t sign up for this!”

3. Shopping Cart

More recently I went to host and open house. I got to the corner where I usually put down my directional sign only to find a shopping cart. What are people going to think of this neighbourhood if there’s a shopping cart on the corner?! It had to go. I went to push it away and of course, it was one of the ones with the locking wheels. I couldn’t stop laughing to myself as I struggled to get the cart across the road wearing a suit and high heels.


The things I do for real estate!

Timing is everything

Do you ever have those days when you give yourself just enough time to not be late?

I arrived at my open house on the weekend with exactly 30 seconds to spare. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually the girl who arrives 15 minutes early to every appointment and sit in my car or drive around the block to pass the time.

My girlfiends and I decided to do a Saturday morning hike and I gave myself 3 hours from the moment I left my home until my open house at 2. We finished our rapid paced hike in the pouring rain, jumped in the car (sopping wet), and sped home while we cursed the slow moving vehicles in front of us. My friend appreciated the urgency of the situation and risked running out of gas for me. No we did not have 5 minutes to spare!

When I arrive at my condo I had exactly 7 minutes to get in there, get changed, wipe the dirt off my legs and arms, blow dry my bangs and put makeup on. I literally run through my home to make sure I have everything. I drive to my office (conveniently located a block away on the same one way street), printed off some information and drove to the open that's 5 minutes away if you hit every green light on Pandora.

My heart is pounding, I've started to sweat a little and I'm driving way too fast. "Why do I do this to myself?" The sad thing is the stress was totally avoidable. More time or better planning could have solved everything!

Although sometimes I don't get the luxury of planning. There are days, where I can't create enough time to get everything done. Unexpected to-do items come out of nowhere. There have been days when every minute is planned but then clients I have not heard from in weeks need to see a house that afternoon. I’m in the car driving to appointments while there are 5 urgent emails that need attention. I’m trying to coordinate signatures, offers, inspections and finish a report for a presentation that evening. I often find myself running, I mean sprinting, through the office. Why waste time walking to and from the printer?

I write to do lists every time I have a spare second so I don't miss anything. Every item is in a list, prioritized, chronological, mapped out. I could write a whole blog on the lists I write. I’ll add that to my “Topics to blog about” list. I’m a Virgo, can you tell?

Lesson learned. Always over estimate the amount of time you need to hike. Especially when you’re going to Mt. Work because you know you’ll want to stop at the Big Barn Market for a sandwich or some sort of nougaty treat.

Property Transfer Cash Grab

I've been reading up on the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) Government Relations Briefs and I came across a little tid bit of information which really surprised me!

The Background:
The Property Transfer Tax is a tax implemented by our provincial government that applies to all home purchases (unless you're part of the First Time Buyer Program).

When you buy property and register it at the Land Titles Office, you are taxed 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the balance of your purchase.

The Reality:
It turns out the property transfer tax started in 1987 and was supposed to be a "Wealth Tax" with the 2% portion of the charge only applying to 5% of home sold. In 2009, the 2% portion applied to about 88% of homes sold. These are provincial numbers... imagine what the percentage is in Victoria.

Shocking.

In my opinion, this is a huge cash grab for the Provincial Government. The BCREA is working to have this property transfer tax abolished by 2012. Read more in their brief on sheleter taxes here

The Story of Stuff

Some thoughts on stuff

Anyone brought up by parents who lived through the Great Depression or the Second World War was probably taught to keep everything as a means of survival. I recently heard a story of a woman who was forced to move from Europe to North America with only one suit case. She left behind every childhood memory and consequently instilled in her children the importance of holding on to these keepsakes.

Others spend their whole lives spending money and accumulating “things” as a means for status or perceived practicality. Then there are emotional items such as wedding gift, birthday gifts or items which belonged to a loved one who has passed away.


My mother (and I) had a wakeup call after we lost our mother (grandmother) last year. Aside from grief, there was one other thing that had to be dealt with: the stuff. Days were spent going through possessions trying to either give away items to family members or sell anything of value. During this long process, it dawned on us “If we were to die tomorrow, how much stuff would my loved ones have to sort through?” Some see this as morbid; we saw it as an eye opening opportunity.

One woman and her family moved from Victoria across Canada. They packed away most of their belongings and got their home ready for sale. When an interested buyer looked through the home they offered to purchase all of the furnishings as well. It was probably a bit shocking at first, but after calculating the amount it would cost to transport all the furniture across Canada, it made sense to sell it. They are renting here, for now, with minimal possession and could not be happier.

There’s a real movement in Victoria to ditch large high maintenance houses for condos and townhomes where strata takes care of building maintenance. Many people I’ve met like the ability to lock the door behind them, go out of town and not worry about the security of their home. I’ve worked with several downsizers who are making the move from 2000-3000 square foot homes with ample storage into condo-size homes where they consequently must purge and simplify. It’s a long hard transition to make this type of move, but I’ve never met a single person who regretted it. The abandonment of stuff; freedom to be mobile; letting go of emotional baggage;

Another thing I’ve noticed is my generation has a tendency to either not want to or not be able to collect stuff. We’re too busy saving money to travel or spending money on partying to accumulate very much. Housing is often unaffordable for young people because we have no savings or accumulated debt from post secondary education.

In ways we are given the opportunity to take advantage of innovation which doubles as space savers. Mp3s & players instead of CDs or cassettes, laptops instead of desktops, digital movies on hard drives instead of shelves of DVDs/VHS. If you can afford to live in Victoria maybe you have a 450 square foot condo with no parking. Welcome to the world of fold up bikes, small condo couches with built in storage, coffee tables that store chairs, bar stools instead of kitchen tables… the list goes on.

Then of course there are people who look at all the material possessions in the world and realize none of it will make them happy. I can see rebellion burning in the eyes of my friends who choose to not support our consumerist society and contribute to the story of stuff. Buying experiences instead of things.

Use Your Words

As a realtor, it is our job to take care of our clients and provide valuable service from start to finish and also after a transaction has completed. When people understand the process of buying and selling and there are no surprises, expectations can be met and often exceeded.

So what happens when during the process of a real estate transaction, something is said and misunderstood or perception of a situation becomes skewed? Scenarios can sometimes arise where there is a breakdown of communication or a lack of understanding.

Here are some tips to remember if you’re in any sort of conflicting situation:

1. There are always two sides to every story and there isn't always one right or wrong person. Try to be open minded.

2. Perception does not equal the truth. Take two steps back and try and view the situation from the other person’s perspective. How could they have viewed the situation? What were they feeling? Why are they acting the way they are?

3. No one is perfect. People mess up. Everyone has a lot going on and sometimes balls get dropped. Understanding and compassion is key.

4. Communication is critical so keep your ears open and use language. Don’t let situations escalate that can be cured with words.

5. It probably could (have) be(en) a lot worse, so please take some deep breaths. Try to see the positive in every scenario.

Comic credit: prometheuscomic.wordpress.com

Paper Crusade

One thing I’ve been meaning to write about which has been bugging me since day 1 in this industry: WASTE. More specifically, PAPER WASTE. Real estate is a paper-heavy industry because there are copious amounts of paperwork (contracts, agreements), paper products (feature sheets, postcards, business cards) and general junk mail.

Considering it’s the 21st centry, isn’t it about time we cut back. There are innovative ways to get around all the paper and yet I still see realtors printing out 4 copies of every contract. I’m trying to take a new approach: contracts will be printed once, double sided. When it is filled out I will scan and e-mail copies to all parties involved.

Every little bit helps!

For example, when listing a home the sellers must sign a Multiple Listing Contract (3 pages) plus a Property Disclosure Statement (4 pages).

Let’s do a brief analysis. In 2009, 4117 houses sold in Capital Region. Let’s assume we are looking at just the listing documentation.

Realtors print two copies
(2x7x4117) 57,638 Pages
(Worse) Realtor print 4 copies: 115,276 pages

Realtors print double sided, one copy, scans and e-mails
(4x4117) 16,468 Pages

See how much paper we could be saving! And that’s just one side of the transaction. Granted not everyone has access to e-mail, but in this day, many do! Let’s not forget about the minimum 7 page contract of purchase and sale. The list of printed documents goes on and on and on AND ON.

One thing I love about Royal LePage is our electronic filing system (Realty Nuance). Every document (including inspection reports, contracts CMAs, photos) for each client is uploaded into the system. From there we can e-mail it to anyone necessary and have easy access to our files on the road. It’s so simple and we don’t have filing cabinets full of paper. The paper can be shredded and recycled. What a novel concept.

I’m thinking of going on a crusade to save paper. It shocks and disgusts me how much paper I have wasted myself since the beginning of the year and I’m only one of 1323 realtors in the Capital Region.

More to come on this topic…

Garage Sale for Shelter!

I feel like I’ve barely been posting anything lately but there is one cause that certainly deserves some attention. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention and education programs. I was lucky enough to meet the executive director today, Sandra Diaz, who spoke with the Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty members, as well as representatives from the women’s shelters and transition houses in Victoria and Sooke. She spoke to us about the importance of our local shelters as well as raising awareness and teaching violence prevention.

Last year Shelter raised 1.5 million dollars and made a considerable impact in shelters across Canada. In British Columbia, $91,000.00 was raised and of this amount, $39,000 came from the Royal LePage Coast Capital offices in Victoria. This money went straight back into our community shelters:

Victoria Women’s Transition House
Sooke Transition House
Margaret Laurence House
Cridge Centre for the Family

How does the money get raised? Many Royal LePage agents (including myself) donate a portion of their commission from every transaction they complete. There is also a National Garage sale which is taking place on May 15th!


The National Garage Sale for Shelter is an initiative which started last year across the country. Royal LePage offices from coast to coast went out seeking donation of household items to sell at a community garage sale. All the funds raised went straight back into the local women and children shelters. On a national level, $120,000 was raised last year!

In Victoria, the event will take place on Saturday May 15, 2010 from 9am-3pm at 137-2924 Jacklin Road (AMJ Campbell Van Lines).

If you have any good quality household items you would like to donate, please get in contact with me or your closest Royal LePage office! This year we are teamed up with the moving company AMJ Campbell Van Lines to pick up any large household items.

If you have nothing to donate, no worries! Come down to the sale and get some good deals for a good cause!

Why Real Estate?

I’ve heard this question many times from friends, family, clients, colleagues and strangers: Why did you choose real estate as a career? Good question! The answer is: lots of reasons.

1. It seemed like a great idea.

I was in my last semester of University and I knew I needed some further education to help kick start a career. (Funny how a University education can still leave you working at a bookstore or Starbucks…) It was between finance and real estate. Frankly, the idea of working in a bank made me shudder so real estate is was!

2. I love MLS.

I bought my first property in 2008 and I became obsessed with MLS. I would check it every day and start to dream up scenarios such as “If I had 500,000 to spend, where would I live?” After going through the process of buying real estate, it solidified my desire to follow through with the course.

3. It was a good fit.

My degree is in Economics so I can certainly talk the talk when it comes to markets. My interest is in business and marketing. My mom and dad are both entrepreneurs so it only made sense to eventually be my own boss. My background is in customer service and I truly love helping people

Now that I’m in this business, there are a few reasons why I will stay here

1. I’m in it for the right reasons.

Many people think real estate is glamorous and big money. The honest truth is it’s bloody hard work and not a get-rich-quick scheme. I was lucky enough to have my parents support (emotionally and financially) to get started, but to carry forward, it’s going to take everything I’ve got. The first two years, I am told, are the hardest (financially and emotionally). I say, bring it on! I’d much rather be broke and working my ass off than have money in the bank and be miserable everyday having to drag myself to work. I’m not here to get rich, I’m here because I love the work I do.

2. I learn something new every day.

Every day is different and every day is a challenge. This is the type of environment I thrive in. I can’t handle the mundane. I’ve never held a job longer than a year that didn’t offer me something more. Real estate provides an environment where I’m constantly learning; whether it be through courses, seminars, or just the transactions and people I deal with. The real estate industry is constantly evolving as well; whether it be industry guidelines or new strata property laws. There’s always something to stay on top of and learn about.

3. I love the “warm fuzzies”

Call me “emo”, but I really like the personal side to this industry. Residential real estate lends itself to many situations in a person’s life. There’s downsizers, up-graders, first time buyers, newlyweds, divorces, estate sales, new to town, moving out of town, just had kids, empty nesters. You get the idea... With every situation there is one or a set of people dealing with something very emotional. Happiness, sadness, frustration, stress, nervousness, excitement. As a realtor, I really enjoy being a part of these pivotal moments in people’s lives. In some situations, you inadvertently become a councilor, and that’s okay. I can tell you, there’s nothing more gratifying than helping someone find their dream home, or enabling someone to move on, or help someone start a new chapter in their life. Being there for these moments gives me warm fuzzies, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Think Like a Farmer

I watched the following video by BNN where they interview Aron Cadeau, president, FlatFeeRealty.ca. I found it very interesting and thought provoking. Check it out here

The major point that does not stick with me was the answer to the question: how does Flat Fee Realty makes its money? Or, how does it afford to advertise like the other competing brokerages? The answer: volume.

What's wrong with this picture?

Personally, in the true spirit of Jerry Maguire, I think less clients and more personal attention is important in this business. A Realtor who earns a flat fee may focus their efforts on completing a transaction so they are free to move on to the next customer. As Brian Buffini would put it, they are interested in winning the battle but may lose the war. That is to say, they are interested in closing the deal, but may lose the client in the long run. In a transaction based business, closing deals (and earning a pay cheque) becomes the most important goal.

In relationship based business, or a referral business, the focus is shifted to personal attention and doing the best job possible for your clients. Even if a transaction doesn't complete, a relationship is cultivated. Who doesn't want to recommend a professional who has done an outstanding job for them? The goal is not to get transactions over the short run, but to build relationships and plant seeds for the long run. Think like a farmer.

Cadeau says their average Realtor in his company closes 30 deals per year compared to the average which is around 8. Although it would be nice to close 30 deals in a year, I would rather have fewer high quality experiences with my clients to ensure the continued growth of my business in the long run.

On another note, maybe I'm biased because I'm in the real estate industry, but I find it weird when an organization of professionals advertises themselves as being cheaper than the industry average. Would you go to a Lawyer or a Doctor who advertises themselves as being cheaper than the rest?

CREA VS Competition Bureau

I'm sure you may have heard about a little dispute between the Canadian Real Estate Association and the Competition Bureau and a little website called realtor.ca

I'm still developing my opinions...

Check out what the Competition Bureau has to say here

Here is what CREA has to say:

February 9, 2010
Competition Bureau talking points

• CREA learned today that the Bureau filed a Notice of Application with the Tribunal.

• CREA views the Commissioner’s decision as surprising and disappointing.

• We do not agree with the Bureau’s position that certain CREA rules are anti-competitive, either as a matter of fact or as a matter of law.

• CREA’s rules allow for innovative business models and a broad range of choice for consumers.

• CREA engaged in settlement negotiations with the Competition Bureau in a good faith effort to try to arrive at a consensual resolution. Unfortunately the parties were unable to reach an agreement. This is very disappointing, since CREA has consistently indicated – right from the outset – that it has always been prepared to work with the Competition Bureau to revise its rules and to clarify the way the rules operate.

• CREA Directors have recommended for approval at CREA’s March AGM certain changes to CREA’s Three Pillars and Interpretations, which we believe clarify - through improved language - the Pillars and Interpretations.

• In making these clarifications on a proactive basis, CREA believes that we are fully addressing the Competition Bureau’s concerns, while ensuring the accuracy and quality of MLS® information that Canadians have come to trust and REALTOR® compliance with a code of ethics.

• The Commissioner states that CREA’s rules restrict consumer choice and prevent innovative business models. That is simply false. CREA is disappointed that the Bureau would make this statement in view of the months of discussions about CREA's rules and CREA's consistent position that its rules are not intended to and do not restrict any business models.

• The real estate industry in Canada is highly competitive. CREA currently has more than 98,000 members operating independently across the country who are competing for business and offering a wide array of services and pricing structures. All any consumer has to do is ask around to quickly confirm the range of price options and services offered by REALTORS®.

• CREA does not tell REALTORS® how to run their businesses or what fees or commissions to charge. Members of the public choose with whom they want to work and negotiate the terms (services and fees) of the relationship with their REALTOR®.

• CREA’s interest and that of its members is to ensure consumers have choice, that they are protected during one of the most significant transactions they will undertake, and that the integrity of the MLS® system is preserved for the benefit of REALTORS® and the Canadian public.

Soul Food

January 27th: "Over time, repeating encouraging words will help change your way of thinking about yourself, and your body will pay you in kind by hooking onto the silver lining you are projecting into the universe. Not only that, but your mind will also start to believe all the loving, kind, and gentle words you are feeding it. So embrace yourself, keep you chin up high, and remind yourself who's in charge here - you are gonna make it after all." - Esther Blum (author of Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous)

Gearing up for Real Estate Season

In the past couple weeks I’ve noticed a real change in the real estate energy in Victoria. People are buzzing about the approaching “real estate season” with the promise of many more listings this spring.

As of today, we have 2715 listings on the Victoria MLS system. At the end of January 2009 there were 3678 listings! So unless 963 new listings appear on the market in the next 6 days, we’re certainly low on inventory. What does this mean for buyers and sellers?

Right now we’re experiencing an interesting market. During 2009 consumers were quite nervous about moving because of the uncertain times ahead. At the same time, buyers were gearing up to purchase properties because interest rates are the lowest they’ve been in a very long time. So we’re left with a low inventory and a pent up demand of buyers. (Reminds me of a lesson from my first year micro economics class!) Low supply + high demand = increase in prices. We’re seeing an upward pressure on home prices (great for selling).

Buyers, on the other hand, are competing for the few listings which are available. Come spring, there will be many more choices and we should return to a balanced market. Interest rates are expected to stay low until the 4th quarter, so the cost of getting a mortgage will remain low.

The point I’m trying to make is, why wait until the spring to list your home? If you list, for example, in February and your home is priced right, you’re guaranteed to sell it. If you’re nervous about not finding the right type of property to move in to, you can set the completion date for April to give yourself lots of time to find the right place. Make sense?

Ahem, insert shameless self promotion

If you would like to know how much your home is worth, I do free market evaluations! Give me a call (250-384-7663) or send me an e-mail!

If you are interested in receiving monthly Victoria market updates, please click here to subscribe to my market news.




Notice how low the amount of listing are in the above graph!



In this graph the grey bars represent the listings while the blue squares represent the sales. In December, the amount of new listings almost equals the amount of sales! To date, this January there are 925 new listings and only 267 sales.

Zero to Warp

And the roller coaster continues!

It's so funny how this career is shaping up. The week started out rather slow and Monday marked one of those days when I questioned whether this career was the right move for me. It was a pretty drastic thought considering it stemmed solely from boredom.

Now it's Thursday and I feel like my life is in warp speed again (YES!). I've got CMAs to do, buyer presentations to... present, and on top of all of this, I've been chosen to blog for the Time's Colonist 10K (see here)! SO EXCITING! I had my picture taken at the Times Colonist this morning and there will be a print story sometime next week. So, not only will I be held accountable for my training (great motivation), I also get to meet new people!

Favourite things in life: people (check), houses (check), running (check), being outside (check!) Looks like my life is heading in the right direction :)

2010 is going to be an incredible year, I can feel it. I'm going to take Monday's feelings with a grain of salt and try to remember there will always be little bumps in the road.

Time to buckle up... and... engage

Real estate roller coaster

Everyone I've spoken to in this industry agrees on one thing: it's a roller coaster.

"You're going to have good weeks and bad weeks, good days and bad days, good hours and bad hours... you just have to get use to it".

It's hard when you've spent your whole life comparing yourself to others and being motivated by praise and results. Starting out in this industry, nothing is immediate unless you had something (cleverly) lined up before you got your licence; or you get lucky! Other agents may be at a high point while you're on a downhill or vice-versa. There are no apples to apples when comparing real estate agent's success at a given point in time.

Unfortunately I had one of those weeks last week where I spent 10 hours in the mall kiosks and barely received one quality lead (ho hum). It's hard not to feel slightly deflated... am I wasting my time here?

The answer is no. It's better to be at a mall kiosk trying to pick up leads and chatting real estate then sitting at home/in the office. So I keep pounding the pavement. Patience is key.

I have to reassure myself I'm doing everything I can to get things going. You can't force anyone to buy or sell real estate, you just have to be ready when they are! I quite like it when my life is in overdrive and have tons to do all the time but unfortunately there will be slow points in this career and I have to learn to like them.

As my manager said to me today, there will be times you're so busy you have no time to spend your money, and there will be times when you're so slow and broke and all you want to do it work. It's all part of the ride!

Work-life balance, check!

In terms of work-life balance, I'm finally getting into the swing of things. I can't remember who said it, but one Realtor wisely told me that "5:30-8:30am is your time, after that, you belong to everyone else". And it is so very true.

I decided I want to run the Time Colonist 10K again this year which takes place in April. My goal is to beat last year’s time (around 52 minutes) and aim to break 50. Around December I figured I better start sorting out how I would find the time to run a few+ times a week. Last year I was an afternoon/evening runner and you would rarely catch me running in the morning.

This year I do not have that luxury.

So now I get up between 6:30-7:30am to go pound the pavement. Really it’s not as bad as I expected. Unlike most people, I am a winter runner at heart and I love going out in the cold! The key is tech clothes. You think I’d head out in sweat pants and a hoddie? Heck no. I’m all about the compression tights with fleece lining (check out awesome pair here!) and I never leave home without my running gloves and hat.

There’s something lovely about running in the winter. I think it’s because I get to slowly watch the days get longer and my mornings/evenings get brighter. Simultaneously my fitness level improves and I start to enjoy the benefits running has to offer.

A little inspiration

Courtesy of my day-by-day calendar :)

"Persistence is the Key to Success

To get what you want in life, you must always forge ahead, and never give up. Block out the word "impossible" from your vocabulary. Don't listen to naysayers and their negativity. Instead, manifest your own destiny by creating a vocabulary of success in the present moment. Talk about your dream project as if it's already in existence. Choosing positive language will case momentum into the universe and help you reach your goal"

How to fix a wet iphone

What a way to start the New Year... I thought the battery in my iPhone was just dead when I awoke on January 1st however after plugging it in an hearing a terrible whirring sound, it occurred to me something was wrong. I gave the phone a good shake and liquid splattered out the end... Nooooooo!

So I hopped on the good ol' internet and starting researching. Surely there had to be a way to fix this issue! I had heard a rumor that if you soak a wet phone in isopropanoyl and let it dry, everything would be ok. I read a couple blogs and decided it would be worth a shot. After all, it's not every day I eff-up a $700 piece of hardware beyond warranty. Hmmph.

So I soaked it in a bowl of isopropyl for 30 seconds or so. I watch the bubbles come out the ear phone plug while the screen filled with liquid... this did not look good... I felt like I was drowning my poor iPhone.

My next step was a trip to the hardware store to find a product called DriZair. It's meant to suck the moisture out of the air in basements... surely it could suck the moisture out of my phone. So I placed the phone in an air tight container with a bunch of DriZair. After a day I was losing patience, so I put a desk lamp over the container to heat it up a little. This seemed to speed up the process.

Two painful days of waiting, I removed the iPhone, plugged it into my computer and the little apple appeared!!!!!!!!

The only issue now is the screen looks like it has clouds on it.. and every once and a while the screen will turn on that says "Charging is not supported with this accessory". Shmeh. Small price to pay since I thought I'd lost my precious iPhone.