How to start looking for a home.

Sounds simple right? You just... start looking. Right? Pick up a newspaper, start calling everyone in it. Or check out Realtor.ca, all the listings are on there, why bother with a realtor?

Well sure that is one way to do it, but since my high school teacher introduced me to the concept of "work smart, not hard" I can't get it out of my head! I will give you an example: I received a call last week from a young man asking about one of my listings, he had seen it on MLS and wanted to know more. I had to tell him that unfortunately it was sold. Then two days later they called me again, wanting to know more about the same house. I had to tell them again that it was still unfortunately sold. They wanted to know why it was showing as active on MLS then. Well, I find sometimes MLS is behind a little bit, whereas our system is in real time. I also did inquire both times to them that if they would like I could set them up on a home search for their area of choice, thus eliminating the work they are putting into all the calling and waiting. They declined stating that they could not afford a Realtor. When I tried to tell them that as a buyer they did not pay for an agent they said that they preferred calling around until they found a house that was still available that they liked.

While that is fine, and certainly an option... it baffles me why a serious buyer would not want to hire an agent that works just for them? We have access to real time listings, and all they have to do is sit back and let the homes come to them. Certainly shop around until you find an agent you are comfortable with and knows the area you want to live in. Also, since it is really free for you as a buyer, why wouldn't you want all that knowlege and experience for free? Believe me, you are missing out on a lot of places by thinking that they are all in the newspaper, online or having open houses. I understand that some people are "go getters" and love to be involved in the hunt:) however, why not have the best of both worlds? Often I recieve daily emails from clients with a list of addresses or MLS numbers they want me to check out... so a few clicks later and all the info they need is in their inbox to peruse at their convenience. No making 20 phone calls and recieving the call back when it is not convenient for you... no waiting to hear back from someone who may not have time to call you back at all. We make it about convenience for YOU.

Some objections that I have gotten to people who say they don't want a realtor are as follows:
- They can't afford it, and I have already mentioned that this is free for buyers
- They are not really serious about looking right now.. they just want to be casual and don't want any pressure. Hey, I can understand that! I have lots of people on my mailing list that are casual, I just email them homes, check in every few months. Then when they are ready to buy, they can call. I too hate pushy salespeople too.
- They are afraid of getting a 'bad' realtor. Well, I say get a referral from a friend, or during your own hunt feel out different agents to see if you can find one that you connect with and knows her stuff. Then when you feel ready to buy, you feel more confident and excited. Buying is stressful enough... why make it harder?

So the easiest way? Trust me, just hire a realtor.

a '79 Kind of Flood

And we await. As Alf Warkentin says: "The moment of truth is upon us". It sounds very doomsday doesn't it?

The general worry and fear that flood is upon us can be unavoidable. For those living south of the perimeter close to the United States we are sure your worry is greater than ours up here in Winnipeg's windy corridors. General concerns in the city here have centered around ice covered manholes and sewers that are not draining and therefore create large lakes of water in the city. As well, accumulation of water from rain, melting snow and ice means our backyards and streets are a slushy yucky mess. I don't know about the rest of you but I have a sincere appreciation for my sump pump right now!

Thankfully I even have a sump pump to be appreciative of! What if I didn't? What if I didn't have one and it resulted in basement flooding?

Hmmm... a double pain I would say. For one, flooding creates a mess, things have to replaced, torn down, rebuilt...etc. Number two is once you have water issues in your basement, this is something you will always have to disclose if you intend to sell your home.

Disclosure has always been a hot topic in real estate. The term "Caveat Emptor" or, 'Let the Buyer Beware' is a common term (or should be!) for sellers and buyers alike because it holds a lot of truth. There are simply some things about a property that the seller may not know or have any control over. So how can that be disclosed? Of course it can't, but things that the seller is aware of can and must be disclosed, things like water in the basement, leaky roofs, permits not taken out on work completed. It is a bit involved but the basic rule is that if there is a defect in your home that you are aware of... just disclose it! You cannot cover up defects and hide them if you know about them. If there is a defect in your home that you are aware of and you cover it up and not disclose it, then the buyer discovers it... you might be in some trouble with that one...! Also, if it is something that a buyer could see readily with their naked eye, like a broken window, then that doesn't necessarily need to be pointed out. However, since flooding is a huge thing... even if you had water stains halfway up your basement wall I would make a point of telling your Realtor about it, why not be safe? It is kind of like sandbagging yourself and liability against further issues.

So as spring decends almost too rapidly for us here in the Prairies we Realtors can only ask that you keep yourselves high and dry, and help out the neighbours and those to the south who need it. If your basement floods, make note of it and prepare to disclose that fact in an eventual sale.

In which I share my organizing skills with you...

Its true.

I really am one of the most organized people you will ever run across. I actually like organizing, colour coding things and streamlining systems. Its not even a control thing, I swear! Its a convenience thing. The time I see people waste looking for things... my goodness, create a spot for it, put it in that spot... simple right?

Apparently not as I have observed.

Its not that people are lazy, un-intelligent or simply don't care about organizing their homes. I really think that it is that they don't know where to start. I am going to share with you some simple things that you can do to get started. This will cost little to no money. This is about keeping your life streamlined, clutter free and focused on making YOU more productive. It doesn't have to be pretty, although that is an option if you are so inclined, it just has to WORK.

Ever heard this?: A place for everything and everything in its place. Sigh... genius words!! But if you don't know where to put things... then they pile up. Stuff needs a HOME. If you have a complete lack of a filing system, its not wonder papers pile up! So this is what you need to do. Pick a "problem area" that you want to focus on. Lets say the computer area or home office. This might be a big project to start but don't fret!

Look at the piles of stuff laying around.
What comprises these piles?
Lets say its: bills, bank statements, receipts, greeting cards, paper clips, pens, photos, craft supplies... etc.

Remember that the reason you have a random pile of things is that they don't have a home, not that you are messy. So categorize the items in the piles. Paper is one pile, office supplies (pens, clips, printer ink, usb cords, etc) is another, craft supplies would be one, and there may even be misc things that don't go in a home office (laundry, shoes, toys). So do you see what I mean? It depends on the stuff you have so create your own categories if you don't like these.

We deal with "Paper" first.
F.A.T
F = File it
A = Act on it
T = toss it

Each piece of paper MUST fit into F, A, or T. Be ruthless!!

Buy a filing cabinet or small filing system, label each folder according to what you need to put in it. For example I have one for bank statements and credit card statements. One is for Insurance (any and all kinds), one for Warranties, etc. Once you have done this file all the paper in the "F" category into its proper category. Now put this away, either in the filing cabinet or on shelves designated for this use. If you are using shelves try to use ones close to the main desk so you will actually USE the filing system you created.

The "A" category requires that you keep this "in sight, in mind". Its where currently due bills would go, or other time sensitive items, papers, etc. Those handy mini stacking shelves made of metal or plastic do the trick!! Keep them on top of the desk for easy access. Then once a bill is paid, FILE IT away.

Toss it is easy, recycle away!!

Now the office supplies.
If you use it often, keep it near you, if you use it seldom, keep it away yet accessible, if you never use it, WHY do you keep it?

My system is good so I will share what I do: I have one large yet somewhat shallow desk drawer. I pile everyday things according to type: notebooks with notebooks, clips with clips, pens with pens, etc. You can use drawer dividers to help keep things separate. If you want you can use a basket, old coffee mug or plant holder for holding pens on top of the desk if you like too.

My seldom used items are things like markers, extra printer ink, extra usb cords. I have a box for each of these things, they stack neatly together in my office cupboard. A great tip is using old shoe boxes or go to the dollar store, they have great stuff there! Always remember to keep things together though, like me and my cords, my usb cords, camera cord and charger, I Pod cord... all those go together so I know if I am looking for a cord of any kind, it is most likely there.

And Crafts? Scrapbooking supplies?

Easy. Again, buy a shoebox, photo box, whatever. Label what is in there and place neatly on a shelf. You will be extra motivated to work on these projects because the items are sorted and right there! How you choose to sort your art supplies is your choice of course, I would settle for you just keeping art supplies with all other art supplies in one place.

But if you want to get creative, use see through plastic containers for small items (ribbons, stamps, stickers). You can place these smaller containers within a larger box if you like or just on the shelf. If you decide to place on a shelf, label the shelf "Scrapbooking Supplies" in red ink, then label each small container or box in red ink. Then you know in a pinch where stuff goes, as does the rest of the family. Do gift wrapping supplies in blue ink, kids art stuff in green... etc.

Rogue Items!!

Now that all the important stuff is filed away, colour coded and boxed appropriately we have random items that don't go in the office.

Get an empty laundry basket and fill it up with the stuff. Now visit each room of your home and take out everything from the basket that belongs in that room and put it away. Do not simply place it in the room, put it away. Do this until the basket is empty. Done!

Actually the laundry basket things works for all rooms, I do this on a regular basis. It allows me to carry lots of things at once. As I visit each room and put away items that belong there, I can pick up things that don't and bring them to their rightful spot. The first time you do this it may be time intensive, but that is usually the hardest time.

These tips apply to all areas of the home: If the garage tool area is messy, the kitchen cupboards have no system or the kids play area is a disaster zone... apply my tried and true techniques and let me know how it goes!

So... is the sky falling?

For those of you unfamiliar with the fable of "Chicken Little" I will give you a brief re-cap: an old fable about a Chicken (or a Hare in early versions) who believes the sky is falling. The phrase, "The sky is falling" has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent.

So, I ask, is the sky falling in Canada? Will we have a repeat of the 80's when mortgage rates rose so swiftly seemingly overnight that people were losing their homes in the blink of an eye? Will home values crash?

One of the more common themes in the media over the last few months is the progression of the mortgage meltdown debacle in the United States, the "economic crisis" and how that has parlayed into a Canadian recession that we have yet to feel the real brunt of here. Its a disconcerting thing to read all those reports isn't it? Yet for every doomsday report on a National level, there is one detailing how Winnipeg's housing market is still holding strong. I do not discount we are heading into financially trying times, however I think we are living in a unique city in that we seem to be "bucking the national trend" as media outlets have put it.

The most recent report released by Royal LePage echoes the one released by RE/MAX. The report suggests that Winnipeg is holding strong entering 2009. How is this possible some people ask? Well, Winnipeg's home prices have risen dramatically over the last half decade or so, however comparing our statistics to those of other major city centres such as Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto we are still way below the national trend. This fact is helping us avoid a major crash in our market. What you can buy for $200k here, will most likely cost two to four times that in other major cities. So, what you can buy here in Winnipeg, with all the comforts, services and benefits of a major city, we are not doing too badly!

So this is my challenge to you home buyers and sellers on the Manitoba home front. Try to think critically about what facts the media is presenting to the public as a whole. Remember that a lot of those articles are spin offs from the associated press in other provinces, and are also often national reports that don't focus on our unique situation here at home. Read the local reports, talk to local agents and brokers to see their thoughts on the market. Make up your own mind as to what is going to happen. We do not deny that we are facing economically trying times, that we will feel the squeeze eventually is inevitable.

Lastly, don't put off buying a home if you can afford it. If you want or need to move, there is no sense letting anxiety take over; fearing that we will all be thrown out into the streets because of an impending recession will do nothing for your current quality of life and sanity. Are bidding wars over? Most likely. Is the market headed for a balance? I think so.

Here is to happy house hunting and selling for everyone! Cheers!