Harris First

Spanish Real Estate agents are offering couples ever more unusual deals in an attempt to kick-start the country's housing market.
The latest offer from a developer in the Huelva Province in South Western Spain promises a free divorce lawyer to couples who buy one of their three bedroom houses for 68,000- Euros [approx. $108,000- CAN].
This offer, coming from Geimsa Realtors hopes to capitalise on the number of married couples delaying divorce proceedings because they cannot afford to set up new homes in the current economic climate.
"A divorce is very expensive," said Vanesa Contioso of Geimsa Realtors.
"So we are offering new clients the free use of our Lawyers to handle the process." The initiative follows a 100,000- Euros [approx. $158,000- CAN] offer by the same company of a brand new apartment and all-expenses-paid, such as wedding for partners thinking of tying the knot.
The deal has already been taken up by dozens of couples.

Harris First
[not moving to Spain]
604-295-4091
www.RichmondTownHouses.ca
www.StevestonHomes.ca
www.PanoramaRidge.ca

Finding a tenant who won't let you down can require a blend of knowledge, intuition, and a little help from the professionals...

Few landlords now accept anyone on face value.
Worried about landing themselves with "tenants from hell" most landlords screen and verify prospects' details.
It is vital to find out if applicants are who they claim to be, can afford the rent and won't turn your house into the headquarters of a satanic cult, but before you call in the experts, you can start the filtering process yourself.
So here's a step by step guide to finding the right tenant - everything from getting the initial ad right and conducting viewings to using professional checking services.

Step #1. The Newspaper/Internet Ad
As long as it is clearly targeted at the right audience, your ad should be the first stage of the screening process.
Like any advertising agency, you need to spend time making sure that your ad is likely to be seen by the correct sector of the market, while being clear about who the property would not suit.

Step #2. The First Contact
This initial contact is a chance for you to give a full description of the property, and to take some vital details from them. Having a checklist ready is a good idea, so that you don't forget anything.
You will need their details, contact numbers (including the invaluable cell phone), and personal circumstances, such as reason for moving, if they have children or pets, do they smoke, and who will give their references.
If they cannot, or will not, answer any of your questions, it's time to call it a day with this particular prospect.

Step #3. Visiting the Property
This is the time when you often find out useful information about people's circumstances. When people are taken out, they begin to talk to you, and you find out what they really need. If they have children, do they really need a bigger place? [One of my clients had one couple who said they needed a Central Richmond condo, but then told him they had two dogs.]
Unlike selling a house, where once you've handed over the keys you can forget all about the new inhabitants, your tenants' happiness should be important to you, if you don't want to be advertising again in six months.
Start on observing your prospects. Do they arrive on time for the viewing? Is their car a mess? Are they smartly dressed and clean?
And, watch how they treat the property even as a visitor. Do they wipe their feet on the doormat? Do they touch the furnishings? And - worst of all - do they smoke in the home?

Step #4. Tenant Verification
So, assuming everything is alright during the two initial contacts - now is the time to dig a little deeper.
Many landlords pay one of the expert companies to provide an opinion on the suitability of a prospective tenant.
It is usually a good idea for references to be collected from previous landlords and employers, or you can carry this out yourself. On the basis of their income, a tenant's ability to pay the rent will be ascertained - the rent would be expected to be no more than around 35% of their income.

Harris First
REALTOR®
Direct 604-295-4091
Harris@HarrisFirst.ca
www.HarrisFirst.ca
Blog http://activerain.com/harrisfirst

There's a whole generation now that has grown up using computers and surfing the Internet. For them, communicating, browsing and shopping online are really second nature, so it seems natural that more and more are searching for homes on the web, and even listing their homes for sale on the Internet.

Of course the "World Wide Web" is a powerful tool for both Buyers and Sellers, and that's why many Real Estate agents market their services and listings online. [You're looking at one! J]
Take special care not to eliminate the "middle man" from your next Real Estate transaction.

Buying a home is not as simple as browsing eBay and clicking "Buy It Now!"

Selling a home can be even more complicated.
Even the most technically savvy computer user can list their home online at a number of "For Sale By Owner" web sites, but will run into real "technical difficulties" when it comes time to set a fair asking price, target and screen qualified Buyers, and handle properly the legalities of negotiations and contracts.

Until next Friday,
Harris First
REALTOR®
Direct 604-295-4091
Harris@HarrisFirst.ca
www.HarrisFirst.ca
www.CondoRichmond.ca
www.StevestonHomes.ca
... and many more

If you're staging your home for sale, don't neglect your garden.

If you are preparing to put your home on the market, that means that you not only have to stage your home's interior to impress potential buyers, but you have to spruce up your yard, too.

Although many sellers in today's market hope that a drift of daffodils will clinch a deal, in truth, plants can hurt a home's curb appeal as much as they can help it. For instance, a drift of wild, weedy onions hidden in the grass can make a newly mowed lawn smell like a gas station restroom; trees planted too close to a house mask its best features and conjure alarming visions of weekends on a rickety ladder, cleaning gutters.

Baby the lawn. Find a high-quality weed killer with lots of micronutrients as well as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with pre-emergent herbicides to kill growth before it starts. And set your mower high (about three inches) to reduce the grasses' stress and cut down on the need for water.

Trim the overgrowth. Prune any branches that touch the house, cover a window or block a path. To reduce mould growth, keep plant material at least a foot away from siding.

Edge your flowerbeds. There's no easier way to make your yard look neat and groomed. Don't bother with the plastic edging; simply tie a string between two sticks and follow the line with a sharp, flat-ended spade pushed about four-to-six inches into the soil.

Power-wash everything. Cobwebs, mould and dirt accumulate on decks, patios, fences, trellises, eaves, windows and siding over the winter, but can be blasted away in an afternoon with a power washer. Just be sure not to get the water under the siding courses or in soffit vents, where the moisture can cause damage.

Plant annuals. Perennials are wonderful if you're building a long-term garden, but they are expensive and tend to have short blooming seasons. For color and impact, place low-care annuals like impatiens, petunias and geraniums in beds. Potted flowers and hanging baskets can brighten dull spots in your yard, draw attention to features you want to emphasize or flank an entrance-and you can take them with you when you move.

Plant a garden. If you have a sunny corner, a small raised bed with decorative veggies such as rainbow-stemmed Swiss chard and bush beans, or fragrant herbs like sage and rosemary, can suggest your yard is useful as well as pretty. But stay away from plants, like corn, that suggest a barnyard, or are prickly and prone to spilling out of bounds, like summer squash and pumpkins. If you must have tomatoes, choose pretty, bush-style cherry tomatoes.

String a hammock. Nothing suggests that the living is easy (and your yard is low-maintenance) as much as a hammock. If you don't have two trees close enough to string one between them, spring for a hammock stand.

Create conversation areas. To draw attention to a birdhouse, sculpture or other attractive feature in your yard, arrange two colourful side chairs and an end table facing it. When you have an open house, place a book and a small glass of water with yellow food coloring on it to suggest lemonade - don't use the real thing, or you'll attract bees.

Until next Friday,

Harris First
REALTOR®
Direct 604-295-4091
Harris@HarrisFirst.ca
www.HarrisFirst.ca
www.RichmondTownHouses.ca
www.CondoRichmond.ca
www.TsawwassenHomes.ca
www.StevestonHomes.ca

What pops in your mind when you think of any Real Estate contract or transaction? The price, right?
It's the critical term, but far from being the only important factor to be considered by Buyers or Sellers. There are costs, finances, and consequences to consider.

Typical costs include commissions, inspections, and legal fees. And so on.

Your Realtor should firmly negotiate and explain who pays for what.

Also pay close attention to conveyances of personal property, such as some appliances, lighting or window treatments, or furnishing. Avoid argument and further negotiation by assuring there is zero confusion about what is included in the sale price.

Another factor that should be clearly spelled out is the consequences of a breach in contract by either side. This is a binding legal document, whereby buyers in breach can lose their deposit, or sellers in breach can be sued for "specific performance" to force the sale of the home.

It's best for you and your Realtor to carefully review a standard contract before you make or consider a purchase offer.
Know what to expect and be prepared to negotiate to "Yes"!

Call me anytime - I am here to help!
Harris First
REALTOR®
I help young families find their first home and negotiate the best possible deal.

Direct Line: 604-295-4091
Harris@HarrisFirst.ca
www.HarrisFirst.ca