One of the things that my Cambridge clients love when they work with me is the amount of different tools and widgets I feature online to streamline the home buying and selling processes. As a real estate agent in Cambridge, I know the importance of setting myself apart from the pack and offering my customers something that they can’t get anywhere else. Plus, with much of the world shifting toward digital, most people start online when they begin looking for a new house. My goal is to tap into this need and make it as easy as possible for people to find the house of their dreams.

Here are some of my online real estate tools to help make your life easier:

  1. Home Worth Widget
    This is the latest addition to the tools and widgets available on my…

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Buying real estate abroad is something that many people are interested in doing, especially when the country’s currency exchange rate is favourable. If you are an international home buyer, you will need to take care to work with a realtor who is very familiar with the local market so that your purchase follows all the applicable laws and goes smoothly.

Why Buy an International Property?

Investment Property

Purchasing an international home can be a great investment opportunity. Since Canada is considered a safe place to purchase property, you will likely be able to turn a good profit. Before purchasing a property though, you will need to take in to account what the expected performance of the property will be, how long it will take you to turn a…

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How to increase the value of your condoIf you’re thinking about selling your condo in the near future, you’ve probably started thinking about what you can do to increase its value. We’ve already talked about how to increase the value of your home and renovations you should avoid when selling your home, but getting a condo ready to be sold is a little different than a house. A good starting point for determining how best to increase your condo’s value is to compare it with similar condos in the area. You will lose money on your renovations if they are too elaborate, over-the-top or significantly blows the value of the other condos out of the water. Also be sure to run potential renovations by your condo board before getting started.

Read on to find out the top things you can do to increase…

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When you’re selling your home, you will need to determine how much money your house is worth before listing it on the market. What your house is worth is affected by several different factors that I’ve outlined below.

  1. Location
    Where your home is located has a huge impact on its market value. Is it near public transportation, shopping malls, restaurants and quality schools? Does the area have a strong sense of community? Some buyers approach home buying in terms of the quality of the community and the types of activities that happen within it, including the reputation of the school districts within it.
  2. Size and Layout
    Some styles of homes are more popular with buyers than others. Previously, homes with lots of square footage were hot sellers but…

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Are you ready to upgrade to a bigger house? Feel like it’s time to trade up? There can be any number of reasons why you or your family wants to upgrade to a bigger home and I’d like to share some of the most popular ones along with some important things to keep in mind before actually making the move.

Current House is Too Small

Perhaps your family is growing and you need extra bedrooms for extra family members. Perhaps you initially bought a smaller home in order to be in a better saving position for your next home. Whatever the reason and you feel like your family has outgrown the space, it might be time to look for a bigger home.

Poor Location

If you’ve recently changed jobs and find yourself making an exhausting commute to and from work…

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If you read my last blog post about deciding whether you should upgrade your house, you’ll definitely want to read about the financial implications of doing so. Upgrading your home to a larger house is a big decision with many considerations. You need to be confident that you can handle the upgrade to your expenses along with the upgrade to your housing. Think about the following:

  • Do you need to sell your current home before you purchase a new one? For most people who don’t own their home outright, this will be the case. If you do need to sell, consider the following options. 1. Find a new home and make your offer conditional on selling your current home 2. Put your house on the market and sell it conditional on finding a new home. It works both…

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Similar to yesterday's post, today I'm sharing my home buyer's worksheet for budgeting. If you're wondering how much money to set aside for hidden costs, like home inspections, land transfer fees, title insurance and more, you'll want to take a look at this handy worksheet. Just click the link below to view the PDF and print it out so you can get your finances on track before you buy your next home. 

Download free home buyer's budget worksheet here.

What piece of budgeting for purchasing a new home resonated most with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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how to increase the value of your homeWhen you’re ready to sell your home, you want to sell it at the highest price possible. Increasing the resale value of your home can be done in a variety of ways – from the easy, minor things, to large scale renovations. The first question you should ask yourself is if it’s worth the time, hassle and money to do so.

Here are some of the best things you can do to increase the value of your home before selling it:

  • Spend some time with a professional to get an objective opinion. This is one of the benefits of working with a realtor, but even if you don’t take advantage of your realtor’s advice, I recommend hiring an interior designer or decorator for an hour to give you suggestions on how rearranging furniture or painting the walls can improve the…

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If you’re working with an expert this is where they may be most valuable! Depending on the home you like there may be many different angels to address when you begin negotiations.

Is the listing new to the market?

If so you may have a difficult time getting the price to come down. Typically speaking the first 3 weeks of a new listing is the busiest. If you like the house get it locked up with a strong offer. Don't waste time thinking too much as it could potentially lead to more buyers placing offers on the same home, and you may find yourself competing with other buyers. This would basically ensure you are’t getting the best deal. In closing “Strike while the iron is hot”! You will have time to assess the home further during your conditional…

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