Thinking of moving to a great small city (around 150,000 population)?

Here are some great reasons why Abbotsford is a top choice:

* Temperate climate (may or not have snow in winter)

* Fabulous scenery with mountain and valley views

* Affordability (price of an average home is under $400,000)’

* Excellent schools

* Loads of recreation: recreational centres, sports facilities, numerous golf courses, etc.

* International Airport

* New regional hospital and cancer centre

* University of the Fraser Valley

* New entertainment centre with great entertainers and The Abbotsford Heat(AHL)

* New public art gallery and museum, The Reach

* Tradex that hosts regional trade shows

And that’s just the beginning.  A wonderful city in which to raise your children with great schools, amazing sports, music opportunities, etc. (more…)

All property owners are taxed annually based on the assessed values as determined by the BC Assessment Authority. The assessments are based on the market value of the real estate as of July 1st of the previous year.
The appraisers look at recent sales of similar properties, applying similar standard units of comparison: location, size and age.
They get their information from places like the Land Titles Office and Real Estate Transactions. The prices will go up or down, based on market conditions for the area. The only difference will be if there has been a substantial change in your home.
BC assessments are mailed out the first week of January, and you have until January 31st to send in your written appeal. There is no fee to file an appeal.

If you want to compare your home to your neighbor’s assessment, go to www.bcassessment.ca, then click on
E-valueBC, put in your address, and you will be shown the assessed value of all the neighbours on your street. This will give you an idea of the comparable value of your home, and let you determine if you wish to file an appeal.

According to the BC Assessment Authority, Abbotsford residential values have decreased by 1.94% in the last year.
HOMEOWNER GRANTS:
As of January 3rd, the maximum amount of your home owner grant in the Fraser Valley is being raised to $570 and $275 for seniors, disabled and certain veterans, to reflect the general increase in property values in BC.
YOUR BC ASSESSMENT vs.
YOUR HOME’S MARKET VALUE
Although the Assessment Authority works to reflect the market value of your home, our experience has been that your assessment is not an accurate valuation of what you can sell your home for. This is probably a reflection of how much our homes vary in layout, finishing, and buyer appeal. We have found that the current market value can be either higher or lower than your BC assessment.

With current low interest rates, it is an excellent idea to pay off your mortgage faster by making extra payments. 

One strategy is to increase your mortgage payments each year to match the rate of inflation.  Today the inflation rate is quoted at 2 % on average.

If your mortgage payment is $1187, then in year 2 it would be $1211, year 3: $1235 and year 4: $1260., etc.  We are talking about a very minimal monthly increase.

Because of compound interest, this small amount makes a huge difference. With a 30-year mortgage, instead of paying $177,458 in interest, that amount now becomes $135,505 and the mortgage payoff time is reduced by eight years.

If you increase your payments by 3%, you could shrink your amortization down to 19.75 years. (more…)

Selling a home in December, January, or February in cold climates can be a tough task with a market slowdown and chilly weather.

Typically, buyers searching in the winter months are more serious.

Here are five tips from RE/MAX  Associates in Northern Illinois that may help you:

1. Let those lights shine.  “Turn on interior lights for a showing-even in closets and utility rooms –and make sure the bulbs are working.  Stock up on all the right bulbs for your lamps and fixtures to replace burned-out ones immediately. Keep front exterior lights on even if no showings are scheduled. Open drapes and blinds to let in light and show visitors the view.” (Marlene Granacki) (more…)

The holiday season is quickly approaching and the team at Fine Redesign is eager to give back in a unique and hands-on way. We are excited to launch our First Annual ‘Stage it Forward – Give Back’ Event in the Lower Mainland this November and are offering a FREE HOME STAGING PACKAGE VALUED AT $5000 to the home that needs us most!

The entire team has been out in full force searching for that special homeowner who has fallen on difficult times; someone who needs help getting their house looking its best in order to sell quickly and for top dollar.

We found them.

Today I met with Ike Klassen from Abbotsford BC. Nominated by Richard Friesen of Re/Max Little Oak Realty, I knew Ike had a sad story to tell and thought I was prepared.  Seeing him wipe away the tears as he spoke so lovingly of his wife and best friend for the past 50 years, and what the future now holds for them, was not easy.

Ike and Alvina – both extremely talented artists – decided to sell the family home this October when they realized the upkeep of the house and property was more than they could manage. They loved their home and selling it was a difficult decision, but one they knew they had to make.

Sadly, Ike woke one morning to find Alvina unconcious, having suffered a serious stroke. She is currently in the hospital, unable to speak or walk, and is paralyzed on the left side of her body. She communicates only by squeezing her hand.

The stress of dealing with Alvina’s condition took its toll on Ike. A few weeks after her stroke, he had a heartattack, was hospitalized and underwent surgery. He is unable to lift anything heavy and even walking up the stairs is a challenge.

Life for the Klassen’s will never be the same. Alvina will soon be moved into a long term care facility and selling their family home has become a neccessity in order to help pay those costs.

Their house is going to receive a complete home staging transformation. The Fine Redesign team and all of the “Stage it Forward” sponsors are excited at the opportunity to showcase all of the beautiful features this property has to offer.

Selling the home is important, but what all of us are truly hoping for is that both Ike and Alvina will be able to recover from their hardships and continue on with a long and happy life together.

Katie Matthewman,

Owner Fine Redesign Home Staging & Decor Inc.

When the housing market is softening, which way you are moving in the market will decide if you come ahead or go backwards.  A softening market has a greater affect on the higher priced homes.  Whereas a $400,000 house will drop to $380,000, an $800,000 house can go down well over $100,000.  So if your next move is to a higher priced home, now would be an excellent time to make that move.  You would a decent price for your average home, but would get a real bargain on your expensive purchase.

If you are staying in the same area, in the same price range, you should be okay.  If you are downsizing from an expensive home to a lesser one, you will have to take a much bigger hit than the house you are purchasing.

Below are some of the refunds, credits, incentives and rebates you can apply for, concerning energy savings:

1. CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Premium Refund

Provides homebuyers with CMHC morgage insurance, a 10% premium refund and possible extended amortization without surcharge when buyers purchase an energy efficient home or make energy savings renovations. (Go to www.cmhc.ca/en/co/moloin/moloin_008.cfm#reno.)

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Staging your home to sell can help you get a premium price for your home.  Done right, it helps your place sell faster and for more money.  Professional home stagers play up the best features of your home and minimize the worst.  They rearrange artwork, pack up the personal items like bowling trophies, and clear out the unnecessary items.

Here are the 10 best tips that stagers use:

1.  First Impressions

     Prospective buyers make up their mind very quickly about your home based on their first impressions.  So clean up the yard, rake your leaves, sweep driveways and porches, or powerwash them.  Spend time cleaning the front door, railings and steps.  Put away recycling cans and bins in the back yard.

2. Declutter

   Clutter will lose you money on your home.  Purge your closets, empty cupboards, box up anything you don’t use everyday. Reduce the number of books on the shelves as well as the DVDs and CDs. Be ruthless!

3. Keep it neutral

   Your goal is to have the buyer imagine him or herself as living in your house.  So remove the personal items, like the family photos, all that stuff on the fridge, all your shampoo bottles, etc.

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