Mike Giesbrecht

  Imagine you want to take the “trip of a lifetime” this fall. Would you leave it until the summer to start planning, booking dates, and generally getting ready? Probably not. A trip like that is a big deal. You’d want to start making arrangements now, so by the time you’re ready to go to the airport, everything will be set for you and your family to have a great time. The same is true whe ...

  When you’re selling your home, you may find buyers who want to see it later in the evening, when it’s dark outside. In that circumstance, effective home lighting becomes more important.  The best place to start is with exterior lighting. If you have soft ground lamps on the walkway, make sure those are turned on. That will make for a more pleasant and inviting trip up the walkway.  Do yo ...

  There are numerous reasons why you might need to sell early in the year. Perhaps you even need to sell this month! Whatever your reasons, preparation is key. Make the right moves now and your sale is likely to go smoothly and successfully.  Follow these tips:  Make a list of what needs to be done around the property to prepare it for listing. That includes decluttering, cleaning, getti ...

  Throughout the history of journalism, reporters would pride themselves on getting the “inside scoop” on a story. In fact, that’s where that expression came from.  So imagine you’re shopping for a new home and click on a listing online. Up comes all the property information. But, chances are, there is more to the story of that property than is presented in that listing. For example, you m ...

Imagine if, for whatever reason, you suddenly needed to find and buy a new home in a hurry. What if you had just a few weeks?  If you’re like most people, your first instinct might be to panic. Well, there’s nothing wrong with having some apprehension about having to find a new home quickly. But, there are steps you can take that will make the process a lot less stressful and, ultimately, ma ...

“I attribute my success to this: I never took nor gave any excuses.” - Florence Nightingale

  When preparing your home for sale, you need to fix things up, declutter, perhaps slap a fresh coat of paint on a few walls. That’s all part of getting your property ready for buyers.  But there’s another type of preparation that you also need to do. And, the sooner you do it, the less stressful your move will be.  You need to get all your paperwork together.  Here’s what to gather:  ...

When considering whether or not to sell their home, many people think about market conditions. They consider whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. They look at trends. They try to time the sale to get the best price for their property.  While market conditions certainly can play a role in deciding whether you should sell now rather than later, many other factors can influence that decis ...

  When prospective buyers view your property, you hope they will think it’s the perfect fit for them. It might well be. However, there are things that can get in the way of a buyer recognizing that perfect fit and making an offer.  Take a look at these common reasons why some buyers will walk away from an otherwise ideal property:  Poor staging. Is staging really that important? Accordin ...

  Walk-through videos are becoming increasingly popular. The seller’s agent simply films a tour of a home, often including commentary, and then makes the video available to prospects.  When you’re shopping for a new home, you want to get the most out of watching this type of video, especially if you’re relying on it to help you decide whether or not to make a viewing appointment.  Consider ...