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Why Should You Move to Abbotsford?

Abbotsford, also known as the City in the Country, is located close to the American border which offers plenty of possibilities to those who like to travel or shop in the US. Abbotsford International Airport is great for International Travel and Domestic flights too.

Abbotsford is a sprawling city with easy freeway access to Langley, Surrey and Downtown Vancouver. The City transportation has regular and reliable bus routes. However, it may be prudent to own your vehicle.

Abbotsford Real Estate Market, compared to the Metro Vancouver, is much more affordable. The average sale price for a detached home is approximately $585,000 (May 2019).

Abbotsford has top-notch public schools, private schools and several post-secondary schools including the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV).

Abbotsford is a city that is family focused giving special attention to children. There are 70 playgrounds strewed around the city to encourage outdoor activities for the kids. Mill Lake Park, one of my special places, has three separate playgrounds, a water park, an outdoor pool, several areas to have a family picnic, a small dock where wildlife hang out and is the home of Abbotsford Lawn Bowling Club. Walk along the 2.3 km paved path which offers many rest stops along the way.

Why Fraser Heights (in Surrey) is a great Community to live in

Fraser Heights is a diverse, quiet, affluent community located near the Fraser River at the northeast corner of Surrey. Fraser Heights, because of its easy access to Highway One, enables many business people to commute to Burnaby and Vancouver. 

Using the new South Fraser Perimeter Road will get you to Vancouver International Airport and the Ferry Terminal in no time at all!

It’s a cozy wee neighbourhood with only one Starbucks, one Tim Horton’s and one Grocery Story called Nesters Market. You will undoubtedly get to know your neighbours quickly! However, Guildford Mall is a seven-minute drive away, and Langley is only 20 minutes down the road.

 

Enjoy a tranquil, relaxing and refreshing experience at the FLUID Days Spa. This Spa ensures a lasting effect on your overall health and wellness.  They offer a wide variety of services to meet your health and beauty needs. 

 

 

Fraser Heights Recreation Centre is a multi-purpose facility. It is open seven days a week and offers free parking, child minding services, lit tennis courts with a practice wall and sports fields. Their programs provide registered and drop in programs from preschool to seniors in the community.

 

The public high school, Fraser Heights Secondary, is well known for its excellence in sports and its highly successful ELL and Music Programs.

Pacific Academy, founded in 1985 is a unique school with a special mission. This private Pentecostal Christian School (JK-G12) has state of the art buildings housed on a 40-acres campus!

Bottom Line is if you like slower-paced, affluent Community, Fraser Heights is the place for you.


If you are interested in further information regarding selling or purchasing in Fraser Heights, please call or text 604 308 1455.

 

 

Why Langley is such a great place to live!

Langley, BC, with its vibrant business community brings a thriving economy. It is a perfect blend of city and country life.

Recently, my husband and I took our grandchildren out to look for horses and their foals. Winding down a dirt road, it didn’t take us long, to discover these beautiful horses grazing out in the pasture. It was a glorious sight!

 

 

Indeed, the Langley Real Estate Market has had a boom in the past few years. It is a growing community that has become a hot-spot to reside. Fort Langley and Murrayville are typically more expensive because of their surroundings. Walnut Grove is still popular. Along with Willoughby.

 

Langley has many Regional Parks with terrific hiking trails. One of my favourite is the Fort-to-Fort Trail at Derby Reach Regional Park. Derby Reach is located along the Fraser River. Bring your fishing rod, some firewood and a picnic to create a fun family memory. We have done this many times.

Do you like eating out? Langley is recorded to have the highest amount of restaurants per capita. There is a wide selection of your eating options; from meat lovers to Vegan cuisines and everything in between. Quaint little Cafes are great for those morning caffeine fixes.

There are some great schools throughout Langley: Public and Private!

Langley has excellent freeway access especially with the new four-lane 216th Interchange which is due to be completed in Fall 2019.  Only a 20-minute drive to White Rock pier and beach and a 40-minute drive to bustling downtown Vancouver.

Bottom line, Langley with all that it has to offer is the ideal place to raise your family!

If you are thinking of making a move to this beautiful area give me a call or a text 604 308 1455 and I’d be happy to send along more information. 

What is a Home Deposit Loan?

According to GLM Mortgage Group:

“A Home Deposit Loan is paid to the Realtor’s Brokerage on the removal of subjects on the purchase of a property. It is typically between $15,000 – $20,000 (depending on the property) and represents a portion of the down payment that you are entrusting to the realtor’s brokerage.

What a Home Deposit Loan Does!

Home Deposit Loan provides short term financing for the home deposit, which is required as you remove subjects on the new purchase. Assistance is necessary when a purchaser (you) is relying on the funds for the deposit to come from the firm and binding (but not yet completed) sale of your existing property.”

If you would like further information regarding a Home Deposit Loan call or text 604 308 1455.

Questions I often hear are: Should I use my Bank or a Mortgage Broker? And, if I use a Broker who pays?

These are great questions!

Personally speaking, while I have a relationship with my Bank, I would always shop around to look for a great interest rate! It just makes sense. To paraphrase the singer, Donna Summers, “[I] work hard for the money” and I know you work hard too.

 

So who pays the Broker? The great news is buyers who are shopping for a “standard residential mortgage, pay no fees to the Broker” (DL Newsletter, May 2019). The bank who lends the money, actually pays the Broker. The upside to using a Mortgage Broker is “[he] has access to every lender on the market and can sell you almost everything” (DL Newsletter, May 2019). The Broker can shop around to find that perfect interest rate possible!

 

Remember, Mortgage Brokers are licensed. Provincial governing bodies oversee them. The Broker’s goal  is to watch out for you, the consumer, best interests.

So the bottom line…Should you use a Mortgage Broker? Absolutely!

Just give me a call, or drop me a text to 604 308 1455 and I’ll send along some excellent Mortgage Broker names to you. I am here to help.

Reference
Email-Newsletter (May 2019), Dominion Lending.

SO WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN THIS 2019 REAL ESTATE MARKET?

After the ‘crazy last two years,’ Sellers now find themselves in a slower, but stable market which is still attracting Buyers. This stable slower market has had a positive impact on affordability.

The Real Estate Board (Fraser Valley) stated, “Prices of typical residential homes in the Fraser Valley have decreased between 5 and 6 percent in the last year. However, in the last three months, benchmark prices have either plateaued or have experienced a small recovery [in some areas].”

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This SnapStats April 2019 Market Speedo Report is the essence of this.

If you would like a more comprehensive report please contact me via text message to: 604 308 1455.

Avoid the 3 Critical Mistakes Sellers Make!

So you want to sell your home? It is vital that you take the advice of your Trusted Advisor – your Realtor. After all, they do this day in and day out.

There are three critical mistakes that sellers make. Here’s how to avoid them:

Over-pricing Your Property

Often Sellers will want to try an above market-value price right off the top, just because they think they can. This is not a great strategy! Selling your home is not like a garage sale, where a buyer haggles over price. Indeed, leaving room for tough negotiations is the better way to go. The first two weeks of your property being on the market is the most valuable marketing time. So, capitalize on that.

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