End of Season Deal! #YEG #leduc

Lakefront at Wizard Highlight Sheet            

End of Season Deal! #leduc #YEG

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tips for turning your 1st time home into an income property #leduc

If you’re in a position where you may want to consider turning part of your home into an income property, this article is for you!

1. Make sure it's worth it
   the cost of renovations has to be able to pay itself back within two years rent. Scout out local markets, get a professional opinion.
2. Tag team, if you can
   To use a cliché, two heads are better than one, and home-owning is no exception. Getting to your desired final product is a journey, and having a teammate to share frustrations, anxieties and most importantly, costs with is invaluable.
3. Whatever you budget, add 25 per cent
   When renovating your space, despite what a professionally quoted budget says, add 25 per cent, just in case. If you don't go over, nothing lost. But if you do, at least you were expecting it.
4. Houses are like onions
   The more layers you peel back, especially while demolishing, the more problems you're going to find. Count on hidden gems like mould, live wires and any other hidden costs, just in case.
5. Make sure the space is livable
   If the kitchen has zero counter space and the bedroom can only fit a bed, not only is it going to be hard to find someone to rent out your unit, but think of the types of people who might be wanting to rent out your unit.
6. Don't skimp on the drywall, especially on the ceiling
   Not only do you want a fire barrier between you and your new housemates, you might be thankful for a little bit of sound-proofing in the long run.
7. Start on the outside
   A separate entrance is key when renting out a basement, especially if you don't want to mingle too much with your new lessees. And you might want to make sure there are no potential lawsuits hanging around — such as slippery stairs or rotting wood.

Staging tips for your kitchen #leduc

Something to Ponder #leduc

Here’s something to ponder over your cup of coffee this morning.  Do you check your credit score?  Do you know what a good number is to have?  It’s highly recommended to check your credit bureau once a year, it’s very easy and cheap.  Just go to www.equifax.ca and for around the $15 you can get that information.  A good credit score is 680 and up.  From that number a mortgage specialist would be able to qualify you for a variety of lender resources.  Here’s something I just learned……if you go out and test drive a car it could actually lower your credit score!  SAY WHAT?  It’s true, some places will require you to leave your license or some sort of identification and as you go for that cruise in the Challenger (that’s the car I want) they may be pulling a credit check on you!  You are allowed around the 6 times a year for a hard check to be done, and then any more and it will start hurting your credit.  Even shopping for cell phones, they can be pulling your credit score.  So there ya go, ponder that for a while and just be aware.  Check your credit once a year to make sure all is what it should be.  Picture is from this weekend at the home and leisure show out in Leduc.  Paula with Dominion Lending and I both held down the fort, had a great time!

Do I need a permit for that?

Do I need a permit for that?  This is something I run into more often than you may think.  In the City of Leduc, any structure over 100 sq ft requires a permit. This includes even those “sunroom/gazebo” type detached enclosures that you can buy from Rona.  You see lots of folks out there with these great looking gazebos in their backyard, but BEWARE, if you happen to purchase one over 100 sq ft you will need a permit from the city.  Here’s why: Let’s say you  were to sell your property and have the Real Property Report completed, after that the report needs to go the city for a “letter of compliance”.  If they find a structure like in the above example you may not get the “compliance” stamp from the city. In fact, if it does not meet proper code they may even make you take that lovely gazebo down.  So just a heads up!  Make sure you check with the City of Leduc for all regulations and guidelines regarding structures and what’s allowed and what’s not.   They’re super friendly down there and don’t bite! #Leduc

Leduc Home and Leisure Show

This weekend at the LRC, Leduc Home and Leisure Show Oct. 22-24^th.  Stop by and say hello!  Paula with Dominion Lending will be there as well to answer any mortgage related questions you may have. 

Staging Tips

Wow! what an opening night for the Oilers!

For those of you who watched the home opener game last night for the Edmonton Oilers, was that an exciting game or what!  What more can you ask for ---a shut out AND a knock out!  Lol

Alright, back to business, here’s a question I get asked a lot:

Should I renovate before I put my home on the market?

Let’s put it this way, when it comes to renovations like kitchens and bathrooms, it’s expensive and often the return on value when selling is not what you have invested into it.  There is a great renovation/value guide that is available and I would be happy to provide you one if you’re interested .  Not only that, but not everyone’s style tastes are the same.  You may spend thousands on a kitchen upgrade only to exclude those potential buyers who do not like it!  Better to adjust your price or offer remodeling incentives and allow the buyer to renovate to their liking and save you time, money and stress!

What is title insurance?

Wow, what a busy week—everything from assumable mortgages to multiple offers to foreclosures!  Never 2 deals the same in this industry—I love it! 

Some of you out there may have heard of title insurance, others may not.  Let me do a quick explanation of what this is and some of the things it may cover.  Every case is different and should be discussed with your agent and lawyer to decide if this is something that should be included. 

So what is title insurance? Title insurance is an insurance policy that protects residential or commercial property owners and their lenders against losses related to the property’s

title or ownership.

What does it cover? For a one-time fee, a title insurance policy may provide protection from such losses as:

* Unknown title defects (title issues that prevent you from having clear ownership of the property)

* Existing liens against the property’s title (e.g. the previous owner had unpaid debts from utilities, mortgages, property taxes or condominium charges secured against the property)

* Encroachment issues (e.g. a structure on your property needs to be removed because it is on your neighbour’s property)

* Title fraud

* Errors in surveys and public records

If you would like any more information about title insurance, just let me know! Have a great day!

How much can I afford?

So you're a first time homebuyer and not really sure where to begin when deciding to purchase your 1st home. Where should you begin?? 1st off, start with contacting a mortgage lender, figure out what price range of home you are shopping for.  A good general rule of thumb----monthly housing costs shouldn't be more than 32% of your gross household income.  Housing costs includes monthly mortgage principal and interest, taxes, heating expenses and half of the condo fees.