The Latest in Kitchen Fire Prevention. What You Need to Know.

More fires start in the kitchen than in any other room. Those fires can be expensive; since even a minor incident, with no injuries, can result in significant damage. That’s why it’s important to keep up with the latest in fire prevention.

The most recent research tells us:
    
•    Never leave cooking food unattended. Doing so is the number one cause of kitchen fires.

•    Make sure cooking appliances, especially deep fryers, are safety certified by the appropriate government agency.

•    When using oil in a frying pan, always heat slowly at no more than a medium heat setting.

•    Always turn off stove burners and other cooking appliances immediately after cooking.

•    Never attempt to put out a grease fire with water. Use baking soda or a fire extinguisher.

•    Never remove or cover up a smoke detector due to nuisance alarms. The one alarm that isn’t a nuisance may save your life.

Finally, experts say that if you can’t put out a fire immediately, get everyone out of the home and call emergency services.

For everything else give me a call 604-859-2341.

When would you talk to a car salesperson? Probably only once you’re ready to buy a new car. You would do some initial research (perhaps on the internet), get an idea of what you want, and then go to the dealership to meet a salesperson, test drive the car and make the purchase.

Although that approach may work when you’re buying a car, it’s not the best approach when it comes to real estate.

You see, successfully buying or selling a home requires a lot of planning and legwork. You want the process to go smoothly, the right decisions to be made, and the best possible deal to be negotiated.  

After all, this is the purchase and/or sale of your home!

So, the best time to talk to a REALTOR® is as early in the process as possible.

In fact, even if you’re just thinking of buying or selling — and simply want to explore the possibility of making a move sometime this year — you should have a conversation with a good REALTOR®.

A REALTOR® will answer your questions, provide you with the information and insights you need, help you avoid costly mistakes, and make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

When you are ready to buy or sell, having worked with a REALTOR® early in the process will help ensure you get what you want.

So talk to a good REALTOR® when:

• You have a question about the local market.
• You want to know what your home might sell for today.
• You’re interested in checking out homes currently available on the market.
• You’re in the midst of deciding whether or not to make a move.
• You’ve decided to buy or sell.

Many homeowners think there’s not much they can do about telephone, heating, water and other utility expenses. Sure, you may grumble about a high heating bill one month, but what can you do about it?

Turns out, you can do plenty. There are several ways to reduce monthly utility costs that can save you tens or even hundreds of dollars. For example:

• Shop around for a better phone plan. Then contact your phone company. They might match the rates.

• Turn down the thermostat on your water heater. You likely don’t need tap water to be that hot.

• Clean the screen on your outside air conditioning unit regularly. (Gently with the water hose.) Dirt and leaves can build up on it, reducing the unit’s efficiency.

• Leverage the sun. Open curtains in the winter to gain heat. Block direct sunlight in summer to keep the cool air inside.

• Scrutinize your bill. There may be extras you’re paying for that you don’t need.

• Play with the thermostat. Experiment with setting the temperature a couple of degrees lower. You might not notice any difference.

It’s worth paying attention to your utility costs. Just a few smart moves can save you some serious money.

You may love animals, but with the exception of your family pets, you don’t want them in your home. Here are some tips for keeping the wildlife around your property where it belongs: outside.

• Don’t place bird feeders too close to your windows. Doing so may cause birds to associate a window with food and therefore try to peck their way inside.
• Make sure window screens are secure. If you can push a screen loose with your hand, so can a bird or other animal.
• Check screens on dryer vents and chimneys. If they are damaged, fix or replace them.
• To determine how animals are entering your home, stuff wadded paper in the suspected entry point. If the paper is disturbed the next day, you’ll know where they got in.
• Never leave food outside, unattended. After a barbeque, for example, take all remaining food inside.

If you do find an animal in your home, never try to pick it up. It may bite or have rabies. Instead, call a professional.

When you put your home up for sale, you want it to look its best to potential buyers. That’s why you clean, tidy and de-clutter every room.

Some sellers, however, miss the backyard. You need to pay just as much attention to that space as you do to the interior of your home. The backyard is as important a living space as the family room. To some buyers, even more.

Buyers want to see an attractive backyard space, with the grass cut and the hedges trimmed.

The more neat and tidy you can make it, the better. Be sure to sweep walkways and wipe down patio furniture.

Also, watch out for the following things that buyers do not want to see:

• Bags of garage and other waste.
• Doggie do-do. (Be sure to stoop and scoop!)
• Rakes and other tools piled in the corner.
• Cluttered and disorganized storage sheds, pool huts and other backyard structures.
• Weeds in the flower beds.
• Items stored underneath the deck.
• Hoses not stowed neatly.
• Electrical outlets and water faucets that don’t work.

These are not difficult issues to fix. Doing so will positively impact the impression the buyer gets of your backyard.

Do you have a backyard that shows particularly well in the summer? Here’s a tip: Take pictures. Those photos will help buyers be able to appreciate how it looks should you list your home in the winter.

Want more tips on making your home show well so that it sells fast? Call today.

If you see a haze of condensation on your window, should you be concerned? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on a number of factors.

First of all, an occasional build-up of condensation is normal and often the result of fluctuating humidity in the home. Usually, it’s nothing to worry about. If you’re using a humidifier, try adjusting the levels. If the humidity is being generated naturally, try placing a dehumidifier nearby. Also, remove any plants and firewood from the area, as they can release a surprising volume of moisture into the air.

Do you see moisture in between the panes of glass that make up the window? If so, that means the seal has failed and moisture has crept in. Double and triple pane windows often contain a gas (argon, for example) that boosts the insulating qualities of the window. When the seal fails, the gas disappears, making the glass colder and often allowing condensation to creep in. Eventually, you’ll want to get it replaced.

If you see moisture build-up anywhere on the frame of the window, particularly at the joints, that could be a sign of water leaking through. That’s an issue you should get checked out immediately by a window contractor.

How to Deal with a Low-Ball Offer

If you take care to price your home correctly — that is, at a price that is in line with what similar properties in the area have sold for recently — then you have a good chance of selling it at or near your asking price.

That doesn’t mean you won’t get a low-ball offer. You might. So what do you do when that happens?

First, understand that the buyer may not necessarily be trying to steal away your home at a bargain-basement price. He might simply be mistaken about its true market value. Of course, he might also be coming in at a low price in the hopes he’ll get lucky.

You will never actually know the buyer’s motives. So it would be a mistake to get angry or dismiss the offer out-of-hand. That low-ball offer might end up being the beginning of a negotiation that results in you selling your home at a good price.

Your first step is to work with your REALTOR® to determine:

• How serious the buyer is.
• How qualified the buyer is. (For example, does he have a pre-approved mortgage?)
• How amenable the buyer is to a counter-offer that reflects the true market value of your home.
• What that counter-offer should be.

This isn’t an easy process. It takes knowledge and experience to get it right. That’s why working with a good REALTOR® is essential.

Looking for a REALTOR® who is an expert at this stuff? Call today.

Say you’re viewing a home and are impressed with how it looks. The walls
are freshly painted. Everything seems bright and new. You’re considering
making an offer.

Then, while standing on a mat in the kitchen, you hear a squeak below your
feet. You lift the mat and see that some tiles are broken. Obviously the mat
was there to, literally, cover up that defect.

A few broken tiles are not a big deal. But now you’re thinking, “What else
might be wrong with this house?”

There’s no reason to worry that every home will have maintenance issues
hidden from view. However, it’s smart to do your due diligence to ensure the
home you’re considering is truly as good as it looks.

One way is to have a professional home inspector check out the property as
a condition of your purchase offer. He or she will inspect the home from top
to bottom, inside and out, and point out any issues you should address.

It’s also smart to ask questions. Find out the age of certain features, such as
the roof, furnace, and appliances. Ask about any recent renovations, and
determine whether they were done by a professional or by the homeowner.

Most importantly, work with a good REALTOR® who can provide you with
information on the property that you would have difficulty getting on your
own. Your REALTOR® has a stake in making sure you buy a home with
your eyes wide open — knowing all the potential maintenance issues you’re
likely to encounter.

Want to talk to a good REALTOR®? Call today.

RE/MAX Little Oak and myself have been contributing to Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation for many years.  We have a fund called W.I.T. which stands for Whatever It Takes.  This fund takes care of things such as parking passes for the hospital, medication, training, meals for families staying at the hospital, and a variety of other things.

It is uplifting to see the positive effect when many members of my company can come together and donate together to make a difference.  Here are two recent stories I would like to share with everyone.

#1 - Newborn baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, born at just 26 weeks gestation, life threatening circumstances, the parents are considered low income and were required to take CPR Training in order to help their baby.  We donated $150.00 from the RE/MAX WIT (Whatever It Takes) Fund to help this family with their CPR Training.

#2 - 13 years old boy diagnosed with diabetes, his family just moved here from Ireland and they do not have their MSP yet, he needed medication immediately, we donated $396.21 towards his first months medication.