Port Alberni market is still crawling along we have sales happening, and people are still looking, i feel that our market area is the next Island community to thrive we have lot’s of room for growth and have some of the best amenities going, from our newer hospital, multiplex, and the start of the new high school to just a great commitment of general care for others. I guess that’s why they call us the community with a HEART!

Buying First vs. Selling First – What’s Your Best Option?
Buying a home can be an emotional roller coaster but when you buy your second home, there’s twice as much to consider! You now have to decide whether to sell your existing home first or risk carrying two homes at once.

Selling first means you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be able to put towards your next home. It also allows you to present a much stronger offer as it won’t be conditional on the sale of your current home. Finally, selling first helps eliminate the scent of desperation that both buyers and agents can smell.

Once your home sells though, the clock starts ticking. You’ll only have a limited amount of time to find the right home. You don’t want to overpay or settle for anything less than perfect so you may have to be somewhat flexible when it comes to moving dates.

If you’re looking for something very specific that only comes up once in a while, you may have to buy first and then arrange a longer closing to allow time for your home to sell. To avoid carrying both homes at once, make sure your home’s priced competitively right off the bat in order to generate maximum interest.

Local market conditions can help determine the best option. In a buyer’s market where there’s lots of selection, people usually prefer to sell first so they have a bit of breathing room. In a seller’s market where good homes are hard to find and sell quickly, it’s preferable to buy first in order to lock down your dream home!

There’s no right answer when it comes to buying or selling first as it depends on personal circumstances. Regardless of your situation though, it’s important to seek professional advice from a knowledgeable, local real estate agent as market conditions can change rapidly.

RISMEDIA, June 10, 2010—If you’re like most homeowners, there is never a shortage of options when it comes to projects around the house. But studies have shown that some of the highest return on household improvements can come from those on the outside, not the inside.

A primary reason is that outside investments can produce curb appeal, which is especially important if you are planning to sell your home. Those same improvements can enhance the enjoyment factor if you and your family plan to stay in your home.

For example, one national industry resource—the National Association of Realtors, reported recently their experience shows a new wood deck produces the second highest return on home improvement investment of any common addition, remodel or replacement project.
However projects don’t have to be big to add value or enjoyment, according to Jimmy Rane, president of Great Southern Wood Preserving, a leading producer of pressure-treated lumber products and maker of YellaWood brand products.

The following popular outside improvement projects will increase the curb appeal or value of a home:

Adirondack chairs—Uniquely-American classic outdoor furniture is made entirely of wood and has a straight back and seat, which are set at a slant to sit comfortably on a hillside or mountain incline, but still be comfortable at any angle.

Gazebo—A gazebo can be freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed and open on all sizes to provide shade or shelter.

Planters and window boxes—Planters have become popular because they are both functional and ornamental. Additionally, some can be moved frequently to account for seasonal weather or just to create a change in scenery.

Picnic table—Picnic tables go well on a patio or a deck, but equally as well on the grass or under a tree in the yard. A traditional picnic table is all in one piece so that it wears well without a lot of maintenance.

Trellis—A trellis can function as a unique sun screen or it can be the framework for an outdoor hanging garden. Building it with pressure treated lumber can add life by minimizing rotting and other threats.

Yard Clean up it’s self is possibly the best and most Affordable. – Weeding, lawn maintenance, trimming hedges or trees, and pressure wash and siding or driveways

Trash can corral or compost bin—while many outdoor projects tend to be cosmetic in nature, here are two ideas that are both practical and pretty. With a trash can corral, you can hide unsightly trash cans and with a compost bin, you can reduce your own carbon footprint in a way that doesn’t take away from the visual appeal of the place.

Happy to announce that we have 2 Builders from Bear Mountain (Victoria) coming to the Alberni Valley to construct new homes in the Redford Park Subdivision, they specialize in fully accessible homes and custom new construction. Innovative Access Solutions (www.innovativeaccesssolutions.com) are going to be working with the Powerhousesells.ca Real Estate Team in Marketing New homes at a finished construction stage. We have 3 floor plans to choose from with many different pricing options, but are also willing to work with any Buyers to give a finish fixed price for the construction of their DREAM home (bring us your plans). Together we are hoping to set new standards for elegant homes at an affordable price.

Call Clark or Sonja for more details anytime 250-723-3339

It has been an exciting 2010 so far. We joined the RE/MAX Mid-Island Realty team on December 18, 2009 and are excited about our new office location. We now have access to many new marketing tools that RE/MAX provides. These include: RE/MAX University Training, Virtual Office Websites, templates to design cards, flyers and brochures etc.

In February of this year we went to the RE/MAX Western Canada conference in Edmonton, AB to join hundreds of other agents for remarkable seminars and networking. We brought back with us valuable information that we feel will help our business grow and enable us to serve our clients better.

Please check out the Links below for an insight on one of the new marketing tools that is becoming a number one tool for realtors and clients. Social Networking is fast becoming the number one way to communicate with friends, clients, etc.www.bradhanksseminars.com or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

~ It is quite simple ~

Social networking will change the way we do our business and how we market our homes and ourselves. It will allow many buyers and sellers using networking system to keep track of what they would like to purchase or how their home is being marketed. This advertising strategy will reach customers on a local, national and international level. Our ability to market has just grown without measure; we are not restricted to print media anymore and the ability to reach worldwide is at our fingertips.

We are now on www.LinkedIn ~ www.Facebook ~ www.Twitter
and coming soon www.YouTube

• www.powerhousesells.ca ~ www.clarkpower.ca ~ www.sonjasutton.ca
• www.midislandrealty.com ~ www.kijiji

Social Networking has already begun to increase our customer base. As each person finds our website, it increases the number of links to our website, keeping us at the top of the Google Search engine.

Facebook is becoming an increasingly effective marketing tool for our business and other businesses known for networking and making connections.

*** Did you know that nearly half of all Canadians have a Facebook account and see ads on the sidebars! ***

Facebook also has a Marketplace advertising section which we use as well as the Facebook home page to advertise the properties we currently have on REALTOR.ca. or the MLS system.

These are just a few of our newest marketing tools that we feel will enhance our business and keep us at the top of our industry. Most consumers are already doing their home search on the internet prior to contacting a Real Estate professional and we believe that providing the best up to date internet marketing tools is the best way to grow our business. If you would like more information on Social Media please feel free to contact us at
clark@powerhousesells.ca or sonja@powerhousesells.ca
Little Known Facts ~ How Buyers First Became Aware of Property
The TOP THREE ways that Buyers became aware of the property were:
 Introduced by a REALTOR (44%)
 INTERNET-MLS.ca site (28%)
 FOR SALE SIGN (12%)
And others are:
 Internet other than MLS site (5%)
 Relative or friend (3%)
 Other eg; open house (3%)
 Newspaper: Real Estate Tabloid (3%)
 Newspaper: classified ad (2%)

Thank you for your continued support and we value your business!

Sincerely,
Clark Power and Sonja Sutton

Currently we are seeing more new construction and some spec homes being built in our community, this is a great start to see with our coming spring market. My current projects are 2 new duplex’s in upper North Port, 1 has sold and looking to start the next one within 6 weeks. I have sent the last drawings in to the city for the 30 lot bare land strata behind A.W.Neill School track field hope to be starting services before end of May 2010.

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