Mandana Tehrani - You've Found a Home

Do you really enjoy spending your time moving boxes? If not, get busy and have a yard sale well ahead of your move.

Even if you're just starting to consider buying a home, it's a good time to start filling boxes and making piles of possessions that you haven't used in the past year or two.

Then, once you get serious about finding a home, go through cupboards, closets, basements, and attics in search of more possessions that don't need to accompany you to your new home.

Once you think you've found everything, clear it all out with a yard sale. Your eventual move will be easier, and you just might make enough money to assist with your home purchase.

If you're a seller, make it a part of the preparation to sell. You know you need to de-clutter and de-personalize, so do it by getting completely rid of those items you no longer want or need.

Whether you're buying or selling, one fact is true: If you wait until the last minute, when you know you need to move within a week or two, the temptation will be to just throw everything in boxes and take it along.

That will make your move more expensive and time consuming. And it will mean you'll either have to find a place for all those no-longer-needed items in your new home or you'll have boxes sitting around for months, reminding you that you still have work to do.

What about the sale "leftovers?" There are always leftovers, so do a little research and choose a local charity with a thrift store. If you have clothing that needs to go, consider donating it to a homeless shelter or a shelter for battered women and children. You'll feel good about it – and they'll feel better for having it.

When you're ready to buy or sell – or when you just want to know the latest about our Vancouver housing market – get in touch. I'm always happy to answer your questions.

After You've Searched the Internet for Your New Home, Trust Your Agent

Today most home buyers begin their search for a home on the Internet. That's why home sellers "in the know" choose agents who go all out for good photographs and property descriptions in their Internet presentations.

Searching online is convenient and can save you hours and days of time. It allows you to narrow your search to homes in the neighborhoods you want and with the features you seek.

But beware. If you limit your search to the homes that appeal to you online, you just might miss the house you'd love best.

You see, not all agents take the time and trouble to post good photographs and descriptions. Some only post one photo – and that might have been taken from their car, with their cell phone. Some only give the bare facts about a house – such as the number of bedrooms and baths and the square footage. If there happens to be a special feature that you've been searching for, you'd never know it.

So yes, do give your agent a list of homes you've seen on line that interest you. But also tell him or her about the features on your wish list.

Active agents have actually seen many if not most of the homes on the market and might be able to take you straight to the house you want. Your agent can also save you time by discouraging you from viewing homes that clearly aren't what you're looking for.

You can say it serves the agents right if their poorly presented listings don't sell. But don't penalize yourself and miss out on the home of your dreams just because some agent didn't post good photographs and list all the features it has to offer.

Instead, be glad that your own agent knows more about the homes for sale, in Greater and Metro Vancouver, than you can learn on line. And silently thank the lazy agent for discouraging other buyers and leaving that house available for you.

When you want a new home, bring me your wish list. I might already know exactly the home that fits your description of "just right."

Facebook has become a way of life for many today. People share all of life's little ups and downs with friends, but information about an upcoming home purchase or sale is one bit of information you must not share.

The agent on the other side of your transaction is always listening and looking for clues to your motivation and your willingness to accept the price that his or her client wants to pay or receive. And anything that agent learns will weaken your negotiating position.

Your agent may be telling their agent that you said "I won't pay over $172,000" but if the agent just read your Facebook page where you told your friends you'd go as high as $185,000, the agent will advise the seller to counter at $185,000.

The same is true in reverse. You as a seller may say you won't go under some price, but if you've already told the world on Facebook that you'll take $10,000 less, your chance of getting your price is nil.

You can also hurt your negotiations by talking about how anxious you are to move or how soon you need to move. Even something seemingly innocent can cost you money. So simply don't mention it at all.

Note: If you really believe that one of your Facebook contacts can bring you a buyer, say only this much:"My house is for sale, listed with (agent's name). It's a great house, so if you know someone who wants to move into the neighborhood, have them call (agent's phone number.)"

Remember that smart agents won't just be looking at your own Facebook page (or pages.) They'll also check to see what your children are saying on their own pages. That means you must remind your children repeatedly not to talk about the transaction nor their feelings about buying or selling.

Tell the kids they can tell their friends after the transaction has closed – but not to say a word until that happens.

When you're ready to buy or sell a home in Vancouver, get in touch. You can count on me to keep your confidential information confidential.

Every real estate agent advises his or her listing clients to clean, de-clutter, and de-personalize their home before it goes on the market. Unfortunately, not all homeowners take that advice.

The result: You as a homebuyer may become distracted by the irrelevant and fail to recognize a home that could be "just right" for you.

Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you view homes:

• Worn carpeting is an opportunity. The price has either been reduced for this defect or you may be able to get a carpet allowance. Either way, it means you can live with brand new carpeting in the color and style you choose. Apply the same thinking to other floor coverings and paint.

• Stay focused – Ignore the family photos, the trophies, the collections on display, and the interesting furnishings. The puppy may be cute, but don't let him capture your attention. None of those items comes with the house, and they're not why you're there.

• Look past decorating that's not your style. All those things will be removed – you'll be decorating in your own style. An ugly couch or bedspread has nothing to do with the house.

• Pay attention to the size of the rooms and the placement of doors, windows, and built-ins. Even if the room is over-full, try to visualize how your own furnishings would fit.

• View each room with an eye toward how you'll use it – not how the current residents are using it.

Visualizing yourself living in a home that hasn't been properly prepared for sale is more difficult. But do your best to focus on the home – and not on what's in it.

You just might find a "diamond in the rough" at a price that will keep you smiling for years to come.

When you're ready to find a new home in Vancouver, get in touch. It will be my pleasure to help you find the one that's "just right" for you. Just give me a call at 604-551-4129 or drop me an email at mtehrani@sutton.com.

Once you have accepted an offer on your home, you and your buyers will face several steps before the closing can take place. If they're getting a loan to purchase the house, one of those steps will be the appraisal.

You might reasonably think that the appraiser will be looking at the home itself and not at your lifestyle, and that's really what an appraiser is paid to do. He or she will be taking measurements, looking at the quality of cabinetry, fixtures, and flooring, and making note of both positive and negative points.

You might also think that you can relax now – that you no longer have to maintain constant vigilance to keep everything neat and tidy inside and out.

But appraisers are human. They form impressions and assumptions just the way buyers do. When they drive up to your house, their first impression will affect the outcome of the appraisal. In fact, according to a recent Realty Times article, an unkempt yard can lower your value by as much as 3% - and if you have neighbors with meticulously kept yards and yours isn't, the downgrade can be even more severe.

Once inside, the appraiser will again be affected by his or her first impression, so an untidy home will lower your appraised value. Unwashed dishes, a smelly litter box, and an overflowing laundry hamper have nothing to do with the true value of your home – but they can have plenty to do with the final outcome of your appraisal.

Of course, the opposite is true. "Clean, neat, and polished" translates to "well maintained" and can help your appraisal.

The bottom line: When the appraiser is coming, prepare your house just as carefully as you did when potential buyers were coming.

Want to know what homes like yours have sold for lately? Call me - I'll be happy to share the information.

List No Home Before Its Time

When you make the decision to sell your home, the impulse is to get it on the market right away. But that can be a costly mistake.

Instead, choose a listing agent and come to an agreement on the listing price. Then, before the first buyer or buyer's agent pulls up outside, do what the old folks used to call "Spring Cleaning."

Make everything from the ceilings to the floor sparkle with cleanliness. Get rid of clutter. Re-arrange the furniture to create a feeling of spaciousness and ease of movement throughout the house – even if it means moving a few pieces of furniture into storage for the time being. Take care of those little "fix-it" jobs that you might have been putting off.

Next, De-personalize so that prospective buyers can see themselves living in the house.

Then move outside and do the same.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it’s a good one. And remember that the impression your house makes on buyers agents is important. If they bring buyers before the house is ready, they probably won't bring other buyers later on.

If you aren't sure about what matters most to buyers, call me. I speak with dozens of homebuyers each month and will be glad to share the insights I've gained from listening to them and watching their reactions as we tour homes.

Also, I have a comprehensive to-do list for sellers – and I'll be glad to share a copy with you. Just call or email us.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Viewing Vancouver Open Houses? Be Careful!

Once you've decided to buy a home here in Vancouver, Lower Mainland, it's natural to want to see them all. If you happen to see an "Open House" sign, it's natural to stop and go in. But be careful.

The first step is to tell the agent that yes, you do have a buyer's agent.  In fact, it won't hurt to give the listing agent your agent's card, just to reinforce the statement.

Next, if you fall in love and want the house, take the information and call your own agent immediately. Inform the listing agent that he or she can expect an offer and that it will be coming through your agent.

Why not purchase from the agent holding the open house?

For two reasons. First, you probably have a contract with your buyer's agent. Second, the agent holding the open house is working for the seller. If you purchase through him or her, you'll have no representation.

That means no one will be on your side, negotiating the best price and terms. And no one will help you include the proper contingencies in your offer. You'll simply be a buyer.

If the house happens to be new construction in one of Vancouver subdivisions, you won't have anyone negotiating for upgrades on carpet or appliances – although they may try to dazzle you with promises for "extras" like a microwave or a washer and dryer if you go ahead and purchase from the listing agent.

Beware – those "extras" will pale in value compared to the price reductions your buyers' agent can probably negotiate.

As your buyer's agent, I'll be happy to accompany you to open houses - and I'll be glad to give you a supply of cards to hand out, just in case you run across your new Vancouver home when I'm not with you.

There's more to a Vancouver home purchase offer than the stated price.

While the stated purchase price of a home in Vancouver is the starting point in an offer to purchase, other details of the offer determine the true costs to the buyer and the true proceeds to the seller. These details, along with the price, become points of negotiation.

The most obvious, common, and costly detail is the request for the seller to pay the buyer's closing costs. Depending upon the loan program, this could equal as much as 9% of the purchase price.

On a home valued at $300,000, paying buyer's closing costs would mean a $27,000 reduction in proceeds for the seller - and a $27,000 savings for the buyer.

Then there are the inspections and the repair allowances. Buyers usually pay for the inspections, but they can ask the seller to pay these costs.

Every purchase offer should include a set figure that the seller agrees to spend on repairs, if required. This figure must be deducted when the seller is looking at net proceeds. And then, if more expensive repairs are needed buyers and sellers must either return to negotiations or let the transaction die.

But those aren't the only factors that can affect the buyers' or the sellers' finances.

Timing can also play a role. If the buyer is leaving another home or the seller is buying a new home, the closing/possession date can save or cost them dollars. Think of the cost of putting your household furnishings into storage and renting temporary shelter in the interim between closing on one home and moving into another.

Next, look at what's included in the purchase price. Kitchen and/or laundry appliances may already be included per the listing. If not, the buyers can ask for them. Inclusion saves the buyers money, while it may cost the sellers to replace them in their new home. So even though these items are not given monetary value on the purchase offer, they do have value that both parties need to consider.

The same is true for items like a riding lawn mower. The seller may not need one in their next home, but leaving it behind does add value for the buyer.

Whether you're buying or selling a home here in Vancouver, before you focus on the stated purchase price, look at the true price. You'll see it after you make the additions and subtractions.

If you have questions about these costs and how they affect your bottom line, call or email me. I'll be happy to speak with you.

And when you're ready to buy or sell a Vancouver home, it would be my pleasure to guide you through a smooth transaction.