A Gardener's Dream in Lake Country

Incredible Panoramic Lake Views from this 1.24 acres of land. This home is a Walkout Rancher with 4 very large Bedrooms and 4 Baths, with a huge Family Room. It also has a 1 Bedroom Suite in the walkout basement.

There is a 1400 SF Shop/Barn which would be perfect for your business or hobbies. The Barn/Shop has a second level loft with a ton of potential

This Beautiful property offers total privacy and is only steps away from 4 Wineries and Davidson Elementary School. There is lots of room for parking the RV, boat and more. Bring your hobby and imagination.

This property could be a gardeners dream.

Call or text Steve Higgins RE/MAX Kelowna to arrange viewing. 250.864.7893

New Listing in Lake Country! $29,000.00

	Priced to Sell Quickly. Very short walk to the Lake. Close to Shopping, golf, and amenities. 2 Bedrooms, 1 bath, forced air heating. Electric Fireplace. 100 Amp. 55+ Park. Pets with Restrictions. Rentals allowed. Great Neighbors. Peach tree & Raspberries. Owner has moved to Assisted Living. Call Steve Higgins RE/MAX Kelowna  for private viewing 250-864-7893.

The Fall Market

Real estate sales decided not to take a breather this fall. September saw more units sold than August and was up a whopping 36% over last year at this time. Fewer listings also came on stream comparing to
August and now the active inventory is only 3,537 compared to 4,232 in September last year. Granted, over 3,500 listings is still quite a number! Offering a good selection in most locations and buyer price ranges, but we are seeing prices moving upwards at a rate of about 8% so far this year on
average for a single family home in the greater Kelowna area. Condos are not quite as strong as they are up only about 4% in price, but they do lead the way with the most activity in residential sales by quite a bit. thereby reducing the one time glut of overbuilt condos for sale.
The way October has started off, it appears this active fall market will continue yet for a while, but how long? Only time will tell. Resource rich Alberta shows no signs of slowing down and that is always a good indicator as to how the Okanagan market will go. Combine the ongoing low interest rates with the buyer demand, from both local and out of province buyers, and a very good selection of product, we will likely see the strongest fall market we have seen since 2007 but without the same high prices. This coming winter will be very interesting to watch and predict.

Upgrades You Probably Not See Your full Investment Returned.

Some renovation upgrades such as your kitchens and bathrooms are usually fairly reliable for adding to a home’s resale value. Then there are others that are just not worth doing.  If you are selling you probably are asking yourself what’s worth the cost and what isn’t?
Here are some renovation that least likely to return their full investment or close to it when you sell, or may even turn buyers off.

Wall-to-wall broadloom
Once considered a selling feature, this is now a liability in many buyers eyes. Broadloom is incompatible with pets, people with allergies, and is perceived as hard to clean. If you have hardwood floors, have them refinished or consider installing them if you don’t. Or just leave as is and let the buyer decide what they want to put in.

Whirlpool baths, saunas and indoor hot tubs
They use to be chic, they are now often seen as just expensive, energy-guzzling extras. Seems most people want to have the nice showers.

Built-in sound systems and home theatres
Some buyers will be attracted to this, but not everyone, nor will they pay a premium for a house with this feature.

Colorful bath fixtures
You may like it but chances are the buyer will just see them as a renovation to-do and will plan to get rid of them after the purchase.

Ornate chandeliers, wallpaper and paint treatments
Taste is very individual and idiosyncratic decorating can turn buyers off, stick with neutral, simple decor.

Overly fancy appliances
Stainless steel-finish appliances are worth paying a few more dollars for (compared to the equivalent of white or colored models), but six-burner professional stoves, double dishwashers or a huge fridge rarely will recoup their initial cost.

Cheap laminate or vinyl tile flooring
There are some types of laminate that are attractive and practical; others just look cheap and fake. Especially avoid peel-and-stick vinyl tiles or be prepared to replace them when you put the house on the market. For not much more money, choose  hardwood, stone, bamboo or cork.

Swimming pool
There is some debate among Realtors that it is a selling feature. But a pool rarely recoups its entire cost, and it will reduce the number of  buyers interested in your home.

Turning a three-bedroom into a two-bedroom home
Even if that third bedroom is minuscule, it’s still a bedroom! No matter how spacious your newly enlarged master bedroom or that new spa bath, the demand for two-bedroom homes is significantly smaller than for three-bedrooms, and they command considerably lower prices.

The Best Upgrades for Resale.

If you are getting your home ready to sell there are definitely some upgrades that are worth their costs in helping to attract more buyers, sell your home (hopefully) faster, make back most (or all) of your investment, or even increase the value of your home.

Kitchen
A state of the art kitchen is one of the most popular renovations for earning back most, if not all, of its money. Even if you don't fully gut and renovate, certain upgrades --granite counters, hardwood or high-end tile floors, premium appliances (especially stainless steel), islands and undermount sinks  will attract attention and can increase the value.

Hardwood floors
Especially on the main floor, hardwood is perennially popular with buyers. If your floors are refinished but worn, have them lightly sanded and resealed  or if they're very beaten up consider replacing them.

Premium broadloom
Broadloom is popular too (especially for bedrooms) but only if in top condition. If it's worn, soiled or out of style, replace it with something more contemporary. Neutral, lightly textured weaves such as wool “sisal” are in fashion right now.

Master ensuite
If your ensuite is tired, it's worth upgrading, especially if you can afford a few luxuries such as a whirlpool or air jet tub, separate shower with a rainshower head, double sinks and/or heated floors. If you don't have an ensuite, perhaps you can add one by stealing space from the master bedroom or a room next to it.

Radiator covers
If you live in an older home it can be simple carpentry job, but makes almost any older home seem more gracious.

Upgraded lighting
Old-fashioned track lighting can be easily replaced with more contemporary styles such as smaller cans or halogen track lights. Replace dingy overhead lighting with chandeliers (vintage or modern), or install them in rooms that don't have any.

A finished basement
After kitchens and bathrooms, a stylishly finished basement is high on many buyers' wish lists.

Landscaping
A well-maintained garden with attractive plantings, hardscaping such as brick or flagstone, and special features such as urns or paths, add an elegant look to even a smaller home.

Front porch
If you can, add a full front porch (or replace/repair the one you have if it isn't in good condition) if not, a portico (a smaller porch that shelters the front door) can be a worthy substitute. Or add a deck or patio in the back.

Adding a bedroom
A four-bedroom house will demand a higher price than a three-bedroom, even if they're both the same size. Consider dividing a large bedroom into two small ones (as long as they're not too small, or it can have the opposite effect) or consider converting an upstairs den or sitting room.

More good news......

as home buying heats up over the summer months!! The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 8,493 residential sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service in July, up 11 per cent from July 2013. Total sales dollar volume was $4.65 billion, an increase of 13.8 per cent compared to a year ago. The average MLS residential price in the province rose to $547,926, up 2.5 per cent from the same month last year. Strong consumer confidence continues to drive a summer rally of home sales. While sales were up in all but one BC real estate board area, while here in the Okanagan we have posted a meteoric rise in consumer demand, with the most home sales on record for the month of July. Great news for those that have been waiting to sell! Overall market conditions remain in relative balance in BC. However, relatively fewer homes for sale have created sellers’ market conditions in some communities. Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was up 24.5 per cent to $28.5 billion, compared to the same period last year. Residential unit sales were up 17.2 per cent to 50,376 units, while the average MLS residential price was up 6.2 per cent at $565,031.

Need to Update your home to Sell?

Does your home need updating? One of the quickest ways to update and stage your home for selling is with paint. You can quickly transform your room from dated to update with a can of paint. However, when choosing paint colors try to stick to neutral colors, as they appeal to the widest range of buyers. Neutral doesn't have to be boring!! Neutrals can be anything from tones of  browns to the cooler colors of the modern greys, it just don't have to be beige anymore. Gone are the days of the off-whites.
When going with neutral colors you can add your pop of color with accent items such as pillows, lamps, vases, works of art or rugs.
Have a great day!
Tracy

HIGGINS REPORT ON THE MARKET MAY 2012

The Okanagan Mainline Real
Estate Board reported 9,651 Active MLS®
Listings with 5,283 of them being located in
the Central Okanagan Zone boundaries available
for sale. The listing inventory is down
only slightly, 1.55%, from 2011 YTD inventory
of 5,302 units. 1,215 Properties were
listed on the MLS® in the month of May
which is on par with 2011’s May listing numbers
of 1,214. Buyers have ample selection
and competitively priced homes are selling
quicker than the average 90 days to sell.
The local real estate market was much
improved during the month of May with a
19.13% sale unit increase over last year.
436 Properties traded hands in May 2012 in
comparison to 366 properties in May of 2011.
Year to date unit sales are up 7.95% with
1,629 units of sales in 2012 in comparison to
1,509 units of sale in 2011. The Average
Residential Sale Price YTD is $461,777 which
is down 1.45% compared to last YTD Average
Sale Price in 2011 of $468,560. Noteworthy
YTD unit sales increases include Duplex sales
up 43.48%, Apartment sales up 17.71%,
Acreage sales up 37.5% and Total Lot sales
up 27.87%.
Real estate market experts remain cautiously
optimistic about the recovery and predict
moderate growth in 2012 and 2013.