Refinancing is a scary thing, but it doesn’t need to be, and it can save you a ton of money. Basically, when you refinance, you replace your current mortgage with a new one, with a possible lower interest rate. A lower interest rate can save you money and can help you pay off your mortgage faster. Plus, through a refinance you can also access up to 80% of your home’s value, less the outstanding balance of your mortgage.

EX:

$300,000.00       x                        80%                       –              $200,000.00                 =.            $40,000.00

(home value)               (max loan-to-value ratio)        (max loan-to-value ratio)                  (available equity)

Now, interest rates change depending on market conditions and on your credit score. So, if you bought a house with so-so credit when interest rates were high and now you have an amazing credit score, you’re a great candidate to refinance for a lowered interest rate. When it comes to deciding to refinance or not, the general rule is that if you can lower your interest rate by 0.75% or more, you should refinance. There are several online calculators that will help you estimate how much your refinance rate could be that are worth checking out. 

But be aware that refinancing is not a free process. There are several moving parts—from an appraisal on your home, to lender fees, to legal costs, and the possibility of a mortgage prepayment penalty. If you’re interested in refinancing, first check your credit score. If it’s great (in the 620-800 range), then you’re good to move ahead. If it needs a little TLC, work on paying down your debt and making payments on time. Your credit is a big factor in getting a good interest rate, so you’ll want to get it as healthy as possible.

Once you’re ready to start the refinance process, talk with your current lender and see what they can do for you. Once you have their offer, meet with a few other lenders to see if they can do any better. As soon as you find the best offer (aka lowest interest rate), lock in the offer, so the interest rate doesn’t have a chance to increase. *Remember if you are switching lenders there may be a discharge fee ranging from $0 – $400, depending on the province your in and the lender you’re currently with.*

When you refinance your mortgage, you’ll need to consult with a real estate lawyer. Your lawyer will review your mortgage loan, its terms/ conditions, register the new mortgage, and conduct a title search to make sure no leans have been made against your property. It’s the lawyer’s job to facilitate the entire financial transaction between you and the lender. Legal fees for a refinance typically range between $700 and $1,000.

If you’re switching lenders, and your mortgage balance is greater than $200,000, your new lender may pay your legal fees for you. So, before you know it, you could have a new mortgage and a lower interest rate. 

Have any questions about refinancing or want connections to a great lender? Just call me or reply to this email.

With kids heading back to school and families getting ready to settle into the rhythms of fall (how is it here already?!), it’s the perfect time to declutter. Even though you probably don’t have the time to dedicate to a whole house declutter, you can make real headway with just 15 minutes. Set a timer, put on an energizing playlist and try one of these fast decluttering mini-projects.

Kitchen
Go through all your food storage containers and throw out any containers that are cracked, melted, or otherwise unusable. Also throw out any lids or containers that don’t have a mate. Check the expiration dates of the condiments sitting in the door of your fridge, and throw that mustard that’s older than your youngest child right in the trash. 

Take an inventory of your utensil drawer or holder and get rid of any utensils that are past their prime. 

Bathroom
Tackle your shower and get rid of any products that are expired or that you just don’t use. Bathrooms are generally scarce on storage, so you don’t want to waste any of your space storing an unused body scrub you got from your mother-in-law. Next, go through your medicine cabinet and/or makeup bag. Chuck any expired medications and products, and get rid of the stuff you never use.

Laundry Room
Have you looked at your laundry room shelves recently? No? Well, there’s probably an old, used up bottle of detergent or fabric softener hanging around up there. No shame, everyone has one. Now’s your chance to get rid of it. 

Entryway
You probably have a table or an area on the counter where you put things after you get home. Go through this area and get rid of any loose papers, old magazines, or random junk. Bonus task: go through the keys laying around to make sure you still need all of them.  

With just a few minutes, you can make a big difference in the feel of your home. Finding the motivation to declutter is hard, but once you do it, you’ll feel so much lighter. And when you break decluttering into mini-projects, it makes the task much more manageable and fun. 

And of course, decluttering is one of the first steps in getting your home prepped for sale. If you want to get started with the rest of the home selling process, send me an email or call.

With summer winding down, it’s time to get back in the swing of work and school. And since so many of us are spending more time than ever working and studying at home, it’s time to give the home office a little reno. You’ll actually want to work in it, and big bonus, buyers are still looking for homes with offices, so staging will be a snap when you get ready to sell.  

Here’s a few ideas to turn your home office into the ideal setup:

1. Change your desk top: If you’re still working off a card table, you’re definitely due for an upgrade. There’s a whole world of desk tops out there—from glass to wood-look composites to hard wood—that you can mix and match with legs of your choice. I’m loving hairpin legs for a mid-century vibe right now.

2. Keep lighting in mind: Good lighting can make the difference between a major headache and a great place to focus. Add some lamps to increase the ambient light and get some sheer curtains to take advantage of any natural light from nearby windows.  

3. Add plants: Studies have shown that plants actually increase focus and productivity, so add a little greenery to your workspace with a nice pothos or an easy to care for spider plant.

4. Use a room divider: If you don’t have a room dedicated to your office, a room divider can be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping distractions at bay. Plus, it can double as an awesome Zoom background. 

5. Curate your background: Instead of using a plain wall as the backdrop to your desk, spice it up with some framed art, shelves to show off your collectibles or plants, or wall decals to add some visual interest. 

A nice home office will make working and studying so much more pleasant, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or money to do. And, if you’re getting ready to sell soon, a home office will definitely appeal to buyers. 

Want to know more about getting your home ready to sell so you can take advantage of our super competitive market? Just reply to this email, and I’ll tell you how. 

Having a great outdoor space for your dog is the best—and it’s super attractive to buyers, especially in the millennial buyer group. Show off your yard and make it pet friendly with these easy tips.

1. Make sure your plants and mulch are pet safe. Go through and identify all the plants in your yard. If there are some you can’t figure out, take a picture with you to your local garden supply store. If any parts of the plant are poisonous to our furry friends, replace it with something that will keep everyone safe. Same goes for mulch, which is sometimes made from the cocoa plant and has the same toxic substances as chocolate.  

2. Be careful with pesticides. Many pesticides are poisonous to pets. The ones that are okay to use around pets usually have very specific instructions for use. If possible, use natural pesticides or add cedar mulch or plants like catnip and lemon balm to naturally deter pests from hanging out in your yard. 

3. Decrease muddy areas. A corner of the yard that’s constantly muddy is basically a dog magnet. Add some mulch or pavers to muddy areas to cut down on dirty paws in your entryway.

4. Upgrade your fencing. Keep your pets in and other critters out by installing weatherproof fencing. Don’t forget to add a heavy-duty gate to make life easier for you!

5. Add a shady spot. Many pets love laying out in the sun, but they need a place to cool off too. Add some shade trees or designate a covered area on your patio so your pooch can continue to enjoy the fresh air without overheating. 

With just a few changes, you can make your yard a haven for both pets and their owners. 

If you want to know how you can make your home appeal to the most buyers possible, just send me a message and I’ll give you my expert opinion. 

If you have to do more than one renovation on your home, you’re probably wondering which one to do first. And if you’re planning on doing a more comprehensive remodel, you might be having a minor panic attack about making the wrong choice. Don’t worry about painting yourself into a corner though because today we’re talking about the right order to do renovations in. 

You can’t go wrong with an inside out approach. Start by repairing the interior parts of the house—like the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, then move onto drywall and painting. After that you can work on doors, windows, and fixtures. After everything is installed, you can install your floors and, lastly, do the trim and finishing touches. 

By moving from the inside out, you won’t have to worry about undoing work you’ve already done, which is the worst nightmare of any home project.

As you plan your renovations and as you do them, resist the urge to jump around to different renovation areas. For example, if you start painting in the kitchen, finish it before moving on to the bedroom. Otherwise you’ll prolong the renovation, and you’ll have to deal with more areas under construction, which can make life difficult if you’re still living in the home. 

And if you’re planning on a big remodel, you’ll probably use the help of professionals. Get their input on which projects to do first, especially if you plan to coordinate with more than one specialist.

As long as you think through your renovation timeline and carefully plan the milestones, you’ll make it through the process just fine. And when in doubt, ask the professionals like a contractor, designer, or friendly real estate agent (hi!). 

If you have any questions about renovating your home, just shoot me a message. I can help you plan a reno to get you the most bang for your buck, and I have connections with some amazing (and trustworthy) contractors.

Want a beautiful kitchen? Don’t we all? Well, your path to a streamlined, organized kitchen starts with a couple of simple tasks: cleaning and decluttering. And while organizing your kitchen can seem like a daunting project, you just have to set daily goals and then stick to them. 

Storage
Tackle your cabinets and drawers by getting rid of dinnerware, pans, utensils and appliances you don’t use. Consider adding drawer organizers to areas that get messy fast (like a utensil drawer). After you’ve decluttered and organized, use a cleaning spray to wipe down the cabinet exteriors and interiors, drawers, and any open shelving. 

Pantry
Time to see what kind of cans are lurking at the back of your pantry. Choose a section and start by pulling everything out. Toss the expired food, and if there’s anything that’s still good but that you won’t use, put it in a bag to donate to a food pantry. Wipe down your shelves as you go and replace any shelf paper as needed. 

Sinks and Counters
Take everything off your counter and decide if it needs to stay on the counter. If you only use your toaster on Saturdays, you can probably store it in one of your nice, newly organized cabinets. Deep clean your sink, faucet, drain, and garbage disposal. 

Appliances
Finish off your clean-a-thon by giving your hardworking appliances some love. First, check your fridge and freezer and throw out anything expired and things you know won’t get eaten. Once it’s good to go, clean the inside and outside of your refrigerator, and pull it out from the wall to vacuum behind it. Yay for increased energy efficiency! Next, tackle the stove by degreasing the stovetop and running the oven cleaning setting. If you have a hood, degrease that as well. Then wipe down the outside and inside of the microwave. Finish off by running the dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar to descale the interior. 

Now your kitchen is pristine and organized. In fact, that’s just the sort of kitchen buyers are looking for.If you want to show off your kitchen and see what your home could score in our hot market, just reply to this email!