Are you thinking about selling your home? If you are, you’ve probably wondered about how to best go about buying a new home. Do you buy before you sell? Do you sell and then buy a new home? Or are you supposed to do it at the same time?

In a normal world with a normal real estate market, you could sell your home and then buy a new home pretty easily. Yes, you could even sell a home and buy at the same time if you were on a condensed timeline.

But in Lloydminster we have a good market right now, so this can be done. 

Our current Lloydminster market has high demand from buyers and a good supply of available houses. This is the kind of market that will allow you to sell your home for a good value.

Generally speaking, most buyers are putting several offers before they get an offer accepted on a home that they love. Because the market is heavily leaning towards sellers right now, it can take a while to find the right home for you. That means that your safest option is to find and buy a home before putting your current home on the market. 

But that might not be a great option for everyone. Whether you need the equity in your current home to use as a down payment or you just don’t have the time to buy first and then sell, you have other options. You can sell your home and move out then put your furniture in storage and live in a short-term rental or with family while you find the perfect home. Alternatively, you can ask buyers for a longer closing period or put a clause in the purchase agreement to give you time to find your dream home. 

I will be able to walk you through all the options available and point you in the direction of options that fit your needs. 

If you want to talk about what’s best for your situation and your real estate goals with an expert, feel free to contact me, and we can discuss what is best for you.

Harpreet Christie

RE/MAX of Lloydminster

(780)2057653

harpreet@bordercityrealestate.com

Should I sell before the real estate market crashes in Lloydminster? This is a question a lot of homeowners are asking themselves lately. And with good reason! The real estate market has been unpredictable lately, and no one knows what the future holds. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before making a decision.

First, it’s important to remember that the real estate market is cyclical. It goes up and down, but it always comes back up again. So even if there is a crash, it’s not likely to be permanent.

Second, Lloydminster is a unique market. Because it straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, it’s not as susceptible to market fluctuations as other cities in Canada. So even if there is a downturn, it’s not likely to be as severe here as in other places.

And finally, remember that your home is more than just an investment. It’s your home! So even if the market does crash, you don’t have to sell if you don’t want to. You can always ride it out until the market recovers.

So there you have it! Here are some things to think about if you’re considering selling your home in Lloydminster. Ultimately, the decision is up to you. But whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck!

If you’re looking to sell your home, now might be the best time to do so! To get the stats on your neighbourhood’s market and your home. Contact me anytime, and I’ll send that info over to you!

Harpreet Christie

RE/MAX of Lloydminster

(780)2057653

harpreet@bordercityrealestate.com

Sometimes working from home can feel like the best thing ever. You have access to all the comforts of home (read: the kitchen), don’t have to put on pants, and can be close to your family throughout the day. In many ways, working from home can make life so much easier.

But like anything else, sometimes working from home can be too much of a good thing and can make getting your actual work done a little trickier. Here are my favourite work from home tips to make working from home work for you!

1. Customize your environment. Make your work from home set up work for you! A nice lamp and some cute decorations that make you smile can go a long way to producing a work-friendly environment.

2. Set boundaries with others. This is a big one. Because you’re working at home, you’ll need to let the other people in your home know when you’re available and when you need to focus on your work. Set these boundaries and make sure they’re crystal clear to everyone involved.

3. Prepare your meals in advance. Being able to walk into the kitchen to grab a meal is great–until you realize that you don’t have anything for lunch and now have to make an entire meal or subsist off of snacks found at the back of the pantry. Meal prepping is your best friend for work from home.

4. Log out of your social media accounts. This is setting a boundary with yourself. When you’re on work time, keep the social media turned off. There are enough distractions already, and it’s so easy to get sucked into social media and wonder where the hours went.

5. Work from a home you love! Working from a place you don’t love won’t support your best work. But when you work from a home you love, working from home becomes amazing.

If you want some help finding a home you love with the perfect workspace setup, then send me a message!

In our crazy real estate market, many would-be buyers are turning to renting rather than buying. And I don’t blame them. But it might not be their best choice.

Renting has pros and cons, like anything else. In fact, if you’re not ready to settle down in one place or know that you’ll be moving to a different location in the near future, renting is absolutely the way to go.

But sometimes it seems that for every pro renting provides, it has at least two cons. Unlike owning your own home, you can’t design or decorate your living space the way that you want. If you want to paint a fun accent wall or even hang a beautiful painting, chances are you can’t unless you want to forfeit your deposit.

And right now, buying a house is definitely tricky. But renting is also becoming more and more difficult to get into. Rent costs are skyrocketing across the country, and rental markets are becoming incredibly competitive. Renting used to be a good way to save up for a home, but now rents are as much as a mortgage, and it makes less sense.

And then there’s what might be the biggest problem with renting: you can’t build up equity. When you own a home, the money you pay into your monthly mortgage bill goes directly towards your home.

That means that when you go to sell your home, you get all of that money back–and then some if you play the real estate market correctly.

But with renting, there’s no way to build equity. All of the money from your rent payment goes directly into your landlord’s pocket. And you never see a cent of it again!

So if you’re tired of renting, tired of the upstairs neighbours stomping around at all hours of the night, and tired of seeing your money disappear, let’s have a chat. There are other options out there when it comes to housing that could be the perfect fit for you.

Just send me a message and I’ll get you the information you need to get out of renting and make smart choices for your future.

If you’ve decided to buy or sell a home, you need to get some professional help from a real estate agent. But finding the right agent can be stressful and overwhelming–there are so many of us real estate agents out there to choose from!

But if you follow this process, you’ll be able to find an agent who will help you achieve success in this competitive housing market.

First, decide how you will meet with the agent. You can do this in-person at your home, the agent’s office, or a coffee shop. And if you’re not feeling up to meeting in person right now, that’s totally fine, too! Most agents are more than happy to meet on Zoom so you can feel comfortable through the interview process.

Next, once you’re at the interview, you need to do a vibe check. How is the agent making you feel? Do you think your personalities mesh well? And can you see yourself working with the agent in a long-term capacity? You and your agent will be spending a lot of time together, and they will guide you through some stressful moments, so it’s important that you can work well with them. 

Then ask what this agent can bring to the table. Like everyone else, each agent has particular strengths and skills that have helped them become successful. You will want to make sure that these skills line up with what you’re looking for. 

And lastly, ask about their experience. Each real estate transaction is different and has its own intricacies. For example, if you’re selling an inherited piece of property, you’ll want to find someone with experience so they know what to expect. Make sure that the agent’s experience fits your situation. 

I always recommend that you interview at least three real estate agents so you can find the agent who will work best for you and help you achieve your real estate dreams.

And if you want to set up an interview with me to see how I can help you buy or sell a home, just reach out and we’ll get one set up!

Have you been wondering if now is a good time to sell your home? Or maybe you know you want to sell, but are too overwhelmed by the idea to even know where to start. Then why don’t we talk about it? If you’ve thought about selling at all, let me answer your questions, talk you through the process, and get you started on your next steps.

A home seller consultation will give you the information you need to move forward with selling your home with confidence. And it’s complimentary, so you don’t pay anything for the meeting!

Here’s what to expect in a home seller consult:

1. You’ll learn about the real estate market. Our market is going through some changes that you, as a seller, need to understand. When you have a consult with me, I’ll walk you through the different issues affecting our local market and what you need to know to be a successful seller.

2. You’ll talk about your current situation and your home. The real estate agent that you’re consulting with will want to get a good idea of why you’re selling and the pros and cons of your home so they can give you personalized advice.

3. You’ll learn about the home selling process. This can change depending on your circumstances and what’s going on with your house. The agent will walk you through what the process will look like for you and what to expect if you move forward with selling. And of course, your agent will give you invaluable advice and tips and tricks so you can get the most out of selling your home!

So if you’ve been thinking about selling, it should now be clear that your next best step is to set up your complimentary home seller consultation today!

All you have to do is send me a message or give me a call, and we’ll find a time that works well for your schedule and get you set up for home-selling success.

To buy or to wait? That’s what many would-be homebuyers are wondering right now. And if you’re in the same boat, you’re probably trying to figure out if it’s better to wait to buy a home or if now is the best time to jump into the market. 

Short answer: if you’re in a position to buy a home, now is a good time to buy. 

Why? Well, right now, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $2,300 per month in Canada. That’s a lot to be paying for rent, especially if you look at it over a long period of time. 

If you pay $2,300 a month in rent for the next 25 years, you’ll end up paying $690,000. That’s a huge amount of money–and it’s assuming that you’ll never see another rent increase, which is highly unlikely. 

The worst part about this though is that your landlord gets all of that money. You won’t ever see another cent of it. Once you pay your rent, your money is gone forever. 

Now, let’s compare that to owning a house. If you paid $2,300 a month on your mortgage payment, you’ll likely have your house paid off and then some by the end of 25 years. Then when you go to sell that home, you’ll get all of the money you paid into your mortgage back. That’s an easy $690,000! Plus, because real estate increases in value over time, you’ll probably make back more than you put into your mortgage. That’s my favourite part of real estate!

A home isn’t just a place you live–it’s like a giant savings account. You definitely can’t say that about renting. 

And I’m not sure about renting, but I know I would much rather get money back when I sell my home rather than having it all go into a landlord’s pocket. If you’re ready to put your monthly rent payment to work for you, then it’s time to buy a house. Reply to this email, and I’ll get you set up with a few resources to get you on the road to becoming a homeowner!

July 18-24, 2022 296 Active Listings 8 ✅ Pending 16 ✅ SOLD The average price is $271,394, taking 46 Days on the Market until SOLD. Are you Interested to know how much your home is worth? Let’s chat, and I would be happy to discuss your Real Estate Needs. Harpreet Christie RE/MAX of Lloydminster 780-205-7653 BorderCityRealEstate.com