This townhouse was updated in about one week in preparation to be listed for sale. Jacob and Jacky managed the whole project and helped their clients with renovations and home staging.

As Vancouver Realtors Jacob and Jacky often assist home sellers prepare their home before putting it on the market. This latest project needed a lot of renovations. The baseboards and sections of the hardwood flooring was missing, walls needed painting, electrical work was needed and doors had to be replacing.

As full service Realtors Jacob and Jacky were able to manage the whole project from start to finish. They coordinated the handy-men, cleaning and staging company. When they were finished preparing the home it looking like a showroom suite….ok, maybe not quite but  close to it! This was all done on a client budget of less than $2000.

Going through the process of repairs, de-cluttering, cleaning and staging will make your home more attractive to potential home buyers. Your home will look better in real estate videos and photos, increasing showings and traffic during open houses. Jacob and Jacky feel staged homes do sell faster and usually for a higher price.

Jacob explains, “this was definitely a success story as this particular townhouse sold quickly and close to what the owners were asking. We work with a lot of non-resident sellers who appreciate working with Realtors who are willing to manage a project in their absence.

If you’re interested in selling or buying real estate in Vancouver, feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to learn how they can help you with your next transaction!

Jacob and Jacky interview Mark Braeder to learn more about the services he provides clients buying and selling real estate.

Mark talks about the process of transferring ownership of a property during a sale. He highlights some of the differences between a Notary Public and his real estate lawyer services. One of the important differences is a lawyer is able to help with any legal issues that may arise during a purchase or sale.

Jacob and Jacky have been working with Mark for a number of years and recommend him to their clients. Mark is friendly, knowledgeable and always makes time to talk with his clients. Mark also has very fair fees for transferring a property and is located in a convenient location in Fairview Slopes.

If you’re interested in selling or buying real estate in Vancouver, feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to learn how they can help you with your next transaction!

Clients who have bought or sold properties with Realtors Jacob & Jacky talk about their experience dealing with VancouverSpaces. – Video with client testimonials.

When buying or selling real estate you want to work with Realtors who not only know the product their selling but offer great service. Clients in this video talk about their experience dealing with VancouverSpaces.com.

Some of the comments throughout the video are Jacob and Jacky’s attention to detail, communication throughout the transaction, negotiation skills and competence. Whether you’re selling a multi-million dollar house, apartment or townhome, Jacob and Jacky provide clients with a customized marketing plan to highlight the best features of your home. Your property is showcased to thousands of buyers online through their strong internet presence.

When helping clients buy real estate Jacob and Jacky feel it’s important to understand what key features are important to their clients. This is achieved by getting to know their clients and what’s going to fit their lifestyle. Having a deep understanding of the product on the market allows Jacob and Jacky to provide valuable information about neighborhoods, schools, types of contraction and pricing. When it comes to placing an offer on a home you can feel comfortable you’re working with top Realtors who will negotiate the best terms and price for your house.

If you’re interested in selling or buying real estate in Vancouver, feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to learn how they can help you with your next transaction!

Urban Presentations is a staging company working with Realtors to prepare client homes for sale. Jacky and Jacob talk with owner Jennifer Berkley about the benefits of interior decorating/staging when selling your house or condo.

Jennifer has been staging properties for over 5 years in the Vancouver housing market. She works with Realtors and offers services of providing furniture and accessories to make a home more appealing to potential buyers. Jennifer talks about working closely with condo owners to create a package that will work with their budget. For homes over 2000 sqr/ft, 3 bedooms, staging starts at around $3,500. When working with larger homes she sometimes suggests only staging the impact rooms, most important areas such as the living room, dining area and master bedroom.

During the discussion the analogy is presented, if you’re selling your car you’d likely have it detailed. It’s the same thing with a house or condo, you’ll end up receiving more money for a dressed-up home. When a house is staged, brilliant looking photos and video is easily achieved for MLS listings and all the real estate websites where your home will appear. Presenting your home properly will attract more home buyers to view your property and hopefully place an offer.

As Vancouver Realtors Jacob and Jacky have seen the results from staging your home and believe it’s worth investing in. It helps the Realtors as they receive more calls, showings and offers on a house that has been properly cleaned/staged. The seller in turn sells their residence faster, for more money and usually with better terms of contract. As Jacob explains, “it’s a win-win situation for sellers and the Realtors marketing the house, townhouse or condo. We believe in it so much that we’re willing to put some of our commissions towards staging when a client has a vacant property. If it’s a house we’ll contribute $2000 and if it’s a condo we’ll give back $1,500.”

Interior decorating/staging will make a house feel warm and will allow buyers to picture themselves living there. At times there are many similar apartments and townhouses for sale. Setting up your suite with the right decor will differentiate your living space from others on the market. Often a buyer will narrow their choices down to a couple properties. When your home is staged it could make the difference of making the final cut or not!

If you’re interested in selling your home and would like advice about staging your property feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to talk about what’s currently available within the building for sale.

Recently there have been a few changes to the mortgage and lending rules in Canada. How will this affect the Vancouver Real Estate Market?

Jacob and Jacky, Realtors with TRG,  talk with Gary Bains, owner of Ronin Mortgage. He outlines a few changes to the lending industry and talks about how these changes may affect people buying and selling real estate. Firstly, when buying a rental property there will be a minimum down-payment of 20%, up from as low as 5% in previous years. This will likely affect buyers purchasing a second property as an investment. Investors will now have to save more funds before purchasing more real estate.

Secondly, often people borrow funds against their home by pulling equity from the value of their condo or house. In the past it was possible to withdraw up to 95% value of your home. Under the new regulations the maximum an individual with be allowed to withdraw when refinancing is 90%.

Lastly, when applying for a new mortgage, buyers must qualify for the posted fixed rate, even if they wish to take a variable mortgage rate. This will likely make it more difficult for buyers to qualify for they mortgage they want or need.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling real estate in Vancouver feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to talk about what’s currently available within the building for sale.

Realtors Jacob Krause and Jacky Levi take you on a tour of the Shangri-La Hotel and Residences. Our video is from the 41st floor, imagine what the view is like from the Penthouse suite!

The Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts are world renowned for their luxurious Asian style rooms and suites. Vancouver BC hosts the first Hotel of it’s kinda to North America, boasting 61 floors of gleaming steel and glass, making it the tallest building in our city. The building completed early 2009 and at the time of writing is currently filling with residences and hotel guests.

Vancouver Shangri-La has two addresses, estate units are floors 43 – 62, located at 1128 Georgia Street. The same address and lobby is used for the hotel rooms and suites using floors 1 – 15. The other address on the other side of the building is 1111 Alberni St, providing private live/work units spanning floors 16 – 42.

Whether guest of the hotel are visiting for business or pleasure their stay will be an experience. Many rooms feature private balconies, elegant finishes and wonderful city views. Residences and hotel are located in the center of the city where you’ll find the best shopping, restaurants & services. The Shangri-La amenities include a spa, fine dining (Market by Jean-Georges), many meeting and conference rooms.

If you’re looking to purchase a hi-end condo in Vancouver BC, Shangri-La would be one of the buildings you’d be interested in. Most of the upper floors feature larger suites with floor to ceiling windows and unobstructed views of city, mountains and water. With all the amenities offered within the building and by location, Shangri-La would interest most buyers searching for a luxury apartment or penthouse.

If you’re interested in purchasing an apartment or suite within the Shangri-La feel free to contact Jacob or Jacky to talk about what’s currently available within the building for sale.

A few tips on selecting the right real estate agent and pricing your property.

Late fall and beginning of summer is a very active time in real estate. As the weather gets warmer, buyers start their search to find that perfect home. Sellers know this is also the best time to list their home for sale based on the number of buyers searching.

Jacob gives a few tips on selecting the right Realtor to work with. Firstly, it’s important to find someone who you can get along with. It could take weeks or months to sell your home and you better like the person you’re working with.

Also, Jacob suggests finding a Realtor who has a good marketing plan and incorporates internet/digital marketing. Beware of the Realtor who simply offers you a high estimated price as this can seem attractive but may lead to your home sitting on the market with no buyers visiting.

Lastly, make sure the Realtor you select is familiar with your area and has experience selling the type of property you own.

Feel free to let us know what you think of the video by leaving us a comment.

You not only have lower monthly payments with a lower interest rate but also pay down more principle loan every month.

Mike talks to Gary Bains with Ronin Mortgage about the benefits of having a lower interest rate. Mike explains how you’ll save more money every month with our current rates.

Some clients have been asking the question, “what happens in the near future if rates go up?” Gary talks about taking advantage of a low variable rate and having the option to lock-in a fixed rate at the time of your choosing.

Feel free to leave us some feedback!

Mike Rampf Talks to BNI Chapter About Changing Real Estate Market

Over the past number of years Mike has been heavily involved with a local Business Networking Group (BNI). Every month he gives a 10 minute presentation to his chapter updating them on the current Real Estate market. In his latest market update there are three parts: Latest Statistics, Buying Examples and the Buying Process.

Mike first looks at what happened in 2008 with the drop in average home prices. Interest rates followed the downward drop making it more affordable for the average buyer to purchase a home. Lower interest rates reduce the monthly expenses for borrowing money. Now the home you are looking for is less expensive and it costs less to carry a mortgage.

In the second video some examples of recent sales are explored. Based on what an average home will cost you in North Vancouver with a rental suite downstairs, Mike analyzes what your monthly costs will be. Using very conservative numbers he deduces it’s possible to live in a nice home in North Van for about $2000.

The third part to his video explains what a buyer can expect during a home purchase. He explains the process of receiving bank funding, determining wants & needs and finally searching for that perfect home.

Feel free to leave us some feedback!

Couple changes for first-time home buyers. They can withdraw more from their RRSPs and also receive a tax break against closing expenses

There are new rules for 2009 making it easier for people to purchase a home when buying for the first time. Previously buyers could withdraw 20 thousand from their RRSPs, now the allowable amount has increased to 25 thousand. Also, buyers will receive a tax break on some of their costs associated with buying. A couple examples would be a home inspection and lawyer fees. Due to the slowing market in 2008 the government has made it easier for people to own their own home. Since the beginning of 2009 Jacob & Mike have been extremely busy helping clients get into the market for the first time.