Cindy Wong Realtor

01/25/2025

🦉 You think this means good luck… my first open house for the year. As I am posting this the bird still here. Keeping me company … thank you birdie ..🦉🦉 it’s a beautiful being!

01/24/2025

🏠 Buying a house is an exciting and thrilling adventure. It’s also one full of responsibility and surprises.

📋 When buying a home, there are certain features you should look for in order to avoid getting stuck with costly repairs. The four features you should look for when buying a new house below are designed to help you find the house of your dreams.

1. A proper roof. The roof is one of the most important features (if not the most important) of any home.

2. An updated furnace and insulation. The furnace may still be in working order, but it will most likely be inefficient and costly on your utility bills.

3. A nice neighborhood. You can change almost everything within your house and on your property, but you can’t change its location.

4. Working plumbing. When looking at a house, be sure to check under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for signs of leaks and/or water damage.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

Cindy Wong

01/23/2025

🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️If you prefer to walk places rather than drive, making sure your new neighborhood is pedestrian-friendly is a must.

👉 Here’s how to tell whether a neighborhood is walkable or not before you move in.

Do Some Research
The Internet makes it really easy to find out almost anything you want to know, including the walkability factor of a neighborhood. Some websites allow people to review and rate their neighborhoods, which will give you some idea of how walkable a community is.

Look For Parks And Main Street Business Districts
Parks and Main Street business districts encourage people to walk. Look for these things in or near a neighborhood when walking is important to you.

WALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD VIRTUALLY
Before visiting the neighborhood in person, use Google Maps Street View to take a virtual walk of the neighborhood. Keep in mind, however, that since you don’t know when the images were taken, this virtual tour may not tell the whole story.

WALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN PERSON
Visit the neighborhood in person a few times and walk it yourself at different times of the day. Take note of how much pedestrian traffic there is and whether the businesses you’d frequent are open when you’d need them.

LOOK FOR WALKABLE FEATURES
Crosswalks, pedestrian signals at intersections, sidewalks, and cut-out curbs that slope are all walkable features designed just for pedestrian traffic. Look for these things as you gauge whether a neighborhood meets your walking needs.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?
When public transportation is nearby and easily accessible, more people are likely to walk and use them. How close is the nearest public transport? Do you notice other people walking to and from them as part of their daily commute?

WHAT DINING SPOTS ARE NEARBY?
Look for dining spots nearby. Are there many options to choose from? Is it easy to get to them on foot? The more choices people have and the closer they are to the neighborhood will encourage people to leave their cars at home and step out on foot for a bite to eat.

DO A “NEAR ME” SEARCH ONLINE
While visiting the neighborhood, get out your phone and do a “near me” search for businesses you use. Are they close by? Would you walk to them often? How easy is it to navigate the route?

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

Cindy Wong

01/23/2025

👚👔 Do you struggle to keep up with laundry? Do the piles of dirty clothes stress you out? If you answered yes to either of these questions, the following tips are just for you.

✨ Here’s how you can keep laundry from piling up on you.

1. Wash A Load Every Day
Forget about laundry day and start washing a load of dirty clothes every day.

2. Get Ready The Night Before
Put the clothes and detergent in the washer and shut the lid. In the morning, all you have to do is turn it on.

3. Enlist The Rest Of The Family
For the members of your family that are old enough to understand and execute the process, have them wash their own clothes and towels.

4. Re-wear Clothing
Much of the clothing you wear can be worn more than once before washing.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

Cindy Wong

01/22/2025

🏠 Are you looking to buy your first home?

💫 The home buying process can be a little stressful, so take a look at these 5 tips for a first time homebuyer to help you prepare.

1. Start saving early and check your credit
Check your credit score before starting your search for a home, and do your best to dispute any discrepancies and take care of any outstanding debt as soon as possible.

2. Figure out how much house you can afford
Play around with a mortgage affordability calculator to figure out what you can afford based on your income now.

3. Explore your down payment and closing cost options
It’s a good idea to consider your two options here: pay them yourself or have the seller pay them for you.

4. Shop around for the best mortgage rates
Gather mortgage rate quotes from at least three lenders before deciding which one fits your budget and your needs best.

5. Get pre-approved
Before heading out to find your dream home, take the time to get a pre-approval letter from a lender that states how much they are willing to lend you and at what terms.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

01/21/2025

💸 Grocery shopping is one of the biggest expenses in most households. Despite that fact, it’s also one of the easiest expenses to cut costs on, too.

👍 From figuring out the best time to shop to making some things yourself, here are six ways you can save money on your groceries.

6 Ways You Can Save Money On Your Groceries

1. Figure out the best time to shop
2. Pay attention to expiration dates
3. Shop smart – Shop less
4. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach
5. Know the better deal
6. Go DIY

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

01/17/2025

❗ Buying your first home is exciting, and it’s also expensive. You may not be familiar with all the costs associated with buying a house, and some of them can be quite unexpected.

🔻 Here are several hidden costs you should be aware of when buying your first home.

1. Appliances
If the previous owners of your new home take all the appliances with them, you’ll need to buy new ones when you move in.

2. Repairs And Improvements
If the home you’re purchasing needs repairs or improvements, you’ll likely be on the hook for them.

3. The Inspection
Before buying any new home, it’s smart to have an inspection done. This will cost money, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind it gives you.

4. Higher Utility Bills
Your electric bill may be higher each month, and it’s possible you’ll become responsible for bills that your landlord used to pay like trash pickup and water.

5. Insurance Premiums
The reality is, however, that the home is much older than the others, and as such, the insurance premiums may be quite high. This may end up costing you more in the long run.

6. The Locks
One of the first things any new homeowner should do (unless they’re buying a brand-new home that no one’s ever lived in) is change the locks on all the doors leading outside.

7. Cable/Satellite TV
Are you used to cable tv? Is your new home wired for it? If your new abode isn’t cable-ready, what about satellite tv? Either one is going to cost you for installation, which is something many new homeowners forget about in the excitement of buying a new home.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

01/16/2025

🏠 It’s not just your house that has to be in top form when you put it on the market. You have to make a good impression also.

👉 Here are several tips to help you be the perfect home seller.

1. Be Scarce

One of the biggest turn-offs for buyers is a seller who hovers over their shoulders as they tour a house. If you are present when potential buyers visit your home, they may not feel free to ask certain questions, and you may say something that could jeopardize a sale.

2. Give Up Your Parking Space

A good seller wants a potential buyer to be able to picture themselves living in the home. You can help further this image by allowing buyers to pull up in the driveway and park as if they own it.

3. Take Your Pets With You When You Leave For A Showing

The buyers who come to your home for viewing might be animal lovers, too, but you should always take your pets with you when you leave.

4. Place Important Documents In Plain View

Because you’ll be leaving when potential buyers come to view your home, you’ll want to place important documents such as the home inspection report, home warranty, and appraisal on a table for easy viewing.

5. Don’t Pressure The Buyers For Feedback

You may be excited to hear a buyer’s feedback right after a showing, but a good seller gives the buyer time to process what they’ve seen and made a decision.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

01/15/2025

👕👚 Hate doing laundry? You’re not alone.

👇 Use the hacks listed below to make the chore less dreadful.

1. Sort Your Laundry Your Way
For example, you may find that sorting clothing according to the soil level is more effective for your family. Or maybe sorting according to a person is a better idea.

2. Add Vinegar To Wash
For the freshest and softest towels and sheets, pour half a cup of distilled vinegar in each load.

3. Save Time In The Dryer
You can help your clothes dry faster by tossing a dry, clean towel in the mix.

4. Get Rid Of Wrinkles Fast
In a spray bottle, combine 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon hair conditioner.

5. Keep Hand Washing Easier
Just add a few drops of your favorite laundry detergent to a salad spinner and place your hand-wash-only piece(s) inside.



Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

Cindy Wong

01/14/2025

✨ Building equity is the goal of homeownership.

👇🏻 Here’s how you can build equity in your home.

1. Let the property appreciate
Depending on the market, your home could appreciate quickly or slowly.

2. Make a big down payment
It’s best to find a good balance between down payment, monthly commitments, and savings.

3. Put windfalls of money toward your mortgage
When you come into lump sums of money, put them toward your mortgage to bring down the principal faster. When you make these lump sum payments, ask your lender if they are willing to recalculate your monthly payments based on the lower balance due.

4. Pay your mortgage bi-weekly
If you follow this payment schedule for a full year, you will end up paying 13 monthly mortgage payments instead of 12.

5. Take out a shorter mortgage term
Most people opt for the traditional 30-year mortgage, which makes paying the monthly payments much easier. You can build equity much faster, however, by opting for a 15-year mortgage term instead.

6. Make improvements and upgrades to your home
Big renovations like a new kitchen or adding extra rooms or additional bathrooms will up the value of your home and build equity in it swiftly. Just be sure the improvements you make will be worth it once they’re complete.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

Cindy Wong

01/13/2025

🧩 Follow the tips below to create the perfect place for your kids to do their homework or create masterpieces.

1. Keep It Simple
Make a spot for everything using baskets, bins, and shelves to keep things organized.

2. Use The Vertical Space You Have
Don’t forget that wall space can be used for storage solutions like bookcases, dressers, and other open or closed storage to help keep things neat and within reach.

3. Make It Personal
Let them help decorate it. If space is limited, try to have individual bins, drawers, or cubbies for each child and let them personalize it as they see fit.

4. Think Inexpensive Yet Durable
Kids can be hard on things, so don’t break the bank building their homework station. Instead, look for pieces that are inexpensive yet durable, as well as easy to clean.

5. Make It Fun
Bring in color, pattern, and other elements to make it a kid-friendly space they enjoy spending time in.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust

01/10/2025

😳 Great interior design doesn’t happen overnight.

👇 Heed the advice below to avoid making common mistakes when decorating your new apartment.

1. Don’t Buy All The Furniture At Once
Purchase the pieces you need in order of importance and take time to search for items you truly love to avoid ending up with rooms full of furniture you regret buying.

2. Don’t Try To Fill Your Space Right Away
Just as you don’t want to purchase all your furnishings right away, you don’t want to try to acquire things like rugs, accents, and lighting sources too quickly either.

3. Don’t Buy All The Accessories At The Same Store
Buying all the accessories for your new apartment at the same store doesn’t really showcase your own style, but rather, the style of that store’s purchasing manager.

Cindy Wong | Re/Max Crest Realty
[email protected] | (604) 928-1683
Local Agent You Can Trust