Dominic Darmanin - White Rock / South Surrey Realtor

11/23/2017

11/22/2017

What is amortization?
Amortization refers to how long you have until you must pay off your loan. This shouldn’t be confused with your term — that refers to how long you’ve agreed to a certain rate. Amortization periods in Canada are capped at 25 years, with certain exceptions. Prior to 2012, amortization periods ran as long as 35 years.

11/21/2017

• The Starbucks effect. Take two identical homes sold in 1997. One near Starbucks would have sold for an average of $137,000, while the same home without a Starbucks would have sold for $102,000. Fast-forward 15 years: the average US home appreciated 65 percent to $168,000, but the property next to Starbucks skyrockets 96 percent to $269,000.

11/19/2017

Picking the right realtor is very important. Take your time!

11/18/2017

What type of home best suits your needs?
You have several options when purchasing a residential property: a traditional single-family home, a townhouse, a condo, or a multi-family building with two to four units. Each option has its pros and cons, depending on your homeownership goals, so you need to decide which type of property will help you reach those goals. You can also save on the purchase price in any category by choosing a fixer-upper, although the amount of time, sweat equity and money involved to turn a fixer-upper into your dream home might be much more than you bargained for. (To examine your options, check out Does Condo Life Suit You? and Is A Housing Co-op Right For You?)

11/17/2017

11/16/2017

Construction on the south end of the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, July 13,1938

11/15/2017

Do your homework
“Real estate purchase of a home – regardless of whether it’s a condo, a home or garden home – is a very emotional decision,” Usher explains. “So people forget sometimes to do their homework and to think things through.”
For example, it’s important to understand the historical data so that you know what you’re buying and where you’re buying so that you, the homebuyer, understands the nuances of the neighbourhood.

11/14/2017

mistakes first-time home buyers make
You fall in love with home staging
Everyone knows this. Everyone trots this piece of advice out—particularly as they swear up and down that they can see past the old-fashioned wallpaper to the home’s potential. Then reality hits, as potential buyers start to see staged homes versus original decor.
In its simplest form, home staging is when the seller declutters and rearranges the furniture to make rooms look bigger. These days, however, some sellers remove almost all their belongings to make room for a staging company to come in and completely redecorate. The effect? Stunning displays of unblemished design perfection. Playful bedrooms, serene spa-like bathrooms and spotless kitchens.
Problem is there’s a big gap between this idealized way of existing in a home and how we actually live in a home. For instance, stagers will often remove necessary appliances—such as coffee makers, microwaves and blenders—to make counters seem more spacious. Some will even go as far as to remove doors to make older homes seem more airy and open. In addition to these tricks, stagers can use undersized furniture to make rooms seem bigger.
The trick is to not fall in love with the current decor and to actually imagine where you would put your current belongings (or the furniture you plan on buying when you find your ideal home). Do this by examining each room to determine if it would actually suit your lifestyle and your furniture. And look for design elements that would require a great deal of money to change. For example, if the current open-concept kitchen is in the front of the home and you really want a kitchen towards the backyard, just know that it would cost quite a bit to make this change.
Also, remember to ask about key components of a home. A decorative flourish can be removed and updated at a relatively small cost, but repairing a roof or updating electrical components can be expensive, out-of-sight upgrades.
“Most people fall in love with a show home look, but you have to realize that everything you see is stagecraft,” explains Stacey Garrett, an industry insider with more than 20 years experience in home staging (we’ve changed her name to protect her privacy).

11/13/2017

This is my promise to you but less creepy!

11/12/2017

We are professionals as what we do. Sometimes your advise does make sense

11/11/2017

“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” -Jose Narosky