I recently visited my brother and his family in Calgary, Canada. He transitioned there about a year ago from the Dallas, Texas area. Visiting them during the summer this year was a huge and pleasant change. The weather was in the mid 70's, sunny, and zero humidity. It was great time!

One thing I love to do while traveling is to look at the style of homes and neighborhoods. They can vary so much from region to region and it fascinates me. Canada is no different. As a Realtor, I often hear clients say "I could not live with out a basement" or "I have to have central air." Some regions do not have basements and a lot of homes do not have central air, but people get by because that's their "norm" and well, they have to. For instance, Texas homes do not have basements, Rancher's (one story living) are very common, and first floor master suites are in a lot of floorplans. Those characteristics are not common in the Philadelphia area.

In Canada I noticed no one has large yards. Look at the picture above. The houses are close to the street with a minimal front yard. You cannot see it but the backyards are not much bigger and each home is only 2 or 3 yards away from each other. Also, in this development every house is so different by both floorplan and exterior finish. No cookie cutter housing. I visited a friend of my brother's and their neighborhood was the same. Also, I realized my brother's home does not have central air conditioning. It is less than 10 years old, and no AC! But it's Canada... only 3 months out of the year are "warm."

I love how different areas adjust to make their distinct and beautiful homes. One day I hope to travel to Europe and admire their living styles!

Quick fixes and tips for everyday home problems

Owning a home requires home maintenance.
I was recently visiting my parents and my mom pointed out some of the projects their "Handyman" (His name is Craig and my mom keeps a "Craigs List", clever huh?!)  has worked on over the past year or so.  Although I personally think they over pay him, in the long run it will definitely be beneficial when they put their home up for sale.

I saw this article on MSN.com and thought it would be useful for a lot of new and seasoned home owners. At time you may want to hire a professional or "Handyman" but for some projects I'm sure you would be surprised at how simple they may be!

30 quick fixes and tips for everyday home-problems

Rentals

Within the last few months more and more people have been asking if I can help with rentals. The answer is, yes! Not only do I help people buy and sell homes, I can rent homes too. 

While it is a fabulous time to buy, I understand it may not be ideal for everyone right now. On the flip side, due to various reasons some people may be looking to put their current home up for rent. In both of these situations I can be of assistance.

I am always honest and upfront when people ask for help to find a rental property (well when people ask about anything really!). I will help find and negotiate a property for you, but I can only do that if the seller/landlord cooperates with a Real Estate professional. The best way to guarantee this is to find rental properties on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) trend website. This website advertises homes for sale and rent by real estate agencies and cooperates with other agencies. If a client finds a rental on say, Craigslist, most likely I will not be able to help. Individuals and companies putting houses up for rent on these other sites typically are not willing to work with a third party nor agree to pay a commission.

Some of the benefits for hiring a professional to help you are:

1. They will do the work for you. You have a full time job, this is our job so you do not have to spend time or energy searching for properties.

2. Negotiate lease terms.

3. Ensure the landlord is a professional

4. Guides you throughout the transaction

If you are looking to put your home or investment home up for rent, I can help with that as well. 

It is essential to find a qualified and reliable tenant. This will make your experience as a landlord much more enjoyable.

When you list with a Realtor they will check credit, references, and require specific documentation. We are also able to provide professional advertising through websites, signage and much more. It is our job to get your place rented quickly, with the best possible tenant and at the best price.

I hope this helps clarify any questions you may have. If not, I'm always available!