86th Annual Fireman's Ball in Port Dover

Valentine's celebrations in Port Dover have been "on fire" for the past 85 years.  This year marks the 86th Annual Fireman's Ball; a fundraiser for our local volunteer fire department.

The fireman donate more of their time to ensure everyone has a great time! The ladies of the department even pitch in!  From greeting the guests, to frying the fish and serving the food, the faces of the Port Dover Fire Department put on a great evening. Come say thank you to our Port Dover crew!

We've attended many years of the Fireman's ball and are lucky to call many of these local heroes our friends.  Unfortunately we are unable to attend this years event but we wish them another year of great success!

Tickets are $25.00 each and available at the Tan-Mar, Scotia Bank or any Fire Fighter.

Like them on Facebook at Facebook.com/PortDoverFire.

Some snapshots of our fun at past Fireman's Balls!

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

When you list your house for sale your REALTOR® likely explains to you that living in a home and selling a home are two totally different thing. Your home is going to be opened to many other REALTORS® and potential buyers and often these showings occur right in the middle of the kids nap time, dinner hour or as you would normally be getting the kids ready for their soccer game or even bed.

So some of Sellers may say "well, they can come but we will be home because it is nap time", or "we want our REALTOR® present for showings" for example. But is being present during a showing or maybe a home inspection the right thing to do?

Here's our top 3 reasons why we feel the presence of the Seller and/or Seller's REALTOR® may interfere with the sale of the home.

1. Buyers tend to be less comfortable asking questions or making comments about the home when the Seller or REALTOR® is present, as they may be afraid to offend someone. A simple comment like "that paint job isn't very good and I don't like the colour" or "the carpets all need cleaning" may be difficult for a buyer to say in front of an owner or agent. Or asking questions like "is that mold on the wall" or "is that water on the ceiling from a roof leak" may be harder to ask as the buyer does not want to offend the seller.

2. The Seller may say something or answer a question innocently enough that may jeopardize a deal or negotiations. For example when a Buyer's REALTOR® asks a Seller's REALTOR® why the Seller is moving, the Seller's REALTOR® would normally answer that question in a way that would not reveal the motivation of the seller - if they are desperate to sell or just testing the market. But if a Seller was to answer that same question direct to a buyer or Buyer's REALTOR® the result may be different. An answer such as "my husband is being transferred" or "my wife is too ill to handle the stairs to the bedroom anymore" may lead a buyer to believe the Seller is desperate and in turn result in a lower initial offer. Negotiations can change when motivation of a seller is revealed.

3. The presence of a seller and/or REALTOR® may also lead to overselling of your home. The in ground sprinkler system, the "owned" and not "rented" hot water tank, the upgraded light fixtures, the extra deep jacuzzi tub, the raised toilets, and the custom built storage shed that cost the seller extra money at the time of construction does not always add value to the home to all Buyers. Overselling your house may make a buyer feel pressured or nervous. Pointing out these small upgrades will take away from the buyers opportunity to see the important aspects of the house.

In the end, it's important to let the Buyer's REALTORS® do their job and the Buyers have their space. Your home and its features will sell itself and the more comfortable the buyer is in your home the better the chance they will fall in love with it.

So should you stay or should you go? We recommend you go.

Real Estate in 2012 was GREAT in Norfolk County

Well, as I mentioned in my previous blog, 2012 was a prime year for my real estate career. Sales were up, referrals were up and our company was growing and making its mark in Norfolk County.

It turns out that my prime year was not the only prime year. Real Estate across the county was up overall and many areas had an increase in the average sale price and number of sales.

According to residential statistics from the Simcoe and District Real Estate Board sales were up 7.39% over 2011 in the Board's area.

In Delhi sales were up 1.11% but the average sale price was down 3.04% to $183,301.

In Long Point, a community mainly focussed on cottage sales, the number of listings were down by 11.54% but sales were up 75% over 2011.

Port Dover was up in all categories. 361 listings (up 19.54%) resulted in 136 sales (up 24.77%) and an average sale price of $252,608 vs. $242,912 in 2011.

Port Rowan had an increase in the number of listings (87 vs. 81) and total sales were up 8.82% over 2011's total of 34. The average sale price took a dip from $168,850 in 2011 to $155,359 in 2012.

The Simcoe market had a strong 2012 with the total number of sales being up 29.23% over 2011 and the average sale price increasing from $201,805 in 2011 to $213,925 in 2012.

In Waterford the average number of listings increased by 21.30% which led to a 10.91% increase in sales over 2011. The average sale price remained steady with a very slight 0.37% increase to $225,170.

Local real estate representatives listed 2005 residential properties and sold 904 on the local real estate board during 2012. Our local real estate board consists of about 130 REALTORS.  Check out a recent interview I had with the local paper, the Simcoe Reformer, regarding these statistics.  http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2013/01/06/real-estate-board-releases-annual-sales-statistics

So no matter the area your home is in, chances are 2012 was good to the value of your home! It's not possible to predict the future of the real estate market, but one thing for sure, your local real estate agents sure know how to list and sell real estate!

Congratulations to all representatives on a very successful 2012. Let's aim for another successful year in 2013!

Bring on 2013

Well, today marks day 3 of the New Year!

2012 was a great year for my real estate business. Sales volume was my highest ever, and our company, Erie's Edge Real Estate Ltd. continued to grow and make a mark in Norfolk County.

As we look ahead to 2013, just like every year, it's a big question mark. Will the market remain the same? Will it increase or decrease? Will I be able to maintain my momentum from 2012? It's always unpredictable and I wish I had a crystal ball to show me the answers.

So, not knowing the future, I have to prepare for change. How can I improve my knowledge? How can I improve my communications with my past and present clients? How can I be one step ahead of the game? I think a lot of these answers relies on today's technology and a plan! That's why my New Year's resolution is to be more organized and structured in my career for 2013. Through the use of technology such as this blog, a business plan and a strong database I pledge to be the go to source for real estate information in Norfolk County! That's a big pledge but I know I can do it.

Check back in often for updates on the Norfolk County Real Estate Market, tips and tricks on how to prepare your home for sale, some highlights of some new and or unique listings, video blogs about what's going on in our communities or what I am learning daily about the real estate market, or just an update on how my resolution is coming along!

I truly enjoyed working with all my clients in 2012 and look forward to meeting new clients and in turn making new friends in 2013. Hopefully the market will favour all of us and I can make dreams of home ownership a reality across Norfolk County.

Wishing you and your families all the best in 2013!!