Landmark’s realtor awards & target night !!!

We enjoyed a delicious STEAK AND KING CRAB DINNER tonite at Landmark! (DARTS & PAINTBALL) THE TEAM WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WINS A TEAM LUNCH !!! RED team won the contest! Congrats! Thank you to all who contributed to the fun evening.

Congratulations to all who won an award. Keep up the good work.

Enjoy the pictures. Please click HERE for the slide show. Remember to click the back button to go back to this webpage.

Check out Bob Johnston shooting a paintball gun. Click HERE to view the video clip.

Bob Johnston ripping it up

Note: Please email me if you you want me to email you large printable files


David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Check out CREA's new advertising campaign at howrealtorshelp.ca.

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Not Following through to THE END

The deal has gone through and you are about
to take possession. You must still be vigilant,
for there are mistakes to be made even now:

* Possession Date - Make sure you and the
seller both know when you are to have vacant
possession - that is, when they and their stuff
is to be gone. If you think it's 12:01 a.m. and
the seller thinks it's noon, there can be
big problems.

* Insurance - Make sure you have arranged for
adequate home insurance and that it's timed to
come into effect so there is no gap between the
seller's insurance and yours.

* Final Check - Do a thorough walk-through before
you close and before you take possession to ensure
that all conditions are met. Are the light fixtures all
in place? Are all the appliances you agreed to buy
still there?

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

The Emotional Buyer - Keep your emotions under control.

Here are five emotional mistakes first-time
home buyers often make:

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1. Love Hurts

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Falling in love with a home. As discussed at the
top of this article, the buyer has to reconcile
dreams with realities. It's often difficult to look
at the pros and cons of a home rationally if you
let yourself become too emotional about a
particular property. Beware of real estate agents
trying to play on your emotions to encourage
you to say yes. Never buy the first home you
see without looking at some others.

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2. Keep Control

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Losing control of the situation is frustrating and
can lead to imprudent decisions. Don't let
yourself be swayed or sidetracked by an assertive
agent or by undue advice from family or friends
(they don't have to live there, you do!). Personality
clashes with agents, mortgage brokers or others
with whom you are trying to work with can also be upsetting.

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3. Decisions, Decisions

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Not being able to make a decision. If you can't
decide about anything from budgets to what kind
of house you want then maybe you aren't ready
to commit to home ownership. If you're simply
worried that something better will come along after
you've made your offer, remember that there's
more than one home out there with your name on
it. Take the time you need to make a sound decision,
but don't be afraid to commit to a new home purchase.

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4. What are you getting into?

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Not realizing the responsibilities of home ownership.
It's great to own your own home, but it takes time
and commitment to maintain this large investment.
Make sure you are prepared.

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5. Is it the right time?

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Buying before you are ready. If you are suffering
cold feet over becoming a homeowner, sit down and
take stock of the situation. Examine your motives for
thinking you should take this giant step, looking at
what it will mean to your lifestyle and budget. Talk it
over with your financial counselor, your real estate
agent and your mortgage professional. Remember that
there are two million first-time buyers a year and most
of them felt the same trepidation as you. Most of them
are happily taking on their exciting new challenge.

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Messing Up The Offer

It's not over once you've found the house you
want. Now you have to make an offer. Some
common mistakes at this stage include:

* Low-balling - New buyers often offer too little
or want too many concessions from the seller.
That can alienate the seller, with the result that
he simply rejects the offer without even a counter.

* Paying too much - Avoid bidding wars at all costs.
Sometimes the threat of another buyer is simply a
ploy to scare you into upping your offer. Even if there
is another buyer, don't play the game. Whoever
eventually "wins" will be the loser because the price
will be too high. In case there isn't another buyer, let
the seller know you'll be interested if the deal falls through.

* Being afraid to negotiate - Most of us hate to
haggle, but negotiation is the key to the best deal.
Know your bottom line and be prepared to walk away
if you can't meet it. Knowing as much as possible
about the seller's situation, including his time frame,
is an enormous help (a Buyer's Agent can be very
helpful here). Likewise, try to keep information about
your own financial situation to yourself; the seller will
be looking for information about you that they can use
to their advantage during negotiations.

* Being pressured into a quick deal - Don't let the
seller's side pressure you to a quick close. It could
be a sign that something's not right. If the property
has been on the market for a long time, there's
probably no rush. Remember, there's always another
place that's right for you.


Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Location - Location - Location!

Did I mention location? Location is the key.

The value of your home is affected by those
around you. The home may be perfect, but look
carefully at the neighborhood too. No home is
an island (usually) and the value is affected by
the homes that surround it.

Factors determining the best location include:

* Surrounding homes - the condition of other
homes, including buildings and grounds

* Size Matters - the relative size of your potential
home compared to the others. A small home
surrounded by large ones may have taxes
disproportionately high because of the neighborhood.

* Placement - the outer edge of an area is less
desirable than being in the middle, surrounded
by similar homes, except if the property borders
woods, a park or other open space such as a golf
course.

* Best Buy - the least expensive home in the best
area or in an area in transition is a best buy. You
can buy low now to sell high later.

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

5 More Mortgage Tips

1. What goes up, must come down
Interest rates tend to move in cycles. After a prolonged increase, a slow drop usually occurs. Savvy shoppers should keep track of longer-term trends and wait to buy until rates decline.

3. Natural disaster
Early preparation reduces financial loss from tropical storm, tornadoes, floods, wildfires and other natural disasters. Insurance, home improvement loans to fortify against major damage, and safeguarded paperwork help sustain homeowners and business through disasters.

3. 40-year mortgages
The 40-year mortgage reduces monthly payments if you need more help purchasing a home. But it also has major drawbacks -- a radically higher interest bill over the life of the loan and a much longer time to build up equity. Also, these longer amortizations don’t come free. For example, on a purchase with 5% down payment, you can expect to pay an insurance premium of 3.35% on the mortgage amount to set your mortgage up with a 40 year amortization.

4. When you assume, you can save
Assuming an existing loan can slash your monthly loan payments and save thousands of dollars in interest if the interest rate on the assumable loan is lower than current rates.

5. Be honest
Tell your broker about any strange purchase conditions you meet or about any unusual circumstances in your situation when you apply for your loan. Sometimes what you put on the application doesn't tell the whole story. You may get pre-qualified based solely on a cursory credit check and review of your application data. This could prove to be insufficient for a final approval.

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Top 5 Mortgage Tips

1. Steer clear of high-cost, high-fee loans
Avoid loans that roll a balloon payment, prepayment penalty, mortgage life insurance or other provisions into one loan. These loans often make the combined financial burden too much to bear for average borrowers.

2. Adjustable-rate mortgages
Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are favourable when rates are going down or your salary is going up. Otherwise, each rate adjustment can sting. ARM holders can reduce the impact of worst-case rate hikes by saving money during the initial low-payment period, buying down loan balances and budgeting.

3. Clean up your credit before shopping for a home
Cleaning up your credit report before you're in the mortgage process can result in better loan rates and terms. General guidelines for strengthening your report include: paying bills on time, limiting outstanding credit, closing out unused credit cards, resolving outstanding bills and correcting inaccurate information.

4. Watch out for inflated appraisals
When you're buying a home, a property appraisal should determine the mortgage's current market value. This is done by comparing the home against other similar homes that have sold recently. Make sure and do your homework to ensure the house you’re buying is worth the price you’re paying; otherwise you could end up with a home that’s worth less than you owe.

5. Don't apply for too many loans
Each time you apply, lenders request a copy of your credit report. Frequent inquiries can be a sign of “credit seeking behaviour” and can adversely affect your credit rating. Here at Greenwood, we pull your credit only once and use that one credit bureau with multiple lenders.
Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Ryan & Sophia's big move

Tonight my wife & I had the honor of helping one of our customers move into their first condo! Here are some pictures.



Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent

Sloppy Buyers - Have the house professionally inspected!

In your agreement with the sellers, one of the
conditions should be a favorable report from a
house inspector. To find a good inspector, ask
for recommendations, then make sure the
inspector is certified (the home-inspection industry
is not licensed or regulated). Ask how many
inspections they have performed and what kind of
report is provided to you (you might confirm how
long it will take to get the report). Also ask if you
can be present during the inspection. If they say
no, find someone else.

The inspector's job is to check the property and tell
you what defects need to be repaired or replaced.
Based on this report, you might want to walk away
from the property or negotiate with the seller for
repairs or an allowance for repairs. In most
jurisdictions, sellers are required to make complete
disclosure of defects in writing. Make sure you have
this disclosure and so does your inspector.

Happy house hunting,

David Shieh

Posted by David Shieh- Abbotsford Real Estate Agent