Home Emotion

Buying or selling a home can be a very emotional time. I encounter an array of individual reasons for people to move. Problem solving and working with people was one of the major reasons that I chose this career, it's the most challenging and rewarding things about what I do and I wouldn't change it for anything! Without being too specific (and this is only a glimpse at my daily experiences) I would like to share some of the most interesting stories I have been part of.

A retired couple have lived in their home for decades, raised their children there and made countless memories. It is time for them to downsize and they are looking forward to a lifestyle change. 
Along comes a young couple just starting out, they have completed their schooling and have jobs that can support a mortgage and set out looking for their first home together. I show them the property and they immediately like it, talking about offers and gathering information.
Negotiations are underway, excitement is mounting and he pops the question!! How much more thrilling can this get?! In the end the young couple take possession just in time to make it their own before their first Christmas in their new home and the older couple are able to comfortably step into the next phase of their lives.
 A fairy tale story that I was so fortunate to be a part of!

A young girl in age, but far more mature than most decides to take the leap and starts looking for a home. With a modest budget and enthusiastic attitude we start the search, often stumbling across pitfalls and discouragement but never losing hope. A roller coaster of a journey ensues with offers being made that never come to fruition, many unsuitable properties being seen and a long methodical process undertaken. Eventually we come across a property that is a far cry from what we had originally set out to find but ended up being 'the one'! Good things can come to those who wait and the negotiations, conditional period and closing went as smoothly as any transaction I have conducted!
Just a few months into her 20s, this young homeowner is already gaining equity and has a lovely home that fits her like a glove! Idyllic!

I was contacted to list a very unique home in a rural area. I knew it was going to be more challenging to find just the right buyer for this property... It had acres of land, completely off grid, only partially completed interior and required surveying tape and a paragraph of directions to find the driveway off a logging road, and it hadn't been lived in for some time. It was a charming place that had been painstakingly hand built from the ground up by the sellers during a time in their lives when their direction & path was very different.
Creative marketing and diligent site visits were necessary, as was a 4x4 vehicle. Over the course of the listing I was happy to do whatever was necessary to bring in buyers that would appreciate the property as the one-of-a-kind place it was. This meant meeting with renewable energy professionals and hauling a lawnmower up on a trailer to keep the encroaching vegetation at bay so that a potential buyer could find the property!
Not too long after listing, buyers  came forward that were looking for just such a spot and completed the sale! But my duties didn't stop there, I was even able to refer my client to a REALTOR® in her new location and they found a home perfect for the next phase of their lives as she was expecting her first child! 

Buying or selling a home is much more complicated than any other transaction we undertake. There are a multitude of factors that go into the decisions and often times multiple opinions and ideas. In order for things to go smoothly, one must be able to process layers of stressors ranging from monetary to emotional and everything in between. Multitasking when things seem overwhelming is difficult, and a professional in the field who understands these complexities is invaluable.
I thank each and every one of my clients that have trusted me with their most valuable assets and emotions. I appreciate every story that I have been a part of.

Positive Change & The Learning Curve

Keeping up with the evolving world of real estate can be a challenge. Continuing education is a must and the ability to adapt and change is paramount. Gone are the days of carbon copies, newspaper ads and handshake deals. If you want a stress free, smooth transaction, you had better enlist the help of an educated, up-to-date agent!

The housing market in Nova Scotia doesn't necessarily follow the boom/bust cycle like some of the more volatile areas in Canada, but it does have some ups & downs. In order to stay on top of the goings on, it is essential to have a team that is aware of new trends and is constantly upgrading their practices.

It is all too common to maintain an attitude of complacency and argue that 'this is how we have always done things'. I have never shared the idea of leaving well enough alone, but rather made efforts to try to find a better, more efficient and practical way of improving the status quo. Occasionally this causes some waves to be created around me, but that's exactly how the tides eventually change!


You see we have the ability to participate in change in every facet of our day, and can choose to make that change positive or negative. Perspective is everything and dictates how we digest information. The ability to evolve and grow is essential to leadership and being confident enough to make experiences educational is what can be the difference between making it and breaking it. Carrying on with outdated, inflexible practices simply because it worked in the past isn't necessarily beneficial, nor does it promote growth.
Why? Because it's 2015.

In this business I am fortunate enough to learn new things every single day. It can be overwhelming at times, but the more I learn about this business the more I want to find out! The team at Exit Town & Country have been participating in online sessions for the past few weeks geared towards being able to interact more effectively with people and understanding of personalities. This fresh perspective has been fascinating and has given me a new appreciation of the differences in people.

This business is highly people oriented and I am certainly grateful to be surrounded by colleagues & staff that are positive and enjoyable to be around. It's a huge benefit to work daily with this energetic bunch and be motivated to succeed & learn.

I am excited to maintain the upward growth of my business and continue to learn and expand my knowledge in the future! I am much happier climbing and learning, than simply coasting along.

Pivoting towards success.

PIVOT/PIVOTAL -
- any thing/person on which something/someone depends on vitally.
- the person in a line, whom the others use as a point about which to wheel or maneuver.
- of crucial importance. 

- a player who is at the centre of the offence.

There are moments in your life that are pivotal, times when everything you thought you knew gets tilted on it's axis and you are left a little (or a lot) off kilter. These are the times I relish.
I have had a few of these amazing moments when my entire plan & path were changed monumentally. Somehow I was able to take these crazy, tilting, shifting, abrupt realizations and run with them.

One of those times was at the age of 19. I had travelled as part of the Canadian team to Denver & San Francisco with teams of the top 5 equestrians from Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand & Australia. Up to this point I had ridden horses and competed in the Maritime provinces successfully but had never thought I had what it took to compete on an international stage.
The spine tingling, hair raising moment happened as I stood on the podium as the flags were raised and the National Anthem was played. I had never had such a clear vision of what I wanted to do before that moment, I wanted to see that maple leaf on display on the international stage and I wanted to (and actually felt I could) be the athlete who brought it there.

Reaching the top level of my sport wasn't so much a moment as it was a collection of realizations while competing alongside Olympians and heroes I had grown up pouring over in magazines and on VHS tapes. As one of only a tiny percentage of athletes worldwide that have been able to achieve at this level, I was overwhelmed more than once to have had the support and perseverance to make it that far coming from a very small town of a couple thousand residents in the Annapolis Valley.  

One such awakening moment was the decision to move home to Nova Scotia after being away for a decade. I had thought my fortune and fame (and happiness) hinged upon living somewhere more opportunistic, and the east coast of Canada could not provide that. The realization then had a little bit to do with coming to terms with a partner that wasn't right for me, but much more in seeing that opportunity doesn't reveal itself to you, nor does it depend on your external circumstances. In fact the revealing must be done yourself. Whether that means you do the digging and sifting to find it, or perhaps you have to take chances and allow yourself to be exposed to reveal what you are ultimately capable of as an individual.

A more recent turning point was during what could have been a completely devastating moment in my life. My partner (now husband) and I had purchased out first home a few years before and were working diligently at making it our own as it was a bit of a fixer-upper. While preparing for bed we heard something strange and realized we needed to call the fire department, there were tendrils of smoke wisping from the eves of the house.
We couldn't have imagined how significant it would turn out to be.  As we stood wide-eyed in the snowbank late at night in November and watched helplessly as thick, black smoke billowed from the four corners of the roof, I realized that I wasn't doing what I wanted to be doing on a daily basis. I wasn't completely fulfilled at my job (although I enjoyed it), I had been putting off a dream I had been fantasizing about since we bought the house. The next day I decided that I wasn't going back to my old job, I was going to take this time while the house was being rebuilt to invest in myself and get my real estate licence.

I suppose I should say that perhaps it's not the actual moments that I relish, but that they provided me with the complete clarity and ability to step back to assess what was/is legitimately important. Don't be fooled! These moments can disguise themselves as failures or have negative overtones, but the results of those times have provided me with the most amazing opportunity to fix things that I had let slide or brushed under the rug.
This is why I can say that occasional pivoting and abruptly changing direction can be the best possible course of action.

I Don't Need No REALTOR®!

Over the course of my career in real estate I have come across many people that balk at the thought of working with a professional in the industry. There are several reasons for this, some of them valid... And some of them entirely scary.

"I want to save money on the commission".
At face value this may seem to have some truth, but once you delve deeper into the idea you will find that a REALTOR® is there to protect their client in every way. A simple error or not fully understanding the paperwork could end up costing you majorly. Not to mention omissions I hear about all the time that are potentially catastrophic in terms of resale value down the road. There are PILES of paperwork that need to be meticulously filled out, carried out and investigations of things most people were entirely unaware of!!

"I know my property the best and can highlight it's assets."
While this may be true, a REALTOR® has a level, unbiased perspective on any property. Just because the home was custom built for you, doesn't mean it will appeal to everyone. Emotional value does not necessarily equate to monetary value. A great deal of homes that are For Sale by Owner are not priced according to market value.

A REALTOR® knows things that you don't. Whether you are moving from another country or another county, a professional will direct you to testing or investigations that you may have otherwise known nothing about. Things that could have a long term effect on your investment and well being.

Negotiating is tricky, especially when talking about a purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Peoples homes are very personal and I often see sellers get offended by offers that were too low, and then end up put off by the process and unwilling to negotiate with the buyer further (down the road they end up negotiating favorably with a different buyer and settling on a sale price that would have worked before - opportunity slipped away on account of improper technique). Having access to historical stats and comparables is key, as well as being able to read people and be able to solidly back up any deviations above or below list price.

Last but not least - a local professional that relies on referrals and is held accountable by a Provincial and National Code of Ethics is far more reliable than a vendor that may skip the country after the sale is complete. You can rest assured that the appropriate level of disclosure was adhered to in the transaction if you enlist the services of a licenced professional.

Home is Where You Hang Your Hammer

I have lived in many places over the course of my lifetime, and in many situations as well! I have been awoken most mornings this summer by a construction crew either crashing through demolition work or banging away at construction. We are currently in the midst of an addition that rivals the footprint of our existing Victorian century home and this comes as the memories of an 8 month complete gut and rebuild are all but faded.

The disruption has come to a point where my morning routine includes the essentials like several strangers yelling at each other and country music blasting outside the bathroom window (which I have had to cover with a blanket, as the existing curtains were NOT providing the privacy needed). I have to admit though, the renovation is pleasingly coming together to the point that I can walk around in what will be the new 22' x 28' master bedroom and visualise where the 22' walk in closet will be... Swoon!
It's a dramatic love/hate relationship.

After much deliberation and research my husband and I decided on this project as it would seem that our relationship thus far has been consistently changing. Over our years together we have lived in 6 different communities in the Valley. 5 years ago we bought our first home together and since have renovated, landscaped and built on to that home! While I really do appreciate all the changes (once they are done), it has not been without a great deal of effort, planning and occasional headaches. I certainly have gotten a firm grasp on the foresight and issues surrounding making a house into a forever home. The truth is that more often than not, there is something that new buyers will want to change to make their new home really theirs. It may be painting, changing flooring, landscaping, increasing energy efficiency or bigger projects like changing layout or construction. In essentially all of these cases I can help as I have lived through them all!

If you are thinking about making a move I can help! Whether it be consulting on projects that will increase the resale value of your current home, or finding you a home for the future. Being a great REALTOR® is much more than just buying & selling.  

Professional Ink

I am always interested in hearing peoples opinions on tattoos and piercings, whether negative or positive. It fascinates me to get a glimpse of how someone chooses to decorate or adorn themselves, and the subsequent reactions that are generated.

Tattoos in the workplace have historically had very limited acceptance but recently have become more mainstream. There are statistics bouncing around that show...
30-40% of people aged 30-45 have tattoos
15% aged 46-64 are sporting ink
70% of tattooed people conceal their art at work
Generally speaking what most would consider "artsy" type careers are more accepting of body modifications and it can even be encouraged.

Personally I have been tattooed multiple times and I have several piercings. I have never been asked to conceal my tattoos or remove my jewelry at any workplace. I have received many compliments from people all over the world, spanning all age groups and backgrounds. My tattoo designs are not offensive in any way, and all are easily covered should I choose to do so. I simply carry my favorite artwork with me on a daily basis, rather than hanging it on a wall.  

I do get occasional comments on my appearance, given I have chosen a career where most of my colleagues are more conservative, it can be a surprise to some.
My feeling is that tattoos are a sign of an individuality, creativity, and an ability to think outside the box.
I am not afraid to show my personality as I am confident in myself and my abilities.
I have found that a fresh and unconventional approach garners more success and positive outcomes.

I would love to hear your take on this subject! Let me know what you think, comment or share!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week.

It's been on of THOSE weeks, the ones that destroy everything in their path. They come ripping through like a tornado of destruction and leave you standing there in the wake, dishevelled and dirty, holding a broken flip flop to shield your eyes from the sun.

Blah, blah... "you have to experience the downs to appreciate the highs", whatever. I like to share my experiences with the world, whether it's been good or downright terrible, so here goes... for your comedic enjoyment... Megans Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week.

Let's start with closings, they are usually fun and exciting, finally your buyers get to celebrate their long awaited purchase! But other times, they do not quite go so well. How about when the property is not clean? And I mean FILTHY DIRTY! The water was turned off and the place looks and smells like Mr Clean himself would head for the hills, not pretty. And it's always a bit awkward when the seller leaves too many personal belongings and items behind.

Last minute surprises are never good for anyone involved and I have had more than my share of them this week. Everything from last minute chimney extensions, to issues with property migration on vacant land taking WEEKS to complete, even losing my voice so that even a simple phone call was a disaster! About that... I lost my voice over the weekend, making me sound a bit hysterical at best. I was over 2 hours away from the main office and had to call in a favour to get some paperwork pushed through right away. I want to be fair here and say that the situation was a bit sketchy and I was feeling mildly uncomfortable, that combined with my unintentional voice-over for some rural low budget horror film, made my most excellent administrator feel as though I was in real danger. After I hung up, I proceeded back into the fully insulated steel building where my phone wasn't picking up any of the frantic calls from my husband, Broker, Sister-In-Law and various other genuinely concerned parties who were wondering if the local authorities should be dispatched in Colchester County. My sincere apologies to the people back in the Valley that I left in the lurch, it was never my intention to spread the panic as I did!

Let's touch briefly on taxes! Don't we all lament the HST that is added to most of our purchases?! We all complain, but it is a fact of life here for a great deal of items we purchase. But there are some purchases where HST is a grey area. There are some 'easy' rules on when and why HST applies to when dealing in Real Estate, but there are some surprises too. Surprises that nobody wants to hear about on the morning of closing. Through no fault of ours, the closing had to be extended and that's never a welcome last minute change.

The Real Estate Market tends to follow a pretty regular pattern of feast and famine, with swells and troughs a common occurrence. The key is to regulate these ups & downs so that you are not swept away in the currents. This can be difficult at times, especially when you are caught up in the manic part of the cycle. A few weeks later you can find yourself without much to do but listen to the crickets chirp. In a way, the constant change is exciting and if this is a career you choose to stick with, it becomes somewhat of a lifestyle. If nothing else, it makes for excellent blog inspiration and entertainment.