Sometimes you go on a trip and it really gives you a lot to mentally digest. A new perspective, and an appreciation for what we have and what we have been given by simply being Canadian. I just got back from an epic trip spanning almost a month in South East Asia. Every few years my husband and I forego the all inclusive/resort vacation for an adventure type trip (or at least our version of adventure) this trip was 100% amazing.
We took 14 flights, visited 6 countries and really made the most of our time over there. Highlights included 5 nights on Kandolhu Island in The Maldives. This place is heaven on earth, it took me an entire day to come to grips with actually being in such a luxurious and beautiful place. We were able to stay in one of their over water villas with floor to ceiling windows, our own private infinity pool and sundeck with stairs down to the ocean & house reef. Private dinners on the beach, cocktails with the head chef and managers, yacht excursions, and stocked coolers with champagne on deserted islands. I feel humbled and so completely thankful to have been able to experience this with my husband and longtime friends Marc & Laura. It will be one for the books for sure, and not soon forgotten.
Now on to Vietnam! We met up with a larger group and visited many places in the northern part of this beautiful country. I was not exactly sure what I was in for when we booked this part of the trip, I had prepared myself for emotional and thoughtful moments aplenty. Having just come from one of the most expensive places I have been, surrounded by affluence and opulence, Vietnam was becomingly grounding without being too jarring in terms of poverty and basic human needs. The people of Vietnam are amazing! They are friendly and warm and extremely welcoming. We were always very comfortable being in the large cities or in the small rural communities. Personally I enjoyed the country settings a bit more, but I am a 'country mouse' and enjoy my space and nature more than bright lights and the hustle & bustle.
Other stops along the way included Hong Kong - a lovely city of many millions that was clean and friendly with lots to see and do.
Sri Lanka - a newly discovered tourist area, I feel like we got there just in time to experience the place and people before it becomes more commercialized.
Bangkok - we only had a few hours layover here so we took in the insane craziness of Khao San road, it was pretty unbelievable. I may be too old for places like this now.
Kuala Lumpur - the capital city of Malaysia, another layover so we took in the highlights of the downtown and treated ourselves to a massive suite at a lovely hotel after being in the tiniest hotel room I have ever seen in Hong Kong.
Vietnam - included Hanoi, An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Danang, and a private boat charter of Ha Long Bay. Google this place, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site and breathtaking.
Seoul - a quick stop here on our way home, I had no idea that South Korea could get so cold. We got to see a televised version of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic in nearby Peyongchang, a very different experience to see Canada march into the Olympic stadium from another countries perspective.
I certainly want to point out that leaving North America for several weeks and traveling to the opposite of the earth would not be possible with most other jobs. I am very fortunate to be able to make my own schedule and to have a team of people here that can look after my business while I am away. For the most part I am my own boss, but at Exit, we have a great brokerage model and exceptional administrators that make my job much easier.
The biggest thing I took away from this trip is how much we can take for granted as Canadians. It's so damn easy to get wrapped up in our own world here and not see the bigger picture of what's happening in the rest of the world. We have been given a life of choice and ability, of opportunity and freedom of thought, of clean air and water... It's one of those things that you can't truly appreciate until you leave it behind and see that what you take for granted, others could only dream of. There is beauty in every corner of this earth, and I have come to appreciate this corner that much more now.
Winter, ugh! The most dreaded of Canadian seasons is upon us at last! I am currently cozy as can be with my home office set up in front of my wood stove in my living room area. I was out this morning to show a few places, and it was a bit of a mission to get to one of them (a rural location on the top of a hill) but I made it there and back and I am not leaving again for the foreseeable future.
2017 was a phenomenal year for my business and I am extremely excited to be heading into 2018 with a huge amount of momentum built up. For REALTORs winter can be slow at times, but this is the perfect opportunity to get systems in place and organized for the mayhem that is the Spring Market! I am going to be using this (theoretically) slower time to make sure that I am refreshed and ready for my clients to be in 2018. As far as when I am going to get that down time, I am still waiting! This morning I confirmed the sale of a property, I wrote an offer last night for a buyer that just got Accepted, and I showed a property to some first time home buyers this morning that was an excellent fit for them. We are currently researching the zoning so that they can make sure that their home based business adheres to the municipal by laws for the area. Somebody asked me once when I get time to sleep, I replied "February" LOL!
In the meantime, before heading to a warmer location for some vitamin D, I will remind you that there is a shortage of listed properties in the Annapolis Valley right now and lots of qualified buyers who are keen to find something before the spring rush. If you are thinking of listing in 2018, call me! I might just sell your property before I leave for my trip!
902-680-2736
exit@meganwhite.ca
It's the time of year where sellers start to question their home being on the market over the Holidays, or potential sellers question whether or not they should list now or wait till the New Year. There are pros and cons with each depending on how you look at it.
Listing around the Holidays can seem like a bad idea at face value, but think a little harder here... Buyers looking at this time of year are focused and motivated, why would anyone want to be spending precious December days house shopping if it wasn't entirely necessary?!
Your home is likely going show very well, having some kind of festive decor, think how cozy it is to walk into a decorated home with the soft lighting, smells of delicious treats cooking, and twinkly sparkle that this season brings a home both inside and out. Just make sure that when you add the Holiday decor, you remove other things to make space, you don't want your home to look like it's bursting at the seams!
November is a drab month outside, the leaves are gone, the grass is muddy and dull, the weather is grey and damp. Then in December all of a sudden the first snowfall arrives and everything looks and feels so fresh and crisp! Add a wreath and some boughs for greenery and some tasteful lights/candles in the windows and your home is transformed into the next hot spot for Holiday gatherings or cozy evenings relaxing. December is an excellent time to appeal to buyers desire to see themselves in their next home. I remember distinctly when we viewed the home we bought (in June) exclaiming where the Christmas tree was going to go as soon as we saw the living room (we hadn't even offered at that point and had been in the home for all of two minutes). Emotions play into purchase decisions, there is absolutely no doubt.
Yes, I know it is hard to imagine someone coming through to view your home in the midst of December, but usually with all the drop ins and guests, we keep our homes in tip-top tidy shape this time of year, so what better time to show prospective buyers your home than when it looks it's very best!?
Over the last few years I have had excellent success with selling properties in/around the Holidays. And I'll let you know, that I have very keen buyers looking for properties right now that can't find exactly what they are looking for. If you are thinking about selling in 2018, contact me right now to see if your property might fit one of my qualified buyers, maybe I'll save you all the hassle and sell it without even having to list!
Call me! 902-680-2736
I'll do my best to keep this post informative, but interesting to read. I try to stay away from too many posts about the boring blah, blah, blah part of my job, but I have been getting many buyers feeling like the tax assessment of a property is going to give a likely reflection of the market value. NOT TRUE!
Let's start by defining the two - Tax Assessment is the value assigned to a property by the government in order to determine the yearly taxes due. The taxes may be levied on a Capped Assessment which means, although the actual assessment of the property may increase over time, the taxes will be based on a set amount for that owner. Tax assessments creep up over time but normally do not jump significantly unless building permits are drawn on the property or the property sells.
Market Value is the cash value of the property based on current market conditions, historical sales and improvements and upgrades to the property which are immediately reflected in an increase in Market Value. Market Value fluctuates significantly and depends on things that surround the property but may not be directly part of the property.
Now let's compare the two - say a property has been in the same family for 20 years, they have done numerous small improvements to keep it updated and maintained the property very well. The tax assessment will likely be very low compared to the market value because it has not sold recently or had major renovations done to justify an assessment increase. This home compared to similar homes in the area that have sold recently it is on par with what's fetching a good price and therefore worth about the same amount as the very similar properties nearby.
An excellent example here in the Annapolis Valley is farm land. Cleared agricultural land with high soil quality, access and improvements such as irrigation and drainage is worth in the tens of thousands per acre! Lets say we had 50 acres of prime cleared land on the Valley floor in Kings County, it's market value could be nearing $500,000 while the tax assessment is going to be probably less that $20,000.
The moral of the story is that Tax Assessments do not necessarily reflect what a property is worth. If you want a professional opinion on what your property is actually worth in todays market, I would be happy to assist you in determining that!
Call me! 902-680-2736
"Late breaking story on the CBC, a nation whispered 'we always knew that he'd go free"
Canada is mourning the loss of one of our greatest citizens today, Gord Downie, frontman of the legendary rock band The Tragically Hip. I have blogged before about the impact that the music of this band has had on my life and education about Canadian politics, geography and social injustice. Whether you enjoyed the music or not, I don't believe anyone can say he wasn't iconic and didn't do his part to educate and make an impact.
"With illusions of someday,
casting a golden light.
No dress rehearsal, this is our life"
The death of a celebrity can hit some people harder than others. There are often questions of how one can be so deeply affected by a person you may not have ever met. I would answer that Gord Downie represented much more to his fans. For me personally music speaks volumes, and the Hip was the soundtrack to my teenage years. Everyone knows 'that' album that you couldn't get enough of the summer between high school and adulthood (Phantom Power), 'that' album the first band you ever saw live was promoting at your first concert (Trouble at the Henhouse), 'that' album that you stole from your older sibling because you thought they were so cool (Up to Here), that time you brought your non-Canadian friend to the see best band on earth (In Violet Light)... The first time you camped out for tickets... I could go on and on with this...
"We live to survive our paradoxes."
There is something special about an artist that can remain relevant for over 3 decades and will inevitably continue to grow in popularity, although they never really broke into the worlds stage they way that they sold out stadiums across Canada consistently. I think this only made their appeal greater to Canadians. Gord sang about Canadian topics, but not the pretty, proud and fluffy ones. He sang about the raw & shadowy darkess that lurks in our not so distant past and continues to be an issue even today. I learned more about Canadian history from his music and poetry than any class or textbook, and I thank him for revealing more about what it truly means to be Canadian.
"There's no simple explanation
For anything important, any of us do.
And yeah, the human tragedy
Consists of the necessity
Of livin' with the consequences
Under pressure, under pressure"
Thank you Gord, your music will live on inside me.
Have you ever noticed people that are 'crazy good' at something? Those people that really change the game that they are in. It doesn't matter what that thing is they excel at, it could be athletics, it could be writing, it could be advertising, surgery, wine making or anything! Those people that are really making strides in their industry are a little crazy most of the time.
They are crazy about their work, they are crazy good at what they do, they are a little crazy in that, most times they think about their product or service a little bit differently. The really successful people are the ones on the leading edge of their field. I am willing to bet they are faced with more than a couple raised eyebrows and surprised faces when they pitch their ideas sometimes. Perhaps asked "are you crazy?" once or twice.
But those payoffs... right?
You see, in order to stand out, you must break out of the norm, the boring same-same mentality. In my line of work, standing out is very important. My listings have to stand out, my marketing has to stand out, and I have to stand out in a sea of other professionals in my field. What makes you different, makes you good. Maybe I am a little manic about my job at times, maybe my ideas have been called crazy now & then, maybe I am just what you need in order to stand out in a saturated market.
You would be crazy not to hire me ;)
Everyone seems to be talking about the seasons changing lately, while the days are still warm & muggy here in the Annapolis Valley, they nights are getting cooler and the leaves are starting to turn. Personally I am a summer person, it never gets too hot for me. Fall signals the 'impending sense of doom' of winter lurking behind those pretty maple leaves on the trees.
In real estate the fall season is always a very busy time, second only to the famous and much anticipated spring market. I often get sellers asking if it is a good idea to list this time of year, and my answer is always a resounding YES! While the spring market brings more traffic and a flurry of activity, the fall market brings more serious buyers and quality over quantity in terms of showings.
Once families get back into the school year routine and summer vacations are wrapped up, the buyers that intended on purchasing this year are reminded that winter is coming, and that purchase is going to take some time to process. Now is the ideal time to get that ball rolling with the plan of being settled in the new property before the snow flies.
The fall is an excellent time to put your property on the market as photos are inevitably going to be great, buyers are keen, and properties are still selling better than they have in a long time. Many people have commented this year that they have noticed many more SOLD signs around that years past. The market is hot right now, if you are thinking of buying or selling get in touch with me for a meeting to discuss your future plans!
902-680-2736
meganwhite.ca
