Come to see this place property for the first time.  7868 162nd street in Fleetwood Open house will be held:

Friday Sept. 30th from 6pm to 8pm,

Saturday Oct. 1st from 1pm to 4pm and

Sunday Oct. 2nd from 1pm to 4pm.

This will be a great opportunity to see what kind of house this builder is bringing to the community!  Please contact me for more info.

Are you thinking of selling your home? Before your REALTOR® begins showing your home, you will want to make sure it’s in tip-top condition. An attractive, well-kept home generally has a better chance of selling a little faster.

Minor exterior and interior improvements can add value to your home and need not require a large renovation bill. Think back to what first attracted you to your home; now determine how best to highlight and improve your home’s best features.

Here are a few ideas to help you perk-up your home’s appearance. Consult with your REALTOR® to see what types of improvements make the most sense.

Start with the outside: an inviting exterior ensures that potential buyers will inspect the interior.

• Keep lawns and gardens well maintained;
• Ensure garage and porch areas are free of clutter and refuse;
• Repair loose siding or pavement;
• Replace any damaged roof shingles, eaves troughs or cracked windows;
• Wash windows, gutters, mailbox and doors;
• Secure loose shutters or awnings.

The inside story: you can do a lot to improve the inside of your home without spending a great deal of money. Two primary areas to keep in mind are the kitchen and bathroom

• Ensure kitchen and bathrooms are sparkling clean;
• Repair dripping facets and showerheads;
• Steam clean or replace carpets if necessary;
• Thoroughly clean every room in the house, removing all clutter;
• Repaint dingy walls or kitchen cabinets with a neutral colour;
• Replace worn or outdated countertops and cracked light-switch plates.
• Remove any items (like chandeliers) that won't be included in the sale of the home.

Remember, the more effort put into the initial clean up, the easier it will be to keep your home looking its best for visits from your REALTOR® with prospective buyers. As well, keep in mind that rooms that are too cluttered will give the impression that they're much smaller than their true size. Try to create a feeling of spaciousness when conducting your spruce-up.

Pre-showing checklist

• As a courtesy to buyers, leave the house while the REALTOR® is conducting a showing;
• Keep pets out of the way – preferably out of your house during the showing;
• Ensure that every room is tidy, well aired and adequately lit;
• Put away Don't keep money, jewellery and small valuables in plain sight during a showing;
• Open drapes to maximize natural light;
• Keep all stairways and hallways clear;
• Use finishing touches like fresh flowers and candles.

Ask your REALTOR® for his or her checklist to better prepare you for a showing or an open house. By following these relatively simple tips, you'll feel proud of your home and potential purchasers are sure to appreciate its beauty.

Plans to remove the HST and return to a provincial sales tax mixed with the Goods and Services Tax will probably cause some potential buyers of new homes in British Columbia to delay purchases until 2013, Central 1 Credit Union forecasts.

In a news release Thursday, Central 1 economist Bryan Yu said: "People looking at new homes priced over $525,000 may very well wait until the tax changes lower the 12 per cent hit they face."

The HST added provincial tax to new housing on top of GST and $525,000 was the upper limit for a rebate program intended to add no additional tax on homes.

Yu is forecasting that B.C.'s total home sales through the Multiple Listing Service will reach 88,200 units by the end of this year, which is down one per cent from 2010's sales mark.

However, while resale home transactions are forecast to end the year 4.7 per cent ahead of 2010, new home transactions will lag by 26 per cent.

While sales will remain soft, the median price will rise 6.8 per cent to $417,000, Yu said.

"The real estate market will remain stable for the next couple years, weighed down by global economic issues, moderate employment and population growth and changes to mortgage insurance rules," Yu said.

Central 1 forecasts that next year total home sales are expected to increase by about 3.4 per cent, driven by higher new home sales. The resale of existing homes will decline.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Real Estate Association released a report Thursday showing that the sale of exisiting homes across Canada declined 0.5 per cent in August.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales totalled to 37,177 units during the month, down from 37,378 in the previous month, the industry group said. However, sales were still up 15.8 per cent from August 2010, on a non-adjusted basis.

The national average home price of $349,916 in August, on a non-adjusted basis, was up 7.7 per cent from a year earlier.

"Economic headwinds will likely persist until, and indeed after, fiscal quagmires in the U.S. and Europe are resolved. In the meantime, the Bank of Canada will have ample reason to delay raising interest rates further, which is supportive for the Canadian housing market."

 A concrete roof tiles are one of the best investments you can make when it comes to installing new roofing on your home. While they do have a steeper initial cost than most other materials, concrete roofing tiles end up being a smarter investment in the end due to their vast superiority in longevity, durability and appearance when compared to other roofing materials.

Lasts a Lifetime
Sure, concrete will cost more up front, but keep in mind that there are structures in Europe where concrete roofing tiles have lasted well over a hundred years without needing replacement. With that kind of durability, it becomes clear why the initial investment in concrete will end up being a money saver in the end. Asphalt shingle roofing generally needs replacement every twenty to thirty years, and cedar shingles can require replacement even sooner if you don't keep up on regularly required maintenance. Concrete tiles, as a rule, are guaranteed for sixty years after installation, and most last well beyond that. It's clear why a concrete roof will save you money in the end and can honestly be called the roof of a lifetime.

Low Maintenance
Concrete roofing tiles are perhaps the most durable and maintenance free roofing material on the market. They are impervious to high wind, highly resistant to solar damage, and even weather large hail storms better than asphalt or cedar shake shingles. Furthermore, if your concrete roof is damaged by a major hailstorm, which is about the only weather phenomenon that can damage concrete tiles, you won't find yourself having to replace the whole roof as a result of the storm. Instead you'll just have to replace the tiles that have been damaged and the rest can stay where they are.

Xtreme Realtor.ca is very proud to present a new listing in Fleetwood. This home is brand new and straight from the builders.  They are a long standing company with ties to the community.  They have created an ultra-high end home with all the trim and fixings.  This home comes with a full 2-5-10 home warranty from Pacific Home Warranty. This house is located in the best neighbourhood in Fleetwood.  It's location is very quiet and family oriented.  Steps away from Fleetwood park and Fleetwood Secondary makes this home perfect for all levels of families looking to settle down in their dream home.  This home comes with many new trimmings that would make any home owner excited. The exterior is built to the quality you have come to expect from the area with new houses of this level but it is the interior that really has people excited... more on that later.  The roof is concrete shingles and as many of you know, will last you a lifetime.  This is an amazing investment option because the roof will never need to be fixed.  The windows are high efficiency energy saver windows that can only be classified as the best on the market.  This will save you money in the long run with your heating bills.  This home boasts a very spacious 4463sf of living space with a fully finished basement.  The lot size is 6270sf in a quiet cul-de-sac backing onto a green space for ultimate privacy.  Don't worry for all you feng shui fanatics out there, this property is not a pie shaped property and faces west to east. This provides sunshine all day long for a bright and accessible kitchen area.  Your neighbours are all newly built houses which means that this neighbourhood is all elite level homes with emphasis on top tier income and living standards. But as I have said before; the interior finishing is really what this home is all about and will be what sets this home apart from the competition. The finishing standards have been met at such a high standard that it demands respect.  As you walk in you will notice that the front entrance way is an 8ft tall door with 10ft tall ceilings.  In fact all throughout the house you have 8ft doors with 10ft ceilings. A sheik entertaining room on your right comes with even higher ceilings and a gas fireplace at it's centre with a dark brown maple mantle enough to impress the most sophisticated of hearts.  With crown mouldings all throughout this home is also accented with LED lighting creating a very modern look.  California style closets invite you into this home with style. One major noted feature of this home is the first class in-floor radiant heating system. Never walk through a cold home again... long gone are the days when you tip towed across a cold floor early in the morning.  Slippers are a thing of the past!!! Please check out my FEATURED LISTINGS page and find out more on this property and the best that Fleetwood has to offer.  Also go to the bottom of the page and view the Virtual Walkthrough for this house.