Oct 15/17 – Mike and Nikki’s October Newsletter

 

mikemorse.caOctober 2017 Issue

Mike Morse

Hi Everyone!

September’s real estate stats for our region have revealed that our market appears to be doing just fine, despite Petronas’ announcement not to proceed with Pacific Northwest LNG. You can see the stats below, in our “What’s the Market Doing?” section.

In mid-September, it was decided by the partners of Aurora LNG to stop work on their feasibility study for their proposed LNG project on Digby Island. This didn’t receive very much media attention; they were not as far along as Petronas was in the process. Here are the details:

Partners pull plug on Aurora LNG project near Prince Rupert for economic reasons

Here are some other news articles from this past month,  to keep you up to date with Prince Rupert news:

Logistics company expands to Prince Rupert

Krusel announces retirement

The port may be getting a gas station for cargo ships

Canadian National Railway Company: 1 Major Growth Corridor to Be Excited About

Grain handlers spending big as Canadian crops set to feed more of the world

Canadian National Makes First Delivery to Prince Rupert, British Columbia Transload Facility

Port experiences growing pains, causing Cosco to divert its vessels south

Prince Rupert port congestion ebbing

As this is being written, fall is definitely in the air; it’s a cold and crisp sunny day in Prince Rupert.  Let’s hope for more of these in the days ahead!

Mike & Nikki Morse, REALTORS®

Mike Cell: 250.600.6620
Nikki Cell: 250.600.4650

RE/MAX Coast Mountains

Mikemorse.ca

Tips For Preparing Your Home To Sell

If you are thinking about selling your home, here are some great tips from RE/MAX Canada.

1. “Avoid drastic design changes” – Unless you plan to turn your bold color palette into a more neutral one, then it’s best not to try and anticipate what buyers want in design and décor. The best approach to freshening up your home for sale is to simplify and depersonalize the look and feel so that potential buyers can picture building their own lives there. If you think repainting a bright purple wall, replacing an old toilet or buffing and replacing kitchen cabinets would help the home sell, by all means make these types of updates. Just be sure to keep your personal preferences in check. Your real estate agent can help you prioritize and remain objective.

2. “Stop neglecting the drippy faucet” – This applies to any repairs you might view as minor but actually could be a symptom of a larger system problem. Addressing things like plumbing leaks, poor ventilation and cracks in walls helps everyone avoid surprises from the inspection report and avoid the delay or even cancellation of a sale. When you have the information, you can either make the fixes or work with your agent to adjust pricing during negotiations with the buyer.

3. “Price my home reasonably” – It’s understandable to think your home is the best on the block and worth more than all the others – especially if you’ve invested in key upgrades and remodels. And, frankly, you might be right. But the only way to truly know is to consider recent sales of comparable homes in your area. Your real estate agent can provide you with the latest information and help you list at a competitive price that’s appropriate for your area and the local real estate climate.

4. “Make my home inviting” – This starts with creating curb appeal. The condition of your home’s exterior is a big part of getting buyers in the door. Maintaining the yard, sweeping the porch and driveway, replacing the tattered welcome mat, replacing missing house numbers, and removing clutter all are things that can help improve curb appeal.

5. “Thin out the clutter” – The best time for making tough decisions about what stays and what goes is BEFORE you put your home on the market. By the time the for-sale sign goes up, the home should be clutter free. You can either toss things you don’t want, sell these items, or move the more personal ones to storage. The types of items to remove include your prized knick-knack collection, clothes overflowing from the closets, and family photos. You want all closets and cupboards to appear as spacious as possible. When they’re jam-packed, it gives the impression that storage is limited even if that’s not the case.

6. “Clean like I’ve never cleaned before” – Think about under, behind, around and between. It’s easy to focus on cleaning the major surfaces, high-traffic areas, and areas that are visible. But what about the dust on top of the refrigerator? How about the slats in the window blinds? Have you cleaned the cabinets under the kitchen or bathroom sink recently? Did you notice the cobwebs behind the guest-room door? Look high and low for the dirt.

7. “Nail down my next step” – Don’t let your new plans and new place get lost in the shuffle of selling your old place. Determine where you’ll go next before your home goes up for sale. Are you prepared to move if your home sells quickly? Although it might not be typical, a quick sale is certainly possible. On the other hand, are you prepared if your home doesn’t sell quite so quickly? Be sure to talk with your real estate agent about your relocation needs and timeline.

WHAT’S OUR MARKET DOING?

September 2017
Prince Rupert (& Area) Real Estate

We were curious what the September stats would reveal, since it’s been over two months since Petronas decided not to proceed with their LNG project in our region.

We were pleased to see the number of monthly sales for September 2017 is the exact same (17 sales), as it was in September 2016. Our year-to-date dollar sales is significantly up by $3,241,455. Our average house price is down $1,347 from last month, but that fluctuates all the time.

We’ll take this solid, steady pace!

SALES (all types):
# of sales in September 2016 – 17
# of sales in September 2017 – 17

YEAR-TO-DATE SALES (all types)
As of September 30, 2016 – 164
As of September 30, 2017 – 170

TYPES OF PROPERTIES SOLD IN SEPTEMBER 2017:
1 – Business
1 – Office space
14- Houses
1 – Recreational property

NUMBER OF ACTIVE LISTINGS (all types):
As of August 31, 2016 – 178
As of August 31, 2017 – 170

AVERAGE SALE PRICE OF A HOUSE (YEAR-TO-DATE)
As of September 30, 2016 – $ 268,288
As of September 30, 2017 – $ 284,839

TOTAL SALES OF ALL TYPES (YEAR-TO-DATE)
As of July 31, 2016 – $ 43,822,145
As of July 31, 2017 – $ 47,063,600

The stats are based in whole or in part on information supplied by the BC Northern Real Estate Board for the period January 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017.

Local Events

Bollywood – Fall Auction and Gala
Northcoast Meeting & Convention Centre
October 21, 2017
Prince Rupert’s Got Talent
Lester Centre of the Arts
October 28, 2017
Mz. Judged
Lester Centre of the Arts
November 10, 2017