Sonia's Real Estate Blog

Sherwood Park is a blast in the summer! From spray parks to bike trails to all of the great celebrations and festivals, there is so much to do and only so much time to do it!

Summer is my favourite time in Sherwood Park and I want to kick off the season with an incredible contest! I can’t tell you what the prize is just yet (that’s the surprise!) but I can guarantee you’ll love it.

All you have to do to enter is go to my Facebook page, Like my page and comment on this post by telling me what is your favourite thing to do in Sherwood Park over the summer.

I can’t wait to hear your answers! You might give me some new ideas too!

Thanks everyone and happy summer to all!

Sonia

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I was extremely honoured to be a part of Sherwood Park’s annual Canada Day Parade. The community is always so wonderful in supporting the parade with many great floats and a great crowd gathered all across the route. I always look forward to seeing all the smiling faces as we pass through the streets of our great community. This year I especially enjoyed driving through in my “Sonia mobile” and waiving to everyone!

It was also a great opportunity for all of the families to get outside and spend some quality time together with all of the fun activities and fireworks happening at Strathcona’s largest annual festival at Broadmoor Lake Park.

Canada Day is one of my favourite holidays as it serves as an unofficial start to the summer. But it’s also the best time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful and welcoming country

To me being a Canadian means freedom. We have the ability to live our lives the way we want to, speak when we want, express our values and to stand up for what we believe in. The pleasure to be able to interact with cultures and races of all kinds in our multicultural country and to sleep peacefully at night not worrying that your home will be gone in the morning. For all those reasons, I am proudly Canadian!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Happy Father’s Day to All Dads!

In honour of my father…

When it comes to fathers, mine was truly special. His handshake was as solid as his character and his compassion to others was incredible. Everyone who knew my dad, loved him. He was just that type of guy who made you feel like YOU were the most important person around. His big heart and big personality shined everywhere he went.

Dad was a real estate developer and entrepreneur for most of his life. He and my mother loved to travel the world, but mostly dad enjoyed simple pleasures in life. Spending time with his children and grand children at home was his favourite thing to do. Dad always gave generously to various charities. He never talked about it. He just did it. He did it because of the compassionate and generous man he was.

Unfortunately, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away in 2008 just one day after I gave birth to my third child, Eva. Luckily, dad didn’t suffer considering this terrible disease. I would have loved for my dad to meet Eva but I was thrilled that at least he got to name his grand daughter. This was a tribute to him.

My dad is the one who encouraged me to get into real estate. He said “Go get your real estate license young lady and don’t you ever look back.” That moment changed my life forever.

Well I learned many things from my dad, but the most important thing I learned is to respect others and help out anyone you can in life. I’m grateful for everything my dad taught me and I will always honour his memory.

Happy Father’s Day dad.

Love forever…
Sonia

While it is technically still spring, many days have sure felt like summer in Sherwood Park. With the snow long gone and the community in full bloom, it’s time to start paying attention to your yards, especially if you want to sell your home for top dollar! Curb appeal is very important and potential buyers will get their first impression of the property long before they step inside the front door.

Before you get started, go outside and look at your yard and pretend you are a buyer. What does it say about your home? A meticulous, well-maintained yard will show buyers your care and attention to detail. A yard that hasn’t been kept up will make buyers wonder what else you’ve neglected.

Do a quick assessment. What do you like about your yard and home from the curb? If you have a bold front door or a unique feature in your landscaping, you want to accent those to make them stand out. But also make note of areas that need attention like weeds, bushes growing out of control or large stains on the driveway.

The great thing about spending some time and money tidying up your yards is the return on investment is huge. Pulling the weeds in your yard and giving it a fertilizer treatment can be done in a couple of hours and will cost you very little. Replacing the few rotten or cracked boards on a deck then giving it a fresh coat of stain also won’t break the bank but will give new life to your outdoor space. A quick pressure wash of the siding, driveways and decks can also go a very long way too. Remember that many buyers are looking for a low-maintenance property that has been well cared for.

There are also some very easy ways to stage your yards and garden. To liven up that big empty deck, head to one of Sherwood Park’s great greenhouses and pick up some plant potters. Invest in some patio furniture that is just the right size for your backyard. You don’t want to cram the space with furniture and many young families are looking for large, open yards for their kids.

If you’re looking for a Sherwood Park REALTOR® I’ve got plenty more tips to help you get the most money for your home. Give me a call today and let’s get started!

Warm regards,

Sonia
780-707-6015
soniatarabay@remax.net

When shopping for family and friends this holiday season, be sure to shop local! Shopping local helps strengthen the economic base of your community. Here are some benefits below:

Tax Base. One of the five benefits of shopping locally is the increased tax base. By shopping locally, taxes paid by these businesses are used within your community. Common uses for local sales tax include investments in infrastructure, police and fire departments, libraries, and parks.

Jobs. Local shops employ local residents, which means there will be more job opportunities within your community. The increase in jobs, one of the five benefits of shopping locally, also has a domino effect. Local stores will need to hire other local residents to help with accounting, create store signs, etc.

Product Diversity. Product diversity, one of the five benefits of shopping locally, may not seem important at first, but it is a win-win situation for local customers. Big box stores have national sales plans, and generally do not stock their stores with products that are sought after within a specific region. Local shops will need to stock their stores with products that their local customers will want, so if you have many local shops within your community, there will be a much broader range of product choices.

Competition. Competition of local shops is also one of the most important five benefits of shopping locally. Big box stores often drive mom and pop shops out of business, which means there is no competition. With no competition, the big box stores can charge higher prices. By having a multitude of local stores within your community, all of the stores will need to keep their prices competitive in order to gain your business.

Community Well-Being. The final benefit on our list of the five benefits of shopping locally is community well-being. By shopping at local shops, you will most likely run into your friends and family more often, which helps unite the community together as a whole. Local business owners are also more likely to donate more to local causes than big box stores are.

This Christmas, be merry, have fun and shop local!

Reference: http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-benefits-shopping-locally.html#ixzz3tIP0MwZu

Happy first day of Fall! Here are some of my favourite things about this beautiful season. Hope you enjoy!

-Sonia

Curb appeal is tremendously important to keeping up the value of your home, as well as your neighbourhood. There are so many awesome ideas out there, but here are a few of my favourites:

1) Professionally landscape your yard. Depending on your budget, a lot of this you can easily do yourself. To start, the removal of dead wood, broken branches and pruning of your hedges restores the health and aesthetic appeal of your yard. If you want to stand out from your neighbours, replace a portion of your lawn with flowers. Plant perennials, use landscape stone for a lush landscape that sets your house apart. Planting flowers in raised flower beds or planter boxes, even added pots of flowers, provides a giant boost to your curb appeal.

2) Add big, bold house numbers. It’s so easy to swap out house numbers, and this one thing can make a huge impact. Echo your house style in the numbers you choose — a clean sans serif font for a modern house, aged copper for a Prairie-style home, contrast is to match your trim, etc.

3) Paint the front door. A front door that pops can be very cheering. Paint your front door a tasteful color you like and make it work. It’s all a matter of coordinating the door color with your home’s architecture and the other colors and materials on the house.

4) Add fresh porch furniture and symmetry to decor. Whether it is a set of Adirondack chairs or a cozy glider, is a must when you have a front porch that is visible from the street. Symmetry is not only pleasing to the eye, it’s also the simplest to arrange. Symmetrical compositions of light fixtures and front-door accents create welcoming entryways and boost curb appeal.

5) Repair the driveway and paths. Cement, stone and pavement all can split and crack over time. Repairing or replacing damaged areas can do wonders to freshen up your home’s street view.
Edging the driveway, installing a border adds a crisp, elegant look. Edging materials such as brick, pavers, stones or a combination to bring a boring paving driveway to life.

6) Change the hardware. Add a shiny new door knocker. Gorgeous hardware can make even the plainest door look very classy. Your Mailbox even makes a statement! If your mailbox is rusty and falling apart – consider sprucing it up or getting a new one. Other inexpensive hardware idea is to add brackets to your garage door that turn the most basic garage into an elegant one!

7) Change your lighting. The lighting on your porch may be old, outdated or even broken. A great way to update your curb appeal is to replace the porch lighting with something more modern, or unique to the architecture of your home. At this time you may even consider installing a motion detector which increases the safety to your home. Also installing lighting along your pathway leading up to your home not only increases the safety, but adds a warm and inviting welcome to your front door.

8) Wash your House and Refresh the Paint. Before you scrape any paint or plant more azaleas, wash the dirt, mildew, and general grunge off the outside of your house. You would be surprised as to washing a house can add tremendous value to your home. The most commonly offered curb appeal advice from real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it, and appraisers will value it.
Consider hiring a professional- getting quotes if it’s a large job. Even refreshing the trims make a huge difference!

9) Regard your roof. The condition of your roof is one of the first things buyers notice and appraisers assess. Missing, curled, or faded shingles add nothing to the look or value of your house. If your neighbors have maintained or replaced their roofs, yours will look especially shabby. You can pay for roof repairs now, or pay for them later in a lower appraisal; appraisers will mark down the value by the cost of the repair. While you are looking at your roof check out the condition of your gutters and eavestroughs, cleaning and checking for any damages.

10) Windows speak volume. If your windows have seen better days, replacing them with up-to-date energy efficient, double pane windows can significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills while adding value and curb appeal to your home.

Some of these things may be more costly than you imagined, but they can have a huge impact on your sales price. Some are simple inexpensive yet can make an impact! If you are wondering which items should be updated, ask a friend to drive to the house and tell you the first thing they think of when they pull up. This will give you an honest assessment and a starting point for your work. If you would like to know how much your home is worth, feel free to call me for a complimentary Market Evaluation. Thank you!

Like many firsts, diving into real estate can be daunting. Whether you are buying or selling there are many processes to consider in order to get the best results. You are ready to make that big step into ownership and your wish list is ready! I would like to share these great tips for first-time home buyers and sellers along with some great questions to ask!

Advice for Buyers

1. The very first thing you need to do in the home-buying process is to sit down with a lender and get pre-approved. This should be done before you start touring any homes.
2. Prepare a list of must haves and stock with it!
3. Remember that you are not just buying the house, but the neighborhood too. Spend some time in the area and see if it offers some of the lifestyle conveniences you’ll need.
4. Don’t see to many houses in one day. You’ll feel overwhelmed and confused after touring several homes. As a practice, good real estate agents will normally limit you to four or five and then let those digest with you before reassessing the search.
5. It’s a great idea to take detailed notes and even take a few photos to help you remember. Too many homes in a short period of time will run together in your mind and you may not remember which kitchen or which master bedroom belonged to which house.
6. As tempted as you may be to max out your budget, try your best no to. Just because your bank approved you for a higher amount, doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. Why? Because you have to pay it all back. You don’t want to go into a first home maxed out.

Advice for Sellers

7. List your home at the right price from the start. Homes that enter the market overpriced usually sit for a long time before receiving any offers. If you want to be competitive and sell quickly, a comparative analysis to determine the right price is essential.
8. Be flexible! When you make homebuyers jump through the hoops to see your house, you’ll turn them off and they’ll move on to the next house. Try your best to accommodate every tour request. You never know which appointment will being an offer.
9. Buyers tour homes with four out of five of their senses: sight, sound, smell and touch. Bad smells in a house can turn off buyers immediately. Be sure to neutralize your home of any bad pet or smoke odors before opening your doors to potential buyers. Even before viewings any strong cooking smells can affect your viewing.
10. Staging your home is super important as well as removing clutter. I recommend removing two-thirds of your personal belongings and furniture for the best staging. Use your garage or storage facility to store your belongings for the time being. Open curtains or drapes to allow maximum natural light in. Move furniture out of walkways and away from windows so the room will feel larger. If your home has dark paint, it’s worthwhile to repaint with a light neutral paint color.

Questions to Ask

• How much are the taxes?

• What are the local schools in the area?

• If buying a condo, how much are the fees? What do they include? How many parking spaces are included?

• Does the home come with a warranty? Can you have this written into the offer?

• If buying in a HOA subdivision, do they permit you to rent out your property?

• How close is the nearest hospital, police station and firehouse?

• How old is the roof and windows?

• Can you see the homeowner and community disclosures prior to making an offer?

In the end, getting the right professional help when looking to buy or sell a home is so important. I consistently demonstrate a true commitment to my clients, making them my #1 priority. I consider Real Estate my lifestyle rather than just a career, and make myself available 7 days a week to all my clients. I am able to succeed in the industry so well because I have mastered the art of working hard, putting my clients first, always going above and beyond for others.  Contact me anytime, I would love to hear from you!

One thing I have admired about the Irish is their magical spirit and joyful energy! St. Patrick’s Day has a way of bringing out the Irish in everyone. Whether it’s celebrating at your local pub or simply donning green to ring in the occasion, the holiday has become a fixture for all – Irish heritage notwithstanding.

Our home can also inspire St. Patrick’s Day and ring in the spring! Bright shades of green color are pleasant and fresh. Modern citrus yellow and olive shades of green color look cheerful, warm and sunny. Most of your home decorating accessories and furniture items will look great with stylish shades of green color, creating fresh, relaxing and comfortable room decor for spring.

You can use trendy green paint colors for quick and dramatic room makeover. Green colored home furnishings that you already have in your home help save money on room decorating for St Patrick’s Day and for spring decorating. Irish landscapes, shamrock symbols and St Patrick’s Day food are beautiful inspirations for choosing spring decorating colors and color combinations for your room decor.

Rearrange your green colored home furnishings, move small decorating accessories to different places, use them in a different way for creative room decorating ideas without spending extra money on green spring decorating.

You can use your home furnishings in all colors for St Patrick’s Day and for spring home decorating, adding few green accents to your home color palette.

A green ribbon on your table lamp, green throw on your bed or a green cushion on a living room sofa are simple, inexpensive and pretty spring decorating ideas that symbolize freshness, awaking of the nature and a new beginning.

If you do not have any green colored items for spring decorating, use green food, – sweet peppers, pears, apples, grapes or limes, arrange them on attractive plates, or use shallow baskets and vases, adding beautiful natural accents and aroma to your room decorating in spring.

You do not need to spend money buying new decorating accessories for St Patrick’s Day. If you are not sure how to add green color to your room decorating, St Patrick’s Day food can inspire you.

Think like an interior designer and select a perfect decorating color scheme for St Patrick’s Day or spring home decor. Every interior designer gets an inspiration from ordinary things, then creates an interior of that experience.

Reference:Lush Home/
Food Inspired Decorating

Looking to buy a home or investment property? Whether it’s your first home purchase or your 10^th, it is absolutely recommended to have a property inspection prior to closing the deal.

I know from experience that most of my clients will choose to inspect a property through the services of a qualified home inspector. As both a REALTOR® and a consumer, I could not agree more.

When walking through a home you would love to buy, it’s hard to put aside your emotions and really ‘see’ what kind of shape it’s in. Now that you are buying, it’s time to see everything. Home inspections rarely cost more than a few hundred dollars and their service can save you from unpleasant surprises when you move in. Your offer to buy may be conditional upon a satisfactory home inspection. This is an increasingly standard condition on any resale home. If the seller doesn’t want you closely examining the home before you take possession, you have to wonder why.

Go with a qualified professional

Make sure your inspector is a member of a provincial association of home inspectors. It’s your guarantee they have the training and experience for the job. Your REALTOR® may suggest several home inspection companies to choose from. Make sure your inspector is credited to one of these Associations:

Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors

National Association of Certified Home Inspectors

What will they check during the inspection?

Lots of stuff. Plumbing and electrical systems, the roof, visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and the integrity of the foundation. They check for nasty stuff like lead paint, asbestos, mold, outdated and dangerous wiring and they’ll look for evidence of pests like mice or termites. A good inspector should make you feel like you’re watching a CSI detective.

Join the inspection

There’s no better way to get familiar with your new home than being part of this checkup. If any problems are detected, you’ll see them firsthand and you’ll also learn some maintenance tips from a genuine pro.

Home inspection for a new home?

New does not equal perfect and construction quality can vary greatly from builder to builder. Repairs and corrections will probably be covered by a provincial new home warranty program, so bad news doesn’t necessarily mean it will cost you.

So, if you are looking to make your next home purchase, please give me a call. I would love to help you through the process and ensure you protect your investment.

Reference:

Alberta Real Estate

Association