Sonia's Real Estate Blog

This past Saturday marked the second annual Strathcona County SAFFRON (Sexual Assault) Centre Walk and Fun Run, which I was very honoured to sponsor and participate in along with my family. This Sherwood Park event was a chance for our community to come together to raise money for an excellent local organization, with all of the funding going directly to support victims of sexual assault, abuse and sexual violence, as well as their families.

This is an important cause in our community and one that I’m very proud to support. We were very thankful for the amazing weather we had on Saturday and for all the great people in our community who came out and walked and ran. They would have come out rain or shine, but it was nice to have a beautiful spring day!

Thank you to the SAFFRON Centre for hosting this event and for all the work they do for Strathcona County residents. Let’s hope that together we can help stop this horrific thing from happening to anyone!

Warm regards,

Sonia

As many of you know, along with being a REALTOR® I have been a licensed Mortgage Broker for almost nine years which has been a huge benefit to my clients. I love that I can work both sides of the equation which helps save people time, stress and money. However, rules are always changing in the mortgage industry and since I love helping people buy and sell homes so much, I have decided to make some exciting changes!

I am very pleased to announce that I am partnering up with Gerri Vaughan from Invis, whom I have known and trusted for many years. My partnership with Gerri means going forward, she will be there to help my clients obtain financing for their homes. This relationship is definitely a win-win for my fabulous friends and clients. It allows me to focus on what I love doing most and it allows Gerri to let her expertise shine and offer her excellent services to my clients!

We’re so excited to strengthen our team and bring the best of both real estate and mortgages to our clients in Sherwood Park, Strathcona County and Edmonton. We have access to some of the best financing options in the marketplace and we are looking forward to finding you a home and getting you the financing that works for your situation.

Gerri and I can’t wait to work with you!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

While it’s still only January, the spring season will sneak up on you quickly, so if you’re planning to sell your Sherwood Park or Strathcona County home this spring, the best time to get started preparing it is now!

Obviously there is still snow on the ground and temperatures are still hovering below the freezing mark, so you’re a bit limited on what you can do, but you can use this time to get a head start inside your home.

Here are some ides to get you started:

– Cleaning and decluttering. Ultimately, you want your home to look open and presentable, so take this opportunity to remove clutter and items that you don’t regularly use. If there are broken or damaged items, use this time to recycle or dispose of them. If you have old paperwork that you no longer need, shred and dispose of it. Straighten out your closets and purge items you no longer wear. Give your major appliances a thorough cleaning so they only need a light cleaning in the spring. An in-depth cleaning of the house will also greatly help with the next task…

– Make interior repairs. A careful cleaning of the house will likely expose some things in your home that need attention. Maybe it’s a dent in a wall that needs to be patched up or a baseboard that has come loose. Pay particular attention to any repairs that may be needed in the kitchen or bathroom. A leaky faucet is a quick and cheap fix and will go a long way!

– Repair or replace fixtures. Took a good look over all light fixtures, cabinet hardware, door knobs and shower heads to make sure they are in working order and look great. If they are in need of some love, repair or replace them!

– Make a plan for what to do next. The snow will be melting before you know it. Make a plan for the exterior of your house and your yard so you can hit the ground running as soon as the weather allows you to.

For more tips and tricks, please call me at 780.707.6015. I would love to help you! The best part of my job is working with all of the great people in Sherwood Park and Strathcona County to help them sell their homes for top dollar. If you’re looking to sell your home too, then let’s put me to work for you!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

When it comes to selling or buying Sherwood Park real estate, you want a TIGER on your side! As Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger, I work extremely hard for my clients ensuring they obtain the best results.

If you live in Sherwood Park, you’ve probably seen me driving in my exotically wrapped Soniamobile and have likely spotted my bus benches and sold signs around town. I love my business and I especially LOVE helping my clients!

I’m proud to have lived in the Sherwood Park community for many years, so it’s quite natural for me to educate my clients on the various neighbourhoods, schools, parks, and other wonderful amenities Sherwood Park offers. We have grown so much as a community over these past few years, and there are so many benefits to living here. There is a strong sense of community with strong family values in Sherwood Park. It’s a huge part of why I love living and working here.

One of the biggest ways I help my clients is by the implementation of my aggressive marketing plan which has been proven to sell homes for top dollar in the least amount of time with very little effort on my clients’ part. Most of my listings have sold for more than 99% of list price!

I believe it’s my commitment to service and my negotiation skills that set me apart from others in my industry. Those skills, paired with my passion for the work is why my business has grown. I love my clients and I am so very grateful for their ongoing support in choosing me time and time again.

So if you are thinking of selling or buying a Sherwood Park home, call me today and let’s get started! I’m excited to be YOUR Real Estate Tiger!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Through hard work and dedication to my clients, I’ve been fortunate to receive many honours in my real estate career. While it’s not about the awards, I was truly honoured and humbled when I was notified that I have been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from REMAX of Western Canada, after just seven years in the real estate business!

The award is very special to me because it affirms that doing what you love is the key to success. What I love the most is helping my clients obtain the best results when buying or selling a home. It’s what I’m most passionate about in my work.

When I think back at my career as a REALTOR®, I have learned so much and I’ve met so many great people, but it has absolutely breezed by. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

I’m very excited for this honour and to share it with my family, who is so supportive of me. I also owe a lot of gratitude to all of my clients from Sherwood Park, Strathcona County and Edmonton.

Warmest regards,
Sonia

It’s almost easy to take the freedom we have for granted in Canada today. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of free thought. Everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote and elect people who represent us. Thankfully, many Canadians have never lived in a world where it has been any other way.

It’s important to recognize those freedoms and it’s just as important to recognize the brave men and women who fought to help protect them. Since 1914, nearly 115,000 people died while representing Canada in the two World Wars, in various peacekeeping operations and in Korea and Afghanistan. Many of these people were very young, with much of their lives still ahead of them. On November 11, Remembrance Day, we have the opportunity to pay our respects to all of those who have served for the greater good.

In Sherwood Park, schools throughout the community will host ceremonies and observe a moment of silence to remember the fallen. There will also be the annual Remembrance Day service at Millennium Place on Nov. 11 starting at 10:30 a.m.

It warms my heart to see so many people in Sherwood Park who are proudly displaying their poppies in front of their heart. If we all remember the sacrifices that have been made, we can stop these tragic wars from happening again in the future.

Warmest regards,

Sonia

There are many tools in the REALTOR’s® toolbox and over the past year, I’ve been perfecting one of the most effective new tools – online video. They say photos are worth a thousand words. Well the impact of video is even greater!

I take my videos to highlight the best features of the homes I am selling. If the kitchen is the selling feature, I’ll shoot it there and show off the best the home has to offer. If I’m hosting on open house, I’ll shoot a video to give prospective buyers a sneak peak into the home and get them excited to come and view it. Sometimes my videos involve special contests too! They’re not necessarily real estate related, but they are community related and my audience loves it!

As Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger, I have always put my clients first, ensuring their homes get awesome exposure which ultimately leads to awesome results. I allow people to see my true personality in life and I do the same in my real estate videos. A key part of the videos is the human element, so I try to keep them light, fun and engaging. So far, it has worked exceptionally well! The videos I post on Facebook always get thousands of views from potential buyers who are looking for their next home. These videos have helped me connect with many future buyers already and my audience continues to grow.

Ultimately, my goal is to help my clients sell their Sherwood Park home quickly and for top dollar. Personalizing my videos is just one of the unique ways I go above and beyond my competition to help my clients in the home selling process. Please visit my Facebook page and check out my most recent videos and give me a call if you’d like a video on your home!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

It takes a lot of hard word and dedication to truly excel in the real estate world. It’s one of those professions where you are always on the clock – evenings, weekends and holidays included. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world, for one very important factor – all of my incredible clients!

This week, I am celebrating 7 wonderful years in real estate where I have consistently ranked in the Top 1% Sales, an accomplishment I could never have even dreamed of if it weren’t for the fabulous people who have supported me since Day 1. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than finding the perfect home for my clients. Knowing that I helped them find the ideal property for them to raise their families in is extremely gratifying. Obviously, I love helping my clients sell their homes for the most money too! I’m never afraid to negotiate hard for my clients. Guess that’s why they nicknamed me “Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger”.

I’m so appreciative of all the kind words I hear from my clients when I run into them around Sherwood Park, at our local chamber of commerce or anywhere else in the community. That’s the food that keeps this Tiger running!

Over the past 7 years, I have learned an incredible amount and met more lovely people than I could have ever imagined. I’m excited to continue on this journey and help as many people as possible when they need me to sell their homes and find them their dream homes too.

From my heart to yours, thank you for all the continued trust and  support!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Are you ready to save time, stress and money? I sure hope so! Because when you work with me, you get a top Sherwood Park REALTOR® and an expert Mortgage Broker all in one!

Since the beginning of my career, I have always been motivated to provide an even more complete and improved real estate buying experience for my clients. This is why I chose to be both a licensed REALTOR® with Remax Elite and a licensed Mortgage Broker with Verico iMortgage Solutions. This expertise combo is definitely a rarity within the industry and it’s also a very powerful one. I believe in assisting my clients through the entire process of buying and selling a home, and my deep understanding of the mortgage industry over the past 7 years has allowed me to become a stronger, more knowledgeable REALTOR® who can offer expert advice in all areas of real estate.

Not only am I finding my buyers and investors great deals on Sherwood Park homes, but I am also helping them find great deals on mortgage rates, terms and options available in the market place today.

So whether you are buying your first home or your tenth home, put my expertise to work for you! I am available to serve my clients 7 days a week and welcome your phone calls. Along with my awesome mortgage team, we can help you get pre-approved for financing almost immediately. Then it’s time for us to have a lot of fun house-hunting together! So let’s get started today! Ultimately, my goal is lifelong happy clients.

Warmest regards,

Sonia

As a longtime resident of Sherwood Park, I consider it a privilege to work, live and play in this awesome community!

Sherwood Park has been our home for over a decade now and I can still remember the excitement I felt the very first time I visited this place. I fell totally in love with it! It was as though something wonderful was about to happen. Well, it did! I met some of my most valued friends and clients right here at home, and for that I am eternally grateful.

My husband Eddy and I have three children; Alexa, Lennox and Eva. We feel blessed that they are growing up in a safe and happy community, attending good schools and have made some wonderful friends. Naturally, every parent wants to provide the best for their children and we certainly have found the best of family life living in Sherwood Park.

In following my passion for real estate, I decided to launch my business in 2009 and focused primarily on helping Sherwood Park residents. There was no question in my mind that it was the best decision I ever made. Having grown up in an entrepreneurial family, I had a strong business background and a proven track record in sales. My education was also in business and marketing. In addition, my branding with the use of animal prints was very unique to the real estate industry and my marketing plan for selling homes was very aggressive, which ultimately benefited my clients. Undoubtedly, clients knew when hiring me they would receive my “5 star service”. They knew that I cared about them and that I would work hard on their behalf to help them achieve the best results, whether they were buying or selling a home. Soon I became known as “Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger”.

Today, I am fortunate to have worked with hundreds of clients selling hundreds of homes and helping peoples’ dreams of home ownership come true. Knowing that I have helped make that kind of contribution in someone’s life is incredibly rewarding for me on a very personal level. Having cultivated these client relationships is what keeps me focused and driven  every day to continue to help more and more people in the world of real estate.

I am extremely grateful and appreciative for the ongoing trust and support I receive from the Sherwood Park community. I must admit that it’s a lot of fun to drive around town in my animal wrapped “Sonia-mobile” and see people on the road wave and smile back at me. Sometimes I even get a thumbs up! It’s also pretty cool to be recognized by the kids when I’m shopping around town! I often laugh about it as I am just like every other mom out there.

Should you be looking to buy or sell a home in Sherwood Park, please feel free to drop me a line. I would love to hear from you! Many thanks and I wish you and your family a wonderful year ahead!

Warmest regards,