Hi everyone:

I just came across an excellent resource for mortgage rate, interest rate, insurance rate and credit card rate information.  Check out the blog at ratesupermarket.ca

This site features input by some very impressive contributors.  While NO ONE can predict interest rates with 100% accuracy, being able to draw on the experience of some of the countries top mortgage experts gives ratesupermarket a nice advantage in this effort.

The site blog includes categories such as Mortgage Tips, Housing Market, Real Estate and dozens of others.

This month’s Mortgage Rate Outlook predicts that fixed rates are expected to remain the same, ‘with downward bias’,  and variable rates are also expected to remain the same.

This continues to be an excellent time to purchase a house or condo in Winnipeg.  Inventory levels are up slightly, and due to summer vacations, buyer activity is down a little, meaning that your chances of finding and actually getting a house are increased.

If you’re looking to purchase a home (house or condo) in Winnipeg, please call me anytime.  Bo 204-333-2202

Hi everyone:

My buyer just bought this lovely side-by-side home at 1035 Buchanan Blvd.

If you’re looking to buy (or sell) a home in Winnipeg, please call me anytime, I love to help!  Bo  333-2202

Here are some of the most common questions Home-Buyers have:

Q: Whats the best way to FIND a house in Winnipeg? Go to Open Houses? Looking thru real estate magazines? Search individual agents websites?

A: Magazines are often published once a month, or perhaps once a week. By the time a listing makes it into print, it’s most often already sold or accepting offers. Open Houses can be very hectic, and you end up ‘rubbing elbows’ with lots of other visitors. The Best Way? Work with one REALTOR® who can show you ALL the listings. Someone like, say, me for example. Watch this video.

Q: Why should I work with a REALTOR®. I can find the houses on my own!

A: FINDING them is just a small part of what real estate agents can do for you. Once you find a nice house, I can help you evaluate it, offer advice on how to structure your offer to make it more acceptable (thereby winning any possible bidding war), and I can even help you get pre-approved by a great lender. Please watch this video.

Q: My checking account is with a bank. Can’t I just go there to be pre-approved?

A: In this fast market, every buyer knows that pre-approval is required, so EVERY buyer already does that. It’s no longer sufficient just to be pre-approved, its actually more important to be pre-approved by the RIGHT lender. To find out HOW you do that, watch this video.

Hi everyone:

My buyer just purchased this lovely home at 102 St. Mary’s Rd. in Winnipeg.

If you’re looking to buy, or sell a house or a condo in Winnipeg, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  Bo 333-2202

Hi everyone:

I’m happy to report that my buyer just purchased a condo at 193 Victor Lewis Dr in Lindenwoods.

If you’re looking for a condo in Winnipeg, let’s set up a meeting and find you a great condo in Winnipeg.  Call me anytime.

Hi everyone:

My buyer just bought this nice house in Transcona, at 451 Kildare Ave W.

If you’re thinking of buying a house or condo in or around Winnipeg, please call me anytime.  After a short consultation, we’ll find your perfect home.  Bo  333-2202

Hi Everyone:

Winnipeg Real Estate agents have a new tool to help buyers find their perfect house or condo. Keystone MATRIX® is a search program which helps buyers not only FIND the house they want, but also keeps them informed on sales, price changes and eventually the SOLD price of a house or condo as well.

I have found recently that many buyers are receiving the listings from an agent, but no one has ever taken the time to explain how the program works. In this short, 7 minute tutorial, I will show you a few basics on how to get the most out of this system.

But remember, FINDING a house is the easy part. When it comes time to make an offer, being PREPARED is key. So if you are serious about buying a house or condo, please call me anytime and we’ll start with a short meeting to make sure that you are prepared.

Bo 333-2202

Hello everyone:

As is customary at the beginning of each month, Winnipeg REALTORS® have released their Market Statistics Report for the previous month.  Pretty much as expected, May 2010 turned out to be another banner month.  In fact, sales on the MLS® were 2% higher than in May 2009, with 1394 homes sold.  Dollar volume jumped by a whopping 17% over the same month last year.

The year-to-date stats are even more revealing:  MLS® sales are up 9% in units sold, and up 21% in dollar volume over the same period (Jan to May) of last year.

The report, which contains additional information including average prices, condominium statistics and much more, can be found right here:  Press Release 06-04-10 May 2010 MLS Statistics

Hi everyone:

This has happened to me on a couple of occasions:  I meet with a new buyer for the first time, and we start to go over the buying process.  In this meeting, I explain what the market is doing, how best to write an offer, and generally discuss and describe the entire buying process.

On more than one occasion, the buyer exclaimed:”We never knew THAT!”…..  or, better yet: “Our LAST agent never explained THAT.”

In speaking to them further, I learn that they had been receiving listings from another agent, gone out to look at a few houses, tried to put in an offer and were promptly ‘blown out of the water’ by other, better prepared buyers.  So here is my point : FINDING a house or condo is the easy part.  The listings are out there, on MLS®, in magazines and newspapers and on the internet.  But FINDING is only a small part of what I do….  the key is in the PREPARATION.  To be blunt: We’re not buying a pair of pants, a book or a loaf of bread.  We ARE about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into the real estate market, and we’re doing it at a time when there is heavy competition for the same house we want to buy.  Being PREPARED is key to winning these multiple-bid situation.

I have created a “Home-Buying Brochure” which helps my house and condo buyers understand the process.  A PDF version of this brochure is attached here for your information.  I do hope you find it helpful.  If you have any real estate related questions or comments, please call me anytime.  And of course, if you’re looking to buy a house or condo, I’d love to help you FIND and GET the home of your choice.

Click here to download your Free Guide:                          Bo’s Home-Buying Guide