If You're Going to Do It, Sooner is Better Than Later

By 

TOM LAURICELLA 

Jan. 25, 2014 8:46 p.m. ET

For most people, their house is their biggest asset. It's also their biggest expense. But when it comes to retirement planning, a house often falls to the bottom of the list involving changes in later life.

There are plenty of reasons for that inertia. Emotionally, it's hard to let go of a home filled with memories. Moving is a hassle, and downsizing to a smaller home isn't always the cash bonanza some might expect. As a result, many wait until well into retirement before moving to a smaller house or apartment.

But for many retirees, it can pay to downsize sooner rather than later.

The financial benefits may not seem huge at first, but over time they can make a meaningful difference in extending the life of a nest egg. As retirees age, there are lifestyle issues to consider, such as being in a community with other older adults. And finally, making a move before one spouse dies can help ensure that the surviving spouse, or the couple's adult children, won't have to contend with emptying and selling a big house.

When it comes to downsizing, "if it makes sense, don't wait," says Steven Sass, an associate director at the Boston College Center for Retirement Research.

Some of the reluctance stems from the idea that trading a house with a paid-off mortgage for a rental or a condominium with maintenance or association fees will lead to higher monthly costs.

That can be a mirage, says Lawrence Glazer, a financial planner at Mayflower Advisors in Boston. "In a home, the expenses are hidden," he says. "It's maintenance, a roof, a boiler, heating and landscaping."

Often there's a desire to hold on to a house where children were raised so that they—and the grandchildren—can come back and visit. Mr. Glazer urges clients to think twice about the decision.

"Rather than clinging on to a three-bedroom and paying for the maintenance and heating, it's cheaper to put [relatives] up in a hotel room," he says. Plus, he says, most adults don't really want to go back to their parents' house "and stay in the room with their old posters on the wall."

Trading for the more visible costs of a rental or condo can help with planning, notes David Schwartz, chief executive at advisory firm FCE Group in Great Neck, N.Y. "You know what your fixed costs are going to be," he says.

It doesn't take a major downsizing to reduce costs, either. For many homeowners, property taxes have become a growing burden in recent years. "All it may take is moving out of a good school district and into a mediocre one, and sometimes taxes will drop," says Mr. Glazer.

Downsizing can have a big impact on a retiree's financial plan. Even with a mortgage that has been paid off, housing often accounts for 30% of retirement expenses, says Mr. Sass at Boston College.

Mr. Sass does the math for a move from a house worth $250,000 to one costing $150,000. Factoring out the expenses of moving—roughly 10% of the selling price—that leaves $75,000 from the purchase of the new residence that can be added to a retiree's savings.

That $75,000, he figures, could enable a retiree to withdraw an extra $3,250 from savings every year. On top of that, the retiree would have savings from lower expenses on the house, which he says could easily be an additional $3,000 a year. "That's $6,250 a year in extra income," Mr. Sass says.

For those trying to assess the financial benefit of downsizing, the Boston College Retirement Center has a new online tool. It's available at squaredaway.bc.edu and can be found on the site by clicking the "Housing" link at the bottom of the page.

By Frank O'Brien, Western Investor

Feb 5, 2014 10:14am PST

A local real estate expert is warning condo owners to check their strata fees are sufficient, after a recent legislative change that allows strata corporations to require owners pay for certain repairs, if a majority of strata members agree.

Under the December 2013 amendment, the court can issue an order to proceed with critical repairs necessary to ensure safety and prevent significant loss or damage, if the strata owners have passed a resolution endorsing a special levy.

"Every strata corporation has to file a depreciation report that includes a 30-year budget for repair, upgrades and maintenance," explains Frank Schliewinsky, co-publisher of the Vancouver Condo Report.

The budget for such repairs comes from the monthly strata fees that each condominium owner must pay. Schliewinsky urges condo owners to check if their current strata payments are sufficient. "Prospective buyers need to examine major variations from average strata fees or else they could find themselves paying a lot more than expected," he said.

According to Vancouver Condo Report research, average strata fees for a high-rise building six to 10 years old in Metro Vancouver range from a low of $0.27 per square foot in the Tri-Cities to from $0.43 to $0.44 per square foot in downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver. (This would equate to from $270 to $440 per month for a 1,000-square-foot condominium.)

Strata fees for low-rise buildings are generally in the .23 cents to .32 cents, with rates for older buildings from 30% to 40% higher than for new buildings.

Robert NapoliTue Feb 4, 2014 12:01am PST

In the next five years, PwC forecasts 300,000 small-business owners in B.C. will retire or sell their businesses. That number is predicted to rise to almost 600,000 owners in the next 10 years. Who will take over all of these businesses? In many cases, it may be people like you: managers working in the business or in a related company. If this is of interest, here are the steps to take to complete a management buyout.

1) Finding the business you want to buy

In today’s sellers’ market, a perfect match can be hard to find. Instead, have a practical approach to what you can buy. This usually means starting close to home: perhaps you’re already working at the business or know of someone in the industry who is approaching retirement. Go through your suppliers, customers and competitors. Not only will you be able to make a warm approach to the owner, if you eventually succeed in buying the business you are more likely to succeed because you understand the market.

2) Positioning yourself to become an owner

The goal here is to establish a trusted relationship with the owner, because the sale of a business is not just financial, it’s about an owner’s legacy and looking after employees. You can do this by working for the owner, proving yourself and building rapport. You need to know the owner is planning to retire within five years and that they may sell to you. By assuming a key management role, you will become an attractive buyer and build credibility with private equity investors or lenders who may back you. Negotiate an ownership plan, perhaps by buying a minority position today, together with a timeline to buy the rest. This may include a right of first refusal or a shotgun clause.

3) Making the offer and due diligence

Before pulling the trigger, you need to do thorough due diligence: analyze the financial statements and understand the company’s competitive position and why it is profitable. Figure out how you can grow the business and look for risks. Valuing the business is usually done in one of three ways: an asset valuation, multiple of earnings or discounted cash flow. Seek advice on what comparable businesses have been sold for. Obviously, you want to pay with a margin of safety in case all does not go to plan. In drafting the offer, seek advice from a good lawyer who is experienced in doing deals.

4) How to pay for it

There are many financing options, including buying the business outright or paying for it over time. Both have risks. If buying a controlling position, financing can come from financial institutions. Using senior debt to finance assets and subordinated debt for the goodwill, you can usually finance 60% to 70% of the business valuation. The rest will come from your equity and possibly vendor finance. For larger companies, consider partnering with a private equity firm, but this will reduce your share.

5) Closing the deal

Closing the deal should be straightforward if you have the right partners and advisers and a motivated seller. But things can go sideways, so maintain deal momentum. Follow up, deliver on promises and keep everyone moving to the finish line. The work you have done before to build trust will pay off when there is an unexpected hiccup.

Owning your own business is a lifetime dream for many, and with the looming supply of retiring baby boomers selling out over the next 10 years, together with sources of finance to complete, it is a possibility many managers can pursue. Be patient, but move forward with purpose. •

By Nelson BennettThu Feb 6, 2014 8:34am PST

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is forecasting B.C. will see 27,800 new homes built in 2014.

In its First Quarter Housing Market Outlook for B.C., CMHC also predicts about the same number of new housing starts in 2015.

That's just slightly better than actual numbers for 2012, when there were 27,465 new housing starts.

With an increased supply of existing homes on the market, CMHC expects prices for existing homes to grow at rates lower than the rate of inflation.

The average home price for 2014 is forecast to be $542,500 in 2014, inching up slightly to $547,100 in 2015.

CMHC expects there will be a shift towards more single-detached homes.

"While the level of housing starts is projected to remain the same on an annual basis this year and next, expect a slight shift toward single-detached housing starts as the economy and labour market gain traction," Carol Frketich, CMHC's regional economist for B.C. said in a press release.

"Single-detached housing starts are forecast to increase this year and next while multiple housing starts are expected to remain relatively unchanged."

DAVE MCGINN, The Globe and Mail

It’s been a long time since a Porsche made me do a double take, but this one did. I saw it on a Toronto street a few months ago and couldn’t look away. Not because of the sound of its engine or flowing lines. It was the paint job. And it took me a second to clue in: Wait a second, is that matte? It was, and it looked incredible, a mix of warm and badass – refined yet battle tested.

Look around and you’ll notice matte is suddenly everywhere.

Thanks to its time-worn look, matte gives pieces a rich, textured patina that manages to be both low-key and luxurious. That textured look practically begs you to touch it, one of matte’s effects that draw designers to it. Another is the sense that, thanks to that time-worn look, matte pieces have a backstory. That’s why flat finishes have become popular in everything from cars to makeup and just about every element of home decor.

A matte finish, popular for a few years now and seemingly expanding to new housewares every day, can be striking because it’s so different from the glossy coats we are used to seeing on automobiles or nail polish, says Sharon Grech, a colour and design expert for Benjamin Moore & Co. When it comes to interior design, matte finishes feel unfussy and “approachable,” she says.

“There’s something very tactile about it. That is why I think it’s become so important right now. People are into handmade products and looks,” Grech says. Seizing on that sense of touch, the Almoco flatware from Design Within Reach comes in both matte gold and matte black.

The richness matte can give to pieces, means you’re often more likely to notice the whole object rather than only its shiny details, Grech says. “Because it appears to be more tactile, you spend more time looking at it and you really see the shape and dimensions of things,” she says.

Glen Peloso, a Toronto-based interior designer who regularly appears on The Marilyn Denis Show, says matte’s popularity is an extension of the fact that we’ve become more environmentally conscious. “There’s sort of been a trend toward things that are more natural: barnboard, wide board, old factory parts. And because all of that stuff naturally comes weathered, it naturally is matte,” he says.

Combining the pairing of matte with all things natural, Restoration Hardware offers a vintage barn sconce in matte black. As well, furniture makers were showing off pieces with matte finishes at the Canadian Home Furnishings Market in Toronto earlier this month, from a media unit with a matte white lacquer finish to dining tables with matte tempered glass tops.

To bring out the best qualities of matte finishes, however, it’s essential not to go overboard.

“It’s important in a home environment to mix it up a bit,” Grech says. “You might not even notice it so much if you don’t contrast it with something else.”

Mixing matte finished objects with glossy items of the same colour – a grey matte lamp with a glossy grey lamp, for example – helps to highlight the colour and the textures of both objects, she says.

Vancouver-based interior designer Gaile Guevara likes to “go as matte as possible” with flooring. “When it’s a matte-finished interior, the lighting is a lot more softer. You have a lot less glare.”

“It’s much more sophisticated because it is less flashy.”

By:DAVE MCGINN The Globe and Mail

As more Canadians move in to condos or try to squeeze extra space from their homes, multifunctional furniture has been enjoying a greater profile.

But double-duty designs have long been dogged by one problem: To put it diplomatically, designers have placed more emphasis on utility than aesthetics.

Now, however, style is right at the forefront. “The pieces are less utilitarian and more design-oriented,” says Alykhan Velji, a Calgary-base interior designer. “A lot of people are buying condos or going into smaller spaces, and they don’t necessarily want to sacrifice style for function.”

More people opting for smaller spaces has meant greater competition among furniture-makers to cater to this growing market, meaning you can no longer get away with ignoring style.

Top-name designers are being hired to create multifunctional systems for the luxury market. Take, for example, Dror Benshetrit’s Avani kitchen, designed for AyA, a kitchen company, and unveiled at the Interior Design Show in Toronto last week. The kitchen’s signature system is called the Arc, a moveable island that slides in and out of wall cabinetry.

“We expect from that environment to behave in so many different ways at different times,” Benshetrit says. “Sometimes it needs to be this great tool to prepare a wonderful meal. Sometimes it needs to be this super- comfortable [space] and adaptable to us two, us four, us 20.”

Benshetrit is interested in creating pieces that can undergo what he calls “transformation,” and those that do it well are defined by simplicity, he says.

“It has to be one gesture,” he says. “If you need to lift and turn and twist, you’ve lost me.” As well, the best multifunctional furniture often conceals its other side, whether it’s a simple storage bed, a bookshelf that separates to become two chairs, a table or end table that when flipped over works as a serving tray, or a chair that transforms into a step ladder. These pieces have to stand alone because they are prized now just as much for looks as for use.

“People are looking for quality of materials,” says Velji.

Only a few years ago, multifunctional furniture was consigned to multifunctional rooms such as spare bedrooms that also served as home offices. We may still have to hide futons in shame, but new multifunctional pieces can be proudly displayed throughout the home – and they are.

“Now people have them everywhere,” says Lucie Pitt, an interior designer based in Montreal.

An oenophile is not safe from its scourge except in a nudist colony. The red wine stain, an inescapable consequence of the bibulous life, is a special hazard around holiday time, when liquid tends to flow freely and elbow room can be tight.

Maybe you’re not too concerned. You’ve got Aunt Ruby’s folk remedy or a commercial blotter at the ready. Problem is, most wine-stain-fighting techniques – sorry, Aunt Ruby – are about as effective as all those hangover “cures.”


So, I have gone to the mountaintop and consulted the highest authorities, a wine-country dry cleaner, a chemist and a veteran household-tips guru. What they had to say enlightened me. And I’d advise skipping the rest of this column at your wardrobe’s – or carpet’s – peril.

“Leave it alone,” said Tracey Michael at Classic Cleaners in Penticton, in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia’s premier wine region. “Take it to the dry cleaner and let them deal with it.”

Self-serving, perhaps. But Michael, who receives a constant stream of merlot- and syrah-stained linens from local winery restaurants as well as pieces of wine-stained clothing every day or two, says amateur strategies tend not to work. She reserves special derision for commercial blotting products designed to fade the stain prior to laundering. “Don’t ever buy a Tide to Go pen,” she said, referring to the magic-marker-like blotter. “Sometimes they don’t work and then it leaves marks on the clothing where the dry cleaner usually has to get them out.”

Michael says she’s bracing for a surge in wine-related business during Christmas holidays after the fall quiet period. “Never buy red wine,” says Michael. (Easy for her; she doesn’t drink the stuff anyway.) “I’d love to talk to these wineries. Quit making this s---.”

Although the traditional dry-cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene, or “perc,” is designed mainly for grease and tends not to work on wine, Michael and another dry cleaner I spoke with say their “wet cleaning” (a.k.a. laundering) arsenals, including professional blotting chemicals, are far superior to what you and I can accomplish at home. What are those techniques, exactly? “It’s an ancient Chinese secret,” Michael said. “If I told everybody, then I wouldn’t be in business.”

Frantic Lady Macbeth at-home stain-fighting strategies, including club soda, salt and – that bizarre old chestnut – pouring white wine over a red-wine stain, are not only ineffective but apparently can do more harm than good.

A 2001 study conducted at the University of California at Davis, the leading wine school in the United States, dispensed with the latter two, among other things. Prof. Andrew Waterhouse, a wine chemist, teamed up with Natalie Ramirez, then a high-school student on a summer internship at the university, to compare various popular home and commercial remedies on red-wine stains.

They divided the research into two sections: fabric that had been soiled just two minutes prior to treatment and dried-out fabric that had been stained for 24 hours. After each treatment – which typically involved blotting with the cleansing agent – the fabric was laundered with detergent in a home washing machine and the intensity of the residual stain was measured using a Minolta Colorimeter.

The results, which cover four different types of fabric – cotton, polyester/cotton blend, nylon and silk – are too detailed to fully summarize in this column, but suffice it to say that the two most effective treatments on most fabrics consisted of: a mixture of Dawn liquid soap with an equal volume of hydrogen peroxide (a very mild bleach, specifically the 3-per-cent formulation commonly available as a wound treatment in drug stores); and Erado-Sol, a commercial cleaning solution traditionally used to remove biological and chemical stains from lab coats. (The latter is now sold to consumers as Stain Rx, available at stainrx.com.) Spray ’n Wash (now called Resolve) finished a respectable third only on the fresh, two-minute stains.

Source:

BEPPI CROSARIOL, THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Published Tuesday, Dec. 10 2013

According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), 74% of British Columbia home owners would consider green home renovations. 67% would consider green renovations even if they cost more than non-green renovations options. More than half (52%) of home owners agreen that co-freindly home improvements increase a home's value while benefitting the environment. The primary barrier to green home renovations for Canadian home owners is cost. 

The REBGV has produced a publication on simple green renovations that will get you thinking about the possibilities. Download it at http://www.realtorlink.ca/portal/server.pt/document/3672521/50_ways_to_green_your_home_and_save_%24%24%24

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has compiled a list of available grants and rebates for Property Buyers and Owners. These include:

• energy saving mortgages
• low interest energy saving renovation loans
• rebates for buying ENERGY STAR clothes washers, fridges, dishwashers or freezers
• fridge buy-back programs, and
• rebates for businesses for energy-efficient boilers, water heaters and other improvements

Download this document at

http://www.realtorlink.ca/portal/server.pt/document/3672523/top_grants_and_rebates_for_property_buyers_and_owners

Tradition has it that there’s no point trying to sell your home in late winter, especially the holiday season. And every year at this time, listings bottom out. But Realtors report that buyers are out there, and desirable, well-staged, well-priced homes still sell well, no matter what month it is.

Here are some seasonal strategies to make your home stand out in the December/January market.

1. Be prepared to negotiate

Many people house hunting in December and January are serious buyers who are aware that there are bargains out there. Consult with your Realtor to determine the ideal price for your home and make a plan for negotiating to reach it. Don’t reject initial lowball offers. They may be just a starting point.

Tip 2. Add curb appeal

How do the front and back yard look? It’s winter and the garden is sleeping, but can you make it look better with pots of attractive winter-hardy plants? If you’re planning on selling, it’s probably worth the investment to hire landscapers who can add curb appeal to your home.

Tip 3. Stage it and pare it down

This goes for any time you’re selling. Eliminate all clutter, remove personal touches—make your home as neutral as possible so buyers can imagine living in the space. If you can’t bear to part with your clutter, hire a stager. Getting rid of stuff adds huge value to your home.

Tip 4. Decorate with discretion

Much as we love to lay it on thick during the holidays, decorations equal clutter, and clutter is a bad thing at an open house (see Tip 3). Instead of decking the halls to the hilt, just put up a few dramatic but simple decorations.

Tip 5. Go with nature

Avoid overtly religious seasonal decorations during the holidays. In a multicultural region like ours, consider a nature theme: evergreens, rosemary branches, candles, berries, pinecones, lights. A few dramatic sprays or a small tree are festive without being overbearing.

Tip 6.  Don’t hide flaws

House hunters want to see everything, so don’t use holiday decorations to hide some flaw. Cracks, mould, water stains, whatever… it’s better to fix them than hide them. Otherwise, like the Ghost of Christmas Past, they’ll come back to haunt you.

Tip 7. Make it fragrant

This is the season when you can really appeal to the most primal sense: smell. For open houses, simmer a big pot of some kind of punch with apple and spices on the stove to make the space smell like everyone’s best memories. Or bake some special cookies just before you leave. Use real scents, not fake ones.

Tip 8. Keep it minimal

You’re busy, your Realtor is busy, everybody’s busy —you can get away with just a couple of open houses during the holiday season. There are interested buyers out there. They’ll come because they’re serious.

Tip 9. Gift wrap your home with a great online listing

Buyers will be doing much of their house hunting online, so work with your Realtor to make your listing really sell your home. Include lots of photos—even video or a virtual tour—so viewers can get a real sense of your home. Include a couple of summer photos so people can see what the garden looks like at its best. In the listing itself, include key words that people will use in their online search, including the neighbourhood, the schools nearby, and the style of home. Use these more than once so the search engines will give your listing a better position in the search results. Finally, check the copy for spelling and grammar so it looks professional.

Source: rew.ca

With the stormy season approaching, it is important to be prepared for a possible power outage. The following list can help you and your family get ready.

Before an outage:

• Ensure BC Hydro has your current phone number so we can quickly identify your account if you call during an outage (1 888 POWERON or 1-888 769 3766 or *Hydro *49367) from your mobile device
• Develop an emergency preparedness plan and share it with everyone in your household
• check emergency equipment periodically (flashlights, radios, generators, etc.) to make sure they are in working order
• Protect sensitive electrical equipment (computers, DVD players, TVs, etc.) by using surge protectors or other power protection devices
• Develop a list of important local telephone numbers and program them into your mobile device or post near your home phone
• If power is out for a longer period, it's important to have a contingency plan, such as moving to the home of a family member or friend in the an area with power

Source: BC Hydro

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has now released survey findings for its inaugural First-Time Homebuyers Survey. Results were obtained from an online survey of close to 500 First-Time Buyers from across Canada, all of whom had a mortgage transaction in the past 12 months. Data was also supplemented with input from a series of focus groups in Halifax, Montreal, London, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

Key findings were:

• First-Time Buyers are young (under 35), highly educated (82% have post-secondary education) and more likely than other buyers to have been born outside of Canada (23% of First-Time Buyers were born outside of Canada compared to 13% of Repeat Buyers)
• Their housing requirements and reasons for buying vary widely and they are more likely to move to a subsequent home sooner (31% plan to move within 5 years compared to 19% of Repeat Buyers)
• "Not wanting to rent" and "wanting to own their home" are the key reasons First-Time Buyers pursue homeownership 
• First-Time Buyers typically take three months longer than Repeat Buyers to plan their home purchase, with a median of 10 months of planning
• Although both First-Time Buyers and Repeat Buyers predominately purchase detached homes (59% and 73% respectively), First-Time Buyers are more likely to purchase semi-detached, row/townhouses and condos

You can find the full survey results at http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/hoficlincl/moloin/rean/rean_037.cfm

Although homebuyers are using the internet more than ever when hunting for a new property, they still value the services provided by a professional REALTOR®. According the the National Association of Realtors, 90% of buyers using the internet to search for a home, purchased that home through a REALTOR. 

42% of survey respondents started their homebuying process in 2013 by looking for properties online, up from 35% in 2011.

See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/04/homebuyers-more-likely-to-use-real-estate-agents-even-as-internet-usage-hits-an-all-time-high/

Here's another simple tip to help homeowners save on heating costs this winter...

Opening curtains on your south-facing windows during the day will allow sunlight to naturally heat your home. Close them at night to reduce the chill and consider installing insulating window treatments to further reduce heat loss.

• Replace your furnace filter every 3 months to improve efficiency
• Seal leaks around doors, windows and exterior wall outlets to keep warm air in
• Insulate your basement
• Insulate your attic with a minimum of 12 inches of insulation
• Lower the temperature setting on your thermostat by 2 degrees
• Upgrade to a high efficiency furnace
• Clean your ducts to remove dust and debris

These simple steps can add up to hundreds of dollars in energy savings over the year!

Since heat rises, for the cooler winter months change the direction of air flow on your ceiling fans. The blades should operate in a clockwise direction to help push warm air from the ceiling down into the room.

You may think that the lowest possible rate makes the best mortgage deal but mortgage restrictions can easily outweigh small percentage point differences. Mortgage penalties or refinancing limitations can cost you thousands. A slightly higher rate with more flexibility may be the right choice for you. Let me put you in touch with a mortgage specialist today so you don't get spooked by nasty restrictions in the future.

You’ve heard the phrase “location, location, location.”

When you buy a home in a good location, it’s usually a solid long-term investment. As a Realtor®, I advise clients they don’t have to buy the best property on the block…consider the property that could use some TLC. Why? Because fixing up a home in a great neighbourhood will give you the best return on your investment and it will be easier to sell later on. You can buy a beautiful home that doesn’t need any work, but if the block is sketchy, you may have a hard time selling the property at a decent price.

So what makes a location good?

A safe neighbourhood

People want to live where there’s little or no crime. Naturally, they want to feel safe in their homes and will pay extra for it.

Good schools

Being in a good school district is important, even if you don’t have school-age kids and never plan to have any. Think resale…your home will be more attractive to young families when it’s time to sell. The better the school district, the higher the values of the surrounding homes can be.

Convenient access to popular places, shops and restaurants

Everyone needs access to good shopping and restaurants. The closer to the hubbub of a particular town or the best parts of a city, the better the location.

Water access and views

No matter where you are, someone will always pay for a great view or to be on or near the water.

Access to public transit and/or highways

In the Lower Mainland, the farther you live from the bus, skytrain or West Coast Express stations, the less valuable the home. A good location means being very close, and having easy access to public transportation.  Where a commute by car is inevitable, easy access to the highway makes for a good location.

All things considered, never lose sight of what matters most to you about the location of your home. If your kids love to mountain bike, being close to the new Albion Mountain Bike Skills Park on 102^nd may be your perfect location. Need a big yard for the dog and gardening? Maybe Northwest Maple Ridge is best for you. It’s my job to help you buy the right home for you, at the right time…call me anytime and let’s start moving!

Here's a great article that will help you create the perfect pumpkin for your doorstep this Halloween! http://www.zillowblog.com/2013-10-14/6-tips-tools-for-pumpkin-carving/