At Home With Valerie

In my mind, a successful negotiation is not where one side has pulverized the other. You don't "win" a negotiation; you get the best possible outcome for your clients while doing the least harm.  No one should leave a negotiation angry. After all, you never know when you might have to negotiate with the same people again.  When it comes to negotiating on behalf of my clients, I keep the following in mind: Set the stage: I like a location that's quiet, neutral, pleasant, and away from distractions and confusion.  It’s best if everyone turns off their devices, and refrains from calls or texts during negotiations. Be prepared: I never enter without my homework. I verify any outstanding facts before the negotiation begins. (Later fact-finding can cause a negotiation to bog down!) Present a united front: I represent clients and have been hired to act on their wishes. At times I may not agree with their position, but I never share that with the other s

As the winter solstice creeps in upon us, longer nights and colder temperatures also mean the holiday season is in full swing.   I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy and joyful holiday season. As the song says, may all your days be merry and bright.  And to help keep your spirits warm and festive, here's my favorite recipe for a Christmas classic, wassail. Blessings,  Wassail Ingredients: 1 gallon apple cider 27 whole cloves 8 cinnamon sticks 1 quart pineapple juice 1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate Preparation: Mix all ingredients in a large crockpot and simmer.  Serve hot.

Along with the Christmas festivities comes the desire to decorate your home with twinkling lights, wreaths, trees and even yard ornaments featuring the theme of the holidays.  If you want to make your next Christmas decorating venture a real holiday treat, consider the following ideas: Homemade Wreath Decorations Create your own lighted wreath by taking a short strand of mini-lights and wrapping them around a plain wreath.  You can use either multi-color or clear lights, and this approach can easily be used for both indoor wreaths and garland decorations. Creating A Modern Centerpiece With Classic Holiday Style Use a clear glass vase or bowl as a centerpiece and fill it with round glass ornaments.  For Christmas, the combination of silver and gold or red and green will be ideal.  When paired with the beauty of a simplistic glass holder, the ornaments will add a very modern twist to a very traditional color combination. Holiday Decorating Scents A nice bowl

When people renovate or remodel a room, they almost always overlook the door. However, changing the style of an interior door, or adding a new one, can dramatically change the look of a living space – often for the better. The most common type of door is the traditional solid 6-panel door. But there are many other choices available. Want to add light and a greater sense of space to a room? Consider a door with glass panels. Do you have an interior door that gets in the way when opened? Change it to a bi-fold door, which cuts the distance of the swing in half. There are also specialty doors that are designed to block noise, and sliding doors that tuck neatly into the wall when opened. Interior doors are typically much less expensive than their exterior counterparts. So making the decision to upgrade or add a door to a room is an affordable design option. Visit a door showroom and explore what's available.

The sudden onslaught of winter did not slow real estate sales in November according to figures released by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. One month sales in November were the highest in five years. The figures are based on sales through the Multiple Listing Service® System in the Edmonton CMA. The number of all-residential sales in the Edmonton CMA in November (adjusted to account for late reported sales) was 1,116 (1033 reported) which was the highest number of sales in the month since 2009. There were 672 (622 reported) sales of single family homes, 349 (323 reported) condo sales and 83 (77 reported) duplex/row house sales in November. Total residential sales were up 10.5% over November 2012 with SFD sales up 7.9% and condos sales up 13.7%.   “The Edmonton market continues to perform well with sales up and prices rising,” said RAE President Darrell Cook. “While home sellers welcome the active market, buyers, with good employment prospects and higher than Canadian a

Remember the last time you visited an upscale furniture showroom? The furniture and fixtures on display probably looked great. The colours and textures jumped out at you. It was a feast for the eyes! There is a good reason for this: lighting. Of course, the quality of the products has a lot to do with how appealing they look when on display. But smart retailers know that proper lighting is key to making those products look their best. In fact, some retailers even hire lighting consultants! What does this have to do with selling your home quickly, and for the best price? Obviously, when showing your property to potential buyers, you want your home to look its very best. Proper lighting can be a big help. When preparing your home for sale, review the lighting in each room and make sure the space is sufficiently well lit. You want the lighting to be strong enough to prevent dark or shadowy areas, yet not so strong that it's uncomfortable for the eyes. As a r

Debating whether or not to buy that next home with cash or not? I know, what a problem to have! But it’s a serious decision, especially for Baby Boomers who have significant equity in their current home. Many of my clients (especially Baby Boomers who are downsizing or relocating) ask me if they should pay cash for their next house or finance it with a new loan. While the idea of owning a home free-and-clear is certainly appealing, I always present them with a series of questions to help them clarify the big picture. Perhaps you or someone you know may benefit from these as well: How much will you be left with after an all-cash purchase? Maintaining a safety net of three to six months’ worth of living expenses can be a real comfort after you’ve done well on the sale of your home. How comfortable will you be if an all-cash purchase brings you near zero? Are you retiring soon? This goes to two issues: First, whether or not the absence of a mortgage will significantly impr

Do you need a real estate agent to buy a new home from a builder? Legally, no. But here’s what you might be missing out on if you don’t. Q: Do I need to hire a real estate agent to represent me when I buy a new home from a builder? A: Legally, no. But if you don’t, you might be missing out on some tangible benefits that impact your wallet and how much you get for your money. There are many reasons why an agent is a sound investment during the purchase process with a builder. While some of them can be quite complex (and go beyond the scope of this blog post), here are a few highlights: Market Value Compared to Purchase Price: How much money are you going to be able to come out of pocket for your down payment? If you don’t want a nasty surprise when it comes to disparities between your agreed upon purchase price and the actual market value of the home, you’ll want an agent with access to information which will help you accurately assess the true value of that brand

December is a great month to cozy things up at home.  The brighter and warmer a house looks and feels, the happier you will be.  That's why I'm including with this letter a few tips to make your house as cheery as possible! And don't forget, if you have any real estate questions, you can always reach me by email at: valerie@valeriemcconville.com or visit my Web site at www.valeriemcconville.com ! FIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME BRIGHT, COZY AND CHEERFUL Fix it up: The light fixtures in your home are a reflection of your personal style and taste.  Adding additional fixtures or replacing ones that aren't your favorites can be a fun and creative way to brighten up your home! Candlescaping: Candles are generally inexpensive and are extremely versatile.  Adding various candle arrangements to different rooms in your home will instantly create an atmosphere of warmth and style.  Get creative!  You might also favor scented candles to add a pleasant aroma to