HOW TO CONDUCT A SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION

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 side. If I feel a client’s position is less than optimal, I only discuss it with them in private

Leave attitudes at the door: It’s very simple... treat everyone in the negotiation with respect, regardless of personal opinions. If anyone disagrees, disagree with the idea, not the person.

Watch non-verbal cues and body language: (Sorry, but I can’t reveal all of my secrets here... suffice it to say I take it all in!)

Hold something in reserve: I discuss concessions with my clients before hand and only offer these concessions when we absolutely need to concede something.

I don't harp about points that don't matter to my clients: Negotiations should never choke over a minor point.  I like to get agreement on major points such as price and terms and put lesser items aside to return to later.

Never volunteer too much information: Knowledge is power in a negotiation. Telling the other side any information, however insignificant seeming, could weaken my clients’ position. On the other hand, I learn as much about the other side as I can.

If you ever need someone on your side in a real estate negotiation, feel free to email me directly: valerie@valeriemcconville.com

WASSAIL

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.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING IDEAS

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 of fresh fruit, including oranges, tangerines and apples will give a nice welcoming holiday scent to your home.  For many, the smell of fresh fruit is reminiscent of the December season as fruit baskets are common gifts that are exchanged during Christmas.  You can place the bowl on your dining room table or in the family room, both of which will offer guests the ability to appreciate your style.

Display Your Christmas Cards

Take some felt or fabric and create a hanging decorative piece to show off all of the Christmas cards you receive.  You can use a small safety pin to attach the cards to the fabric, so that the beauty of the front of the card is seen.  This can be hung on a wall, or support post or beam or the railing leading up your stairs.

Turn Out The Lights

Turn out your normal overhead lighting each night, light up the tree and burn candles throughout the house for a peaceful and relaxing setting.  Watch your favorite Christmas movie, sing carols and just share good times together.

I would like to extend my warmest wishes to you and your family at this wonderful holiday season!  I truly hope that you have a HAPPY AND JOYFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.

DOORWAYS TO BETTER LIVING SPACES

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.

NOVEMBER HOME SALES NOT AFFECTED BY OLD MAN WINTER

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 average salaries, are not deterred as they enter the fairly stable market place.” The number of homes available for sale on the MLS® System is at the lowest level it has been in five years. There were 4,047 homes in inventory at the end of November.

The all-residential average price (representing SFD, condo and duplex/row house sales) was $346,388, up 2.6% from last month and 3.5% from November 2012. The average price for a single-family dwelling in November was $405,826 (up 2.1% M/M) and an average condo sold for $240,630 (up 2.1% M/M). The average price for a duplex/row house was $327,027 (up 0.3% M/M). Compared to November 2012, SFDs were up 2.8%, condo prices up 6.9% and duplex/rowhouses up 5.2%.

The average days-on-market was 57, up four days from last year. The sales-to-new listing ratio was 75% as compared to 77% in November 2012.

“The cold and snow make it more difficult to list and view homes at this time of year but the market is still very active with over 1,000 properties listed in November,” said Cook. “REALTORS® are always prepared to discuss your housing needs with you and advise on pricing, marketing and negotiation strategies.”

LIGHT YOUR WAY TO A FASTER SALE

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 rule of thumb, the total wattage of lights in a room should equal the room's square footage times 1.5. So, if a room is 120 square feet and has three light sources (ceiling light and two lamps) then the bulbs in each should be 60 watts.

Pay particular attention to traditionally dark areas, such as the garage, basement, and closets. Make sure those areas are well lit.

If you have a viewing scheduled during the day, take advantage of natural light through windows. Open the curtains! 

Finally, one of the most important areas is the foyer. Always make sure the entrance has sufficient lighting. You don't want buyers to think they've entered the home of classic TV's The Adam's Family!

Want more ideas for preparing your home for sale? Visit my website at www.valeriemcconville.com and email me today.

Q & A: ALL CASH HOME PURCHASE VS MORTGAGE

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 improve your monthly position, keeping in mind you’ll still need to make insurance, tax payments, and maintenance. Second, if you’re thinking about applying for a loan. It can be a challenge to qualify for a loan after you’ve retired, so if you think you’ll need a loan, it may be better to get it in advance.

What’s your tax and income situation look like? For some people, the mortgage interest deduction on income taxes has a significant impact on their annual tax bill and overall cash flow picture. It’s always a good idea to consult with a financial professional before you “write off” the write off.

Might you need to help someone out in the near future? Sometimes having the liquidity to help family members or close friends in need is important. Are you planning to help someone else with a down payment on a home? Is it likely you’ll have to help a close friend or relative through a tough time? Having cash on hand can be a comfort.

How important is “free and clear” to your mind? For some, there’s nothing that compares to the idea of owning a home free and clear. Sometimes the feeling of “no debt” simply can’t be overpowered by tax or liquidity benefits. It’s important to be honest with yourself, and if you’ve always dreamed of dodging a house payment, it could be the right emotional move.

For all of these reasons and more you’ll want to choose wisely before you go in for an all-cash purchase of your next home. Naturally, if you need any help selling your current home or looking for the next one, I’d be happy to help. Write to me at valerie@valeriemcconville.com or visit my website at www.valeriemcconville.com

DO I NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO BUY FROM A BUILDER?

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 new home.

Negotiation Power: Real estate agents are professional negotiators, and often an agent can get more from a builder than you would on your own. While some of this might be related to purchase price, other perks may include property or home upgrades.

Financing: It’s probably no surprise that your builder will have preferred financing partners to work with. Many of those “partners” pay good money for the opportunity to handle your loan. But is it the best loan at the best rate? An agent can be both a sounding board for financing terms and a source for trusted alternatives.

Contract Expertise: While your real estate agent isn’t an attorney, they know a great deal about the ins-and-outs of property contracts. This includes builder’s contracts, which may have provisions that put you in dicey territory should something unforeseen happen. Protect yourself with an agent.

These four reasons are a good place to start, but there are plenty more. The bottom line is: The builder will have their own system in place to maximize their profit and minimize their costs. Shouldn’t you?

I’m more than happy to help you buy from a builder: Contact me today at valerie@valeriemcconville.com

MAKE YOUR HOME LIGHT, BRIGHT & CHEERFUL

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 different areas of the house.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Mirrors not only create the illusion that your rooms are even more spacious than they already are, they also reflect light!  Make your house warm and cozy by adding a few inexpensive mirrors in hallways, bedrooms, and living spaces.

Light the way:  Lighting isn't just for indoor decorating-it's also a valuable addition to the exterior of your home. Line your walkway or garden with cost-efficient solar light fixtures (no electricity needed!) to create a brilliant nighttime landscape outside your home.

Open up: During daytime hours, keep your draperies and window coverings open.  This will not only allow your home to absorb heat, but it will brighten up the winter days that you spend at home.