Real Estate Blog - Petrina Owen Realtor Lake Country,Kelowna,Vernon,Okanagan

Top highlights you need to know about the Okanagan summer real estate market!

Top highlights you need to know about the Okanagan summer real estate market! "Your home is where my heart is!" Petrina Koltun 250-826-5660 Royal LePage Kelowna

How will the interest rates will affect you?

Thank you Anne Leistner for stopping by and sharing your professional expertise. Petrina Koltun 250-826-5660 Royal LePage Kelowna Anne Leistner 250-469-3400 Wealth Planner and Financing Specialist Imperial Service CIBC

So proud to be part of this amazing organization!!!!! I can’t wait to see everyone again in July!

So proud to be part of this amazing organization!!!!! I can't wait to see everyone again in July!

Let me help you find the best LOCATION for you!

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Spring Break is here!

13215 Apex Drive

List NOW or wait till spring?

Buying Your Retirement Home

For several years now, Canada’s population of 65-and-overs has been increasing at rapid rates. In fact, in 2015, according to Statistics Canada, there were more Canadians over the age of 65 than there were those under the age of 15 – a pace that has only been growing since 2011. Coincidently, as the Canadian population grows older, the number of Canadian retirees will rise. So, are you someone who is approaching the first stages of retirement? More importantly, are you ready to retire? One of the biggest decisions an individual(s) will make upon retirement is purchasing their retirement home. It’s important to consider all of the factors involved. When do you plan to retire? Within the next 5 years? 10? Do you and your spouse share the same retirement dream? Where would you like to retire? Do you have the proper financial plan? There are several options that you and your family can consider if retirement is something that’s in your near future and you’re looking to invest in your home before you retire fully. For more information on the following 3 suggestions, follow this link! Generate income by renting out your retirement home before retiring: income from a rental property can act as a hedge against a low interest rate environment as well as future inflation because you can simply raise the rent to offset inflation when it hits. Location, location, location. If you’re plan is to buy your retirement home before you retire and use it only on occasion for vacation, for example – be sure to choose your location with careful vigilance and perhaps with little-to-low maintenance. Be flexible: if you are 10 years or more away from retirement, you may want to opt to rent a vacation home for a month at a time in order to avoid getting stuck with a permanent decision about your retirement destination. Be sure to have a plan that allows you to comfortably afford where you’d like to live. If you feel financially ready to purchase your retirement home, that’s commendable. Once less step in your retirement process to worry about. This means you’ve had many a conversation with your spouse about “when’s” of planning and preplanning. During these conversations, however, it’s also important to talk about the “where’s” and “how’s”. Location is a key attribute to any retirement plan, as mentioned above. If your dream is to live in the mountains, yet it’s your spouse’s to live on the beach, that’s something you have to talk about in order to find common ground. The same goes for living near your friends, your family, your grandkids – versus, not. Have you tested out your ideal retirement location? What if you long for the mountain air while residing along the beach? According to Market Watch, it’s important to do your research. The post Buying Your Retirement Home appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

Checklist for Home Buyers

When buying a home, there are always a series of questions that run through a home buyer’s mind. At Royal LePage Team Realty, we encourage you to ask them, we try to think of everything for you … including a checklist to keep track of the important details about homes we show you! Of course your Real Estate agent will be there every step of the way to help you find the right home, but falling in love with a property is not the only factor to consider when purchasing a home. We’ve put together a checklist that outlines details that are important to many buyers and will help in your decision to make an offer on a property or move on to the next. It includes such attributes as the structure of your home (examples: detached, semi-detached, condominium, etc.), the type of construction of your home (examples: wood, brick veneer, or block), as well as several detailed inquiries regarding your furnace, your plumbing, and your home’s electrical wiring. Furthermore, it’s important to know what your home comes equipped with. For example, what’s already included in the price of the home? Are the appliances up to date? Are there any additional features such as a fireplace or a pool? Some of the biggest questions you may find asking on your checklist are those regarding the location of your home. If you are someone who travels to and from work every day, it’s essential to make note of nearby transportation routes (examples: bus routes, highways, traffic volumes etc.). Do you have kids? If so, parks, schools, and other amenities such as shops and restaurants will be features you’d like to check-off your list. You’re almost there, you’re about to sign the papers. In addition to the above mentioned features, it’s important to ask about any additional estimated costs that will come with your home upon purchase, as well as the condition of such attributes as your floors, roof, windows, and so on. What are the property taxes? Are there any imminent repairs? Does your home require a parking permit? Download our checklist below, it will put your mind at ease from submitting an offer to move-in day! Like what you see? Subscribe to our Blog. The post Checklist for Home Buyers appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

Homeowners Can Earn Extra Income Using Airbnb

Congratulations, you’re a homeowner! With all of the joys of home-ownership also comes the task of paying off your mortgage, paying property taxes and keeping up with regular maintenance as required. While you’ve purchased a home within your means, paying off a mortgage can be daunting; however, there are ways in which you can make your payments a little more manageable. If you’ve decided to purchase a home, you’ve put down a certain percentage as a down payment, and you’ve agreed to pay into a mortgage (over the course of x-amount of years with an interest rate of x-percent). You can’t help but to ask yourself, “what can I do to reduce the costs associated with being a homeowner?” Airbnb might just be the answer you’re searching for. With Airbnb you’re able to rent out your home (or second home, depending on whether or not you’ve decided to take out a second mortgage on a retirement property, for instance) to people who are traveling from around the world and need a place to temporarily stay. According to their site, as an Airbnb host you can earn $182 CAD by sharing a single, private room in Ottawa in only 1 week and $331 CAD by sharing your entire home in Ottawa in the same amount of time. And the best part? It’s easy! Simply visit their website, select the “become a host” button, and answer a few basic questions. It’s an extremely reasonable option for you to earn a few extra dollars while renting out your home for only a few short stints at a time, rather than for a full season (or vice versa depending on which home you choose to rent out). Before renting out your home through Airbnb, or any other related service, it’s wise that you first do your homework. Check with your bank: more often than not, you must inform them of the intended use of your property. It goes without saying that receiving a little extra help in lessening your mortgage will undoubtedly feel awesome, but simply make sure you’re providing diligence where it’s due – throughout the entire process. The post Homeowners Can Earn Extra Income Using Airbnb appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

5 Awesome Innovations on the Frontier of Home Automation

Remote home control system on a digital tablet or phone. In today’s digital world — recently dubbed “The Age of the Internet of Things” — technology is changing everything. From wearable health tracking devices to cars that drive themselves, tech has made day-to-day life easier, more convenient and also more fun. One area in which technology is having a huge impact is in the home. Recent inventions have made maintaining, taking care of and enjoying domestic life better than ever before. The following five home automation innovations represent some of the most cutting edge technologies that are shaping the way humans experience their homes. Connected Refrigerators There’s a good chance you’ve run to the grocery to pick a few things up — only to return home and find out you’ve forgotten one essential item. You can avoid that annoyance now that there are smart refrigerators, which not only help you regulate the energy that your fridge uses, but also help you keep track of what is inside them. Smart refrigerators have a Wi-Fi connection, and are equipped to take photos of the inside each time it opens and closes so you can check and see what is in them, even remotely. Some smart fridges even have capability to play videos and songs, while others allow you to pull up recipes or order groceries from a touchscreen. Two of the most popular smart refrigerators on the market right now are the Samsung Family Hub and the LG Smart ThinQ. Connected Washers and Dryers Connected appliances don’t only make cooking easier — they make laundry better, too. Internet-connected washers and dryers now allow you to stop and start cycles via an app remotely, as well as to monitor how much energy you’re using. Many smart laundry appliances also allow you to “download” special cycles for certain clothing items in order to make sure you are washing and drying your garments just the right way. Whirpool’s Smart Cabrio Washer and Smart Cabrio Dryer are two of the most popular smart laundry devices on the market. Self-Learning Thermostats Keeping the temperature regulated in your home is key to making sure you and your family are comfortable. Now, you can use a self-learning, self-regulating thermostat, like the popular Nest device, to keep the air feeling just right. Nest’s thermostat does a whole host of things, including learning your schedule after you use it for a week, then automatically changing the temperature by itself — both to make sure that you’re comfortable when you’re at home, and that you’re not using excess energy when you’re not. Smart Locks Keeping your home locked means that you can keep your family and your belongings safe. But locks can also cause challenges, such as when people get locked out, or when you leave your house and forget to lock up. Thanks to smart locks, however, you can control the security of your home via a remote app, which allows you to lock, unlock and check the status of a lock, whether you’re at home or far away. Many smart locks, like August locks, also have doorbell cameras, so you can see who is at the door from your smartphone. Leak and Moisture Detection Another home automation innovation designed to keep you safe is the leak and moisture detection device. Devices like Wally Home can detect whether there is excess moisture in your residence — letting you know about a potential leak or flood as they are happening. Leak and moisture detection innovations can help you avoid dangerous things like mold or rotting flooring or walls, and they can help you avoid having to make frustrating and expensive home repairs by catching small problems before they become big ones. The post 5 Awesome Innovations on the Frontier of Home Automation appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

Key Qualifying Questions

If you’re thinking of buying a home, but not sure on how or where to begin, let us be the ones to help you! What’s important is to ask the right questions in order to make the right decision – the one that’s best for you. First, if you’re a first-time home buyer, it’s important to get pre-approved for a home. This should typically be step one. Once approved, the rest of the home-buying experience can successfully follow. You can then answer such questions as how soon you’re looking to move, how quickly of a time-frame you’re willing to move in, or if you’re simply browsing your options, you can get a clear idea of what’s out there that’s within your price range. Are you looking for a home for yourself, for someone else, or for your family? What you answer to this specific question will, of course, determine a multitude of follow-up inquiries including location, size of home, and the accessibility to transit routes, highways, schools, hospitals and so on. Pets? What type of yard do you need? Or, how about the structure of your home? Having a pet might, depending, have an input in whether or not you purchase, say, a condominium versus a detached home. Upon answering these such questions, it’s important to consider the reasons why you’re choosing to move in the first place. At the end of the day, there’s always a reason – don’t lose sight of that. With this in mind, keep track of the homes you’ve seen and the features of each that you have liked. Take a look at more of our Key Qualifying Questions – our goal is to help you as best as we can so that you can make the decision that’s best for you. The post Key Qualifying Questions appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

How to Choose the Perfect Realtor for You

How to Choose the Perfect Realtor for You How to Choose the Perfect Realtor for You Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or are selling your house yet again, you need a realtor that understands your needs. The home buying or selling process can be complicated as it is, and there is no need to cause yourself additional angst by picking a less-than-qualified realtor. Read on to discover a few traits you need to look for when selecting a real estate agent so you can confidently move through the buying or selling process. Qualifications A realtor with no qualifications won’t get you very far. You need a real estate agent that knows the process through and through and has a certification so you can be certain he or she knows how to do the job. Check to make sure the realtor you are considering is a member of an upstanding organization, such as the Canadian Real Estate Association, and you can be confident that he or she will be up to snuff. Broad Knowledge-Base Your real estate agent needs to be able to walk you through the entire process. The agent needs to know about financing, pricing a house, home inspections and all the other steps involved in buying or selling a home. This is crucial if you’re a first-time home buyer and are unfamiliar with the proceedings. Thoroughly vet your agent before you sign on with him or her, ask questions about the system itself and any concerns you have. If the agent is able to answer your questions clearly and give you up-to-date tips and information, you’ll know you have found a good one. If, however, the agent leaves you feeling more confused than before, he or she is probably not right for you. Good Track Record How many homes has your agent sold in the past few months? A high success rate is a sign of a good agent. Ask the potential realtors how many homes they have sold out of all their listings so you can get a good idea of their effectiveness. Sympathetic to Your Needs Do you have a specific area that you want to buy in, or are you looking for a particular type of home? Your agent needs to fully understand your needs and be willing to dig to help you find the perfect property. No one knows your needs and desires better than you do, so avoid any agent that tries to upsell you for no reason or doesn’t seem to grasp what you want. It may seem like a difficult task, but finding the ideal realtor can save you a lot of time and hassle. Take your time selecting an agent and you’ll be able to move through buying or selling your home with ease and certainty. Like what you see? Subscribe to our Blog. The post How to Choose the Perfect Realtor for You appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

Let us help you find “Your Perfect Life”

Whether you are looking for a neighbourhood with young families, an urban lifestyle or a quiet place to retire, “Your Perfect Life” could help you find your sweet spot. By way of entering a simple postal code, you are able to match your lifestyle and neighbourhood preferences in a relatable and engaging way. A first in Canadian real estate Fun, engaging content to share on your social channels With detailed demographic information about income level, life stage, household structure, employment types and education Ideal for clients who are considering relocating and want to learn more about prospective communities How it works… The post Let us help you find “Your Perfect Life” appeared first on Team Realty. Source: Blog

New mortgage qualification highlights in less than 2 minutes

You know that amazing feeling you get when you give someone a gift and their eyes fill up with tears of joy?

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Royal LePage… By The Numbers 2016

This weekend Realty Reality will begin producing the 1st episode!!!

This weekend Realty Reality will begin producing the 1st episode!!! Petrina will be hosting an exciting informative TV show searching out the most productive land to grow the perfect grapes for amazing Okanagan wine!!!

Reasons why this Fall of 2016 is a very opportune time to sell your home!

Thank you for the amazing summer!

Valuable information for you!

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Would you like to share a testimonial?

Dear Friend, Sharing a positive experience in our community makes everyone feel great! When someone takes the time to share the story of an extraordinary experience with their family and friends, it can have a major impact on their lives. For this reason, and so that we can work together to help others in our community, I am reaching out to ask a favor of you. I am collecting testimonials from those whom I have worked with in order that we might share your positive experience regarding the personal service, marketing and real estate advice that I have provided you. Personal recommendations from my family, friends and colleagues have always helped to guide me when making a decision on which restaurant to choose, what stores offer the best service and what companies will offer me the best value. Choosing a professional realtor in this busy market is an important decision for families and I trust that the professional excellence and value that I provided you is something that you will be willing to share with others in similar situations. This testimonial can be as short, or as long, as you would like. Not only is this information valuable to my future business in our community, the information also allows me to continuously improve upon the level of service that I provide. If you are unsure where to start, and to get you thinking, the following questions may help to guide you. Please feel free to write whatever you would like and remember, it is your heartfelt words that are important! “What led to your decision to buy or sell your home?” “Why did you hire me to represent your home sale/purchase?” “What did I do best to help your home sale or search?” “What could I have done better to help you buy or sell?” “Would you ultimately recommend my business to others?” I sincerely appreciate your help and to serving your real estate needs in the future! Once I receive your testimonial by email to: petrina@royallepage.ca, and as a token of my appreciation for your time and support, I will be sending you a gift card from Dairy Queen for an ice cream on me! One final formality, by emailing me, you agree to the permission outlined below. Thank you! Warmest Regards, Petrina Koltun Permission: I/we, hereby give my/our written permission to Petrina Koltun of Royal LePage Kelowna personally, to use our testimonials in her advertising without any consideration paid to me/us. I/we understand and acknowledge that Petrina Koltun personally, may use my testimonial(s) for commercial purposes or otherwise. As the undersigned(s), I/we hereby agree that the aforementioned entities shall be the owner(s) of the copyright(s) of my/our testimonials. The aforementioned entities shall be entitled to reproduce it, and/or to use the testimonial(s) in any manner.

August 2016 Real Estate Report

Need the best advice…? Always go to an expert!

My latest statistics!

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Your support is highly valued and I am looking for your help!

Dear Friend, Sharing a positive experience in our community makes everyone feel great! When someone takes the time to share the story of an extraordinary experience with their family and friends, it can have a major impact on their lives. For this reason, and so that we can work together to help others in our community, I am reaching out to ask a favor of you. I am collecting testimonials from those whom I have worked with in order that we might share your positive experience regarding the personal service, marketing and real estate advice that I have provided you. Personal recommendations from my family, friends and colleagues have always helped to guide me when making a decision on which restaurant to choose, what stores offer the best service and what companies will offer me the best value. Choosing a professional realtor in this busy market is an important decision for families and I trust that the professional excellence and value that I provided you is something that you will be willing to share with others in similar situations. This testimonial can be as short, or as long, as you would like. Not only is this information valuable to my future business in our community, the information also allows me to continuously improve upon the level of service that I provide. If you are unsure where to start, and to get you thinking, the following questions may help to guide you. Please feel free to write whatever you would like and remember, it is your heartfelt words that are important! “What led to your decision to buy or sell your home?” “Why did you hire me to represent your home sale/purchase?” “What did I do best to help your home sale or search?” “What could I have done better to help you buy or sell?” “Would you ultimately recommend my business to others?” I sincerely appreciate your help and to serving your real estate needs in the future! Once I receive your testimonial by email to: petrina@royallepage.ca, and as a token of my appreciation for your time and support, I will be sending you a gift card from Dairy Queen for an ice cream on me! One final formality, by emailing me, you agree to the permission outlined below. Thank you! Warmest Regards, Petrina Koltun Permission: I/we, hereby give my/our written permission to Petrina Koltun of Royal LePage Kelowna personally, to use our testimonials in her advertising without any consideration paid to me/us. I/we understand and acknowledge that Petrina Koltun personally, may use my testimonial(s) for commercial purposes or otherwise. As the undersigned(s), I/we hereby agree that the aforementioned entities shall be the owner(s) of the copyright(s) of my/our testimonials. The aforementioned entities shall be entitled to reproduce it, and/or to use the testimonial(s) in any manner.

3 Months of Consecutive Record Breaking Sales!

I hope you are just as excited as the real estate market as I am!!!!! The most important highlights of the 1st half of 2016 that you need to know!

P in the Pod… My New Podcast!

Check out the link below for my very first Podcast!