Time Manangement Tip for Landlords When Showing Properties!

Nothing more frustrating than booking a time to show one of your vacancies and the prospective tenant is a no show!  Sound familar!  Well it’s easy to remedy this, you just need to take control of the appointment!

Here’s what I do and this simple tip will almost certainly guarantee that the Tenant will show up for the viewing.  First of all I pre-qualify them over the phone with a few simple questions like when are the looking to rent, have they already given notice to their current landlord, how many pets do they have, etc.  If they pass my questions then I give them two pre-determined showing times.  Usually the first one is at noon (they could see it on their lunch break) and the second is early evening (after work), in my case usually around 6:00 pm.  You will find in most cases they can make one of these time slots and I figure if the can’t then they aren’t

Curb Appeal Tips for Selling Your Home in the Fall or Winter

First Impressions are Important

When selling your home, curb appeal is the first view buyers will see prior to entering your home. Often times, the buyer will decide whether or not they even want to get an inside look based on what they see on the outside. How to keep your home looking attractive in the fall and winter months can be a challenge. But with every challenge, there is an affordable solution saving time and money.

Never assume the market is slower in the fall and winter months. The winter months, January onwards, usual offer up a strong real estate market for sellers in for Victoria, BC.  Preparing the exterior of your home during these months will enhance the home’s first impression all the more.  In the fall, colourful leaves are beautiful. But once they start falling and covering the lawn, it is a

3 Simple, Profitable Business Time Management Tips

If you want to make more money in your business and have more leisure time then you need to read and implement the following simple time management tips! Good time management is about knowing what needs to been done; delegation and working without interruption. Implement these 3 tips and watch your business soar!

1. Write out a “To Do List”.

This may seem very basic, but it’s essential. I don’t know many successful, wealthy business people who aren’t walking around with a To Do list in their pocket. The best times to write out your list is the night before or first thing in the morning – either time works well. Review the list and block out time in your schedule for the items that will make you money. Remember the 80/20 rule – 20% of what you do makes 80% of your profits! Schedule in the high dollar paying stuff first and work your way down from there. Once you got your schedule together do your best to stick to it! This is very important and will be tough at first, but even if you are 50% on schedule to start with will probably make you more productive than you are right now. Do your best to keep on track and it will become second nature in no time.

3 Staging Tips To Help Sell Your Home For Top Dollar!

If you are thinking of selling your Victoria home here are 3 simple and inexpensive Staging tips you can do yourself to make sure your home sells quickly compliments of Kerry Davies.  In particular you should de-clutter; create more floor space and set the mood – if you following these simple steps before you list chances are your home will sell quickly and for top dollar!

The first thing you need to do is de-clutter and you must be ruthless.  Prospective Buyers want to look at your home – not at your stuff!  You are going to be moving so start packing before you list and never leave any packing boxes around, empty or full.  Remove 90% of personal items, like family pictures; clear all notes and magnets off the fridge; keep counter tops free and clear; store small appliances in the cupboard; pack up all your “nick knacks”; store the kids toys in storage bins, etc.  You should consider holding a garage sale to sell unwanted items, also a great way to make

3 Tips for Being a Good Landlord

If you are serious about being a real estate investor and having Tenants pay your mortgage then you need to master being a landlord. In particular you will need to know your legal obligations, no two provinces or states will have the same rules.  You will need to select quality tenants and make sure you have a system in place. Do it right and for the most part it will a good experience and it will encourage you to buy more rental properties.

Is your computer running slow?

If your computer is running slow I found a great computer repair guy that can fix most computer problems remotely – I’ve used him 3 or 4 times over the past couple of years with much success. The company is Tech on Duty at: http://techonduty.net  or you can call Chris at 1-778-786-3025. Very reasonable as well!  Give them a try and let me know how it worked out for you!

9 Simple Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar!

For a FREE, no obligation, no BS evaluation of your property click: Hey Kerry! – What’s my Home Worth?

Five Simple Fire Safety Tips That Can Save Your Life!

A house fire at any time can put you and your family’s lives in great danger.  Yet, fire experts say you can dramatically reduce the risk of injury or death by just following these five simple safety tips:

1. Make sure your house number is visible from the street so emergency vehicles can find you.  Consider using oversized reflective or illuminated numbers at the curb, preferably next to your mailbox.
2. Install smoke detectors in places where they will activate in time for you to save yourself and family.  This is usually within a foot of the ceiling.  Make sure you test them monthly by pressing the “test” button, and replace batteries at least once a year.  Don’t rely on the alarm to make an intermittent “beep” to change batteries.

Anyone Can Save $200 A Month On Groceries?

Yes, you can save more than $200 a month just by following a few shopping tricks!  According to the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, the average family of four spends about $200 a week on groceries.  That’s a substantial piece of most household budgets. So if you’re looking to keep a little green in your pocketbook, try these tips:

• Shop for two weeks at a time. Plan your meals, make a list, and buy accordingly. You’ll also be less likely to impulse shop.
• Never go food shopping when you’re hungry because you’ll end up buying food that looks tempting.
• Stay away from “prepared” foods – they can cost you up to 50 percent more than foods you prepare yourself.
• Use coupons. Check your Sunday paper for the best coupons. They can lower your grocery bill by as much as 25 percent.
• Buy store brands. This can reduce your grocery bill by an additional     25 percent, which leads to big savings!
• Buy extra meat when it’s on sale and store it in your freezer.
• Shop for paper goods and household cleaners at discount stores and dollar stores and you’ll save an additional 10 to 15 percent.

How To Get Top Dollar In Any Real Estate Market!

The best chance for selling your property is within the first seven weeks. Studies show that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net.  Below are 5 main factors to accomplishing this goal.

1. Pricing Factor

It’s very important to price your property at a competitive market value right when you list it.  The market is so competitive that even over-pricing by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will not sell. It’s interesting, but your first offer is usually your best offer.  Here are reasons