Baby It's Cold Outside!

Lets face it, we live in Canada, its cold and winter is long. I have fond winter memories of curling up beside our fireplace at the farmhouse with a hot chocolate and listening to the crackle of the wood burning as the soft amber light dances and flickers. I think we can all relate that it is the best way to waste away lazy winter sundays. In honor of cozy canadian winters and not having a real wood burning fireplace, here are some funky and fun ways to keep warm this winter. 

The Sauna Box is not only is this a great way to use a shipping container, it is just down right cool and looks indestructible! Features include a red cedar interior, integrated iPod stereo, electric guitar hookup, Castor stool, a magnetic truck light, and bronze antlers (bronze antlers, can you tell the manufacturers are Canadian?). I would love one of these for the cabin, I would also love a cabin...It can be yours for just $41,000. 

This is a fun, fashionable and fantastic fireplace is perfect for small spaces and one of the coolest fireplaces I have ever seen! The "Mall Fire" by Atria is a fireplace in a trunk, that uses bio ethanol fuel to create flames. Who knows if it actually throws heat, I am going to assume not, but hey everybody loves a fire, as long as you don’t burn your place down!

A towel warmer may seem completely silly, but you have not tried it, this is pure luxury I highly recommend it! This is a gift to yourself and a purchase you will never regret. Use at your own risk, as showers will never be the same again! 

If all else fails, forget the winter blues with a visit to KurSpa at Sparkling Hill Resort located just 30 mins from Kelowna. The majestic spa features 7 unique aromatherapy saunas and stream rooms plus showers, a hot tub, an indoor pool and a year round outdoor pool. I had a serious case of sauna/steam room ADD (thats a real condition right?), with so many things to do and see it is hard to concentrate on just one and relax. My personal favourite is the Crystal Sauna followed by a chilly escape into the Igloo and back again (did I mention I had issues concentrating on just one). 

If these don’t fix your winter blues and you are still craving cozy evenings in-front of a grand wood burning fireplace... why not buy a new house with a fireplace in it (kidding... kind of... but why not, call me!)? Whatever you do remember that spring is just around the corner and the winter blues will soon be melted away by the beautiful Okanagan sunshine!

Tiffany Munsey

Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty

778.214.4843

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

www.tiffanymunsey.com

Social Media Sells Homes

Picking the right Realtor® to sell your home can be a daunting step, however the choice is more simple then you think. Today 88% of buyers used the internet in their home search. So if you want to sell your home fast then it must be listed on the internet, in addition to being listed on the MLS®, it should also be advertised by your agent with social media. 

Finding an agent who is "social media friendly" has never been more important in selling your home because it is what you and people who are looking for a home interact with on a daily basis. A huge part of your Realtors job is advertising your property in an efficient way to secure a quick sale of your home. 

Here are my 5 favorite ways to market and sell my clients homes with social media.   

1. Facebook

For most people, facebook is a daily if not hourly part of life, smart phones are connected to every status update, photo or uploaded video.
Savvy agents have a huge network of personal friends, realtors and businesses and when they post information about you property, it instantly exposing your property to the world.
Facebook also allows you, your friends and other realtors to instantly access and share your amazing property. 

2. Youtube

At any given moment, there are hundreds of thousands of users watching videos on YouTube. How many times have you been forwarded a link to a funny YouTube video, only to find yourself staying there and browsing additional clips?
Successful realtors use Youtube to give buyers the inside scoop on what your home looks like as well as neighbourhood features that make your home amazing. 

3. Twitter

A Realtors profile is like a “micro-blog” Twitter is like a typical blog (aka web-log) in that it lets you say anything you want to say to anyone and everyone who will view it. Looking for fun things to do in Kelowna, search #kelownafun? What to know what is happening in the Kelowna Real estate market, search #kelownarealestate. It is quick, easy and informative. 

4. Pinterest

This is a huge addiction for many people, it has become a virtual scrap book of thoughts, ideas and inspirations."Home" is the No. 1 category of "boards" on the site, accounting for 17.2% of all pinning, according to a study by business-intelligence firm R.J Metrics.
I love collecting ideas for clients renovations, new building trends and interior design inspiration. Personally I found a great photo of a home exterior renovation, I was able to “pin” this photo and share it with my clients which inspired them see what their future home could look like.
Have a great kitchen or bathroom in your home? You bet I am going to “pin” it. 

5. Instagram

“In the first 12 months, Instagram acquired 12 million users. In the first two years it acquired 30 million users. And now, as of May 2012, it has 50 million users” Inman news. Images are tagged in the same way Twitter is tagged. I love to post photos of my clients beautiful homes and tag them with #kelownarealestate or #kelowna. If someone searches for photos of Kelowna or Kelowna real esate, guess whose house is going to pop up...yours!

When picking a real estate agent to sell your home, it is important that they are willing to work with you to create a custom marketing plan. Remember the nursery rhyme Dem Bones - “The leg bone's connected to the knee bone”, well think social media as the same thing... “The instagram picture is posted on facebook, the facebook picture is tweeted on twitter”....you get the idea. A "social media friendly" Realtor has never been more important and the stats prove it!

Realtors + Internet / Social Media = Homes Sold Faster!

Source:  The 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

When you are ready to sell your home, call me! Lets make a plan to sell it fast and for the right price!

Happy Selling!

Tiffany Munsey

REALTOR®
778.214.4843

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

www.tiffanymunsey.com

Why list your home in winter?

With all the snow Kelowna has received in the last couple of weeks, it is hard to think that spring is just around the corner. When it comes to Kelowna Real Estate, spring the busiest time for buying and selling real estate. However many buyers are looking for a home right now and Kelowna is seeing very low inventory for potential buyers to choose from. With all the signs pointing to a great time to sell in 2013, why is your home not listed?

10 reasons to LIST YOUR HOME NOW!

1. Buyers looking in winter months are serious. 
2. No need to worry about your yard work. Snow makes it look fresh and white.
3. Less competition because of less listing inventory = Higher selling price. 
4. Easier time of year for closing transactions. Lenders, inspectors, lawyers not as busy which will lead to a higher level of service. 
5. Buyers begin the search and purchase for spring moves in January and February. Busy move times are March spring break, April Easter and May long weekend.
6. Less choice for buyers means less sellers to play pricing against each other. Buyers are willing to make more concessions in their buying decision.
7. Little chance of quick showings and not being prepared to show your home. Easier time of year to make appointments and give you advance notice.
8. Everyone lists their home in the spring. Go ahead and beat the rush!
9. Good time of year for school, work switches and transfer of corporate moves
10. You might miss that right buyer, right place, right time being off and timing the market if you don’t list today. 

The OKANAGAN MAINLINE REAL ESTATE BOARD (OMREB) has reported an increase in market activity for the last three years. 

The Vancouver Sun reported that "there were some areas showing growth, including Kelowna (Okanagan Mainline), where the number of sales grew 11.8 per cent in 2012 from 2011, the total sales dollar volume rose 11.2 per cent and the average residential price was $377,979, up 0.5 per cent from the year before." This coupled with a positive report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. "In CMHC’s recent  Housing Market Outlook, the housing sales forecast for 2013 shows an increase of eight per cent in sales over 2012. Inventory is expected to remain on the high side, offering competitive sale prices and extending the buyer’s market sales conditions before leveling out by mid-year.  And mortgages rates are predicted to rise only slightly in 2013."

If you’re considering selling your Kelowna real estate call Tiffany Munsey direct at 778-214-4843.  

Talk to you soon…

Tiffany

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

www.tiffanymunsey.com

http://www.tiffanymunsey.com/