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As a real estate professional, I enjoy the process of helping homeowners get their property ready for the market. There are plenty of decisions to be made along the way. Although each home is unique in its own way, every seller has one important objective in mind – to accomplish a smooth and profitable sale.

Decide on the right price.

The pricing strategy is one of the most important factors to influence a successful sale. Market value is determined by analysing recent sales in the area, market trends, the condition of the home, and the competing inventory on the market. We will prepare a comparative market analysis for your property. We will discuss pricing.  If you decide to price a home on the high end, you run the risk of being overlooked by potential buyers who aren’t sure if you’d be willing to negotiate. Pricing a home on the low end could result in multiple offers if the time is right, but you also run the risk of getting less than what your home is worth.

Prepare your home for the market.

A well-kept home will probably require deep cleaning and some simple decluttering. A vacant home, or one that is less visually appealing, can usually benefit from a staging professional. It always helps to go the extra mile to make your home stand out from the rest. If you are concerned about some maintenance issues around the property, consider hiring a home inspector for a pre-sale inspection. These are becoming more common with homeowners because it allows them to address potential problems ahead of time, not after the negotiations are already complete.

Reach your target market.

Professional photographs, a well-written, detailed description of your house and plenty of online advertising are just the beginning of the marketing process. My team also relies on our established professional network to promote your home and reach out to other agents who may have a buyer that is interested in your neighbourhood. Once the showings begin, we often request feedback to get buyers’ reaction to your property, and encourage them to bring in an offer.

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at GreetingsCalgary.com.

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce one of the newest members of the Howard Team.  For some of you, she might be a familiar face.  I’m pleased to announce that my wife, Shirley, has made the move into real estate.  Shirley acquired her real estate license at the beginning of this year, and some of our buyers and sellers have already had the chance to work with her.

Coming from a background in music and education, Shirley is passionate about teaching our clients everything they need to know about their real estate transaction.  After graduating from McGill University with a Music Degree and then doing an Education Degree at the University of Prince Edward Island, music has been at the heart of Shirley’s teaching career.  She has been teaching music for 22 years and over the last 10 years, she has been employed by the Calgary Board of Education.  Shirley is an accomplished cellist and performs with the Calgary Civic Orchestra.  She has shared her love of music with countless students and also provides cello lessons at a private music school.  To add to her list of accomplishments, Shirley is also bilingual.

For many people, buying or selling a home is a learning experience.  Even though our clients hire us to represent their best interest in the transaction, they still want to have a strong sense of awareness each step of the way.  After all, buying a home is one of the most important decisions that you make in your life.  Shirley prides herself in providing exceptional customer service, and will take the time to answer all of your real estate questions.

As always, we appreciate your business and your referrals.  Shirley and I look forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.  Have questions about selling your home?  Thinking about making a move in the near future?  Don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 1% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Yes is the answer… now what is the question?

At some point in the past 8 months I was at a Real Estate workshop where the speaker asked us about our ability to be versatile. He asked us to frequently get out of our comfort zone. He told us when being asked to do something, to “Say Yes… then explore the question.”

I wrote notes during the seminar, and upon getting back to my office, I created a list of “Actionable Items” that I wanted to implement in my business. I entered in my Google Calendar “Yes is the answer… now what is the question?” This statement now pops up on my Calendar weekly.

When friends Helen and Greg invited Shirley and I to join them on a 12-day walk from Coast to Coast across the United Kingdom, I immediately said “Yes”.

After saying “Yes”… Shirley and I reasoned if we could. Our youngest child is in the final year of high school. He would be okay. I have a good team in place at RE/MAX. They don’t need me everyday. I have hit my sales goals in the past couple of years. Financially, we can do this.

I don’t like walking. I walk my dog reluctantly. I basically hate it – unless I’m walking with one of my kids and/or Shirley. I never imagined I would ever walk across England.

I like to run, bike, paddle, etc. Walking is slow. I’m not peaceful enough. I don’t spend this amount time with anyone. Will my wife tolerate me after spending ALL day with me for 12 consecutive days… and I value this friendship. Will we still be friends?

So, after saying “Yes”… I booked the tour. A few weeks later, I booked the flight. I few weeks later, I booked the train… then the taxi that would take us to the departure point. I needed to do each step to fully prepare myself.

10 days prior to departure… I considered cancelling. There are always many reasons to cancel. I didn’t.

We began Day 1 by collecting a stone from the Beach on England’s West Coast, at St. Bees. It was a Dramatic walk south, along the coast, prior to heading up towards the mountains inland to the Lakes District.

We travelled through the Lake District – up mountains – and down. We ended each day in a small village with a pint or two and a nice meal.

We walked, picnicked, drank, ate and slept for 12 days. Upon arrival in Robin Hood’s Bay, 307 km later, we launched our stones that were collected in the Irish Sea – into the North Sea.

It was awesome. What did I learn?   Say YES more!

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 1% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Although I am a long way off from calling myself a professional, I am definitely passionate about cycling. If you are looking to take up a new sport that helps you maintain your physical fitness, allows you to enjoy the outdoors, and pushes your personal limitations, cycling is a fun and rewarding sport.

Join a group that will motivate or inspire you to ride. Although cycling can be considered a non-competitive sport, riding with a group will help you to improve your endurance. It provides a fun social atmosphere and holds you accountable to make sure that you get out and ride at the scheduled time.

Develop a training plan. Decide how far you want to go, and figure out what you need to do to get there. Establish a plan that will gradually get you closer to your goal without over exerting yourself. If you are used to working out with cardio equipment at the gym, you may want to invest in a power meter or heart rate monitor. This allows you to have a good idea of how your body is responding to the workout.

Sign up for an event like a race or charity ride. Forcing yourself to shape up for an important event adds an extra element of accountability. It gives you something to look forward to and helps you to connect with other cyclists. If you are new to cycling, start with a non-competitive charity ride for an organization that is meaningful to you.

If you are already into cycling … a little more than your average bird … MEC in Calgary is offering a great event on Saturday, April 26 from 6:30-10:30pm. If you are over the age of 18, MEC is inviting dedicated riders, performance cyclists and club-level racers to their first MEC Rider Expo. Alex Stieda will be on hand to discuss his training regime and his Olympic and Tour de France experiences.

And there will be beer! I’m registered! Hope to see you there.

Register here. It’s free! http://events.mec.ca/event/15187/mec-calgary-rider-expo

This June will be the second annual Bike Month in Calgary. The City of Calgary established Bike Month to provide an opportunity to promote cycling education and encourage residents to adopt this fun, economical and healthy transportation alternative. There are three family-focused bike festivals happening this month in the city. There are also a series of maintenance clinics and information sessions that are available for free or by donation.

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard is a top-producing real estate agent with RE/MAX House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He and his team sell an average of two homes a week–mostly single-family homes, luxury homes, condos and commercial properties. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 1% of productive realtors in Calgary. Bryon is above the pack because he aims not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell their dream home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is well-equipped to do this with his sterling education, capped by an MBA degree from Athabasca University and degrees from Acadia University, the University of Prince Edward Island and the Universite de Bourgoyne in France.

I came across this recent study by finance and real estate professor Bennie Waller of Longwood University, Virginia, published on the Journal of Housing Research in 2012, stating that experienced realtors sell 12% more homes and 32% more quickly, on the average, than inexperienced agents.

I was happy to get confirmation!

It seems that the adage practice makes perfect is true even in the real estate industry. According to Prof. Waller, “The more experience you have, the more likely you are to sell the properties that you list, the more likely you are to sell (them) at a higher price, and the less time (they stay) on the market.”

I believe experienced real estate agents have these three advantages.

Experienced agents generally know more.

Veteran agents tend to know more about the neighborhood, the market, what buyers and sellers typically need and want, and the entire selling and buying process. For example, veteran seller agents know what buyers are looking for and are aware of the competition, and they use what they know to stage, price and promote the seller’s house to sell fastest and at the best price. Veteran buyer agents know what’s a good buy and how to structure the purchase offer in terms of price, condition dates, closing dates, and even the length of time an offer should be left open, ultimately helping the buyer acquire the property for less money and under the terms and conditions that the buyer wants. A lot of this information cannot be had in a real estate course or from books, but is experiential and intuitive. In addition, veteran agents generally know more buyers and sellers, as well as good and reputable home inspectors, appraisers, mortgage brokers, and other key members of the real estate team.

Experienced agents are more confident about what they know.

 As veteran agents’ knowledge of their business comes not just from books or from other people but from their own firsthand experience over many years, they can hold their own in transactions. They can tell a seller who wants to sell his house at a ridiculously high price that it won’t work, and convince him to go with a more realistic price. He can tell a buyer if a crack on the wall is not a major issue and can be easily repaired, and is in fact a good thing because it will pull down the price.

Experienced agents can advise you through the many changes in your housing needs.

 Veteran agents are of course older and have gone through many changes in their lives and seen the same changes in the lives of others that impact their housing needs. As such, they can be a valuable resource for you as you go through your own life changes and even those of your family.

Everything has its season, though, and the rookies today will be the veterans of tomorrow. So I advise the rookies to go beyond seeing the veterans as the competition, to learning from them so that they could take over when the time is right.

Image Courtesy of Calgary Herald

Are you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

When I first learned about the Canadian Birkenbiner nearly 20 years  ago … I have always wanted to do it. Last weekend my friend Greg and I did the 55 km cross country ski marathon on the 25th Anniversary of the event. I made a fun little video of the day.  Temperatures were just around zero degrees … and waxing was epic difficult.  I broke both my poles during the race! (I like to think it was my POWER … but it is definately bad technique!)

The Birkie is a family-oriented, friendly cross-country ski loppet (recreational event) honouring the spirit of the Norwegian Birkebeiner legend. Reliving an 800-year-old historic legend of the original Birkebeiners who saved the heir to the Norwegian throne in a 55km epic journey. It takes place the second Saturday in February every winter near Edmonton.

It’s a premier “loppet” — a recreational fun citizen race, geared to mass participation, fun and bragging rights for the fastest. Some of Bryon’s buddies with Team Mito http://www.mitocanada.org/team/team/nord-skiing/ were the Fastest of the day … including Jeff Krar who who his age group.

Canada’s largest classical-format cross country ski festival.

Peter Lougheed XC ski day for Mito Dec 29 2012 – click here for the video!

I think about 15 guys and gals showed up for the annual 100 km Cross Country Ski at Peter Lougheed Park yesterday … led by Team Mito. Big shout out to Brigid who prepared a wonderful lunch of chilli! Great day! “Best conditions in the 5 years of the big ski” – said Brendan who has done ’em all. (I arrived late during the 2nd loop … and skiied about 35 km.) Super beautiful & super fun – I made a movie capturing a wee bit of the day that I was a part off.

I did it again! Successfully represented senior buyers in the purchase of a ridge lot Bunglow in Tuscany at 94% of the listing price.  Wow! They are excited about the magnificent location on the Ridge in  with PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE MOUNTAINS, C.O.P & DOWNTOWN CALGARY! This custom built fully finished executive bungalow is the perfect combination of luxury & location. Floor to ceiling windows on the main floor allow for tons of natural light & offer great views from your living room, kitchen, eating area & master bedroom.

ReMax Realtor Bryon Howard has execited buyers over this perfect home.

Custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops & hardwood flooring make the kitchen an entertainer’s dream. Open concept & vaulted ceilings throughout, 3 way fireplace, built in desk area & extensive finishing upgrades – truly special living space.  They will enjoy the walk out level – perfect for entertaining their adult children with a full wet bar, wine storage and spacious family room with a 2nd fireplace – for the Grand children!

My buyers wanted a walk out bungalow with South or West Back Yard & Views

History has proven over and over that Real-estate is the pathway to long term wealth. Any successful investor holds real-estate within their portfolio.  As consumers we have access to 5 areas of retirement planning:

• Cash From Savings
• RRSP’s
• Stock/Bonds
• Pension
• Real Estate

Only Real estate allows “leverage” or the ability to acquire large assets at a fraction of their true cost.  Only real-estate allows us to take out “equity” with no or minimal tax implications to serve our future financial needs.

Mark Loewen, Royal Bank of Canada Revenue Property Mortgage Specialist, recently moved into an office down the hall from me here at ReMax House of Real Estate.

Have you  thought about investing in real estate … but haven’t quite taken the next step? Do you need help in getting over the hurdle … the decision … if it makes sense?

Set a 25 min consultation with Mark and I to see if Real Estate Investing is right for you.

I call this meeting… “The Power of Property”.

Silver Spring Home

Fantastic 4 bedroom immaculate hillside home with over 2200 sq. ft. of development with both city and mountain views! Within short walking distance of public and catholic schools, the Bow River and terrific Parks. Need LRT to work? No problem — two stations are less than 5 minutes away. Over $80,000 in updates in the last few years including New Windows and Doors, Furnace, Driveway, Deck, Fence, Landscaping and Flooring. You’ll love the kitchen in the center of the home with corian counter tops, slate floors and stainless steel appliances. Large windows make this home super bright and the perfect basement has a huge rec room and two walkouts! Watch the sun set on the huge gorgeous deck above the garage on those long summer nights or enjoy the park like WEST back yard with loads of beautiful trees.Don’t miss out on this stunning home, call to view today!

MLS #C3518121

Offered at $429,900