I loved watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Summer Games in Beijing.  Loved the flying-run around the stadium and the lighting of the torch with the massive fireworks display that followed. Don't know how that will help with the air quality but it sure looked good on TV. I love watching the Olympics. Always have. The best athletes in the world competing against one another. To be the best you have to beat the best. My earliest Olympic memories are of watching the Montreal Olympics and Greg Joy, on a rainy day, winning the silver medal for high jumping. (Born 52 years ago in Portland Oregon to Canadian parents, Joy lived in Vancouver from age 9 to 17 and now resides in Ottawa and works as a motivational speaker.)

 

Like most Canadians, my fingers are crossed that Vancouver will also have a great opening and closing ceremonies that will have viewers Oooh-ing and Ahhhh-ing. What happens in between is up to the athletes.

 

Speaking of games, last weekend I took my daughter into the great little toy store in Newport Village in Port Moody. Lots of neat stuff. Way better then when I was a kid. (The best toy/educational store for kids that I've seen is KOOL & CHILD. 208 Wallace Street in Nanaimo.)

But what caught my eye was a stack of board games. I love board games though it seems we only ever played them during the two weeks of Christmas holidays. Anyways, they have a whole line of  "Co-operative Games" where you don't play against each other but join forces to play and win the game together! BAH!!! I thought. You play board games to win! What other challenge does an 8 year old have that he can compete on a level playing field against his teen age brother, his 30-something uncle and his 70 year old grandma? Games are always more fun when you win. It also allows you to learn how to react to winning and losing. If you win and you shove it in their face, chances are they won't want to play you again. Similarly, if you lose the game and flip the board over, sending pieces flying everywhere, chances are you won't be asked to play again either.

And cheaters...well someone caught cheating ends the game right there.

 

Where am I going with this? In the real life game of Monopoly (real estate) we do try for the win-win. Not just the deal but also the negotiations between the agents. Nobody likes to work with a bully. There are agents with that reputation and I am told they typically see fewer offers because of it. That's not to say we don't try to get the best deal possible but at the end of the day everyone should leave the table thinking they received a fair deal. Market value.

 

As I have been saying for a while now, we are in a buyers market. Sellers have to accept the fact the continual rise in prices as come to an end for now. My guess is the market value for your home is still a lot higher than what you paid for it. Some sellers have told me they are now going to wait to sell. Maybe in January. What will the prices be like then? Hard to say. But if you put your house on the market now and got a price you are happy with - why wait?

 

Likewise on the buyers side, buyers are taking their time. There is a lot more product on the market right now but some of those sellers are still trying to get peak of the market dollars. And they are sitting. And they are having price reductions. And they are growing frustrated. "Why isn't anyone putting an offer on my house? It's a great house!".  If it is in a good location and in good condition then the only problem is the price. The buyers are out there!

 

To have a market evaluation on your home or to find out what is for sell or has sold in your neighbourhood, or are thinking of buying -  give me a call and lets talk.

 

I would love to help you get into the home you want!

 

Have a lucky day!

(8/8/08)

 

Allan

604-NEW-HOME