12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety brought to you by OAFC

   

1. Water fresh trees daily - Keep the base of the trunk in water at all times and keep your tree away from any ignition sources.
2.  Check all sets of lights before decorating -Check the cords closely. Discard any sets that are frayed or damaged.
3. Make sure you have working smoke alarms - Test your smoke alarms and replace them if they are over 10 years old.
4. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms - Replace any carbon monoxide alarms over seven years old.
5. Make sure everyone knows how to get out safely if a fire occurs - Develop and practice a home fire escape plan with all members of the household.
6. Use extension cords wisely - Make sure cords never go under rugs as this can cause damage to the cord and cause a fire.
7. Give space heaters space - If you are using space heaters, remember to keep them at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn.
8. When you go out, blow out! - Blow out candles before leaving or going to bed. Keep lit candles away from children,  pets and anything that can burn.
9. Keep matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children - Matches and lighters can be deadly in the hands of children.
10. Watch what you heat! - Always stay in the kitchen when cooking; especially if using oil or high temperatures.
11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside - If you do allow smoking indoors use large, deep ashtrays that can't be knocked over and make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished.
12. There's more to responsible drinking than taking a cab home - Keep a close eye on anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence.

For more information on fire safety and tips for over the holidays, visit the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs website.
   

Maple Leaf Snow Skimmers Snowmobile Club has a decent start on grooming!

 Tuesday I had a little extra time so I decided that if I was going to be in the Bancroft area I'll throw my sled into the trailer and go for a little ride. I had a scratch that I just had itch. If you are a snowmobiler you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Last year was so bad and I rode so little there being early snow is exciting.

I dropped in Bancroft. It is groomed North not South at all. Groomed past Lake St.Peter along rail bed until it turns off to Whitney. Really good base, little see through. This ride is around 60 miles/100km.

Bancroft Air Port

Old Maynooth Train Staion

Contract Negotiation by Brad Sinclair Flat Rate Realty Peterborough

Hi Brad Sinclair here with Flat Rate Realty. I created this blog to talk to you about what you must expect from your Realtor on contract negotiation. I see way too many home owners pick their Realtor based on the recommended list price. This is such a huge mistake. As a Realtor my job is to make sure your home is marketed and exposed more aggressively than everyone else along with having excellent negotiating skills to get you the highest possible price and put the most money in your pocket. We net our home sellers thousands more in their pocket than the average Realtor because we have the most aggressive marketing strategy; we negotiate extremely hard for our clients, always putting their needs first. Most Realtors will get an offer and beg you to take it not because it is in your best interest, but to be honest, it’s because the average agent is selling less than 6 homes a year, is broke and needs the commission check. This is not how we operate, we are looking out for your best interests, not our paycheck and sometimes it is in your best interest to turn down or counter an offer if we are confident we can get you a higher offer.  I have helped hundreds of families accomplish their real estate goals and the only way to have this level of success is by providing world class service and always putting our clients’ needs first. For a 100% no obligation, no hassle and absolutely no pressure listing interview contact us anytime and we would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day!

Editorial for Cottage Country Connection Magazine "what is going on with our market"

If you have ever passed by the free magazine that is distributed throughout our area named "Cottage Country Connection" and did not pick up a copy for yourself you are missing out on a great magazine. This magazine is glossy and packed full of articles, photos and amazing advertisers. I recently wrote an editorial for this magazine and I would like to pass it on here if you did not get a chance to read it:

What in the world is going on in our market?

 

As you may know or have notice, it doesn’t take long after a “For Sale” sign goes up to see a “SOLD” sign very quickly follow. If you recently been involved in a transaction you really have seen firsthand what has been going on with prices. Days on the market are down, inventory is down and prices are way up. Why?

I have read and been told that the 407 extension to the 115 is bringing in all those commuters and it is changing our market and driving up price. I strongly disagree that this is the case. When I break down the numbers it reads a story that is hard to explain. Let me tell you what I see. It all starts with inventory. Inventory is down. Inventory numbers from Jan-Sept reads as follows; (2014) 5337 Listings, (2015) 5079 Listings and (2016) 4332 Listings. Basically a drop of 14.71%. Now, units sold reads like this; (2014) 2328 units, (2015) 2710 units and (2016) 2832 units. This is an increase of 4.5% An increase of 4.5% of units sold is not an explosion of population and sales because of a toll highway extension. I would say the 4.5% increase is the Millenniums age group getting into the real estate market. The real question is why is inventory down 14.71%? I am only speculating by saying it is a blip in our market. I believe that the inventory numbers will return to normal next year. Peterborough and Area sees very little spikes and dips. Our market runs slow and steady and have done so for years.

Now don’t get me wrong. Once the extension of the 407 is complete, we may see an increase of population but I think we will see more of our local people stay in the area and not leave for better jobs as access is better. Things are looking bright for us in our area. Please embrace it, do not complain about it!

To find the Cottage Country Connection website click here.

Fantastic site and free maps to explore Ontario Highlands on Motorcycle or Driving

If you like to plan day trips or multi day trips to explore our beautiful area check out www.ridethehighlands.ca. Ontario's Highlands will provide you a great planning map that will be mailed to your home address free of charge. This map has is very detailed trip routes including; The Highlands Loop, Deep Valley Run, Dynamite Alley and Rideau Ridge. Each route is marked out with Mileage, Duration and Highlights.All business and attractions have been designated as motorcycle friendly.

The website features area history, must see areas and downloads. Lets support this great initiative and pass on to your friends and family.

Happy Riding!

Brad Sinclair

How to prep your home to sell

Hi , Brad Sinclair from Flat Rate Realty.  I created this blog to talk to you about prepping your home properly not only for showings but also for the marketing professional photography and video tours. I can’t stress enough how crucial this is. If you decide we are the Realtor for you, we work with you going room to room to give you our professional opinion on what needs to be done to ensure your home photographs, video tours and shows at its best. We very rarely recommend putting money into your home as you usually do not get a return on your investment however there are a lot of little things you can do that will make thousands of dollars of a difference and ensure you get a top dollar offer. The most common thing I see that needs to be done is de-cluttering. When we live in a home with our families for a long time we accumulate stuff that typically makes rooms look smaller and hide the lines and features of your home. When selling your home less is sometimes more. Counters must be cleared off, for example kitchens I want to see everything 100% off the counters, off the fridge, off all appliances, if you have nice upgraded flooring remove rugs that way we are able to show off all the features. Make sure your landscaping is well maintained at all times, your home needs to be spotless, clean baseboards, vents, fans fixture etc… Also smell is crucial, we want to make an amazing impression and smell is a big part of that. Remember homebuyer may be looking at 10+ homes that same day, we need to make sure your home stands out from the other homes in every way. Your competition becomes all the other homes in the area and it is crucial we dominate your competition in every way to ensure you are getting the highest possible price for your home. For a 100% no obligation, no hassle and absolutely no pressure listing interview contact us anytime and we would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day!

Internet Marketing. Why so important to have your home sold for top dollar

Hi, Brad Sinclair from Flat Rate Realty. I created this blog to talk to you about internet marketing. Today over 95% of home buyers are starting their home search online. To get maximum exposure for your home, you must have a huge presence on the internet. You must be advertised very heavily in your local market as well as a national and global level too. But keep in mind, it is not just about being blasted all over the internet, but it’s how you are advertised as well. To make sure your internet advertising is effective and you are not losing any opportunities, you must have amazing professional photography. We will first work with you to ensure your home is prepped to show at it’s best, then we will bring in our professional photographer and then we place your home on every major national and global real estate website. We advertise in over 80 Countries and on over 2000 websites. We take every necessary step to ensure we do not miss any opportunities. For a 100% no obligation, no hassle and absolutely no pressure listing interview contact us anytime and we would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day!

Listing Photos. Why are they so important?

Hi Brad Sinclair here with Flat Rate Realty. I created this blog to talk about photos. In my opinion this is one of the most important pieces when listing your home. Over 90% of your marketing materials will include your property photos. It is important to know that over 95% of home buyers are currently finding their homes on the internet and when they are looking on the internet they are eliminating homes “this one does not work, this one does not work” and so on, we need to make sure that does not happen and your home stands out. Today, photos are now our first impression so it is crucial we nail it, you can’t afford to miss this step. Most Realtors today are busting out their IPhone or cheap digital camera which is a HUGE mistake. You cannot show your home off properly this way. You must utilize professional photography and the truth is, with the average Realtor selling less than 6 homes a year they just cannot afford to market your home properly. Professional photography (which I am) and proper marketing is expensive, however it will make thousands of dollars of a difference on how much you can sell your home for. This is why I utilize the best photography equipment and we also spend a lot of time with you making sure your home is prepped correctly before we take photos. Again, photos are a buyers first impression so it is crucial to make sure we nail this step. For a 100% no obligation, no hassle and absolutely no pressure listing interview contact us anytime and we would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day!

Bad Pictures:

My Pictures:

Never, Ever, Choose A Realtor On Price that they say your listing price should be

Hi Brad Sinclair here with Flat Rate Reatly, I wanted to create a quick blog to talk about the number one mistake homeowners make when choosing a Realtor to sell their home. The number one mistake is choosing a Realtor based on the listing price. This is a huge mistake. Your only deciding factor on who you should list your home with should be their market plan of action to get your home exposed to the most buyers. We have a very intensive, detailed, aggressive and effective 48 point marketing strategy to get your home sold. I always tell all my potential home sellers when I am presenting a market valuation report that I will give you my professional recommendation however you are the home owner, you are the boss, I work for you, you choose the price. My job is to aggressively market your home harder than any other Realtor out there along with negotiating and fighting for you to ensure you get the highest possible price for your home. So again, never choose a Realtor based on their recommended list price. Make sure they show you their exact marketing strategy, proofs, copies, samples, ask what their exact plan of action is to get your home sold and make your decision based on that. We have about a one hour in depth presentation we do while on our listing interview that lays out exactly what we do, what you can expect and why we are the best real estate team for you. For a 100% no obligation, no hassle and absolutely no pressure listing interview contact us anytime and we would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day! (did I mention that I charge an amazing, aggressive commission rate of 3.75%?!!)

Why would you not make a call?

Brad Sinclair here again with Flat Rate Realty Company. The reason I created today's blog is to discuss why you should hire us list your home. There are a lot of reasons however I would like to discuss the top 4.

The first reason is our guarantees. We have our 1 day listing agreement guarantee which states you are never locked into a contract, if at anytime you feel we are not doing our job you can fire us and list your home with another Realtor that same day. We do not believe in long term contracts we believe in accountability. This ensures we will work extremely hard for you the second you decide to list your home with us, until your home sales.

Second reason is our marketing plan of action. We have sold hundreds of homes. We have an intensive, proven and effective 48 point marketing strategy that gets results. We have a very specific game plan from the second you decide to list your home with us until the second your home sells. We spend over 120 times what the average real estate agent spends to ensure our homes are getting maximum exposure. You will not find another Realtor with a more aggressive marketing plan.

Third, we spend a ton of time with you going room by room giving you our professional recommendation about little things that can be done to ensure your home shows at its best at all times. This will make thousands of dollars of a difference on how much you will make on you home sale.

Lastly, we are a full time full service residential real estate team. Nobody on our team is part time. We all work together on the same page to ensure we help you accomplish your real estate goals. Nobody is going to work harder for you. We take our careers and our clients extremely seriously and we will not let you down.

All 4 reasons to list with us is amazing, but even better for you is our aggressive commission rate that will put thousands back in your pocket. 3.75% commission rate.

For a 100% hassle free, no obligation and absolutely no pressure listing interview please contact us anytime. We would love the opportunity to interview for the job! Thank you and have an amazing day!

Buying a Property? I work on your behalf and you don't pay me a dime!

Brad Sinclair here with Flat Rate Realty, I wanted to talk to you about the importance of picking the right Realtor to help you find your next dream home. You are now looking to make one of the largest purchases you will make in your lifetime. Your home may become the largest asset you own and it is crucial to make sure you have the best Realtor to help you in the process. Let’s face it, most Realtors are part time selling less than 6 homes per year, they do not have the experience and will not be able to give you the time and attention you need. We are a full service, full time real estate team that has helped thousands of families accomplish their real estate goals. Our experience allows us to ensure our clients are the best educated clients in the market place and we will work harder and negotiate harder for you than anyone else. The great part about purchasing a home in Ontario is professional real estate services are free to you so it does not cost you more for an experienced successful realtor. I assure you, we are the real estate team for you. We will work hard every second for you, we will make sure you are extremely well educated and informed every step of the way to make sure you are making the best decision for yourself and for your family and we will do everything we possibly can to make sure you accomplish your real estate goals. If you have any questions or need anything please feel free to contact us anytime. Thank you and have an amazing day!