I’m an Accredited Buyer Representative, specially trained to help clients find their best homes and secure their best possible deals. There’s no greater feeling than handing over a new set of keys, and I love helping people find their dream home. But that doesn’t mean home ownership is right for everyone, right now. Please read on if you’re debating whether you should rent or buy.

Benefits of Renting:
1. Lower Monthly Payments – You’ll often pay less than you would on a mortgage.

2. Less Hassle – You don’t need to upkeep your property, and problems become your landlord’s, not yours. Toss that lawn mower out the window.

3. More Flexibility – If you decide to move in the future, you won’t have to worry about selling or leasing the property. Plus, the terms and length of your lease are usually easily renegotiated.

Drawbacks of Renting:
1. Terms of Lease = Rules – You don’t have the ultimate control over how you use your space. Your ability to renovate and decorate will often be limited, you may not be able to have pets, and you’ll have to be extra careful about noise, parties, guests, etc.

2. Who Benefits? – Your problems might become your landlord’s, but so will your rent cheque. You’ll be helping him/her pay off his mortgage when you could be paying off your own.

Benefits of Buying:
1.INVESTING IN YOURSELF – This one speaks for itself.

2. Increase Your Financial Worth – You can add to your equity just by upgrading your home. You get a nice new kitchen and your house becomes more valuable, thus increasing your own financial worth. It’s literally win-win.

3. Pride & Accomplishment – Few things make someone prouder than buying their first home. Homeowners love having their own place where all their hard work and maintenance is reflected around them.

4. Freedom – You can do whatever you want with and in your home. No need to worry about pets or parties, as long as you don’t mind the cleanup!

5. Independence – No one else’s choices or plans are going to affect your living arrangements.

6. Long Term Benefits – At some point, your home will be paid off – while you’d never stop having rent payments. So home ownership can drastically affect the age and quality of your retirement.

And remember, buying a 2-Apartment house, which would allow you to rent out space, can help contribute towards your monthly mortgage payment. I have helped many clients secure such purchases and am happy to help them with their renters’ agreements and all the extra legal work entailed.

Drawbacks of Buying:
1. Job Location – Careers that require lots of transfers or relocations can make buying, selling and the related timelines a burden.

2. Upkeep – You are solely responsible for maintenance – there’s no landlord to call. Generally homeowners are proud to renovate and redecorate to their tastes, but busted pipes at 2am are another story.

3. Extra Household Expenses – On top of your mortgage, you’ll be responsible for taxes, insurances and utilities.

4. Down Payment – Frequently ranging from 5-20% depending on your credit score and mortgage demands, the down payment on a house can be difficult to obtain. Thankfully for my clients, I work with them to not only figure out exactly what they can afford, but also to find the best possible home in their price range.

Only you will know if and when the time is right to buy a home, and I advise all my clients to do their research so they can use their knowledge to remain in control of the process. And I’m always here and ready to be their best advocate when the time comes – you can call anytime at 682-0744, or find me on Facebook, too. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions about buying a home, and if you’re a homeowner, I’d love to hear what helped you make the decision to buy.

I’m proud and honoured to be one of the few realtors in our province with an Accredited Buyer Representative designation, widely considered a benchmark of excellence in real estate buyer representation. Earning this designation required extensive classroom training, extra exams and demonstrated expertise in my field. It took extra work on my part, but I know it has paid off by giving me extra tools to understand the unique needs of all my buyers.

What this designation means is that I am fully committed to the real estate buyer. I’ve learned how to be your true advocate, giving buyers the same level of representation traditionally reserved for sellers.

It’s my goal to get the best possible price and terms for the buyer – and my Accredited Buyer Representative designation has trained me to do just that. My loyalty is to the buyer, and this goes beyond just negotiating the best price.

To that end, you can expect me to understand your specific needs and wants, help you determine your price range (pre-qualification) and then find great homes you can afford. I will advise you in formulating your offer, help you negotiate terms, and provide you with a list of qualified vendors (such as inspectors and attorneys) you may need.

Your best interests are always my primary interests, and I will keep track of every detail of the buying process, to closing and beyond.

With this designation I’m part of a select group who have gone above and beyond to ensure that our skills are honed to provide the ultimate care for our clients. Because buying a home is one of the biggest, most personal investments people make, I was happy to take the time to receive this extra designation, so that my clients get the service they deserve in such an important time in their lives.