WRITING

What I write about, and why

Most real estate writing exists to be found, not to be read. I try to do the opposite. Everything here starts from a question a client actually asked me, gets answered with real numbers from the Interior REALTORS® MLS, and says plainly what the numbers do not cover.

Three rules I hold myself to.

Every figure is dated and sourced. Market data goes stale fast. If a post gives you a median price or a days-to-sell number, it tells you which month it came from and when it was pulled, so you can judge how much weight it still carries.

Where the data runs out, I say so. A neighbourhood with three sales in a month cannot support a trend, and I would rather tell you that than publish a confident-sounding number built on nothing.

No number goes in without the reasoning. If I think a market is favouring buyers, you get the months of inventory behind it and the threshold I am reading it against, so you can disagree with me on the evidence rather than take my word for it.

If you want the current figures rather than the commentary, the market report is updated every month with ten years of sales across eleven Kelowna-area neighbourhoods.

Selling a house with tenants in itYou can sell with renters in place, and the tenancy goes with the house. Showing rules, the three month notice, and the timing that catches sellers…Can I buy a house before I sell mine?Buying before selling in BC: how bridge financing actually works, when a subject-to-sale offer costs you, and how to line the two closing dates up.Poly B: what it actually does to your salePoly B insurance in BC is the real problem, not leaks. What insurers do, what it costs you on a sale, and whether repiping before you…Is geothermal worth it, and what does it do to a home's value?Does geothermal increase a home's value? A Kelowna REALTOR® and former HVAC technician on loop fees, who owns the pipe, and what buyers actually pay for.Can you back out after a home inspectionYes, while you are still subject to inspection. That is what the clause is for. What the inspection actually covers, what it costs, and what to…What happens if financing falls throughWhether losing your financing is an inconvenience or a lawsuit depends on one thing: if you have removed subjects yet. What changes at that moment, in…Deposit vs down payment in BCYour deposit counts toward your down payment, but the two are due at different times and follow different rules. What BC buyers need liquid, and when.West Kelowna is paying developers to build below marketWest Kelowna approved $1.2M in housing grants on a 4-3 vote. A Kelowna REALTOR® on what it signals for the Westbank and Boucherie centres, and for…Cheaper to build, but fewer people buildingKelowna cut development cost charges 25% while BC housing starts fell 10%. A Kelowna REALTOR® on what that combination does to hillside new-build pricing.Your BC Assessment is not your market valueYour assessment and your market value measure different things on different dates. A Kelowna REALTOR® on why the gap opens and when the number matters.