Blog

A nun walks into an office…… which happens to be mine, and is periodically holding back tears. No joke…. Her brother is in the hospital, critical care and the house that they once grew up in is about to be foreclosed on. What a load of info to fill your head on the long ride up from Kelowna for a nun with her cat named Simba. Her brother is days away from major surgery. A family that can use a hand and has little hope.

Our lawyer goes over the paperwork to see what exactly is in arrears, and I confirm this information with the lawyer from the bank. So easily at times people can get tangled up in situations before they even realize. Good news from a lawyer you say (no joke). A glimmer of hope and one potential purchaser just hours after I throw out a call. We had to hustle because the house will be foreclosed on without doubt.

I pull up to a house with a fence now falling apart. Look past years of dust, depression & a love now lost and pass through rows of “antiques”. I knew this one will take some work and the right type of interest. Partial to the Northside myself, so too was our potential buyer. A flipper with interest on the property that already has an offer on another, paperwork already in transit. Its now Friday at 4:30. I rush to meet the brother for the first time. Pick up the phone outside his hospital wing and say that I’m related so would be allowed entry. I come bearing greetings, paper work and an offer.

The offer is declined because value perceived that was once expected, isn’t anymore. Still he is the client and only I being his arms & legs, get to work with a plan for a happy resolution to a complicated issue. And the phones go silent as I barter back and forth on price. Its while a final offer comes that I loose all communication with the brother & sister. The brother in intensive care and we discuss to be a minimal bother to him at this time.

What a shit sleep that night & woke up way too early with a rumble, 5 am. Not 2 minutes passes & one level of Angry Birds 2 when a text comes through with apology for leaving her phone (sister) at home and that the last offer received would have been accepted should they have known earlier. A nun walks into a hockey game (since she was in town she decided to head to the Oiler game that night) a subsequently left her phone at the brothers house where she was staying.

Now 12 hours past that text, still up. It is now 5pm on Saturday. I just left the critical unit once again, papers signed & in hand feeling that I just took a dying mans home away. His sister clarifies that what I took away was the stress before a major surgery and not to forget the money now in the bank and the clean slate that I gave back. Now as I write this back at my desk, with mixed feelings, solemn and satisfied at the same time The brother is out of surgery and is going to be just fine.

So I bought Simba a mouse toy with a tail and a bell to help with the stressful ordeal. The nun says he likes it but the rattle can be a little annoying.

David L Frazier
DavidFrazier.ca
780.932.2270

REALTORS® forecast slight growth for 2018

MLS® System Activity Forecast for 2018:

Single Family Dwelling average2 selling price  ______________________    -0.84%
Single Family Dwelling unit sales  ______________________________      0.88%
Single Family Dwelling inventory  ______________________________      1.96%
Condominium average selling price  _____________________________     -1.91%
Condominium unit sales  ____________________________________      -2.42%
Condominium inventory  ____________________________________       4.42%
Duplex/rowhouse average selling price  ___________________________     0.14%
Duplex/rowhouse unit sales  __________________________________      4.42%
Duplex/rowhouse inventory  __________________________________      0.68%
All-residential3 average selling price  _____________________________   -0.87%
All-residential3 unit sales  ____________________________________      0.73%
All-residential3 inventory  ____________________________________      2.35%

Edmonton, January 10, 2018: The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton released its annual housing forecast today at a seminar at the Shaw Conference Centre attended by 600 REALTORS® and business leaders. Chair Darcy Torhjelm forecasted that sales volumes and prices of residential homes in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area will continue to remain relatively stable in 2018.

Single family homes performed well in 2017, with both an increase in year to date sales by 1.15% and an increase in year to date average prices by 0.77%. Unit sales are predicted to continue to remain stable throughout 2018, with a slight increase of 0.88% predicted.

In 2017, condominium year to date sales increased by 0.42% and year to date prices decreased 0.96%. In 2018, it is expected that unit sales will continue to decrease, by 2.42%, with a decrease in average sale price by 1.91% and an increase in inventory by 4.42%.

Duplex/rowhouses continue to gain in popularity as an alternative to single family homes, offering both affordability and an ownership model that appeals to many first time buyers. Duplex/rowhouse year to date sales increased by 5.42% and year to date average prices increased by 0.12% in 2017. Forecasts suggest an increase in unit sales by 3.74%, an increase in the average price by 0.14% and an inventory increase of 0.68%.

“For most of 2017, we continued to see home buyers take advantage of low mortgage rates and a slightly increased inventory, while sellers enjoyed stable prices for their properties,” said Darcy Torhjelm, Chair. “It is still too early to tell what impact the new mortgage stress test will have on the real estate industry. However, recent job gains coupled with rising oil prices gives us reason for optimism regarding forward growth in the Edmonton and area resale housing market.”

In addition to Torhjelm’s forecast, other speakers at the seminar included John Rose, Chief Economist, City of Edmonton; Brent Weimer, Senior Market Analyst, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Doug Porter, Chief Economist & Managing Director, BMO Financial Group; and Dr. Jack Mintz, world-renowned economist, academic and public policy analyst.

David L Frazier
DavidFrazier.ca
780.932.2270

“Get ready to live out side of your comfort zone” would have been a good tittle for my first year breaking into REAL ESTATE … And what a a year it was as a new REALTOR®. The first thing I learned was that there would be a lot to learn & not a whole lot of people jumping to the plate to teach. But much like the real estate market, even with a few steps back, eventually the road leads to a steady incline. As a bit of a surprise, there wasn’t much in the way of open arms upon launching my Real Estate career. Monday morning meetings, Thursday get togethers & an Open House every other weekend. It was up to me, a keen ear & the power of Google & Youtube videos to figure things out for myself. Seen not only as a new REALTOR® but as a competitor to others, there wasn’t much in the way of assistance in cracking the code to become a realtor. There was much that I had to figure out for myself.

In the course of the first 5 months, I met with realtors & brokers, in both the commercial and residential sectors to find my place in this new venture. And I was SOLD. And I mean that I got SOLD on a idea and followed it like a cult. I met the lad who I currently share an office with after I switched brokerages & couldn’t be happier with the decision. Since then I have grown in leaps and bounds and want to give my loyalty and a massive THANK YOU to all those who took the time to install such valued lessons and experiences during this journey.

First lesson that started me on my way: In our world it is our tenacity, integrity and reputation that separates some from the others.

To all the new REALTORS® out there, did you know that their is free or near free seminars at the Edmonton Real Estate Board. CHECK THEM OUT!! Highly suggested. Also Rogers has a Realtor Package that’s pretty slick.

After many long winded Youtube “how to’s” & long nights at a second job paying for marketing material that was obsolete before it was even printed, I began to feel more grounded. More prepared & confident. Confident that I will be the best I can by remaining to live a bit out of my comfort zone & never complacent with knowledge of the market, policies & fundamentals of what it takes to be a great REALTOR®. As I write this I am the proud owner of the website davidfrazier.ca that is about 90% finished and marketing pens on the way that I definitely over paid for. And I am in love with them both. Because they are mine. This was all supposed to be done before Christmas to coincide with the sending out of Christmas cards but thats the way this game goes at times. Find a problem & SOLVE IT. Then on to the next problem without a solution, yet.

Having learned right off the top that any REALTOR® isn’t reinventing the wheel. I have learned to lead by my own compass, both directional & moral. Just a bit more time taken to do it my way. Reading and learning from others has definitely helped. After reading the book “FINISH” by Jon Acuff and the teachings that he presents, the idea of lessening the load, feeling more accomplished and not being defeated on a day to day basis was inspiring. If you are lost or don’t know where to start I suggest you start there. The greatest way of over coming an obstacle is to get to work.

The first year has been the ultimate underlying factor of why I will succeed. Accompanied with that I’m also to stubborn not to. Thank you to all that have and are currently helping me during this process. The Royal LePage Brand means that you are definitely around people who care . And that is my ORIGIN STORY.

David L Frazier
DavidFrazier.ca
780.932.2270