Q: Hello Allan, I heard an ad on the radion this morning advertising that you offer free handyman, cleaning and staging services. I own a new business and some of the services I offer are directly related to selling homes: Home Organizing, Home Staging, Residential and move-in/move-out cleaning, as well as home de-clutter and cleaning prior to listing, showing or open houses. Perhaps you and I could do business together and you could hire my company for these services.
- Laura, River Park South

A: Thanks Laura. We currently have great team that have worked with us for years for helping our clients out. Certainly if they get too busy I will get in touch with you.

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Q: Hi Allan - we are not sure how this works, but what do we do if we would like to sell our home before the Maturity Date on our Mortage?
- Rae, St. Boniface

A: Hi Rae, this is a very common question. A lot of people think they have to sell by the time their mortgage is coming due. The fact is that usually it is very hard to time when title will actually transfer when you sell you home due to Manitoba land titles's system. (Usually takes 2-3 weeks) The best thing to do is to plan what timing is going to work best for you to take your house to market and if your mortgage is going to renew before then the best thing to do is to renew in to an open mortage. This way you can take you time selling and won't pay any penalties when you sell. If you have to sell before your mortgage is due you will likely have to pay a 3 months interest penalty or interest rate differential - whatever is greater, but check with your bank and they can give you more details.

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Q: When selling a home with finished bedrooms in the basement are those bedrooms included in the total bedrooms in the house or not as they are in the basement?
- Bonnie, Charleswood

A: Tricky question Bonnie. On agent listing sheets bedroom are classified as BDA (bedrooms above grade) and TBD (total bedrooms). However in advertising an agent could advertise a 4 bedroom home and it could have 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 down. It is also good to note the window size of the rooms in the basement, because if they do not meet code they cannot be classified as a bedroom eventhough it might be advertised as such and therefore decreasing the value of the home.

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Q: what's your mailing address since it's not advertised for flyers?
- stacey, north end

A: Our mailing address is 1919 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3J 0J3.

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Q: If several friends wish to buy a home together, what's the best way to apply for financing? 1) one person be the main applicant with all the others just co-signing? or 2) form a co-op or numbered corporatin and have the business buy the house, then we all just pay rent to the business? Please advise since none of us earn enough individually to qualify for a mortgage, but collectively we can do it.l
- Lorelei, any

A: Great question Lorelei. The best idea would be to see a mortgage broker, have all applicants apply and have the mortgage specialist recommend all the possibilities. Having a number company buy the home is a great idea however most lenders require a personal guarantor who qualifies to carry the mortgage personally and larger down payments requirements. By the way my wife is a mortgage broker her name is Melissa Asplin and she can be reached directly at 293-3958 if you wish to discuss your options.

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Q: Hi Allan What are the key selling benefits of a bungalow vs a multi-level dwelling ?
- Sharon, River Park South

A: Hi Sharon, Bungalows always tend to get the highest dollar per square foot. This is due to having the largest basement area per sq. ft. of the home. Bi-levels also get a high dollar per square foot because of this.

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Q: What is the best time to sell a home?
- Derek, River Heights

A: Hi Derek, There is no right or wrong time to sell. Judy Lindsay Team Realty's proven methods help our clients sell their homes quickly. Plus, our Guaranteed Sold program ensures that even if your home doesn't sell, we'll buy it. You can't go wrong.

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Q: How can I sell quickly?
- Robert, Anola

A: There is no magic formula to sell quickly, however making your home as presentable as possible, pricing it to sell, and using a proven marketing plan to get exposure will all help. Why not give us a call to talk about it?

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Q: When is the best time to sell my home? My husband and I are thinking of moving to a condo this fall, we’d like to list our home in the spring, is this the best time for us?
- Carol, winnipeg

A: Good question, Carol! We get this question a lot, and the truth is that there is no 'good' or 'bad' time to sell a home. If your house is presentable, priced correctly, and gets exposure, it has a good chance of selling quickly regardless of the time of year. We'd be happy to talk with you in-depth about the process if you'd like to give us a call.

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Q: Which area do you work from?
- Vicky, winnipeg

A: Hi Vicky, Our offices are in St James, but we service all of Winnipeg.

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