Thanks to resources such as the Internet, many people believe they can tackle virtually any project on their own – everything from renovating a kitchen to buying or selling a home. And while it’s true that the Internet has helped consumers become more informed on a number of topics, seeking the expertise of a professional is often a wise investment. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, upgrading to a new home, purchasing vacation or rental property or looking to sell, you really need a real estate expert to ensure the transaction is seamless – someone to walk you through the multiple steps involved with buying or selling real estate.

Following are five top reasons why you should use an expert the next time you’re buying or selling a home:

1. Local Expertise
Purchasing a home is the largest investment most people make throughout their lives and having a professional to guide you through the experience can make a huge difference in the choices you make throughout the buying or selling process. A real estate expert will assist you with creating a financial plan so you know what homes to seriously consider in your neighbourhood of choice. And because real estate professionals focus on local marketplaces, they can evaluate whether a home is a smart investment and how the price compares to other properties in the neighbourhood. Experts also have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which offers the latest information on every home listed by an agent in your market, including how long a home has been on the market and what special features the property may have. And when you’re looking to sell, the MLS is the number one reference agents use to help buyers look for homes. Having your home in the MLS puts every agent in the area on alert that your home is for sale. Real estate agents know how to market a home, attract prospective buyers and hold successful open houses.

2. Time is Money
Working with home sellers or buyers and their agents can be extremely time-consuming. If you have a full-time job, meeting with buyers or sellers – or even talking on the phone – may wreak havoc on your already full schedule. A real estate agent will save you time by providing answers to all of your questions and take care

of the leg work involved in eliminating prospects that don’t meet your needs, which means you’re not wasting time touring homes that you will never buy.

3. A Professional Negotiator
Negotiating is definitely an aspect of the buying and selling process that many people simply aren’t comfortable with. A real estate agent handles the negotiation process on your behalf and ensures you receive the best possible price. A professional will have a firm grasp of your local market and neighbourhoods, know when you have room to negotiate with the seller, and understand which aspects of the house are desirable and which ones may lower the possibility of sale.

4. Professional Connections
There is more to buying a house than just negotiating the sale. You will often be best served by working with a mortgage broker, home inspector, lawyer, the escrow company and many more professionals. A real estate agent can suggest a reputable choice for any professional you must hire in order to ensure your home and financing needs are well taken care of. After all, agents deal with a wide assortment of professionals on a daily basis – and will only suggest you work with the best.

5. Expertise & Knowledge
Real estate agents understand more than merely the market and financial aspects involved with buying and selling homes. They also know what people want and need, and how to hone in on fine details. There may be a myriad of small things that you don’t think to consider when buying or selling a home that an expert will quickly point out to you.

Even if you have purchased and sold a few homes in the past, chances are you aren’t an expert. Real estate agents are familiar with the trends in the neighbourhoods in which you wish to buy or sell a home, and in all of the various changes in regulations and technology. Because we help people buy and sell homes every day, we understand all of the nuances involved in these processes. From the purchase agreement to closing, our job is to make sure you get the best possible deal.

As always, if you have any questions about buying or selling a home, your answers are just a phone call or e-mail away!

In today’s economic climate of tighter credit requirements and increased unemployment rates taking their toll on some Canadians, there’s no doubt that many people may not fit into the traditional banks’ financing boxes as easily as they may have just a year or two ago.

Your best solution is to consult your mortgage professional or lender to determine whether your situation can be quickly repaired or if you face a longer road to credit recovery. Either way, there are solutions to every problem.

Mortgage professionals who are experts in the credit repair niche can help credit challenged clients improve their situations via a number of routes. And if the situation is beyond the expertise of a mortgage professional, they can help you get in touch with other professionals, including credit counsellors and bankruptcy trustees.

Following are five steps you can use to help attain a speedy credit score boost:

1) Pay down credit cards. The number one way to increase your credit score is to pay down your credit cards. Revolving credit like credit cards seems to have a more significant impact on credit scores than car loans, lines of credit, and so on.

2) Limit the use of credit cards. Racking up a large amount and then paying it off in monthly instalments can hurt your credit score. If there is a balance at the end of the month, this affects your score – credit formulas don’t take into

account the fact that you may have paid the balance off the next month.

3) Check credit limits. If your lender is slower at reporting monthly transactions, this can have a significant impact on how other lenders may view your file. Ensure everything’s up to date as old bills that have been paid can come back to haunt you.

Some financial institutions don’t even report your maximum limits. As such, the credit bureau is left to only use the balance that’s on hand. The problem is, if you consistently charge the same amount each month – say $1,000 to $1,500 – it may appear to the credit-scoring agencies that you’re regularly maxing out your cards.

The best bet is to pay your balances down or off before your statement periods close.

4) Keep old cards. Older credit is better credit. If you stop using older credit cards, the issuers may stop updating your accounts. As such, the cards can lose their weight in the credit formula and, therefore, may not be as valuable – even though you have had the cards for a long time. You should use these cards periodically and then pay them off.

5) Don’t let mistakes build up. You should always dispute any mistakes or situations that may harm your score. If, for instance, a cell phone bill is incorrect and the company will not amend it, you can dispute this by making the credit bureau aware of the situation.