Tom's Blog

1. Setting the right price. In today's competitive real estate market, buyers have access to more information than ever before. You have one chance to make a good first impression. In determining your asking price you should calculate the average sales price to list price ratio in your neighborh...

1. Location. Over history it's been said the three things to look for in buying a property are (1) Location, (2) Location, and (3) Location. There are positive and negative factors to almost every location. Let's pretend your property is right next door to a fire station. You need the kind of mar...

I played baseball with my kids. I don't know what most realtors did before they chose real estate but I was in the restaurant business for twenty some years. Never before had I this much freedom to plan my leasure. That being said, although this industry has little tolerance for free time and can...

It took 22 years but it has finally happened. The freeway between Kamloops and Vancouver is now Toll Free! Will that help the Kamloops market?. From the lower mainland, Kamloops is only an hour and a half drive and paying $10 each way spoils that sunday drive. Kamloops has come along way from tha...

B.C.'s sale of oil and gas rights this month fetched bids worth $220 million, bringing the total for the fiscal year so far to more than $2 billion.105 parcels in northeast B.C. that cover 92,973 hectares. Ninety-four parcels covering 80,401 hectares were sold. With all this new drilling in the w...

What a weekend! Strolling through downtown looking at  almost every kind of vehicle imaginable  on display, from classic cars and street rods, to muscle cars and lowriders for the Kamloops Hot night in the city event. Then the afternoon at Kamloops Harley Davidson where they celebrated Harley's 1...

Because Kamloops is blooming into one of British Columbia's prime destinations. Connection with major highways and an expanded airport make Kamloops easily accessable. Once you're here, outdoor adventures are yours. Dry summers offer a multitude of options for golf, mountain biking, fly-fishing a...

When looking for a home, you are in a far stronger negotiating position if you are pre-approved. I can't remember how many times I have heard from buyers that their credit is excellent only to find at subject removal date that there is a problem with getting financing.A lot of frustration and emb...

I was driving back from a showing today out in the back country and picked up a hitch-hiker. Oh what a mistake that was. He had a brown duffel bag and was nervously reaching in for something. Looking through the rear view mirror I asked him what was in the bag? So he screams "NON OF YOUR dang BU...