Liz Moras' Real Estate Blog

Sunshine Valley - Hope, B.C. - A Little Bit of Sunshine !

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:47:17 -0700

A long time ago when I was going through a stressful time, a friend of mine gave me the keys to her getaway cabin............two days of weekend heaven, in what was then for me the unheard of Sunshine Valley! A sign marks the Valley as your heading from Hope (SV is located 19 km East of Hope) down the Hope Princeton Highway (or Crowsnest Hwy).......but for most of us it was a tiny blip on our radar and we drove right past it towards Manning Park Ski Resort or beyond.

Well I would like to say that weekend was fantastic........but despite the adorable cottage and pristine HEIDI like Alpine village setting....I was as sick as a dog the whole weekend, and for the most part didn't leave the bathroom...:-(

Fortunately I was allowed repeat visits.....and frankly I fell in love. So much in love that I ended up taking a job as the on site realtor broker for the Valley for a whole year! I moved up my three kids, rented an awesome Valley chalet and experienced one of those once in a lifetime...times of your life....

Our Back Deck.....

Hope Green is this Valley? :-)

Made daisy wreaths and pranced in the meadows....

We fished for Sockeye salmon in the Sumallo River......

During the winter this lake froze over and we'd take our skates and muffs and revelled in the Winter Wonderland!

Sunshine Valley Community Centre - indoor basketball, volleyball, party room......

Sunshine Valley Playground

Sunshine Valley has over 300 residential and recreational properties...and located only 2.5 hrs away from Vancouver...

Looking for a special mountain getaway minutes from Manning Ski Resort.......? Want to build your dream log home or chalet in an alpine wonderland? Give me a call.......I'd love to tell you about this 'almost secret' hideaway!

Lot for Sale - Check out my Blog - Build Your Perfect Retreat in Cedar Village $99,900

Check out my other posts about the Hope Area!

The Hope Slide - Canada's Largest Rock Slide, Hope, B.C.

The Friendship Garden - Tashme Japanese Internment Camp - Hope, B.C.

Chainsaw Carving Capital of the World - Hope

Kawkawa Lake - Hope's Hidden Gem - B.C.

Sunshine Valley - Hope, B.C. - A Little Bit of Sunshine !

Othello-Quintette Tunnels

If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos by Liz Moras ( except the one's I'm in!). All information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd..

You Think Your House is Worth WHAT?? Pricing Your Home to Sell

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:38:09 -0800

You Think Your House is Worth WHAT? Pricing Your Home to Sell

O.k., so you've looked on the Internet, you've checked the Real Estate Weekly - and you've talked to your Neighbors. You're pretty sure you know what you WANT your home to be worth. Next step? You call the Realtors in.

Everyone says you should interview 3 Realtors - so that's what you do! And sceptically you await their Verdicts! Does the highest Bid (because that's what it often is) win your Vote? Well it shouldn't and let me tell you why.

BUT Your neighbor's house just sold for XXXXX!

First of all, Realtors have access to the same information Online. By doing a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) they should be able to come very close to the Range of Your Home's Value. They will see which homes are currently Listed, those that will be in direct competition with Your Home; they will see which comparable homes have Sold recently; and they will ALSO see which homes have 'Expired'....(Listed But Not Sold). That's the Starting Point!

If you use a Local Realtor - which is what I Recommend- they'll also be able to take into consideration different factors about your neighborhood - like development, schools, safety, proximity to transport etc.

BUT Your House has been upgraded!

Now where no 2 homes are exactly alike - chances are we've seen most of the homes for sale in your area and have an inside view that you may not have seen. Even online photos won't give you a complete view of how these homes compare.

In many ways - it's the Buyer that ultimately determines the value of your home. A house is worth what somebody will pay for it. It's important to try and anticipate what MOST buyers will pay for it. If the price is too high - you may just end up remaining THAT Buyer! If your home should by some chance sell for more then the estimated value, remember the home still needs to be Appraised for the Buyer's Bank, and if it's overpriced it just may not!

BUT That's What INEEEEEEEED to Get for My Home!

There is the odd time that a home is unusual and there are not direct comparables, sometimes this requires a trial and error strategy where we have to gage potential buyer responses in order to fine tune the price.

Another factor is the current 'Real Estate market'. Is it a Buyer's market or a Seller's market - or is it balanced? What kind of standing inventory is in the market in your price range. These will all factor in to your pricing.

The value of a home can also be estimated in part by using the price per square foot calculation. But you do have to use a sliding scale of adjustment. The 'core' of the home is worth more then the peripheral square footage. ie. the price per sq. foot for a 1000 sq. foot rancher will be higher then that of a 3000 sq. ft. basement home.

Should you start higher - after all - you can always come down??? No! If you do that you should be charging your competitor a fee for helping them sell THEIR home!

Remember the most critical time for selling your home is in the first 30 days. Longer then that you can bet your bottom dollar, (and unfortunately that's probably what it will end up being) that the Buyer will be paying attention to your 'days on market' when making both their buying decision and price point!

How do you know if your house is priced right? Feedback! Your Realtor will be calling to get feedback on showings from both the Buyer and their Realtor. If you've had over 6 showings and have been on the market for 3 or so weeks that should give you some idea of what the market thinks. Unusual or high end homes could be the exception here though.

Sometimes the most important factor is YOUR motivation. How motivated are you to sell? I know a lot of Seller's like to tell us that 'they don't HAVE to sell'.......and in most cases that's true - you don't! But if you do want to sell your home call a Realtor that knows your market and will be honest with you - because that's what a professional does - they Help you Price Your Home to Sell!

If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz  Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos taken by Liz Moras and copywritten. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.

Five Things I Like About Myself - From That Chilliwack Girl!

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:13:28 -0700

Today I met with a Fellow Broker for Lunch - We chatted, we commiserated and we scratched heads and finally......We came to the conclusion that a Realtors' worst enemy was - guess who? No........not the Buyer ...not the Seller........but.....You Got it! :-) It can be hard to sell your Clients on your Value - when you're not sure you have any......

Can you think of 5 things you like about yourself? Ok...Can you think about 5 things you like about yourself as a Realtor? I hope so - but it just might be more difficult then you think?...It's a funny thing but...typicallywe're our own worst critic aren't we? Since our primary relationship is the one we have with ourselves - maybe its not the time to be modest. No... no need to be Boastful or Narcissistic either.......but lets be real?

This just might be harder then you think....Hint: think about the traits you like most in other people...Also think about some of the positive things people have had to say about you.

More then likely you're going to have a hard time sharing some of this because you won't want to come across as prideful......but is being truthful prideful? Maybe...But this is really about acknowledging yourself for your positive traits. After all, we've all heard that its pretty darn hard to love someone else if you don't love yourself. If you can be honest about all of it...

If you could come up with 5 new things you like about yourself each day......you're self esteem and sense of self worth might just get a boost.

Take the time to experience yourself ...maybe the way you would experience someone you love and admire. It would be a smart thing - to become your best Companion and Supporter in this journey called Life :-)

Do feel free to share your Fav 5! :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: A little disingenuous asking others to share their Fav 5 without me putting mine out... :-) My dilemna - as I mentioned in one of my comments - was ....that I can think of 5 or however many traits that I think are good -and then in the same breath I can think of a time when I wasn't that way - but thats probably true for everyone I imagine.....?

1.) Incredibly Curious - I believe my first word was Why? and then Why? and then Why again?

2.) Reflective - I'm always reevaluating - How could I have done it differently? Where could I improve?

3.) Re-Inventive - Is that a word? Perhaps another word for starting all over again.....I've had many an occasion in my life where I've had to started all over again......so I guess that would bring me to...

4.) Courageous - your life is just 'your life'.....but sometimes it takes someone else to point out things you take for granted - which has made me realize - what I have been?

5.) Passionate - about what I want from life - and what I want to give in my life - you know - that 'fire' burning inside that drives you on and on to be the best you can be....sometimes its smolders and almost goes out - but you keep stoking it - and then sometimes it burns very hot and very bright? :-)

Speechless Sunday - Poppy Fields

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:22:57 -0700

Copyright © 2010 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.

Vancouver Seven Day Express - Chinatown

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:41:12 -0700

Chinatown has always mesmerized me; fascinated and tantalized me, but it's been years since the last time I prowled it's streets. Minutes from the Waterfront Station and next to Gastown, Chinatown has a mystique all it's own. Apparently it is the 2nd largest Chinatown in North America - next to the one in San Francisco.

With scents and sounds all its own, I wandered down the streets and the alleys intriqued by the the Chinese Medicine Shops - carrying herbs and untoward animal bodyparts - thinking this is a topic I really would like to know more about...Interspersed with Chinese tea shops, restaurants, unique architecture and memorials, not to mention yummy bakeries.

I eventually succumbed to temptation and bought a delicious coconut cream filled bun. As I traversed back and forth across the streets and checked out one market after another, produce, fish and poultry.

I couldn't help wishing I had a Chinese friend that could translate for me - since all the signs were in Chinese - and half the produce I didn't even recognize! One thing I did recognize though was that the prices were significantly cheaper than that of my local Superstore!

The Vancouver Seven Day Express

The 7 Day Vancouver Express – Day 1 – Gastown

Speechless Sunday - Do You See What I See?

he Vancouver Seven Day Express - Vancouver's Terracotta Warriors

Views from a Chilliwack Real Estate Kiosk - The Rhythm of the Mall

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:47:39 -0700

Our office now has a Kiosk in Cottonwood Mall. Yep 14 of us Realtors pay to sit for a couple of hours 2 or 3 times a week to meet and greet ~ I've always enjoyed people watching...but who has time these days other then at a stoplight?

Well here I sit, nestled between Cobbs Bakery where I get to inhale the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread...

And the Flight Centre - where there's a huge map of the world and I get to fantasize where I would like to put a pushpin next.

And the rest of the time I get to talk about Real Estate - and who doesn't like to talk about Real Estate? The people come, and they pause and watch our Two Big Screen T.V.'s with scrolling images of our office listings.

They pause to talk about prices, market conditions, mortgages, and sometimes about 'their Realtor' who currently has their home for sale. Just to make sure they have their home priced right and doing everything they should :-)

Other then that...there are the babies in buggies, young love strolling hand in hand and oh did I tell you there's a Chatters Hair Salon across the way too? I get to watch the ladies walk in and then see the Big Reveal when they walk out! :-)

There's also the mother and teenage daughter who like to discuss household chores a decibel too loud. The guy that tells his girlfriend its ok to go into another shoe store :-) I watch the tanned and leggy 20 somethings and remember when. The guys with the 'black socks' and sandals......The elderly pushing their walkers in a painfully slow rhythm. The retiree who likes to tell me about his tools (no really) and how many air miles he's collected.

Fat, skinny, young, old, loud, silent....The Rhythm of the Mall.

And maybe...just maybe....one day I'll sell a house :-)

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos by Liz Moras(except the one of Claire). All information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd..

The ActiveRain Manual

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:07:37 -0700

"Learn More. Get More. Do More. Be More."

Speechless Sunday - Emerald Glow

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:00:35 -0700

Friday's Fotos - Rapunzel, Rapunzel!

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:45:44 -0700

Speechless Sunday - Do You See What I See?

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:56:36 -0700

The Vancouver Seven Day Express - Vancouver's Terracotta Warriors

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:23:22 -0700

It seems like Vancouver can't get enough of the fiberglass street statues........During the Olympics it was Orcas, we've had eagles and bears too, and now its dozens of sculptures modelled after the 2,200-year-old terracotta warrior statues unearthed in China decades ago.

The warriors — each painted by a different artist — will be auctioned off Sept. 27 with the proceeds going to the BC Lions Society Easter Seal Houses and Easter Seal Camps for children with disabilities. In the meantime they're fashioning the corners of our streets, fascinating and yet somehow they feel lost in time...

Read the Vancouver Sun for the history of the subterranean terracotta warriors as well as a photo gallery of the Vancouver statues. If you’d like to see them in person, 24 Hours has a map pointing to the location of each sculpture.

The Vancouver Seven Day Express

The Vancouver Seven Day Express – Day 1 – Gastown

Vancouver Seven Day Express - Chinatown

Speechless Sunday - Do You See What I See?

The Vancouver Seven Day Express

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:59:51 -0700

It's been a whilie since I've been on Active Rain - and as I was writing up this blog on WordPress and for Facebook I thought I really should get back to my 'first-love' - Active Rain!

So.....

A suburbanite being an urbanite for seven days ~ isn’t that the cat’s meow? Having lived in the country now for almost a dozen years, The Chilliwack Girl is realizing that she might really and truly be a city girl at heart. So when this two week job stint came up requiring me to work for one hour on a West Coast Express train trip to Vancouver – stay in Vancouver for 8-9 hours & free to do as I wish and then work another one hour on the trip back to Mission, I for one was not about to look a gift horse in it’s mouth. (Where do these idioms come from???)

Since it wasn’t likely that I’d be taking a vacation this year, I thought I’d turn these 7 days into a mini vacation. I would become a tourist in my own city – Country Mouse would become City Mouse for 7 days! So equipped with my little Pentax, my journal, and not always the best walking shoes, I decided to use only my transit pass and my feet to start exploring.

So from Gastown, Chinatown, Dr. Sun Yet Sen Gardens and Robson Street, to the Sea Bus, Lonsdale Quay, the West End, Granville Market, The Vancouver Art Galley, Vancouver Aquarium, Coal Harbour Sea Wall, Stanley Park Seawall, 14 Starbucks and 8 Street Food Trucks – stay tuned for my Vancouver Touristy Adventure – The Vancouver 7 Day Express!!

The Vancouver Seven Day Express – Day 1 – Gastown

Vancouver Seven Day Express - Chinatown

Speechless Sunday - Do You See What I See?

The Vancouver Seven Day Express - Vancouver's Terracotta Warriors

The 7 Day Vancouver Express – Day 1 – Gastown

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:44:01 -0700

So public transit, where I come from is a four letter word. Out here in Chilliwack we can only dream that one day we will have any form of transit taking us to Abbotsford never mind down-town Vancouver (Greyhound excluded of course – put does that fall under the category of transit?). In the past couple of years I’ve had the privilege of taking advantage of the public transit systems in both Toronto and New York and frankly I became a transit junkie. For a whole week in each of those cities I managed to make my way and see a million sites with no car! I came out of the whole experience with “I Would Walk 500 Hundred Miles for You” playing in my head!

Day 1 of The Vancouver 7 Day Express

It’s 7:30 a.m., I’ve skidaddled from Chilliwack to Mission, Port Haney, Maple Ridge,Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody and arrived at the Waterfront Station on West Cordoba St.in the middle of down town Vancouver. Where to start? Well I did think a little ahead and managed to order online the Entertainment Guide Book forVancouver. Bonus: Order online now (valid for only 4 more months this year) I was able to pick up the $40 book for only $5 – delivery included! It has a wealth of ideas not to mention kajillion coupons. Some are 2 for 1 which can be a problem if you’re travelling solo – but if you ask many places will give you a 50% discount instead – if not just grab someone else in line and offer them a 2/1 discount where they only have to pay half! I did that at the Stanley Park Aquarium and managed to save not only myself but my new BFF $12 on her admission fee!

So where was I? Oh yes, standing out front of the Waterfront Station:

The main station building is kind of cool – it was designed in a neoclassical style (I know that from the Art History Course I took this Spring with a row of white ionic columns both out front and inside interior hall with paintings depicting various Canadian landscape scenes.

Stepping outside and heading East (to your left its about a 5 minute walk to Vancouver’s historic Gastown. The area looks much sweeter than it did a while back when it was starting to look a little neglected. Based on the amount of tourists strolling on those lovely red cobblestones – it certainly seems to be a popular destination with the Gastown Steam Clock probably the highlight. Every twenty minutes or so – there’s a street person (I hope that’s a political correct term to use?) that starts a countdown calling ye ol’ tourists to come on down and watch the clock blow it’s top. I know this because one of my favourite coffee spots is the Gastown Starbucks which is located just across the street from it. Basically the clock is made to look like 19 th Century antique – and it’s powered by a steam engine. Click on the link to see in detail how it operates!

The rest of the street is filled with touristy stores, a couple of nice restaurants, the original and inexpensive Spaghetti Factory and Al Forno’s pizzeria are both good choices – and if you’re craving East Indian – Sitar is one of my favs!

A short walk away is the famous Gassy Jack’s Statue. John “Gassy Jack” Deighton sits in a shaded area shadowed by a large maple tree. It is here, under the ancestor of the Maple tree that stands there today where the City of Vancouver was conceived, on a barrel of Whiskey and a brave man who knew how to be enterprising. This curious yet interesting tale definitely draws a crowd to the very site that began the city that surrounds them.

Next stop Chinatown!

The Vancouver Seven Day Express

The Vancouver Seven Day Express - Vancouver's Terracotta Warriors

Vancouver Seven Day Express - Chinatown

Speechless Sunday - Do You See What I See?

Beautiful , Bountiful Chilliwack - British Columbia

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:36:05 -0700

The Beauty of Chilliwack

Chilliwack, British Columbia

"Chilliwack" is the name of the local Indian tribe and also of various geographical features. This Halkomelem word has the sense of "quieter water on the head" or "travel by way of backwater slough". The original spelling was "Chilliwhack".

This "city in the country" is becoming well-known as the "city of festivals". There are year round performances of live theater, music and dance, while sports tournaments draw curling, hockey, softball and soccer fans. There is even chuck wagon racing and equestrian events for country-style entertainment.

But for many, the out-of-doors beckons, and where better than Chilliwack to experience some of the wonderful outdoor recreational activities that await. Camping, swimming and hiking are just a few of the activities that can be done at nearby, lakes such as the popular Cultus Lake. Neighbouring lakes are a haven for fishers and boaters alike along with offering all manner of water sports. The mountains draw bikers, hikers and campers.

If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz Moras of HomeLife Glenayre Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.

20 years later - Why did I become a Realtor?

Liz Moras Migic, Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:23:11 -0700

My 16 year old daughter asked me the other day why I became a Realtor. The discussion on the table had to do with her choices post grad - trade school- college- university- what would it be? Well I

definitely feel there are benefits to all - however my preference would be university....University forever? Not necessarily.............She said she couldn't justify the expense because she wasn't sure what she wanted to study.........As a matter of fact she pointed at me..... YOU went to university....so what are you doing Now as a Realtor...??.....I mean we all know you don't need a degree to practice Real Estate!

And that set me thinking.....20 years ago if someone had asked me why I wanted to be a Realtor......well there were a number of reasons.........independence, as a single parent it gave me flexibility when i needed to be with my children.....i felt the sky was the limit in terms of the potential.......I felt that my rewards would be directly proportional to how much work i invested in the career.........man it was win win - and almost no equity investment! I was told I'd need 6 months savings in the bank.........not to burn my bridges and keep one foot out the back door, just in case...

(i think i forgot to mention that i was wearing dorothy's lucky red shoes, and they kept taking me down that yellow brick road, from one home to another!).but I threw caution to the wind............in the wake of a recent divorce, and 2 children under 3..............AND .....believing ?...there was No Failing.......... I sold $100,000 in my first 3 months..............A trip to Hawaii, a new car, and a brand new house..........wow and a single mom at that.........man i'll tell you i needed to prove that i could do it all by myself! No. 1 in my office.......year 1..........what drives us? Different things at different times........

If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz Moras of HomeLife Glenayre Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos by Liz Moras (except the one of Claire). All information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of HomeLife Glenayre Realty Chwk. Ltd.