The process of buying a home fills the average buyer with excitement, uncertainty and some fear. This is understandable when you consider that purchasing property is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make during your lifetime.
However, hunting and buying a home can also be a fun, stressless and educational experience if you have the right guide! It would be our pleasure to be your guide to finding the right property.
Let us take care of them for you. Our advice is based on an intimate knowledge of the local housing market and you can count on our commitment to serving you with integrity and competence.
Whether you are a first-time home buyer or a savvy investor, we will ensure the transaction is completed competently and professionally.
We are happy to discuss how we can make the home buying process enjoyable, stress- free and a successful experience!
Before you start your house hunting process, there’s one essential step to save you time and make it a lot smoother: get pre-approved for a mortgage today.
Most Canadians think the first step in the home-buying process is to contact a realtor and start looking at homes. This isn’t correct. The first thing you should do is apply for a mortgage pre-approval. After all, if you find a home you like, you’ll want to move quickly. Being pre-approved for a mortgage removes an extra step in the process and allows you to be more efficient with your time with your home search.
Being pre-approved also helps you know how much you can afford to spend and allows you to shop and write offers with confidence.
Once you have been pre-approved for a mortgage, you need to ask yourself two important questions: 1) Where do I want to live? 2) What type of home do I want?
Once we determine your needs and wants, we can begin to look at homes that match your criteria. Flushing out a needs versus wants list is a worthwhile process to refine your home search. We can assist in helping you determine this based on our knowledge of the local markets and our past experience helping other buyers find the right place to call home.
Once we know what you are looking for we can create custom searches for you through the Matrix Listings Portal, which provides you with up-to-date, minute-by-minute access to existing homes for sale, new listings, price reductions – all directly to your inbox based on your requirements.
As longtime established REALTORS in the Okanagan, we also have other tools available to us to help you find your next home: 1) Private Sales, 2) Networking with other agents, 3) Social Media, and 4) Sphere of influence are just some of the other tools available to us in order to find you the right property.
Once you’ve found the right home, it is time to submit an offer to the seller! Writing an attractive offer – but also one that protects you and your interests – is vital. As experienced contractor writers and negotiators, we are here to get you the best possible outcome. Once the offer is accepted, we will then be able to conduct our due diligence on the property based on the offer’s terms & conditions, which typically includes clauses like: Financing, Home Inspection, Insurance, Title Search, etc. We will help you research all the relevant items and information to ensure there aren’t any issues that will affect the use or value of your potential purchase. We will also assist you in making the necessary arrangements and make sure that the entire process runs smoothly and on schedule.
Once the conditions to the contract have been removed and the deposit is collected, that’s when the “Sold” sign goes up. At this point the paperwork work is forwarded to each party’s lawyer to assist in the completion of the sale, which is when money and title change hands between the buyer and seller.
When you work with Team Martin to help you find and buy a home, you get the benefit of working with our team of reputable industry professionals to ensure the purchase goes smoothly and that it’s the right property for you. From lawyers & notaries to home inspectors and mortgage brokers – we can put you in touch with trusted people who eat, breathe and sleep real estate like we do!
There are six common mistakes home buyers make especially when buying their first home or condo. These common home buying mistakes are:
There are many reasons why you should consider jumping into the real estate market and buying a home. Below is a list of 9 reasons why you should seriously consider it.
Why contribute to someone’s mortgage payments when you could be paying off your own?
You don’t have to worry about your house being sold out from under you to out-of-province investors.
The price of real estate continues to increase every year. Therefore, purchasing real estate is one of the safest long-term investments a person can make.
Right now we have some great interest rates which will help you get your foot on the first rung of home ownership. It is a great time to get into the market and lock into a really good interest rate and build equity.
One of the biggest reasons people buy properties is the pride of saying they own something.
If you own your own house, you don’t ever have to worry about the owners checking up on you since you are the owner!
One of the best things about owning a home is that you are building equity, which gives you more freedom financially as you can access a home equity loan.
You are free to do what you want in your own home, whether you want to paint the walls in pink and black zebra or put carpet on the ceiling (not recommended of course!)
Owning a house gives you a feeling of belonging in that neighborhood, along with a sense of putting down roots and getting established.
READ MY REVIEWS
BEST of KELOWNA
100% Club
Platinum Club
RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award
I am focused on providing you with the best results and service in the industry. I listen carefully to understand your real estate goals and work hard to create solutions that make sense for you. Whether you are new to the market or an experienced investor, I have the expertise, proven track record, and resources to help you achieve your real estate goals.
As is often said, real estate is about location, location, location. I have extensive knowledge of the Kelowna, BC area and can help you find the right home for you or the right buyer for your home.
My strong negotiation skills help his customers reach the “Best Deal” possible when Buying, Selling or Investing in Real Estate in Kelowna and area. Honesty, Integrity and a Customer Service attitude ensure my clients total satisfaction whether or not your relocation is local or long distance.
Certified Payroll Manager
Economic Studies Certificate
Bookkeeping Certificate
Payroll Certified Practitioner
Sam is indispensable and adaptable. She brings a wealth of experience to Team Martin and exemplifies an eye for detail, efficiency and resource management. Her background in numerous areas, including small business ownership, bookkeeping, inside sales, client services, advertising/marketing, contract management, event coordination, accounting & payroll, make her a tremendous resource and the ultimate swiss army knife in helping Derek & Charles bring top notch service and marketing to their clients. Her support and assistance allow Team Martin to operate at a high level of efficiency no matter how big or small the challenges are in the fast paced environment of the Okanagan real estate market.
100% Club
Platinum Club
Re/MAX Hall of Fame Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Numerous Top Office Producer Awards
Numerous Top 100 in Canada Production Awards
For over a quarter of a century, Charles has been making a difference in the lives of his clients in Kelowna, West Kelowna and throughout the Central Okanagan. As one of the area’s top real estate professionals, he understands how important a sense of place is for a homeowner or a prospective home buyer. Charles knows that a home is many things to many people, but most of all, it is the centerpiece around which many cherished moments occur. He values these moments in his own family and in serving his clients he has the opportunity to help them to find a very special place that is distinctly their own.
If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in Kelowna, West Kelowna or the rest of the Central Okanagan, or just have a question about the highly complex local real estate market that you’d like to have answered by a knowledgeable, experienced real estate professional, then contact Charles and let him put you where you picture yourself wanting to be.
MCNE – Master Certified Negotiation Expert
100% Club
Platinum Club
RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award
RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award
Derek Martin is a longtime resident of the Central Okanagan and a firm believer in the Okanagan way of life. His own father has been a successful licensed real estate agent in the Valley for 35 years, providing Derek the opportunity to learn exceptional service ethics and gain sound insight into our complex local markets.
With over 9 years in help desk support and network administration, Derek exemplifies an eye for detail and accuracy, as well as superior troubleshooting and multi-tasking abilities. His high-tech background serves to his client’s advantage, providing access to current web-based technologies and techniques to successfully aid them in buying and selling their homes.
A dedicated husband and father, when Derek isn’t busy helping people buy and sell real estate he is spending time with his family enjoying all the Okanagan has to offer in wine touring, golfing, mountain biking, fly fishing, snowboarding and hiking.
Derek is known for his can-do attitude, friendly demeanour and customer service oriented approach to business which will make your next real estate experience a successful one. Call Derek today for all your real estate needs; because it’s not just a house, it’s your home.
