Recent Blog Posts by Jeff Gingerich

Top Ten Things I Love About Living In Westvale #5

As the snow melts and it starts to feel like Spring, the neighbourhood comes alive.  You begin to see more people out for a walk enjoying the relatively mild weather.  I read a blog post last week about a lady who was struggling to clear her driveway of snow with her husband away and 2 small children to care for.  It recounted how her neighbour failed to offer ...

The Mystery of the Disappearing Toilet

When I was a kid, I used to read a series of mystery books involving the Hardy Boys.  Each book would see the brothers tackle and solve a mystery.  Real estate doesn't have many but recently, when a client took possession of their resale home, a mystery ensued. Remember the excitement of buying your first home?  As a Realtor, the experience ...

The Funny Side of Real Estate

Real estate is a serious business and part of our job for our clients is to alleviate stress.  One way to accomplish this is through laughter.  While listening and laughing to Century 21 Colonial's Kelly Lantz get "punked" by a local radio station, I was reminded of my own moment of real estate apprehension.  It was a cold January day in 1996.  I was the "duty" agent ...

Will you be the next victim of a For Sale By Owner?

The sign above brings a bit of levity to the topic of For Sale By Owners(FSBO).  First, what is a For Sale By Owner?  This is a seller trying to sell their property without the use of a real estate agent.  The most common reason is to avoid paying a commission to a Realtor.  Many will "co-operate" and pay a commission to a buyer's agent and some refuse to pay anything.  However, ...

Sunday Funny

As Realtors, we often struggle with how to describe rundown homes without offending the seller.  Everyone has heard the real estate euphemisms "needs TLC"(tender loving care) and "lots of potential". While researching the history of a home a buyer has interest in, I came across this subtle gem from 1995.  In the Realtor remarks, the listing salesperson indicated the "owner ...