Recent Blog Posts by The Don Miller Group Team

Real Estate Stats for December 2011 for The North Okanagan - Read It Here!

Ok, so what happened in the world of real estate in December 2011,in our area, the North Okanagan? This area comprises of: AdventureBay, Alexis Park, Armstrong, Bella Vista, BX, Cherryville, Coldstream, Commonage, East Hill, Enderby Falkland, Foothills, Grindrod, Harwood, Lavington, Lumby, Mabel Lake, Mission Hill, Okanagan Landing, Predator Ridge, Silver Star, Spallumcheen, Swan Lake ...

Our Excursion into the Forest to cut our Own Christmas Tree!

                    Last weekend my wife, Anne and I applied on-line for a Christmas Tree Permit from the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations web site. The web site states some rules to follow, like not cutting trees in watersheds or too close to power lines. It also states size limits ...

A Gift From Mrs. Claus For the City of Vernon!

....Look what Mrs. Claus just brought into the Century 21 Vernon office! ....a cheque for Vernon's Food Bank....... Thank you Santa & Mrs. Claus!.....it's very appreciated and will help to make a joyous Christmas to Vernon's needy families! ...and thank you to all who donated in this year's Realtor Food Drive......we will be out picking up donations this evening!    

You'd Better Read This If You Want To Sell Your Home..............

You may want to read THIS before you get ready to list your home for sale or more importantly before your first Open House!.....remember when potential buyers first enter your home they don't want to be confronted by...... .........................................CLUTTER!                        ...

Don's Prize Winning Wine!

Here's me, pleased as punch with my prize winning wine at the Interior Provinical Exhibition last weekend! Don entered his wine in the IPE wine judging. He won 2 third place ribbons, 1 second place, 1 first place and that gave him the agregate award. So he won 5 ribbons, a wall plaque and a Silver Tea set. Pretty impressive for his first time entering. Now he wants to figure out how to improve ...

Perhaps You Might Want To Change A Few Things Before The Open House!?.......

Here are some funny photos of what NOT to display when you show your home for sale!........ Everyone likes ornaments but....seriously? I'm not sure if I'm in a Museum of someone's home?!..... " um Good Morning, did you sleep well?"   Always remember that if you really want to sell your home, then first impressions are everything! Ask us about our staging information and our ...

Real Estate 101 - Does Your Kitchen Need Upgrading Before You Sell Your Home?

Ultimate Guide to Choosing Countertops: Pros & Cons                                                    If you've ever undergone a big kitchen renovation, ...

Real Estate 101

What To Do When The Asking Price is Too High? If a seller insists in listing above current market price, agents can go for it but should do so with a strict time limit in mind.  The seller needs to understand that there will need to be a price reduction if the home hasn't had an offer after 3 - 4 weeks. Leaving it on the market without any necessary adjustment only accumulates days ...

We're thinking about buying a home in the next year or two. How can we best prepare for a home purchase?

  I have a lot of people asking me how to best prepare for a home purchase in the next year or two. How much should you save for a down payment? My recommendation for a down payment: 5-10% minimum, try for 20% or more if possible. What should you do before actually starting to house hunt? Save, save, save that down payment. Keep paying any bills and/or credit on time. This ...

North Okanagan Real Estate Stats Just Released For April 2011.... Read On.....

The statistics for home sales in the North Okanagan have just been released. Here are the results from April 2011....... Residential April 2011 Sales.......47 New Listings....204 Current Homes for Sale........808 Days to sell a home.......74 Average Price of Home........$360,034 How do they compare from one year ago?  Read On....... Residential April 2010 Sales............... ...

First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit

               Since this is tax season, we wanted to remind everyone that the Federal First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, introduced in January, 2009, is still in existence. If you acquired a home after January 27, 2009 as a First Time Home Buyer you could save some taxes! The First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit is a non-refundable ...

Curb Appeal! - Come On, It's This Easy!

  Whether you're looking to sell your home or just keep up with the Jones', these few easy steps will make sure your house is admired by just about everyone who passes by. Help me! My house looks nice inside, but the front yard just isn't up to par. I hear so much about curb appeal but it's hard to figure out where to start. What are the most important things to do? Home Rescue: True, you ...

Quarterly house sales spike

Sales of existing homes in Canada during the first quarter reached its highest level in a year due mostly to the voracious demand for houses in Vancouver and Toronto. The Canadian Real Estate Association said seasonally adjusted national sales activity in the first quarter was up 4.5 per cent over the previous quarter, and reached the highest quarterly level in a year as national ...

Spring Yard Clean Up

If you are thinking of selling your home, or if your home is listed for sale, NOW is the time to get your yard cleaned up. This includes removing all dead leaves and plants from the lawn and garden, tidy up the garden edges, prune and remove the garden waste. Also, don't forget to sweep the driveway, sidewalks and patio. Set up your deck and patio furniture, remove any hanging baskets full ...

Mortagage Changes in Canada - Will It Affect Buyers?

Mortagage Changes in Canada - Will It Affect Buyers?   There are changes to the mortgage rules announced this morning by Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Apparently pr-emptive action is being taken because of the growing concern by the Bank of Canada over rising household indebtedness.   The key mortgage changes are • Mortgages with amortization periods longer ...

Our Annual Magnet Calendar Painted By Artist Anne Miller!

Original Artwork by Okanagan Artist Anne Miller - wildflowers on Silverstar Have you ever wondered where those magnet calendars that we send out at this time of year come from?  We are priviliged to have Okanagan artist, Anne Miller, who just happens to be Don's wife, paint us a scene from the Okanagan every year! Anne takes the original and then gets prints made up and creates ...

Come And Meet The Don Miller GroupTeam This Saturday, October 23rd 2010!

Come on up to Davison Orchards in Vernon, British Columbia and meet The Don Miller Group Team! We will be up at Davison Orchards celebrating the annual Pumpkin Festival this Saturday, October 23rd from 9am onwards so why not come on up and catch up with what's been happening in the real estate sector of this fine Okanagan Valley!                                               ...

Our Jacqui At The BC Lions Game in Vancouver!

Great Photo of our Jacqui Hughes of The Don Miller Group snuggling up to "Leo" the Lion at the BC Lions game against the Edmonton Eskimos held at Empire Stadium (outdoor field!) last Saturday night. Best Way to Keep Warm! Jacqui is a big BC Lions fan and still loves them even if they did lose!  GO LIONS GO! Follow Jacqui on        http://www.twitter.com/JacquiHughes

Real Estate Sales Statistics for North Okanagan Home Sales for September 2010 - Read it Here!

Real Estate Sales Statistics for September 2010 - Read it Here! Click on this link to view the September stats for real estate sales in the North Okanagan http://bit.ly/bzwrzH What does this really mean? Residential listings (single family homes) - 69 sold last month, that's a whopping 15 more than in August! The current inventory of residential homes for sale stands at 743 ...

Welcome To The Newest Member of The Don Miller Group!

We would like to introduce our newest member to The Don Miller Group!  Chance Wilson joined our team in September and we look forward to the success and enthusiasm he will bring to the group.                                             ...

Welcome To The Newest Member of The Don Miller Group!

We would like to introduce our newest member to The Don Miller Group!  Chance Wilson joined our team in September and we look forward to the success and enthusiasm he will bring to the group.                                             ...

Listings that sell quickly are priced right for the market.

Here are some interesting points put forward by Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, and a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of "House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide."   By Dian Hymer "Some listings in prime, high-demand markets come on the market and sell quickly, ...

Getting Ready For Your Open House!

Great article on how to get ready for your Open House quickly and easily!  Read on....... Getting Ready For Your Open House by Phoebe Chongchua                        Many sellers have a love-hate relationship with open houses. They love them because open houses bring potential ...

Are McMansions A Thing Of The Past? Watch This Today Show Update on Real Estate!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Have You Got Lots of Tomatoes To Use Up At This Time Of Year?

Tasty Tomatoes Lots of tomatoes to use up? This is a tasty mix to use with just about anything. Serve over pasta or rice; put in lettuce leaves, or use as a side salad with a meal.   Ingredients 2 cups sliced tomatoes, or rehydrated tomatoes ¼ cup olive or good oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar ½ tspn dried mustard 1 tspn salt ½ tspn ...