Happy BC Family Day from all of us at The Bettina Reid Group! We hope you enjoyed this gorgeous long weekend with family and friends in the sunshine. 

This year has been by far the best summer we have had since moving here from Ontario. Although its been hot, the nights cool down quite nicely for sleeping so managing the heat during the day without air conditioning like we were used to back East hasn't been too hard.

One of the ways to enjoy this weather is to head down to the beach in White Rock and this weekend if you do you will get a chance to enjoy the White Rock Sea Festival which has been around for 65 years now. The White Rock Sea Festival promises to be fun for the whole family starting on Friday August 1st and running until Sunday August 3rd.

The White Rock Sea Festival has live entertainment, vendors, a torchlight parade as well as the 3rd annual Semiahmoo SUP (Stand up Paddle) Classic, Sand Golf and even a Children's Sand Castle competition, there's plenty to see and do at the Festival so why not make a trip down to White Rock Beach this weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather and all that the Festival has to offer. 

When you make or receive an offer to buy a property, it's important that you read and understand every clause. It is especially important to understand any conditions or any changes that are made to the standard offer.

An offer may contain several types of conditions. The most common are "subject to financing" and "subject to a professional home inspection." However, there may be other conditions as well.

You should be aware of – and fully understand – all of them.

In addition, the wording of an offer may change during the back and forth negotiations that often happen. Aside from changes to the price, other clauses may be added, removed or reworded as well.

A good agent will always ask you to initial changes. This is done primarily to ensure you know and approve of what you're signing.

A recent newspaper article tells the story of a buyer-seller legal dispute that resulted in a six-figure judgement against the seller. This was due, in part, to a lack of understanding of one of the clauses in the agreement.

You don't want that to happen to you. Take the time to carefully review and understand an offer.

Want to make sure everything goes smoothly with your next move? Give The Bettina Reid Group a call today. 

There are few things more traumatic than a home burglary. That's why it makes sense to invest in good locks and, if necessary, a good alarm.

There are also ways to work with your neighbours to prevent these crimes

from occurring. In fact, police say that watchful eyes are one of the best 

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend...check out Surrey's Fusion Festival. As their tagline describes they are "The Ultimate Celebration of Music, food and culture" One of the best multicultural festivals in the province.

Coming from Brampton, Ontario we had the opportunity to grow up in a very multicultural community. In Brampton they put on a pretty exciting multicultural festival each year similar to Toronto's Carabana. Brampton's festival is called Carabram, the main difference being that the festival is a little smaller with fewer countries participating and held across the city with each location being specific to each participating country, offering a wide range of cultural experiences. 

Surrey's Fusion Festival does a good job of bringing people together to experience the same idea just being held all in one location at Holland Park.  The festival is held over 2 days Saturday July 19th and Sunday July 20th from 11:00am - 10:00pm each day. They have 4 stages with hundreds of performers to entertain the crowd. Bruce Cockburn will be performing, for those of you that know who Bruce Cockburn is. :) As well, taste the flavours and learn about some of the amazing cultures that make up this big, beautiful city of ours. There's lots to do and see for the whole family.

For more information visit the festivals website at the following link:

Surrey's Fusion Festival

If you love Fireworks and you are proud to be Canadian then you do not want to miss out on the Celebration of Lights Fireworks Festival in Vancouver. The 3 day festival that starts Saturday July 26th, July 30th and then the finale is set for Saturday August 2nd. 

The Festival is a competition between teh United States who hosts the first Saturday night's event, then France hosts the one on the 30th and the Celebration of Lights Fireworks Festival finishes off on the last Saturday with Japan. All countries promising to put on a spectacular show. 

The Celebration of Lights Fireworks Festival is Vancouver's largest offshore fireworks competition in the World attracting over 400,000 people each year to enjoy the show from English Bay.

The fireworks start at 10pm, be sure to get down early to save a good spot to sit and enjoy the show!

5 Tips for Selling Your Home Quickly 

There are several reasons why you may need to sell your home quickly. For example, a job change may require a speedy relocation to another city, or you may have purchased another property and don't want to be stuck too long with two mortgages.

Here are some tips that can help get the sold sign on your front lawn sooner.

• Be realistic with price. If you set the listing price higher than the current market value of your home, then you're not going to get many, if any, viewers. You want the list price to be attractive, which means listing at the current market value.

• Get things fixed. You probably don't have time for a major renovation. So just make sure everything in your home is in good working order. Deal with any obvious maintenance issues, such as a leaking faucet or a gate hanging precariously on one hinge.

• Ensure your home shows well, inside and outside. Eliminate clutter. Trim hedges. Make sure every room has adequate lighting, especially the basement. Imagine that a special guest is visiting your home, then clean up and prepare accordingly.

• Be flexible with viewing times. You want as many potential buyers as possible to see your home. So don't restrict viewing times to just Saturdays. Make sure your home is as "available" as possible for showings. This may cause you and your family some inconvenience, but the reward will be selling your property sooner.

• Work with a good REALTOR®. Find an agent who understands the area and the local market well. He or she will be able to recommend a variety of strategies that will help sell your home faster, and for a good price.
  
  Of course, there's no way to guarantee that you'll sell your home within the time frame you want. But these tips will certainly increase the chances that you will.

  Looking for a good REALTOR® who knows the area well? Call today. 

When Someone is Upset with You

It may be a co-worker who feels slighted because of something you said at a meeting, a driver you inadvertently cut off on the way to work or a neighbour who's upset because your tree has branched too far into his yard.

It's almost impossible to go through life -- or even a week -- without someone becoming upset with you. It happens.

So how do you deal with it?

There's an easy technique recommended by de-escalation experts called the balloon technique. It works like this:

Imagine the other person's anger is like a balloon filled with air. If you get angry back, all you're doing is adding more air to the balloon.

Instead, simply let the person vent until he has communicated his frustration completely. (If he asks questions, say you prefer to hear him out fully before answering.)

Letting the other person vent with little or no interruption will help to "deflate the balloon" thereby de-escalating the tension. Then you'll be in a better position to deal with the situation. 

Most Common Moving Mistakes

Moving can be one of the more exciting phases of our lives, especially if you are moving to the Fraser Valley! Whether you are relocating to a different residence in the same area or to a different community altogether, moving is both an exciting and arduous process. There are literally thousands of meticulous steps that can be taken to ensure the smoothest possible transition. However, taking each step is overkill and it is best to take a more subtle approach and prioritize. Due to the deluge of moving information, tips, blogs, YouTube videos etc, sometimes it’s best to know what not to do in preparation for a move.

Nine Weeks Before

1. Failing to do adequate research.

By this time you should really be sifting through the web and all of its valuable information regarding any queries you may have about moving. 

1. Hoarding.

Use it or lose it! There is no need to keep old stuff that you will no longer have use for. Old possessions can be easily replaced. If you are overloaded with trash, there are multiple junk removal services that can help you get rid of your trash fast!

1. Not making copies of important records.

Due to the chaos that can be moving homes. It’s highly recommended that you make copies of any important archives that you may have such as medical records, financial statements, birth certificates, and school records.  

Six Weeks Before

1. Not ordering supplies in advance.

By ordering all the bubble wrap and boxes in advance you will be able to cross one more task off your list making things just a little less stressful as moving day approaches.

1. Wasting food.

Limit the groceries. There are exceedingly high chances that your freezer holds a lot of food that you may not have been aware about. Try to clean out the pantry and freezer one meal at a time.

1. Not keeping a detailed expense record.

Moving is expensive! Some employers will provide relocation packages that may help cover the cost of moving. Whether it be a flat rate or percentage, make sure to pay extra close attention to your expenditures. 

Three Weeks Before

1. Not booking a high quality moving company in advance.

Moving companies tend to be the busiest during the beginning and end of the month so if your moving day is planned around one of these time frames make sure to book well in advance!

1. Failing to notify important parties.

Obviously you may want to let your utility, cable, and water provider know that you will be relocating and no longer needing their services. In addition, it is important to notify banks, schools, and any emergency contacts of your upcoming move.

1. Not separating the “valuables.”

Any type of valuable that is easily transported and has significant value should be accounted for and transported personally with you. 

One Week Before

1. Not refilling important medications.

Better be safe than sorry on this one. 

1. Not packing a personal suitcase.

Sometimes your belongings will become shuffled in the fray of moving. Thus, having a personal suitcase is absolutely essential to the process. 

1. Not confirming with the moving company.

For a high quality moving company it would be rather unlikely for them to either forget or omit your reservation, save an unforeseen emergency. Therefore it would be best to double check just to be safe. 

One Day Before

1. Not defrosting the freezer.

This is one of the more common mistakes that can be made during any move and it can be a time delaying, therefore costly nuisance as movers are typically hired by the hour. 

1. Being unprepared for the movers.

It’s considered kosher to provide at least 10% tip and as they are lifting heavy objects around it would be nice to have some refreshments for them. 

1. Not taking inventory again.

Channel your inner accountant. The more meticulous you are, the greater the probability that you will be able to have a successful move and not leave anything behind!

Good Luck!

Guest Blogger - Jaron Clinton 

For all of you who read my blogs, you know I have been writing them off and on for years. In 2012 I committed to write a minimum of 5 blogs a week and many weeks, I wrote a new blog everyday.

Blogging has been around since before I started in the business. When I started in real estate, our office brought in speakers to encourage us to write a blog once a week or even just once a month. I couldn't figure out how to in the beginning, I kept over thinking it and had a really hard time coming up with topics that I thought would interest my readers. 

Then when I set my New Years goal for 2012 to write a blog as frequently as I did, I realized it didn't matter what I wrote about as long as I started writing. Over the last few years I have written not only real estate blogs but blogs about the community, local restaurants and anything I thought might be interesting to write about. 

My grammar may not be the best, because I tend to write like I speak...:) That was one of the reasons I didn't write blogs in the beginning. But now I figure my writing will give people a sense of who I am. 

I have been approached a few times to have guest bloggers and tended to shy away from it until this year. Going forward if the writing doesn't seem like mine...it probably isn't. I have decided to change things up a bit and allow select people to become guest bloggers for my site and look forward to starting a new phase in my blogging by doing this. I have also joined the Yummy Mummy Club which is a large forum of bloggers, blogging about everything and anything. 

If you are interested in being a guest blogger on our website feel free to pop me an email or give me a call.