Anyone interested in seeing exactly how GJR’s attention to detail will translate into reality at Sheppard’s Island can now drop into the model suite, located at 600 Windmill Road, just down from Country Hearth and Fireplace.

The model suite isn’t an actual unit from the development, but instead is a representative sample of the main elements and style potential residents can expect to see in the finished building.

…The painting, depicting a view of Wright’s Cove as it may have looked 100 years ago, was commissioned from Zecha Rexhepi, a local muralist who teaches oils and water colours for HRM and has worked on projects as varied as Alderney Gate in Dartmouth to 18th century churches in Europe.

…For more information on Sheppard’s Island and the model suite, please contact Chris Bray or Shelly Sansom at 461-4017, or via email at chris@sheppardsisland.com and shelly@sheppardsisland.com You can also visit the development’s Web site at www.sheppardsisland.com.

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There are many aspects for your Canadian clients to consider when they are purchasing property within the country, such as the quality of local schools, the cost of financing, etc. Fortunately, as REALTORS® you have the resources to make their purchase process as easy and stress free as possible…. Even though the price in Canadian Dollars will remain a constant CAD$500,000 over the next 30 days, the cost to your client in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars will be fluctuating along with the currency market…. But, over the next 30 days the US dollar severely weakened relative to the CAD, and at the end of the closing period in early May the $/CAD rate had fallen to 1.1020.

…One way to protect your American or UK clients against these currency risks is to recommend a currency specialist like HIFX Inc., who offers a free service that can lock in an exchange rate for your clients for up to 2 years. Currency specialists can also typically provide a much better exchange rate than the banks at zero cost to your client, resulting in a 1%-3% tangible savings.

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In the village of Chester three properties sold late in the summer at asking prices of $1,500,000 (Back Harbour), $1,975,000 (Peninsula) and $990,000 (Front Harbour). All three of these properties were on the market for over 2 years and the starting asking prices when they came to market a few years ago were $2,500,000, $2,200,000 and $1,300,000 respectively.

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It is at HouseBlogs.net http://houseblogs.net/ Of the hundreds of members, 20 in Canada, there are two from Nova Scotia The Bookyeti and his house called “Pemberley “, then there is the King of Kentville and the “Kentville Money Pit “.

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With residential house sales slowing dramatically, Realtors like Bruce Drogsvold of Wright Kingdom Realty in Boulder suggest that sellers put their best foot forward…. Staging can mean rearranging furniture, putting extra items in storage and emphasizing any special architectural details, said Jan Short, owner of Designed to Move in Lafayette.

…In and around Boulder, houses that have been staged - usually vacant houses that are filled with trendy furniture pieces - sell 46 percent faster than those that haven’t, Short said, citing Boulder real estate sales statistics.

…Once the sellers agree to a home inspection, they can attach receipts to the finished report to show what was done to correct problems, said Jerry Chesser, a home inspector for Win Home Inspection in Denver…. When a seller is willing to do a pre-listing home inspection, it increases the real estate agent’s comfort level as well, said David Fish, an agent at Re/Max in Boulder, who pays for the $300 inspections out of his own pocket.

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A checklist of items to consider doing from the perspective of a Realtor.

One of a series of articles on real estate topics. All of the authors of “Speaking of Real Estate …” articles are full-time REALTORS® who work at Tradewinds Realty Inc. at one of our locations in Nova Scotia.

Checklist A – Important things to do before listing a house for sale
By Lynn Stewart and Paul Crocker, REALTORS®

Exterior repairs and touch-ups:

• Repaint or replace your mailbox. Mail boxes seldom age well, but they are a prominent part of the view at the front door that greets potential buyers.
• Clean and tidy up the garage/carport. (Plan on making a few trips to the dump.)
• Repair and/or paint eavestroughs, downspouts and soffits.
• Refinish the front door and polish any door brass.
• Grease the rollers on the garage door(s) and make sure that they work properly. Buyers often open these doors to make sure that they do – in fact – open.
• Replace all cracked or broken window panes. Thermal window panes (the ones with two sheets of glass with a sealed insulating air space between them) often age badly, with the seal failing and admitting humid air which usually results in condensation or “fogging” between the panes. These should be replaced with new inserts because they project an image of an ageing and neglected residence.
• If necessary, repaint the exterior and interior window frames and trim.
• Make sure that the doorbell is in good working order.
• Replace any warped/cracked/missing roof shingles.
• Make sure the house civic (street) number is visible and give it a fresh coat of paint if appropriate.
• Replace worn or noticeably faded exterior doormats with new ones.

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Speaking of Real Estate …

One of a series of articles on real estate topics. All of the authors of “Speaking of Real Estate …” articles are full-time REALTORS® who work at Tradewinds Realty Inc. at one of our locations in Nova Scotia.

Read the rest of this entry »

Speaking of Real Estate …

One of a series of articles on real estate topics. All of the authors of “Speaking of Real Estate …” articles are full-time REALTORS® who work at Tradewinds Realty Inc. at one of our locations in Nova Scotia.
Read the rest of this entry »

Speaking of Real Estate …

One of a series of articles on real estate topics. All of the authors of “Speaking of Real Estate …” articles are full-time REALTORS® who work at Tradewinds Realty Inc. in Nova Scotia.

Read the rest of this entry »

Parrsboro Doubling up on
By Martin van den Hemel
Staff Reporter
Sep 16 2006

The head of a local board game manufacturing business is bucking one trend and has become the buzz of a small town in Nova Scotia because of it.

Kerry Martens, chief executive officer of Headz Gamez International on Richmond’s Maycrest Way, recently announced plans to build a new multi-million dollar assembly plant in Parrsboro, a rural coastal community which has a population of only about 1,500 people.

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