Tuesday, May 31, 2011

NEW LISTING Super 2bed 2 bath end unit condo at Pinnacle Pointe!

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front of building
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view from deck
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Super end unit condo at Pinnacle Pointe! 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and overlooking the pool, Quail Ridge Golf Course and Ellison valley! This unit is large and feels large. Super close to Kelowna International Airport and UBCO. Great investment potential as short term rentals are allowed. There is a gym, secure underground parking, amenities room and of course the great outdoor pool! Live the resort lifestyle in the sunny Okanagan Valley!

For 21 high resolution photos, Google Street View, details please visit: www.1421PinnaclePointe.com or call Trever Florko @ 250.859.5990 to view! 

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? Part 4

part 4

Additional Costs: At some point we will have also reviewed an un-numbered page with a ton of little writing, which itemizes other ‘costs born by the Buyer/Seller’ in the centre of the page. There is an abundance of information on this page that is very redundant to what we just went over.  However, I need to explain the costs for you.

First of all, keep in mind that these costs are all approximate.  You are going to have legal expenses. The figure you should probably expect to pay is $800 - $1100 for legal expenses.  That will cover your legal fees, your drafting documents, your land title registration fees, the conveyance of the title-basically everything your lawyer is going to do for you.

The big cash outlay that you need to be aware of is the Property Transfer Tax (PPT).  There is a possibility that you will be exempted from Property Transfer Tax but you have to satisfy all of the following criteria: 

1.  You need to be a resident of British Columbia for at least a year. 

2.  You need to finance at least 70% of your purchase price, which means you can’t have a down payment larger than 30% of the cost of the house. 

3.  This has to be your first purchase. If it’s your first purchase for you and not your spouse, then you are eligible for 50% reduction of the Property Transfer Tax. This is something that you will have to discuss with your lawyer. Unless you are absolutely certain that you are exempt from the PPT, be prepared to pay the tax.

Property Transfer Tax is 1% of the first $200,000 and 2% of the balance. For instance, if you purchase a home for $450,000, you will be paying $7,000 in PPT. If the purchase price is $400,000, you will be paying $2000 on the first $200,000 and $4000 on the second $200,000.  That makes your total PPT on a $400,000 purchase $6000.  

Because mortgage rules are always changing, things may be a little different today then when this was written. REVIEW YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION WITH YOUR MORTGAGE BROKER/LAWYER. 

The next important financial concern is the property tax adjustment. This is very difficult to calculate because #1, we don’t know what your taxes are going to be and #2, you have to decide whether or not you are going to pay your taxes with your mortgage payment or as lump sum at the end of the year. The amount that you pay the Seller or the amount that the Seller pays you in your Statement of Adjustment depends on the possession date that you choose.
The property inspection is another expense you will incur as a Buyer. An inspection will cost anywhere from $250 to $400.  Depending on timing, it can take up to a week to book an inspection and have the completed report in your hands.

You may also need to have an appraisal done.  If you are putting 25% or less down on your property, you may need to have a CMHC appraisal, which costs about $200.  If your down payment is more than 25%, you may have to have a separate appraisal done and that is about $250.

Remember, the inspection and the appraisal costs will be plus HST.

Subjects/Conditions: The conditions (what you may have heard referred to as the 'subjects') are legally called the conditions precedent. What that means is that you have to be satisfied with the conditions you outlined in your offer before there is a firm deal.  At this point in time, if the Seller signed this document, they cannot get out of this contract. The only person who can get out of it is you.

We have put a number of conditions on the contract for a couple of different reasons:
1.  Our office has a policy that we insist on certain conditions.
2.  We want to make sure that you are completely protected and are allowed to complete you due diligence to be certain the home is right for you.

Financing: The first condition is the condition of financing. We have made the offer subject to financing satisfactory to the buyers on or before (the date you agreed to).


TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.


Saturday, May 28, 2011

This app is the best BC real estate search tool available in the App Store!

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If you have a chance you should download this free Real Estate iPhone/iPad application. --> Real Estate App

Great News! My partner and I have just developed the first and ONLY real estate search App/tool that is exclusively geared towards buyers looking for their dream home in beautiful British Colombia.

THIS APP COVERS ALL MLS LISTED PROPERTIES IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

This app is the best BC real estate search tool available in the App Store! Designed for use on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to instantly find houses, condos, building lots, town homes and more for sale anywhere in the Province of British Columbia.

The BC Realty App is specifically designed for searching MLS® listed real estate properties for sale anywhere in British Columbia, Canada. It offers very user friendly tools which allow a buyer the ability to select exact criteria that is important in a home/property. The criteria lists are very extensive and allow the user to really scrutinize the features of a home and focus their search to only those properties which meet their needs.

This app was entirely designed by two very experienced Realtors® who know home important it is for buyers to have detailed information at their finger tips. There are other apps out there which promise to assist buyers in their home search but really fall flat and have ultimately failed in some very key areas. The BC Realty App was originally developed and born of the idea to offer buyers more details on properties and help to assist them in their home search in a very mobile friendly way!

A message from Trever Florko and Jason Neumann (Realtors® and Developers of the BC Realty App):

“We know that with the right tools buying property can be an enjoyable experience. It may never be a stress free process but we can certainly help to mitigate the frustrations of searching for the perfect home or property. We hope you find this tool as useful as our past and current clientele do. We thoroughly enjoy our careers as Realtors® and we want to help as many people as possible realize the joy of home ownership. To that end, we are here for you should you have any questions about a particular property. We are also able to help explain current market conditions and refer you to another great local agent if the property is outside our board area. We ultimately are here to assist you and we look forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and we would appreciate any feedback you may have regarding this app...Have a great time out there!”

Trever and Jason

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Features Include:

  • Instantly access the most accurate and up-to-date Real Estate listings in British Columbia.

  • Multiple photos, property details, open house information and pricing on nearly any home for sale in B.C.

  • Using the GPS in your mobile device users can find homes near their current location and have them plotted on a map right before their eyes OR select and search any location on the map which may be of further interest.

  • Save your favorite listings/searches for reference at a later time.

  • Share your favorite listings with friends & family, even your own Realtor® or via numerous Social Networking sites.

  • Instantly contact a Realtor® at the push of a button to answer questions on a property via text, email, phone or request a call back.

  • View listings one at a time in ‘map view’ or all on one scrolling page in ‘list view’ - List view orders your selections according to price and show a picture and some basic information so you have the opportunity to speed up the search process.

  • Search specific MLS® Listings simply by inputting the MLS® Number.

  • Seller Info: Information on the best ways to sell your home effectively.

  • Buyer Info: Information on the best ways to save money during the home buying process.

  • Get to know more about BC Realty App creators and Realtors®, Trever Florko and Jason Neumann via their professional and personal bios.

  • Instantly donate to Easter Seals which helps to send local special needs children to summer camp!

If you have a chance you should download this free Real Estate iPhone/iPad application. --> Real Estate App


TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

SOLD!

Resizer

This BRAND NEW home is the cream of the crop! Centrally located on a quite street in the heart of Kelowna and walking distance to the beach! This home boasts an open plan with a huge top of the linegourmet kitchen. There are 3 large bedrooms upstairs 2 with full walk in closets. The basement is all roughed in for a self contained suite with separate entrance, laundry and all! The builder can finish the basement to fit your needs if desired. Now back to the kitchen...Huge windows let in tons of natural light. There is loads of room for entertaining your guests around a massive granite eating bar with built in sink. Top of the line stainless steel appliances are included in this deal. Glass top stove and French door fridge with ice and water dispensers to boot! Granite counter tops, brushed nickel fixtures and Espresso coloured, Maple cabinetry are all yours in this dream kitchen. Nearly the entire main level is engineered hardwood flooring and tile. The home also features many upgrades: Continuous Hot water system, Air Source Heat Pump, High efficiency furnace, Central Air, Central-Vac, oversized and over height attached garagewith stamped concrete drive/walkway! The exterior of the home features Hardi-Plank siding, Low 'E' windows, fully landscaped VERY LOW MAINTENANCE YARD, underground sprinklers and it is all fully fenced.

Simply put you are getting a beautiful new home in the heart of Kelowna...walking distance to the beach, shopping and parks....everything you need and move in ready....Impress your friends! BUY THIS HOUSE!!!!!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

New Listing - Pinnacle Pointe 2bed 2bath corner unit! only 298K!!

Super end unit condo at Pinnacle Pointe! 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and overlooking the pool, Quail Ridge Golf Course and Ellison valley! This unit is large and feels large. Super close to Kelowna International Airport and UBCO. Great investment potential as short term rentals are allowed. There is a gym, secure underground parking, amenities room and of course the great outdoor pool! Live the resort lifestyle in the sunny Okanagan Valley!


TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? Part 3

(Part 3)

Clause #10

is for you, the Buyer.  What it means is that about three or four days before closing, your lawyer or notary will call you and tell you right to the penny of the amount of money that you need bring in to close the deal. So it will be your entire purchase price, plus all your legal fees, and adjustments and taxes and things that we’ll discuss later minus your mortgage and down payment. You will have to bring that in as a certified cheque, bank draft, or lawyer/notary trust cheque. You cannot just bring in a regular cheque.


Clause #11
This clause is basically for the lawyers. It states that the lawyers will prepare the documents in a form that can be registered at land titles.


Clause #12
t
alks about time being of the essence. Basically, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, this clause pertains to you. You must make your best effort to remove your conditions. In other words, the Seller is going to take their house off the market to give you time to do your due diligence, make sure you get your inspection done and you are happy with it. You also need to ensure you get your financing and you are happy with it. By signing this document in clause # 12, it means that you are going to do everything you can to remove all conditions as quickly as possible.


Clause #13
describes a situation where you have to trust your lawyer to take your money before you have registration of your new house. The Sellers have to trust their lawyer to give up registration before they receive their money. Basically, at some point somebody has to trust somebody, and it comes down to the lawyers acting under a trust arrangement in this situation. 


Clause #14
has already been covered.


Clause #15
is for you.  Clause #15 states that the costs of putting together the mortgage and conveyance of the title are your responsibility.

Clause #16 talks about risk. Simply put, if anything happens to the house or any of the included items like appliances or the furnace or the water heater up until 12:01 am on the Completion Date, it is the responsibility of the Seller. If anything happens anytime after that, it is your responsibility. 

So, if the house burns down or the water heater packs it in, or something happens to the washer and/or dryer, if it’s included in the contract, it is the Sellers responsibility up until 12:01 am on the Completion Date. It is your responsibility after that! Caveat Emptor (buyer beware). This is probably the most important clause in the contract from a liability point of view.

Clause #17 Basically what Clause # 17 says is that anyone who signs the bottom of this document is responsible for whatever is written above it.  If they pass away, their heirs become responsible for this contract.

Clause #18 basically underlines that the only details that both the Buyer and Seller can be held to is in this contract. We have to do our own due diligence to make sure that everything is verified. Here is an example-if the listing sheet says that there is a water softening system in the home and it isn’t there on Possession Date, you cannot sue the seller to buy you a water softener because it is not outlined in the Purchase Contract.

Clause #19 is about agency disclosure. There are three types real estate relationships. 
Single agency means that both the Buyer and Seller have separate Realtors from different companies. When there is a Realtor for the Buyer and a Realtor for the Seller, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, my responsibility is obvious. My job is to get that house for you at the best possible value possible. It is the other Realtor’s job to look after the sellers.
Dual agency happens two ways. One situation is when both Realtors work for the same company and the other situation is when there is only one Realtor working for both the Buyer and Seller. 

In the last situation, the law says that I have to be fair to each person. In other words, if the sellers tell me that they will go to a certain price, I cannot tell you that and vice versa. I actually cannot disclose about price or personal characteristics or motivation. (Remember, you will already have reviewed and signed a limited dual agency agreement and the Working with a Realtor document, paying special attention to the dual agency portion.)

In this situation, there is only one Realtor representing the Buyer and the Seller. There is an obvious conflict of interest. What the law and both of these documents state is that, as a Realtor, I have to back off when it comes to three different pieces of information. They are price, personal characteristics and motivation. In other words, if you tell me that you’re going to make an offer of $440,000 on a $450,000 house but then you tell me that, if you have, to you will go to list price, I can’t tell the Seller that. If they tell me that they want you to come up to $445,000 but if they have to, they will accept your offer of $440,000, I can’t tell you that. I have to be fair to both parties. (“Are you O.K. with that?” I asked that question. You said, “Yes”  (most people do).  You had already signed the Limited Dual Agency Agreement, and Working with a Realtor before we even wrote the offer, of course.  I am sure you understood what dual agency meant when we reviewed it together.  This is a topic I would ensure you did understood.

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK

Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Only one in existence. Floating home on Okanagan Lake with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths

Only one in existence. Floating home on Okanagan Lake with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. Large Kitchen/Living area, several decks, great master suite, could be bed and breakfast. Self contained with solar and wind power and a back up generator. Quality finishings with extensive use of oak. Fully equipped, furniture and appliances included. Built with all necessary permits. Licenced by Coast Guard with a transferrable GPS location.

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? Part 2

(Part 2)

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? 

Remember the last time you sat down with your Realtor to write an offer on your dream home? You were so excited that you did not really pay much attention to the Realtor as he/she reviewed the details of your offer? You know what you offered to pay for the property and when you plan on taking possession but your eyes probably glazed over when your agent started reviewing all the legal jargon. Does this sound familiar? You said “uh-huh” and “Yes, I understand all of that perfectly.” The truth is you probably did understand everything at the time but then you got home and you thought. “So what did I really sign?”


Here is the answer to that question! This is a breakdown of the complete Contract of Purchase and Sale in layman terms.  Now you can sit back and read what you signed up for when you were working with your agent.


Paraphrasing the Contract of Purchase and Sale:
We are going to pretend that we are still together while you read this, fair enough? I also am going to pick some arbitrary numbers and facts to put into this offer for the purpose of this explanation.


The language.... “Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, what we are doing is making an offer of $450,000 including a deposit of $10,000. You will pay $10,000 within 24 hours of removal of all subject to conditions.”  This means that once you have removed all your conditions, including conditions about financing and home inspections, you will give us $10,000 as a deposit on the property.


Clause #2
explains that we (the real estate company) will be taking your deposit monies and holding that money as a stakeholder. This means that the money is no longer yours and it is not the seller’s either. We are holding it “in trust” for both parties. If the deal is to go ahead, that money will become part of your purchase price.
If the deal does not go through and you do not remove the conditions, that money goes back to you as long as the seller signs off on it. There is very rarely a problem with that, but should the seller have a problem they could hold up the return of the funds. Do you understand this?


Clause #3 describes
T
erms and Conditions.  We write in “See attached  addendum #__ on pages __ to __” because there is usually not enough space there.


Clauses #4, #5, #6
outlines the dates. 
Completion is the date that the title of the property actually transfers into your name. As you can see, the completion date is one day before the possession and the adjustment date. The reason for that is that Land Titles is in Kamloops and it takes an extra day to do the completion.
Possession date is the date that you actually receive your keys and can move into the property.
Adjustment date is the date the lawyers calculate that all of the taxes, levies, and any fees associated with the property due up to and including the adjustment date.  Usually, 12:00 noon on the adjustment date is when you will actually start paying for any utilities or taxes and everything that’s involved with the ownership of the house.

Clause #7 (The Included Items:)The Included Items are basically the things you want included in the purchase of the house but are not nailed down or directly attached to the property. This includes things like the fridge and the stove, the washer and dryer, pool cues and the pool table, the built-in vacuum and all attachments. It is sometimes appropriate at this stage to put in things that actually are fixtures like the built-in dishwasher just to make it absolutely clear that they cannot be taken away.

Some sellers, when they’re not informed properly by their realtors, think that if it’s not in the contract they can take it whether it’s attached or not...then you get a nasty surprise on move in day.

Clause #8 is pretty self-explanatory: The property and all included items will be in substantially the same condition at the possession date as when previously viewed by the buyer on (insert date you saw the home).

Clause #9 and #14 are for the Seller. They mean that the Seller is going to give you title, free and clear from any writs or covenants or liens or caveats, or charges against the title. By signing this document, the Sellers are authorizing their lawyer to pay out anything that’s against their title and so that they can give you a clear title.

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK

Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mountain goats on west side road in kelowna

Finally I get to see one:-)

Photo1

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Choir at mission hill winery may long weekend

But what year;-)

_IMG_0031.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The neighbor is having a furry safari! :-)

Get your safari hat on!

Photo1

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

A bartender trick from my past...it's a good one!

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Friday, May 20, 2011

Making meatballs!

So my lady is making meatballs...and they look AWESOME!! :-D

Photo1

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? Part !

 (Part 1) This section shows an actual Contract and then speaks to the contract over the next few posts:

What Does An Offer to Purchase and Sale of Real Estate Mean in Simple English? 

Remember the last time you sat down with your Realtor to write an offer on your dream home? You were so excited that you did not really pay much attention to the Realtor as he/she reviewed the details of your offer? You know what you offered to pay for the property and when you plan on taking possession but your eyes probably glazed over when your agent started reviewing all the legal jargon. Does this sound familiar? You said “uh-huh” and “Yes, I understand all of that perfectly.” The truth is you probably did understand everything at the time but then you got home and you thought. “So what did I really sign?”


Here is the answer to that question! This is a breakdown of the complete Contract of Purchase and Sale in layman terms.  Now you can sit back and read what you signed up for when you were working with your agent.

Contract of Purchase and Sale.pdf Download this file

Check back soon for Part 2!!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK

Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Fun Things To Do In Kelowna and the surrounding area

Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm

Opals (local opal mine)

Oyama Zipline

Planet Lazer

Scandia

Sport Equipment Rentals

Westside Go Karts

19 Greens Kelowna Corp.


Want to explore more of the Okanagan?  Be sure to check out:

Atlantis Waterslides

Beaver Lake Mountain Resort

Big White Ski Resort

Casabella Princess

Davison Orchards

Fishing The Thompson Okanagan

Float The Penticton River Channel

Golf In The Okanagan

Loco Landing Adventure Park

Okanagan Amusements

Okanagan Regional Parks

Parrot Island Sanctuary

Penticton Speedway

Silver Star Mountain Resort

S.S. Sicamous Sternwheeler

Starlight Drive-In

Wineries

Now get out there and have some fun!!!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Central Okanagan Real Estate Monthly Statistics for April 2011 (Kelowna)

04_-_co_statistics_april_2011.pdf Download this file



TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Central Okanagan Real Estate Media Press Release for April 2011

04_-_co_april_2011_statistics_media_release_pdf.pdf Download this file



TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Little broccoli plant...grow baby grow:-)

Get big so I can eat you!

Photo1

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The first baby strawberry of the year!

Photo1

Yay! I can almost taste it! Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Mortgage Broker vs Bank Specialist

Mortgage Broker vs Bank Specialist
Mortgage

Do you know the difference between a Mortgage Broker and a Bank Mortgage Specialist?

T
he Mortgage Broker works for you whereas bank brokers are employed by their financial institution. A Mortgage Broker has the ability to offer you mortgage products from a number of lenders rather than just one source. You don’t have to change your banking, all accounts remain the same and your mortgage payment will come out as per usual.

M
ortgage brokers are paid the same amount no matter what rate is offered to the client; they are paid a commission from the lender (not the client) based on the mortgage amount funded. Bank brokers rate of pay is generally reduced in direct relation to the amount they discount your rate from the bank’s posted rate which why some clients find themselves having to “shop” around for a lower rate.

M
ortgage brokers use their knowledge and experience to negotiate the best possible rate and product for you. When you see a bank broker, that mortgage negotiating is typically left up to you.

M
ortgage Brokers must be licensed and must adhere to a strict set of rules laid out by the Mortgage Brokers Association. Bank brokers are not licensed and require no formal training.

B
ecause Mortgage Brokers don't work for a specific lender, you are assured that you will be given impartial advice. A bank broker has a limited number of products to offer and your situation may require a different solution than what they can give you.

F
or conventional financing, the services of a mortgage broker are provided at no cost to you. If there is a cost of any kind, (which is usually for private financing in the event that conventional financing is not an option; a very small percentage of mortgage lending), you will be advised of those costs up front.

If you have the ability to use the services of a professional Mortgage Broker and have that Mortgage Broker take care of your mortgage needs at no cost, why
would you not take advantage of that? Call me or visit my website – I would love to help you!

Karen Shale LendingMax Mortgage Specialist
cell 250.859.4126 office 250.768.2161 fax 877.803.6496

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(This message was written by Karen Shale who is a Mortgage broker and good friend she has gotten deals together that others have not! If you are a bank Specialist and take issue with this message send me one of your own and I will post that too...all is fair!)

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK

Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Did you know the following interesting facts about Kelowna, BC?

2009-08-29-ogopogo

Did you know the following interesting facts about Kelowna:

  • Kelowna was founded in 1905 and until 1925, it was entirely dependent on water transportation for all freight and passenger movement.
  • The word Kelowna means Grizzly Bear in Native/First Nations dialect.
  • Kelowna's total land area is 221.69 square kilometers.
  • Kelowna is located in British Columbia's Central Okanagan Regional District.
  • Kelowna is 471 kilometers east of Vancouver,BC.
  • Kelowna BC is 606 kilometers west of Calgary Alberta, 78 kilometers north of Penticton BC, and 54 kilometers south of Vernon BC.
  • With a population of more than 106,000, Kelowna is the largest city in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
  • The Okanagan Lake Bridge which connects West bank and Kelowna was opened on July 19, 1958 and operated as a toll bridge until April 1st, 1963. The Okanagan Lake Bridge was replaced by the William Bennett Bridge in May 2008. This new bridge has played an integral part in joining Kelowna and Westbank/West Kelowna.
  • There are approximately 44,985 residential homes in Kelowna,BC and in 2008 32,385 were occupant owned and 12,600 were rented homes.
  • As per a Census report published July 17, 2007. British Columbia's population remains one of the oldest, with 14.6 per cent being seniors, a reflection of its higher life expectancy. The proportion of elderly also rose in all of Canada's 33 largest cities, while the proportion of children declined. The oldest city in Canada was Kelowna, B.C., with 19 per cent of its population being elderly, while Calgary had the fewest elderly at just 9.4 per cent.
  • The Okanagan Sunflower is the official floral emblem of Kelowna and is also called Arrowleaf Balsamroot. The Okanagan Sunflower thrives particularly well in the Kelowna area and is one of the longest blooming wildflowers, providing abundant splashes of bright yellow on the hillsides in early spring.
  • The Kelowna International Airport’s official history took off in 1946, when Kelowna residents voted 466 to 460 in favor of purchasing the 320-acre Dickson Ranch in Ellison for $20,000. In 1947, the grand opening of ‘Ellison Field’ showcased a small terminal building, a 3,000-foot-long grass airstrip, and a variety of small aircraft. By 1997, annual passenger volumes had risen to more than 800,000, making it one of the fastest-growing airports in North America. To prepare for anticipated volumes of one million by 2011, the City of Kelowna embarked on a $20-million expansion program in 1998. The terminal building was doubled in size to 76,000 square feet, parking was increased to more than 1,200 paved stalls, and airside facilities were expanded to accommodate additional aircraft. These upgrades tripled the number the passengers the airport can service from 150 to 450 per hour and allow for the larger jets to land making international flights possible.
  • Okanagan Lake info:
    • Surface Area - 87000 acres
    • Mean Depth - 76 Meters/249 feet
    • Maximum Depth - 230 Metres/755 feet
    • Total Volume - 24,644 km (cubed)
    • Water Residence or Renewal Time - 52.8 Yrs
    • Shoreline Length - 270 km/168 miles
    • Maximum Width - 5 km/3 miles
    • Minimum Width - 1.5 km/1 mile
    • Average Width - 3.2 km/2 miles
  • Dilworth Mountain:John Dilworth was an early Kelowna farmer.
  • Knox Mountain: Named for early rancher, Arthur Booth Knox who arrived in the Okanagan in 1874
  • Ellison District: Named for Price Ellison, stock raiser and wheat farmer, who was a long time resident of the area. Ellison served as MLA from 1898 to 1916 and was Minister of Finance and Agriculture in 1910.
  • Oyama: Named for Iwao Oyama, a Japanese Field Marshal who fought in the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War.
  • Wood Lake: Circa 1860, Thomas Wood became the first settler in the area now known as Winfield, named for Wood's home, Winfield Lodge.
  • Ogopogo: The name Ogopogo came from a music hall song popular in the 1920's. Ogopogo has been called a Demon Fish, Snake, Sea Serpent, Big Lake Devil, Oar Fish, Giant Sturgeon, That Thing, And by the First Nations, N'Haatik. In 1926 the government announced that the new ferry being constructed for Okanagan Lake would be equipped with monster repelling devices.

Come visit Canada's four season playground and you may just find you want to stay a lifetime!


TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Window + Closet = Bedroom in Real Estate...or does it???


There is a common mis-conseption in Real Estate which revolves around the notion that you need a window and a closet in a room for it to be called a 'bedroom.' - NOT TRUE!!!

The fact is that all a room 'technically' needs to be called a bedroom is a window (and a probably a bed;-). Now any old window will not do...the window has to have a minimum of 3.767 square feet of OPENING space. It can not be covered by bars or have an locks or devices on it which make it so that the window can not be opened without the need for keys or special tools. Basically this is just a fire safety bylaw. Also another thing that can affect this are sprinklers. If the room has a sprinkler system in it then the window size changes again...to what? Even I can not find that out!

Now for the closet. Again we hear that a room needs a window AND a closet...well that is not true. After many phone calls to the Real Estate Board, Real Estate Council and after speaking to both my managing brokers the info I have is that closets are irrelevant when determining if a room is a bedroom....Realtors count on them to call a bedroom a bedroom more out of procedure then actually having to do so....since it is a precedent standard that agents count the closet I am told that some verbal or written warning should be made to the buyers agent before showing a home in case closets are important to the buyers BUT again there is not need for one to exist at all....technically. Reason is that you can add a closet to any room simply by adding a wardrobe...old homes, homes with lofted bedrooms or homes where the closet was once there but has since been removed are reasons why a closet my not exist. Lets say you have a swanky 'one bedroom' apartment...the kind where the bedroom is lofted and overlooks the rest of the unit. Lets also say that that bedroom does not have a closet. Does that mean you have to market the one bedroom unit as a no bedroom unit? Some may think so but they would be wrong. You just need to make some reference to the fact that there is no closet in the bedroom so any perspective buyer for whom a closet is important will be warned up front and they will not feel cheated if they show up to view the home only to find that there is not closet.

So there you have it...an often misunderstood real estate fact revealed.

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The view from my deck is nice tonight. Kelowna summer here we come!

Just sitting on the deck at my house and doing some work...it's the Okanagan dream...or just the best office in the world...hello bc!

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Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous

Saturday, May 7, 2011

My newest painting. Just completed it last night

Painting is something I just discovered. It is a fun way to get the creative juices flowing. It's a funny thing because I never know what I will be creating until the brush hits the canvas:-) I did however paint this painting for this room. Used the same paint I used on the walls!

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous

My latest painting...excuse the foot;-)

Yes...excuse my foot please.

Photo1

Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous

Thursday, May 5, 2011

New Client Testimonial! - If you are thinking of buying or selling give me a call!

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Trevor was great to deal with, he listened to our needs, and found us the home we were looking for at a reduced cost! Trevor was not a pushy Real estate agent, he was patient, knowledgeable, and always had our best interest in mind. I would recommend Trevor whether you need to find a home or sell a home in the Kelowna area.

Nathan (May 2011)

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate give me a call!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Untitled

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Sent on the go from my iPhone
TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my website: www.florko.ca
Follow me on TWITTER: (@TreverFlorko) http://twitter.com/treverflorko
Follow/LIKE me on Facebook: (Trever Florko - Realtor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trever-Florko-Realtor/56708391718

Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous

New and Better Real Estate Marketing! QR & Street Text

My partner and I, in an effort to make our listings stand out from the crowd and provide more information to prospective buyers, have re designed our Condo sliders! As you can see there are numerous ways for the buyers and passers by to get INSTANT information on the units we have for sale! 

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Buyers can:
-Scan the QR Code with their smart phone and have listing info sent directly to their mobile device!
-Text the STREET TEXT number from their cell phone and have listing info sent directly to their cell!
-GOOGLE  the personally created URL (eg: www.123MapleStreet.com) and see info on their smart phone/IPad/Tablet/Computer!
-Or the good old fashioned phone call!

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Trever

Always working smarter AND harder for you!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
Cell: (250) 859-5990
Office: (250) 869-0101
Fax: (250) 869-0105
Visit my WEBSITE
Follow me on TWITTER
Follow/LIKE me on FACEBOOK
Follow my BLOG


PS. Your referrals to friends and family are always greatly appreciated and rewarded.


Posted via email from Trever Florko’s Posterous