Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might be able to help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

We recently got a call from clients (I’ll call them James and June). We had helped them purchase a beautiful new 4 bedroom 4 bathroom townhome in East Abbotsford in March of 2009.  Now two years later, their family had outgrown the townhome and it was time to buy a house with its own yard and suite for extended family.

James and June put some time into showcasing their home...making it look as close to new as possible and then we started marketing their property.  Through our marketing campaign we had 7 showings and within 12 days an accepted offer that was within 1% of the asking price.

Now it was Marlene’s turn to “Go Shopping” with James and June.  Marlene was constantly sifting and sorting through the many possibilities available, narrowing the field from well over 100  homes to the top 25.  Location, size vs. asking price, and condition were the top three variables.  Then the showing process began.

As a buyer, James and June found it interesting.  In today’s market, some realtors don’t coach their sellers on how to stage their home...what to do for the showing and more importantly what not to do.  How some homes don’t show well and others show awesome!

Just over a week of shopping went by and James and June found the perfect home.  Right area, right size and right price.  Here is an interesting note...it had only been for sale for a week.   When we accepted the offer on James and June’s townhouse, this property was not even on the market yet.  This seems to happen a lot in today’s market.

Marlene did all the “evaluation homework” on sales in the neighbourhood, giving James and June enough information to make a wise decision.  The offer was negotiated (price, dates and included items) and James and June are now celebrating...they are not homeless, and found just what they were looking for!

Congrats James & June!

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

PS - Who is the next person you know who has outgrown their home and needs to upgrade?  Call and introduce them to us 604-859-2341.

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might help you or someone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

Nine years ago we had helped clients, I'll call them Jim & Barb, purchase a basement entry home in Abbotsford for themselves and their 2 kids.  Since then, their needs had changed adding 5 foster kids to their family and more space was needed.  Jim, Barb and the kids were feeling squeezed.

That's when we received a call from Jim.  There was a larger home on 3 acres that was just put for sale with a huge shop – it was the perfect setup.  

Marlene showed it to Jim & Barb and put them in touch with our mortgage broker.  Within a day, Marlene had written an offer and negotiated a great price for Jim & Barb.  All that was left was to sell their current home.

We had already completed our Pin Point Market Evaluation, so all that was needed was to sign the paper work, prepare their home for showings and take pictures for our internet marketing campaign.

It was a mad house at Jim & Barb’s place for almost a week – pressure washing, cleaning, replacing broken garage doors, bark mulching and de-cluttering.  During this time we were already pre-marketing their property and working on calling Realtors and buyers who may consider Jim & Barb’s place.

Thanks to our Marketing Campaign, we had 17 showings within the first day that we made Jim & Barb’s house available for showings, and by the end of the day we had 3 offers!  After all the negotiations, we accepted a cash, non-subject offer – Sold!!

In the end, Jim & Barb said that they were surprised I was able to negotiate perfect dates, and even more money than they thought their house was actually worth.

Congrats Jim & Barb!

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

PS  Who is the next family you know who is bursting at the seams and needs a new home with more elbow room just like Jim & Barb?  1) Pick up your phone, 2) Dial our number 604-859-2341, and 3) Introduce us to your friends and how we can best help them. Thanks for not keeping us a secret.

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might be able to help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

Recently, I was talking with friends (I’ll call them Dean & Jane). Dean was doing some bodywork for me on my car and mentioned that they had been contemplating selling one of their rental properties and was wondering if we would consider working with them.

Before viewing their rental property, I sat down with Dean & Jane to find out what was really important to them. They talked about the last time they made a move…and about the immature realtors they had used. Then we talked about what I could do differently for them and how our marketing plan worked.

I showed Dean & Jane the current stats on home sales in their price range, what the market outlook was this spring, and the different commission options available.

We talked about timing and any issues that we may run into selling the property…as well as how we would handle the two sets of tenants (the property had a basement suite also rented).

After our initial consultation – we had a look at the property…and Marlene and I worked on the evaluation to “pin point “ the price.

After reviewing the sales of the other homes, as well as the properties available and the three pricing options…Dean and Jane said they would prefer a quicker sale (one of the tenants was leaving and that way they wouldn’t need to deal with finding new tenants in a hurry).

Our team started to market their property on March 4th and by March 10th we had negotiated a great offer with a closing date at the end of March. Yes, there were a few details to iron out including the financing, home inspection and roof…but by March 18th - Marlene, Laura and I had dealt with all the issues that sometimes make our jobs challenging…the property was sold!

What did Dean and Jane think?  Jane called and said that they were so impressed with the way things went…it was so different than the last real estate experience they had...and asked if we would consider working with their parents!

Congrats Dean and Jane…thanks for trusting us with your business and trusting us with your parents!

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

PS - Who is the next person you know thinking of making a move this spring? Is your parents’ house too big and it’s the right time to downsize…or what about the young couple looking to buy their first home? We are just a phone call away!

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might be able to help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

A few months ago I met a young couple (I’ll call them Stan & Jill) who had purchased an investment property in April ‘09.  They got a great deal on it…a fixer upper that would be a good flip.

Stan & Jill busily got to work on their new purchase (never moving into it as they had their own place already) with tons of upgrades and updates

They relisted the property with their realtor in Oct ‘09. Then relisted it again in Jan 2010.  Then in May 2010, they listed the property with two other realtors in hopes for success.  But 406 days later, this wonderful investment was turning into a “Ball and Chain” and just would not “go away”.

Stan & Jill were intrigued with our marketing system & 3 pricing options (and what to expect for each price range)…but what really excited them was our World Class Update System.

Every Thursday we would give them all the feed back about our marketing, # of showings, realtor & buyers’ comments…as well as other competing properties.  The last realtors they used were tough to track down and wouldn’t call them back for days…so they really didn’t enjoy their experience over the past 406 days.  

Marlene & I spent over 3 hours on researching their property and other properties that sold in the past few months…plus homes that were currently for sale.  Showing all the data to Stan & Jill and the 3 pricing options just blew them away.  It was nothing like their other realtors had done for them.

We put their property for sale, started our marketing campaign, & you would never guess what happened?  15 days later we were negotiating an offer.  I worked through a few glitches with the buyer’s financing and Stan & Jill’s “Ball and Chain” was sold (within $2,000 of the asking price).

Congrats Stan & Jill…it’s time to relax!

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

PS - The next time you are in a conversation with a friend , family member or neighbour, and they mention they may need help selling their home or buying a larger home...we are just a call away.  Feel comfortable giving our time and expertise to the people you care about!  (When this happens…take out your cell phone…look up my cell number and call me immediately at 604-855-6464).  Your loyalty and introductions are appreciated.

Dear friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might help someone you introduce to us.  I want to tell you a story that I haven’t told anybody!

Recently our client, I’ll call her Sara, introduced me to her friend Russ.  Russ was a hard working nice guy, who was finding that things were tightening up in his financial life and really didn’t know what to do…so he did what many people do…and just stopped making payments.

He had fallen behind in a lot of areas…especially the municipal tax payments to the point where he got “The Letter”  (tax sale—the city was going to sell the property).

While reviewing his situation, we found he still had a great equity position – that he could sell and pocket over $50,000 after paying everyone.  I made some suggestions on how to best showcase the property for selling purposes and reviewed 3 different prices to consider.  Russ chose a price that we thought would achieve a sale in the next 30 – 60 days.

Things were going like clock work with showings and we did get an offer accepted within the first 37 days…but there were some buyer issues and subjects were not removed.

As the market continued to soften. our property began to appear overpriced.  So we refined our asking price to reflect other properties that had recently sold as well as properties that were for sale.

Then it happened—within 7 days we had found the right buyer, and after some encouraging and negotiating we got the right price…it was sold!  As for Russ, a big sigh of relief…he had his life back and a large amount of cash in the bank. The stress had evaporated.

In our current buyers market, with over 10,000+ listings in the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, there are so many great buys available. Buyers are having a hay day with the low interest rates and with so many homes to consider—finding the perfect place to call home is very attainable (currently prices are in line with 2004 – 2005...what a great 

time to buy!!)

Congrats Russ…thanks for trusting our team with marketing your home.  Even with all the financial pressures you were under, you truly were a pleasure to work with.

Your real estate consultants for life…

Larry & Marlene

PS—Are you the “Sara” in someone’s life?  Knowing there are financial pressures and a way to get out from under the load? Why not tell your friend about this success story and let them know there is a way out.  We would be happy to help the friends you introduce to us with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Give us a call at 604-859-2341

Dear friends…just a quick note to let you know how we can help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

Our sellers (I’ll call them Jim and Jane) had wanted to downsize their mortgage, cost of living and basically simplify life.  In order to do that, they asked us to market their beautiful custom 2 storey home.

Over the years, I have found that every seller has a game plan with different values, timing and other issues that are important to them…so with that in mind, I gave Jim and Jane 3 pricing options.

Initially, they chose a price higher than any of the 3 options…hoping someone would fall in love with their property. Through our marketing efforts we had 8 showings but no offers, so the test price was refined after 5 weeks…still at a higher price with the understanding that timing was of no consequence and they were prepared to wait for a buyer who would really love their home.

We continued our marketing campaign and although we had 27 showings within the next 3 months, the realtors and buyers felt Jim and Jane’s home was not offering enough to warrant the asking price (the buyers were wanting more for their buying dollar...more square footage, more land, more bedrms, view etc. compared to the other properties they were viewing)

All we could attract was a subject to sale offer of a home that was overpriced, and was for sale with a realtor that didn’t have a lot of

experience. There is a big difference in working with an amateur vs. a professional…and this deal didn’t go anywhere.

During our last monthly marketing update, Jim and Jane realized their price was not at the “Offer Generating Price” and asked what was it going to take to make it happen…to make it sell (they were tired of all the cleaning, the appointments and the showings and wanted to move on with their life plans).

The direction they had taken over the last number of months wasn’t working, so I asked them if I could now be the realtor…and they could be the seller.  They agreed…so we referred back to the 3 pricing options and chose price option#1.  In 9 days we had 7 showings and I negotiated an offer within 1% of the asking price.  We put the “sold” sign on and Jim and Jane are celebrating.

Congrats to Jim and Jane on their sale and the next steps in “life simplification”

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

PS— Who is the next person you know that could use our help?  Marlene and I would love to coach them and help them understand today’s Real Estate Market.  Your introductions are appreciated and we would enjoy helping those in your sphere of influence with a World Class Real Estate Experience.  Give us a call at 604-859-2341

Forget the ties and socks gifts!  I was never into that, but deep down I do love an adrenaline fix now and then…

Guys, remember when we were kids and we did wheelies on our bikes and rode with no hands?  That’s where it all started for me!

Growing up on a 40 acre raspberry farm had its perks!  I was driving tractor by 6 years old and knew how to drive everything.  True story—at age 12, I was stopped by the cops driving my dad’s dump truck on the road—no ticket was given, but I was so glad I had not been caught driving one of our 3 school buses used to haul pickers!

For me, the “speed thing” started all at the ripe old age of 12.  I bought my first motorcycle and one day complained to my dad, “I have tried so many times but can’t seem to get it to go over 100 miles per hour!”  Say goodbye to that bike!

Learning basic mechanics on the farm and now with no motorcycle, from age 13 to 18, I started my first project car—a Hot Rod 1938 Chev Coupe with a custom built screaming 327 engine and a 4 speed Hurst shifter, 4:11 posi rear end and big wide tires.  Wow!  I still remember that first big smokey burn out—sidestepping the clutch at 7000 rpm—hold on—hey, I think the front wheels are off the ground!!

At 19 years old, I got my private pilot license—lots of adrenaline there especially when I crashed the plane!  The good part was God was not finished with me yet!  It wasn’t time to take a dirt nap.  What’s next???

Got married at 25 (that’s another adventure in itself).  By 27, I thought it would be fun to own a boat.  Ah my first boat!  It wasn’t quite what Marlene was expecting—a Cougar flat bottom drag boat with a High Horsepower 8000 rpm 454 cubic inch engine, a tunnel ram with two 270 double pumper 4 barrels and big chrome headers.  I raced it for 5 years, running a 10 second quarter mile (120-130 mph on water was a good feeling for me).

Then came Jared, and I needed to teach him basic life skills, driving our lawn tractor, quading and doing wheelies, learning to slalom water ski, bare foot, wake board, sky ski, then motor cycling and snowboarding…

So dads, Happy

Father’s Day!  Plan a day filled with

memories!

Larry

Dear friends… just a quick note to let you know how we can help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing to us.

Recently, Rona & Chuck called us to have a look at their home in Chilliwack, give them an idea of value, and how we could help them market their property.

Rona is pregnant and they want to move to Abbotsford before the baby is born...as their life/community seems to revolve more around the Abbotsford area than Chilliwack.

After reviewing our marketing campaign, Chuck and Rona felt we were the best option available (they had already interviewed 2 other realtors from the Chilliwack area).

Then Chuck gave me the ultimatum...you recently sold my sister’s home in under a week and my mom’s home in just over a week...and we would like the same results (wink, wink) J

This was a tall order in today’s market and we knew we had our work cut out for us.  I spent hours on the proper description of the property—what was unique about Rona and Chuck’s home compared to “so many others” that were our competition.  Then I got my “a-ha” brain wave and started the process.

Through our marketing efforts, Chuck and Rona received 3 showings within 6 days, and it was showing #3 that fell in love with their place.  Through the negotiating & coaching process (and an offer and a counter offer later), Chuck & Rona’s place was sold (for full price JJ!!!)

There is the old saying “the harder we work, the luckier we get” (or maybe we just “got blessed”).  Chuck says, “It’s a family thing” with The Siebert Team and the Loewen family...we just work well together.

Congratulations Rona and Chuck!

And now it’s Marlene’s turn to find them the right property in Abbotsford...before baby comes!!!

Your Friends in the Business, 
Larry & Marlene
Re/Max Little Oak Realty
604-859-2341

P.S. Who is the next person you know who would benefit from this kind of help and coaching when selling their home?  Your introductions are appreciated and we would love to serve your friends, neighbours, and relatives with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Dear friends…just a quick note to let you know how we might be able to help someone you introduce to us.

Recently our clients Tim & Sylvia and their mom Esther, decided that it was time to look for a new home that would give Esther a nice bright upscale basement suite with lots of windows and room enough for Tim, Sylvia and their 3 kids.

With that in mind Marlene started to show Tim, Sylvia & Esther homes that matched their criteria, and sure enough… they found a beautiful 2 storey home in Sandy Hill under construction that was roughed in for a suite. This home had almost every item in their “wants & needs” list plus a fantastic, incredible view. But now what?

We spent hours on Tim & Sylvia’s “Pin Point Market Evaluation” giving them 3 different prices to choose from. Tim & Sylvia chose a price that worked with the timing they wanted - and our team started the process. 

Through our “94 Step Marketing Campaign”, we negotiated a full price offer within a week of being for sale…and immediately Marlene wrote an offer on the home that they had found a week earlier.

Now it was time for us to start marketing Esther’s place, yet it was mid Dec and she was leaving the province to be with family during the Christmas season.  Did she want it for sale when she was away?

After reviewing our “Pin Point Market Evaluation” Esther selected one of the 3 “price vs. timing” options - pre-signed the paperwork and she left for her trip. It was from Ontario we got the phone call to “go ahead & make it happen”… and that’s what we did. Our marketing campaign kicked in and within days we had 2 buyers who fell in love with the property… and I was able to negotiate a great price for Esther's home (over the asking price).

What a way to start the new year!  Congratulations!!

Your Friends in the Business, 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

PS. Who is the next person you know that is thinking about combining households? Give us a call and introduce them to us! Marlene and I would love to serve them with the same “World Class Experience” Tim, Sylvia and Esther received. (Esther…thanks for introducing your neighbor to us…we just found a buyer for their place also!!)

Just a quick note to let you know how we may be able to help you or someone you introduce to us.

For the past number of years clients have been asking, “When is the market going turn around?”  Well, if you own a house in Abbotsford in the $300,000-$550,000 price range, then the window of opportunity that you have been waiting for is RIGHT NOW!! 

In February, the First Time Buyer Property Purchase Tax exemption was raised to $475,000 (saving first time buyers $7500) and with mortgage money available under 3% for a 5 year term – sales activity in March and April has been on the rise!

You may have noticed sold signs all over town.  In the $300,000-$550,000 range, the market has shifted from a Buyer’s Market to a Balanced Market.  So what does it mean?  For the time being, the downward trend is over for houses in this category.  These houses are selling quickly for a very fair dollar value. (Our last 4 sales in this price category have all sold in less than 2 weeks.)

We are hopeful that in the months to come this may spill over to the houses in the higher price ranges.

If you have been thinking about selling this year, then don't lose this window of opportunity that could slam shut any time.

Is this the time for your next move?  Do you have a friend, co- worker or neighbour needing or wanting to make a move?  For a Free Seller’s Consultation and Market Evaluation, give us a call at 604-859-2341 – you may be pleasantly surprised!

Spring has sprung – The time is now…

Your friends in the business,

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how I might be able to help someone you refer to us.

Recently some of our clients , Terry & Kelsey, referred their mom & dad, Garry & Debbie, to us. They had their home for sale for the last 3 months with another realtor - having showings… but no offers.

They were tired of always having their home in “show condition” with no action when other properties around them were selling… so they invited me to their place after their home was no longer for sale.

They had a really nice 2 storey home on a private treed lot in a great neighborhood. I asked them about their housing goals, plans and what was important to them. I showed them how we worked, our marketing system and based on what they saw… they were excited to work with our team… as their previous realtor had not provided so many of the services our marketing campaign offered.

We discussed price… reviewing similar properties that were available in the area & had a long hard look at what was. With our 3 Option Pricing System, Garry & Debbie chose a price that would work for them & the timing they wanted(a one month sale).

We took pictures of all the special features of their property and sent out emails to all the Abbotsford, Mission & Maple Ridge realtors. We had, through our teams marketing efforts, one offer within the first week. And although it was full price… it was subject to the sale of a fixer upper. We were concerned about tying up the property with a home that wouldn’t sell and we chose to keep looking for another offer.

Just days later… we found another Realtor/Buyer that had sold their home and needed a quick completion. These buyers were wanting our home as much as we wanted to sell it. Within an hour of presenting the offer… all the details had been worked out & Garry & Debbie’s home was sold… within $3,000 of the asking price... Garry & Debbie said, “A lot of people make promises but don’t follow through! Together we chose a one month price and you did what you said you would do – you and your team were focused like a heat seeking missile and sold it in 18 days.”

Congrats Garry & Debbie… Marlene & I wish you the very best!

Your Friends in the Business,

Larry & Marlene

PS. Who is the next person you know… that doesn’t just want to be “For Sale”… but wants their home sold? Marlene & I would love to serve them with the same World Class Real Estate Experience Grant & Diane received.

Dear friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we might help someone you introduce to us.

Recently clients, I’ll call them Jim & Dolly, had called us to help them with their housing ideas. They were living in East Abbotsford in a Sandy Hill basement entry home for the past 10 years, but now were considering a move to Central Abbotsford.  

Their son was a talented football player (I think he is probably scholarship material) & with Mouat’s great football team/coaching/track record, they felt he would have more opportunities at Mouat, but they didn’t want the cross boundary hassle. 

Jim & Dolly’s daughter was in middle school and was psyched on going to a new school and being closer to a lot of her friends.

Second to that, Jim & Dolly would be saving 20 minutes of driving time on their daily commutes.

After getting in touch with our mortgage broker, Jacquie Claggett, they found that they could use some of the equity from their current house to buy their next home at how much they could comfortably afford.

Then, when they found out they could rent their current house at a rental amount that would cover the existing mortgage (and their new mortgage payments on their next home would be even less than what they were paying currently because of the great interest rates)...we had motivated buyers!

Marlene used our “Market Watch” system (daily emails of all the hot new listings… in their price range & location) and we were under  way. Marlene loves to help buyers with their list of “must haves”, “wants” and “needs”… and for Jim & Dolly… there were some location specifications that made things just a little more interesting. Let the shopping begin!

One of the homes on the “Market Watch List” was a beautiful 4 level split with a really private treed backyard in a sought after Central Abbotsford location where you could see the neighbours had real pride of ownership of their homes.

It was the perfect home for Jim & Dolly and their family and since this home had just been reduced in price, it was in the affordability range where they could update it with flooring, paint & décor of their choice.

After writing an offer & a few counter offers to fine tune the purchase contract, Jim & Dolly were celebrating the purchase of their next home.

Congratulations… we wish you 10 more years of joy in your new home.

Your Real Estate Consultants for life…

Larry & Marlene Siebert

PS. Who is the next person you know thinking of making a move that could use some solid time tested coaching? Give us a call and introduce them to us (604-859-2341). We would love to serve them with the same World Class Real Estate experience that Jim & Dolly received.

Dear friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you introduce to us.

Recently one of our clients introduced me to his ex-mother in law… I’ll call her Martha.  She was looking to sell her home as her husband had passed away some years ago and it was time to make a move from her 2,600 sq. ft. rancher on almost a half an acre.

As she was older, there were 5 children and a few of their spouses involved in the process and also with choosing a price.

Although we were a “higher end” home… we had 7 showings in 2 weeks and as the story goes, we found a buyer with their Realtor who fell in love with the home...and the rest is history!

We got together with “the crew” and worked through a counter offer and after 2 1/2 hours all was accepted and Martha, with the help of the kids, would soon be packing.

Wow, everyone was excited…perfect dates…a full price offer & a $30,000 deposit!  My client who introduced us to Martha called me that night.  He was overjoyed for Martha because of the way we had handled all the details.  In the end, he was the hero in Martha’s eyes.

Want to look like a hero? The next time you’re in conversation with your friends, family or co-workers and they are thinking of making a move just like Martha, stop, pick up your cell phone, look up my number 604-859-2341 and call me immediately.

You can count on my team & I to be empathetic, being there for them, exploring all the options and treating them with the utmost dignity & care.

Your friends in the Real Estate business...

Larry & Marlene

Dear friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you introduce to us.

Who says the market is dead?  The wonderful thing about Real Estate…like insurance, transportation, food & oxygen is…people have to have it!

This week our success story was about our property for sale on Argyll Street.  Our client, Martin Prus (owner of Benjamin Moore Abbotsford), referred us to Millie Humar.

Her husband had passed away some time ago and one of her kids, Steve, wanted her to move in with his family in Port Coquitlam.

We started marketing Millie’s home after going over all the processes, details & our Pin Point Pricing System.  After a month we did some fine tuning to the test price based on the feedback from buyers, Realtors & our own showings.

Then Christmas came and the snow put buyers & sellers on hold until the deep freeze was over.  We started to see the phones ring and the email inquiries pick up mid January…and that’s when it happened.

I had shown Millie’s home to a buyer about a month earlier and now they had sold their townhome & wanted to buy Millie’s place.  An offer was written & in the meantime an out of town Realtor also wrote another offer.

The nice thing about having 2 offers is you know the seller is going to have a sold sign on soon and will have sold at a good price.

After all the dust had settled, Millie had accepted a full price offer!  She is now celebrating and will be moving in with Steve & the grandkids.

Congratulations Millie!

Your Real Estate Consultants for life,

Larry & Marlene Siebert

PS. Doom & gloom—No way!  People are still upgrading or downsizing.  We have clients retiring, transferring into the area & getting job transfers to other cities, getting married & buying their first home & taking advantage of the awesome interest rates and affordable housing. Who is the next person you know thinking of making a move? Your introduction is appreciated!  Thanks for not keeping us a secret!

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you refer to us.

Recently, clients referred us their friends (I’ll call them ) Joe and Marry. Joe had an out of country job offer pending and they wanted to find out how much their home was worth and what the market was like in the summer time.

We talked about different pricing strategies and chose to price it a little higher at first, and when the new job would be for sure, review the price and market at that time.

We had been marketing the property for 3 weeks with 3 showings but no offers, when Mary called. Joe got the position, would be gone within the week and they would like the home sold yesterday or at least within a month

We put our Home Marketing System  into effect, pricing the home competitively with past area sales and current competition.

Within a week Mary and Joe were working with 2 offers on their home...one full price and the other $3100 more than full price.  WOW...what a problem to have!

The sold sticker is on...Mary is packing...Europe, here they come!!!

Thanks again to our local clients for entrusting your friends to us!

Sincerely,

Your real estate consultants for life,

Larry and Marlene Siebert

P.S. If your friend has been transferred or just want to sell instead of being for sale...give us a call...your referrals are appreciated and will not go unnoticed ...and your friends will receive a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Often in the pressure of the daily grind, we take many of life’s blessings for granted.  We accept the teaching of our teachers, the ministry of our ministers, the leadership of our leaders, and the friendship of our friends.  Each of these people has contributed to us being who we are, but we often accept their contributions without noticing.

The following story is a reminder of how powerful it is to acknowledge someone and the contribution they made in our life.

A university professor began reflecting on the people who’d had a positive impact on his life.  In particular, he remembered a schoolteacher who had gone out of her way to instill in him a love of poetry.  He hadn’t seen or spoken to her in many years, but he located her address and sent her a letter of thanks.  A short time later, he received this reply:

“My dear Willie,

I cannot tell you how much your note meant to me.  I am in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and, like the last leaf of autumn, lingering behind.  You will be interested to know that I taught school for 50 years and yours is the first note of appreciation I ever received.  It came on a blue-cold morning and it cheered me as nothing has in many years.”

The teacher’s note brought the professor to tears—and then he began searching for others who’d shaped his life, just to say thanks.

Our business coach encouraged us to be intentional on writing a similar letter or email, and follow up with a phone call.  When I took up the challenge and wrote the letter, then talked to this person, it was an incredible blessing.

Who in your current or early life deserves a note, a phone call or an email of appreciation?  It could well be a highlight of their day, month or year...and yours too!  There is so much to give thanks for.  Don’t forget those who have made you possible. 

Larry & Marlene

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you refer to us.

Recently, I was referred to Peter & Pat.  Peter had accepted a new position in Abbotsford and needed a home for himself and his family.

The interesting part of the story is that they were coming from overseas and would have limited time to find a house they could call home, in a good area, & in their price category.

About 2 months prior to Peter & Pat arriving in Abbotsford, we were already in the thick of doing our homework. Together we selected a number of good areas in Abbotsford and Chilliwack with homes in their price range as well as good schools for their 2 children.

Our Market Watch Email System was constantly downloading new listings for Pat & Peter and with this service they were receiving these fresh new listings about 7 days prior to the general public.  Because many of the best listings are sold prior to being advertised in the MLS catalogue; or in the paper, Peter & Pat knew this unique service would be valuable to them

A couple of days prior to their arrival, our showing process was underway.  Together we had eliminated all the homes that they didn’t want to see (there were over 50 properties in their price range) and appointments were made for the 16-18 homes that were of interest.

Finally, after months of planning and tons of homework, Pat & Peter arrived...a little jet-lagged  from their long flight...but ready to go shopping.

After a couple of breaks along the way, and viewing properties all day long, we found 2 properties that stood out from the rest.  The next day we reviewed these 2 homes as well as 1 new listing that our Market Watch System had flagged which was in a great location, newer and larger than the others and in the same price range. Hands down this new listing was the perfect property.  We were the first to see it, wrote the offer, and a couple of counter offers later— Peter & Pat were home owners.  This success story is a reminder that working with cutting edge technology is another way to find your dream home.

As always, Your friends,

Larry and Marlene Siebert

P.S. If you have friends that would appreciate a World Class Real Estate Experience your referral would be appreciated & will not go unnoticed. For a Buyer's or Seller's Consultation call us at 604-859-2341.

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you refer to us.

Recently, our clients referred their parents Henry and Jamie to us.  Henry was working in Yarrow and wanted to move closer to work. They asked me to view their home, for some tips to showcase their home...including what to do with the deck that was around the hot tub area that needed a lot of T.L.C.

Would it be worth their while to replace the deck and would they get their money back if they did?

After viewing their home, reviewing what other homes in the area were selling for, as well as researching reports by Realtors and appraisers whether investing $5,000 into a deck for the purpose of selling was a wise investment. The decision was made to do some painting and get rid of the deck all together.

As Henry and Jamie were doing the finishing touches to help showcase their home…and getting rid of the evidence of the hot tub we started up our marketing system.

By the first week we had 3 showings, and an offer that I negotiated to within 1% of the asking price.

Nobody missed the deck and Henry and Jamie just saved $5,000.

“We wanted to thank the Siebert Team for the advice and support...our home is sold! Amazing! Thanks to your marketing strategies the sale was completed beyond our expectations.”

Sincerely, your Real Estate Consultants for life

Larry and Marlene Siebert

P.S. Should you know anyone wanting to make a move and needs some coaching on how to make their property more saleable, ask for our report, “Renovations that Pay and How To Avoid The Ones That Don’t.”

We can also set up a “Seller’s Consultation,” not only giving you an accurate evaluation, but share with you some tips of what to do and what not to do to prepare your house for sale, answer questions you have, and leave you with a net sheet of all the various costs. Call Larry for your free seller consultation at 604-859-2341.

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you refer to us.

Recently, acquaintances ( I’ll call them Jim and Jane) were going through some difficult times and needed to sell their family home that they had purchased 15 years earlier.

After researching the home sales in the area we started marketing the property. Through our marketing efforts we

received an offer within the first 8 days but felt it was much too low due to the activity we had been receiving . We coached Jim and Jane to wait.

The next week we had another person say they were going to write an offer but got gun shy and backed off.

It was the third week when Jim and Jane hit the jackpot. Marlene had showed the property to 3 different buyers and had a young couple who thought Jim and Jane’s home was perfect for them, but...another Realtor also had a young couple that fell in love with the property.

Both realtors knew that they would be competing against each other and that both offers would be presented.  Due to this competition each of the offers were very close to full price and that’s when the auction effect took place. We worked on a couple of counter offers over the next 2 hours.

For Jim and Jane, it was the best 2 hours any seller could hope for. They received a World Class Real Estate Experience AND they ended up receiving over $3,100 over the asking price.

If you have a friend that would like to experience the same auction effect that Jim and Jane did...give us a call at 604-859-2341

As always, your friends in the business,

Larry and Marlene Siebert

P.S. We have some time available to serve some new clients and we need your help...the truth is we would much rather work with your friends and family than run an ad and attract someone who doesn’t know us - Call us For a Free Buyers or Sellers Consultation. 604-859-2341

Dear Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know how we could help someone you refer to us.

Recently, our team had the pleasure to offer our World Class Real Estate Services to clients, I’ll call them James and Ruth.  James is a local pastor and had accepted a new position back east.  As they had never used a Realtor before they didn’t know who to use in the business and asked their lawyer friend to refer them to a Realtor whom they could “trust, with integrity, a good reputation, and character.”

That’s when I received the call!  What a powerful referral!  James and Ruth wanted to make sure their place would be sold by the end of the month next month which was the starting date of the new job and were concerned when the right time to sell would be.

We talked about time, the “what if” part of the transaction and concerns with showing schedules as James had a home office and Ruth was working at a local school.  We showed them how our marketing system and our team would make the move as stress free as possible for them.

We marketed the property using internet advertising, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Computer Systems, our market campaign, newsletters, highlight sheets, and sent flyers to Abbotsford’s top Realtors.

After 3 showings, we landed an offer from folks moving into the area from Vancouver Island.  We sold the home in 9 days, at almost full price and with perfect dates.  James and Ruth are celebrating their sale and the stress free move ahead of them.

As always, your friends in the business,

Larry and Marlene Siebert

P.S. If you have a friend thinking of making a move, give us a call.  We rely on people like you for your heartfelt endorsement.  Our team’s vision is to build life long relationships while giving you and your referrals a World Class Real Estate Experience.