Call or Email 604-855-6464 

Celebrating "Defining Life Moments"


So much happened it the past 2 months - that I would consider Defining Life Moments.


December was Marlene’s and my 34th wedding anniversary (choosing a life partner - a defining moment) Then in January  -we celebrated the start of my 37th year in Real Estate (choosing a career - another defining moment ),

Jared’s 28th birthday (having children – another defining moment)  and my 60th birthday (  a defining number. But just a number—I feel like I’m 45)


I was recently reading that life is the sum of “what we do” with the moments given to us. Those moments can be filled with Chasing the Wind, the Clock,  worrying about the past or being Anxious about the future. Or if we look for them – there can be special moments in each day – that can make a difference in us & others.


One defining moment - becoming a realtor 37 years ago, was a decision that radically changed Marlene’s and my life trajectory in so many ways –

especially with meeting and being involved in so many people’s lives.


It's a crazy thought, how that one decision – introduced us to thousands of people, influenced thousands of coaching moments, thousands of cups of coffee & heart to heart talks, phone calls, emails, birthday wishes and friendships +++


Here is a Fun Thought – What is the one defining moment in your life that just blows you away - the life-changing moment that has influenced your life, your friendships, influenced who you are  & who you are becoming?


Just reflecting – and letting you know Marlene and I are so happy we have had the chance share some life moments together with you.


Saying No - To Instant Gratification 


Marlene I and dated for 4 + years and even before we were married – we had started a savings account to buy our first home.


When we had saved decent down payment we started hunting for a place we could call home - bought it  - rented it out  - and moved into it when we got married. 


It was an interesting first few years of married life.  Most of our furniture was “Hand Me Down Stuff”…. The couch, tv, table & chairs. (even our  “water bed” came from one of our siblings - thanks Norma & Hank). At that time we seldom went out for dinner and even a tenting holiday was rare.


When we purchased that home, we had the biggest debt in our life. In our minds, we wanted to get control over that debt – so instead of buying “the stuff “ we chipped away at the mortgage month after month with any savings we had.


Then there came a day, we got our bank statement – and those years of extra payments paid off – the mortgage was over ½ gone! It was an AWESOME surprise and we were sooo happy we didn't buy all the “stuff” !!


It sounds crazy… with today's access to personal loans, 2nd mortgages and credit cards…why wait for the prize – buy what you want now / pay later. Right?


A recent statistic indicated that 60+ % of families have more credit card debt than savings - That instant gratification – a buy now / pay later mentality is becoming more and more a problem = happy credit card companies and unhappy stressed out families.


With Christmas just around the corner – the highest season of credit card debt is upon us.  Remember there are so many awesome gifts that can be given that money can’t buy. Time together, activities & hanging out…. Demonstrating:  love & kindness, forgiveness & appreciation with those special people in our life is the gift…..  Bring on that turkey dinner!!

When the going gets tough - the tough go on holidays


How is your elasticity? I’m talking about your mental capacity when the going gets tough and / or when you are going through some stress filled weeks or months?


My business coach Joe ingrained into my life to take time off regularly and “shut off”. Over the years, both Marlene and I can “feel” when that time is and to do something about it.


How do I create elasticity in my mental capacity? Sometimes it’s as easy as a 15 minute “Cat nap” after lunch for a few days in a row and other times it may be a long weekend away (or at home) doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes it is a good workout or some hard physical labor on the property—but—then there are the holiday times. Periodically sharing that time with friends and family is exactly what is needed and other times it takes a little hibernating to get my head screwed on.


Here is the cool part—When I learnt to listen to my body, and do what is needed, it’s like hitting the reset button.


So here we are. Summer holidays are over - and we have worked that reset button a couple of times and we are ready for Autumn. So, what is Autumn going to be like?


With 36 years of marketing real estate, we have been involved with changing markets many times ( it happens every 8-10 years. Some real estate agents are stressing out and uncertain as they have not experienced a changing market (if they have not been in the business prior to 2007) and some are even leaving the business.


Here is what is exciting for us. Experience show that every time this kind of change takes place—our real estate business grows. We are prepared, we have been there before and we have the marketing campaigns in place to get the job done.


Best wishes

Larry & Marlene

Your friends in the business

Hit The Restart Button - On Your Life


While I was having lunch with a businessman today—we had an interesting conversation about hectic schedules / family issues & mental exhaustion. He had a boat load of stuff on his plate—and his boat was sinking.


We talked about hitting the “RESTART BUTTON”—on life…


I explained that the average business life of a realtor is approx 5 years—because of all the

demands / pressure etc. (that’s if you let the business run you.)


But—if you run the business—and have scheduled times (Time to work in the business—Time to work on the business and time put aside for yourself)—to get your head screwed back on—life will just go better.


This businessman and I talked about regular—time set aside for yourself. Experience shows that when I take time off—No phones—No email—no knowledge of issues (a 1-2 week get away without phone / or computers) its just like hitting the restart button on my life (just like hitting the restart button on your computer.)


When you restart that slow messed up machine (or myself) I find myself working more efficiently—less glitches—less issues in my life—joy and energy is reignited.


So… feeling tired, drained, stressed or just basically messed up? Maybe its time to hit the RESTART button in your life.


It’s the get away with out all the “Stuff” that will refresh you. Your spouse and kids will notice a definite new you—give it a try.


Feel free to call us for some RESTART ideas or if you have any great ideas to share.


Larry & Marlene

Taking Care Of People That Are Important To Us


This year has been another fast paced blurrrrrrrr. Not just for Marlene and I, but for many of our

clients and friends as well.


We have all heard it before…”the craziness of life”. Most of us get so caught up in life that we do not guard ourselves or our hearts from our busy lifestyles and all the problems that occur when we get fried or even burnt out.


Problems? You know… breaking promises, commitments, family times, date nights, no time for play, can’t say no, getting stressed, or even the start of serious bad habits!


“Sorry, I can’t make it home for dinner tonight...Yes, it’s the second time this week”

“I know I promised the kids I would take them to the movies, but this just came up”

“Wow! What a long hard day...I need a drink to calm my nerves”

“I have no time to cook today, I’ll just pick something up at one of the drive-thrus”

“Hockey, judo, gymnastics, skating, swimming, music & singing lessons… the kids need a chauffeur”


In talking with Marlene, Jared & Tianna about what their hearts need to be revived… what makes them come alive. Some thoughts were sunlight, a good movie, bicycle riding, roller-blading, a nice family day or date night, peace, getting along, a feeling of love, a nice dinner, listening to music, a game of cards, reading a good book & hanging out with friends.


I would love just to be involved in the “amazing & fascinating” in all aspects of life—with my friends, family and clients… How about you?


Larry & Marlene

Do You Have a “Strong Why?”



For over 20 years my (Larry) business coach has engrained in me to have a
“Strong Why”. Any change in life and business needs a Strong Why…


What that means is to have a “Burning Passion Reason” to do something, to make something, to change a behavior or even transform . It becomes your deep down motivator.


Here is the real life story—I needed to change…


Just over a year ago the doctor told me to change my eating habits– I was pre diabetic. At 6’1 and 160lbs—it was nothing to do with being overweight...but diabetes was in the family history. So I needed to change my eating habits, and here is what that looks like:

Lots of vegetables, salads & protein, nuts (Paleo Style Eating), no bread or pasta or potatoes, no desserts or

sugary anything (juices, treats, sauces).


After eating this way for over a year, some of my friends were totally amazed—how I just quit eating the stuff I LOVED. They ask—what keeps me on track? Repeating to them what Joe (my coach) said is—I needed to find/ have a “Burning Passion Reason” - “A Strong Why”…


So here is my “Strong Why” that keeps me on track. I have a picture that burns in my memory of a client whose father was diabetic. I remember being with him and their family in Osoyoos boating & water skiing together. And years later I also remember him—having to have both legs amputated and in the end, being at his funeral. That picture is my “Strong Why” that keeps me on track.


So why the story?

Many times people get caught up—they want to change—but don’t know how to change or how to stick with it. To have a “Burning Passion Reason” / “A Strong Why” is one of the “tools” that has worked for me—and I hope it can help you or a friend.


Larry & Marlene

The power to Imagine...it’s life changing

 

 

 

Recently I was at a quarterly meeting in San Diego to connect with my business coach Joe Stumpf at “By Referral Only”  Real Estate Marketing University.


Joe asked: “Imagine what life could look like—if you removed/delegated even 1 or 2 of your current irritations & tolerations”. “Imagine what life could look like if you focused more on the “amazing” & ”your happy place”. “If you put the work into these changes—the pay off will be for a life time”. So lets “Imagine together…”


Imagine a couple of your work irritations and tolerations gone. What are the things that could be removed or delegated? One of our clients recently imagined not having to cut the lawn, shovel the snow covered driveway, and clean up after a winter storm...ever again. So they bought a townhouse! (one of my tolerations is the accounting end of our business. Fortunate for me, Marlene enjoys numbers and she took that over—and with that time I am able to work on bettering our team’s plans, systems and campaigns—” “In my happy place”)

 

Health, fitness & energy - Imagine 1 or 2 of your irritations / tolerations gone. (For me (Larry) - my “Happy place” is following a morning and afternoon daily ritual. By not guarding daily rituals—my toleration is low energy) For a friend of ours—their “happy place” is to imagine a regular work-out routine with a work-out partner or trainer.

 

Imagine family & relationships - What to do some people tolerate in relationships? Manipulation. Being driven by guilt, other’s 

expectations or always saying “yes” - but for the wrong reasons. (Marlene and I guard our hearts - when it comes to manipulation - we want our home to be our kids’, grandkids’ & friends favourite place to come to - This is our “happy 

 

place”) 

 

Joe asked us to “imagine our finances, our wisdom, growth & mental capacity and our spiritual life”. What would happen if we removed or delegated just 1 or 2 of our irritations and tolerations and spent more time in the “amazing” & “our happy place”

 

 

 

“Put the work into these changes - and the pay off will be for a life time…”

 

Larry

 

Encouraged or Discouraged? 

 

 

Have you ever noticed that when you focus on what is not working in your life, that you feel discouraged? 

 

When things don’t quite work out the way that I had expected them to or hoped that they would, my negative self talk can easily wreck my peace of mind. I have also found that when I focus on what is working in my life I get this feeling of encouragement. 

 

As an example:: I (Larry) was told by my doctor this past Spring that I was pre-diabetic. “ARE YOU KIDDING? I’m 6 ‘1” and 155 lbs...how could that be? I thought diabetes was a weight thing for larger or inactive people?!” 

 

“No, Larry,” my doctor went on to say, “you have been blessed with it geneti- cally. It’s in your DNA. Your Dad has it.”  So ok, here we go. No pasta, no potatoes, no bread and certainly no dessert.  Even minimal fruit. My inner self talk was screaming, “POOR ME!” and this continued at every dinner over the course of the next week or so. (You need  to know that I LOVE  bread, potatoes and spaghetti.) This was not good news to me...AT ALL. 

 

I have a few people in my life that encouraged me to go for it and make the change. I have made the decision to eat clean and exercise more and over  the past 6 months I can’t deny that I feel healthier and I’ve even gained some muscle and have lost an inch around my waist. Feeling fit and trim! 

 

Here is the nugget. We all hit bumps on the road, don’t we? We can have blue days (or really bad hair days), but encouragement can help bring us out of these valleys and dips. We just don’t have to live there. 

 

So...who are your ‘go to’ people who continuously speak encouragement into your life? Be an encourager and you will be encouraged right back. Try it out for yourself. The gift of encouragement.  We all have it. 

RSS

Dear Friends,

 

Here is just a quick note to let you know how we could help you or someone you refer to us.

 

We had been introduced to a local businessman by one of our clients.  Joe and his wife, May, had purchased a retirement townhome over a year earlier, and since that time, they had been trying to sell their executive home without success.

 

They had it listed for sale with several Realtors over the past 12 months, but only had a few showings and a couple of ridiculous

offers.

 

Joe & May were getting so fed up with the whole selling process, so much so that they were contemplating selling their retirement

townhome instead and just staying put in their house.

 

When we first met, Joe warned me that this time he had done his homework and he didn't want the same type of service he had

receive from his last two Realtors. He said he was going to really check me out. So he talked to a number of friends and acquaintances in the business community and came to the grips with the idea that maybe all Realtors were not the same!

 

Joe said he was told by more than three people that we were straight up, hard working and had an innovative marketing campaign that really works – we are people he could trust.

 

After doing all our homework on Joe & May’s property, we listed it and started working our marketing campaign.

 

Here is where the story gets exciting!  After our 3rd week of

marketing, we located an out-of-town buyer and wrote an offer with them.  After negotiating back and forth, we agreed on a price but couldn't come to terms in other areas.  Then one week later we found another buyer, who fell in love with Joe and May’s place, and the rest is history.  It was time to celebrate!  Joe and May’s home was sold and they could finally move into their retirement

townhome!

 

Your friends in the business,

 

Larry & Marlene

Re/Max Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

 

PS - Who is the next person you know that could use our help

because they want to downsize, their kids have moved out, or maybe they just are ready to retire?  Marlene and I would love to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience.  Give us a call at

Re/Max at 604-859-2341 or check us out at www.siebertteam.com

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Clients, I’ll call them Rob & June were looking to downsize from their custom home that Rob had help build. They were a bit frustrated with the selling process as they had been for sale last year unsuccessfully, with very little communication or feedback & they definitely didn’t want to go through that same experience again.

 

A friend of Rob’s, at work told Rob about our team and gave us a call to see if we would be able to help.

 

When Rob & June interviewed me, they saw that our marketing process was completely different from the other

realtors they had used prior. Our “World Class Update System” would keep them “in the know” on a weekly basis on the progress of marketing their home & give them an idea of what the buyers were saying about their home.

 

Because we have a strong list of advocates and 94% of our business came from repeat & referrals Rob & June decided that trust & integrity would be their reason for choosing The Siebert Team to market their property.

 

After Rob & June studied the CMA (Comparable Market Evaluation) they realized that the market for their home was very close to what they thought it was worth. We set the price & put the property for sale...with one stipulation...no showings for a week...they wanted to have it perfect for showings & wanted to follow some of the pointers we laid out for them in our 21 point Dress For Success Checklist to Showcase their home.

 

By the end of the week we had our first buyers view the property. Rob & June’s home sparkled & 

the buyer loved it. We wrote an offer & the sold sticker was put on. They sold their home within 1% of the asking price.

 

Rob & June are ecstatic...1 showing, 1 offer, for sale for 1 week, it couldn’t get any better.

 

As always, your friends

Larry and Marlene Siebert

Your Personal Real Estate Consultant...For Life

 

P.S. We need your help. Should you have a friend that had a “not so great” Real Estate experience where their home didn’t sell, give us call with the referral...the market is great & you can be assured  that our team will provide the same World Class Real Estate Experience that Rob & June received.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, my friend from junior high school, Tom and his wife Tracey called me.  It was to consider moving and they were curious what the market was like and what their home would be worth.

 

We had worked with them three times before.  After we had helped them market their last home, and it sold in 9 days, they bought a nice home in the McMillan area.

 

Now that they had invested a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and elbow grease fixing up their current home, they wanted to move to a newer home with a basement suite.

 

We worked on the evaluation, checking out all the homes that had recently sold in their area, as well as the ones that were for sale…and selected a price that Tom and Tracey felt comfortable with.

 

We input their listing into our Home Marketing System, and had seven showings in nine days.  It was showing #7 where we hit the jackpot!  An out of town Realtor had seen some of our marketing and they fell in love with the property.  In fact, all the properties in Abbotsford looked so “inexpensive.”

 

I negotiated a couple of counter offers and Tom and Tracey’s place was sold, and within the next few days we had found them the perfect home with a custom-built legal suite.

 

Just like “The Perfect Storm” this was “The Perfect Move”.  One of Tom’s comments was, "you did the same thing last time to us…we sold in nine days last time and we sold in nine days this time…good job!!!”

 

Thanks again Tom and Tracey for your loyalty and your referrals…

 

Larry and Marlene Siebert 

Your Real Estate Consultants ...for life.

 

P.S. We want to thank you in advance for entrusting those in your sphere of influence to us. Should you have a friend thinking of making a move, maybe upgrading just like Tom and Tracey, then give us a call at 604-859-2341. Our team would love to serve your introductions with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, our client Rick Kyte (Manulife Securities) referred us his friend Fred who was thinking of making a move. 

 

Fred had his home for sale 2 times before with another Real Estate Team without any luck.  He had actually cancelled the 2nd listing as things were just not going well.  When he invited me to view his home we talked about our “Home Selling System”, how we would market the home and through our 32 years in the business...keep the “turbulence” off his doorstep.  Fred thought about our conversation over the next few days and because we came “highly recommended” he decided to put his trust in our team and give us a try.  There were some unique features and recent updates that made Fred’s home a good buy...even though we had the same list price the other Realtor had it at.

 

The sign went up and all the pictures were downloaded to our website.  Flyers were made, emails were sent, and the showings started.

 

Over the next 5 days our marketing attracted a number of buyers, and then Marlene showed the property to one of her out-of-town clients, who happened to be camping at Cultus Lake.  Marlene had got them to make a special trip to come and see it as it was just what they were looking for.

 

After all the negotiations were done, Fred’s home was sold within $900 of the asking price and both Fred and Marlene’s buyers were celebrating.

 

Sincerely, your friends and realtors for life…

 

Larry and Marlene Siebert

 

P.S. Who is the next person you know that is thinking of making a move...and want their property sold-rather than just sitting for sale?  Why not give us a call!  We would love to provide your introductions with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, Lloyd and Margarita gave us a call to help them sell their investment home.  They had it for sale for the last 6 months with another Realtor...with very little activity, and no offers.

 

During our initial consultation, we discussed the current market conditions to determine value.

 

Our team started working on Lloyd and Margarita’s property, and put our Home Selling System into gear.

 

Within 12 days, we had 7 showings and 2 offers.  The first offer that came in was from one of the “top producing” real estate teams in Abbotsford (not us).  Their offer was $15,000 less than the asking price, and to rub salt on the wound, they said it wasn’t worth any more than that.

  

Now for the good part, I was able to negotiate the second offer within $1,000 of the asking price and Lloyd and 

Margarita’s property was sold!

 

They said they were so happy that they had chosen to work with us.  Not only did they get what they wanted, but received a World Class Real Estate Experience.  Congratulations Lloyd and Margarita!

  

Sincerely, your friends and Realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - Should you have a friend or work acquaintance who has a rental home they are wanting to sell, our team would love to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Read

The start of a new year—the suspense and anticipation of what the new year may bring.  WOW this is exciting!!!

 

For me, it is just like the first day back to school.  Imagine it’s September.  You’re moving into the next grade with new teachers, new friends and new subjects—can you feel it?

 

It is with that same excitement that I would get into my goals for the year.  I loved to set goals in January.  It wouldn’t be uncommon for me to have 9-12 pages of goals for the year.

 

I had a goal for everything:  mental, spiritual, physical, family, marriage, friends, trip, business, financial, home improvement, self improvement, +++.  It was awesome and still puts a smirk on my face today…

 

But as it goes, many goals were unmet and would float around in my head, using up energy and sucking joy out of my life.

 

Then I found a new mind set.  Rather than setting goals, a better way to get stuff done is to make a promise and keep it.  So I became a promise maker and a promise keeper.

 

Think about it, how many times have you seen people in your life “come good” on their promises, but hold their goals “loosely”?

 

Here’s how it works:

1) Don’t make a promise I am not going to keep.

2) Do not start any project unless I promise I am going to finish it.

3) Don’t give myself too many options (rather than making a mistake, the brain chooses to do nothing—choose one thing, finish it, and move to the next).

4) Hire trustworthy people.  When I work with people I don’t trust, I work a lot harder (control freaks take note...it’s about trust).

5) Things I “Should Do” (a goal) versus Things I “Must Do” (a promise).  When my brain is weighed down with too many “shoulds”, it reduces my effectiveness, ability to finish the tasks at hand and it diminishes my aliveness.  I use my brain for processing, not storage.  For storage, write it down in a journal, phone, laptop or iPad.

 

Wishing you the very best for you and your family this new year!!

 

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - I love this thought:  PRAY as though it depends on God and ACT as though it depends on you!

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, Ken Dyck gave me a call.  This was a voice from the past.  It was about 25 years ago when I had built a ‘38 Chev Coupe Streetrod, and he was into drag racing...and so the story goes.

 

Ken had purchase a home over 20 years ago and has lived there until now...happily single, 50 years old, with his cats and his race cars.

 

But life happens, and last year he met a lady, and according to Ken, “...this was the first time that I actually felt lonely.  Larry I’m getting married and moving to Edmonton.  Would you help me sell my home?”

 

After previewing his place, I gave Ken some suggestions to prepare his bachelor home for potential buyers, tips to showcase his home and the property before showings began.

 

Within the first week, we had a lot of interest and 5 showings.  One of the buyers we were talking to was from Vancouver and wanted to see it ASAP. 

 

We met at Ken’s home and the rest is history.  It was perfect—just what they were looking for!

 

Ken’s home is now SOLD!  As for Ken, he is celebrating...soon to be married and packing up his race cars and cats for the April wedding in Edmonton.

 

Congratulations Ken and best wishes from our team!  Feel free to leave one of your race cars with me...I’ll take good care of it!

 

As always, your friends in the business,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - Ken’s buyer found out about this property because they were on an automated email system.  Our Market Watch Email System can automatically email all the fresh new listings that match your home buying criteria.  If you, or a friend, would also like to receive our emails and be one of the first to access these new listings, then give us a call at 604-859-2341. 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, Mike and Jean inquired about our 38 day sale guarantee.  They had found the perfect retirement condo, but needed to sell their home first in order to buy.

 

We reviewed all the sale prices of similar homes in the area, plus similar properties that were currently for sale.  We set the asking price and put our 94 Step Marketing System into gear, using some of the latest technologies and new systems we have developed with the internet, email, MLS and our website.

 

Within 3 weeks, we had 15 showings.  The 15th showing was our own client, Mary.  She had been looking for a home in the Chilliwack area.  We thought Mike and Jean’s home would be perfect for her because it had everything she wanted according to her “Wants and Needs” checklist, which we had on file from when we first met, except location.

 

Sure enough, our hunch was right...Mary loved it!  Congratulations to Mike, Jean, & Mary and best wishes with your move.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - Should you have a friend from work, or play, who needs to or wants to sell, and is tired of promises with no action, then give us a call.  Our Team would love to serve your introductions with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, we helped John & Ada market their home.  After all was done, John & Ada became our advocates, telling their neighbors, including Eric & Ann, about the World Class Real Estate Experience they had received from our team.

 

Eric & Ann gave me a call.  They had been “For Sale By Owner” for a while, but had no offers.  The story behind the story was that Eric & Ann had purchased already and were downsizing to a condo, and now it was time to “make it happen.”

 

We reviewed our marketing plan and pricing strategies for the area, then together decided on a test price.  The sign was installed, brochure box placed on the sign, arrow signs put in place, web site picture tour activated, and our 94 Step Home Selling System was implemented.

 

Five showings later, we were negotiating an offer.  Another realtor’s buyer had viewed all the information and pictures on-line, and with our brochure in hand, they were ready to buy this home.  By the time all the dust settled, the home was sold for full price.  Eric & Ann are celebrating—so happy their neighbors told them about us!

 

Congratulations Eric & Ann!  Best wishes in your Mill Lake condo, and thanks again to John & Ada for not keeping us a secret.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - If you have a friend or a neighbor thinking of making a move and are looking for someone to help “make it happen”, then call us with your introduction.  Our team would love to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, John & Ada had their home for sale, but even in this brisk market, it wasn’t selling.  There were very few showings, minimum communication with their realtor, and no offers.  Even after they suggested to their realtor to do a price change...no offers.  What to do...everyone else was selling their homes, and theirs was just sitting there for sale.

 

After John and Ada’s listing ran out, their daughter who works at our lawyer’s office (Mike Burke @ Rosborough & Co) gave us a call, told us about her parents dilemma, and asked us if we could help them sell their home as they had already purchased another home in Chilliwack.

 

Prior to reviewing the market value of their home, and showing them how our Home Selling System works, I talked to John and Ada about how we run our business—it was more important for me to earn their trust than to just “do their transaction”.  Our team’s goal was to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

 

Through our Home Selling System we were able to create the auction effect, and only 6 days after signing the listing

 contract, we were working with two offers on their home!  In the end, I negotiated a sale price for more than our asking price, and John and Ada got to choose the moving dates that suited them best.

 

The stress of owning two homes was over.  Congratulations John and Ada!  Your dream has come true!  Thanks Allison for telling your parents about us and not keeping us a secret. 

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - If you have a relative or friend thinking of making a move and don’t want to get stuck with two homes, our Guaranteed Sales Program will solve their dilemma.  Call us with your referral at 604-859-2341.  

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, clients, Calvin & Sandra Boldt, decided to sell their home and build a larger home for their growing family.  We had just helped them purchase this home last year.  It was a fixer-upper, and now all the renos were completed with a new kitchen, paint, moldings, and tons of hard wood flooring.  Calvin owns Kingston Flooring...feel free to call him if you want the warmth of hardwood or laminates in your home @ 604-835-1234.

 

Because they had heard the market was “unbelievably brisk”, they asked us to view their home and check out all their hard work.  Wow!  It was awesome and our evaluation took all the months of hard work into consideration.

 

Pleasantly surprised with the current value, Calvin and Sandra decided that it would be a great time to take advantage of this current “window of opportunity” of the hot spring market.

 

We put our marketing system into place, and within 4 days we had 3 showings, with 2 buyers wanting the home.  By creating the auction effect with the two buyers, we negotiated perfect dates and helped Calvin and Sandra sell their home for $2,100 over their asking price.

 

Congratulations!  All your hard work really paid off!

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - Thank you for not keeping us a secret.  The market is awesome, and interest rates are unbeatable.  If you have friends that are thinking of upgrading, give us a call.  Our team would love to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience. 

Call Larry or Marlene  at RE/MAX @ 604-859-2341

 

 

Read

I woke up this morning, Dec 3 2013 – the wind was blowing and it was minus  3 degrees outside. I noticed a wisp of snow on the grass and my thoughts  went to “I wonder what kind of Christmas we are going to have?”

 

Just after seeing the rush of Black Friday the past weekend, my mind stopped on the idea of gifts – the perfect gift – and how meaningful will it really be?

 

In the book THE 5 LANGUAGES OF LOVE, many times the perfect meaningful gift is not what you can find in a store.

 

My love language is “time”.  The best gift Jared, Tianna & Marlene can give me is doing something together.  Some of my favorites are snowboarding, camping, waterskiing, biking, motorcycling, a nice “get away” or just sitting and talking in the hot tub.

 

So this Christmas season, if you are looking for the perfect gift, here are 5 ideas.  Everyone has one love language that they value above anything else – some have more than one.

 

Quality Time: spending time with special people through activities & conversations

Acts of Service: doing things for the person.  Are they overjoyed when you wash their car, the windows or make dinner, arrange a getaway, put the kids to bed?

Physical Touch: does your kid like wrestling or love hugs? Or how about your spouse – a hug, holding hands, getting a kiss before you leave for work and when you get home?

Words of Encouragement / affirmation: “I am so proud of you!”  “You are an awesome cook!”  “You look great in that outfit!”

Receiving gifts: some feel lack of gifts = lack of love (it's a symbol of love) big gifts, small gifts, and even just the anticipation of gifts is all good

 

Intentionally make this Christmas and New Year the best one yet with the perfect gifts, words & hugs, and remembering  the real meaning of Christmas

 

Merry Christmas!

Larry & Marlene

 

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, clients, Gary & Charlotte, called us to help them with their dream.  They wanted a larger home with enough room to entertain friends plus a basement suite big enough for their daughter and her two children.

 

Marlene showed them a number of homes and found a custom built rancher with a huge basement suite.  It was perfect!  But, as things sometimes go, we were one of two offers coming in on this property.

 

We gave Gary and Charlotte some coaching on how to put their best foot forward in a multiple offer situation and because of that, we beat the other offer!  Now, to sell their existing home…

 

Gary said, “Now Larry, we are counting on you.”  And count we did!  Within a week, we had two offers, and after all the negotiations, we were able to sell the home for full price and with perfect dates.  Gary, Charlotte, Teresa and the boys, are on the move!

 

As always, your friends and Realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

 

PS - If you have a friend that needs a bigger home and some coaching on “how to make it happen in a brisk market” the timing is awesome...give us a call!  Our team would love to serve your friends with a World Class Real Estate Experience.  Call Larry or Marlene at 604-859-2341.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

It was just six weeks before Christmas when we met John and Mardana.  They had been referred to us by their friends, and old neighbors, Doug and Donna.

 

John and Mardana had been contemplating buying a house rather than renting and now they got a little push from their landlord when they received notice that he was going to sell.

 

In our Buyer’s Consultation, we found out John and Mardana’s “wish list” and “absolute must-haves” in their next home.

 

After filling out their buyer’s profile, we put our Market Watch Homefinder computers into action and started emailing John and Mardana all the fresh new listings to them daily, as they would come available for sale in their price range.

 

The lists were made, and handled with care, in hopes that their Christmas home would be there.

 

Marlene went out Christmas shopping with them...some of the homes looked pretty naughty...and some were nice.

 

Then it happened...the perfect home in a good area on a large cul-de-sac lot.  An offer had just collapsed on it, and it was now for sale again.

 

Now, it is the end of November, and you know the rest of the story...we had negotiated a great offer for John and Mardana — actually thousands less than the first offer that had fallen through — and they are moving into their new home on December 20th, just in the “Nick” of time for the Christmas Season and family celebrations.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - Don’t keep us a secret.  If you have a friend that is renting and tired of paying the landlord’s mortgage payment, then give us a call.  With today’s interest rates, some of our clients are buying homes with payments less than rent.  Our team would love to serve your friends with a World Class Real Estate Experience.  Our office phone number is 604-859-2341.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, clients Greg and Lisa (Greg’s Tree Service) had given us a call to help them sell their home.  They had been looking for an acreage to raise 

their family and some horses on, and now the perfect place was available with one hurdle.  They needed to sell fairly quickly, and get maximum market value for their current home.

 

As we had worked with Greg and Lisa twice before, they knew what to expect for our team.  We did the evaluation on their home and reviewed all home sales in their neighborhood, giving them enough information to make a wise pricing decision.

 

Over the next three weeks, we had 19 showings but no offers.  Because 3/4 of our listings sell within the first six showings, it was time to review the buyers’ and realtors’ comments.

 

With my marketing system, we have found that if a home doesn’t receive an offer, it is because of one of the two following reasons:

1) The test price is too high compared to current competition

2) The property has defects that need repairing

 

Greg and Lisa could have done some updating, instead they decided to adjust the test price by about two percent.  We called all the realtors who had already viewed the property, and continued with our marketing campaign.  Two weeks later...Success!...The property was sold!

 

Congratulations Greg and Lisa!  We wish you the best on your new acreage.

 

Your friends and realtors for life,

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - Your referrals are the life of our business.  Who is the next person that you know that has a home or acreage dream that needs some coaching?  We would love to serve them with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently a young couple, John and Suzie, decided to quit wasting their money renting and purchase their first home.  They wanted a home they could put some TLC into and earn some instant equity.

 

After becoming prequalified at a great rate with our mortgage contact, who offers a 1% discount off the posted bank rates, they were ready to go house hunting and write a cash offer.

 

We entered their Buyer’s Profile data sheet into our home finder computer system, which sifted and sorted through all the homes available.  Out came the list of homes in their price category, area, and style of home they wanted.  Marlene took John and Suzie out to see all the properties available and after viewing two properties for the second time, the offer was written. 

 

As we had done all our homework in advance, we were able to write a non-subject offer, with a quick completion. After a couple of counter offers, the sold sticker was on the sign.  The price?  The property they purchased was appraised for bank purposes just two months prior to the purchase for $15,000 more than the final selling price.

 

Should you know of a young, or young at heart, couple renting, give us a call at 604-859-2341.  With today’s low mortgage rates, plus the 1% discount, and low, low down payment programs, they may be pleasantly surprised at what they can afford.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - Please don’t keep us a secret!  We have financing options available with low or even no down payment programs.  Call us at 604-859-2341 for more information.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, a client asked, “What is the best way to refer people I care about to you?”  The reason he asked was that in the past few weeks, he had recommended a friend and two colleagues to us.  I asked him the names of the people he referred.  To our surprise, only one of the three had actually contacted Marlene or myself.

 

I asked him to give me a call directly whenever he knew someone who could benefit from my service, and we could discuss the best way for me to connect with his friends and family.  The good news is now our client is calling us directly whenever the people he cares about need our services. 

 

The result is that his referrals are getting the coaching they need to make the wisest real estate decision possible.

 

When you want to refer a family member, friend, or colleague to us, simply call us directly so we can discuss the best way to approach them.  Remember a referral is sending someone you care about to someone you trust. 

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene Siebert

The Siebert Team

RE/MAX Little Oak Realty

604-859-2341

 

PS - Thanks for not keeping us a secret!  Your referrals are the life of our business.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

A young couple, Chris and Stacey, were referred to me recently.  They needed a home with more room for their growing family.  That was their need.  Their wants consisted building a new home and not making a double move while building.  That was going to be the interesting part.  Not many buyers are willing to wait three or more months to move into their newly purchased home.

 

Chris and Stacey has a nicely updated three level split that had been for sale with two other realtors in town, yet still were not having any success.  So they asked me to have a look at their property.  We reviewed their evaluation, and The Siebert Team was hired.  We put the property up for sale and put our marketing plan into action, and here is the best part, we received two offers at the same time.

 

Working one offer against the other, which is great for the seller, not so great for the buyers and their realtors, we ended up with the perfect offer...I mean perfect!  The purchase price was $1,000 over the asking price and Chris, Stacey, and their children would not have to move for just over three months, which was enough time to build their new home.  To top it off, this all took place within ten days from the time of the listing to the subject removal date.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - Don’t keep us a secret!  Our team spends a great deal of time going the extra mile to serve our clients.  If you know of anyone who is upgrading, needing some extra elbow room for the family, or has been for sale and has not experienced the awesome feeling of slapping the sold sticker across their “For Sale” sign, then give us a call at 604-859-2341.

Read

Dear Friends,

 

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

 

Recently, a client of ours referred us to a friend and her husband, Bill and Anna.

 

Bill and Anna has worked hard all their lives and now it was time to retire, take the motor home, and make some memories!  Their plan was to sell their home and take one year to travel to all the destinations they had dreamed about.

 

As Bill and Anna were not going to purchase right away, they wanted to include all their appliances and hot tub in the sale of their property.  With some coaching, we came up with a plan to get the very most for the home and not just give away these extras.

 

After thorough research of all the homes that sold in the area, we chose an asking price and did a “property review” to ensure the house would show it’s best.  Our step by step computerized marketing campaign included internet marketing (www.siebertteam.com), yellow signs, MLS, Buyer Search plans, flyers, plus a mortgage discount to buyers.

 

Through our marketing efforts, we had six showings in under two weeks, and one offer, which was much too low. 

 

In order to achieve success for Bill and Anna, it was clear that I would need to become an appliance and hot tub salesman to get them the very most...and that’s what it took.  Now Bill and Anna are currently packing up their motor home ready to experience retirement life...selling their property for within $1,000 of the asking price.

 

As always, your friends and realtors for life,

 

Larry & Marlene

 

PS - Don’t keep us a secret!  If you have a friend looking to make a lifestyle change and it is important for them to get the very most out of their home, why not refer them.  Call us at 604-859-2341.  We would love to serve your friends with a World Class Real Estate Experience.

Read