As a kid, summers, at times, seemed endless.  Now, they seem all too fleeting, which is why, as a family, we are doing our best to pack in as much fun as possible and the boys are doing their best to avoid using the dreaded “S” word: school J.  Honestly, like other teachers, my wife probably is too. 

This summer is especially abbreviated with our oldest leaving to pursue his basketball dreams in Edmonton.  It will be an emotional send-off to be sure, and we will miss his daily presence in the house greatly.  I’m sure he will miss us too, and likely the full fridge and stocked snack cupboards as well.  I predict that there will be plenty of teary video calls in the near future, and if he is not too busy to return for Thanksgiving, my guess is that he will have a new found appreciation for home-cooked meals.

While there is sadness in seeing him go, we are excited for him and the many adventures that await.

In other bittersweet news, because of the age of the older two boys and my wife and my desire to have our boys under our roof for as long as possible, we made the difficult and emotional decision to sell our family home.  We absolutely loved our home, but realized that a space that offered our family shared walls, but some more independent living (in the form of a suite) may be a better fit for us moving forward.

We prepped our house at the beginning of summer and put it on the market in late July.  While my family vacationed, I guided the sale process behind the scenes via a childhood friend of mine – an agent that works primarily in Vancouver.  In only two days on the market, we had three showings and two offers.  Subjects were recently removed and, even in this down-turned market, we sold for a record setting price in the community in which we live.  Now, while there is always good fortune in terms of timing that can play a part in a successful sale, there are many strategic decisions that were made to produce a quality outcome. 

It’s not by chance that we sold as we did, it’s by design.

Part of that design is early strategic planning.  For anyone considering a move, I strongly encourage you to connect with an agent as soon as possible – preferably me 🙂  Find someone whom you trust and who will genuinely listen to your life story – where it’s been, where it is now, and where you’d like it to go.  Be open and honest with whoever you choose – after all, they are there to represent your interests – and details matter.

If that agent is one of quality, he or she should be able to provide you with the information you need and options to consider.  Once you have chosen the option that’s best for you, he or she will also be able to provide a game plan for how to achieve your preferred outcome as efficiently and rewardingly as possible.

If you’re curious how I approached my own sale, the many strategic decisions that were made, and how we achieved the result that we did, please give me a call, text, or email and I’d be happy to share more.

We do have plans beyond this next move, but those are for another time.

MARKET UPDATE:

The housing market, overall, in the Fraser Valley remains relatively dormant.  As expected, there was no interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada in July, and trade tensions, political turmoil, and general uncertainty continue to persist making big decisions, such as a home sale or purchase, challenging.

It’s difficult to say what will cause an eventual shift; however, I am a firm believer that the decision to move is better based on housing needs than on market conditions.  My recent personal sale is evidence of that.

If you, too, are considering a move this year or next, please reach out so that we can begin making that ever-important early stages strategic planning.

A LITTLE HUMOUR FROM ONE OF MY STILL LITTLE ONES:

When my family was recently vacationing at Shuswap Lake, a deer was spotted which prompted these jokes from one of my boys:

Q.  Hey, Dad!  What do you call a deer with no eyes?
A.  No eye deer (no idea)

Which he then followed up with…

Q.  Hey, Dad!  What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs?
A.  Still no eye deer (still no idea)