Geraldine Santiago

Complete Home-Buyer's Guide for Canadians

Take the stress out of buying a home!

Buying a home is probably the largest investment you will ever take, financially and maybe even emotionally. Whether you are a veteran or a novice, buying a home can be intiidating and worrisome. Understanding the buying process can give you the confidence you need to make the right decisions.

The Complete Home-Buyer's Guide for Canadians is written by an experienced real estate agent who specializes in working with first-time home buyers. The book is written in an easy-to-understand manner, guiding the home buyer from obtaining financing to the final paperwork and possession when you enter your home for the first time. Whether it is a condominium, a newly built house, or a resale home, the Complete Home-Buyer's Guide for Canadians will help you decide which home is best for you.

The following questions are answered in this book:

• Where can I get a mortgage?
• What kind of interest rates can I expect?
• What is my borrowing capacity?
• Are financing options available for first-time home buyers?
• Can I use my RRSP for a down payment on a new home?
• What is the relationship between the buyer and seller, and the realtor representing each party?
• How do I make an offer?
• What is a fair price when I place an offer?
• How do I remove subjects?
• What does a building inspection include?

Sell Your Home in Canada

Take the stress out of selling your home!

If you are thinking about selling your home, this is the book for you. Whether you plan to work with a real estate agent or do all the work yourself, Sell Your Home in Canada will show you how to get the best deal possible. It's an easy-to-understand and well-rounded look at selling your home, written specifically for the Canadian real estate market.

Whether you're selling a large house or a one-bedroom condo, this book will help you sell your home with confidence. It's written by an experienced real estate agent who is also the author of the "Complete Home-Buyer's Guide for Canadians" and "Buy/Sell a Recreational property in Canada".

Sell Your Home in Canada guides you from the first steps of advertising your home for sale to the final paperwork. Samples and checklists help you to make the right choices each step of the way and ensure that you haven't forgotten any details.

The book answers the following questions, and more:

• When is it the best time to sell?
• Should I sell it myself or witha real estate agent?
• How do I choose the right agent for me?
• Who will buy my home?
• How do I sell a condo?
• What legal documentation is required?
• How do I advertise my home for sale?
• What do I do when I receive offers?
• How can I negotiate for a better offer?
• When do I hand over the keys?

Buy & Sell Recreational Property in Canada

Make the right choices with recreational real estate!

Have you dreamed about owning the perfect weekend get-away? Are you thinking of buying a vacation home? Maybe now is the right time to turn that dream into reality.

Buying a recreational home can be just as intiidating as buying your first home, and the process is challenging in different ways. Buy and Sell Recreational Property in Canada can help you through this process. It is written by an experienced real estate professional, and guides you through all the steps of buying--and selling--recreational property in Canada.

The book addresses the following issues for buyers:

• Financing a vacation home
• Popular options such as fractional ownership and timeshares
• Working with a realtor
• Building on vacant land
• Making an offer and closing the deal

The following issues are addressed for sellers:

• Putting your home on the market
• Selling with a realtor or on your own
• Costs involved in selling a property
• The dos and don'ts of open houses
• The art of negotiation

This book will help you buy or sell your recreational property with confidence and to get the best deal you can. Worksheets are included that will help you make the right choices along the way.

About the Author

Geraldine Santiago is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She conducts regular seminars on buying a home and she hosts her own home-buying information website. Also the author of Sell Your Home in Canada, Buy and Sell Recreational Property in Canada, both published by Self-Counsel Press.