Rise and shine, Langley foodies! 🍳☕ Looking for the perfect morning pick-me-up? Look no further! Here are the top 4 breakfast spots in Langley that will kickstart your day with a whole lot of flavour and fun. 🎉

1. Gratia Bakery: Located in Walnut Grove, indulge in delectable sandwiches, paninis, pastries, and quality coffee. Sip on rich espresso or aromatic tea while enjoying a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. 

2. Egg Bomb: Get ready to detonate your taste buds at Egg Bomb! 💥 All-day breakfast & lunch served with a bang. Delicious coffee, tea, and more. From eggs galore to extravagant toast, they’ve got your cravings covered. Boom your day with flavour!

3. OEB: Discover OEB Breakfast Co at the Courtyard in Willowbrook Mall. They're transforming breakfast into an art form. 🌞🍳 With chef-driven innovation, they offer classics and one-of-a-kind creations. It's more than just food; it's a story. Join OEB for an ever-evolving breakfast adventure that leaves you soul-full. 🥞🍽️☕ 

4. Hot & Toasty Cafe: Start your day sizzling at Hot & Toasty Cafe in Langley City! 🔥🥞 This cozy neighbourhood gem is all about crêpes, both sweet and savoury, topped to perfection. Plus, they serve a mean cup of coffee to complete your morning experience. Where crêpe dreams come true! ☕🍴

Whether you're a pancake aficionado or a coffee connoisseur, Langley's breakfast scene has something fun and scrumptious for everyone. 🥞☕ Get ready to rise and dine in style! 🌅 #LangleyEats #BreakfastBliss #MorningFuel

Are you new to Langley? Or wondering why Langley is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Lower Mainland?

Langley Township was one of the fastest-growing municipalities in B.C. during the last five years according to the Census, and Langley City wasn't far behind.

1. Fort Langley National Historic Site Welcomes You

For all my history buffs: travel back in time to the 1800s at Fort Langley, the birthplace of BC. Visitors can learn more about Fort Langley's role in the fur trade and gold prospecting era by exploring the re-constructed timber buildings, complete with costumed interpreters and live demonstrations. Children can dress up, explore the Children's Play Area and participate in the Xplorers program. It is open year-round and fun for everyone! Once you are done, I implore you to walk around Fort Langley to see the local shops, bakeries, restaurants and so much more!

2. Visit Backyard Vineyards

Calling all wine-lovers! Since 2009, Backyard Vineyards have been producing award-winning varietals, blended, and bubbly wines from 100% BC grapes grown on-site in their own vineyard and created tastefully with fruit selected from the Fraser Valley and South Okanagan. Book a tour or check out their calendar on their website for awesome events such as trivia nights, art painting and live music!

3. Explore the Canadian Museum of Flight

Aviation enthusiast? Fly no further! 25 aircraft on display. Located at the Langley Airport features static and flying aircraft, including a Handley Page Hampden from WWII (which happens to be the only one on display in the ENTIRE world). The museum encourages hands-on interactions so that you can get close to many different aircraft. You are welcome to swoop in for a visit or book a guided tour to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

4. Drop by the Barley Merchant

Attention all beer buffs: this is a stop you don’t want to miss! The Barley Merchant is a proud supporter of independently BC-owned breweries , cideries, wineries, and distilleries. A huge tap list that proudly showcases products from our own beautiful province. Not to mention, their food menu is absolutely delicious – they make their own beer cheese and flatbreads with the local beer on tap. Bonus: live music every Tuesday. Sip back and relax!

5. Putter over to Belmont Golf Course

I couldn’t leave out the golfers! Opening in 1992, this full-length championship course, features six par threes and four sets of tees, making it perfect for golfers of all skills/experience. An absolutely stunning golf course with gorgeous views of the valley and mountains. In fact, Langley is a host to many gorgeous golf courses so take your pick!

If I still haven’t convinced you that Langley is a great place to visit. Shoot me a message, I have tons more cool things to do in historic Langley.

I would love to know your thoughts if you have already visited these places! And to stay updated follow my Instagram @soldwithnina

Talk soon,
Nina

1. What is a down payment and how much of a downpayment do I need to purchase a home?

A down payment is the amount of money you contribute upfront toward the purchase of a home. It’s subtracted from the purchase price, and the remaining amount is covered by your mortgage.

While the ideal down payment is 20% of the purchase price (to avoid mortgage insurance), the minimum required depends on the price of the home and recent regulation changes in BC.

General guideline: 

5% on the first $500,000

10% on the portion from $500,001 to $1,499,999

20% on homes priced $1.5 million or more

2. What can I afford?

You will need to contact a mortgage broker to figure out how much of a mortgage a lender will loan to you. In the meantime, you can play around with the mortgage calculator on my website. 

3. How much will I pay for closing costs? 

It depends on the home, however, a good rule of thumb is 2-4% of the final home price. 

4. What is property transfer tax (PTT)?

It is a tax you must pay when you buy a home in BC unless you are exempt. Click here to see the first-time buyer exemption guideline. The general PTT rate is 1% of the purchase price up to and including $200K; 2% of the purchase price over $200K+ and including $2 million. And 3% of the purchase price for over $2 million+

5. Should I get a pre-approval before house hunting? 

Yes, 100%. This is crucial so that you can stay within budget and avoid any disappointments during the house purchasing process. It can already be stressful - don’t let the numbers be too.

6. Do I really need a buyer’s agent? 

Absolutely! Not only is it a free service for you - we offer consumer protection when it comes to drafting up the contract. We also offer industry resources and information as well as comparable market analysis and real estate advice so that you can make the best financial decision for one of the biggest investments of your life. Stay protected! 

7. How many homes should I view before putting in an offer to purchase? 

When it feels right! Take your time in deciding if the home is right for you. I have had buyers who wrote on the first home and those who needed to see more. Most times all your boxes for needs/wants won’t all be met so it is important to decide what is really a need and a want. Location can’t change but your kitchen cabinets can! 

8. Who signs the contract of purchase and sale?

The contract of purchase and sale is a contract for the sellers and the buyers. The buyers signing will also be on the mortgage/financing and who will have legal ownership over the home. 

9. What is a deposit?

A deposit is good faith money that is put down by the buyer upon a firm agreement of purchase and sale of a home. This is your way of saying “you are serious” to the seller. The amount is typically 5% of the purchase price and forms part of your downpayment. 

*This is extremely important to remember if you are still needing to sell your current home!

10. Will home prices continue to go down?

No one has a crystal ball to give you a definitive answer, however, we do have tools and predictions on what we think might happen. There are too many factors to consider. Prices may go down a little bit more, but that shouldn’t be too daunting if you are holding your real estate long-term. Real estate is cyclical and what goes up, goes back down and vice versa. The most important thing to focus on is finding a wonderful deal and sit back while home prices start appreciating again. 

11. Is now a good time to buy a house? 

The market is ever-changing, even the most informed experts can’t predict when the market will peak or fall. If you are purchasing a home for a long-term investment or enjoyment, you should be protected from short-term changes in the market. Instead, focus on picking a home that fits you and/or your family’s needs. In our current market conditions, there are deals to be made! 

Please reach out with any questions. I encourage discussions on all things real estate. Happy to help, happy to educate!

Don’t miss out on any important real estate news, tips, advice, and investment opportunities by signing up for my complimentary #SOLDWITHNINA Newsletter.

Chat soon,

Your local real estate agent, Nina

As we are well aware, the Spring time is typically when real estate starts to pick back up again and sellers and buyers decide it is time to make a real estate change for various reasons. If you are considering listing your home in the next few months then it is a good idea to start prepping your home now. Here are some top tips to get your home ready to sell this Spring:

1. Think small with renovations

You’re getting ready to move and you don’t want to redo the entire kitchen and bathrooms only to move out soon, so when it comes to getting your home ready to list, let’s look at the small things that can be done, but make a huge difference.

- instead of replacing kitchen cabinets, paint them white instead

- rather than replacing the whole tub, reglaze it

- put a fresh coat of paint on garage doors, front doors, interior doors, and/ or baseboards

- replace burnt out bulbs and/or update the dining room chandelier

- fix anything broken: appliances, holes in the walls, closet doors, etc

2. Curb appeal matters

First impressions matter! If you are living in a detached home or townhome, perhaps you’d like to pressure wash your driveway, make sure the lawn is manicured and any dead plants are either removed or replaced with gorgeous blooming ones. Make sure to remove any clutter, garbage and anything mouldy. This also applies to the backyard and/or patio!

3. Time for a Spring clean

It’s that time of year… the big ol’ Spring clean. This is actually perfect because now you are even more motivated to get it done. A clean home sells better and looks crisp in photos which is the first online impression that potential buyers see. Take the time to de-clutter, donate and throw away any items you no longer need or use. Do your best to donate if you can! During this process, it is the perfect time to put things in boxes that you won’t use until you move which helps the staging process.

4. A staged home is a sold home

I am a firm believer that it is important to stage your home for sale. Staging homes typically provide a higher sales price. We want it to look like a show home that the potential buyer can see themselves living in. Don’t let the wording, stage, scare you. This is where I come in! I will set you up with my staging team for a consultation on what to move around and put away. In this process, we may bring additional furniture or decor to help stage. Although you have beautiful family photos and a cute pet portrait, the more neutral the home is, the more buyers can see themselves enjoying their prospective new home.

Since the above items take some time to get done, it is great to start as early as possible to eliminate stress.

Good luck with prepping your home and remember, I am always here to help!