“When a place is perfect, you have to jump on it!” says this home buyer
By Virginia Rasch
Finding your dream home in Cranbrook takes time, experience and maybe a touch of luck. Here are two couples’ stories of buying homes in the Cranbrook real estate market, as told through the women, Kim and Rachel.
Kim McCauley and Mike Maloney were looking for a new home that included a larger lot. In May 2019, they moved from Cranbrook into their dream home just outside the city limits.
Rachel and Cam Loganberg love Cranbrook as a regional hub for their passions.
“You can drive to a lake for a picnic dinner in less than 10 minutes or can go windsurfing on a much larger lake in 20 minutes,” said Rachel. “The summer weather is incredible with very few bugs, and the winters are dreamy—lots of world-class ski hills to visit in a day.”
Originally from Toronto and Winnipeg, the Loganbergs have lived in Cranbrook for the last 14 years but wanted to upgrade to their dream home, which they purchased in April this year.
Both couples bought their homes through Sandy Smith and her daughter, Justine MacDonald, who work as a team at Sandy Smith Personal Real Estate Corporation.
Finding their dream homes
Because Kim and Mike sold their previous home with Sandy Smith, they needed to find a new home as soon as possible.
“Our home was sold, and Sandy knew I really did not want to be homeless,” laughed Kim. “She would even show us homes that we would ask to see, knowing they would not be for us.
“Sandy found our home after searching and viewing several homes—she knew exactly what we wanted and found our home.”
You also need a real estate agent who is available when you need them. Rachel recounted that friends told them that this particular house had just come up for sale that day.
“We were out of town and called Sandy,” said Rachel. “We told her that we wanted to see this house right away. Sandy got us an appointment for the moment we arrived back into Cranbrook. We saw the house and made an offer.
“When a place is perfect, you have to jump on it! Even though it was Friday night, Sandy got the offer done up and sent out.”
For negotiations, you want a real estate agent with experience. According to Rachel, Sandy was “fair, confident and knowledgable.”
Kim echoed those sentiments: “Sandy was awesome and kept our best interests in mind through the complete process and even made suggestions and recommendations we had not thought about or overlooked,” she said.
Their home sweet home in Cranbrook
Kim and Mike are thrilled to have found their dream home.
“It checked all of our boxes on our list of must-haves,” Kim said. That includes the floor plan, the outbuildings and the lot size.
Since they moved in, the couple has been busy as bees in a new hive. They’ve painted inside and outside; replaced the roof, gutters and soffits; worked on the water, electrical and HVAC systems; and are now in the process of a kitchen renovation.
Rachel and Cam’s dream home is close to many of their friends in Cranbrook.
“The backyard is an oasis … what more could we want!” said Rachel.
Their new house was well taken care of by the previous owners so the Loganbergs haven’t done much work on it as yet.
“Our motto is don't do anything for the first year,” said Rachel. “Having said that, I think we will get recessed lights put into the kitchen—we love cooking in a bright kitchen.”
Closing
If you’re in the market for a dream home in the Cranbrook area, here are two endorsements for Sandy Smith’s real estate services to help you find your new home.
“I told friends that having Sandy as our Realtor® for buying and selling was like having a good lawyer,” said Rachel. “You need someone you can trust, someone who will be honest with you.”
Kim would agree. “Sandy's knowledge and experience are what make her a top real estate agent,” Kim said. “Sandy is very kind and sensitive to the needs of both her buyers and sellers. She is honest, dependable and works hard with integrity. She also has a great sense of humour.”
Realtor® Sandy Smith is an associate broker for Royal LePage East Kootenay Realty. She and her daughter, Justine, work seamlessly as a team in Sandy Smith Personal Real Estate Corporation.
Ready to start your home search?
Give Sandy Smith a call today and realize the benefits of having a professional
by your side through the entire process: 250-421-0835.
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