Margaret & Associates : Blog : Latest Blog Posts

Christmas Shoebox Project

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:20:34 GMT

As a resident and a local realtor, I have been heading up the initiative of the Annual Christmas Shoebox Project in support of our local women & children shelter, The Azure Place under the ministry of WINGS (Women in Need of Gaining Strength) for the past several years.

As we have all experienced, with the effect of prolonged COVID, increased interest rates & rising living costs due to inflation, it has been challenging for many and the needs are greater than ever. Hence, I put together beautiful Christmas Shoeboxes for the women & children either at risk or facing abusive relationships & domestic violence. These Christmas Shoeboxes will uplift their spirit with a message of Hope, Care and Encouragement.

As a local realtor, I have been blessed to serve the community over the years and I'm committed to giving back to our community as well. This year, I have officially teamed up with an amazing local fitness instructor, Lynn Cheng who teaches at Ladner Leisure Center & McKee Senior Center with this initiative! We also have a number of new local business partners supporting us as Donation drop-off locations as well.

The Shoebox Program for Women was originally founded in 2011 in Toronto by four sisters-in-law who wanted to brighten up the holiday season for women living in shelters by filling up shoeboxes with gifts. Every box is packed with love and hope and I'm hoping to pack 150 boxes this year for The Azure Place and the sister houses; I believe with the generosity of the South Delta residences, this can be achieved. Your help with spreading the word through Delta Optimist would be invaluable and much appreciated.

The mission of the Christmas Shoebox project is to uplift & empower women who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, abuse & domestic violence.
The organizations that we supported are Azure Place, a shelter in Ladner, Options Community Services for battered women shelter in Surrey and several other community service organizations.

Every shoebox has been personally curated with a mix of essential items & small luxuries that any woman would love! The support & donations from the community were overwhelming and very generous.

A huge THANK YOU to the following local businesses for their generous support :

Delta Optimist for sharing the story with the community
Envision Financial - both Ladner & Tsawwassen branches
McKee Seniors Recreation Centre in Ladner
Robertson Optical & Optometry in Ladner
Tsawwassen Collision in Tsawwassen
Acorn Service Group in Tsawwassen
Kerry Taste & Nutrition in Tillbury
Glenn Issler with Glenn Issler - Vancouver Mortgage Advisor in Ladner
Sungod Sports & Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Clinic in Ladner
Dexter Realty for the continuous generous support of this mission

After weeks of organizing, sorting, checking every donated item, packing & wrapping, we were able to put together 143 boxes all beautifully wrapped into Christmas presents. In addition, we did a book drive, baby clothing drive, toy drive, and food bank drive for these shelters as well as a $500 cash donations to Azure Place!

Here is what Azure Place has to say - Thank you for these generous gifts to our vulnerable women and children facing complete devastation as a result of domestic violence. A recent resident said, “There are no words… but I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you... you were a lifeline for me when I needed it”.

Here is what Options Community Services has to say: " Thank you so much for your generous donations. These shoeboxes truly make the holidays all the more special and meaningful for the women we serve."

It's an honour and privilege to serve our community!

Monday Market Update - Aug 26, 2019

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 19:32:54 GMT

Market Update

- activity levels for buyers are starting to come back on the market after summer holiday
-monthly supply continues to steadily decline over the last few months and its continues to decline
- there is an underlying pent-up buyer demand which could lead to a busier Fall market
- more consumers are looking into back to back purchase & sale as the market is experiencing compression
- more subject to sales with time clause offer are being presented ; make sure you work with an experienced realtors to make sure everything is well looked after.

If you are looking to get into the market or move up to a larger home, this is a great opportunity ⚡️ let’s get together & talk about it !

Dexter Realty Charity

At Dexter Realty, we have a long history of supporting our communities and one of the charities that we have committed to is Ride to Conquer Cancer for BC cancer research .

This past weekend , 15 of our Dexter Colleagues got on their bikes riding 227 km. Over the past year, Dexter Realty had raised over $61,000 and over $500,000 within the last decade. We are so proud to participate and raise funds for such worthy cause .

#MortgageUpdate

The Bank of Canada is lowering the qualifying rate to 5.19% for mortgage stress test. This is a reduction of 0.2%. This could potentially increase a buyer’s max borrowing power by less than 1%.

There is another way that buyers may increase their borrowing power by 20% with competitive interest rates.

Curious ❓❓
Thinking of a move ❓❓
This is a perfect time to making your homeownership dream into a reality !
Learn more with Keaton Kirkwood at The Green Team Mortgage.

Keaton Kirkwood-Mortgage Broker
DLC Homeline Mortgages
Cell: 778-847-3289
www.GreenMortgageTeam.ca

#CurrentInterestRate -

Current 5 Year Bond rate is down to 1.36%, interest rate should remain low.

Rate drop is forecasted in near future, estimated a quarter point rate cut for Bank of Canada.

Current Special 2.84 %for a quick close mortgage which is about $413/month of mortgage payment for every $100,000 borrowed.

High-ratio mortgage rate -2.69%which is around $457/month of mortgage payment with 25 years amortization for every $100,000 borrowed or $451/ month of mortgage payment for 30 years amortization length.

Conventional rate - 2.79% which is around $435/month of mortgage payment for every $100,000 borrower with 30 years amortization period

Variable rate - 2.95% which is about $471/Month of mortgage payment for $100,000 you borrow with 25 years of amortization period or $410/month of mortgage payment for 30 years of amortization period

We are at a 35 years low in mortgage growth as a result of the implementations of mortgage stress test from one year ago.

Rate has been holding fairly steady and there are a good supply of housing options on the market.

If we can be of any service to your real estate needs, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We ♥️ to hear from you!!

Have a great week !

Who We Support - Our Families, Our Colleagues & Our Communities!

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 23:21:25 GMT

How Margaret Gives Back !

When it comes to my chosen charities, I pick those near and dear to to both my families: my immediate family and my work family at Dexter Realty.

Donating to Delta Hospital - My Choice for Personal Family

For my family of four, there’s little more important than supporting the hospital that saved my son’s life.

Having encountered no food allergies or issues with my oldest daughter, I’d been pretty confident about introducing my son to different foods. When he was 10 months old, I gave him a tiny bit of peanut butter mixed with solid food. Unlike his older sister, however, his response to peanut butter was terrible. He suffered a terrible anaphylactic allergic reaction. With his face turning blue, I called the hospital and rushed him to emergency. Delta hospital knew we were on our way and they’d clearly prepared for us. Only a couple of minutes after arriving, my baby boy was on a hospital bed, being attended by nurses and a pediatrician. They performed all the necessary tests and administered appropriate medication—they even took care of me, giving me a chair and some food.

Their quick reaction and preparedness saved my son's life that day.

And that’s not the only time they’ve helped my family. My son had another incident, when he was severely ill with a persistent high fever that just won't break. Once again, the medical team at Delta Hospital took great care of him. They checked everything, took x-rays of his lungs, and even gave him juice and snacks, which kept him comforted throughout their testing.

I couldn’t be more grateful to the hospital’s incredible team, and I love being able to show my appreciation for their efforts.

Ride To Conqure Cancer - My Choice for My Work Family

Dexter has been my work family for the last 15 years and I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Before finding Dexter, I felt like I was simply drifting from job to job, unable to settle into any one role or be inspired to transform that job into a real, meaningful career.

Then I found Dexter.

David Peerless and all the wonderful agents welcomed me, took me under their wings, and helped me find my feet. David mentored me, offering support and guidance whenever I faltered. It can’t have been easy, helping someone so young enter the real estate market in a position to succeed—but they never complained. And suddenly there I am, in my early twenties, building a career as a realtor.

Through Dexter I found my husband (or perhaps we should say, he found me), and I learned the importance of giving back to the community. Dexter sets a high standard for charity work, and I’ve wanted to be part of continuing that work.

One of Dexter’s primary charities is the Ride to Conquer Cancer.

The managing brokers, especially David Peerless, and lots of Dexter’s agents pull out their bikes and ride in support—and many others donate funds to support those riding. It’s just such a worthy cause. If you haven’t lost an immediate friend or family to cancer, odds are you know someone who has.

While I’m not riding this year, I am supporting a friend and colleague who is: Marilou Appleby.

One of the nicest people you could ever hope to work alongside, Marilou has supported me from the start. From my first, early days at Dexter, I’ve been in awe of this professional, caring, kind, and just absolutely classy woman. In truth, she’s been an inspiration—a role model—and she’s always had my back. When I was out of town on a training conference one of my clients found their dream house and Marilou might not be an official teammate, but she was there for me. She went above and beyond, helping my client prepare and present an offer in the midst of an intense multiple offer situation—and of course that client had the winning offer.

It is always my pleasure to help and support Marilou and everyone at Dexter Realty in anyway I can.

We LOVE our families, our friends and our communities !

Thank You for Joining Us at Our Annual Appreciation Party 2019

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 21:57:24 GMT

This has been our 5th Year in hosting this community appreciation party at Emma Lea Farm in the beautiul Westham Island, Ladner. We love working with Emma Lea Farm because they are the 5th generation family farm in Westham Island and it's picturequse scenery, playground and large green pasture is always the perfect place for families from babies to grandparents to enjoy ! We have been blessed with wonderful weather, abundant berries and it's always a tremendous pleasure to see all the smiles ( & melted ice-cream) on these beautiful children's faces. We appreciate our friends, clients, communities and we LOVE what we do!

Please click HERE for the full video of the event!

Margaret

Client Appreciation Day 2018

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 17:20:33 GMT

Every year we like to show our clients just how special they are to us.

Dexter 2018 Award Winner

Fri, 31 May 2019 17:57:33 GMT

We Keep Great Company

We're thrilled to announce that Margaret has been recognized by our brokerage, Dexter Realty, for her incredible efforts in 2018. The highest standards of service are what made this achievement possible--and it only makes us more committed to doing even more for our clients in 2019.

You can read all about Dexter's 2018 Awards here.