Blog
Clutter or Comfort?
Earlier today, I was reading an interesting post on decluttering by Gloria Hildebrandt, a friend who edits and publishes the wonderful Escarpment Views magazine. You can find her full post at http://www.escarpmentviews.ca/index.php/2011/01/02/200-tips-for-de-cluttering-by-daniela-santos-quartino/. I have advocated decluttering as an important first step in preparing a home for sale, as well as in making it pleasantly livable. Like […]
Understanding The Language of Mortgages
Here are the meaning of some common terms used when talking about mortgages… Conventional Mortgage – a mortgage with a down payment of 20% or more of the value of the property Conventional High Ratio – a mortgage where the down payment is less than 20%of the value of the property Amortization – the period […]
Three Ways to Make the Most of Your Air Conditioning and Reduce Costs
Boost your Air Conditioner’s Efficiency Not only can landscaping shade your entire home from the sun to help keep it cool, it can also boost the efficiency of your air conditioning unit. Plant a few inexpensive shrubs such as Boxwoods to shield the air conditioning unit, boost efficiency and best of all, save you money. […]
INTEREST RATES UPWARD CLIMB
The Bank of Canada has begun to tighten their monetary policy with a 25 basis point hike, increasing the overnight target rate to 0.50%. This move was expected due to the strong Q1/2010 GDP performance. The text of the announcement highlighted Canada’s strong performance, noting the robust first quarter growth and employment growth resumption. It […]
Green Upgrades – Grants Available!
Take advantage of the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program and the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit program. Homeowners can receive up to a combined maximum of $10,000 in grant money. Only homes that have had a residential energy efficiency audit performed by a certified energy advisor will be eligible for these grants. Here’s what you need to […]
HST
There’s lots of confusion about how HST will affect all kinds of purchases. Here’s a short explanation of its impact on a real estate transaction: The HST will have more of an impact on new construction home sales over $400,000, as the purchase price of these homes will be subject to HST. The effect on […]