BEEEEP, BEEEEEP, BEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEP! It might be annoying, especially when you've burned the toast for the 4th time this week, but smoke alarms save lives.
Recently a father and his young daughter were both killed due to a house fire in Toronto. And recently I heard on the news a representative from the Ontario Fire Marshal talking about how this family would have been okay, except ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on April 1, 2010
As many as 15% of all new mortgages granted in Canada are for properties the owner doesn't live in. And now, starting this spring, the landlord/investor has to put down a minimum down payment of 20% in order to obtain Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)- insured properties, part of rule changes announced in February. However, it's worth noting that it is not all bad news when it comes to ...
Posted by Don Lawby
on March 29, 2010
Earth Hour happens this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (your) local time... Are you participating?
Sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation, this event is taking place in most communities across Canada. Neighbours will be getting together for moonlight walks, families will have supper by candlelight, and such.
Turning off lights on March 27 is great, but we can all make a difference ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on March 25, 2010
As we approach the one-year anniversary of Talk21 blog, we were curious to see which blog post - out of some 150 posts - have garnered the most comments.
One of the posts you'd fully expect to get lots of comments and emotional heat was the one we posted in early November, 2009 titled, "Realtor.ca Open to All Listings?" You really should check out the fiery, lengthy comments at the end of that post; ...
Posted by Don Lawby
on March 22, 2010
A lot of people are wondering why the real estate market is so active right now. I have a few of my own ideas about why that might be happening.
The biggest reason is the pent up demand that was created by the difficulties in the financial sector from late 2008 to early 2009. A lot of people put their plans on hold and now that things are looking better, they have come back looking to buy and sell ...
Posted by Charlie Veaudry
on March 17, 2010
Real estate professionals, and other self-employed Canadians, can now register for access to the Employment Insurance (EI program) - either online or at a Service Canada Centre.
This means, for the first time in this country, there is income protection for people who work for themselves to cope with major life events. If you register on or before April 1 of this year, you can make a claim for ...
Posted by Don Lawby
on March 15, 2010
I received an email the other day from AIR MILES telling me about their Block Party this month. Until March 31, you can enter the AIR MILES Community Block Party contest up to 4 times - for a chance to win 25,000 AIR MILES reward miles. The Community is celebrating its first year on the Internet, and wants to encourage you to participate - so your entry is eligible via 4 methods:
Leave your own ...
Posted by Barbara Fromm
on March 8, 2010
On average, Canadians move 4.5 to 5.5 times in their lifetime - which can cost them a big chunk of their home equity: as much as $150,000 in extra costs related to moving.
Still there are lots of good reasons to move, such as:
1) Home is too small: First-time home buyers often outgrow their "starter" homes. Increased family size is the main reason home owners say they need a larger home.
2) Upgrade: ...
Posted by Md. Howlader
on March 8, 2010
I got a call the other day about a home out in the countryside. I reviewed the listing and learned that it had a geothermal heating and cooling system - an unusual and intriguing "green" feature for a Canadian home.
Geothermal seems to be an awsome way to reduce non-renewable energy use, and thereby save money in our homes - and a geothermal heating/cooling system is one of the items eligible for ...
Posted by Audrey Harder
on March 4, 2010
As part of my daily routine, I consult with buyers who are thinking of buying into a variety of condo developments. In most cases, the issue of noise comes up.
In the last few months, several of my ViP clients have complained about sound leakage in their new units. I have heard everything from people being able to hear their neighbours talking (and, in some cases, much more).
The best advice I ...
Posted by Paul Indrigo
on March 3, 2010