Yesterday (Feb 16,2010), the Department of Finance in Canada announced changes to government-backed mortgages. There was talk that there would be changes in how much would be required for a down payment, or changes in the amortization period, but that never happened. The following changes were announced:
Require that all borrowers meet the standards for a five-year fixed rate mortgage ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on February 17, 2010
According to the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®, January has been another great month for sales. The number of sales in the Barrie region have risen 62%, while the total number of properties have risen 67% compared to January 2009. Even though these numbers have risen greatly, the average price has only increased 4% from last year at the same time to $270,340. To ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on February 16, 2010
In these days of high stress, caused by busy lives and economic struggles, unfortunately, many couples are finding it difficult to cope. As a result, the divorce rate remains high in this country. The interesting, and sad, thing about divorce and separation, is that the event effects so many different facets of a person's life. Not only are living expenses compromised, but investments, ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on February 12, 2010
I was raised by the adage "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you." It is with this phrase that I try to live my life, both personally and professionally. That, along with the motto "Be a good person." So, now that I work in the private sector(many of you know I used to be a family therapist in the public sector), I am quite aware that clients and potential clients have many choices out ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on January 25, 2010
It is now well into January 2010, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are as excited as I am about the upcoming year. Certainly 2009 had it's ups and downs, but I hope the overall experience was a good one.
Given it is a new year, it is time to report on the end of year stats for 2009. I'm very pleased to say that we ended the year quite strong. According to information provided ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on January 18, 2010
It's been a while since I've posted... Busy couple of weeks. To improve my service to my clients, I've recently hired a non-licensed assistant/client care manager, named Terri Tracey. She has had a great deal of experience working in an office setting, and dealing with the public. Terri and I look forward to working together to continue to bring high quality service to all of our clients.
In addition ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on November 25, 2009
I know with the economy today, many people are wanting to get into the real estate market, and are having difficulties. Often times, the challenges don't result from not having a job. Sometimes, people are self employed or have had bad credit in the past. This credit issue could even be a bankruptcy that hasn't yet been discharged. Certainly if you can get financing through a mortgage specialist, that ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on November 5, 2009
Just came across this great video about Barrie, ON. Shows all of the wonderful qualities our city has to offer: nature, culture, and more. What is your favourite thing about Barrie?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI8QPko5ays
Posted by Jamie Dann
on November 2, 2009
Recently, the City of Barrie has put into place a plan to develop strategies for some of Barrie's more historic neighbourhoods. I think this is a great community outreach program that has involved individuals and families living in those particular areas. By involving residents, sense of community is strengthened. The Historic Neighbourhood Strategy worked to gather ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on October 30, 2009
Some people are talking about how poor the economy is, while others are saying that the recession is over. Hard to tell what is going on, but here is some good news! According to the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®, September 2009 had the HIGHEST level EVER of home sales activity. Buyers are buying, while there are fewer listings available, thus creating a sense of ...
Posted by Jamie Dann
on October 27, 2009