Yesterday, the Bank of Canada announced the first rate increase to the daily rate it charges banks from 0.25% to 0.5%. Does this affect you?
That depends on whether you have a mortgage or a line of credit, and if so, what type. If you have a fixed rate mortgage, then no - it does not affect you, at least until your mortgage is up for renewal. If you have a variable rate mortgage ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on June 2, 2010
Over the last few months, there have been occasional articles in the media about the Competition Bureau advising the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) that they would be taken before the Competition Tribunal to determine if the rules surrounding postings to the MLS® were anti-competitive. Talks between CREA and the Competition Bureau were proceeding smoothly, and then the Competition Bureau ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on April 1, 2010
Earth Hour (TM) is coming - Saturday, March 27th starting at 8:30pm local time, to be precise. 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, etc, etc.
Here is a video that ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on March 19, 2010
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.
A few days ago in the city of Toronto, a father and his young daughter were both killed due to a house fire. And today on the news, I listened to the announcer introduce a representative from the Ontario Fire Marshal who proceeded ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on March 12, 2010
The days are getting longer and the daytime temperatures are getting a bit warmer. That means the maple sap is starting to run, and community maple syrup festivals and events are happening in your area!
For a listing of Maple Syrup Festivals in the Greater Toronto Area, click on the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association website. Or, here are a couple of highlighted ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on March 2, 2010
The Brampton Lions Club is hosting a charity dance this coming Saturday, February 27th from 7:30pm to 1:00am, raising money to help send underprivileged and/or sick children to Disney for a Day!
Date: February 27th
Time: 7:30pm - 1:00am
Cost: $15.00 per person
Location: Century Gardens Recreation Centre, Brampton (corner of Vodden St & Rutherford Rd)
This ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on February 24, 2010
Today marks the start of a mid-winter restaurant festival "A Taste of Downtown Brampton". Restaurants in the downtown area of Brampton are offering lunch and dinner fixed-price menus for the next couple of weeks, and I encourage all of us to support these local businesses!
Restaurants with diverse cuisine from Italian (Fanzorelli's, Mount Vesuvio, etc) to Japanese (Sushi House) ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on February 22, 2010
I've been working with a really nice family lately showing them a few homes for sale in the Brampton area (actually, just three!) and talking with them about the process of moving house. The reason they've been planning on selling - and downsizing - is to save a bit of money as the economy recovers, plus their kids will be teenagers within the next few years and we all know teenagers ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on January 26, 2010
Happy New Year, everyone!
It's January 6, 2010 as I write this blog, and it's very interesting to see how the market has changed over the last year, eh?
At this time a year ago, everyone had gone into hibernation, and adopted a "wait and see" attitude with regards to the economy and the housing market. One year later, and the market has changed drastically! Prices are going up ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on January 6, 2010
I was surfing www.youtube.com today, and thought it might be interesting to see if there were any Century 21 videos. Well, I found a whole lot of them - many of them hilarious! Some of them were from real estate sales representatives showing off their listings (a cool idea), others were from clients showing off the new home they bought with help from their Century 21 REALTOR, and then ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on November 15, 2009