5 Things you didn't know about the Mortgage Market

5 Things You Didn't Know About the Canadian Mortgage Market [Infographic]

from RateHub.ca 

Each year, the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP) releases a report on the state of the Canadian residential mortgage market. This year the report examined everything from the growing popularity of fixed mortgage rates, to the economic impact of the new mortgage rules. The data is compiled through multiple sources, including an online survey of more than 2,000 participants made up of both homeowners and renters.

Because the report is filled with a wealth of data, it can be overwhelming for the mortgage newbie. And it’s always been a dream of mine to bring the year’s most interesting facts to life. The report was released Monday and, since then, the RateHub team has been working with PushPullLabs, scrambling to make sense of the facts and figures and communicate them in the clearest way possible.

I hope you enjoy and learn a little on the way.

  

CURIOUS AS TO WHAT YOUR SELLING PRICE OF YOUR HOME SHOULD BE?

CURIOUS AS TO WHAT YOUR SELLING PRICE OF YOUR HOME SHOULD BE?

13 Top Winning images from National Geographic

Winning images from National Geographic

Be Sensible when it comes to Home Scents

Sniff, sniff. “What is that smell?”That is definitely not the reaction you want a potential buyer to have when they view your house. The problem with common household scents – from family pets, favourite cooking styles, smoking, or even hobbies such as model-making – is that we get accustomed to them. However, someone who enters the house for the first time will notice these aromas right away. So, before a viewing appointment or open house, be sure household scents are under control. A good airing usually does the trick.

www.teambluesky.ca

Reducing the Stress of Selling a Home

Reducing The Stress Of Selling Selling a house can be a stressful process for the entire family. You need to keep the place clean and looking its best. You need to stay away during viewings. You may even need to look for a new home at the same time. Although you won’t be able to eliminate all the anxiety, good advanced planning will certainly help reduce it. First, talk to a REALTOR® well before you decide to put the property on the market. A good REALTOR® can help you determine whether any repairs, improvements, or minor touch-ups should be done, so that your home will sell faster and for the best price possible. Once the property is on the market, plan some excursions with the family during open houses and other viewing times. These are the perfect opportunities to check out local restaurants, museums, recreation centres, parks and other amenities. To keep your home clean and tidy for potential buyers, consider hiring a maid service on a short-term basis. You’ll have a lot on your plate during this period and having the floors and washrooms cleaned by someone else can relieve a lot of stress. Want to make the home selling process even easier? Call TEAM BLUESKY Remax today, 905-639-7676

             www.teambluesky.ca

12 Steps to a Safe Home in the New Year

From smoke detectors to furnace filters, let January 1 be a reminder of some must-dos around the house

Clark Harris

I opened my remodeling company (http://innovateatlanta.com) 

Each season brings different challenges for your home's maintenance. Winter is typically the most stressful, so it's best to be prepared. Following these professional tips will help keep you safe from fire, water and carbon monoxide — and help you save energy and increase the comfort of your home.

by Clark Harris

by Clark Harris

1. Have your chimney cleaned. Hire a professional chimney smith to clean and inspect your chimney. Brad Smith the Chimney Smith, shown here, performs a multi-point inspection with each cleaning. This will help prevent house fires and carbon monoxide leaks.
Get Your Fireplace Cold Weather Ready

by Clark Harris

by Clark Harris

2. Install carbon monoxide detectors. Place them near areas that use natural gas, such as the garage, furnace, chimney, gas fireplace, gas range and water heater. Most security system companies offer carbon monoxide detectors. They can also be hard wired into your home, meaning they connect to a constant power source. You can also install a battery-operated detector, like the one shown here. I make sure to place a detector on each level of a home.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

3. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors. I recommend changing the batteries once a year, no matter what condition they're in. The building code in Atlanta requires all smoke detectors to be hard wired. It also states that all smoke detectors in a house must be tied together, so that if one goes off they all will sound the alarm. I recommend having these tied into your security system as well.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

4. Install an attic door blanket. Attic stair openings are a main source of heat loss in the winter. There are many versions of this product, but I like this one because it has a radiant heat shield that deters heat from entering the home during the summer and prevents heat from escaping during the winter. It has an easy-to-use zipper.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

5. Adjust your water heater temperature. Here's a really simple way to save energy: Adjust the knob on the face of the water heater to a lower setting. Of course, if your water temperature is not as hot as you would like it, simply turn it up a few notches. Warning: The gauge allows you to make your water scalding hot. If you have young children or elderly people living with you, please keep it on a lower setting.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

6. Replace your furnace filter. Change out your filter every two months. This will give you better air quality. A dirty filter will cause your furnace to work harder and shorten its lifespan. A furnace will actually shut down if the filter is too dirty.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

Tip: Write the filter size on the front of your furnace. This will give all of you procrastinators one less excuse to buy new filters. Yes, I know this from experience.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

Tip: Keep fighting the procrastinator within by purchasing filters in bulk and leaving them next to your furnace. Warning: Keep these filters a safe distance from anything combustible.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

7. Install a pan under your washing machine. A leaking washing machine can be catastrophic to your home. Pans for underneath the machine are available at home repair stores or online. They have a spot in the back where a drain pipe can be connected. Run this drain to the exterior of your home. Warning: Do not attach the drain to your home's plumbing. Installing it improperly can cause sewer gas to enter your home.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

8. Install metal braided hoses to your washing machine. These hoses are much less apt to burst or leak than the traditional rubber hoses.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

9. Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters can cause myriad problems, including rotten exterior wood and leaks to the interior. Clogged gutters also cause water to spill over the top, leading to flooding and erosion. You can eliminate the need for gutter cleaning entirely by using a gutter cover.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

10. Change your spotlights. While you're up there cleaning gutters, take the opportunity to change the bulbs on exterior lights.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

11. Shut off the water supply to exterior faucets. This will be necessary if you live in a climate that has freezing temperatures. If you leave standing water in the pipe, there's a chance it will freeze, which can cause the pipe to burst, potentially flooding your house. Find the water shut-off valves for your faucets, and turn them off. The shut-offs are usually a short distance from your exterior faucets, most often in a basement. Remember: "righty tighty" to close them and "lefty loosey" to open them. After shutting them off, go outside and turn on the exterior faucet to remove any excess water.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

12. Install a faucet cover. When the weather starts to warm up again, you can install an insulated faucet cover. This way, you won't have to shut the water off to the faucet entirely, but you will be safe if the temperature drops again. Note: These covers won't work well if your region is constantly near or below freezing.

by Clark Harris by Clark Harris

Faucet cover installation: Simply slip the ring over the spout, place the cover against the house, and pull on the cord. It takes less than 10 seconds and costs about $2.50. www.teambluesky.ca

What is the Ideal Selling Price for Your House in Burlington/Oakville/Hamilton

What is the Ideal Selling Price for Your House?

“How much can we get for our house?” That’s often the first question asked when putting a house on the market. Obviously, you want to get the most money possible for your house. But if you set your price too high you’ll scare off potential buyers – and their agents! If you set your price too low you’ll be leaving money on the table. People might also reasonably assume that there’s something wrong with the property. “Why the low selling price?” Ideally, the selling price should reflect the market value of your house, and should be influenced by how quickly you want to sell it. What is market value? It’s simply the price that potential home buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours in your neighbourhood. Your agent should suggest an asking price for your house, based on market research. The analysis should include sales of properties in your area that are similar to yours – taking into account the number of rooms, lot size, square footage, special features (such as pools), etc. – and provide a comparison. For example, if your house has two storeys with three bedrooms and a finished basement the research should include other houses in your neighbourhood with the same features. If these houses sold for an average of $245,000, then it’s a good bet that potential buyers would be willing to pay that much for your house. An agent will try to find at least three recent house sales in your neighbourhood. (The more recent the better, as home prices can fluctuate.) Don’t take it personally. Market value doesn’t take into account any emotional attachment you may have to any particular feature of your house. You may look at your backyard garden with pride and remember the many hours of hard work you spent planning, planting and nurturing. But, no matter how much more valuable you think the garden makes your house, it is still only worth whatever someone else is willing to pay for it. Need help setting the ideal price for your house, so it sells quickly and for the highest possible price? Call TEAM BLUESKY REMAX today (905) 639-7676 www.teambluesky.ca