Real Estate and Home Renovation Advice for Women

Closets: Design and Inspiration

When looking for a new home, one of the top priorities for each bedroom is whether or not there is enough closet space. Having enough storage can make a big difference in how spacious, relaxing and calming your bedroom feels. Here are a few examples of how to make any closet feel fabulous! [caption id="attachment_2164" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="photo courtesy of myhomeideas.com"][/caption] Adding a large mirror to the far wall of your closet is one of the easiest ways to add depth to your closet space. The beautiful gold detailing on the mirror frame picks up on the glamorous feel of the sparkling ...

Home Renovation: How to Reduce Dust in Construction

By Kathryn Haley One of the biggest concerns people have before beginning a renovation is the amount of dirt and dust that will be created. The idea of having their home covered in a layer of dust keeps many from starting. If you have allergies or health issues need to be extra careful. Although you can’t eliminate all dust and dirt during a renovation, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of dust that is created and control its spread throughout your home. So whether you are using a contractor or doing the work yourself, here are some tips for reducing ...

Buying Antiques For Less: How To Buy Antiques and Save Money

Some people have a passion for antique furniture. Designs and trends that have gone out of fashion are represented in the old pieces. Antique furniture has more value than new one. With the economic situation not quite rosy, investing in antique furniture seems like a bad idea. Yet, some people prefer antique rather than any other furniture. It is quite possible to stick to your budget while indulging in your passion. Here are some ways in which you can save money on antique furniture. Ask Your Acquaintances If you know someone among your family and friends who has purchased antique furniture, ask ...

Colour Trends 2012: Pantone Color of the Year Revealed

Well it's that time of year...the new colour for 2012 has been unveiled and like last year it is a bold choice. Here is the Pantone press release. Dance into the New Year with this vivacious and appealing reddish orange - Tangerine Tango PANTONE 17-1463. The 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward. “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to ...

Winter Wonderland – Decorating Ideas for a White Christmas

I love white Christmas decorating ideas! There is something so elegant and sophisticated about an all white theme. Even if you are a frugal shopper, learning how to decorate for Christmas on a budget, really isn't that hard! I found this little adorable snowman at a discount home decor store. He has such a happy face! He resembles vintage Christmas decorations, which always make me nostalgic. Choose Christmas accessories that appeal to you and make you feel joyful. Every time I walk in the room and look at this little guy, he just makes me happy. Here I hung three grapevine wreaths above ...

Winter Maintenance: How to Keep Your House Warm

By Glenn Duxbury As the winter season approaches and things start cooling down outside, it's time to start thinking about preparing your home for the season. Beyond the usual preparations for temperature change and worrying about a drafty home, it's also important to consider the fact the winter season means spending a lot more time indoors. In winter, the furnace (or other heat source) is the heart of your house. Before anything else gets done, make sure you check your filter. If it's old and dusty, you can either clean it or replace it. If your house /town home runs on ...

Home Security Tips For Basement Windows

Basement windows present a significant security vulnerability for many homes. Although the basement itself may not hold anything of value, often doors or windows leading to the basement are not as well protected as other entry points to the home, and therefore, burglars see it as easy access to the rest of your home. Here are a few quick tips to guide you through improving the security of your basement windows. Use good outside lighting Make sure your basement windows are always well-lit during the evenings and at night. A dark place is always more likely to be broken into. Keep basement windows ...

Tips For Saving Money on Decorating the Home

You spend so much time in your home and it is the base for entertaining family and friends, that you want it to be a stylish reflection of who you are. However, style doesn’t come cheap and you can easily become discouraged in your decoration goals and just give up. Instead of settling for an outdated home lacking in personality, think about how you can use these tips to save money on your home decoration. Know what you want. Spend some time reading home decorating magazines and looking online at new styles and trends. You don’t have to replicate the designer ...

Moving Kids: How to Deal With Anxiety in Your Kids

Moving can be stressful for every member of the family—children included. Depending on the age of children, their fears about a move vary from child to child, but most children approach the idea of moving with some hesitation. One out of five Canadian families move into a new home each year. Some families experience a stressful time two weeks before and two weeks after a move. For many families, the actual move is a time when everyone pitches in and works together. Reality starts to sink in about a month later. People then begin to realize how much they miss friends ...

Staging A Home For the Summer Market

Summer is usually one of the best times to sell your home and the summer season is also the most fun to stage and decorate for! Having witnessed my mom just do this for her house (and sell it in record time), along with her neighbor’s home that she volunteered to help stage (which, after being on the market for 2 years, sold within weeks of her completed work; go Mom!), I have amassed some outstanding tips for women looking to successfully stage their homes for quick summer sale. De-clutter, depersonalize, and neutralize! The first thing you can do is clean ...

Tips for Finding the Right Home out of College

By Lauren Tessin You’re finally out of college and you want a place of your own. Single women like you would find the following tips useful especially if you’re looking for the perfect home: 1. Find a home that is accessible to your work location. If you live near your place of work, you can save on transportation expenses such as fuel costs. In fact, you can just even walk to your office instead of driving your car. This will enable you to save more money. Try to consider your home’s accessibility to essential establishments such as grocery stores and shops as ...

Nine Ways to Visually Create More Space

Many people think of adding square footage to create more space. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can make your home appear bigger without going through the hassle of renovating and remodelling. With just a few home modifications, it is possible to make more from less. And remember, often what the eye needs is the illusion of spaciousness not actually more space. Here’s how to create the illusion of space without adding square footage. 1. Think diagonal views. Think back to geometry and how the hypotenuse of the triangle was the longest of the three sides. Apply that to the ...

How To Make Your Own Wallpaper

By James Adams Personalized hand print wallpaper is becoming popular in homes across the Country, mainly due to its visual appeal and the fact that it can be made easily. There have been a number of examples of the process going very wrong though, which can lead to an ugly wall and the wasting of quite a lot of money. Should people use the tips detailed here though, then they will find that the whole process goes perfectly. Add A Personal Touch Creating personalized hand print wallpaper is a great opportunity to get the whole family involved, as well as being an activity ...

Little Touch-ups That Make a Big Difference When Selling your House

You are probably already aware of the major things you need to do around your home to get it ready for sale. These include getting rid of clutter, doing minor repairs, and making everything clean and tidy so every room is as much of a showcase as possible. But there are a myriad of little touch ups you can do that you may not have thought of before… touch ups that can make a big difference in how attractive your home looks to potential buyers. Here are just a few: Paint or replace the mailbox. Add a couple of flowering plants to key areas, ...

Mortgage Tips: 5 Things You Need to Know About Before Signing Mortgage

By Alban Smith You may not be signing your life away when you sign the mortgage on your home, but you are certainly signing away a large portion of it. That is why it is so important to know exactly what you are signing, and be aware of the common pitfalls and obtusely misleading clauses and conditions of mortgage documents before you sign. When you are signing your mortgage, there are five main things you should look out for in the process and in the documentation, including: 1 The approvals process When you are signing your mortgage documents, find out how long the process ...

Home Buying Tips

Remember the adage that a man’s (or a woman’s) home is their castle? In order to find the best suited castle for you, you need to remember a few tips in purchasing a home for you. While the process may differ, be your purchase is in your own neighborhood or a home half way around the world, there are some basics that never change regardless of territory and it would serve you in good stead to keep them in mind once you decide on purchasing your home where you can put up your feet and rest your weary body at ...

How to Pay Off A Mortgage Faster and Save Thousands of Dollars

There’s a major sense of accomplishment and peace of mind of owning your home outright. Paying off your mortgage sooner can make sound financial sense by saving you thousands of dollars in interest costs. Learning how to save on your mortgage can slice years off your loan. Finding out if you can save on your mortgage payments won’t cost you anything, and you will discover whether you have the best loan available for your individual circumstances. 1. Shop around for the best mortgage possible with your credit score. When a mortgage company has a small overhead cost to stay in business ...

Housing Trends: Living With Parents

By Marie Clark There’s a growing trend of mothers and daughters buying homes together. According to the 2007 census there are over 3.6 million parents living with their adult children. That’s up almost 70% since the 2000 census. Is a mother-daughter living arrangement right for you? Called a “mother-daughter house” in the Northeast and “in-law suites” in other regions, it usually refers to a one family home that has separate living quarters. These are not necessarily legal two family homes. The home has a separate kitchen bathroom, bedroom and entrance so the family can live together without being too close for ...

Under Water Mortgage Solutions

By Jesse Smith With the housing market on the decline, many homeowners are noticing that their mortgage is underwater. In other words, many homeowners owe more than their house is worth. This can be a very bad thing, especially if a person is planning to move in the near future. Fortunately, there are a few different things that consumers can do to rectify their situation. Loan Modification A loan modification is usually the most attractive option to homeowners whose property has significantly decreased in value. There are many different programs available to homeowners in underwater situations. These programs may: Reduce the balance of a ...

How to Buy A House: Avoid These Common Mistakes!

By Andrew Black Finding and buying a new home can be an overwhelming experience. It can be both exciting and stressful at the same time as there are just too many ‘hot’ properties up for sale in the market. Homebuyers, especially the first timers, usually find it confusing and challenging to come up with the best home purchase. With so many homes up for sale, it can be hard to find and buy the best. Logically, any homebuyer needs to conduct actual and ample research before finally getting into any purchase deal. Experts advise buyers to learn from the mistakes committed by others ...

Save For Home: 6 Tips to Help Get Your Home Down Payment

By Elizabeth Cutten Saving up for a down payment to purchase a home may seem like a task that takes forever, but if you know how to save additional cash, you can actually save it rather fast. Before you start the process of saving for a home, you will want to keep in mind that you will want to purchase a home within your budget. Experts will tell you that your home mortgage payment should be no more than 25-35% of your monthly take home pay, and your down payment should always be more than 20%. If you have your eyes ...

7 Ways to Get Your Kids Involved With Cleaning

By George Baker Getting your kids to help clean the house can be challenging. Many times, it is simply faster to do it yourself, rather than deal with the battle. But this does nothing to teach them how to clean. However, there are ways to get your kids moving and cleaning. 1. Make It A Game This is great for younger kids who are cleaning a toy room. Ask them to bring you four items. When they show you the four, ask them to put the items away. Then ask them to bring you four more. The little ones love showing off ...

Tips on Getting the Best Mortgages

By Nicole Rodgers Shopping around for a mortgage is not as difficult as it may seem. Although there is a lot of paperwork involved, comparing offers and searching for a good deal is worth your effort. Before going for a mortgage loan you should understand how things work and then try to get lower interest rates. Here are some tips on getting the best mortgage: Improve Your Credit Rating Before you start shopping for a home loan or mortgage, check your credit record. Paying down your financial obligations and getting rid of debt is a good start. Individuals with a poor credit ...

Choose Your Home: Top Ten Things To Consider When Buying

By Greg Andruff 10. How long do you think you will live there (people move on average every 4-7 years)? Or, if you are an investor, when do you hope to cash out if ever? What is your exit strategy? 9. Location –- Is your purchase close to shopping, traffic, airport? What area/neighbourhood is the property in? Is it close to schools and parks or close to downtown? 8. Is the property restricted by certain rules? Be aware that in a strata or a heritage home, certain rules and restrictions can possibly hamper resale. 7. Market conditions — You don’t buy the market ...

2011 Spring Home Decorating

By Katy Hahn Decorating your home for the spring? What do you think of when you think of spring? Lighter, brighter, fresher, and newer. I know what I think of. I think of planting fresh flowers, re-arranging my furniture for a new look and adding new accent pillows. These are all simple and inexpensive ways to decorate and give your home a spring tonic. But, what if you want more or what if you're ready to design or redesign your home décor? Well here is what's new in the home furnishings industry for Spring 2011. Let's start with color. Color is exciting ...

Canadian Housing Market Outlook: CMHC Report

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has released a report for the first quarter of 2011. The headline of the report reads: Canada’s Housing Market Is Stabilizing This will come as great news for many home owners and Real Estate professionals. However, what does it mean to you if you are thinking about buying a home this year? Here are some of the highlights from the report. To read the full report click on the link at the bottom of the post. Housing starts: Over the course of 2010, housing starts moderated from their strong pace at the beginning of the year ending up ...

Mortgage Home Loan Questions To Consider

By Nancy Smith You may have dreams of buying your own home but are not able to fulfill those dreams because of lack of resources. Mortgage loans may help you bring your dreams to reality. Mortgage loans are loans that are secured in order to pay for a house or for a piece of property. The property that you purchase with this loan is treated as the collateral on this loan. This means that if you do not make the mortgage payments, then your property will be taken away from you. There are other mortgage questions that you should consider before you opt ...

Outdoor Living Spaces: Your Own Personal Paradise

By Whitney Hicks We all know our home should be a place to relax, recharge and refresh from the demands of the world. With all the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes things get a little overwhelming. Where do you go when you need a break from your everyday life? That’s easy. Paradise of course! What if you could create your own personal paradise right in your backyard? Guess what ladies? You can! Just imagine if you could create an outdoor space that would transport you back to that summer you spent in Mexico or that time you stayed at a resort ...

New Home Decorating Ideas: Tips To Make A House Your Home

By Louise Howard You may be an experienced home mover or buying a new home for the first time in your life – either way, you are likely to value the opportunity to make your home more comfortable, warm and stylish. If you’re looking at homes for sale we have a list of five easy steps on turning your new house into a home. Create a feature wall It can make your walls feel a little generic and impersonal if you leave them blank white, and creating a feature wall, with either paint or wallpaper, could be a good idea if you lack the money, time ...

Closet Ideas: How to Make a Fun Coat Hanger By Recycling An Old Chair

By Hsiang Lin Do you have a few old and mismatched chairs that are unused and collecting dust in your garage? Here’s a small project to turn those old chairs into fun coat hangers that you can use to help personalize your coat area, and make it more presentable for your guests. We first got the idea from the design group Resign. They created a set of coat hangers from wooden chairs they found in trash and flea markets. We really love the colors and personalities they introduced to the otherwise plain vanilla concept of a coat hanger. It was very much ...

Insurance For Home: Are You Confused About Homeowners Insurance?

By Natalie Parchek While most people are pretty familiar with the ins and outs of their car insurance, it seems like homeowners insurance can cause even the savviest of us to break out in a cold sweat. Here is the ultimate quick guide to homeowners insurance for all of us! Homeowners insurance is a requirement for a mortgage because the property itself acts as collateral on the mortgage loan, and the mortgage holder wishes to ensure their investment is safe and they'll be able to recover costs in the event of a disaster. But even for those property owners who don't have ...

High Debt to Income Ratio for Canadians Leads to New Mortgage Rules

By Kristin Gordan Woolard The overwhelming 145 % consumer debt to income ratio in Canada has led The Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, to announce three new changes to mortgage rules. However, I feel the recent changes have completely missed the mark of their intention. The changes come into force on March 18th, 2011 and will reduce the maximum amortization from the existing 35 years down to 30 years. As well, the maximum amount that a consumer can refinance their home will be 85% of the value as opposed to the current 90%. The final change is that there is that as of ...

PANTONE 2011 COLOR OF THE YEAR

The Pantone 2011 color of the year annoucement is here. This year is going pink....well Honeysuckle to be exact. The following is what Pantone has to say about this vibrant colour. A Color for All Seasons Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it. While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic ...

Canadian Housing Trends and Affordability

Are you thinking about buying a home in Canada in the next year? If yes, the following information could prove invaluable. The Royal Bank of Canada has released a report outlining the latest housing and affordability trends in Canada. Housing affordability improved in the third quarter Bucking its rising trend since the middle of 2009, the cost of homeownership moderated in Canada in the third quarter of 2010. Lower mortgage rates and some softening in home prices, relative to the previous quarter, combined to reduce the monthly mortgage charges associated with owning a residential property at going market values. At the ...

How to Sell A House: Easy Ways to Fix Up Your House for Sale

Want to know how to sell a house in this market? Selling a home is never a small task, and with home sales still suffering it can be harder than ever within the current real estate market. Today, it’s not enough just to present the facts and let buyers use their imaginations as to how they might rework or redecorate the place. It’s more important than ever to present to potential buyers a real vision of how the home could be theirs; the ideal locale in which to live, sleep, work, play, learn, grow and thrive. To get the best ...

Are Foreclosures a Good Deal for First Time Home Buyers?

By Greg Andruff I had a client say to me the other day, "This listing is a foreclosure. What does that mean? Tell me about foreclosures." I have worked with clients to buy foreclosures. This type of transaction for first time buyers can be very risky and stressful. Can there be opportunity when buying a foreclosure? Yes, but you are going to want to have some experts such as realtors and builders to help you with the process. A savvy buyer will also want to have a capital reserve to deal with the possible damage that will likely have been done to the ...

Hiring A Home Contractor: Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Decide

By Kathryn Haley Don’t ever assume you know the answers. What you expect contractors to do and what they actually do can be miles apart. Ask the questions before you hire them; put their answers down in writing in front of them and you stand a much better chance of your renovation going well. So here we go. In no particular order, the top 10 questions to ask before hiring your contractor. 1/ How long do you estimate the job will take? It is important you understand this is an estimate, however, you want the contractor to know they are being held to ...

How To Improve Your Credit Score

By Karen Boies Your credit score is a judgment about your financial health, at a specific point in time. It indicates the risk you represent for lenders, compared with other consumers. There are many different ways to work out credit scores. The credit-reporting agencies Equifax and TransUnion use a scale from 300 to 900. High scores on this scale are good. The higher your score, the lower the risk for the lender. Lenders may also have their own ways of arriving at credit scores. In addition, lenders must decide on the lowest score you can have and still borrow money ...

Ready to Buy? Advice From A Realtor

By Colette Gerber Ladies, did you know that it’s a Buyer’s market? And did you know about 35% of people buying their first home are single women? As a group we (yes, I too am single) have more disposable income than any other time in history. After you’ve made the decision to buy, the first step should be to obtain mortgage pre-approval. Lenders are beginning to recognize the power women wield with their disposable income and are willing to lend generously to single females. Personally, I prefer to use a mortgage broker since they will shop a number of lenders to ensure ...

5 Things to Know Before Buying a Condo

By Brett C. Meade A lot of prospective home owners across the country are today choosing condominiums over private homes for a variety of reasons, foremost among which being the fact that generally, they are a whole lot cheaper to buy and maintain than private homes. That said, there are a number of factors that you should keep in mind, before finalizing the deal on the condo you have laid your eyes on. Reputation Of The Developer: This is very important, and you must put in requisite effort to find out about the reputation of the developer in question. Has the individual or ...

HST and Its Impact on Buying & Selling Real Estate

By Nawel K Seth In Ontario, Provincial Sales tax has been 8% and the federal sales tax i.e. GST 5%, thus a total tax of 13%. Effective July 1, 2010, these two taxes will be combined and a new Harmonized tax shall be implemented. This harmonized tax will be 13%. Many services that were exempt of either of the taxes will now attract both taxes, thus making many products and services more expensive. Buying and selling real estate will not escape this onslaught. Even though, there is no HST payable on the purchase or sale of a resale home, many services ...

Conquering Fear: An Independent Woman’s Story

By Angie Oliveira I’d like to think that I’m an independent person, somebody who will try to do things once before asking others for help. I guess this is the stubbornness in me, but I firmly believe that you have to learn to take care of yourself before you let others take care of you. I'm always dispensing this advice to my friends, my married sisters and especially my mom, who I think relies heavily on my dad. My relationship with my boyfriend is no exception. I bought a house before so I could live on my own, and the boy ...

Cost vs Value: How to Make Your Renovation Payoff

By Greg Andruff With all of the uncertainty in the Real Estate market recently, many people have been asking about how to make their renovation the most profitable when they go to sell. Whether you are a “Do It Yourselfer” (DIY), or you hire a contractor, proper budgeting and planning are key to saving you both time and money. Planning – Why, How, Who, Where and What Why -The first step in planning a renovation is figuring out “Why” you want to make alterations. For example, if you are looking to update a bathroom is it because you want more space or just updating ...

Staging Tips: Appeal to the Homebuyer’s Senses

Every seller wants his or her home to sell fast and bring top dollar. It's not luck that makes that happen. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their cheque books. Your home will be judged not only on its outward appearance, but also on the feelings it evokes in those who view your property. Follow these simple tips to prepare your house and turn it into an irresistible home. Sight Use light to showcase your home. Open draperies in the daytime and turn on lights (day and night) to accentuate ...

Home Is Where Her Heart Is

By Kathryn Haley TD Canada Trust has conducted polls for women home owners for 3 years. Here are the findings of the latest survey according to the TD Canada Trust website. Home is where her heart is: 3rd annual TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll reveals the growing importance of having a place to call your own TORONTO, January 20, 2010 – Although financial security continues to top the list of home ownership benefits, the comforts of home are increasingly important to Canadian women. According to the third annual TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll, which surveyed women who ...

Forget Granite: Meet Aurastone!

By Vera Darius As a decorative painter I am always excited to discover new innovative products. I have recently discovered a product called Aurastone™ and I wanted to share it with you. According to the Aurastone™ website “it is an architectural coating used in the faux finishing industry. Decorative artists and designers alike are quickly integrating the Aurastone™ system for a number of reasons. The Aurastone™ finishing system is unparalleled in durability, versatility and aesthetic appeal. Aurastone™ is simply the most user-friendly product available. Hundreds of decorative faux effects can be created utilizing our one-bucket system. Many faux finishes ...

Down Payment For A House: You Have Options!

By Karen Boies Many renters feel they cannot afford to purchase a home because they have not saved for a down payment. There are solutions available today that can help first time buyers with their down payment. The minimum down payment is 5%. Many lenders allow for a gifted or borrowed down payment. Some lenders offer a cash back option that can be used for your down payment. Gifted down payments are provided by an immediate family member. The family member must sign a letter showing the amount of the gift and that no repayment is expected. If you have excellent credit and very ...

New CMHC Policies That Could Effect You

By Leah Coss Well, today, April 9th 2010, starts a new era of mortgage insurance policies from CMHC (Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation). Upon the government's review of our economic situation they decided to make some new government mandated changes that will be officially starting as of April 19th, 2010. CMHC, however, has created additional new internal policies (not government mandated) that will effect who can and cannot get approved for their mortgage insurance. If you put down less than 20% down payment then you will have to also be approved by a mortgage insurer in addition to your mortgage lender. If you ...

Home Purchase Inspection: What You Need to Know Before Choosing An Inspector

By Glenn Duxbury It's often said that one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make will be your home. However, unlike the guarantee a buyer receives with most purchases, there's no money-back, guarantee or return policy if you're not satisfied with your recently purchased home. Once you buy a home, you're on your own to maintain it, repair it, anticipate problems and pay the bills – assuming there has been no misrepresentation made. This is why it's best to know as much as you can about potential problems before you make the commitment to buy. What home and ...

Sustainability for Singles: Save Time & Money

By Jeff Echols As a single woman, what are two of your most important commodities? Maybe you answered time and money. And, unless you’re of the likes of Warren Buffet or WalMart, you probably don’t have enough of either. That’s one reason that sustainability should be important to you. Admittedly, sustainability is a term with an increasingly broad definition. It takes on many forms and applies to every facet of life on Earth. You may not have any interest in rain water harvesting, regional transportation, local farmers markets or solar panels but as a home owning single, take note; sustainability can save ...

Decorating On A Budget? Use These Money Saving Ideas

By Michelle Ortiz As a designer of high end homes, one would think I don’t know much about a tight budget. But it might interest you to know that my last master bathroom remodel cost my clients just $9,000.00. When the average master bathroom remodel can cost upwards of $20K, how is it that this one could cost so little? In these days stretching your dollar has become a necessity, but this bathroom remodel was so inexpensive, because it just was! Smart selections in fixtures that were well priced helped to keep the costs down. I believe in high end design ...

Renovation Home: 5 Organization Tips For Keeping Your Sanity

By Kathryn Haley Being disorganized will cost time and money during a renovation. Home organization is the key to success. If it is a large scale project and most of the house is being affected, it is going to be difficult to keep things orderly but with these tips you should be able to stay of top of the chaos. 1. Have files for everything Keep all of your paperwork in one place. I recommend an inexpensive file folder holder that is portable. Create a file for all the receipts that you collect. As you post them into the budget, move them into another file ...

Independent Women Understand the Benefits of Buying a Home

By Kristin Woolard It’s becoming more and more apparent that women are increasingly taking the reins when it comes to home purchases. There is a growing trend among single women – and, more precisely, professional single women – who are becoming independent homeowners. In two recent TD Canada Trust National Polls, the results definitely support this notion. A recent IPSOS-Reid survey focused on women aged 20-45. The poll shows that the average age of first-time buyers was 29, 82% were single women, four in five had no children and almost half had obtained a university degree. The Home is where her heart is: ...

Renewing Your Mortgage? Discover How Mortgage Renewal Time = Mortgage Savings

By Karen Boies Do you know when your current mortgage is up for renewal? Do you know what happens if you do not take active steps to renew your mortgage? Many home owners do not. Unfortunately many homeowners fall in to the auto-renewal trap and therefore do not take advantage of the savings inherent in securing a better mortgage rate and product. In 2009 ING DIRECT commissioned an Angus Reid poll and found that 40 percent of Canadian mortgage holders waited only 30 days or less in advance of a home closing (or renewing an existing mortgage), in securing a rate hold guarantee. ...

Marriage and Separation: How To Separate Marital Property, Debt and Divorce

By Leah Coss Whether you are married or common law, separating from your significant other can be one of the hardest things you will ever go through in your life. Even putting aside the wild emotions that can affect you during this time, the actual logistics of the parting can be the most trying of it all. Why? Because this is the part that tends to drag out, re-inflicting your hurt emotions, testing your patience and ability to work together with someone you have no interest in being around any more, and of course, the financial strains that can come from splitting up. Often ...

Inspection Report Saves Woman From Money Pit

By Kathryn Britnell I recently worked with a new client who was a newly-single woman, as she transitioned her life and became a new homebuyer, Frances, (not her real name) needed help on a rush basis. She had made an offer on a house, at the time, subject removal was within 24 hours of our introduction. She needed advice to confirm whether the house was insurable. Frances was bidding on an older home, built in 1920's. This house had an 80-year history of original construction and renovations and some areas where the maintenance information was unknown or placed the property in ...

Home buying? Use your RRSPs.

By Greg Andruff Owning a home is one of the best investments a Canadian can make. Unlike stocks and bonds a person’s principal residence can grow in value and is exempt from capital gains tax. Coming up with a down payment can be a real challenge but if someone has RRSP’s they can use the Federal Home Buyers Plan (HBP) to loan themselves a down payment. Currently almost half of all Canadian first time home buyers use the HBP. If someone has a down payment but doesn’t have any RRSP’s they could put the money into an RRSP (it must stay there ...

‘Going Green’: 5 Home Makeover Tips

By Dana J. Smithers Many of us have been doing ‘green’ makeovers for years, just not realizing that we were doing is until it became a popular term. As a professional interior decorator and redesigner my clients often call on my services to give their home a whole new look, in just one day, using what they already have in their home. Seeing the transformation and knowing that these women feel SO much better about their home is one of the most satisfying aspects of my business. You can do your own ‘green’ home makeovers by following this simple formula below, ...

Planning a New Home Landscape: A Designer’s Perspective

By Steve Allat So, you're building your dream home! The months of managing construction trades and sub-trades is almost at an end, final decision are being made so that you can obtain occupancy and yet there is still one fairly substantial area to complete - the landscape. Of course, this is no small feat for a few reasons: The landscape will comprise at least 55% of your lot in most municipalities. The landscape, taken as a whole, represents the largest space on the property. The variables are great, making planning and decision-making critical. If you have really planned ahead you will have either had ...

Benjamin Moore Launches New Products

By Vera Darius First of all, let’s start with some of the new paints Benjamin Moore already has on the market. Aura is an amazing waterbourne paint with a colour lock formula. Primer is not necessary, and the colours cover amazingly well, even blues and yellows! It dries very quickly, and cures to full hardness in two weeks rather than 30 days. Natura is also a waterbourne paint and it is free of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). There is no odour with this paint that makes it great for people with sensitivities, and for children’s rooms and furniture. Both of these paints are ...

Saving For A Down Payment: 3 Tips to Get You Started

By Sheila Walkington When it comes right down to it there are a lot of good financial reasons to buy a home. Not only do you build up equity every month by paying down your mortgage, but also having a mortgage free home in retirement is one of the best financial plans anyone can make. And there are a lot of very real emotional reasons why people want to own too, like wanting roots and a place that is all your own. But, does it still make sense to buy a home? In Vancouver, prices have gone up considerably over the last ...

5 Tips for Divorced Women: Creating ‘The New-You Home’

By Dana J. Smithers I’m a home stager and home redesigner and I was divorced almost 30 years ago. Over the last 10 years I have had the privilege of helping other women change their surroundings to help them move forward in their lives. Whether or not you are in favour of the divorce, your life changes dramatically. At times you can feel so overwhelmed with day-to-day living that you just want the world to stop so you can curl up and feel safe and forget what is going on. What I want to share with you are some of the things ...

Small Is The New Big: A New Attitude For Changing Times

By Marianne Amodio I was a renter for many years. When I moved to Vancouver, that hardwired dream of single family home ownership was socked away into the “it can never be” part of my brain and I tried to forget about it. As the years went on, that elusive dream came back again and again. Finally, I decided that if I had to vanquish the home of my dreams, well, maybe I could still get something. I knew that I couldn’t afford a traditional home. So I went looking for something else: something old, unrenovated, even ugly. Something, that maybe, through ...

Contractor Nightmares! Here’s How to Avoid Them

By Kathryn Haley It seems everyone has heard a renovation horror story about someone working with a contractor. Have you? Maybe it is the one where the 2 month project ended up taking 2 years to finish? Or perhaps you have heard the story about the contractor who walked off the job in the middle of the project? Throughout my years in the industry I have heard many terrible stories and I have seen first hand the results of a job gone bad. I have been brought in to advise and try to help fix the problems. By that time I am ...