Real Estate and Renovation Advice for Women

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Struggling To Save That Down Payment? 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Chaos: 5 Organization Tips For Keeping Your Sanity

By Kathryn Haley Being disorganized during a renovation will cost you time and money. 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 labeled posted. You should keep ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

‘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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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Monthly Debt Expenses ^[?] Monthly Debt and Obligations Should Include: Monthly Credit Card Payments Monthly Auto Payments Monthly Child Support Monthly Association Fees Other Monthly Obligations, but NOT utility bills.	$
Down Payment:	$
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