:: Revolutionary new device saves on home Energy ::

Being, or at least appearing to be environmentally conscious has taken hold in Canada and the US. It is inevitable that once you have a mindset shared by a significant number of people, politicians begin to take notice and of course being the capitalist society that we are, so does the business community. An entire industry is emerging, catering to the growing masses who are more likely to hug than cut down the hundred foot Oak leaning precariously over the kids bedrooms.

I am all for any efforts that result in the reduction of damage we are doing to the planet though I am often frustrated by the approaches and attitudes taken by many who purport themselves to be the new caretakers of mother earth.

The glass half full result of high gas prices is increased demand for more energy efficient and alternate sources of transportation. My car gets good gas mileage. I am not ready to stuff my 6'4" carcass in to a smart car that looks like it came from a Kinder egg but I am making efforts in other areas.

The energy efficient fluorescents light bulb will soon completely replace the incandescent bulb. I am just waiting for environmentalists or someone in a position of power to come to the realization that "hey, fluorescent bulbs contain mercury." That mercury turns to carcinogenic dust for us to breath when we break one on the kitchen floor and at some point millions upon millions of them will be spent and making their way into our landfill. I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

I have wandered here. What I really wanted to do in this post was point out that in one hour a typical clothes dryer will negate the energy savings gained from using 20 energy/flourescent bulbs 24/7 for an entire month. One of the best energy efficient devices man invented hundreds of years ago and it has been cast aside for the sake of perceived style. The clothes line.

Many residential areas have restrictive covenants banning the use of clothes lines. These were put in place back in the day when people were more concerned with seeing Mrs. Jones bloomers on the line than they were with pollution or energy prices. Most of these rulings are still on the books today though most people are unaware.

Some might respond here by saying "I'm not hanging my clothes out in that dirty air". Guess what?, that air is cleaner now than it was 60 years ago when most of us were burning leaded fuel and many were burning their garbage and heating their homes with coal and oil. The bigger difference today is our pollution covers a much greater portion of the planet, including the polar regions.

What is wrong with using a clothes line? It has a Norman Rockwell kind of aura to it and if millions of Americans and Canadians were to use one for at least part of the year, think of the savings to our pockets and to our environment.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Don't go home hunting without the "bear" necessities ::

A rule of thumb that buyers and Realtors should treat more as the first golden rule of Real Estate purchasing is shop for your mortgage before you begin to shop for a home. Yes do some online research, check the weekend listings in the paper and even visit a couple open houses to establish what it is you want from a home and what price range your preferred home is going to fall within.

Beyond that, home hunting without first obtaining mortgage approval is akin to going bear hunting without checking first to see if you bothered to bring any bullets. Once face to face, “pretty sure” is the wrong answer.

Pre approved and pre qualified are not the same thing. Again using the bear analogy the pre qualified hunter has been told by a third party that he is most likely carrying bullets because he is in the woods and he has a gun. The pre approved hunter has had the gun tested, bullets counted and both barrels loaded.

A written pre approval for a home mortgage gives you concise knowledge of the price range of homes you should be looking within whereas the pre qualification is handed out without verification of your credit or income and is of no real worth. No sense in falling in love with the perfect home only to learn you are a few thousand dollars shy of putting your name on the mail box. (Visit http://www.OntarioMortgageTeam.com for some sound mortgage advice)

A pre approval from a certified lender will typically be valid for a 60 to 90 day period during which time you should consider that any credit purchases you make will change these results. (Resist the urge to go out and buy the new car or 60” Plasma TV until after your closing date)

Consider as well that should you come into competition with another buyer when making an offer on a home, the offer that is less likely to be conditional upon the buyer arranging a mortgage can carry added weight.

The next course of action is to team up with a Realtor who has given you good reason to believe they know the market you are interested in and find out if they position themselves as a buyers agent or as a sellers agent.

The agent with a full catalogue of listings in the papers each weekend is less likely to have or be willing to invest their own time to go out and view 30 homes over three consecutive weekends with potential buyers whereas the agent who focuses their efforts on buyers is more likely to adapt to your schedule rather than burden your efforts with their tight schedule.

Listing agents are paid a fee (commission) and in turn pay the buyers agent who brings a purchaser for their listing. The loyalty of the listing agent is to the vendor and their first order of business is to get the house sold and get the highest possible price in doing so.

The buyer is not required to pay added fees to the buyers agent and it is the job of the buyer's agent to negotiate the terms and price their buyer expects or move on to the next home that meets with the buyer's needs.

As a buyer, going it alone and without a mortgage pre approval makes absolutely no rational or financial sense given this knowledge and the competitive nature of real estate sales in Ontario.

Visit www.hotbarrielistings.com to begin your home hunting journey

gimmeshelter.ca BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie Town Houses - A good first step ::

It makes good financial sense for first time buyers to consider a town home as the first home they own.

As average home prices in Ontario increase the percentage of first time home buyers who financially qualify to purchase a detached home in good liveable condition decreases leaving townhouses and condos as the feasible option for those who want to enter into home ownership.

On the plus side, a townhouse typically requires less maintenance cost and effort, less energy to run and taxes take a smaller chunk out of the wallet than a detached home of equal square footage. Be prepared to lay out a minimum of $50,000 more for a detached home as well.

Homes above the $300,000 mark in the current Barrie market are taking longer to sell and owners are experiencing a growing discrepancy between list price, and the eventual sale price. Townhouses on the other hand are continuing to increase in value and in demand.

Town home values should continue along this trend for some time and it’s a safe bet that a town home purchased in Barrie today will witness higher percentage value increases in each of the next few years than homes in the higher end of the price range in Barrie.

That equity gain puts you in better stead with lenders down the road when the time is right to trade up to a bigger home. Realizing the dream of being able to own and comfortably carry the perfect home is a more likely possibility for those who recognize the steps to get there.

Many who skip those steps find the dream short lived when they have left themselves no financial buffer zone to ride out economic fluctuation. The first step is to get into the market today at a price that doesn't put you in a financial strait jacket and let that investment move you closer to the home you really see yourself in.

Barrie has a large assortment of townhouse developments dispersed throughout town.

If you want to learn more about Barrie Town homes and or receive updates on townhouses for sale in Barrie, give me a call I’d be glad to help you out.

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:: Fear of Commitment leads to weak relationships ::

Am I now giving couples advice on my Real Estate blog?

No, but I got your attention didn't I?

This post is directed at the thousands of people who will
be retaining the services of a Realtor to purchase a house this year.

Get a Buyer Agency Agreement Signed at the earliest opportunity!

What is the benefit to a buyer?

Well consider this. Suppose you walked into a busy TV store and like the dozens of others that day, when asked "Can I help you?" You reply "I'm just looking thanks"

The sales person will offer a few words on what you are looking at, become distracted by the next person to walk in the door and leave you to figure out the difference between digital ready and high def all by your self.

Imagine if you told that same sales rep who asks if you need help "Yes I want to know everything you can tell me about your Plasma TVs, and before I leave I am going to buy one and I am going to buy it from you".

That sales rep is going to trip over him or herself to provide you service and not likely even notice the other customers coming into the store. He/she is going to give you the information you need to make an informed decision and likely be more receptive when you try to negotiate the price that you want to pay.

In Real Estate, agents deal daily with inquiries from potential home buyers by email, by telephone, from people walking into the office or coming into an open house. The good agents treat everyone as a potential client even though most have a contact manager list as long as their arm of potential buyers with question marks beside their name that they cant bring them self to remove from the list, just in-case.

The reality is many buyers will jump around from agent to agent until they are ready to make an offer on a property. Most agents will try to divide their time and efforts evenly amongst the more recent of "potential buyers" on the list.

If you find an agent who has earned your trust why not tell them you want to sign an agency agreement and work exclusively with them?

How will this benefit you?

You have effectively told the Realtor "I am serious about buying and any time effort and expense you commit to me should eventually result in a home purchase".

You have just separated yourself from 99.9% of the other people who are vying for time with a Realtor and he/she is going to go out of their way to accommodate your needs, your schedule, and provide you all the information you need to make an informed decision and insure a smooth and rewarding purchase.

By blending with the masses and not forming a good business relationship with one Realtor or by waiting until you think you have found a home you want to put an offer on to settle on a Realtor, you only deny yourself the advantage of having the knowledge and input of a professional negotiator and facilitator on your team who may end up saving you thousands of dollars.

Someone who knows the ropes and the neighborhood, who can provide you with timely information on market conditions, all listings and their sales history and often give you a heads up on homes that are not even listed yet.

Buying a home is the biggest financial decision in most peoples lives. Make a sound business decision and commit to using the services of one Realtor from the start of your home buying journey.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Second Suites in Barrie Homes ::

Second suites in homes are nothing new. For those with the space, creating a basement apartment can be a sound approach to making home ownership more manageable. Qualified home buyers often consider homes of a higher caliber and price than they might otherwise be comfortable looking at once they factor in the financial returns possible from renting out a second suite.

The most recent statistics from the City of Barrie showed the number of "two unit" houses in Barrie at around 1500. These are two year old stats so that figure has no doubt grown. Of those suites known to exist by the City, only about 10% are registered. Of those that have applied for legal status roughly one in two applicants are successful in registering on first try according to the report.

Of those that don’t meet qualifications, most need some level of upgrading. The more commonly sited deficiencies are; missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, blocked means of egress, inadequate windows for light and ventilation, substandard heating plumbing and electrical and poor or deteriorated quality of the building (stairs, railings floors etc.)

The City of Barrie recognizes its growing demand for rental accommodation as well as the fact that second suites in residential homes is a viable means of addressing that need. At the same time the City of Barrie cannot compromise on health and safety standards by turning a blind eye to existing or future unregistered apartments.

The first thing to learn if you are considering a second suite is whether zoning for your area permits two-unit houses. Next is to know what is required for second suite to be deemed compliant. The library, the internet and a call to your City Councilor should provide you with the facts. You want to look for a copy of the Ontario building code, the Ontario Fire Code (re: two unit houses) and the Property Standards by-law. These will contain much of the information you need to create a compliant second suite.

There is a fee for application and registration that increases if a unit requires re-inspections due to failure to comply on previous inspections.

Only you and your family will know if the efforts and initial costs are justified in the return you will get.

A family with two small children purchased their first home through me four years ago. It was only by chance that one home we visited in our house hunting contained a second suite. After an evening with the calculator making projections they reevaluated their needs and came back to me with the decision to buy the home with the second suite. They created a savings account specifically for the incoming monthly rent cheques and allowed that income to accumulated into a healthy down payment that this spring they put on a new home, their dream home that four years earlier was out of reach.

They then made the decision to keep the first home and now rent out the upstairs as well as the basement suite. The incoming rent covers the mortgage and taxes and provides a three hundred dollar monthly surplus that they intend to use for a five star family vacation each year. The home has appreciated about $70,000 over four years and in addition to accumulating paid down principal they are hopeful it will gain at least another $100,000 in resale value by the time their two daughters are ready to start university.

By thinking long term, their decision to sacrifice the use of a basement four years ago has changed the direction and quality of their lives. Instant gratification often guides our decisions when shopping for a home but by tempering it with some financial foresight often you can move the bigger dreams within your reach.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: The Seven Basic Steps to Selling your Home ::

Do your homework.
Read a couple of books on home selling, go through the real estate section of the local newspaper and attend some Open Houses in the your area. Click to Continue

:: Choosing A Contractor ::

Thinking of updating your kitchen? Re-doing your bath? Adding on to your home? Most likely, you'll need to hire a home improvement contractor.
You can start your search for a contractor by talking to friends, family members or neighbors who have used a contractor recently. Ask if they would recommend the person or firm they used. To verify each contractor's reputation, ask these questions: Click to Continue