Buying Tips

When purchasing a home, you can find yourself in one of the most stressful periods of your life.
To help ease the stress of purchasing a home, I have a few tips you may want to consider following.
1. Lock in Mortgage Rate
When you apply for a mortgage, you will be able to lock in the rate. This [...]

Don’t Use Your Mortgage to Top Up RRSPs

The RRSP deadline is on Monday, and so you are probably thinking about the best way to top up your contributions. With the recession ravaging finances, and the debt hangover from the holidays likely still dogging you, you might be tempted to borrow money for your RRSPs. Some people take out a line of credit [...]

The Neighbourhood is an Extention of Your Home

For so many, arriving home at the end of the day is like the calm after the storm.
That welcoming feeling is warm and comfortable, like a sunbeam focused on your very own driveway.
The last few minutes of your drive, through the familiar streets of your neighbourhood can either be the start of your relaxation or [...]

6 Things to Avoid When Posting Real Estate to Craigslist

Previously, I went through the benefits of using Craigslist for posting real estate listings, and I provided some points as to how to effectively use the service. Today, I will provide you with the six things to avoid when posting to Craigslist.

1. Don’t use misleading photos and descriptions. You might be tempted to post inaccurate [...]

Home Sales in Toronto Are Strong

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) released its figures for January recently, and overall they paint a very positive picture.
Sales are up 87% from a year before, with 4,986 homes exchanging hands in January 2010. This is comparison to January 2009, when only 2,670 sales were completed.
The president of the board, Tom Lebour, said, “The [...]

The Top 5 Points to Remember when Creating a Craigslist Real Estate Listing

Craigslist for real estate? The idea may sound strange. Isn’t Craigslist the place where people give away free yoga lessons, try to sell soiled furniture or post ads for their missed romantic connections? Isn’t using a more reputable service a better idea?
First of all: yes, you should be primarily listing your home through a real [...]

Small Condos Rise in Popularity

It is not really news that condos in Canada’s downtown urban areas are often bought by young, single professionals. City councils in several cities have struggled to persuade developers to add multi-family units to their buildings. And the developers point out that families don’t want condos.
The problem with marketing condos almost exclusively to young professionals [...]