Holy Snow Batman!

Guess there isn't any doubt in anybody's mind that there will be a white Christmas in the Caledon area! I read about those poor souls stuck on Hwy 402 overnight, and wondered how many of them were prepared in any way, shape or form to spend the night in their cars. As a rule, when winter approaches it's always a good idea to put a shovel, maybe some rock salt or sand, a blanket and a flashlight in your trunk. I always try and make sure I never have less than 1/2 tank of gas in the car during the winter as well, just in case. Snacks in the glove compartment are a good idea as well, something that isn't compromised if it freezes, like granola bars, cookies, chocolate.
Drive Safe!

Need A Ride?

The Christmas Season is upon us, and with it comes...RIDE PROGRAMS! While it is NEVER adviseable to drink and drive, during the festive season local police really crack down on drunk drivers. There is an outstanding program that is in place all across Canada, "Operation Red Nose". Volunteers are available between the hours of 9pm and 2am to come to your location, load you into your car and drive you home. In your own car! Brilliant concept. I've gotten rides home with friends before, but had to make arrangements the next day to retrieve my car. Kind of a pain, but beats the alternative of losing your drivers licence, paying a fine and potentially hurting yourself or someone else. Operation Red Nose is definately the way to go. If you're in the Caledon area and need a ride, call 905-857-1439. Or, visit their website at http://www.operationrednose.com/

Affordable Housing and YOU!

Today the Toronto Star featured a story about housing in the GTA becoming more affordable due to lower interest rates. Great news indeed!
Housing affordability measures improved for the first time since the second quarter of 2009, when sales and prices of homes started to surge in the Toronto market coming out of the recession.
Many of those sales were buyers rushing in to avoid a new Harmonized Sales Tax and to buy before more stringent mortgage regulations. This led to fears that the market was in an unsustainable bubble.
RBC suspects that the Bank of Canada will hike interest rates in the second quarter of 2011, so, if you're in the position to, buy and lock down that awesome interest rate before May 2011!

November is Winding Down

Wow, exactly one week left of November, can you believe it? Started/finished Christmas shopping yet? Tree up? Decorations all displayed? While almost everyone looks forward to the Christmas season, there sure is a lot of work that goes into getting prepared! I think I'll do as much of my Christmas shopping on line, to avoid the malls and the endless search for a parking spot that isn't in Siberia.
In my attempt to get ready for Christmas I yanked a bunch of frost bitten perennials out of the ground, and tidied up around the yard so when I plug in the Christmas lights it won't showcase the brown, dead yard!

Buying a home is the largest purchase you’ll likely make. No wonder you’re stressed. Where should you look? Can you afford it? What will happen if interest rates rise? It may all seem daunting, but you can make it more manageable with a little planning. Here are a few things to figure out before you make the leap.
Get your financial house in order
Figure out your net worth, which is your assets less your liabilities.
Talk to a Broker or your Bank
It may be time for a mortgage broker or adviser at your bank.
Terms and rates
The next decisions revolve around how long you want to lock the mortgage in and than will determine the rate of interest you pay. This is called the mortgage term and can be as little as six months or as long as seven years. It locks you in to a set of payments for the length of the term.
Get a Real Estate Lawyer
Line the lawyer up in advance and explain your plan. That way, there’s no surprise when you put in your offer and come back to him with the deal.
Have Realistic Expectations
Make a list of the things you want. Do you need a two car garage? Space for a home office? Are you going to have children? Is it a good location?
Stick to your plan
Understand what your spending limit is and don’t go over it. A pool might be nice, but it is not a necessity. Buying a home is ultimately a compromise of needs versus wants.
Buyer agency agreement
Make sure that your agent represents you. A buyer agency agreement helps to reduce conflict of interest since the brokerage represents you exclusively. The seller’s agent represents the vendor.
Get a Home Inspection
A home inspector will check for structural and electrical defects, roofing and foundation problems. This can come back to haunt you later. It also gives you some negotiation room when you put in your offer.

And remember, a good realtor will remind you of these tips and look after the details for you!

Market Stability

Today's Toronto Star announced that the Canadian housing market is showing increasing signs of stabilizing, as seasonally adjusted national home sales rose 4.6% in October 2010. Hurray! After the recent rollercoaster ride, this is welcome news. Pascal Gauthier, senior economist with TD Bank Financial Group, said heading into 2011 sales and prices appear to be better supported than forecasts made in September. It will be nice to be back on a level playing field, houses priced right, and selling for what they're worth.
The Team is poised and ready to spring into action whenever you need us....just call!

Falling into Fall!

I think we've pretty much milked as much of the warm weather out of our glorious summer as we possibly can, Fall is upon us! Along with raking up the fallen leaves, and storing away the garden tools, there are plenty of things we need to ready ourselves, and our homes for the coming winter. I recently had my snow tires installed on my car, so that's covered!
Service Weather-Specific Equipment,drain gas from lawnmowers, service or tune-up snow blowers, replace worn rakes and snow shovels. Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment. Buy bags of ice melt/sand! Make sure the gutters on your house are free of leaves and debris. Fish all the leaves and twigs out of there and run a hose through the gutters and downspout to make sure everything is flushed out. Check on all your windows and doors, make sure all caulking and weatherstripping is still in good shape. You'd be amazed at how much proper insulation and weather proofing can affect  your heating bill!
Don't forget, when you're done cleaning out the gutters, put the hose away and turn off the exterior water outlet!!

Are you on the Fence?

There has been a lot of speculation as to what the economy has been doing as of late. Activity across the board has been slooooow! I've been consulting professionals in several industries as to what their business has been like, and the consensus is that everyone is noticing a decrease in business. It isn't that the money isn't out there, people are just waiting....for what? Who knows!
In the real estate industry we are seriously short of listings. Lots of family are out there, looking for their next home, but nobody seems to want to sell right now. As a result, when a new listing comes on the market, and is priced right, it flies out the door!
So, to make a long story short, if  you're thinking of selling, NOW is the time!