9 Mar 10

Canadian Economic Scene Brightens – Interest Rates Stay Low

OTTAWA, Ontario – The Bank of Canada announced on March 2, 2010 that it’s overnight lending rate would remain at 0.25 percent. This was in spite of better than expected economic activity in the country over the last few months.

Previously the BofC had predicted annual growth in 2009 of 3.3 percent and inflation of 1.6 percent. But the actual numbers were more like 5 percent growth as of the end of December 09 and 2 percent inflation.

The Bank restated its commitment to keep interest rates on hold until the second half of 2010. The general feeling is that the better-than-expected growth in 2009 was skewed by “exceptional monetary and fiscal stimulus, as well as extraordinary measures taken to support financial systems.”

In other words, growth has been propped up by massive government stimulus programs. In Canada these programs will begin to phase out this spring, and growth is expected to slow considerably. So the pledge to keep interest rates low is an attempt to ease the economy through the transition period.

Some observers outside the BofC think it is unlikely the Bank will be able to keep rates at the current level for that long. Gregory Klump, Chief Economist for the Canadian Real Estate Association predicts that “interest rates will rise, but increases will be small and spread out over time.”

So from the perspective of Kitchener-Waterloo home buyers, the next few months are probably the best time to buy they are likely to see for some time. Current mortgage rates for conventional mortgages stood at 5.39 percent as of March 2, 2010, which is down 0.4 percent from a year earlier.

0 Comments Posted in Real Estate Trends by smiller
Tagged , , ,
5 Mar 10

Tiling a Bathroom Floor

Click photo to watch video

If laying ceramic tile in your Kitchener-Waterloo home is a mystery to you, you’re not alone. Here’s a video that shows how it’s done. If you’re not sure of yourself you should probably try this out on a floor area that isn’t so obvious as a bathroom or kitchen.

This video from Home Depot shows how to lay tile in a bathroom floor in your K-W home. The demo uses 2 inch x 2 inch mosaic tiles pre-mounted on mesh-backed sheets. Consult with any established building materials store in the Waterloo Region area for details and prices.

Copyright AgentMapIt BlogEasy

0 Comments Posted in Uncategorized by smiller
Tagged , , ,
4 Mar 10

Pre-Teens Demonstrate New Technology

Here’s a question for you: How many text messages did you send today?

If you answered somewhere between zero and none chances are you’re over 30. And if you’re somewhere between 30 and 65 you probably sent and received quite a few emails.

Now consider your kids (or grandkids) who are between 10 and 24. For them it was probably the reverse. Likely no emails at all, but too many text messages to count. Today’s young kids use their cell phones for text messaging and occasionally for actually making phone calls, but almost never to send clunky old email messages.

In a recent article called The Next Generation of Real Estate Customers the author discusses how communication technology is changing. Text messaging is a case in point. Many children in grades 5, 6, 7 or 8 send a blizzard of text messages every day. Eventually professionals like real estate agents will have to change in order to communicate with a younger generation of customers – not to mention their own children.

The incredible fact is that many older professionals have barely figured out how to run a computer. Meanwhile, today’s kids are already experts with smartphones, bluetooth, wifi, Wii, facebook and twitter. Indeed, things change so quickly some of yesterday’s hot trends are already old hat.

0 Comments Posted in Uncategorized by smiller
Tagged , , , , ,
3 Mar 10

Dealing With Water Leaks in Your Basement

One of the most frustrating problems of home ownership is a leaky basement. Water leaks can be caused by a wide range of things, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Most people with wet basements start by installing a sump pump. But putting in a sump pump is a kind of last resort measure, rather than a fix for your more basic problem.

Water leaks happen because of two conditions: the soil around your foundation is not draining away properly, and your walls and/or floors have openings that let the water leak into the basement. Think of your basement as a reverse swimming pool. If the walls are not sealed properly, any water accumulating in the exterior soil will try to get through the openings.

To stop this water flow you should begin by installing better drainage around your foundation Here is an excellent overview of some inexpensive exterior drainage solutions including french drain and dry well installations.

Sometimes the best approach is to install an interior drainage system. An interior drainage system works by gathering water beneath the floor level and draining it to your sump pit. For a description of how this works see this article about interior drainage systems.

1 Comment Posted in Home Improvement by smiller
Tagged , ,
17 Feb 10

How Much Income Will You Need When You Retire?

Retirement Planning
Click picture to see video

This video discusses how much of your pre-retirement income you will need post-retirement. It is from the PBS series “Getting Your Finances Ready for Retirement”.

When you are planning for retirement, financial advisors like to start with an estimate of how much income you will need to maintain the type of lifestyle you would like. Financial planners think of it in terms of a percentage of your annual income before retirement.

Since the percentage you set will determine how much you try to save, it is an important calculation. Not all experts agree on how to calculate this number. Estimates range from as low as 65% to as high as 100% or even 110%.

It is fairly obvious that the number depends on what type of retirement lifestyle you want. If you expect to take yearly cruises and travel around the world you’re going to need more than a person with modest goals.

What they do agree on is that the only way you will get to where you want to be is by planning ahead, saving as much as possible in the right type of investments, and starting as early as possible. They all agree on that much.

0 Comments Posted in Uncategorized by smiller
Tagged , ,
17 Feb 10

Canadian 2009 Real Estate Activity Rebounds

Residential real estate sales in Canada rebounded in a significant way in 2009 after the downturn of 2008. In fact, according to the Canadian Real Estate Board, sales activity in December 2009 (in terms of units sold) was a whopping 72% above the same month in 2008.

Most of the 2009 gains came in the fourth quarter when 137,957 homes traded hands, making it the strongest Q4 ever. That record was previously set in the 1st quarter of 2007 – back in the boom days. The 2009 numbers were 2.6% better.

That’s pretty amazing when you consider the problems south of the border. Home prices in the US declined by an average of 5% from December 2008 and were down .5% from the previous quarter. That marks the 12th straight quarter in which average prices have declined.

Home prices in Canada rose by 5% year over year – to an average $320,333 across the country. This increase is largely due to the falling prices in late 2008. Much of that price increase came last spring (2009) and levelled off later in the year.

These improving selling conditions are bringing new listings to the market once again. Still, as of December 2009 the total number of homes available on the MLS system was down 22% from the previous year.

The Canadian Real Estate Association expects price increases to cool during the second half of 2010. More sellers will enter the market looking to take advantage of improved selling conditions. That will increase buyer opportunities and stabilize prices.

Copyright AgentMapIt Real Estate Trends

1 Comment Posted in Uncategorized by smiller
Tagged , ,
10 Feb 10

Advice from a Home Staging Specialist

Click photo to watch video

When you decide to list your Kitchener-Waterloo home for sale you want it to “present” in the most appealing and inviting way. That is what “staging” does. For most of us it is difficult to look at our homes from the point of view of someone else.

So when you list your home for sale it is often advisable to have a professional look at your home and make some recommendations.

In this video an expert in home staging demonstrates how rearranging a single room in a condo can make the space look much more impressive. The principles she uses to make her room reorganization decisions are simple to understand and can be applied by just about anyone in this type of situation.

Copyright AgentMapIt Tips for Homeowners

0 Comments Posted in Real Estate Advice by blogeasy
Tagged , , ,
10 Feb 10

Designing an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

Click photo to watch video

If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen (and who isn’t), you will be interested in these eco-friendly ideas for new kitchens. This video touches on:
- Saving water with reduced-flow faucets and dishwashers that use only 50% of the water used by normal dishwashers.

- Energy efficient ovens and stoves.

- Low energy lighting that can cut electricity consumption by more than 50%.

- Materials for flooring, counter tops and cupboards made from more eco-friendly processes.

Copyright AgentMapIt Green Tips for Homeowners

0 Comments Posted in Green Tips by smiller
Tagged , , ,
6 Feb 10

Should Retiring Lead to Downsizing?

Retirement Downsizing
Freedom! Glorious freedom!

If you’re considering downsizing your Kitchener-Waterloo home, here’s a great article called Should Retiring Lead to Downsizing? outlining some of the things you should consider.

The usual time for downsizing is after the kids have all settled in to their own homes, or shortly after you retire. But with today’s increased concerns over energy costs many people are looking at downsizing earlier in life.

The primary motivation for downsizing in the K-W area is usually to save money. A smaller home costs less to purchase and less for utilities, and there is usually less maintenance too. Especially if your new downsized K-W home is in a condo development or senior community.

But convenience and security are just as important for many people. Many retirement living communities have controlled access and 24/7 security. Grocery and convenience stores, along with recreation facilities ae often within easy walking distance too.

For more information about downsizing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, use the contact information here on this website. No matter what your situation we have dealt with many others in similar circumstances and we know the Waterloo Region area intimately.

1 Comment Posted in Uncategorized by smiller
Tagged , , ,
5 Feb 10

Making Your Own Green Household Cleaners

Do you wish you could pitch all those harsh commercial cleaning products and use something “greener”? Here is a video explaining how you can make your own cleaners out of ordinary things found in just about every K-W home.

Making Your Own Green Household Cleaners

Recent studies have compared the incidence of asthma in homes where commercial household cleaners are used on a regular basis to homes where such cleaners are not used. In one study the researchers found the product users were up to twice as likely to develop asthma.

But then this is what we should expect isn’t it? Most household cleaners contain chemicals that are toxic to our bodies – as well as the environment. Isn’t it completely predictable that our bodies would react in a negative way to these chemicals?

0 Comments Posted in Green Tips by blogeasy
Tagged , ,

« Older Posts