Sarah Lunn is Innovative & Dedicated Real Estate agent. Sarah prides herself on being a highly energetic, result driven professional. The combination of her experience in customer service, together with a diploma in Business Marketing from Georgian College, has allowed her to develop a progressive edge in today’s real estate market. If you are looking for that dream home, let Sarah Lunn help! Tell Sarah what you are looking for and she will do the search for you! Sarah promises that she will work relentlessly for you to find that perfect home.
Jim Bartley is a Professional Real Estate Agent who specializes in Buying or Selling – Alliston, Ontario Real Estate. Jim Bartley applies his Alliston home selling system in the Alliston, Ontario Real Estate market. Selling residential, condominium, multi family and investment property. Search for MLS listings, relocation services and a referral service for relocation are also a value added for the buyer and seller moving in and out of the "Alliston Ontario real estate" market.
Britton Ronan is the second generation in real estate, Britton understands very well the importance of setting goals. Being recognized by Prudential North America since his first year in the business as a Top Producer and in the past two years awarded Chairmans Circle Gold, ranking Britton and his team amongst the top 2% of the 65,000 realtors in the Prudential network. It is clear Britton and the Experience Sold Team take their goals seriously and do this by making their #1 Goal; Professional Service and Customer Satisfaction!
Mary Doldersun is a Professional Real Estate agent with RE/MAX. You, the client are my no. 1 priority. I have been in the business for over 30 years and become a member of your family until the transaction is complete. Personal service and total dedication is my motto.
Mary Doldersum services the Tottenham, Alliston, Albion, Adjala Mono and Beeton areas and specialize in residential and commercial real estate.
Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth. The primary downtown area is located along Highway 89, known as Victoria Street.
Alliston grew as a commercial centre for the area farmers and was best known as a potato-growing area. It is still a major industry in the town and is celebrated by the annual Alliston Potato Festival. Honda of Canada Manufacturing operates a large auto manufacturing facility southeast of Alliston, currently consisting of three major factories.
Tag: business
Innisfil Real Estate Agents – Terms and Info
Innisfil Real Estate Agents – Terms and Info. The common definition for a real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as a go between for sellers and buyers of real property and attempts to find clients who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy. In the Canada and the United States, the relationship was originally established by reference to the English common law of agency, with the broker having a fiduciary relationship with his clients.
Many of the newer Real Estate agents are linking up with agents in other provinces or even other countries to obtain referrals to new clients. The internet has allowed potential clients to contact agents in their prospective purchase area without leaving the house. Globalization has had an immediate and powerful impact on real estate markets, making them an international working place. The rapid growth of the Internet has made the international market accessible to millions of consumers. A look at recent changes in homeownership rates illustrates this. Minority homeownership jumped by 4.4 million during the 1990s, reaching 12.5 million in 2000, according to the Fannie Mae Foundation. Foreign direct investment in U.S. real estate has increased sharply from $38 billion in 1997 more than $50 billion in 2002 according to U.S. 2000 Census data.
Flat Fee MLS generally refers to the practice in the real estate industry of a seller entering into an ” la carte service agreement” with a real estate broker who accepts a flat fee rather than a percentage of the sale price for the listing side of the transaction. The buyer’s broker is still typically offered a percentage though that could be a flat fee as well. A Flat Fee MLS brokerage typically unbundles the services a traditional real estate brokerage offers and lists the property for sale in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) la carte without requiring the seller to use its services for valuation assistance, negotiating, transaction management and showing accompaniment.
The listing Real Estate agent or broker anticipates receiving a commission for the services the agent has provided at the conclusion of selling the listed property. Usually, the payment of a commission to the agent or brokerage is contingent upon finding a sucessful buyer for the real estate listed, the successful negotiation of a purchase contract between a satisfactory buyer and seller, or the settlement of the transaction and the exchange of money between buyer and seller.
When listing a property the seller agrees to a selling commission. This commission used to be set around 6% of the purchase price, which was typically paid by the seller of the property. There are newer Real Estate companies that are advertising discount commission fees for selling properties. These are typically not full service companies but usually will offer full service for an added fee.
Controversy exists around how commissions paid to real estate agents are disclosed to buyers and the effect additional seller incentives may have on the negotiation process and final purchase price. If a listing agent sells a property above the listed price, they make additional income. In theory, this motivates them to get top dollar for the seller. However, if an agent representing a buyer obtains a lower sales price for their client, then they make a lower commission. Thus, it could be considered to be in the agent’s best interest to advise his client to purchase the property at a higher price
In a flat fee MLS listing, the listing agreement between the real estate broker and the property owner typically requires the broker to enter the property into the MLS and provide other contracted services, with the broker acting as what the traditional industry has coined a “limited service broker”. However, the flat fee industry prefers the term la carte broker because the services are not limited. Instead freedom of choice is expanded to allow sellers to pick from a menu of services. For example if a seller opts to purchase marketing in MLS, Realtor.com and other distribution channels only, that does not imply that the listing broker would not have negotiated or offered more services if the seller wanted to pay for those services. In fact many flat fee brokers offer upgraded packages that sellers often contract for. Consequently, the services is not limited but instead custom crafted to the needs and wants of the seller.
Title Insurance is now replacing searches in the Land Registry Office. Title insurance originated in the US. The Law Society of Upper Canada, the group that regulates and oversees lawyers in Ontario, spent a long time looking into the implications of title insurance on the law profession. At the end of the day, they decided the best thing to do was to get into the business themselves and are offering their own package called Title Plus. Some lawyers in Orillia believe that soon you won’t need a lawyer (or a surveyor) to close a real estate transaction. Are they worried? Not really, with insurance companies paying for litigation, the extra court cases will more than make up for the lost business. Many people too want a real survey so they can see exactly what they’re buying, so the survey business won’t die. The real winner here is the consumer, which is why many observers expect title insurance to quickly become the norm, especially now that the Law Society is backing it.
When buying property in the Alliston Ontario area choose your agent from the www.innisfilrealestateagents.info site to get a professional agent who will provide you with personalized service and ensure your buying or selling experience is a pleasant experience with no surprises.
Repairing Rotting Wood Tips and Techniques
Causes of Rotting Wood
Whenever wood has more than 20% moisture exposure it has the potential to deteriorate. It’s very important to keep up on caulking and painting with quality materials to prevent wood rot.
If you are at the point where you already have wood rot we recommend you do not use pine for rot replacement. Pine available on the market today tends to be new growth pine. Pine available today is not as dense as older growth pine and will rot in a very short period of time. So many home owners are so disappointed to find their new homes have extensive wood rot damage within the first five years.
Painting and caulking are two of the home owners best materials that will help prevent wood rot. Caulking is one of the best defenses your home has against moisture. Home owners should be vigilante for the appearance of peeling or cracking paint and cracked or missing caulking. Either of these are indicators that your wood is now being attacked by moisture. As a home inspector I am always reminding my clients of the old but true adage that ” an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”
Repairing Areas of Wood Rot
Using a wood chisel, an electric drill with a spade bit, or another tool appropriate for the location to remove all of the wet, loose and decayed wood.
Probe the surrounding area with an awl. If it feels as solid as unaffected areas, drill numerous closely spaced holes of 1/8-inch (3-mm) diameter in the wood and inject a liquid wood hardener following the manufactures directions.
Mix two-part epoxy or polyester wood filler as directed. Mix only what you can apply and shape in a few minutes. Once the material hardens it is un-workable and must be thrown away.
Fill the hole or build up the affected area with the wood filler, using a putty knife or flexible plastic spreader. Press hard on knife to work the initial layer into the surface for a good bond.
Clean off the applicator and mixing container immediately
Use a rasp tool to roughly shape or level excess filler as soon as the filler sets up, but before it dries completely.
Use medium or coarse sandpaper to further shape and blend the patch when the filler is completely dry. On flat surfaces, use a rubber sanding block or power sander. On contoured surfaces, use wood dowels or other appropriate shapes to back the sandpaper.
Blow off the dust and apply freshly mixed filler to fill any remaining depressions or pinholes, or to build up more material as needed to attain the desired shape.
Use medium, then fine sandpaper to smooth the patch and feather it into the surrounding wood.
After completely dry prime and paint to suit.
Choosing Your Exterior Paints
For most exterior wood in reasonably good shape, pick a high-quality acrylic primer. It remains elastic and permeable so moisture can “breathe” through the paint skin. This will decrease the chance of the paint bubbling and peeling due to moisture in the walls.
Consider oil- or shellac-based primers for cedar or redwood. With these, you have to factor in problems with tannin staining. Tannin is a natural substance in the wood which will bleed through and cause yellow or brown stains in your finished paint job. It is water soluble, so it will bleed through any water based product. Oil and shellac primers will stop tannin from bleeding through. Some water-based primers claim to be able to stop tannin staining, although sometimes two or more coats will be necessary. Use your own judgment.
Ask at your paint store about breathable oil primers, which are formulated to allow passage of moisture from the house through the paint. (All water-based products, unless they are sold specifically as moisture-barriers, are breathable.) Breathable oil primers would be your best choice to help combat tannin staining some plywood materials, in addition to cedar, redwood.
Use oil-based primers for very punky, soft older wood. Oil-based primers penetrate much deeper into the wood fibers and create a more solid substrate to paint over.
This article is brought to you by Roger Frost, The Barrie Home Inspector, browse our Home Maintenance Tips Blog for more Money Saving Tips
Uni-stone Pavers and Polymeric Sand
Uni-stone Pavers and Polymeric Sand. Polymeric sand is what professional uni-stone installers use to ensure a filler that is not bothered by the erosion of seasonal weather.
Wnen you open up a bag of polymeric sand and you find it looks like ordinary, free-flowing sand, but it is how it behaves when you put it down. But unlike regular sand, the polymeric product firms up in reaction with water and forms a barrier unlike using normal sand.
Installing polymeric sand is not that complicated and if you follow the instructions below will be fairly simple.
When you are installing polymeric sand in a new paving brick installation? There’s nothing different you need to do while putting the bricks down. If you’ve got an existing pathway that had ordinary sand applied originally, then you need to clean out all the gaps of old sand with a pressure washer. You must create a brand new installation, minus the laying of pavers of course. The main thing to understand about polymeric sand is that it must be installed on a dry surface.
Polymeric sand is activated by water, and it turns quite liquid even with a little moisture. You need dry conditions, with no chance of rain for a day. Check with weather man before starting project.
Spreading polymeric sand begins the same as with normal paver installation. Pour a thin layer as smoothly as possible over the whole pathway surface, then use a stiff-bristled push broom to spread the sand around and begin working it into the gaps.
The trick is to use a a gas-powered vibrator afterwards. This vibrates the sand deep down into the gaps, an essential part of any long-lasting installation.
The broom alone might seem to do a good job, but don’t be fooled. It actually leaves behind hidden gaps that lead to sand collapse later. Don’t skip the compactor.
With all brick gaps fully filled with sand, you’re about to face the most important part of the job: pre-activation cleaning. Since poly sand turns goopy when wet, you must have the surface of the bricks completely and absolutely clean before applying water.
Any sand remaining on the surface will mar the appearance of the brick, so be diligent. Use a soft-bristled broom to move all remaining surface sand into the gaps, going over the surface at least twice, just to make sure.
Now it’s time to activate the sand, and success here requires finesse. You need to gently apply a fine spray of water to moisten the sand, but not so much that it moves any sand up and out of the brick gaps.
It’s a balancing act, so be careful. After an initial misting, let the sand begin to firm up for 15 or 20 minutes, then add more water while watching carefully. Before you’re done, you need to apply enough water to wet the entire depth of sand you’ve added. This could take three or four or five wettings, just be careful.
The danger is that you apply water too fast, causing surface sand to be washed out of the gaps and onto the bricks. When you think you’ve wet the surface enough, take a framing nail or three-inch deck screw and burrow down into a joint gap just to be sure. If it’s not wet all the way, keep up the misting and pausing cycle.
Polymeric sand isn’t foolproof, and it doesn’t eliminate all the problems encountered with regular sand, but it’s still more than worthwhile. Use it to get the most from your paving brick installation and you’ll spend more time enjoying the look, without fretting that ordinary sand washes away so easily.
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Canadian home sales pick up in June
Canadian home sales pick up in June. OTTAWA – July 15, 2011 – According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home sales activity over MLS® Systems of Canadian real estate Boards climbed in June 2011 compared to May.
Highlights:
- Sales activity climbed from May to June, with a big year-over-year gain reflecting falling demand in June 2010.
- Year-to-date sales remain in line with the ten-year average.
- The number of newly listed homes also rose from May to June.
- National housing market remains firmly entrenched in balanced territory.
- National average price still being skewed upward by the value of sales in expensive Vancouver neighbourhoods, with price gains in other markets providing additional loft.
Seasonally adjusted national home sales activity rose 2.6 per cent in June 2011 compared to the previous month. Two-thirds of local markets posted month-over-month gains in June.
Activity remained stable in Toronto while declining slightly in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Major markets that saw gains compared to May included Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, and Victoria.
“Canadian housing demand remains resilient, thanks to low interest rates, job growth, and home buyer confidence in the economy,” said Gary Morse, CREA’s President. “That said, local housing market trends often differ from national trends, so buyers and sellers should consult their local REALTOR® to understand how the housing market is shaping up where they live.”
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity came in 10.8 per cent above June 2010 levels, but this largely reflects falling sales activity last June. This was also the case for the year-over-year increase in activity in May. Year-over-year comparisons in July may also be stretched by falling activity one year ago, since July 2010 marked the low point for activity last year.
“The Canadian housing sector remains on a solid footing,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “The rise in monthly home sales activity at the end of the second quarter, upbeat business sentiment and hiring intentions, and signs that the Bank of Canada is in no rush to raise interest rates bode well for home sales activity and prices going into the second half of 2011.”
National sales activity was down 4.7 per cent in the second quarter compared to levels in the first quarter. This in part reflects how new mortgage rules announced in January and implemented at the end of March pulled sales forward into the first quarter at the expense of sales activity in April and May. Mortgage interest rates also rose in April and May, which may have moved some home buyers to the sidelines.
A total of 245,170 homes have traded hands via Canadian MLS® Systems in the first half of 2011. Year-to-date sales activity is running in line with the ten-year average, with monthly sales activity having come close to the ten-year average from January to June this year (Chart A). This highlights the relative stability of demand this year compared to the past three years, when activity swung significantly above and below average monthly levels.
The number of newly listed homes also rose nationally by 1.8 per cent from May to June. Gains in Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa contributed most to the national increase. The rise in new listings will be especially welcome news for home buyers in Toronto, where listings have been in short supply relative to demand this year.
The national housing market remains firmly planted in balanced territory. The national sales-to-new listings ratio, a measure of market balance, stood at 52.6 per cent in June, little changed from 52.2 per cent in May.
About 60 per cent of local housing markets in Canada were balanced in June. Almost half of the remainder can be classified as sellers’ markets, based on a sales-to-new listings ratio above 60 per cent.
The seasonally adjusted number of months of inventory stood at six months at the end of June on a national basis, holding steady compared to May. The number of months of inventory represents the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity, and is another measure of the balance between housing supply and demand.
The national average price for homes sold in June 2011 was $372,700, up 8.7 per cent from the same month last year. The national average price is becoming less affected by the overall number of sales in some expensive Vancouver neighbourhoods, but is still being pitched higher by the value of those sales. Activity in these neighbourhoods has eased from levels reported in February and March, while sales elsewhere across Canada have risen in line with normal seasonal trends. As a result, property sales above $1 million in Vancouver West, West Vancouver, and Richmond now account for a smaller but still elevated share of national activity.
While the effect of Vancouver activity on the national average price has begun to wane, broadly based price gains in other housing markets are holding the national average price aloft. Close to 80 per cent of local markets posted year-over-year average price gains in June. This includes Toronto, where price gains reflect a tight balance between supply and demand.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national MLS® sales information from the previous month.
CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighborhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.
MLS® is a co-operative marketing system used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 100,000 REALTORS® working through more than 100 real estate Boards and Associations.
Further information can be found at :
http://www.crea.ca/public/news_stats/media.htm.
– 30 –
For more information, please contact:
Linda Kristal, Director of Communications
The Canadian Real Estate Association|
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-447-4532
E-mail: [email protected]
Barrie Home Inspector
The Barrie Home Inspector has been inspecting Commercial and Residential properties for over 15 years. As a Certified Building Code Official registered with the Ontario Building Officials Association his qualifications far exceed most Home Inspectors basic requirements.
Although many Home Inspection Companies advertise as the Barrie Home Inspector, only Roger Frost has the licensed name Barrie Home Inspector. The advantage of having experience in the business and the knowledge to make informed decisions.
The Barrie Home Inspector is a former home builder who was registered with HUDAC, which has now been replace with Tarion home building warranty program. Seven years as Project Review of all Renovations and New Construction with DND provided an unequaled opportunity to be involved with Project Design and Inspection on projects ranging from ,000′s of dollars to millions of dollar accommodation buildings.
Through out his career, Roger Frost has taken many specialized and building related courses that all are applicable to Commercial and Home inspections. Roger has inspected over 3,000 residential buildings and performed Commercial Building inspections from as far south as Simcoe Ontario to Huntville in the North.
Providing his client with the information they need to make an informed decision is the basis of the Barrie Home Inspector’s business. Having the knowledge to observe the deficiencies or possible failures of systems in not enough, being able to convey that to the client is of paramount importance. The Barrie Home Inspector’s report is precise and detailed, being broken down into individual building systems and areas. All deficiencies are photographed and included in a computerized report for the customers review.
We do not provide concrete financial replacement or repair costs because the nature of the contracting business is such that there are so many variables involved that a accurate price structure really does depend on the individual. We do make note and take pictures of every deficiency so that you will be able to discern the condition of the proposed purchase property.
Experience does matter and when you are making your next real estate investment, whether Commercial or Residential, ensure your Inspector has the qualifications and experience to make you an informed buyer.
Always remember Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware
Bank of Canada raises interest rates further
Bank of Canada raises interest rates further. Notes slowing global economic growth.
The Bank of Canada increased the target for its trend-setting overnight lending rate on July 20, 2010, raising it by a quarter of a percentage point to 0.75 per cent. The increase follows on the heels of an equal interest rate increase in June 2010, when it was raised for the first time since 2007. The Bank rate now stands at one per cent.
In its most recent interest rate announcement, the Bank marked down its outlook for economic growth globally, emphasizing the uneven economic recovery in the U.S., and weakening prospects for European economic growth.
In the Bank’s view, Canada’s domestic economy is evolving largely as expected in recent months, but trimmed its forecast for economic growth this year and next by 0.2 per cent to 3.5 per cent in 2010 and 2.9 per cent in 2011. While the Bank raised its forecast for Canadian economic to 2.2 per cent in 2012, it nonetheless left the easing trend for growth intact.
The Bank indicated, “[this] revision reflects a slightly weaker profile for global economic growth and more modest consumption growth in Canada. The Bank anticipates that business investment and net exports will make a relatively larger contribution to growth.
Where the domestic recovery had previously been led by housing and consumer spending it is now guided more by government stimulus.”
The Bank also reaffirmed its view that housing activity and household expenditures were pulled forward into the first half of 2010, which is expected to cause them to soften in the second half. It also recognized that business investment has been weaker than it previously expected, “held back by global uncertainties.” The Bank anticipates “that business investment and net exports will make a relatively larger contribution to growth” over its forecast horizon.
As of July 20th, the advertised five-year conventional mortgage rate of 5.79 per cent was down 0.06 per cent from one year earlier, and 0.2 per cent below where it stood when Bank made its previous interest rate announcement on June 1, 2010. However, it is 0.3 percentage points higher than it was at the beginning of the year.
The Bank has signaled to financial markets that it is leaving its options wide open as to whether it will raise interest rates further when it makes its next rate announcement on September 8th.
“As it did with its previous announcement in June, the Bank messaged financial markets that further interest rate increases are not pre-ordained,” said CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump. “The strength of recent economic indicators have prompted the Bank to raise interest rates, but the Bank has signaled that it may keep rates on hold should the economic recovery begin to show signs of loosing steam.”
The Bank will make its next scheduled rate announcement on September 8th.
http://creastats.crea.ca/natl/interest_rate_trends.htm
(CREA 07/22/2010)
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