Barrie Home Inspector

Home Maintenance and Tips for Home Owners

Month: December 2011

Upgrades to REALTOR.ca

Real Estate

Ottawa, ON – December 1, 2011 – Earlier this week, a new version of REALTOR.ca was released. This version introduces exciting new features and tools that allow users to customize REALTOR.ca to find what they’re looking faster and easier.

Collapsible panels on the map search page for customized views (Red arrow #1)

  • The map search page is currently divided into three panels with the search criteria on the left, the interactive map in the middle and the property thumbnail list on the right.
  • Users can now collapse either the criteria panel or the thumbnail panel to have a larger image of the map, allowing much greater flexibility in customizing their view of REALTOR.ca

Draw an area – Custom map search tool (Polygon Map Tool – BETA format) (Red arrow #2)

  • Using their mouse, users can now draw free form shapes on the map to more accurately define the location criteria for their search.
  • Users will be able to map a specific neighbourhood or region and use that as their location criteria to find properties that are located within the defined area.
  • The map tool is being released in BETA format as we continue to fine-tune its capabilities.
  • Please note – we are continuing to improve functionality and enhancing the user experience.

Auto-sizing to fit high resolution (HD) monitors

  • Currently REALTOR.ca’s display area is a fixed size on every monitor. The new version will automatically re-size itself to eliminate the white space now seen on high resolution (HD) monitors.

Social media links

  • REALTORS® and Offices now have the ability to display links to their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Orillia Real Estate Agents Optimization

Personal Interest, Real Estate

Orillia Real Estate Agents Optimization –  Google is constantly changing what it uses to rank websites.

SEO or Search Engines Optimization is a very important part of improving visibility to Search Engines.  The higher a site is ranked typically results in more visitors which equates to more money for commercial sites.  Searches can include image search, video search, news search or any specific text search.

The acronym “SEOs” can refer to “search engine optimizers,” a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house.

Webmasters started realizing that adding keywords to site and their meta tags was increasing their visibility to search engines. Inaccurate, incomplete, and inconsistent data in meta tags could and did cause pages to rank for irrelevant searches. Web content providers also manipulated a number of attributes within the HTML source of a page in an attempt to rank well in search engines.

Webmasters who provide the content to fill the search results do not necessarily profit adequately for providing the content which allows search engines to deliver a ton of ads. Some of these same webmasters sell text links to other high margin or profitable sites. This is of course arbitrarily wrong because search engines want to be the middle man and want to profit from as many internet ad dollars as possible.

Black Hat SEO is tempting because your site can jump up in rankings quickly and the Black Practices actually do work, temporarily. They do end up getting sites higher search rankings; that is, until these same sites get banned for using unethical practices. It’s just not worth the risk. Use efficient search engine optimization techniques to get your site ranked higher, and stay away from anything that even looks like Black Hat SEO. Here’s a few articles that can get you on the road to knowing search engine optimization.

The Google Sandbox Effect is a theory used to explain why newly-registered domains or domains with frequent ownership changes rank poorly in Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). In other words new websites are put into a “sandbox” or a holding area and have their search ratings on hold until they can prove worthy of ranking.

Google appears not to have a Sandbox anymore if they ever did have one.  This articles author created www.orilliarealestateagents.info and within one week the site was on Google’s first page when seaching for Orillia Real Estate Agents.  This quick rise in ranking would seem to disprove the Sand Box affect claimed by many SEO consultants

Buying Older Home – Typical Problems

Basements, Exterior

Buying Older Home – Typical Problems.  When buying an older home you are usually buying a home with built in character which has withstood the test of time and is still in habitable condition.  There are some inherent problems that you might encounter when purchasing an older home.  I have listed a few basic ones just for consideration.

Your older homes foundation is probably constructed of cement and stone.  There would have been no waterproofing done to the exterior of the foundation and there will be no weeping tile draining into sump.  This inspection area is one of the most important and expensive to repair if faulty.

Knob and tube wiring was usually installed in all older homes and there is usually still porcelain insulators present even if it was all removed.  You have to have a home inspector or electrician check to ensure all the knob and tube wiring was replaced.  The knob and tube was usually replaced with older two wire which has no ground and unless a total rehab was done on building you will still find two wire at outlets on upper floors and other hard to access areas.

Asbestos and vermiculite can be found in many older homes.  Some older homes had hot water boilers with cast iron radiators.  This systems were typically insulated with asbestos insulation.  Vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos and was frequently added to attics in older homes.  Asbestos requires professional removal which is very expensive.

Lead plumbing pipes and galvanized plumbing lines can be very expensive to replace and were used on most older homes.  Most insurance companies in Ontario will not insure a home with galvanized plumbing pipes.  Galvanized pipes tend to corrode from the inside out so that there is no warning that a pipe is about to burst.

Older homes may have many layers of lead paint which has built up over the years.  Lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning for children and can also affect adults. In children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead.  Thus, young children, fetuses, infants, and adults with high blood pressure are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead.

Your house is old and gorgeous, as are those wonderfully ornate cast-iron radiators, but these days, energy prices are anything but old-fashioned. Older homes have radiators sized for a time when open-window ventilation was popular and insulation was uncommon. If you’ve insulated and updated your windows, your radiators are most likely larger than they need to be.  You should have your home assessed by a heating expert to evaluate the expense and available options if required to upgrade your heating system.

The Barrie Home Inspector has many years of experience in inspecting Century Homes and is also a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association.  Commercial Building inspections also entail the same problems as residential and buyers have to be aware of the risks and hazards involved in purchasing older properties.  Visit the Barrie Home Inspector’s site at www.barriehomeinspector.com to obtain more information and advice when dealing with older homes.

Innisfil Real Estate Agents

Personal Interest, Real Estate

 

Randy, Tammy and Daughter Natasha are the Wigley Real Estate Team who specialize in Innisfil properties.  The Wigley Team are full time Realtor’s for Sutton Group Realty.  Whether Buying or Selling, the Wigley Team has the experience to guide you through the fine details of buying or selling property in Innisfil.  Randy and Tammy are experts in Rent to Own, Bank Foreclosures and Investment properties.

Robert Young is a Professional Innisfil Real Estate agent whose motto is “I will treat you the way I would want to be treated”  Robert’s goal is to provide you with such outstanding personal service that you’ll always feel like you’re his only client. Robert can do this because he is equipped with the tools, information and support  needed to make the most of your relationship- enabling him to be by your side, serving you throughout every step of the entire process. Robert Young wants to be Your REALTOR of choice for Life! Contact Him Today!

Shelley Coulter works for Sutton Group Realty. Shelley is a firm believer in customer service and always goes the “extra mile’ to ensure her clients are happy and achieve the results they were looking for. To ensure satisfaction in your next real estate transaction in Innisfil,, contact Shelley today.  Shelly has experience and can help guide you through the complicated process of Rent to Own, Bank Foreclosures, Power of Sale, Condominiums, Investment and Buying or Selling properties in Innisfil.

Katie Kirk, ( aka Kirk Werks ) is a Sales Representative at Sutton Group Incentive Realty Inc., Brokerage.  Katie is also a Senior Interior Design Consultant at Closets by Design.  Katie is a volunteer at On T.R.A.C. for BULLYING PREVENTION, was previously a Business Solutions Manager at InsightU and has a solid background in sales.  Katie has attended Georgian College,  Queen’s University and Eastview Secondary School.  Whether buying or selling property in Innisfil ON, Katie Kirk is the agent who can help your dreams come true.

Sharon Madeley is a Professional Real Estate agent with CHAY RE/MAX Barrie. Sharon Madeley is a graduate of Humber College’s Child and Youth Worker Program. She spent eight years working for the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. During those eight years Sharon worked with families providing family support, crisis support and individual counselling. Sharon’s interest in families is what drew her to Real Estate. The gratification of bringing loved one’s together under one roof and creating a feeling of somewhere they can call “HOME.” Her on-going interests have always been the same, whether it is a career in real estate or any of her previous endeavours. Sharon believes it is her job to; “DO MY BEST TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER”.  Sharon is a hard working professional Innisfil Realtor. She is an experienced negotiator with expert knowledge of the local market. You can count on her to always work with your interest in mind and to represent you and your wishes to the best of her abilities. Sharon understands that the needs of each client are unique and need to be addressed as such. Customer Service is the key. If you are a “BUYER” or “SELLER” Sharon Madeley looks forward to making your “DREAMS” a “REALITY.”

Stephen Staples is a CENTURY 21® Real Estate professional, His Team is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality service possible. Our knowledge of the local Real Estate market is combined with the power of the CENTURY 21 brand – the most recognized name in Real Estate today. The Stables Team would like to thank you for visiting and encourage you to utilize their web sites as your personnel resource. We are built with 2 generations of Real Estate Experience. We are thankful everyday for the Life we have, a great family and a rewarding real estate business. 

Alliston Real Estate Agents

Personal Interest, Real Estate

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.

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