Halloween is that magical time of year when children get to dress up in wonderful and outrageous costumes as they gather a bag full of treats... But before your children begin to eat their loot, make sure you examine it first. Throw out any treats that are not wrapped, those in torn or loose packages, or any that have small holes in the wrappers. Check toys or novelty items for small parts and do not allow children under three years to play with them.

Take the time to be informed about Halloween safety measures by reading:

Real Estate Investment expert Don Campbell, author of Real Estate Investing in Canada and 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors, has several do’s and don’ts for existing and aspiring Real Estate Investors:

1. Study the market before you take action.
2. Never speculate, always invest.
3. Don’t invest in a property just because it seems cheap.
4. Follow a long-term system.
5. Focus on cash flow, not equity appreciation.

Read further details in Globe Investor Magazine Online.

You may be tempted to do so and sometimes that’s appropri­ate. But first find out how the proposed price was calculated. What methods were used to assess your home’s potential value in the current market? How was your home compared to others that have sold recently and to those currently for sale? Does this suggested price match your selling objectives?

Determining Your Home’s Asking Price

Your decision about the “asking price” of your home—the price your Realtor will put in the Listing Agreement is one of the most important you will make in the selling process.

If you price your home too low, you may cheat yourself out of money you could have earned on the sale. Ironically, some potential buyers may not even view your property if the price is too low—on the assumption there must be something wrong with the home.

If you set your price too high, potential purchasers may pass it by in favour of more reasonably priced homes. Others may figure you won’t accept a large decrease in price, so they won’t bother to make an offer. A few may even be reluctant to offer a much lower price for fear of embarrassing you or themselves.

Setting too high a price can also leave your home on the market for a long time, which could give it a bad reputation among potential buyers. If you then decide to drop the price, you may end up selling your home for less than had you priced it reasonably in the first place. The reason? Having your home on the market for a long time can weaken your negotiating position, since buyers may assume you are now under pressure to sell and will bargain accordingly.

The object, then, is to choose a price that is neither too low nor too high. But doing so is a complex procedure involv­ing a comprehensive understanding of the market and an objective opinion of your home’s saleability. Realtors are experienced in doing this research and providing the guid­ance you’ll need to make the best-possible decision.

What is “Market Value”?

Since May 2007, there have been 10 cases of children falling from windows or balconies in the Toronto Area! Two died, five were seriously injured and three suffered minor injuries. Seven fell from windows and three from balconies.

Dean Shaddock, coordinator of the community medicine program with Emergency Medical Services said that 90% of falls from balconies happen in the Summer. Toronto EMS Paramedics have recently released

A Checklist of Balcony and Window Safety Tips

In late April, approximately 4.5 million Ontario homeowners, condo dwellers, and apartment tenants received a 12-page booklet in the mail containing information, education and tips about how to conserve electricity. The booklet encourages Ontario residents to use the energy conservation tips and coupons to help reduce their electricity load. Undertaking small steps will reduce your electricity bill and save you money. This booklet also includes Instant Discount Coupons, which will be valid at participating retail stores throughout the province!

Please note, retailers will accept coupons that consumers download and print from this website. Take this coupon to a participating retailer and receive:

Mortgage advisor Calum Ross shares with you the tips how you can be mortgage-free as quickly as possible:

1. Never get an open mortgage at a fixed rate unless you plan on paying it off during the term. Today's closed mortgages generally offer 10 to 20 per cent prepayment privileges, and can usually be obtained at one per cent or more off the posted rate.
2. Use accelerated weekly, or bi-weekly payments.
3. Give your mortgage the same raise as you get each year.
4. Give your mortgage a portion of any bonus or extra income.
5. Keep your payments the same even if you renew at a lower rate.
6. Use your income tax return to put a lump sum payment towards your mortgage.
7. Use extra money from your budget.
8. Round up your mortgage payments.
9. Consider a variable rate mortgage - those who can endure the rate adjustments save money over time.
10. Seek independent financial advice. While some bankers do look out for your best interest, they work for the bank and not you.

Read the full story in January issue of New Homes & Condos - GTA Magazine.

For those of you thinking of selling their home, but waiting for Spring, here are good reasons to list your home for sale during the Winter:

1. There are fewer homes for sale and that means there is less competition on the market!
2. Winter home buyers are VERY serious and you don’t want them to miss your home!
3. By starting to market your home early you may be able to secure a higher price, because less supply can yield a higher price for your home!
4. One of the highest percentages of Listings Sold to Listings Taken occur during winter months because prospects are highly motivated.
5. You get more advertising for your home, because Real Estate Agents have less inventory during the winter.
6. By selling now, you have an opportunity to buy during the spring, when many, many more properties are on the market!

Just remember, NOW is one of the best times to buy or sell! Call me today for more information and FREE Home Evaluation. (647) 273-5318

Did you know that the real estate agent who advertises a property, shows the property to a buyer, helps the buyer make decisions, and prepares the purchase offer doesn't necessarily have the buyer's best interests in mind? That's right, the helpful agent could be the exclusive agent of the seller with agency duties to get the best deal possible for the seller with no agency duties whatsoever to the buyer.

As a buyer, you can protect yourself by having a buyer's agent where your interests, not the seller's interests, are of paramount importance.

What are Advantages of Having Your Own Agent?

By hiring their own inspector, sellers can ease the pressure from sole reliance on the buyer’s report. Problem areas became negotiable items. The usual approach is to wait for an offer before inspectors scope out a home. Once inspectors for buyers get involved, though, it opens a Pandora’s box of costs and demands. Buyers push the envelope; sellers, sometimes panicked by lack of other offers, capitulate.

According to home inspector Rob Kent of Pittsburgh Property Inspectors in Pennsylvania, a scant 1 to 2 percent of his business is for sellers. “I find it amazing that a lot of these people think their house is in fantastic shape, then they find all these things wrong and they wonder how this happened,” Kent says. But by then it’s too late, because the buyer is in the driver’s seat in terms of repairs and, more importantly, repair costs. Kent says the time to spot problems is early. Only then, says Kent, does “the seller has chance to shop around for the lowest price.” Sellers can also control scope of work. Read the full story.

SPIS is one of the most controversial forms used in the real estate field today

The Ontario Real Estate Association form lists 47 questions to be answered in writing by the sellers of each home. At present, the forms are not mandatory in Ontario, and in my experience they have been a gold mine for litigation lawyers — creating more problems and disputes than they were intended to avoid... Sellers who are presented with these forms by listing agents are invited to answer — and be responsible for — questions which are well beyond the knowledge of the average homeowner...

Use this checklist to help you ready your home for an open-house and sell It faster:

1. De-clutter!
2. Clean up! Not just everyday cleaning.
3. Consider having a pre-listing home inspection report prepared.
4. A fresh coat of light, neutral paint is practically obligatory.
5. Cast the same critical eye on your home's exterior.
6. If you haven't paid attention to landscaping; it's too late to start planting trees.
7. Depersonalize to help buyers imagine themselves in your home.
8. The sniff test.
9. Light up your home.
10. Before allowing strangers to tour your home, stash all valuables in safe places.

Read the full article over at HGTV.ca.

HGTV.ca teaches you how to prepare for a multiple bid situation:

1. Get pre-approved for a mortgage so you know the maximal financing available to you.
2. You do need to be aware of Comparative Market Analysis. In other words, do research to learn what the fair market value for any house you’re interested in is considered to be, as well as the fair market value of similar houses that neighbour them.
3. Don’t add unusual requests, terms or conditions to your bid, like, for example, buying someone’s home on the basis that you’ll first sell yours.

Location, Location, Location: Home & Garden Television lists some important elements to consider as you begin your search:

• Schooling
• Crime-rate
• Health care access
• Cost of living factors
• High Homeownership rates
• The number of College-educated residents
• The weather patterns

New law steps up fight against grow ops: The Law Enforcement and Forfeited Property Management Statute Law Amendment Act 2005, “requires a local municipality to ensure that a building is inspected if it is notified by a police force that the building contained a marijuana grow operation.”

Marijuana grow houses are typically filled with mould and have faulty electrical wiring because circuits are tampered with as growers bypass metres measuring power consumption. However, it can be difficult for REALTORS® to identify a former grow op if tell-tale signs have been covered up. Depending on how new the operation is, mould may not appear for months or years.

While grow ops often require extensive cleanup and repair, it is possible that these repairs were never made and the real damage is hidden. Noticeable signs that you may be dealing with a former grow op include:

Environment Canada offers grants, rebates, discounts and other incentives to help you use less energy and produce less waste at home and on the road! Click on the titles below to view the details of each incentives in our area:

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Mortgage Loan Insurance Refund - 10% of the cost of CMHC mortgage insurance
• Car Heaven Ontario - Donate a car of 1995 vintage or olde and receive up to $1,000 certificate and free towing
• City of Hamilton Subsidized Composters - approximately $20 per composter
• City of Toronto high-efficiency clothes washer rebate - $60 per clothes washer plus the chance to win the amount paid for the washer
• Cool Savings Rebate - Up to $575 per air conditioner
• Desjardins 10% discount on insurance of hybrid vehicles - 10% of the cost of vehicle insurance premiums (e.g.