The story makes the Home

Last night I savoured a rare moment of pleasure while watching 'American Idol.'  I’m sure most of you have seen an episode or two in the 10 seasons this show has been broadcasting through the airwaves.  This year, in particular, I have been interested to see how things would be without the infamous Simon and Paula as judges on the show.  The show had become stale for me, almost predictable, and that took all the fun out of watching.  Much to my surprise the newly acquired judges, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, have rejuvenated my interest and I can once again, wholeheartedly say that I am delightfully interested.     

New Regulations shouldn't be a mystery - Let us guide you in the right direction

New home buyers have a sea of regulations, rules and guidelines to wade through on their way to purchasing their dream home. Those guidelines have just gotten an adjustment as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has tightened up mortgage guidelines. While changes have been expected, many industry professionals are relieved that the changes are relatively minor.




Which isn’t to say those changes aren’t important.

Are Rental Suites a Sweet Deal?

I love HGTV. I’ve especially come to enjoy the shows about real estate, but one of my favourites is Income Property. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about people who have, usually, purchased a home with the intent to rent out part of it to help cover the mortgage. The host comes in, looks at the property and then helps to renovate it to make it a beautiful rental suite. At the end, almost invariably, the home owner is thrilled with the outcome and is able to earn a large percentage of their mortgage with the rental.

Multi-family homes might be a fantastic idea for you and your family. You may even qualify for a larger home than you normally would or even be able to cut your mortgage cost in half or better. But buying a home with a rental suite brings up issues that many families would never need to consider. As with many things in life there are advantages and disadvantages to having a rental suite.

It’s my castle and I’ll renovate it how I want to!

You approach with a sense of excitement. The perfectly manicured lawn and the beautifully groomed brushes frame the perfect home for you and your family. Already, without setting foot in the door, you’re ready to buy, so you step into your new castle and can only wonder: What were they thinking?

Searching for a Home

When you make a decision to search for a new home, and are actually serious about purchasing a home, it is time to take the necessary steps for the search.

There are several ways to go about searching for a home, which includes searching the internet, reading the newspaper and of course, talking to a real estate agent.

Is your REALTOR® MerrilyMobile on Facebook?

With the holidays upon us and the snapshot of our year quickly developing before our eyes, for many, reflection sets in. At Holiday gatherings we find ourselves catching up with friends and professional colleagues and it seems that on the forefront of many  minds are the economy, the real estate market and social media marketing.

Business Plan

Thanksgiving has come and gone and, while there’s shopping to do and parties to attend; Christmas isn’t here yet, so you have a few weeks to really process what changes you’ll make or strategies you’ll keep for ’11.



Now is also a great time to establish your marketing plans as we all know the holidays tend to slow down business.  Think of this as a two week break to reflect over the past year and consider the future of your success.  Whether it’s a focused two hour time slot each morning or three full days, commit this much needed time to regroup and gear up... you’ll hit the ground in 2011 running!