Richard Silver, President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, discusses the unfairness of the recent Land Transfer Tax. All properties purchased in the City of Toronto are double taxed, Provincial and City Land Transfer Taxes. Richard addresses the unfairness of this and the commitment of the Toronto Real Estate Board to have this tax removed. [...]
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Understanding The Crisis A Little Better
Dave Larock’s update talks about how the U.S. GDP numbers are signalling that another U.S. recession may be imminent. Larock also revisits the challenges in Europe and touches on the emergency meeting that took place there last week. He also points out that this bad news is actually good news for anyone with a variable rate [...]
Great News
The Government of Canada has renewed the energy retrofit program. Until March 31, 2012 grants for home and business are available to improve energy efficiency. An amazing list of possibilities for both is offered on the Natural Resources Canada website, the link follows. Even if you have taken advantage of the grants in the [...]
Outsmart the Phantom
Years ago when I read the stats on the needless use of hydro known as phantom power I moved the desktop, T.V. and all other entertainment electronics to a power bar that switches everything off at the touch of a button. Also, occasional use items like the electric clock in the guest room. As [...]
How The Debt Effects Canadians
Although there has been huge media coverage about the financial state in the U. S. as well as Europe many of us don’t have a clear understanding of the situations. This post by David Larock helps to define the situations and their impact on Canada. I found this to be a very interesting read and [...]
Mortgage Smart Moves
Often I’m asked for tips on how to save money on a mortgage. The following blog post by Dave Larock of Integrated Mortgage Planners gives a clear picture of how you can pay down your mortgage sooner and save thousands of dollars in interest. When you see the amount of interest you pay at [...]
Avoid The Renovation Permit Mistakes
The recent HOME digest delivered to the door includes an article on renovation permit requirements. This will answer many of the questions you might have if you are considering renovating your home. Building permits are not inexpensive but are much more so than having to tear out work that has been done incorrectly. Hope you [...]
Spring is Coming
Just when we think we can not tolerate any more of this seemingly endless winter the Home and Garden Show is here to remind us that spring will come. It also reminds us of all of the things we need to do to get ready for spring gardening. Fortunately, you can find everything you need [...]
Increase the Value of Your Home
The points made by TREB president, Bill are well made. Anyone thinking of putting their house on the market would be well served by this article. It also reminds us that doing all of those small things for ourselves adds to our comfort. When getting ready to list it is easy to become overwhelmed by it all. The important [...]