Buying a home in the Winter

It's December now and with winter coming on and Christmas fast approaching, many people give up on searching for their home now until spring time.

DON'T! You will be selling yourself short, and might miss out on a great opportunity. I'll give you a few great reasons why:

NO COMPETITION - Many buyers were thinking like yourself and decided to duck out. Unlike in the spring, you have less of a chance of getting into a multiple offer situation which in turn saves you money!

SELLER's MOTIVATED - Sellers begin to feel the market slowing down a bit. They see less people coming through their home and begin to get discouraged and think that they might not be able to sell their property. Could lead you to a lower price.

BANKS GET DESPERATE - One of the best times of the year to be purchasing a property being sold under power of sale or a foreclosed property, is in December. The banks fiscal year end is JAN 1st and they HATE to see properties sit in their inventory. They also know that the market is a bit slower in the winter months and will take any reasonable offer seriously.

EFFICIENCY OF HOME - Ottawa is the coldest captital city in the world. Keeping the heat in your home, and money in your pocket is very important. Imagine this, There was just a huge dump of snow and all the homes on the street have snow covered roofs. Except the one that you are looking at? Odds are the insulation up there isn't to great, and you have a heat loss problem. Also, the windows are full of condensation inside the glass? Seals are done and the windows should be probably be replaced. Floors are just freezing in the bedroom above the garage, or somewhere else in the home. There are many more problems one can notice in the winter months and this being Ottawa, its a good idea to know what to look for.

Please feel free to contact me if you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling. I'll make sure that we get you a great deal on the property that you are buying, and you will be confident knowing you are not getting screwed buying something that is not worth the money you are paying.

Sincerely,

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 4E6
Office: (613) 236-5959
Direct: (613) 447-7669
Fax: (613) 235-1515
Email: amiller@kwottawa.ca

Tax Free Savings Accounts

In order to help make your dreams become a Reality, it's not only important that I assist you in finding an exceptional home, or sell your home for top dollar amount; sometimes much can be gained by knowing a bit more about what to do to prepare you for the next step. Here's some great advice on how Tax Free Savings Accounts can help you accomplish some of your goals, and get you that much closer to making your dreams become a Reality.

Even though the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a “no-brainer” tax-shelter, not every Canadian yet has one. In fact, a shocking 13% don’t know what it is and 37% still don’t understand how they work, according to a survey from ING Direct.

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) provides Canadian investors with an exciting opportunity to earn tax-free income and to more easily meet lifetime savings needs.

Facts on a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) :

- Tax-free investment income earned in a TFSA
- Tax-free withdrawals from a TFSA
- Can contribute up to $5,000.00 annually to a TFSA if you are a Canadian resident age 18 or older
- Unused TFSA contribution room is carried forward and accumulates in future years
- Can deposit back any amount of withdrawals into the TFSA in future years. However, any over-contribution amount will be subject to a penalty tax.
- Contributions are not tax-deductible
- Examples of investment options: Mutual funds, Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) and Bonds
- TFSA assets can generally be transferred to a spouse or common-law partner upon death
- Can invest in your TFSA with funds given from your spouse or common-law partner


There are a variety of ways the TFSA can be used. You might use yours to supplement your retirement savings, save for a down payment, renovate your home — even take a family vacation. In all cases, your savings will benefit from tax-free growth.

This information has been supplied by one of my many exceptional mortgage specialists Susanna Penning at Oriana Financial 613-371-8076.

How about saving some money this winter?

If you've been reading my blogs at all over the years, you know the one thing that I harp on is the efficency of your home. Right about now most of you are starting to pull out your Canada Goose jackets, the ugly Christmas sweaters, and that old warm quilt your grandma made for you. How about prepping your home for the winter as well. In my last blog I gave you a good overview of winterizing your home. Now its time to take it a little bit further and spend a few dollars to save a bundle more.

Give your furnace some lovin! Many people don't realize that a furnace should be maintained once a year. A furnace is like a car, the better maintained it is, the longer it will last you and the more efficient it will run. Enbridge has some great service plans, look into it. Also, it may be time to change that filter again. I try to change mine 4 times a year at the change of every season. Dirty filters will make your furnace run a little harder. Don't forget to clean your duct work as well. There are a ton of deals these days for duct cleaning through dealfind, groupon, koopon etc.

Programmable Thermostat. $50-$200. and it will save you about 15% a month on your bill. Here's the catch though people, you HAVE to use it! In about 70% of the homes I see, the programmable thermostat is never running on a program. Take the time, read the manual if you have to(guys I know we won't read it) and set the programming features to turn down the heat when you don't need it cranked up.

Heat only the rooms that you use. The guest room that you never use, the extra bathroom, storage areas etc. All of these rooms that aren't really used that often should have the vents closed or if electric heat, turn the baseboards off. If you have a fireplace and spend most your time in there in the evenings, turn the furnace off or down for those hours, and let the fireplace heat for you.

Check for Drafts!!! Windows and doors are the devil. The majority of heat loss in a home will come from the doors and windows. In a previous blog I talked about wrapping your windows properly and I will repost that sometime soon as well. In short, ensure all weather stripping is intact and if older windows, consider upgrading the windows, and/or check for upgrading insulation around windows.

Energy Audit? I'm sure you have heard of them already and probably had someone you know have an energy audit performed. If know some people that do them and if you need a reference please let me know. Have an energy audit done on your home, and upgrade where you can. The government probably has some great rebates that you aren't aware of and you can retreive some of the money spent. Local, provincial, and federal governments frequently offer tax breaks or rebates for energy-saving upgrades, as do many utility companies.

Take the time, make the changes. Not only are you doing your part to help the environment, but you will finish off the winter with more money in your pocket. Win win.

FALL IS HERE AND WINTER IS NEAR

Well its getting near that time of the year. Many of us are cutting the lawns for the last time. Thinking of putting on the winter tires. Putting away all of the summer things, and preparing for another wonderful winter in Ottawa. Well here are a few tips to prepare your home for the coming winter months.

Lawn and gardens: Be sure to apply some winterguard to your lawn now. I'm sure you have all seen the commercials, well they don't lie! The best time to nurture that lawn of yours to ensure its up to par next year, is to apply some nutrients now to last it through the winter and grow some deep roots. Within your gardens, pull out any excessive weeds that you forgot about in the last few months, save the hassel in the spring, so you can get right to planting.

Furnace and A/C: Air conditioners! Why should I even be mentioning that you ask. Well it is important to cover up that A/C unit outside to shield it from the elements. No don't use that crappy vinyl cover that they gave you when you purchased it. That is great for more southern climates, but here in Canada it will trap in moisture, then it freezes, no good. It's also a hotel for mice! Simply place a sheet of plywood over top of the unit and stabilize it with a brick on top. Next I want you to head to your electrical panel, and flip the breaker so that no one accidentally trys to turn it on in the dead of winter, as this will pretty much destroy your unit.
As for the Furnace, change that filter if you haven't done so already. This should be done every 3 months, especially if you have pets or allergies, not expensive to do, and will ensure that your furnace can breath a bit better and it will be more efficient. Perhaps get the duct work cleaned as well if you haven't done so in over a year.

Exterior hoses - When you are brining in your hoses from outside, be sure to also turn off the exterior water source from the interior of the home. This will prevent water from staying in the pipes to close to the outside and freezing over during the winter.

Windows - Some people like to put plastic wraps over the windows to help with heat loss during the cold winters. Be sure to do this properly though, otherwise you are wasting your time. Ensure that you cover over the trim of the window a few inches at least on each side. Its not just through the cracks of the window frame that the cold can come through but also the wooden trim around the window as well. Use a blow dryer to heat and tighten the plastic after application to ensure that it gets a nice smooth finish.

Fireplaces: Be sure to get your chimney swept clean before use each year. Also shovel out all of last years soot and ashes, better now then when its -30 and you want to build your fire. For gas fireplaces, ensure that the flame is burning a nice blue flame. The bluer the flame, then cleaner it is burning.

Calibrate your home for consistent temperature: everyones comfort level is different and playing with that thermostat will really crank up the costs of heating your home. Be sure to get a programable thermostat, and use its features. Next you are going to close off all of the vents on the upper level of your home, and open all of the vents on the lower levels. (hopefully the opposite of what you did before the summer) Hot air rises, and in about 24 hours or so, the whole house should be at the same temperature. If you don't have a ceiling fan at the top of your stairway, not a bad idea to get one installed to assist in the process of pulling up some of the warmer air from downstairs.(vise versa in summer, reverse the setting to have it blow down the cooler air.)

Follow these tips and you should save yourself a bit of cash and headaches. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful fall colours, and remember if you know of anyone thinking of buying or selling in the Ottawa area, please feel free to pass along my information!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Just wanted to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving this year.

Myself, I am very thankful for all of your business in helping me have one of my most successful years to date.

I'm also thankful that the real estate market here in Ottawa, and Canada as a whole is doing just great and has now begun to level off a bit.

If you are thinking of buying a new home, you can rest assured that you will no longer be paying the inflated prices that we saw this past spring and summer. There are some great deals out there right now, and with rates still at an all time low, there's no better time to buy.

If you were thinking of selling, there are still plenty of buyers out there looking to take advantage of the historically low interest rates that we still have. So lets get that home ready for sale!

Feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any questions at all about the real estate market here in Ottawa and its surrounding areas.

Have a great thanksgiving!





Sincerely,

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 4E6
Office: (613) 236-5959
Direct: (613) 447-7669
Fax: (613) 235-1515
Email: amiller@kwottawa.ca

Water damage and how to prevent it.

Water damage can come from a variety of different sources and is one of the number one problems that buyers run scared from when viewing a property. Broken water pipes, small leaks, big storms, leaky washing machines, wherever there is water, there is potential problems. Water can do more than just create mold and odor problems. If severe enough it can create potential structural issues, which is something you definitely want to avoid.

Whether you are currently preparing your home for sale or not,I strongly suggest having a dry free home both for future sale, and for the health and safety of your own family. Here are a few preventative measures to help you along the way.

- Hot water tanks are probably one of the main sources of water leaks that I have noticed when in homes. These water tanks can begin leaking over time as the older they get the bottoms begin to rust out a bit. One should install and overflow valve which will route the water outside, or into an appropriate floor drain.

- Washing machines and dishwashers. Basically anything in the home with a water supply feeding into it can and most likely will begin to leak at some point in time. Be sure to check all hoses and connections on a regular basis to avoid any serious issues. Even small drips can cause damage over time so when you see it beginning to happen, take care of it immediately.

- Toilets. First do NOT caulk around the bottom of your toilet. Sure it may feel like a rocking chair at times but caulking is not the way to fix that problem. Simply tighten the bowl with the two bolts on the bottom of the toilet, if still rocking use a shim under the bowl to steady it. If you caulk around the bowl and water begins leaking, you won't notice it until it starts coming through your dining room or living room ceiling below, and then you have a handful of problems.

- Windows. Keep your eyes open around your window sills, the drywall directly under the window, and the edge of the framing. The forces of nature can and probably will get to your windows over time.

- Eavestroughs and gutters should be cleaned regularily to ensure they are operating effectively. Have all of your downspouts directing water as far away from your foundation as possible. Ideally 6ft at least. If you have a downspout going directly into the ground beside your foundation wall, during the next storm take a look and ensure that it isn't gurgling and burping back up all that water. If it is it may be clogged and should be fixed.

- Ice makers. Check the hoses that feed water to them. Ensure that it is off or in no risk of pumping out ice for a week when you head out to Florida for vacation, only to come home to a new indoor pool.(It's happened before)

Pipes can burst and leak inside walls and ceilings(especially with cold winter months coming) and may not be detected for sometime. Look for staining on ceilings and walls. Water leak detectors can be purchased and installed at relatively inexpensive costs and can be placed near water sources to avoid issues.

If you have any questions or concerns about water leakage or anything else in your home, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Helpful Moving Tips

So you've finally found your new dream home and are getting all set to pack up and move on in. At first the thought of moving can be pretty overwhelming and you might not know just where to start. Well here are some helpful hints to get you through the whole process.

Organize and toss - Take inventory and get rid of any items you haven’t used in the past year. Plan a garage sale or donate to charity. You’ll reduce the total weight and the cost of your move. For tips on selling those items, read back through some of my past blogs.

Get lots of supplies - Boxes, tape, bubble wrap, markers, and specialty containers including dish barrels and clothing boxes. Chances are you’ll need more than you anticipate and you can eliminate a last-minute trip to the store on moving day. Don't worry you can probably return most of the unused items.

Pack carefully - Pack one room at a time and label each box. During the summer, heat and moisture could be an issue, reinforce the bottoms of all the boxes you pack by doubling up on the tape. Wrap up electronics with bubble wrap or cloth. If you’re moving freezers or refrigerators, be sure to defrost them. Secure drawers from opening during transit. Label boxes with fragile items and place them on top.

Plan ahead - If you plan to use a mover, shop around to get the best rates—check their credentials and policies. Perhaps even make sure they have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau. You can also ask me as I have a wide variety of movers I work with. Fill out a change of address form at the post office and notify banks, creditors, and utility companies of your move.

Keep valuables close - Jewelry, medications, passports, and important papers close by so they don’t get lost. If possible, these items should travel in your car during the move.

Final Walkthrough - Do one. Be sure that nothing is left behind. Also,ensure all your lights are off and the doors are locked before you depart.

Remember moving days can be long and tiring. Keep that cooler packed up with snacks and refreshments and of course beer for all those helping you. Best of luck with your big move and make sure to contact me before the next one. For more exception packing idea's and help to make that big move as stress free as possible, check out www.movingboxes.ca

Andrew

Your Private Oasis Awaits!

Looking for that perfect oasis to call home but just can't seem to find it in the city? This home is just what you have been waiting for! With a faster drive to downtown than Orleans, Kanata, or Barrhaven, living in this area should be a no brainer.

This large split level home located in Carlsbad Springs is only 15 mins from downtown Ottawa. Nestled amongst a wide variety of mature tree's this home is country living at its finest while still having city like amenities like high speed internet and municipal water. If you are looking for privacy and a large lot for the kids to run around, this is it! If you are an avid golfer you will also be quite happy being steps away from beautiful Anderson Links Golf Course. This area is quickly becoming one of Ottawa's hidden gems. Don't miss your opportunity to be a part of it.

With more and more people becoming environmentally conscious and green friendly, one will be happy to know that this home recently underwent an energy audit and with that came many upgrades to improve the efficiency of the home.

- Roof 2006
- Furnace 2004
- Attic Insulation R40 2006
- Crawl Space Insulation 2006
- New Windows 2006-08
- Eavestroph 2010
- Hot Water Tank 2009
- Sump Pump 2009
- Kitchen 2008 flooring 2010
- Oil Tank 2000
- Main Flooring 2004
- Garage roof 2004
- Waterproof membrane around foundation 2000
- septic emptied and inspected every 2 years.

Home Features:
- Forced Air Oil Heating
- Large Private Lot
- Attached garage
- Detached Garage that is insulated and has its own furnace.
- 15 mins from Downtown Ottawa

Main floor
- Family Room
- Powder Room
- Ceramic Tiling throughout
- Wood Stove
- Large foyer

2nd Level
- Living Room
- Kitchen with large eating area
- Plush Carpeting
- Ceramic Tile
- Dining room

3rd Level
- Full Bath
- 3 Large Bedrooms
- Laminate Flooring

Lower Level
- Storage Room
- 2 good size Rooms one currently used as a Family room other can be converted for 4th Bedroom
- New(2011) Laminate Flooring

With all that this home has to offer, it certainly won't last for long. Call now to get your own private showing.

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 4E6
Office: (613) 236-5959
Direct: (613) 447-7669
Fax: (613) 236-1515

Stunning 3 Bedroom Townhome

Start packing your bags! This well maintained home is ready to move right into! Located in sought after Findley Creek Village, you will be just a short walk away from the new Mall that is to be built and only a short drive to downtown Ottawa.

Constructed in 2005, the Tamarack built "Balmoral" model is approx. 1817sq.ft of very well designed space. A good sized entry way, opens up into a well layed out main level complete with a bright kitchen, dinette, 9 foot ceilings, living area with gas fire place and also seperate dining room. This home is perfect for entertaining with a large family room in the lower level, good living space on the main level and a 16' x 16' patio in the private, south facing back yard(Maximum sun exposure). Bring all your friends and family over, there's room! Upstairs you will find 2 great sized 2nd and 3rd bedrooms and a large master bedroom complete with a walkin closet and a 4 piece ensuite bathroom.

HOME FEATURES:
- Built in 2005
- Approx. 1817 square feet of living space
- Forced air Natural Gas heating
- Central Air Conditioning
- Single car garage with inside access
- 9 foot ceilings
- Landscaped front and rear yard
- 16' x 16' Patio in the southern facing back yard
Lower Level
- Large Storage room
- Large Family room
- Plush carpeting for added comfort
Main Level
- Gleaming hardwood floors
- Bright and spacious Kitchen
- Dinette
- Dining Room
- Cozy living area with natural gas fireplace
- Sunken foyer with Ceramc Tiles
- Powder room
2nd Level
- Plush Carpeting
- Large master bedroom
- Walkin Closet
- 4 Piece ensuite
- Laundry
- Full bath
- 2 Large bedrooms

Set the Stage for Top Dollar

Many of you have probably heard of staging by now. Some may know a great deal about it, and some of you may think home owners are hosting a broadway show of some sort to sell their home. If you are thinking of selling your home, one of the best moves you can make(besides calling me) is staging your home.

Staging isn't done because your taste is awful or your current decor is horrible. It is simply done so that your home may appeal to as many buyers out there as possible as opposed to only a handful who may share the same taste as you. You don't need a whole lot of money to make a big impression. Sometimes the largest impact will be the little things you do.

Here's a few of the basics to get you started:

CLEAN and Clean some more:

A spotless house will make buyers aware that you your home is well maintained. Dust everywhere, clean the carpets, don't miss the over looked spots like your window sills. If cleaning isn't your forte, perhaps call in a cleaning company to do a big clean.

Freshen up the place:

Minimize the odors in your home. Open up your windows 20-25mins a day to get some fresh air in there. Be sure to take out all garbages frequently. Keep your laundry room fresh and dry by keeping the washer door open at all times after washes. Try to avoid cooking greasy or abrasie smelling foods prior to having potential buyers in the home. Also, be wary of the air freshners that you use as some people don't like some smells as much as you do.

Paint:

Not a bad idea to throw up a fresh coat of paint. Gives your place that "New Home Smell". Remember to stick with neutral colours.

DE-CLUTTER:

Probably one of the most important and overlooked aspect of preparing ones home for sale. Be rid of all of the little knicknacks, the trophies, pictures of family, and well just about everything that makes it YOUR home. People want to buy THEIR home and not yours. All of the little things will cause distractions to buyers and not have them focused on all of the great features your home has to offer them. Organize all rooms and closets to appear as large as possible and clear counters and cupboards wherever you can.

Brighten the mood:

Keep the window blinds open wherever possible to allow as much natural light in the home as possible. Have nice bright bulbs in your light fixtures and leave as many lights on as possible before showings. No one wants to buy a dark, depressing home.

Well hopefully all of these little tidbits of advice help a bit. Feel free to give these things a whirl, and then call me when you are all done and lets sell that home for top dollar, in a very short time period and get you into that new dream home of yours!

Remodelling Your Bathroom

Many clients of mine have recently been considering doing some renovations in their home. It seems to be a common question as to where their dollars are best spent. Well its no secret that the most important rooms of your home in buyers eyes tends to be the Kitchen and the Bathrooms.

The bathroom is a great place to spend your dollars and actually get the money back when you resale. It usually is the first place to start because of outdated features, different decorating taste from the previous owners or simply normal wear and tear on a very functional room of your home. Well if you have been thinking of remodelling, here are a few things for you to consider:

Resale Value - Resale is something that I ALWAYS discuss with my clients. You may have heard before that bath remodels add value to your home. These days you can recoup about 64% of the costs of a minor bathroom remodel, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report.” If your bathroom is especially in need of updates, you may recapture more.

Costs—Good News - Contractors are always eager for work, and prices are lower for their materials and labor, so now may be an ideal time to make your bathroom more livable.

Timely or Timeless Style - This is a huge problem that I see when people are redoing their bathrooms. Before you remodel, think of what it will look like in a couple years when you sell your home. Will you and possible buyers still like the look and style? Hopefully they will, otherwise they’ll factor in the cost of their own remodel when making an offer. Then all your hard work will be for nothing.

Too Much Cost? Think Small - If you’re not ready for a full remodel, then a fresh coat of paint, new towels and a pretty framed print can do wonders to update your bathroom—and give you a new look for 2011. If you have those old fixtures that are a stunning shade of pink, blue, yellow or even green, there are ways around completely replacing them. There are several companies out there that will refinish those fixtures in more neutral colours. Keep in mind though that those old toilets use up a LOT of water and if you choose to replace it, you will eventually get your money back through savings on your water bill.

Remember, it's you and your family that have to live there now, so ensure that whatever you do, you can handle brushing your teeth in there day after day. Balance that with how perspective buyers will like it, and you have yourself a winning recipe.

If you need any contact info for contractors, designers, or for people to refinish those old fixtures please don't hesitate to ask.

Insulation and your home

I know it seems that I have been talking about how cold it is here in Ottawa a lot but, well it is damn cold! Due to our cold winters, and some pretty chilly homes that I have been in, I decided that it's time to talk about insulation. Everybody knows that insulation is a key factor in energy savings for your home, but not everyone knows how to improve it, if it even needs improving, and whether or not you have to tear your home apart to improve it. Let's see if I can help out a bit.

The bad news - With homes built prior to 1970, insulation was not a major concern for builders. Older homes can benefit by adding some more insulation, as well as tending to gaps by windows and doors that have occurred through settling over time.

The good news- improving energy efficiency is pretty easy to do regardless of the age of your home.

First the Windows: I have talked about windows in previous posts so I won't go into great detail here. Basically, if you can't afford to replace those old windows, properly weather strip them, or wrap them. Up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs results from heat gain and loss through windows.

Next the Attic: If you have an older home, you may have vermiculite insulation and it could contain asbestos so you may want to call in a professional. Asbestos is hazardous once airborne so don't disturb it once up there. You can add more insulation by blowing some more into the attic, and then rake it all up so it's evenly distributed. Or by simply adding more batt insulation. Blown is a tad better than batt as there are no seems between sections that allow air escape through. You can do this yourself by renting the machine to blow the insulation. Pretty easy, and kinda fun to do.

The walls: Ok so its a bit of a pain to do, but you will notice the difference and it will be a great selling feature when you sell your home. If you are planning on remodelling, this is a great time to add insulation or more of it since the walls will already be exposed. If not, you can blow in more insulation and then you will just have to do patch ups in the areas you do as opposed to redoing the whole wall.

The extra mile: So, we touched on windows and doors, attic, and walls. Where else can we get some savings for our energy costs? How about electrical outlets, exterior lighting attached to your home, even crawl spaces? Get out that caulking gun and walk around the exterior of your home. Remove any old caulking around light fixtures and replace with new. Don't cheap out either on the caulking as you get what you pay for. Ensure all electrical outlets are properly insulated as well. If you have a crawl space, check to see if insulated, if not, why not?

This all seems common sense i'm sure, but it's something that is often over looked. With the ever increasing costs of heating your home, more people are looking for energy efficient homes, why not have that selling feature in your favour? Like most home maintenance, it is more labour intensive as opposed to costly. So get off the couch and make your home a bit more efficient already! Unless you don't want extra money in your pockets of course.

Mortgage Updates

Well last week the government announced yet again that they are going to be making some changes this coming March 18th. A lot of my clients have been asking what these changes are and how they will be affected. In short here's what we are looking at:

1. the maximum amortization is now 30 years on insured products having less than 20% down. For conventional mortgages 35 year amortization should continue to be available.

2. when refinancing your home, the limit has been lowered to 85% of the appraised value.(where it was 90%)

3. The government will no longer insurance lines of credit secured by homes (this rule will take affect on April 18th)

4. for purchases, people can continue to buy with as little as 5% down (self-employed individuals require 10% down)


Well that's it for today folks. Stay warm out there!

Freezing Pipes in the winter

2011 and guess what? It's still freezing cold! Get used to it people this is Canada, and here in Ottawa we get colder than most. I figured today is a better day than most to talk about this topic since it is minus 21 degrees out right now. Most of us have heard about pipes freezing over in the winter and causing many issues for the home owner. No one really thinks of home maintenance during the winter. I get it. Its cold out, nice and toasty in your home and all you can think of is curling up and watching tv. Well unless you're hoping for an indoor pool, don't forget about your plumbing. Here's some things to consider.

FIRST THINGS FIRST - if you don't already know where your water main shut off is, please figure that out, and while your there, put a big tag on it so that everyone else in your home knows where it is too. Got babysitters? Then let them know too. This way, if something does go wrong and water is pouring out of the bottom of your sink you know how to stop it from doing more damage.

WHEN THE GOING GETS COLD, THEM PIPES MAY BURST - Alright so your not a scientist, here's how it works; you leave to go down to Florida in January to escape this awful cold weather, turn the heat down in your home to save costs, gets to -30, the water in the pipes freeze, frozen water expands and BOOM!!!! the pipes burst. So here's what you do before you go away,

• This one should be obvious but, DON'T TURN OFF YOUR HEAT! Turn it down but not off so that the temperature remains high enough to avoid freezing levels.
• Open the cupboard doors underneath the sinks to allow the warm air in the home to circulate into the cupboard and keep the pipes warm
• Turn on your faucets to a very slow drip to keep the water in the pipes moving.
• If you come home and come across a frozen pipe, you can usually unthaw them with a hair dryer.

DO IT YOURSELF........Perhaps. - If you run into a plumbing issue and you think you know what the problem is, maybe you can tackle that problem yourself. OR maybe not. Most plumbers out there make most of their money fixing botched up plumbing jobs from people that "thought" they knew what they were doing. Save yourself the hassle and just call in the pros. ( I know some great plumbers just ask)

So hopefully this helps and you can go away on your vacay and relax not worrying about how big of an indoor swimming pool may be awaiting you when you walk in the door.

Take care of your home, and it will take care of you.

Give me a shout if you have any real estate questions, or if you or anyone you know happens to need a hand in buying or selling a home. amiller@kwottawa.ca