"When the going
gets tough, the tough .......". You would normally
complete that statement with "get going".
However, in these challenging economic conditions
a lot of REALTORS® are leaving the business
and others are pulling in their horns and spending
less money to try and provide the same level of
service for their clients. Similarly, the local
weekly Real Estate newspaper looks like it will
start publishing bi-weekly to save money.
By contrast we, at Team David Weir, are doing more
and spending more to find Buyers for our listing
clients. We're also working harder to let our Buyers
know that we appreciate their business. One of the
ways we're doing this is by providing Buyers with
an electronic copy of their Real Estate documents
once the purchase is complete. Not only will you
have an easily accessible set of documents available
when you're ready to move again, but you'll have
a more secure copy in case of loss or if your filing
is not as organized as you'd hoped.
In addition, we continue to spend more time and
money by advertising in base papers throughout the
country with a view to to attracting incoming Buyers.
We are still running our customer appreciation events,
supporting local charities, and giving away trips
to destinations warmer than Trenton :>) You don't
even have to be a local resident to win!
Read on to see what else is going on in our local
market and beyond. Please keep in mind that the
majority of our clients come from your referrals
and that we would love to compete for a friend or
family member's business. We aim to please!
The following Press Release provided by the President
of the Quinte and District Real Estate Board dated
December 2008 is an excellent summary of the current
state of the Real Estate market in the Quinte
area.
"Although the 2008 dollar sales in the Quinte
& District Real Estate Board show a 15.1%
decrease over 2007 and the number of sales show
a decrease 16.3% for 2008 over 2007, the Average
Residential Sale Price for the same period shows
almost no change. In spite of this, the homes
that sold in December showed an Average Residential
Price decrease of 16.9% over December 2007.
There are two points to remember; first, 2007
was an outstanding sales year and a comparison
to prior years would show a much better outlook
than we seem to be seeing today. Second, with
the current BUYER’S MARKET residential price
changes on recent 'solds' combined with five year
mortgage rates below 5% for qualified buyers,
today is perhaps the best time to buy a home in
the Quinte area that we have seen in the last
few years.
Notwithstanding 2008’s negative announcements,
the area economy is showing some signs of recovery
already from the recent downturn. When you combine
this with the ongoing upgrades and consolidation
underway at the area Canadian Forces Base, the
next few years appear to be prosperous for those
of us living within the boundaries of the Quinte
& District Real Estate Board."
Annual
Seminars for Home Buyers and Sellers In February we will be hosting our 2nd Home
Staging Seminar featuring Kim Andrews and in March
look for our 12th Annual Home Sellers/Buyers Seminar,
both of which will be held at CFB Trenton's Military
Family Resource Centre (MFRC). If building a new
home is in your plans, you won't want to miss
our new seminar for 2009, 'Things to Know Before
You Build'. Two of our local builders will also
be in attendance to answer any questions you may
have. Dates for these events are:
»
Professional Home Staging Seminar for Sellers
& Buyers - Tuesday, 17 February 7 - 9 PM
» Home Sellers/Buyers Seminar - Tuesday,
10 March 7 - 9 PM
» Things to Know Before You Build - Tuesday,
24 March 7 - 9 PM
Location for all 3 functions is the MFRC, just
off RCAF Road at CFB Trenton. All are open to
the public. As always, we will be providing refreshments
and door prizes. Mark all 3 dates on your Team
David Weir calendar today!
Upcoming Draw
for Valentine's Day You could be the next winner of tickets to
an Empire Theatre event. David will be giving
away tickets to the upcoming Divine Brown, Valentine's
Concert being held on Saturday February 14th at
8:00 PM. If you're an R & B or Soul fan, this
is a show you'll not want to miss! Click HERE
for more information. To enter, send Donna
an email. The draw will take place on January
31st. Good luck!
Florida Resort
Giveaway As winter wraps its icy fingers around us,
David is once again offering all Team David
Weir clients an opportunity to win accommodation
for one week at a Florida luxury resort during
March break (16 - 20 March).
Anyone who has bought or sold Real Estate with
Team David Weir, or who has referred clients to
the Team, is welcome to participate as a token
of our appreciation for your business and your
confidence in us as your Team of choice. Draw
date is Saturday, 31 January 2009. Once again,
send your name to Donna
if the possibility of a week in sunny Florida
sounds good to you!
'BOLT'
We hope that everyone enjoyed this year's Client
Appreciation movie, 'BOLT'. The speed at which
the 200 tickets were scooped up was testament
to the movie's popularity!
In 2008
the Federal Government introduced a new Tax-Free
Savings Account (TFSA) which comes into effect this
month (January 2009). According to the Department
of Finance, it’s the single most important
personal savings vehicle since the introduction
of the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).
The TFSA will allow Canadians to set money aside
in eligible investment vehicles and watch those
savings grow tax-free throughout their lifetimes.
TFSA savings can be used to purchase a new car,
renovate a house, start a small business or take
a family vacation. Canadians from all income levels
and all walks of life can benefit. Here are the
highlights:
•
Starting
in 2009, Canadians aged 18 and older can save
up to $5,000 every year in a TFSA.
•
Contributions to a TFSA will not be deductible
for income tax purposes but investment income,
including capital gains, earned in a TFSA
will not be taxed, even when withdrawn.
•
Unused
TFSA contribution room can be carried forward
to future years.
•
You
can withdraw funds from the TFSA at any time
for any purpose.
•
The amount withdrawn
can be put back in the TFSA at a later date
without reducing your contribution room.
•
Neither income
earned in a TFSA nor withdrawals will affect
your eligibility for federal income-tested
benefits and credits.
•
Contributions
to a spouse’s TFSA will be allowed and
TFSA assets can be transferred to a spouse
upon death.
Click here
for more detailed information or contact
Ian
Stock of RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Bathroom ceilings are a breeding ground for mould
because they get damp during showers and baths.
Ceilings are also high enough up that nobody wipes
them dry.
Revitalizing a mouldy bathroom ceiling isn't
as easy as applying new paint, either. If you
simply roll on a coat of latex, results will be
second-rate. The only way to restore a like-new
appearance that also stays looking good long-term
involves a multi-step process. None of this work
is difficult, you just need to do each step correctly
and in the right order for success.
1.
Start
with a dry ceiling.
2.
Scrape peeling paint if necessary.
3.
Use
120-grit sandpaper to further refine the finish.
4.
Apply
genuine drywall joint compound to smooth imperfections
or textural problems.
5.
Eliminate any
remaining mould spores with a solution of
bleach and water or another commercial product.
6.
Prime and paint
with a stain-blocking primer and an acrylic
latex mould-resistant kitchen and bathroom
paint.
Article
Courtesy of yourhome.ca.
Check the link for additional details.
Buying a
snowblower isn't as easy as you might think. You
have to decide how big a unit you need, what kind
of features it should have, and whether it should
run on gas or electricity. Here are a few quick
points to consider:
Step
1.
Calculate
your work load. How large an area do you have
to clear and do you live in an area that regularly
gets two or three feet of snow?
Step
2.
Figure out how much weight you can handle.
A two-stage snowblower can weigh up to 100
pounds while a single-stage electric version
can be as light as 10 pounds.
Step
3.
Gauge
your tolerance for noise. Gas-powered, two-stage
snowblowers can be very noisy and while electric-powered,
one-stage blowers are less noisy they’re
not as efficient at clearing large amounts
of snow.
Step 4.
Consider
the surfaces you’ll be clearing. If your
property has lots of gravel, you have no choice
but to buy a two-stage blower, which won’t
accidentally maim or kill innocent passersby.
Step
5.
Decide
how handy you are. Are you comfortable with
regular refueling or with plugging your electric
blower into an outside outlet, especially
in wet conditions?
Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) ecoENERGY
Retrofit program provides financial support to
homeowners, small and medium-sized businesses,
public institutions and industrial facilities
to help them implement energy saving projects
that reduce energy-related greenhouse gases (GHGs)
and air pollution, thereby contributing to a cleaner
environment for all Canadians. Check out:
Credit Score is the method used by financial
institutes to measure your financial health at
a specific point in time. It indicates the risk
you represent for lenders, compared with other
consumers. In Canada, credit history is recorded
in files maintained by at least one of Canada's
three major credit-reporting bureaus (Equifax,
TransUnion and Northern Credit Bureaus Inc.).
These files are called credit reports – a
"snapshot" of your credit history.
There is a rising tide of spam offering 'credit
repair' for a fee. Beware of these companies;
their ability to change the information that appears
in your credit file is no different than anyone
else's! Only your creditors are able to alter
this information. Therefore you do not need to
pay a third party to obtain, review or make changes
to your credit report. You have the right to access
your information and make changes to your file
if there is an inaccuracy. And what should you
do if you have bad credit?
1.
Request
a copy of your credit report from the three
credit-reporting agencies at least once a
year to verify that your personal information
is up to date and your financial information
is correct, and to ensure that you have not
been the victim of identity fraud. Because
your credit information can be kept by more
than one credit-reporting agency, and because
those agencies do not necessarily share information,
it's important to check all three credit reports
carefully. You can get a copy of your credit
history from the above agencies websites for
a small fee.
2.
Check your credit history thoroughly. Look
for errors and make sure the information in
the report is correct and up to date. If you
believe that the information in your credit
report is incorrect, contact the financial
institution that reported the information
to see if an error was made. You could also
file a dispute with the three credit-reporting
bureaus explaining your situation.
3.
Analyse
your finances. Make a list of everything you
owe, the interest rate each debt carries,
and the minimum payment due each month. Then,
prioritize your debt: mortgage, real estate
taxes, credit cards and bills should be paid
in that order.
4.
Negotiate
with your creditors for a lower interest rate.
5.
Pay your bills
on time. Although the payment of your utility
bills, such as phone, cable and electricity,
is not recorded in your credit report, some
companies may report late payments to the
credit-reporting agencies, which could affect
your score. Try to pay your bills in full
by the due date. If you aren't able to do
this, pay at least the required minimum amount
shown on your monthly credit card statement.
6.
Try to pay your
debts as quickly as possible. The faster you
pay your loans the less interest you will
pay in the long run which means more available
money to pay other bills.
7.
Don't go over
the credit limit on your credit card. Try
to keep your balance below 25% of the limit.
The higher your balance, the more impact it
has on your credit score. You're better off
spreading out your debt between three or four
different cards than having it all piled on
one card.
8.
Reduce the number
of credit applications you make. If too many
potential lenders ask about your credit in
a short period of time, this may have a negative
effect on your score. However, your score
does not change when you ask for information
about your own credit report.
9.
Make sure you
have a credit history. You may have a low
score because you do not have a record of
owing money and paying it back. You can build
a credit history by using a credit card.
10.
Don't share credit (except with a spouse).
Think carefully before you agree to co-sign
a loan. It's easy to wind up in a situation
where that friend or relative stops paying
his or her bills and your credit will take
a big hit. Once you're a co-signer for a
loan, you're legally obligated to make those
payments, whether or not you can afford
them.
A bad mark on your credit report will remain
on your credit record for a maximum of 7 years.
Pay your bills on time. Don't bounce any cheques.
Don't overdraw your account at the bank (even
if you have overdraft protection). You should
only borrow money because you want to, not because
you have to. In this way you will repair your
credit and avoid a bad credit report in the future.
Check CBC
for additional information.
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