The Informed Buyer and seller-

“Success doesn’t come to you. You go to it.”

Marva Collins

“Success is a journey, not a destination.”

Ben Sweetland

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are

doing, you will be successful.”

Herman Cain

Like most things in life, shopping for a new home can either be time-consuming and stressful, or fun and satisfying. It just depends on how you go about it.

There are many things you can do to make the home shopping process go smoothly and accomplish what you want: finding the home of your dreams at a price you can afford.

Here are some ideas:

•Get pre-approved.

Find out from your bank or lender how

much you qualify to borrow. That will give you confidence

when home shopping, because you’ll know that, should you

find the right property, financing won‘t be a problem.

• Make a list. 

Write down everything you want in a new home.

 The obvious items include the number of bedrooms,
 size of backyard, location, etc. But also list not-so-obvious features,
such as walking distance to public transit and the potential
for a large recreation room in the basement.

• Take a camera.

After seeing a few homes, you may not

 remember every important feature and characteristic. So be

sure to take pictures (where allowed) of the properties you

view as well as the neighbourhoods. They’ll be invaluable

when shortlisting potential properties later on.

• Keep an open mind.

 

There’s probably an ideal home available 

for you on the market. But it might not be exactly what you

had originally envisioned. So try to be flexible when

considering potential homes. If, for example, a property

doesn’t have a big deck for entertaining, you can always have

one built.

• Take care of yourself and your family.

When you’re viewing

 properties, bring some healthy snacks and water with you.

Take regular breaks, especially when you’re seeing multiple

homes. And don’t see too many properties at a time

especially if you’re bringing young children with you.

Also, find a good REALTOR

to help you. He or she can make the

 home shopping process go smoothly.

Family pictures on the fireplace mantle.
 A friendly dog lying on a mat in the foyer.
 Dinner cooking on the stove.
Kid’s toys scattered in thehallway.
Closets stuffed with clothes.

Those are the unmistakable signs that a family is living in the house.

But does that “lived in” look appeal to home buyers?

In most cases, no.

Home buyers know, of course, that a family still

lives in the home. But if you have constant

reminders of that throughout your property,

some buyers will feel like intruding strangers.

So when preparing your home for sale,

remember: buyers want to visualize themselves

living in the home, not you.

Not intended to cause or induce the breach of, cancellation of, assignment of, or to interfere in any way with the existing agency agreement of another Realtor.

Canadian home sales stable in May

Published June 15, 2011 by the Canadian Real Estate Association
OTTAWA – June 15th, 2011 – According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity remained stable in May compared to April.

Highlights:
• Sales activity held steady from April to May, but posted the first year-over-year gain in over a year due to falling demand in May 2010.
• Year-to-date sales are in line with the ten-year average.
• New listings also remained stable from April to May.
• National housing market remains firmly entrenched in balanced territory.
• National average price is still being skewed upward by historically high sales activity in certain Vancouver
neighbourhoods.

Seasonally adjusted national home sales activityedged down by less than one per cent in May 2011 compared to the previous month. Among major markets were activity declines in Vancouver and Ottawa, offsetting gains in Edmonton and Toronto, where sales reached the second highest level on record for the month of May.

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity came in 2.7 per cent above levels reported last May. This was the first year-over-year increase in more than a year, reflecting falling sales activity in May 2010. Activityfell sharply last year between April and July, with May marking the mid-point of that slide. Although activity has been more stable this year, last year’s sales volatility is expected to continue to affect yearover-year comparisons in the months ahead.

A total of 196,749 homes have traded hands via Canadian MLS® Systems so far this year. This is in line with the ten-year average for year-to-date activity in May.

“The Canadian housing market has seen some big ups and downs in recent years, making national sales activity so far this year look like something of a Goldilocks story by comparison – not too hot, not too cold,” said Gary Morse, CREA’s President. “Since local housing market trends often differ from national trends, buyers and sellers should consult their local REALTOR® to understand how the housing market is shaping up where they live.”

Seasonally adjusted new residential listings were little changed from April to May, edging up one tenth of a percentage point. The number of newly listed homes fell in Vancouver, Fraser Valley and the Okanagan region in May, offsetting small gains in Toronto and Montreal.

With sales and new listings holding steady on a national basis in May, the resale housing market remained firmly planted in balanced territory. The national sales-to-new listings ratio, a measure of market balance, stood at 52.1 per cent in May, little changed from 52.5 per cent in April.

Based on a sales-to-new listings ratio of between 40 and 60 per cent, housing markets were balanced in 62 of 101 real estate boards in Canada. Less than half of the rest can be characterized as sellers’ markets, based on a ratio above 60 per cent. “For the most part, sellers’ markets became slightly more balanced than the previous month,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Toronto stood out as an exception, with sales activity there growing faster than new supply.”

The seasonally adjusted number of months of inventory stood at 6.1 months at the end of May on a national basis. This is little changed compared to the six months of inventory at the end of April 2011. The number of months of inventory represents the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity, and is another measure of the balance between housing supply and demand.

The national average price for homes sold in May 2011 was $376,817, up 8.6 per cent from the same month last year.

A number of compositional factors skewed the national average price upward in May. These factors include historically high sales activity in selected pricey Vancouver neighbourhoods and broadly based price gains in Toronto, where supply remains tight relative to demand. If Vancouver sales are excluded from the calculation, the year-over-year change in the national average price amounts to 5.6 per cent; excluding Toronto and Vancouver shrinks the increase to 3.7 per cent.

“Changes in the national average home price reflect variations in home sales activity across and within local markets,” said Klump. “Failure to recognize changes in the mix of sales activity can lead to misinterpretation of average price fluctuations. It can also give rise to faulty predictions of broadly based home price deflation by way of price correction.”

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national MLS® sales information from the previous month.

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

MLS® is a co-operative marketing system used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 100,000 REALTORS® working through more than 100 real estate Boards and Associations.

Capital region in a comfort zone

Capital region in a comfort zone

Documenting the Family Home for Posterity-By Sarah Hill

WorldVitalRecords.com is a service of FamilyLink.com, Inc

When my grandpa passed away a couple years following my grandma, my mom and her siblings knew they would have to sell their childhood home. It was inevitable, but still sad. In a way, my mom was mourning the loss of her home along with mourning her parents. Wanting to somehow preserve the physical as well as the memories, my mom embarked upon a little project that became priceless.

Before cleaning out the closets and dividing up those things of sentimental value, my mom went around the house with her camera. She took pictures of everything: the furniture that was so outdated it was almost back in style; the vintage wallpaper; the stuffed animals now balding, the bookcases filled with Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Anne Shirley and Louis L'Amour.; the height chart to which we always went, even years past we had quit growing, to see where we had been and where we were in comparison to our cousins; the avocado and citrus trees my grandpa painstakingly cared for; the rose bushes that were my grandma's pride. My mom photographed every corner of that home.

Then she enlisted each of the 27 grandchildren to write about a memory they had of going to my grandparents' home. Some wrote several paragraphs and most wrote a page or two. There were often similar memories, whether it was my grandpa's waffles with a "surprise" ingredient (spoiler: blackberries turn them purple) or having my grandma correct your hand position at the piano or grandpa's whiskers or grandma's ability to beat anyone at Rack-O. The underlying themes of the stories were the feelings we had in that home–something you couldn't photograph.

With the photographs and the stories, my mom compiled them all using an online publisher. She worked tirelessly on it, and the results justify that. Now, each of my siblings and I have a beautiful, professionally-printed hardbound book of pictures and stories about my grandparents' home that I can share with my children and my children's children. This project has inspired me to take pictures and document the smaller things that we often overlook. It took just a few days to put together, but I will cherish it forever–especially the picture of the wallpaper.

Resale homes sold more quickly in February

Courtesy of the Ottawa Real Estate Board
Ottawa, March, 2011 :Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 936 residential properties in February through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,030 in February 2010, a decrease of 9.1 per cent. Of those sales, 213 were in the condominium property class, while 723 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

"Once again we're seeing sales numbers very close to the five-year average for February, which is 962 sales. It's important to note that the homes that sold last month did so far morequickly than in January, spending an average of just 33 days on the market. As well, prices rose slightly more than they had in the previous two months which indicate we still have a very steady market here in Ottawa," said Board President Joanne Tibbles. "This tells us that there is a demand for resale homes in Ottawa, and that when buyers see the home they want, they're going after it, perhaps even going up against other bidders," Tibbles added. "Our market remains balanced, with no significant advantage towards either buyers or sellers, so it's fair game for everyone," she added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in February in the Ottawa area was $338,408, an increase of 6.7% per cent over February 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $260,112, an increase of 6 per cent over February 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $361,475, an increase of 6.9 per cent over February 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,600 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR®) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS®).

Roughing it no more

It used to be that the cottage life was a step above camping.Roughing it no more

Rain, rain, what a pain for any homeowner

EMC Real Estate March 24, 2011- March is a month that can't decide whether to be winter or spring in Ottawa. So just to cover all its bases, it's thrown both piles of snow and buckets of rain down upon us. Aside from the difficulty walking anywhere, extricating one's car from a parking spot, and worrying about which coat to wear on any given day, homeowners should be aware that water and ice can do serious damage to their home if they end up in the wrong places. The primary entry points for water are the roof and the foundation, so you should check on both in the spring to make sure they are doing their part to keep your home safe and dry.

Flooding is a top concern this time of year when we're all slogging through massive puddles. If water builds up around your foundation it could leak into your basement. Most homes have landscaping designed to draw water away from the foundation, but over time the ground can settle and water may collect next to the house and find its way in through even the tiniest of cracks. Once that happens, the water can freeze and may enlarge the crack.

Take a walk around your house, preferably after a good rain, to see if there's any standing water. Check the grading all around your house to ensure that land slopes away from, not towards, the foundation, and be on the lookout for cracks. If there are puddles, the area needs to be re-graded professionally to send that water on its way. If you do find cracks in the parging or concrete, it's a good idea to have your basement checked for any leaks at the same time.

Your downspouts and gutters should also be clean and working properly to direct rainfall away from the foundation. Clogged gutters will send water straight down from the edge of the roof to the ground rather than funneling it away.

If your downspouts aren't long enough they can deposit water where you don't want it, downspout extenders are an easy and inexpensive solution to this issue.

Your roof should also be inspected once a year. Spring is a great time to do this, because any damage caused by snow, ice and wind will be fresh and can be fixed before it gets worse. Start inside the attic, to check for damp patches or water stains caused by small leaks that aren't visible from the outside.

Next, the exterior of the roof should be checked for loose or missing shingles or cracked flashings (the pieces that are placed over joints in the roof and around a chimney). The most vulnerable spots are where shingles meet another type of material (such as a chimney or wall) or where the roof line changes direction.

Leaks can be fixed by re-applying sealant, and loose shingles can be nailed back down, but if the roof is in very bad condition (several large leaks, tons of missing shingles, brittle or crumbling shingles) it may be time to replace it.

Water will invade your home from above and below if given the chance - make sure it never gets started and you'll stay dry all spring.

Ottawa Resale Homes Sold Faster in February-

Published March 10, 2011 in Ottawa South EMC article by Joanne Tibbles President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board

EMC Lifestyle - Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 936 residential properties in February through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,030 in February 2010, a decrease of 9.1 per cent. 213 of those sales were in the condominium property class, while 723 were in the residential property class.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in February in the Ottawa area was $338,408, an increase of 6.7 per cent over February 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $260,112, an increase of 6 per cent over February 2010.

The average sale price of a residential-class property was $361,475, an increase of 6.9 per cent over February 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

Once again we're seeing sales numbers very close to the five-year average for February, which is 962 sales. It's important to note that the homes that sold last month did so far more quickly than in January, spending an average of just 33 days on the market. As well, prices rose slightly more than they had in the previous two months which indicate we still have a very steady market here in Ottawa. This tells us that there is a demand for resale homes in Ottawa, and that when buyers see the home they want, they're going after it, perhaps even going up against other bidders.

If you are in the market for a new home, and think you might encounter a multiple-offer situation, don't be nervous: be prepared! Having a real estate professional working on your behalf is a great place to start.

He or she knows the ropes, can act as your negotiator with the seller or their agent, and can offer advice on how to proceed if another offer does compete with yours.

You'll want to make sure you have your mortgage financing pre-approved before submitting an offer, so that you know what you can afford and still maintain your lifestyle. In a multiple-offer situation it's easy to get swept up and try to win the offer at any cost, but you don't want to overpay, get yourself into financial hot water or find out that it won't pass an appraisal.

Next, get the name of a registered home inspector to call when you find a property you want to make an offer on. Making your offer conditional upon a satisfactory home inspection by an accredited professional is always a good idea.

Also, talk to your insurance provider to make certain you can get home insurance on the property you're interested in bidding on. Your mortgage provider won't release your funds if the property that acts as collateral for your mortgage loan is uninsurable.

When you enter into a multiple-offer situation well-prepared, with professional advice and a solid strategy, you'll be able to make your best offer with confidence.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell | CMHC

Getting Your House Ready to Sell | CMHC

10 Laws of Social Media Marketing - Entrepreneur.com

10 Laws of Social Media Marketing - Entrepreneur.com

Nothing unusual about January resale home sales-

The President's Pen column was prepared by the Ottawa Real Estate Board and first appeared in the February 10, 2011 issue of the EMC community newspapers.

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 675 residential properties in January through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 719 in January 2010, a decrease of 6.1 per cent.

Of those sales, 135 were in the condominium property class, while 540 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

These are normal sales numbers for January in Ottawa — the average number of sales for the previous five Januaries was 662, so we're even a little ahead of that, and prices continued to rise incrementally. Winter is usually a quieter time of year in the resale market and 2011 appears to be no exception. Our market remains balanced, with no significant advantage towards either buyers or sellers, so it's fair game for everyone.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in January in the Ottawa area was $329,657, an increase of 3 per cent over January 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $236,065, a decrease of 8.7 per cent over January 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $353,055, an increase of 4.7 per cent over January 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

When we say "fair game" we mean it — in a balanced market, everything feels a little calmer in the home buying and selling world. There are more homes listed for sale than there are buyers, so it's more rare to see a large number of bidding wars (though these do occur on certain properties in any market). This means that buyers don't feel the same amount pressure to jump at the first house they view in fear that there won't be another one available. They have more choice available, and if they do happen to miss out on a certain property, they are comfortable in knowing that something else will come up shortly. Sellers may have to wait slightly longer for an offer on their property than they would in a seller's market, but a well-priced, well-maintained, well-presented home will sell no matter what the market is like. So in this quiet season, sellers can really take time to spruce up their home so that it shows all of its best features to potential! buyers.

Another advantage for sellers in the winter is that those buyers who are looking for a new home are generally pretty serious about buying right away, since they are often motivated by a pressing concern (moving for a new job, needing more space for a new baby, etc).

The fact is, any time can be the right time to buy a home; real estate is a four-season business. A member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board can help make your buying or selling experience easier and quicker, no matter the weather. Find us online at www.OttawaRealEstate.org.

Existing Survey-

Thanks to Stephen Shub for sharing this. Caution for Buyers/Sellers and their agents.


THE “EXISTING” SURVEY ISSUE
Ontario real estate agents should be aware of
the “existing” survey issue with residential
properties. My law firm recently used the letter
below in representing a buyer for a property
where the “existing” survey was an issue.

Also, be advised our 7th Metro Office Location
opened December 1, 2010, in Etobicoke at Bloor
and Islington at 1243 Islington Avenue, #703,
Toronto.

See www.home-legal-cost.com for more information


To: (Name Withheld), Barrister -
Fax To: 416-xxx-xxxx ( 2 ) Pages

File #: B011-089
104x xxxxxxxx Avenue, #xxx
Toronto, Ontario
M1x xxx

- and -

(Agent Name Withheld)
Fax To: 416-xxx-xxxx ( 2 ) Pgs
- and -
(Agent Name Withheld)
Fax To: 416-xxx-xxxx ( 2 ) Pgs

Toronto, Ontario M2J 4G8



Dear Above-named:

Re: Nxxxxxxx purchase from Mxxxxxx
xxx Gxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx, Toronto
Closing: December 15, 2010

Regarding this purchase of a detached house, I
act for the buyers who have given me permission
to broadcast this issue as a learning curve for
the real estate brokerage industry since this
issue (over the years) has been constantly
recurring with too much frequency resulting
in a big waste of time for all parties involved
in processing such deals.



Schedule “A” of the purchase agreement in this
transaction was revised during negotiations to
change “... valid, legible survey...” to
“... existing survey...” resulting in the sellers’
promise to provide the buyers within 5 business
days after acceptance of offer:



“... an existing survey... showing all structures,
garages, additions and easements that exist at the
date of this agreement.”

At the time of negotiating the sale, since no copy
of the existing survey was provided to buyers by
sellers (nor attached as a schedule to the offer),
ONLY the sellers knew (or listing agent should have
known) that the promised existing survey would not
show all structures (being a survey dated August 30,
1950) which only showed the brick dwelling built in
1950 and not the garage or rear sun room built at a
later date.

Both the seller and the listing agent had access to
the existing survey at the time the listing was taken
AND at the time of negotiating the sale agreement BUT
FAILED TO CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE
FACT THAT THE SALE CONTRACT PROMISED
THE BUYERS AN EXISTING SURVEY SHOWING
ALL STRUCTURES.



Now the sellers are taking the position that they do
not care what type of existing survey (showing all
structures) was promised, and that they will only
provide the buyers with a 1950 existing survey not
showing all structures, even though the sale contract
states otherwise.

The fact that the buyers are getting title insurance
is NOT relevant to the matter since the sellers were
promised in the sale agreement an existing survey
showing all structures and the buyers are now entitled
to receive such a survey, regardless of obtaining
title insurance.

When the sellers negotiated the sale and changed the
words in the offer from “... valid legible survey...”
to “... existing survey...”, the sellers could have
also deleted the words (when signing back the offer)
“... showing all structures, garages, additions...
that exist at the date of the agreement.” The sellers
and the listing realtor not only failed to delete such
words but also did not attach the survey as a schedule
to the agreement and also failed to disclose that the
1950 survey, in fact, did not show the existing garage
and rear sun room built after 1950.

In law, the sellers are therefore now prevented (legal
doctrine of estoppel) from relying on the words
“... existing survey...” in order to permit sellers to
get away with forcing upon the buyers a 1950 existing
survey which does not show garage or rear sun room.

A listing realtor has a duty to act professionally when
taking a listing and to view any existing survey that
the seller has (or become aware that the seller has NO
available survey), in anticipation of being able to give
proper professional guidance to the sellers when buyers
present offers to purchase, which will usually include
a survey clause (for non-condos).

Should you fail to confirm in writing within one
business day of this letter that a survey will be
provided to buyers, (prior to closing) showing all
structures (as promised in the sale agreement) OR should
there be no immediate signed amendment entered into
between buyers and sellers agreeing that only a copy of
the existing survey will be provided, I am advising
buyers to arrange to order a survey showing all
structures and to deduct the cost from the balance due
on closing.


Yours Truly,


_________________

Stephen Shub
=============================================


Note: Realtors should be aware that the contractual issue
in this purchase file generated many phone calls between
lawyers, realtors, calls with clients and numerous letters
between lawyers dated November 10, November 16,
November 22 and November 23 (all because the listing
realtor failed to delete the words on sign back, “...
showing existing structures...” or failed, on sign back, to
attach a copy of the existing survey as a schedule to the
agreement.)

Realtors, PLEASE be aware of the issue and, in future,
find out at the time of taking a listing whether or not
the owner has a survey available and, if so, confirm
whether such survey shows all existing structures so that
you will know how to deal with a survey clause in an offer
when received. “Copy of existing survey” is better wording
to avoid problems or attach the survey as a schedule when
signing back the offer.



Should you have any questions, do not be afraid to call me
direct to 11pm 7 days or if you want a quotation for legal
fees and legal disbursements, please contact my firm.

Regards,
Stephen Shub, LL.B (Barrister, Solicitor)

We have 32 staff in 7 Metro Locations providing legal
services in several languages in only Residential Real
Estate, Title Insurance, Wills, and Notary Services.
STEPHEN H. SHUB PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, NOTARY
5799 YONGE STREET, SUITE 803
TORONTO, ONTARIO
CANADA
M2M 3V3
OFFICE: (416) 222 1882
Cell: 416-520-6120 to 11pm 7 days
FAX: (416) 222 4277
http://www.home-legal-cost.com









See www.home-legal-cost.com for Residential buying/selling

legal fee quotations

Feng Shui Tip from Sharon Hay-

Feng Shui Tip of The Month
February 2011

Hello Everyone,

It's that time of year to think about Flying Star Feng Shui. This is the study of the earth's energy shift for the year. The energy shift starts February 4th, 2011 so we need to get our remedies in place a few days before that. It last until February 3rd, 2012.

Year of the Rabbit


Avoid Construction in these areas: East, South/West, West and North West

North: If activated could be good for moving forward with plans (avoid moving water in this area)
North/East: The fortune star falls here but avoid risky business if your main door is here.
East: The 5 Yellow star falls here which is the most unfortunate star. Using moving metal such as metal windchimes to cut the negative energy.
South/East: The fortune star falls here but use the water element if you are in the entertainment business.
South: If your main door is here then use metal to negate the sickness star.
South/West: There is strong romance luck here. If your main door is here use a metal container with water to stop possible robberies.
South/West: This area is good for artists and entertainment businesses and strong romance luck.
West: This area has strong romance and money luck. Use things in "9's" to multiply good fortune (ie: flowers, candles, coins).
North/West: Powerful fame and wealth area if main door is here. Use this area often but remember not to disturb the earth here (or you may get conflicts).


All the best for the Year of Yin Metal Rabbit!

Sharon HaySenior Feng Shui Practitioner
Director
Canadian Schools of Feng Shui

Maintaining a Pest-Free Home

With the temperature hovering below zero, it’s time to prepare your home for winter hibernation by creating a healthy pest-free environment. By conducting indoor and outdoor house inspections and incorporating a few easy pest-control measures, you can improve the value of your property and create cleaner, happier living conditions.

The first step in eliminating pests is to prevent them from entering your home. Begin by examining the exterior of your house to identify minor cracks and holes in the bricks and mortar where insects typically live and breed. Once crevices have been identified, consider spraying a pesticide into these crevices to destroy pests, but be sure to educate yourself about potential harmful effects of various bug-repellents. To safeguard your home from bugs in the future, ensure that openings are properly closed by sealing them with outdoor caulk, inserting steel wool or applying weather-stripping.

Next, carefully inspect your roof and eaves troughs for damage often caused by birds and squirrels, which can lead to water leakage and moldy insulation. Promptly repair gutter and roof leaks that cause dampness and therefore attract pests. Install mesh or perforated leaf shields to discourage larger animals from nesting in your gutters.

During the winter season, many animals hibernate in chimneys to escape from the cold weather, therefore it is a good idea to secure wire mesh over your chimney’s opening and close the flute whenever the fireplace is not in use to avoid animal nestings. Consider having your chimney inspected by a professional chimney sweep at least once a year and if you discover an animal living in the chimney, call an experienced pest control service to remove the animal as safely and quickly as possible.

Once you have completed checking your home’s exterior, begin an indoor inspection of the entire house. Start with the basement, an area that typically contains potential openings for pests, such as air conditioner ducts and minor cracks in the walls, floors and drains. Explore every room in your home, examining walls, floors, doors and ceilings
for open spaces and cracks, and seal all cavities with indoor caulk or paint. Use clear caulk as a short-term, affordable solution for small holes in window screens or invest in a strong wire mesh to patch larger holes.

To eliminate pests from the kitchen, store food in packages inside airtight containers with snap-top lids. When grocery shopping, ensure items are properly sealed or can be resealed securely. When disposing of garbage, be sure to use a can with a firm seal and clean garbage cans often to remove odours that attract insects and rodents. Other kitchen tips include mopping the floor regularly, cleaning countertops and drains immediately after use, and rinsing cans before reusing or recycling.

Vacuuming your home at least once a week, including upholstery, will also help ensure a sanitary, pest-free home. If bugs are still evident in your home after a thorough cleaning, place baits, sticky traps, snap traps or glue boards in areas where pests hide or contact a professional pest control service to identify and eliminate the problem.

You can keep your home pest-free with regular inspections and proper maintenance that will help minimize costly home repairs and ultimately add value to your residence. And, your efforts will ensure a clean and healthy home for your family and friends to enjoy for years to come.

I Will Sell Your Home for Free-

Why would I? Nothing is free the selling agent wants to be paid and the listing agent has obligations to his brokerage, family and business and also needs to be paid. This type of sale has conditions that best be read by the seller and understood. Lets be realistic would you agree to work for your employer for no salary? Probably not. So, those offers we have all seen(I get them in the mail also) are to good to be true. Why then would a listing sales representative guarantee to buy your property within a certain period of time with no listing commission? Of the very few homes that are actually bought by the listing sales representative here is an example of one that the agent listed at $340k purchased it for $295k 30 days after the listing date and re-listed it 2 1/2 months later for $470k and sold it for $448k.
Remember not all guaranteed sales fit the above scenario. Relocation companies such as Brookfield(Royal LePage), Remax Relocation and others require appraisals as well as agent opinions of value before offering a guaranteed sale on behalf of their client(usually an employer) any shortfall or profit as above reverts to the client not the listing agent.