How Long Does it Take to Find a New Home?

If you're planning to look for a new home sometime in the future, you may be wondering how long the process will take. How much time should you set aside for viewings? How many of the listed homes should you see?
Of course, the process varies from person to person. According to the Department of Housing & Urban Development, home buyers view an average of 15 properties before finally choosing to make an offer on one of them. That number may be a good benchmark for you.
On a Saturday afternoon, you can comfortably look at three or four potential properties. You can see more if you want to make a full day of it.
One factor that impacts the home shopping process is how clearly you know what you're looking for.
For example, if you're certain you want a three bedroom backsplit, backing onto a wooded area or ravine, in an upscale neighbourhood, then the process is going to be fairly simple. You're just going to view properties that closely meet that criteria.
But if you're the kind of person who simply says, "I'll know it when I see it", then you'll need to look at several homes on the market. That means carving out plenty of room in your schedule for viewings.
A good REALTOR can help you understand what's available on the market and which homes are worth seeing. He or she can also help you determine how long the process will likely take, and show you ways to make the process go more quickly and smoothly.
Looking for a good REALTOR? Call today. 

Preventing Basement Leaks

If you have a basement, or even just a crawlspace, the last thing you want is water infiltrating the area. Even a minor leak can cause damage to walls and flooring, and may even lead to mould issues. Here are some precautions worth taking:
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• Every spring and fall, check the grading around your home. The
  ground should gently slope away from the foundation. Pay particular attention to areas where shrubs and other foliage make the grading difficult to see.
  
• Look for cracks in the foundation. Get them fixed right away. Even a minor crack that doesn't appear to penetrate all the way through can cause problems eventually.
  
• Check the caulking on basement windows. If it's worn and cracked, it's time for recaulking. The lifespan of most exterior caulking is less than five years.
  
• Watch the eavestroughs when it rains. (You'll get wet, but it's worth it.) Make sure the water drains well away from the foundation.
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  Doing these simple inspections takes just a few minutes. Yet, if they prevent a basement leak, it's time well spent! 
  

How to Choose the Right Size HDTV

If you don't own one already, you may be tempted to purchase a widescreen digital television to enjoy your favourite movies, shows and sports programs. However, it can be difficult to select the right screen size, especially if you've been accustomed to viewing a TV with a traditional 4:3 screen.
When it comes to size, there are many factors that come into play, such as screen resolution and personal preference. However, the last thing you want is to purchase an HDTV that is too small for the room, or so big that it dominates the space.
Here's a tip:
The rule of thumb is to take the distance you'll be sitting from the television and multiple by five to get the screen size you need. So if you'll be sitting eight feet away, you'll want to look at HDTVs with screens that are in the 35- 45 inch range.
A good electronics dealer can help you make the best choice. 

Making Your Kitchen More Attractive to Buyers

What's one of the most important rooms in your home? When it comes to selling your property quickly, and for the best price, the answer is clearly the kitchen. In fact, one of the most common explanations a particular buyer gives for not making an offer is, "I liked the house, but I wasn't too keen on the kitchen."
That doesn't mean you must do a major renovation. However, you should do what you can to make the kitchen as attractive as possible to buyers.
Here are some ideas:
First, clear the countertops. Put away the toaster and other items. You want to make the entire countertop area seem as spacious as possible.
If the cabinetry is old, you can spruce it up by installing new knobs, handles and other hardware. A fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling can also make the kitchen look like it has had a major renovation – and it will only cost you a few hundred dollars. According to an article on the website HDTV.com, "The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware."
Replacing the countertops is a more expensive renovation, but it may be worth it if the current counters are old and worn.
Finally, when preparing your kitchen for a viewing, make sure it's clean and tidy. The garbage and recycling bins should be empty. Buyers will open cabinets so make sure items on shelves are neatly organized with the front labels facing forward.
There are many other ways to make the most important room in your home look great to potential buyers. Call today for more ideas. 

Light Your Way To A Faster

Light Your Way to a Faster Sale
Remember the last time you visited an upscale furniture showroom? The furniture and fixtures on display probably looked great. The colours and textures jumped out at you. It was a feast for the eyes!
There is a good reason for this: lighting.
Of course, the quality of the products has a lot to do with how appealing they look when on display. But smart retailers know that proper lighting is key to making those products look their best. In fact, some retailers even hire lighting consultants!
What does this have to do with selling your home quickly, and for the best price?
Obviously, when showing your property to potential buyers, you want your home to look its very best. Proper lighting can be a big help.
When preparing your home for sale, review the lighting in each room and make sure the space is sufficiently well lit. You want the lighting to be strong enough to prevent dark or shadowy areas, yet not so strong that it's uncomfortable for the eyes.
As a rule of thumb, the total wattage of lights in a room should equal the room's square footage times 1.5. So, if a room is 120 square feet and has three light sources (ceiling light and two lamps) then the bulbs in each should be 60 watts.
Pay particular attention to traditionally dark areas, such as the garage, basement, and closets. Make sure those areas are well lit.
If you have a viewing scheduled during the day, take advantage of natural light through windows. Open the curtains!
Finally, one of the most important areas is the foyer. Always make sure the entrance has sufficient lighting. You don't want buyers to think they've entered the home of classic TV's The Adam's Family!
Want more ideas for preparing your home for sale? Call today. 

Doorways to Better Living Spaces
When people renovate or remodel a room, they almost always overlook the door. However, changing the style of an interior door, or adding a new one, can dramatically change the look of a living space – often for the better.
The most common type of door is the traditional solid 6-panel door. But there are many other choices available. Want to add light and a greater sense of space to a room? Consider a door with glass panels. Do you have an interior door that gets in the way when opened? Change it to a bi-fold door, which cuts the distance of the swing in half.
There are also specialty doors that are designed to block noise, and sliding doors that tuck neatly into the wall when opened.
Interior doors are typically much less expensive than their exterior counterparts. So making the decision to upgrade or add a door to a room is an affordable design option.
Visit a door showroom and explore what's available. 

New Brunswick Tax Values

Below is a link to compare property tax rates in towns and cities around New Brunswick

http://www.cbc.ca/nb/features/municipalelections/calculator.html  

Data Source This data comes from the 2011 Municipal Statistics guide produced by the Department of Environment and Local Government. The tax rates used are the average tax rate by each municipality.

26 Wiltshire - 2 Family Home in Qyuispamsis

Welcome to 26 Wiltshire dr. This two family home has three bedrooms up and an office down along with a two ... https://t.co/gcvaus1VlZ

— Darling Real Estate (@ScottEDarling) October 14, 2013

Under Construction - 2 Bedroom Garden Homes with full en-suites in Rothesay

Homes Just Built on Paige Street - Rothesay Estates

The next evolution in green building: Walls that suck up pollution

Posted in DESIGN

The facade of this hospital in Mexico City is made up of Prosolve370e, a type of tile whose shape and chemical coating can help neutralize smog. According to Fast Company, the wall can suck up the same amount of air pollution that would be produced by 8,750 passing cars each day.

So how does it work? In a nutshell, the tiles are coated with titanium dioxide, a pollution-fighting technology that is activated by UV light. When light hits the wall, a reaction is set off that reduces the surrounding air pollutants into harmless amounts of carbon dioxide and water.
The tile’s honeycomb-like design maximizes the smog-reducing reaction by slowing wind speeds and creating turbulence, which better distributes the pollutants across the wall’s active surface.
A helpful design with a pleasing look. Perhaps something cities like Toronto will want to consider as the summer approaches…

Counting the ways to invest in real estate

The most obvious way to invest in real estate is to buy property directly. For most people, this means buying a place, renting it out and selling it in the future.

Photograph by: Jakub Krechowicz , Fotolia.com

I run across many people who have become frustrated and disillusioned with investing in the stock market. After all, the 10-year period from 2000 to 2010 was one of the worst in history for stock markets around the world.
Given the low, single-digit returns common during that decade, many investors are looking at alternative investments such as real estate. Here are some different ways to invest in real estate
BUY PROPERTY
The most obvious way to invest in real estate is to buy property directly. For most people, this means buying a place, renting it out and selling it in the future.
Some people prefer to buy, renovate and flip property with no intention of renting it out. Some think big, preferring to invest in larger, commercial projects. Some pool resources with others by forming real estate investment groups. As you can see, there are many different ways to buy real estate directly.
REAL ESTATE SYNDICATION
Today, there are many opportunities to invest in syndicated real estate projects. In real estate syndication, a group leader (or syndicator) looks for projects and brings investors together to buy.
With syndication, sometimes investors own individual title and sometimes they own partial shares.
There are many variations of real estate syndication, so investors need to read the fine print before hopping on board. Legal arrangements are usually very complex and most investors I talk to don't really understand the mechanics of the investment.
With syndicated real estate, fees and commissions can also be high, so make sure you know who has the greatest opportunity to make money. (It's often the syndicator.)
REAL ESTATE FUNDS
There are a handful of real estate mutual funds out there. Only two - Great West Life Real Estate Fund and the Investors Group Real Property Fund - have a 10-year track record. Both are massive, with $3 to $4 billion in assets each.
In 2012, the GWL Real Estate fund made a strong return of 16.3 per cent. Over the past 25 years, this fund has given investors a 4.7-percent compound annual return and comes with some risk; it has lost money over a one-year period 27.7 per cent of the time.
Investors should pay attention to the management fees of these funds. They run around three per cent per year.
There can also be a liquidity concern with these funds; the Great West Life Real Estate Fund has had some periods where investors could not access their funds.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)
A REIT is an entity that buys real property using invested money from the shareholders. A REIT trades on major stock exchanges just like any other stock.
One of the key characteristics of a REIT is that the REIT is encouraged to pay out all or most of the income and profits to the shareholders so the REIT itself does not pay tax. In other words, the dividends and distributions are taxable to the shareholders.
One of the biggest and most well known REITs in Canada is RioCan. RioCan invests in large retail shopping properties.
REAL ESTATE ETFS
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have come a long way and Real Estate ETFs are a great way for investors to put a portion of their portfolio into real estate. The iShares S&P/ TSX Capped REIT Index is the biggest, oldest and most well known real estate ETF. Just like REITs and Real Estate Mutual Funds, investors can buy a portfolio of real estate properties without having to deal with the day-to-day management of owning property directly and dealing with tenants.
Real Estate ETFs are becoming more popular because the management fees are considerably lower than those of real estate mutual funds.
MY FIVE CENTS
This is not an exhaustive list but represents some of the most popular ways to invest in real estate. Remember to do your homework, watch the fine print, know the fees and costs and get help when needed.
I always caution investors away from chasing performance - it often leads to a losing strategy, not a winning one. That being said, having a portion of your portfolio in real estate can be a great diversification strategy.
Jim Yih is a financial expert. Visit his award-winning blog, RetireHappyBlog.ca