There is nothing more exciting to a child than getting up early on Christmas morning to see what Santa left for them under the tree!!  Christmas Eve was filled with anticipation, and we never went to bed without leaving a glass of Milk and cookie for Santa.. and of course a carrot or two for his Reindeer.Back then when I was a child, we always had a real Christmas tree.  I still remember the fresh scent of pine wafting through the living room, and watering the tree everyday to make sure it didn't dry out..I was about 9 or 10, still  kind of sitting on the fence about the concept of there being a Santa Claus. A very popular TV show at that time was a game show called "Beat The Clock."  The model on the show was named Roxanne, and she was so popular there was a Roxanne doll made in her li... 12/28/2017

This is the thermometer outside my back door at 9:20 a.m.  My dog doesn't even want to go out this morning, but who can blame her? We are experiencing colder than usual temperatures here in Southern Ontario and the Environment Canada has issued an "Extreme Cold Warning."  It's currently -20C here which equates to about -2 F in the U.S. Brrrr A good day to stay inside, curl up beside the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book, or watch a good movie. Does anyone in the wamer parts of the country, like 80F , want a house guest for about a month? Enjoy your day everyone, wherever it takes you... I'll be inside with the fireplace crackling, reading a good book or watching one of the great older movies. 12/28/2017

12 Step Guide to Buying Your HomeStep #2 - Figure Out How Much You Can Afford   Buying or Selling real estate is probably the largest financial transaction you will make and there is much to think about.  Please browse through the ilinks below so when you are ready to make that leap into home ownership you will be much better informed.​ 12-Step Guide to Buying Your Home in Mississauga  Step 1: Make Sure You’re Ready to Buy Step 2: Figure Out How Much You Can Afford Step 3: Decide What You Want to Buy Step 4: Find a Realtor® that is Right for You Step 5: See What’s Out There Step 6: Sell Your Current Home Step 7: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 8: Make an Offer Step 9: Arrange a Mortgage Step 10: Find a Home Inspector Step 11: Close the Deal Step 12: Move In Step 2: Figure Out How Much Yo... 12/28/2017

12 Step Guide to Buying Your HomeStep #1 - Make Sure You're Ready To Buy   Buying or Selling real estate is probably the largest financial transaction you will make and there is much to think about.  Please browse through the ilinks below so when you are ready to make that leap into home ownership you will be much better informed.​ 12-Step Guide to Buying Your Home in Mississauga  Step 1: Make Sure You’re Ready to Buy Step 2: Figure Out How Much You Can Afford Step 3: Decide What You Want to Buy Step 4: Find a Realtor® that is Right for You Step 5: See What’s Out There Step 6: Sell Your Current Home Step 7: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 8: Make an Offer Step 9: Arrange a Mortgage Step 10: Find a Home Inspector Step 11: Close the Deal Step 12: Move In   Step 1: Make Sure You’re Ready to... 12/27/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #10 - CLOSE THE DEAL   10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal Step 10: Close the Deal. Your negotiations were successful and you have a legally binding agreement. But, is the house truly sold? Not quite yet. It’s time for the vital final steps known as “closing”. Your REALTOR® and lawyer will do most of the work.Thank goodness. Closing a deal involves many, many complicated and time-consuming legal maneuvers. That... 12/27/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #9 - RECEIVE AN OFFER    10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal Step 9: Receive an Offer. All of your hard work has paid off, but you won’t know exactly how much it’s paid off until you see the offer. This is an exciting, often emotional time, so be prepared. Your REALTOR® will walk you through the process. You'll see every offer.It’s required that your REALTOR® show you every offer that’s submitted. They’ll call ... 12/27/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP # 8 - PREPARE YOUR FINANCES   10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal Step 8: Prepare Your Finances. Before the offers start rolling in, you should prepare for the massive amounts of money that will pass through your hands. A lot of the money will probably be going to your mortgage.If you own your home free-and-clear, congratulations! For the rest of us, there are a lot of mortgage considerations. “Discharging” you... 12/26/2017

WHAT IS BOXING DAY?In addition to December 26th being a day for Santa to catch his breath, it's a National Holiday if your live in the United Kingdom, or other British Commonwealth countires such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.In spite of it's unusual name, Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing or returning unwanted gifts to stores.  The term is of British origina and it is traced back to 1833 four years before Charles dickents referred to it in "The Pickwick Papers."Boxing Day is also known as "St. Stephen's Day" in Ireland, named after the Saint who was stoned to death for beleiving in Jesus.WHY IS IT CALLED BOXING DAY?There are many theories as to why it was named Boxing Day.  Here a just a few.In Britain the name for a Christmas present is "Christmas Box."   Boxing day was ... 12/26/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP # 7 - LET YOUR AGENT MARKET YOUR HOME   10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal   Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home. You’ve spruced up your home and it’s never looked better. It’s time for your REALTOR® to do their thing. Your REALTORS® marketing tools. The “For Sale” Sign.Despite all our leaps in technology, the “For Sale” sign continues to be an extremely effective way to advertise. Anybody responding to... 12/26/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #6 - PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE      10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal   Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale. Break out the mop and the paintbrush. It’s time to give your home a mini-makeover. Here are all the little things you can do to attract the big offers. Time to see your home through a buyer’s eyes.Over the years, you’ve grown quite comfortable with your home’s little imperfections; the hole in the scre... 12/25/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #5 - ADD A LAWYER TO YOUR TEAM      10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal   Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team. Similar to when you bought your home, it’s essential to have a lawyer handle all the various legal documents that change hands. You’ve probably already worked with a real estate lawyer.The most logical candidate is the lawyer you hired when you bought your home. They’re already familiar with the property... 12/25/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #4 - DETERMINE YOUR HOME'S ASKING PRICE     Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price.Lots of people out there want to buy your home. The right asking price will attract buyers’ attention, and pay you a maximum return.You don’t want to set your price too low or too high.Setting too low a price means you could miss out on thousands of dollars that some buyer would have happily paid.Setting too high a price can scare away willing buyers and leave your home on the market for too long. When you lower the price, people may assume you are under pressure to sell, and lower their offers even further.Your goal is fair market value.“Market Value” is a term that simply means the maximum amount of money that interested buyers are willing to pay for your pro... 12/24/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #3 - SIGN A LISTING AGREEMENT    10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal   Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement. The “Listing Agreement” authorizes your REALTOR® and their brokerage to market and sell your home. This agreement serves three purposes. It defines your relationship. Every detail of your work together, including the limits of your REALTOR’S® authority, will be clearly defined. It provides detailed informati... 12/24/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP # 2 - FIND A REALTOR WHO IS RIGHT FOR YOU    10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You. There are many reasons why a REALTOR® is essential when selling your home but which REALTOR® is best for you? Your REALTOR® who helped you buy your current house is a good start.Sticking with a REALTOR® just makes sense. If they did a good job helping you buy your home, they’re probabl... 12/23/2017

A 10 STEP GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOMESTEP #1 = DECIDE WHEN TO SELL   10-Step Guide to Selling Your Home   Step 1: Decide When to Sell Step 2: Find a REALTOR ® Who is Right for You Step 3: Sign a Listing Agreement Step 4: Determine Your Home’s Asking Price Step 5: Add a Lawyer to Your Team Step 6: Prepare Your Home for Sale Step 7: Let Your REALTOR® Market Your Home Step 8: Prepare Your Finances Step 9: Receive an Offer Step 10: Close the Deal   Step 1: Decide When to Sell. In real estate, timing is not everything but it does influence your home’s selling price. Let’s see if we can make timing work for you. Status report. Is it a buyer’s or a seller’s market?When there are lots of people looking for homes but not many for sale, this is called a ‘seller’s market’, because the seller has so... 12/23/2017

Most everyone wants to know when other homes in their neighbourhood are going on the market... especially if you are considering the sale of your home.  It's always good to know your competition.  Here's a way to stay on top of that!    Instant FREE Updates When Your Neighours Are Selling!!  I've made it so EASY for you...Just click, type in your address, and SUBMIT!  12/22/2017

     Dream Home Checklist: Wants and Needs   Knowing what your "wants" are in a home, versus what your "needs" are when  you are looking to purchase makes house hunting much easier.  I compiled a list of the things most people think about when Buying their home. . Make a list of your "wants" versus your "needs" and you will be much better prepared for a more realistic house hunting experience. Home Location:  _________________________________________Address:  ________________________________________________Asking Price:  ____________________________________________Annual Property Taxes:  __________________________________Mortgage Terms:  ________________________________________ Exterior Large lot and yard Single-family detached home Duplex/Triplex Semi-detached home Town home Condomini... 12/22/2017

Another page from my website with great information for buyers and sellers with lots of information about mortgages, qualifyiing for a mortgage, types of mortgages and more ...  MISSISSAUGA REAL ESTATE - MORTGAGE INFORMATION Guide to Finding and Getting a Mortgage Mortgage Qualifying for a Mortgage Types of Mortgages Mortgage Glossary Credit Scores Calculate Your Mortgage Possibilities Mortgage When purchasing a real estate property, unless paying cash, consumers typically finance all or a portion of the purchase price. This means borrowing money from a financial institution to buy a home, using the intended home of purchase as collateral for the loan. Mortgage payments include the principal (the amount borrowed), and the interested (the amount charged for borrowing the money). Payments... 12/20/2017

Here is another page from my websie with lots of helpful information and tips for Buyers. House Hunting Checklist   Looking for that perfect home can be stressful.  Knowing what to look for when you are previewing a home can help you make a wise decision.  Please browse through the Home Buying checklist I have provided for you below, so when you are ready to look for that perfect home... you will know what to look for. The Home’s Exterior The Home’s Interior Community Local Neighbourhood Home Location:  _____________________________________________________Address:  ____________________________________________________________Asking Price:  ________________________________________________________Annual Property Taxes:  ______________________________________________Mortgage Terms:  _______... 12/20/2017

Here is just one of the pages of useful information for Sellers when listing their home for sale in MIssissauga Listing Your Home SELLING MISSISSAUGA REAL ESTATE Listing your home for sale is a major decision, and probably the largest financial transaction you will make.  Leave it in the hands of a trained real esetate professional.  There is much more to selling your Mississauga home than installing a for sale sign on the front lawn.  Please browse through the links below where I have provided you with information that hopefully you will find useful when it is time to  list your Mississauge Home For Sale.   Placing Your Home on the Market A Little Homework Your Home’s Special Features Property Profile Folder "What Conveys?" Comparative Market Analysis   The first step toward putting yo... 12/20/2017