Carol Ireland - Blog - Carol Ireland

Recent Blog Posts by Carol Ireland
Get a rainbow of environmentally friendly paint Being green has never been so colourful now that there's a zero-VOC paint in a rainbow of hues. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are solvents that get released into the air as paint dries. Exposure to high amounts can pose health hazards, which is why, by the end of 2010, Canadian law will regulate the VOC content in paint. Fifteen years ago, Benjamin Moore introduced its first zero-VOC paint, ... Posted by Carol Ireland on November 1, 2009		More
Keep Swine Flu out of your Home As the country is in the midst of battling H1N1, projecting your family and friends is top of mind for many Canadians. Here are some things you can do to ward off the flu if you are hosting or visiting open houses this season. Place disinfectant hand sanitizer in your living room, kitchen and washrooms when hosting an open house. Carry individually packaged disinfectant wipes or ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 30, 2009		More
Buying your first home (NC)—There's nothing quite like owning your own home – getting to know your neighbours, decorating your home and creating a place that you can call your own. But owning a home is not quite as simple as finding the right home in the right neighbourhood; your financial situation can be an important factor in the type of home you can afford. For example, you will need to determine how much ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 29, 2009		More
How can a Tax-Free Savings Account work for you? NC)—The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), introduced in January 2009, is the newest savings vehicle for Canadians looking for flexible ways to grow their nest eggs. With a $5,000 per year contribution limit that allows savings to grow and be withdrawn, without incurring any tax, it is billed as a great program for Canadians 18 and over with assets to invest. And it can be used for any purpose ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 29, 2009		More
Homeowner Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program — Homeowner RRAP Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers financial assistance to low-income homeowners for mandatory home repairs that will preserve the quality of affordable housing. The program helps people who live in substandard dwellings and cannot afford to pay for necessary repairs to their home. Who Can Apply? Homeowners may qualify for assistance if your property is eligible and if your total ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 17, 2009		More
September Housing Starts OTTAWA, October 8, 2009 — The seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of housing starts reached 150,100 units in September compared to 157,300 units in August, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). “The decline in housing starts in September is attributable to the volatile multiple starts segment,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre. ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 17, 2009		More
Recycled glass countertops latest trend in “Green” home décor (NC)—Global warming has become a top of mind concern for most North Americans over the last few years thanks to the devastating tragedies from tropical storms around the world due to climate change. As a result, more and more people are increasingly sensitive to the environment and show a stronger desire for preserving our resources and recycling. Countless corporations are following suit by ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 16, 2009		More
Water heater 101 (NC)—Many homeowners will admit they don't know a whole lot about the water heater down in their basement. Dave Walton, Direct Energy's director of home ideas, offers up some information to help homeowners become a little more familiar with their water heaters, along with a few suggestions for those thinking of switching to tankless water heaters. Longevity – Homeowners can expect their ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 16, 2009		More
REALTOR® Services Maybe you're buying a home for the first time. Or maybe you're selling your old home to move up to something new. Whatever the reason, the buying and selling of a home is a big event. It's an intricate process involving many specialists. One of these specialists is a REALTOR®, whose job it is to make the transfer of property as easy as possible. But not ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 15, 2009		More
MLS® home sales grow stronger in the third quarter OTTAWA – October 15th, 2009 – National resale housing activity climbed to the highest level of any third quarter on record. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) home sales via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate boards totalled 135,182 units in the third quarter of 2009, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 15, 2009		More
Keeping your haunted home safe for Halloween (NC)—Eerie sounds, spooky lights and jack-o'-lanterns aglow – extra efforts at Halloween will keep visitors coming back for both tricks and treats. However, to keep the fun going it's important to plan your home's scary set-up with safety in mind. Decorations for special events, most often involving candles, such as those found in jack-o'-lanterns, account for an average of 800 home fires ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 15, 2009		More
Visa to unveil contactless debt card at games Credit giant's debit arm aims to lure market with a wave ASSOCIATED PRESS Visa Canada plans to showcase the first-ever "contactless" debit cards in the country during the high-profile Olympic Games in Vancouver early next year, says a leading supplier of card readers. The move, believed to be a North American first, comes amid a wave of concern among merchants and small-business owners about ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 9, 2009		More
MARBLE TILE – finally a great option Latest innovation poised to rock industry (NC)— It's been described as refined natural marble tile. It's five times stronger than regular marble and precision engineered to create the most sought after marble tile collection in the industry. It's called Accolade Premium RF and it's the next generation of marble tile. Using the same innovative concepts that have brought engineered hardwood ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 8, 2009		More
DAZZLE HER WITH QUARTZ - The Next Step In Flooring (NC)—Over the last few years, designers, builders and architects have been preaching the benefits and strengths of quartz as a premium surface material and now most savvy homeowners across the country have caught up to this hot trend. Unique in combining depth and colour consistency with low maintenance and unrivaled durability, quartz has emerged as the preferred countertop material in homes ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 8, 2009		More
How to know if you qualify for the new Home Buyers' Tax Credit (NC)—Before you claim the proposed First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit, there are some things you should know about qualifying: Neither you, your spouse or common-law partner lived in a house that either of you owned in the year of purchase or any of the four preceding years. • If you are a person with a disability or are buying a house for a relative with a disability, you don't have ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 7, 2009		More
They Don't Want Your House! The last thing that a bank, credit union or insurer wants is to take back your house. All the insurers have programs in place to help you keep your house during troubled times. Whether it's no payments for a period of time or reduced payments, they all want to work it out. Most if not all financial institutions have skip-a-payment plans or can capitalize overdue payments. Once you get behind ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 3, 2009		More
PROTECT YOUR BEACON SCORE! When you are applying for a mortgage. The best way to ensure smooth underwriting is to make sure that your beacon score stays above 600. This is key for financial institutions and high ratio insurers, especially for self employed individuals. - No late payments - No judgements - Create capacity - Keep property tax current Posted by Carol Ireland on October 3, 2009		More
Re-negotiating Mortgages There is compensation costs involved with breaking a mortgage and it is not always in the best interests of the borrower to do so, despite recent media attention around all time lows for interest rates. Compensation equals the greater of 3 months interest or interest rate differential. This means that if you are currently 2 years into a 5 year mortgage with an interest rate of 6% and you want to ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 3, 2009		More
HGTV Show - "Realtor vs. Realtor" Re: HGTV Show – “Realtor vs. Realtor” Some of you may be aware that HGTV premiered a new show last Wednesday evening (September 30) called “Realtor vs. Realtor”. The premise of this “reality” show, according to the promotional spots, is that two real estate agents are “pitted” against each other to help a “desperate buyer” ... Posted by Carol Ireland on October 2, 2009		More

Your Account

Selected Language:

English

Français

中文

Disclaimers & Copyright

Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership is a real estate franchise company represented by brokers and sales representatives offering homes for sale throughout Canada. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither broker(s), sales representative(s), Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership nor WhereToLive.com, Inc. shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless. ® TM Registered trademarks of Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license. Each office is independently owned and operated. ® TM Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

This site is optimized for touch-enabled devices.