| Recent Blog Posts by Carol Ireland | ||
Property Moguls Wanted in Realopolis
CENTURY 21 Canada has launched a fun, free online game designed to help you learn more about real estate investing.
The unique game was developed to mirror many of the situations of the real world. From deciding which mortgage to go with, or which contractors to use, to figuring out whether or not to report a suspicious neighbor - the events reflect possible situations that players may experience ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on March 1, 2012
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New online tool helps renters see if buying is affordableMany renters dream of taking the money they spend on rent and using it for mortgage payments. But there's a lot more to buying and owning a home than just paying the mortgage. There are real estate and legal fees, home inspection and moving costs, property taxes, utilities and interest rates.
One of the best ways to determine if you can realistically afford to buy a home is to sit down and crunch ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on February 3, 2012
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Cutting back on the little things can save you a lotIn the current economy, many Canadians are looking for ways to save money. These savings can often be found in the little purchases so many of us make each day.
Need proof?
A new online calculator developed by Industry Canada, called My Expenses, lets you take the amount of money you spend every day, week or month on those little extras and instantly forecast what you could be saving. Since ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on February 2, 2012
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Simcoe County School Bus ZonesI found this great website and thought I would share it with everyone. Whether you are new to the area or just curious what the zones are. This site makes it easy to find out which buses are running cancelled or experiencing some interuptions in extreme weather conditions.
The West Zones includes: Collingwood, Stayner and Wasaga Beach
West Weather Zone
Elementary Schools – Simcoe County ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on January 27, 2012
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HST and Real EstateThese videos highlight the fact that there is no HST on the purchase price of resale homes.
Sales tax did not apply to the purchase price of resale homes under the previous PST, and it does not apply under the HST. For new housing, additional tax only applies to the portion of the price above $400,000.
The Minister of Revenue Sophia Aggelonitis partners with the President ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on March 22, 2011
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Most Ontarians confused about HST and resale homes
56% mistakenly believe HST applies to purchase price
Toronto, Ontario, October 27, 2010 –
An Ipsos Reid survey commissioned by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) and released today reveals that fully 56 percent of Ontarians mistakenly believe that the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) applies to the full purchase price of a resale home. In fact the HST is only levied on the various ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on October 27, 2010
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Down Payment AssistanceCanada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program's Homeownership Program
The purpose of the Homeownership Component of the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is to provide down payment assistance in the form of a forgivable loan to eligible individuals and families for the purchase of a home.
The County of Simcoe has committed to delivering the Homeownership Program for a ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on September 7, 2010
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Choosing the right mortgage(NC)—Mortgage options can be confusing for first time home buyers. Choosing what's right for you depends on a number of factors, including your comfort with interest rate risk and when you plan to sell your home.
“First time home buyers should sit down with a professional and ensure they know exactly what each mortgage option means to them,” says Chris Wisniewski, Associate Vice ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on May 12, 2010
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Advice for home buyers(NC)—With spring home buying season in full bloom, Chris Wisniewski, Group Product Manager, Real Estate Secured Lending, TD Canada Trust, offers this list of things Canadians, especially first time buyers, should consider when purchasing a home.
“The Big Things”
• Consider a larger down payment – a 10% or greater down payment will make a big difference to ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on March 30, 2010
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Buying A New Home Gets A Little Tougher!OTTAWA — New federal measures meant to cool the red-hot housing market will make it more difficult for homebuyers to qualify for government-backed mortgages, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty acknowledged this morning.
Some buyers will have to settle for less expensive houses or a bigger mortgage as a result of the rule changes brought in by the Conservatives. To give the financial industry time ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on February 16, 2010
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New Year brings tax breaks and tax changesTax Brackets, Credits Higher
The taxable income thresholds in all four federal tax brackets were increased by 2.5 per cent in 2009 to mirror changes in the consumer-price index (CPI). All indexed non-refundable tax credits also increased by 2.5 per cent in 2009 in order to reflect the CPI adjustment.
Increases in the thresholds for the lower and middle-income tax brackets will positively affect ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on December 29, 2009
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Stop the HST – Cost of buying, owning and selling a home to go up by 8%Earlier this week, the Government of Ontario formally launched its latest assault on homeowners, purchasers and sellers with the introduction of legislation to harmonize the provincial sales tax and goods and services tax.
Homebuyers and sellers will pay 8 per cent more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspection fees, and moving costs, adding about $1,500 in new taxes to ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on November 17, 2009
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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
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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
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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
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Downpayment AssistanceCanada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program's Homeownership Program
The purpose of the Homeownership Component of the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is to provide down payment assistance in the form of a forgivable loan to eligible individuals and families for the purchase of a home. All homes purchased must be new homes or conversions from non-residential use that have not previously ...
Posted by Carol Ireland
on September 1, 2009
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