Improve Any Space With These Interior Design Tips For Rented Homes

Article Source: http://www.consolidatemydebts.ca

Are you searching for creative ways to make your home look better through interior design? Do you lack the knowledge to help you make those changes? If so, continue reading because the article below will present you many ways that are simple and will give your home that nice new look.

When choosing colors for your interior design, avoid going with fads. Olive green walls may have been popular once upon a time, but it can make your home look dated. Go for neutral colors that can withstand the test of time. That way, you would not feel like you have to repaint every year.

It is ideal that most pieces of artwork are placed at the eye level of those occupying a room. If you hang it in the wrong place it can make your room seem unbalanced.

Use slipcovers. If you have old sofas and couches that you are getting bored with, think about simply buying a slipcover to cover them with. Slipcovers come in all designs and colors, so you are sure to find one that suits the decor in your home. Make sure to wash the slipcover regularly.

When you are getting ready to paint a room, paint just a portion of a wall first, and wait a few days before you decide. You can avoid the hassle and added cost of re-painting a poor color choice by seeing how you feel about it after a couple of days.

As you can see from the above article, you don't have to be someone with a lot of creativity in order to make your home stand out. Interior design is rather simple when you have a few good tips to follow. Incorporate the information you learned today and use it in your own home to give yourself an exciting new place to live.

Does The Thought Of Interior Design Leave You Seeing Spots? Help Is Here For Rented Home!

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A subject like interior design does not have to be one that is hard for you to grasp. Anyone can learn the basics of interior design and fix up their home. So get some ideas down for how you are going to make your home look better by reading this article.

One key tip with regards to interior design is to make sure your room has a focal point. Whether it is a fireplace, piece of furniture or whatever you desire, it is important to have one point in which the entire room revolves around so that whatever item you choose is the highlight of the room.

If you are making decisions about changing the interior decor of your home, get your family involved. Remember that they will need to live with the changes as well. Decisions that are made should be acceptable to everyone to avoid conflict and ill feelings. Your home is the haven for each member of your family, so everyone should feel good about the changes ahead.

When considering an interior-design project you should think about starting in the most popular room of the house. Interior design can be both a lot of work and cost a lot as well. If you want to get the most out of your work and money, you should decorate the room that you will enjoy the most first.

Make sure that before you engage in designing your home that you have a plan in place. This can help a lot to reduce your worry when you are in the process of designing your home. Also, you can organize your finances better when a plan is in place for your project.

With all of the knowledge you gained you might feel a little overwhelmed right now. This is fine, just remember that you can reread this article if you have to. It is always a good thing to understand the material you read so that you can apply everything that you read to the best of your ability.

Visa Changes Should Help Chinese Buy US Property

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Investment in US real estate from overseas buyers could increase dramatically next year due to changes to the reciprocal US/China visa agreement. Students can be issued with five year multiple entry visas, while business travelers and tourists can be issued with ten year multiple entry visas.

These changes took effect earlier this month, and should make it easier for Chinese who wish to invest in US property. Often Chinese parents will purchase a home for children studying abroad, and the five year visa will also help students on a four year degree course.  Chinese investors who are currently undecided about purchasing US property should find these new changes encouraging.

According to the article in RisMedia, these changes could bring about a 15% increase in Chinese investment next year. Data from the NAR 2013 Profile of International Home Buying Activity shows the fastest-growing source of International clients has been from China and Canada. Real estate purchases by Chinese buyers have accounted for 12% of international transactions, and many of these are paid for in cash. Apparently Chinese buyers tend to look for property in the highest average price range and will pay cash around 70% of the time. Buyers have an average budget of $3 million and the median property purchase price is $425,000. This is much higher than the US median of $199,500. Popular areas for real estate investment by Chinese purchasers include Houston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York City.

Experts also point out that these recent changes to visas provide an opportunity for real estate agents as international buyers tend to greatly appreciate the knowledge and assistance conveyed by real estate agents. It’s not always necessary to be fluent in the overseas buyer’s native language. Home sellers may also prefer to find a real estate agent who markets their listings in China, as this is the fastest growing group of overseas buyers and could mean a quicker or better transaction for the seller. Real estate agents are also being advised to make international marketing part of their weekly business plan.

It’s thought that the extension of the student visa could have more impact on the US housing market than the changes to the business traveler and tourist visas, as a considerable number of Chinese students are educated in American schools. Even though every Chinese investor is in a slightly different situation, most will have an underlying belief in the US real estate market.

Deciding What to Do With the House after Divorce

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Divorce can be painful enough, but it can be worse when you are faced with losing your home at the same time. Finding a suitable replacement can be tricky, particularly if you don’t have a good credit rating and have less income coming in.

It can be a difficult time, but an article in realtybiznews.com points out there are things you can do to help get a new mortgage, and explains what you can reasonably expect. The first thing to do is to decide if you want your name or your ex’s name off the mortgage, depending on the circumstances. If you intend to buy your own property and your ex is still living in the marital home then ideally they need to take over the mortgage in their name only. This will increase your chances of being able to get your own mortgage.

However this might not always be possible, particularly if this is your family home and they can’t refinance the loan on their own. In this case you might need to leave your name on the mortgage for a while, while your ex and kids still live there. This is incredibly common, especially in cases where one partner has worked part-time or not at all in order to look after a young family. It can sometimes be better to agree a time frame where the kids and your ex are able to remain in the home, perhaps until they go to college.

If you do decide to choose this option it is important to agree in advance how the profits will be divided once the house is finally sold. This might not necessarily be an equal split as it is likely one ex-partner will be making a more significant financial  contribution to mortgage payments and maintenance for the home. Not surprisingly this choice only tends to work well if the ex who left the old marital home has sufficient funds to buy a new home of their own in the meantime.

Apparently it is also not a good idea to buy a new home while divorce proceedings are on-going. This is because there could still be question marks over the amount of alimony and child support payments, and some people have lost money on house purchases after being unable to get credit from lenders under these circumstances.  If one of you is unable to buy immediately then you are faced with having to live together a bit longer, which is becoming far more common, or with renting an apartment near the family home until the dust has settled.

Things to Think About When Purchasing a Home

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Purchasing a home is the largest financial decision most of us will make so it’s important to do your due diligence. Things to take into consideration include the type of property you can afford, and which neighborhood will be best for you.

It’s important to consider every point very carefully and to resist making an emotional decision that you may regret later on down the line. One thing that does need to be addressed is what will happen if you lose your job, as if you believe it may be at risk in the foreseeable future, it might not be the right time to purchase a home. You’ll find mortgage lenders are not sympathetic towards missed payments and it’s best to only buy a home when you are confident you will be able to afford the monthly payments for the foreseeable future and feel your job is secure.

When you do purchase a home, it’s best if you plan to stay there for several years to try to recoup the costs, and the article in aol.com has a link to a calculator that can help you determine the breakeven point on your home purchase compared to renting. This will show you whether or not you should continue renting a home for the time being. Buying a property might also not be a good idea if you intend to move cities or think there is a possibility of doing so in the future, perhaps for a job. It can be difficult to sell a home at short notice without incurring large losses.

If you’re thinking about buying a home with a partner then have a good think about the stability of the relationship. If there is the possibility you could split in the future then it might be best to buy on your own, or to delay until you feel surer about the long term prospects with your partner.

Also think about your current level of debt. If you have a high debt ratio it might not be the right time to make such a large financial commitment. As a general rule of thumb, if your expenses come to more than 50% of your monthly income you probably wouldn’t be able to get a mortgage in any case, and even if you could secure a loan it would be at a higher interest rate which may end up costing you thousands of dollars over the entire loan. Instead it’s better to think about paying down your debts before purchasing a home.

Interior Design Tips For Any Home And Any Budget For Rented Homes

Article Source: http://www.consolidatemydebts.ca

Interior design can bring so much more to your home that you probably had expected when you had originally imagined when you purchased it. The great thing is that everyone has what it takes to make their home the home of their dreams if they are willing to put in the effort. If that person is you, you should read the article that follows.

Start your interior design project with a mood board. A mood board is a large cardboard display with different ideas for a room pasted on to it and written on it. You can get ideas from magazines, online and from television shows. The board will give you a visual of your own style, and help you to design a room that fits your taste.

Figure out what mood you're trying to set and use that as the basis for your color choices. If you want it to be relaxing or calming, consider using light and cool colors like blues and greens. Your color choices and your choice of furniture should all be based on what you're trying to accomplish with the look and feel of the room.

Use your own photos as artwork. As a cheaper and more personal way to adorn your walls, use photos that you've taken. Either have prints made and frame them or use one of the many photo-to-canvas providers to have your photo made into a gallery canvas. If you are more tech-savvy, you can alter your photos in software to make them look even more like artwork.

As you found above, there are many things that you need to consider when planning an interior design project. With all there is to think about, the key is knowing what there is to plan. At that is left is for you to get started on your project, keeping these tips in mind.

Tips That Will Help You Improve Your Interior Design Skills For Rented Homes

           Article Source: http://www.applymortgageonline.ca/

Lots of people would jump at the chance to improve the ambiance of their house, but they often feel that it is just too expensive. This is not always what happens because there are ideas that cost just a little. Read on and learn how you can improve the look of your home. Look at the furniture you have on your home and find a combination of colors and furniture that fits well together. You want to have furniture colors that compliment each other, as well as the colors around your home. Avoid picking colors that aren't related, because this can look like you don't know style. Whenever you are choosing wall colors for a room that doesn't have a lot of natural light in it, it is wise to choose lighter, natural colors. A lighter colored wall will distribute light around a room more evenly given the room a brighter look than if you used dark or bright colors. Before beginning your project, calculate your available finances and how much you can allot to completing it. It would be a major disappointment to discover that you cannot afford the project that you have chosen. You will avoid anxiety and stress with this approach. If you are designing a new kitchen in your house, it is beneficial to contact a professional contractor. Your ideas might involve electrical and plumbing work that is beyond your scope of expertise. By contacting a professional, they can help you to outline the exact project so it is done right and within budget. The preceding article demonstrates that creating DIY projects is not difficult, and they can save you a great deal of cash. When you use the ideas that you've just read, you'll be able to save money and transform your home into a place that you'll never want to leave.

Purchasing, Renovating, Marketing, and Selling

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 A full time rehab investor needs to manage the four phases of every deal. Becoming a rehab millionaire means having at least 16 deals in work every month and maybe more. Four deals turning a $20,000 profit each month will bring in $960,000 each year. If you’re only turning two houses each year, you’re going to need to keep your day job. If you want to be a serious, full time, professional real estate investor, you shouldn’t be swinging a hammer or even licking envelopes, you need to be managing a team that is doing the work for you. The Million Dollar Pipeline There are four major categories to your million dollar real estate pipeline . You should have four properties in each category at any given time. During each month, you should be purchasing four houses, which immediately go into the rehab phase. On an average of once a week, you should have one property finishing rehab and going onto the market. At the same time, you should be collecting a paycheck approximately once a week as your investments are sold to both pay you and invest in the next project. The novice investor focuses all of his or her energy on one stage at a time. That’s an “onsie-twosie” investor. In other words, he or she may only do one or two deals in a given year. If that fits your goals then great! Go for it! But if you want to be a million dollar real estate investor, you’ll systematize the process to keep the pipeline full. You’ll have several projects going at the same time. Have a Plan Having four deals in each phase will be a full time job managing your own business. You’ll need a system to keep it organized. You’re going to need a plan. Decide on your target market. Decide on your target buyer. Decide your price level to flip it. Organize your tools. Get your spreadsheets together. Decide how much time you are going to dedicate to this business. Line up your funds. Raise the capital to do your deals. Start making offers! It all starts by putting the first deal together and then growing your business one deal at a time. Get started by finding some seed money and putting your effort into finding the right house to renovate. These are houses that sit on the market for months because the retail buyer wants a house that is already in “perfect” condition. Your job is taking the less than perfect house and turning it into the perfect house that retail buyers will pay you top dollar for. Of course, you will have competition. There will be others fixing and flipping houses. The houses you want, won’t actually sit on the market for months. The aggressive real estate investor has a constant eye on everything coming onto the market. Making fast, low-ball offers for less than desirable houses is one of the secrets to success. Patience is another part of being successful. Your low-ball offers probably won’t be accepted right away. But when retail buyers don’t show any interest, your offer will become more attractive to sellers that either won’t fix the house or can’t afford to. A couple of months later they come back showing interest in your low-ball offer. In summary, today is a great time to be in the fix and flip business. Just remember that it’s a means to an end. The income potential is very real. But in the end, it’s not only about the money. Once you have a system in place, the money will consistently roll in. You’ll have plenty of time to do, be, and have everything you want in life!

Using the WOW Factor to Sell Flipped Houses

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“WOW” Factor

When a potential buyer views a property, you want them to experience the “wow factor.” What is the wow factor? This is what your potential buyers should be saying, “this is the nicest house I’ve looked at so far!” First impressions are very important. When a buyer walks into your home for the first time, you want to leave an impression that they will remember.

Each time you sell a property, you should ask the buyer why they bought your house. Inevitably, many will have looked at 20, 25, 35 homes before buying yours.

Remember, you’re looking to sell to the perfect-condition homebuyer and you want to make your property seem very appealing to that type of buyer.

Creating the Wow Factor: Aside from a completely renovated home with modern amenities such as granite, re-finished hardwood floors, and everything new from top to bottom, here are a few more things to increase the wow factor:

• Stainless Steel Appliances: In almost all cases, you want a matching stainless steel stove, dishwasher, and microwave. Not only does it give more perceived value, it also makes the kitchen look more complete. Rather then dead space, the kitchen now has brand-new appliances. Occasionally, you might include a matching refrigerator.
• Free Home Warranty: Although a free home warranty is not a physical feature, it provides a great deal of comfort and confidence in the buyer’s mind. It costs $300-375 but is a huge selling feature.
• Free TV: You might want to try offering a free 46” flat screen TV. You can hang a plastic imitation flat screen TVs on the wall with a small sign that says, “With an accepted offer, you get this free TV.” The cost is $680 for the actual TV. By having a replica of the TV in the home, it provides an additional wow factor.
• 100% Ready: Never show the house to potential buyers until it is 100% ready. 100% ready means vacuumed, deep cleaned, spotless, and ready to go. The perfect-condition homebuyer is turned off if it’s not 100% and you want to have an amazing first impression.
• Mats/Sign: To give potential buyers the image that your homes are “high-quality,” you should put mats at the door entrances with a sign reading, “Please take off your shoes.” The image this gives the buyer is that this home is a first-class property.

Listing Agent

Once a property is 100% complete, you want it listed on the MLS. Your image is very important as part of the “wow factor”. The goal is to attract a buyer’s agent. The process of buying a home has changed from the traditional real estate model. In the past, a person would hire a realtor (buyer’s agent), the realtor would give them a list of houses to look at and then show them the properties.

Today, in almost all cases, a buyer searches on the internet for homes for sale in the areas they are interested in living in. After they find a home they are interested in, they call up a realtor to request the realtor schedule a showing. Either way, in most cases, it’s a buyer’s agent who has the buyer so the listing must be designed in a way to attract buyer’s agents to show your homes.

Hiring the Right Listing Agent: It’s important to choose the right listing agent. You want the top-selling agent in the area to list your properties. The benefits are:

• Image: The top selling agent in the area has a well-known name, image, and branding. You want to be associated with that image. Only go with agents having an image of listing the best houses in the neighborhood.
• Buyers: The top selling agent has a large buyer base. Often, the listing agent or someone from his/her office will sell the home.
• Work Ethic: He/she became the best selling agent from working hard. You want an agent who is totally dedicated to selling your property.
• Repeat Business: The top selling agent is motivated by repeat business. One of the indicators used to measure an agent’s success is the total number of homes sold. Unlike a one-time homebuyer, or home-seller, as an investor, you represent repeat business, which helps him/her reach or maintain his/her status.

Responsibilities of the Listing Agent: The job requirements for the listing agent are very clear and specific and include the following:

• Yard Sign – Your agent should put up a professional (no scratches/dents) yard sign that is very visible from the street.
• Brochures – Each property needs a 2-page color brochure explaining the features, neighborhood stats, school/shopping info, updates, etc. It has numerous pictures and showcases all the benefits of the home. Copies of the brochure are placed in an info box attached to the yard sign. Brochures must be refilled weekly. A stack of brochures is also placed on the counter inside. You want each potential buyer to take a brochure with them when they leave. Often, buyers will look at several properties at a time and you want them to remember your home above all others.
• MLS Pictures: High quality pictures are essential. You’d be amazed at how often you see MLS listings with no pictures, only a few pictures and/or poor quality pictures. How detrimental to the listing! A buyer often decides if they will even look at the property solely based on these pictures. Upload the maximum number of pictures allowed on the MLS. Special attention is given to the lighting, order, quality, angles, etc. of each picture.
• Comments: There is a lot of psychology that goes into the comments. Like the pictures, well-crafted comments will draw the buyer in to set up a showing to view the house. The key is to focus on features. Here is an example of comments for a high end house:

“New cabinetry, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances in a spectacular new kitchen, home is completely remodeled, it’s like a new house. Bathroom is completely stylish and completely new. Lots of gorgeous refinished hardwood floors, new carpeting, and new travertine-look ceramic tile. Neutral paint and crisp white trim throughout. This won’t last long, acclaimed Lake Orion schools.”

Notice some of the key words used – “granite”, “completely remodeled,” “gorgeous,” “refinish,” and “neutral paint.” You want to create urgency with all your write-ups (“hurry this won’t last long”). The MLS comments section limits the number of words so you’ve got to be concise. A top selling agent should be able to create a top-notch comments section.

Feedback: You want to require personal feedback on each showing. Not an automatic email that says, “Please give us your feedback.” You want the listing agent (a real person) to call the buyer’s agent that showed the property and get personal feedback. Here are some of the questions to ask:

• How well did the property show?
• What is your opinion of the price?
• What did the buyer like most about the house?
• What did the buyer like least about the house?
• In a rating from 1-5, one being bad and five being excellent, how would you rate this property?

Some agents can’t be bothered to give feedback and don’t want to talk. Your listing agent needs to be personable on the phone. He or she also needs to be persistent about getting feedback because it’s crucial that you receive that feedback. A recent investor had a property listed for 60 days and was getting 5-6 showings consistently each week but wasn’t receiving any offers. He wasn’t getting any feedback so he had no idea why buyers weren’t making offers. Without feedback, there is no way to know what the market thinks about the house. If you’re having showings but not getting offers, there is a reason and the feedback will let you know why you aren’t getting offers.

Hard Time Fixing Up Your Home? Try These Great Ideas!

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How one handles improving their home can say a lot about how they handle a lot of situations. An endeavor that focuses on creativity and attention to detail is what makes home improvement so popular. That can sound intimidating to a new improver, which is why they should read the list of tips below.

When building your own home through use of a contractor, add a clause to the contract that gives the builder a bonus for finishing on time and on budget. This clause will encourage your builder to do a good job in the time allotted, and can save you a lot of headaches due to missed deadlines and extended budgets.

Installing carpet can be a daunting task if done yourself, or an expensive task if you pay a professional to do it. Fortunately there is an alternative. Much like vinyl floor tiles, there are carpet tiles that exist. These too have adhesive backing that allows you to install them easily, and they look just like real sheet carpeting when installed.

If you are looking for a functional home improvement project, try "building up." Walls create a lot of wasted space. Add matching bookcases in your living room or build a window seat where your family can sit and read. Simple projects like these can make every space in your home usable and valuable to your family.

To see a return on your home improvement project, consider converting existing space into a new living environment for your family. Making an attic into a bedroom or finishing off your basement will earn you extra money when reselling your home because you are utilizing something that is already available to create a desirable feature.

Home improvement really is a creative endeavor, but that does not mean it is only for professional or serious home improvers. This creative endeavor can be enjoyed by anyone of any improvement skill level. These tips were constructed to help those of all levels find their way into home improvement.

10 tips for first time real estate investors

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Many people consider investing in real estate as a way to build a nest egg and have tenants help you pay the mortgage. There are pros and cons to taking that leap, but if you do, here are 10 things to know.

1.Visit with a mortgage broker or your bank to determine how much money you can afford to borrow responsibly for your investment.

2.Look for properties that generate a positive cash flow. What this means is that the rent that you receive from tenants should be enough to pay your mortgage payment, property taxes, utilities and insurance bills. Budget an additional ten percent on your overall payments to pay for minor repairs that will invariably arise. Currently this is very difficult to find in the Toronto area. Do not be afraid to expand your search to smaller communities, where you will be able to find more properties that match your search criteria.

3.Use an experienced local real estate agent who also invests in real estate themselves. Investors learn about the pitfalls only through first-hand experience, both good and bad, and you want that experience working for you as well.

4.Have any property inspected by a professional home inspector. In addition, find a contractor who you can trust to give you the right advice for any minor repairs or renovations that may be required, especially for older properties, in order to add the most value to your investment.

5.Consult with your accountant and lawyer as to how you will take ownership of the property. There are some benefits in taking title in the name of a limited company, in order to protect yourself against personal liability should someone get hurt on the property and for other tax planning purposes. However, on the other hand, you will also have to pay about $1,000 in incorporation fees and have to file a separate tax return each year for your company.

6.Keep proper records of income and expenses for your investment property. Do not mingle these with your personal bank account as it will become difficult to properly trace this when you have to file a tax return at the end of the year, regardless whether you own the investment in your personal name or in a company name.

7.If you are buying with a partner, make sure you have a proper partnership or joint venture agreement to protect both of you should things not work out as planned. In particular, provisions should be made if one of the partners wants to sell and the other one doesn’t, one partner is not paying their share of expenses or what happens if one of the partners dies.

8.Hire an experienced property manager to assist you in finding suitable tenants and dealing with any ongoing maintenance, repairs or other complaints by tenants. You do not wish to be woken up in the middle of the night to handle emergency repairs. Budget an additional $100 per month for this service.

9.Be careful not to buy and sell properties quickly. The Canada Revenue Agency may view this activity as business income. This means that you will have to pay tax on any profit you make on your investment. It is preferable to buy properties for the long term, rent them out and use your positive cash flow to reduce the amount of your mortgage owing, building equity in your property. If you then sell years later for a profit, it will likely be classified as a capital gain and thus one half of your gain will be tax free.

10.Don’t be afraid to walk away if the deal does not work for you, no matter how much time you may have invested in the property.

Multiple Ways to Improve Your Rental Business

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There are several ways to save time and money in the landlord business. Some of the ideas shared here are probably familiar to you and some might not apply but some will. If you have ideas about saving time and money managing rentals please share with others by posting them in the comments below.

1. Paint every unit, every room, every wall, and every ceiling with the same brand and color of paint. You’ll never waste anther can of paint. You’ll never have trouble figuring out what brand and color you need to do a little touch up. Painters will save time and money when they can spray an entire room instead of having to roll it.
2. When sinks, faucets, and other hardware needs to be replaced, do the same thing you did with the paint. Standardizing all the hardware in all of your rental units makes future repairs easy and less expensive.
3. Save the bottoms of your cabinets under sinks by putting some scrap floor vinyl down there. Slow drips won’t slowly rot away the cabinet bottom nor will a spilled caustic cleaning solution eat away at it.
4. Keep appliances looking sharp instead of replacing them. Appliance stores sell a special appliance paint that makes slightly rusted or discolored appliances look like new again.
5. Did a tenant put a fist hole in a hollow bedroom door? Instead of replacing the door, purchase a $6 mirror at Wal-Mart and screw it onto the door to cover the hole. This actually makes the room or hallway look bigger and brighter.
6. Splintered and damaged cabinet drawers in the kitchen? Often, you can pop out the bottom of the drawer and turn it over to make it look like new again. Using a good strong adhesive to glue it back in place will make it stronger and you’ll get twice the life out of it.
7. Tenant retention ideas. Frequent tenant turnover is hard on the unit as well as causes you a month or so of lost rent. Shortly before a tenant’s lease expires, offer to make one upgrade to the unit of their choice (put a price cap on it). Also, make your tenants feel like you care about them. Once a quarter send them a note asking if there is anything you can do for them. This also gets tenants to tell you about things that need repair before the problem gets worse.
8. Use KwikSet Smartkeys when replacing locks. These allow you to change locks in just a few minutes and replacement lock cylinders only cost about $5.
9. If your rentals have wooden steps at the entry, these can become slippery when wet. Tacking down roof shingles is fast and easy and will improve your tenant’s safety and possibly save you from a lawsuit.
10. Make your units show better by improving the lighting. Previous tenants probably replaced burned out bulbs with low wattage bulbs to save on electricity. Replacing these with higher wattage bulbs makes the unit brighter and feel larger. Potential tenants will remember it over other rentals they view.

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In Toronto, When A House Doesn't Sell, The Price Goes UP

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Bidding wars have become commonplace in the Toronto housing market, with many realtors saying they hit a fever pitch this spring.

Though “sellers love it,” largely because they drive up the price of houses, many observers argue it’s a sleazy practice, particularly when sellers low-ball the price of a house to get buyers excited — only to see the price inflated enormously by a crowd of bidders.

In perhaps the most egregious example yet, a five-bedroom house in the Yonge and Lawrence area listed for $699,000 this past April, well below the going rate for a standalone house in the area, where most these days are listed above $1 million.

The house attracted 72 offers and sold for nearly double the asking price — $1.36 million.

But as spring moved into summer, apparently the bidding wars slowed down, according to an article in the Globe and Mail. Which means that some buyers are putting their houses on the market at a lowballed price, and not getting the huge markup they had been expecting.

Their reaction? Take the house off the market, and relist at a higher price.

That tactic alienates a lot of buyers, the Globe cites real estate agents as saying — especially those buyers who put in bids for the house at a lower price.

And it’s a sign that Toronto’s housing market — or at least the single-family home segment — has been so hot, for so long, that sellers’ expectations are becoming very lofty.

But with buyers taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates, many are willing to meet those expectations, particularly for single-family homes in the 416, as very few of these are being built anymore.

By one measure, the average price of a single family house in Toronto hit the $1-million mark earlier this year, though the city’s real estate board pegs it closer to $865,000.

That’s still up 8.8 per cent from a year earlier, and sales volumes are up 18.5 per cent.

But new listings are also up, by about 9.7 per cent for all housing types, which may be one reason why bidding wars have slowed down recently.

Toronto Real Estate Board analyst Jason Mercer told the Globe it’s conceivable the supply of new listings will continue to grow in the second half of the year, in which case price growth could slow down in some parts of the market.

But with sellers so confident of the market that they raise prices when a house doesn’t attract enough bidders, even a mild slowdown in price growth could prove to be a shock.

Memphis Is About the Whole Hog

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Memphis doesn’t mess around when it comes to BBQ. They call their title BBQ contest the World Championship of BBQ and the most coveted prize is the Whole Hog. But there is a Grand Champion that enters multiple categories. Teams come from around the globe to be judged in the Memphis World Championship of BBQ. For 2014, the Grand Champion is Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q from Decatur, Alabama. The whole hog winner is Yazoo’s Delta Q from Hernando, Mississippi. But interestingly, second place in the whole hog competition went to British Bulldog BBQ from Farnham, Surrey, England.

What’s in a BBQ Title? For many, the Memphis World Championship of BBQ is considered the Super Bowl of Swine. First established in 1978 with only 26 teams competing, this year there were 244 teams competing for $110,000 in cash prizes. But it’s really about the bragging rights that come with a title much more than the money because entry fees can be as high as $5,000 depending on how much real estate you need to set up your BBQ operation. And that’s before you create your one-of-a-kind slow roaster (this year one was made from a 1954 Willys Jeep) and all of the other creative makings for your BBQ camp. The Memphis World Championship is one of the three biggest competitions in the nation (probably the world) and the only one to include the category of “Whole Hog”. The competition is spread out over four days. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q didn’t just win the grand championship this year, they set a new record as the winningest team with their fourth championship and with a fourth win in the pork shoulder category.

What Goes in a Winning Recipe According to Big Bob, it’s mostly time, smoke, and fire. His process takes 20 hours to smolder the perfect piece of pork. He started Friday afternoon by injecting an apple-juice based brine into the pork and applying his secret rub before beginning the smoking over a 225 degree fire. It’s an all night endeavor in preparation for the judging on Saturday at 11 o’clock. He smokes the 20 pound piece of meat for 18 hours and lets’ it rest for an hour before judging. Resting is taking the meat off the smoke to allow the juices to redistribute themselves throughout the large piece of meat.

Judging Hogs Judging at the Memphis BBQ World Championship is a slightly complicated process. There are three rounds of judging. First, there are four judges that have to take an eight-hour class on judging BBQ that then are presented with six “blind” boxes of meat from each category. They are only allowed to give a perfect score to one box per category. Next comes the controversial on-site judging by expert BBQ chefs. This is the judging where the contestants serve up their best cuts of meat. It’s controversial because the cooks are allowed to put up a white tablecloth with arrangements (such as flowers) and B.S. with the judges to improve their scores.

After the first two judging rounds, the scores are announced. The top three teams from each category (ribs, shoulder, and whole hog) are given two hours to prepare for the final judging. The final judging is a lightening round visit by four judges all at once. Presentation is just as important as taste because the difference in final scores is often no more than a few hundredths of a point.

That hundreds of a point win gives the BBQ chef bragging rights as the winner of the Memphis BBQ World Championship. What follows is a two block long line of high paying customers outside of your restaurant back home and several TV appearances. In the case of the 2013 winner, it became a TV series on the Food Network. It’s all about the championship title.

Enhance Your Environment With These Home Improvement Ideas

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The mere thought of DIY home improvement may have you shaking in your boots. Rest assured that there are many easy projects that even a novice can master. Read this article to learn more about the many projects you can get started on to improve the value of your home.

Choosing to use wooden flooring instead of carpeting can save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Carpet can contain allergens and cleaning it is sometimes out of the question. The cost of ripping up and replacing your carpet can almost be as costly as just putting down wooden flooring. Wooden floors can be refinished and repainted as needed; also providing a more rural and cottage style environment.

Make sure that you keep an eye out for all types of contractors. You want to make sure that you get a contractor with a good reputation, as well as, an affordable price before you have them improve your home. You don't want to be stuck with paying a bill that you can't afford or a project that's half finished because the contractor decided to stop coming, half-way through the project.

Patch the holes in your walls with toothpaste! Yes, this is definitely a temporary cover up but it works to hide an ugly hole until you can come up with the materials for a more permanent fix. Use white toothpaste and trowel it into the hole with a butter knife.

A great thing about home decor is that oftentimes it doesn't have to match. You can buy a great dining room table and mix and match chairs. This is great for cottage and country-styled homes. Buying a table second hand and adding chairs from different places actually creates a great design element, as well as a sense of accomplishment. Give those used chairs a chance to shine!

Anyone can improve their home. Hopefully, you now have more confidence in your ability to tackle home improvement projects. It will make you feel proud at the end of the day, seeing your very own handiwork.

Real Estate Investing Success is Knocking at Your Door

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What’s amazing is the mass media and even seasoned professionals claim there is no money to be made in real estate today. There is nothing further from the truth. Real estate has made more millionaires over the years than any other industry. It wasn't always as easy as it is today to make your fortune in real estate but people have been doing it for hundreds of years.

It used to be much more difficult than it is today. Creative financing has come a long way over the past 20 years. It used to be you had to personally guarantee any financing you could find. It was the old story where those that don’t need to borrow money were the only ones that could qualify.

Opportunity Abounds

Not so today! Nonrecourse loans are much easier to obtain. Those are loans that are only secured with the property the money is used to purchase. Also, thanks to the communication power of the internet, banks are no longer the only source for borrowing capital. Today, money is flowing into real estate from private investors. Not just independently wealthy individuals but from every day people wanting a secure investment far away from the loses that have occurred on Wall Street constantly for the past two decades. This includes working people looking for secured investments for their 401k and IRA retirement funds.

If a fear of not being able to find investment capital is holding you back from your success, take a look at this short list of money sources:

• Private Individuals with Retirement Funds to Invest
• Seller Financing
• Wrap Around Mortgages
• Angel Investors
• Hedge Funds
• Venture Capitalists
• Hard Money Lenders
• Real Estate Investment Clubs
• Already Successful Real Estate Investors
• And Many More Sources of Other People’s Money

How to Succeed in Today’s Real Estate Market

There is always big money to be made in real estate. It doesn’t matter if the market is screaming upward, flat lined, or plummeting downward. As with any business, success comes to those that uncover a problem people are having in the marketplace and providing a solution.

In today’s marketplace, the problem is pretty obvious to most. What’s not obvious is the solution. The problem is a great one for real estate investors. There are still distressed properties on the market presenting investment opportunities. Maximizing the opportunity is that there are few bank-qualified buyers in the marketplace. Even the few want-to-be buyers in the marketplace can’t obtain a traditional loan from banks and don’t know how to find other people’s money.

Distressed properties minus qualified buyers, plus your knowledge for finding other people’s money is the magic formula to you making a fortune in today’s real estate market.

I can’t provide references for private money to every reader. The secret is for you to scour the internet for private sources of money. But believe me, ambitious people are making money in today’s rising real estate market.

Overview of the Math

When you are able to bring 4 or 5 properties for flipping into the pipeline each month. Each of those properties will bring you between $25,000 and $30,000 in profits. Take a look at the conservative math of how much there is for you to earn starting right now.

4 properties X $25,000 X 12 months = $1.2 million

Is there work involved? You bet there is. This is a get rich system but it’s not a get rich quick scam. You do need to build a system and network of financial sources and a network of birddogs finding deals for you. It takes time and it takes work but it is a proven road to financial freedom.

Real Estate Advice That Property Tycoons Do Not Want You To Know

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Not everyone is in the market for a house, so some real estate tips just won't do. There are also land and commercial properties out there on the market. Check out this article when you need some general information about purchasing real estate in today's market. The more you know, the better your odds are of finding a great deal.

If possible, bring an experienced contractor with you when you view a property. They can help you estimate costs, and point out things which should be fixed by the previous owner prior to purchase. They can often spot potential problems that are easily missed by the untrained eye and save you money in the long run.

If you are a first-time homebuyer, don't make the mistake of buying the first house that you like. You need to view at least three other houses that are comparable in value, before making a decision. Too often, people get caught up in the mere idea of buying a house, not realizing that there may be something better out there.

If you are looking to buy a home, it is important to find a competent real estate agent. With a purchase this size, having someone who can guide you through the murky waters of property investment is crucial. A real estate agent is familiar with how sales have been trending in the area and can suggest a fair price for a home you are interested in.

Know the entire cost of the home you are thinking of buying. Different properties will have different tax amounts that are owed each year, have different energy efficiency when it comes to utilities, and may have different costs for homeowners insurance as well. Use this information when you are comparing different homes to buy.

It doesn't rightly matter what your specific buyer's needs are, and that's because property is property, when talking about using these tips to approach the market correctly, while hunting for the best deal. You can use the tips you've just read to get the best deal on any type of property that you want to purchase.

Techniques For Mastering The Topic Of Debt Consolidation

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Do you understand what debt consolidation is? Do you know how it can help you to deal with all of the money you owe today? Do you want to learn more about how you can turn it into a solution to your problems? Continue reading this article for the answers you seek.

Prior to making any debt consolidation decisions, look at the privacy policy of the company you are considering. You'll be giving this company a lot of your personal financial information, and what they are allowed to use it for is a really big deal. Never assume in this instance. Look to that privacy policy to know the real situation.

Find out whether a debt consolidation company is a "home equity loan" provider in disguise. Some debt consolidation companies really just want you to take out a home equity loan. Don't let this be you. After all, your home is the most important thing you have. If you find out a company wants you to take out a loan on your home, move on.

Sometimes, you can use your retirement or 401K money to pay for credit cards. This should only be done as an absolute last resort since there are significant ramifications if the money is not paid back quickly. Income taxes and penalties will be due on money taken out and not replaced.

If you are choosing a debt consolidation company, it's important that you check them out for legitimacy. Ultimately, not only are you going to check with the Better Business Bureau, but you also want to see what your state's consumer protection agency has to say about them. You want to play safe when it comes to debt consolidation so that you don't find yourself in an even worse situation.

Now do you understand what debt consolidation can do for you? Do you have all the tips you need to get started rebuilding your financial situation? This article has armed you with the knowledge you require, all you have to do is start using it to deal with your problems.

Can’t get a Mortgage? Try a Bigger Lender

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Demand for mortgages rose during the second quarter, but a strong divergence between larger and smaller lenders in underwriting credit standards is appearing, according to Fannie Mae’s Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey, which tracks current lending activities and market expectations among senior mortgage executives.

Mortgage executives say it’s difficult for consumers to get a mortgage today, but some lenders are tightening their standards more than others. The Fannie Mae survey found that smaller and mid-size lenders are more likely than larger lenders to say their credit standards tightened over the prior three months. These lenders also report that they’re more likely to tighten them even more during the next three months. On the other hand, larger lenders were more likely to report that they have eased their credit standards over the prior three months and that they expect to ease standards more during the next three months.

The most common reason cited for tightening credit standards among all the lenders surveyed was the “changing regulatory requirements,” according to the survey. “Lenders have been trying to find ways to manage their operational costs and meet new regulatory rules,” says Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. “They appear to feel cost constrained and, thus, may be applying more conservative standards in their lending practices.” Still, overall, lenders reported positive expectations for mortgage demand throughout the remainder of the year, although they expect growth to remain modest. “These results are broadly in line with other major indicators released recently, including the pickup in home sales in May, and also support our expectations of a steady but unspectacular rebound for housing during the second half of this year,” says Duncan.

Debt Consolidation 101: The Tips You Need To Know

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Few things in life can cause you as much stress as debt, but one solution that many find helpful is consolidation of that debt. The following article will offer you tips and advice on how to financially situate yourself using a smart debt consolidation model. Following your consolidation, life should become easier.

If you think you have a debt consolation company that you want to work with, make sure you look them up on the Better Business Bureau. You should be able to see consumer reviews, which will help you determine if you really want to do business with them or not. Even doing a simple search online for the company's name may bring up some helpful information.

Pick the debt consolidation company you use wisely. Just as with many other decisions you make, you should compare companies first. How long have they been in business for? What is their reputation like? Are their fees reasonable or too high? These are all questions you need to think about before picking a company.

Debt consolidation works best when applied to credit cards. If you have significant balances on various cards, you're probably paying way too much in interest and could benefit greatly from a debt consolidation loan. See if you can't combine all of the debt into one payment with a favorable interest rate, and limit your credit card spending once that is accomplished.

Don't be fooled by debt consolidators just because they claim to be nonprofit. Non-profit does not always mean that it's great. Check out any company by visiting your local Better Business Bureau.

Once you've gone through the process of debt consolidation, your finances should become much easier to manage. Hopefully, this article has provided you with enough information to move forward. Debt consolidation, although somewhat tricky in the beginning, can really breathe new life into your finances. Do it the right way and keep your debt low in the future.

Real Estate Advice That Property Tycoons Do Not Want You To Know

Article Source: http://www.applymortgageonline.ca/

Finding a beautiful home or the perfect place to put your new business is not always the challenge. Often, people get flustered and frustrated when it comes to the actual buying process. Don't let buying real estate overwhelm you! Use the tips below to help you have an easy and smooth transaction with a seller.

When purchasing real estate, be sure to get the mortgage that is right for you. If you are intending on staying in the house for a long while, then a fixed rate mortgage is the way to go. On the other hand, someone who intends to move after a few years should take advantage of a low rate adjustable mortgage. This way you will save money.

To select the right city or area for you, you should visit it before thinking about moving there. Ask people who live there what the job market or the school district is like. Make sure you move to an area that will open new careers possibilities for you and your family.

If you are trying to find a realtor to buy or sell your home, be sure to interview them. The realtor is going to be your employee and you will be paying him or her several thousands of dollars. Make sure that they will do an adequate job for the money that they will be paid.

Your debt, credit history, the type of mortgage you choose and the current interest rates will all play an important role when you go to apply for a mortgage. These will all determine, along with your income and cash on hand, the amount of money that a lender will give you to purchase a home.

If you use the tips above, you can be on your way to having your dream house or perfect office space. The right real estate for your office, store or family can make all the difference. Don't let the process frustrate you! Get the real estate help you need today!

Learn All About Debt Consolidation In This Article

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

There is a ton to say about debt consolidation, so you may find that there is a plethora of information online to sift through. It can be tough to figure out which sites offer valid advice and which aren't on the up and up. This article has the expert tips you need, so read on.

If you think you have a debt consolation company that you want to work with, make sure you look them up on the Better Business Bureau. You should be able to see consumer reviews, which will help you determine if you really want to do business with them or not. Even doing a simple search online for the company's name may bring up some helpful information.

Never scoff at negotiating your debt. While you may wish for all the debt to go away, it will not. Bankruptcy is your only option for a clean wipe, and most people do not want to go that route. If you can reduce your debt by any amount of money through negotiation, do so. Dropping some of the debt is better than nothing.

If your creditors are applying high interest rates to your accounts, a personal loan could be a good option. Try finding a personal loan with a good interest rate. A loan is a good debt consolidation strategy as long as the interest rate offered is lower than what creditors are charging you.

Look for a debt consolidation loan that offers a low rate that is fixed. If you do not have a fixed rate, you will simply be guessing how much you will be paying, which is extremely difficult to manage. Look for a one-stop loan that provides favorable terms over the life of the loan and puts you in a much better financial position once the loan has been paid off.

Know why you want to consolidate your debt. Is it because someone recommended it? Did you see a commercial on tv? It's important to know your motivation, because debt consolidation is something that takes a great deal of responsibility. If you cannot come up with compelling reasons that you need to take this course of action, think again.

Instead of making your way through the maze of online data, you can rely on the tips in this article and begin your journey to fixing your finances. All you need to do is start using this advice today. It will lead you down the path to financial freedom in the future.

What to Do When Your Credit Card Debt Has Been Charged Off

One of our readers, Ashok, sent us this question:

Sir, I am a credit card defaulter. I changed my address and likelihood of bank finding me is almost zero. But I feel guilty to do this and want to settle my account with bank, However, i am not in a condition to pay the full amount, but would like to get my name written off from bank’s defaulter list. How do I settle my account with bank? What kind of rebate i can expect? Is there any agency to help me out in this?

Thanks for your question Ashok!

You are wise to want to settle the account out for several reasons:
Credit card companies employ entire departments of people they call “skip trace”. Which basically means when someone skips out, they harass everyone you know until they find you.
The credit card company will keep reporting the debt to all three credit bureaus until they write it off. When they write it off, they will sell your debt to a new collection company, who will also report your debt to all three credit bureaus. When they give up on trying to find you, they will simply sell your debt to another company.
If anyone ever does catch up to you, you can expect them to sue you, and garnish your wages.

Now, assuming that they do not ever find you, you will still have to deal with the damage that delinquent account is doing to your credit score. So, you are exactly right to want to make good on the debt. It will begin the process of repairing your credit.

There is one thing you need to be aware of before you begin. Now, I do not know how old your debt is, but I can tell you that if your credit card company has written off your debt already, calling them will “re-open” it, and they will begin collections all over again. This could actually cause you to have multiple negative accounts on your credit report over the same debt – so do a couple of things first.

If you want to make good on your debt what you have to do is pull all three of your credit reports, and find out who currently owns your debt. From that point, you have two options:
Call the collection company who owns your debt now, and offer a settlement for a reduced amount.
Send a certified letter to the collection company that currently owns the debt telling them that you refuse to deal with anyone but the original owner of the account (the bank that issued the card.) This is your right by law.

There are pros and cons to both of these:

Collection companies are used to making settlements, and they will likely settle for less than your original bank will. However, they may have tacked on quite a few additional fees to your account that would not be charged to you if you deal directly with the bank that gave you the card.

The best way to know if fees have been added is to look at your credit report. Look at the amount your bank charged off, and then compare it to the amount the new collection company says you owe.

Settling the debt with the original bank will look better on your credit score because it will show a paid charge off. If you pay your original bank you can wait a few months, and challenge any negative information on your reports that resulted from the collection companies (not the original bank.)

As far as what kind of a settlement you can expect: it depends on how much you are willing to negotiate. In situations like yours, you should easily be able to cut the total by 50% if you are dealing with a collection company. If you deal with the original bank, upwards of 30% is a reasonable expectation.

As far as organizations that can help, yes, you will get the help you need from a credit counseling agency. Just be careful which one you choose, because not all of them do a good job. They will negotiate with your creditors on your behalf, and get the account settled for you.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

B.C. Property Market Hazy After 'Millionaire Visa' Scrapped

Real estate agents in Vancouver say property prices could take a hit, after Canada scrapped a program which allowed wealthy immigrants to fast-track the visa process.

The Immigrant Investor Program, launched in 1986, offered visas to business people with a net worth of at least $1.6 million who were willing to lend $800,000 to the Canadian government — for investment across Canada — for a term of five years.

By 2012, the scheme had to be temporarily frozen due to a huge backlog of applications from wealthy mainland Chinese hoping to come to B.C. Now, the government has announced it will end the program for good and scrap all 59,000 applications backlogged worldwide.

The decision came less than a week after the South China Morning Post published a series of exclusive investigative reports into the controversial scheme.

Property prices could take a hit

In West Vancouver, real estate agent Clarence Debelle is still receiving offers from mainland China for luxury property, but he's concerned the end of the investor program will have an impact on the local economy and the high-end housing market.

"I deal directly with these people who bring a lot of wealth, who are creating lots of jobs for local Canadians — builders, trades, architects, realtors like myself," said Debelle.

"Most of the buying is coming from Chinese immigrants who are wealthy, so if we make it difficult for them to come into this country, we have killed 80 to 90 per cent of the buying in West Vancouver."

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland agrees.

"When you suddenly stave off the intake of literally hundreds of millionaires in the Vancouver property market, prices can only go one way and that's down," said Kurland.

Market impacted by more than investors

Others aren't so sure. Even with the investor program frozen, housing prices continued to rise.

Tom Davidoff with UBC's Sauder School of Business says the market is driven by other things like low interest rates and the local and global economies.

"Given that in the last couple of years, we haven't seen the market cool off, it's hard to believe that freezing the investor market is going to kill even the high-end in Vancouver," said Davidoff.

The government has also announced the end of the Entrepreneur Program, a smaller scheme for business people who plan to own and manage a business in Canada.

However, wealthy investors can still come to Canada through the Start-up Visa Program, which encourages immigrant entrepreneurs to partner with private sector organizations to invest in local start-ups.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Toronto House Prices Could Slip In 2015, TD Bank Predicts

Report estimates Toronto, Vancouver real estate markets are 10 to 15 per cent overvalued, compared to 10 per cent for rest of country
Barely has the year — and a whole new round of bidding wars — begun and the first of the big banks has weighed in with a warning that Toronto’s housing market is 10 to 15 per cent overvalued.

So is Vancouver’s, says TD Economics in a report released Monday, noting that both cities have been seeing “frothier conditions” than the rest of the country, where house prices remain about 10 per cent overvalued, largely because of low interest rates.

“Toronto and Vancouver make up 40 per cent of the Canadian housing market, so that’s what’s really driving the overvaluation measure,” said TD economist Diana Petramala in an interview.

A spike in interest rates or a “negative economic shock” could potentially send resale home prices tumbling by 25 per cent, Petramala notes. But it’s far more likely there will be a “gradual unwinding of excesses” in the Canadian market as interest rates slowly rise, along with incomes, over the next few years.

It’s likely to be 2015 until Toronto, and much of the country, start to see any real downturn in sales and prices, according to TD.

While Toronto home prices jumped 6.8 per cent in 2012 and 5.4 per cent in 2013, they could rise just 2.7 per cent this year and slip by 1.2 per cent in 2015, when interest rates are expected to start climbing, the report forecasts.

Petramala notes that “prices ended 2013 on a much higher note than we had been expecting as households faced an unusually low level of homes for sale.”

That has played out in the old City of Toronto, in particular, in an unexpectedly feverish start to 2014, with a simple Junction Triangle row house going for $210,000 over asking price in a flurry of 32 bids.

“The one concern we have is that we’re seeing more strength in Toronto’s house prices than expected,” says Sal Guatieri, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets.

Even all those new condos coming on the market haven’t been enough to hold down housing prices, says Guatieri, noting that resale condo prices were up almost 4 per cent in December, year over year.

“We thought, if anything, Toronto house prices would fall somewhat last year. But underlying demand is pretty strong, net migration is pretty healthy and the number of echo boomers aged 30 to 34 is growing quite rapidly at the moment and they are a prime homebuying cohort, especially for condos.”

The housing market is “overshooting,” but “it’s not a market that is crashing,” says Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets.

He continues to believe that the market will slow to a soft landing and that real estate numbers to be released this week detailing January sales and prices (those from the Toronto Real Estate Board are due out Wednesday) could start to provide a more “realistic” picture of the health of the housing sector.

“This market will be tested when interest rates start rising, and that means it won’t be tested for a while.”

The Canadian housing market and worries about a real estate bubble have been key concerns for policy-makers for several years.

Recent indicators have suggested the market may be headed for a soft landing instead of a bubble bursting, but concerns have persisted.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.