ottawamortgagesolutions: How Mothers can help save the economy…
- 05/07/09 02:01 PM
According to Canwest News Service, the continued recession means that for the second consecutive year, Mom will be taking a hit on Mother’s Day! U.S. consumers will spend $123.89 on average on Mother’s Day, down more than 10 percent from a year ago, according to a survey released on Thursday by the National Retail Federation. Generally speaking, Canadians are similar in their spending habits. Market research company BIGresearch reports that, in their survey conducted between March 31 and April 7, 2009 (8,667 consumer participants), there has been a decline to $138.63 in 2008 from $139.14 in 2007 in spending on Mother’s … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Mark Carney Discusses the Economy
- 05/07/09 01:53 PM
Click to here to watch Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada discuss the economy, interest rates and his view on the outlook for Canada. He was in CBC studio Sunday evening being interviewed by Evan Solomon. … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Ottawa Asbestos Prevention and Tips for Healthier Home
- 04/16/09 04:23 AM
Citizens & homeowners of Canada are familiar with problems associated with asbestos. Highly touted for its fire, heat and versatile qualities, asbestos was used in construction applications throughout the 20th century. Health hazards related to asbestos have affected millions worldwide. If you are a potential Ottawa homebuyer are seeking to remodel an older home, exposure can cause many health concerns for you and your family. This does not mean home owners or those involved in real estate should be frightened because asbestos exposure is easily prevented by taking simple precautions. There are now many green insulation alternatives that make the use … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: First Time Home Buyer?
- 04/16/09 04:11 AM
Thousands of homes are sold each year in the Ottawa area. There’s no shortage of housing options, but with so many choices from Stittsville to Barrhaven, the challenge becomes finding the property which best meets your needs. The housing market is complicated because the stock of homes for sale is always in flux. Even if you could have a complete list of every home for sale at a given moment in a given community, such a list would become quickly obsolete as new homes become available and listed properties are sold. In effect, Buyers are looking at a dynamic market. So … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Lenders will work with you to get you back on track
- 04/16/09 04:10 AM
As we previously stated there will be help if you are having financial difficulty. CMHC has launched an awareness campaign today to help those that have hit some financial stress in their lives. Be it through loss of job or loss of net worth due to the slumping economy. CMHC has been working with lenders to give as many flexible options to their clients to ensure that Canadians can keep their homes. However, it is up to you to contact your lender as soon as you feel you may fall behind in your mortgage payments. Here are four options available by … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: There will be help from your bank!
- 04/16/09 04:09 AM
Inevitably with our current economic recession there has been an increase in personal bankruptcies and an increase in the request for employment insurance. Statscan reported that in January 200 employment insurance benefits was up 22.8% in January from February 2008. They also stated personal bankruptcies was up 14.9 percent. Most of these numbers were felt in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. The unemployment rate is currently 7.2% which is the highest it has been since 2004. The risk to banks and lending institutions in times like these are the increase in defaults on personal mortgages. In effort to ease the … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Get ready for the Buying Boom – Spring is here!
- 04/16/09 04:08 AM
Buyers are out there, but they’re nervous about making an offer because of the confusion surrounding the real estate market. With all the differing opinions and viewpoints on the economy, it’s a little difficult to know which news is the right news. Saying things are better here than south of the border doesn’t necessarily make people feel any better; things are so bad there that there’s really no comparison! What Buyers need to be aware of is that the spring Real Estate market is traditionally the strongest for activity in Ottawa and this year won’t be any different, in fact, it … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Thinking about renovating?
- 04/16/09 04:06 AM
Have those home reno tax credits got you thinking? The eco-audits are another bonus; you can get up to $10,000 back in rebates for the large items. In addition to those credits, how about the historically low interest rates you can get for a home equity line or refinance to pay for them? It’s a win-win situation for all of us! However, before you start, make sure you have the right contractor for the job! The industry is full of fly-by-night “contractors”, those that want the money up front for the work before they’re finished, offer you a “deal” if … (0 comments)
Spring 1. After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, carefully test the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it is not stuck. Caution: This test may release hot water that can cause burns. 2. Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation system, … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Granny Flats and In-Law Suites help pay the mortgage
- 04/16/09 04:03 AM
Patrick Langston reported in a recent Ottawa Citizen column that “interest in (granny suites) will continue to grow as the population ages and the recession forces families to look for new revenue sources.” According to Stan Wilder, Policy Planner for the City of Ottawa, the concept of the “granny flats” is embraced by the city as it promotes one of the city’s goals of “aging in place” for our senior residents. In the same “Homes” Section of the paper, the Citizen’s Homes Editor, Sheila Brady, featured a young family who invited the woman’s younger sister to share separate living quarters in … (2 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Great News for First-Time Home Buyers…..
- 04/16/09 04:02 AM
Under the RRSP Home Buyers Plan a first-time home buyer can now withdraw tax free from a Registered Retirement Savings plan to purchase or build a new home up to $25,000 ($50,000 per couple); this is up from $20,000. Under this plan participants must begin repayment two years after withdrawing the funds. The withdrawal amount is completely repaid over a period of 15 years interest free. You may also participate in the Home Buyers Plan more than once as long as you repaid your previous withdrawal in full and within the prescribed time period. As the March 1st RRSP deadline is … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Budget 2009
- 04/16/09 04:01 AM
In one of the most anticipated budgets in Canadian history the Harper Government made good on its promise. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty toned down on their first attempt at a budget, and followed the guidelines set out by the G20 to spend heavily and provide tax cuts to help spur on the economy. Did they do enough? We’ll see over the next 12 months. However, one thing is for sure - their commitment to improve the housing market is at the forefront of this budget. Here are some highlights · Home Renovation Credit – Up to $1350 tax credit for renovation … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Even more reasons to secure your unsecured…
- 04/16/09 04:00 AM
TD announced this past week that they will be introducing a $35 inactivity fee on all their unused lines of credit. This fee will be introduced in April. But it doesn’t stop there, for those who do use their credit lines, TD will raise the borrowing rate by an additional 0.5%, moving the rate to 4.4% above prime. Currently with prime at 3.00%, the new borrowing rate will be 7.4%. Still a decent rate when compared to many auto loans and credit cards however, if compared to a secured line of credit, ie. Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) the rate … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Housing Prices Drop Again
- 04/16/09 03:58 AM
Canadian new home prices have fallen again in November according to StatsCan. This was the second straight month in which there was a decline in new housing prices. New Housing prices dropped 0.3% in November from October. This decline has almost eliminated any gains the market saw in the first half of 2008. Although we are still awaiting the December numbers the current gain is at 0.7% year over year, which is the lowest Canada has seen since 1999. … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Budget Bonuses: Tax Credits for Renos?
- 04/16/09 03:58 AM
The Globe and Mail is reporting today that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is considering giving tax credits to homeowners who make home renovations. While there has been a lot of talk lately about large infrastructure spending in the upcoming federal budget, this home reno idea would focus on smaller but more wide spread spending. The idea is to provide personal tax credits for homeowners who make certain (yet to be determined) upgrades to their home. Not only would this help homeowners directly, but it could provide a significant boost to the construction industry. There are a number of benefits to this … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: The Better Business Bureau has awarded TMG The Mortgage Group an A+ rating
- 04/16/09 03:56 AM
BBB assigns grades from A to F with pluses and minuses. A+ is the highest grade and F is the lowest. The grade represents BBB’s degree of confidence that the business is operating in a trustworthy manner and will make a good faith effort to resolve any customer concerns. Ratings are determined by a proprietary formula that represents BBB’s opinion as to (1) the importance of each category, and (2) the appropriate score given to the business for each category. BBB assigns ratings by evaluating businesses in the following categories: BBB experience with the industry in which the business operates The … (2 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: Canadian banks post first quarter earnings
- 04/16/09 03:55 AM
Canadian banks are proving that our financial system is the best in the world, as stated by the World Economic Forum in October. This week the Canadian major banks release their first quarter earnings for 2009, and most exceeded industry expectations. More impressive, however is they are remarkably better than their counterparts in the US and Europe. The Royal Bank posted first quarter earnings of $1.05 billion, Toronto-Dominion Bank showed profits of $712 million, however as a sign of the times both of these banks profits were down by more than 15% from the first quarter of last year. The Canadian … (0 comments)
ottawamortgagesolutions: The Time to Buy is Now!
- 01/29/09 02:40 AM
It truly is becoming a buyer's market. Housing prices have begun to drop with the downturn in the economy and fewer and fewer people are looking to make the change in properties; upsizing may be a thing of the past. People are looking for smaller and more affordable homes, especially as market and job volatility are on the rise. According to Desjardins Group, their index of Canadian Housing Affordability is returning to historic norms, from recent years where cities were seeing double digit increases. This past year has seen the opposite. Canada's housing prices are down 12.6% across the board in … (0 comments)
Ottawa Mortgages - www.OttawaMortgageSolutions.com (The Mortgage Group – Mortgage Brokerage). Refinancing or Renewing your Ottawa mortgage? First Time Home Buyer mortgage? Real Estate Investor mortgage? Commercial Mortgage? Debt consolidation? Let us show you how to save money! Access to over 40 Canadian mortgage lenders and great mortgage rates! Our experienced mobile Mortgage Agents are available to coach you through your mortgage experience. We negotiate on your behalf to save you money. Check out our Ottawa Mortgage Blog at www.OttawaMortgageBlog.com. Call us now – 1-877-933-8383 or email info@OttawaMortgageSolutions.com.
According to Canwest News Service, the continued recession means that for the second consecutive year, Mom will be taking a hit on Mother’s Day!
;)
;)
