Personal T1 and Corporate T2 Canadian Income Tax Preparation - Summerland & Penticton Okanagan BC - Home Star Financial Services - Raymond MAASKE, BBA   Don’t want to do your taxes this year?  Frustrated and need help?  In any case, we can help YOU!  We specialize in Personal T1 and Corporate T2 Canadian Income Tax Preparation - Summerland & Penticton Okanagan BC.  Call 250.488.8764 or Raymond@HomeStarRealty.ca   Special Offer!!  Get your taxes done FREE just by referring a qualified buyer or seller to Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan, BC - Real Estate and Homes for Sale - Home Star Realty - Raymond MAASKE 12/31/2010

2010 Penticton & Summerland, Okanagan BC Real Estate Review - Raymond MAASKE - Home Star Realty 2010 Penticton & Summerland, Okanagan BC Real Estate Review - Raymond MAASKE - Home Star Realty 12/30/2010

CHRISTMAS 2010 Greeting from Raymond MAASKE Home Star Realty - Summerland & Penticton Real Estate CHRISTMAS 2010 Greeting from Raymond MAASKE Home Star Realty - Summerland & Penticton Real Estate 12/23/2010

Watch Weekly Market Update - For the WEEK ending Saturday, December 17, 2010    Summerland, Penticton, South Okanagan, BC - Real Estate and Homes for Sale - Home Star Realty - Raymond MAASKE Watch Weekly Market Update - For the WEEK ending Saturday, December 17, 2010    Summerland, Penticton, South Okanagan, BC - Real Estate and Homes for Sale - Home Star Realty - Raymond MAASKE 12/18/2010

Johnston, Johnson & Company, The Law Office, Lawyers, Solicitors, Mediators , 9921 Main Street, Summerland BC, Tom Johnston, Leneigh Bosdet and Cory Goodrich, 250-494-0442   Tom Johnston is a mediator and lawyer who has been with the firm for 28 years. He is one of the most well known lawyers in the Okanagan because he has been involved in so many significant and complex cases. Tom prides himself on being a lawyer who is not only prepared to fight for his clients in court, but who is also a skilled negotiator. Tom has been a mediator for over 18 years and he is often hired by other lawyers to assist them with matters involving Litigation, Wills & Estates and Trusts, amongst others. Tom has also had a number of law students, including his current associate, Cory Goodrich. Tom has volunte... 12/14/2010

Dec. 11, 2010 - Market Update: Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan, BC - Real Estate - Raymond MAASKE   12/11/2010

  Prairie Valley Road and Rosedale Avenue Progress ReportSCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGEDuring the weeks of December 6th to December 20thPrairie Valley RoadH&M Contracting, Summerland Power and Advanced Powerlines will be starting to prepare for an electrical tie-in at the Fortis Sub-station on Prairie Valley Road west of Giant's Head Road at the end of this week. Excavation will take place from the Prairie Valley side of the Sub-station and the tie-in is scheduled to take place from the 14th to the 15th. Transfer to underground electrical will begin on the east end of Prairie Valley Road starting with the Summer Fair Shopping Centre, McDonalds and Tim Horton's. The outages will be short and in the late evening and the business have already been contacted. As well the electrical contracto... 12/06/2010

To Rent or To Buy?      Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan, BC - Real Estate and Homes for Sale - Home Star Realty - Raymond MAASKE To buy or not to buy. It’s a question many people struggle with. And it’s important to know if you truly want to own a home before you’re firmly entrenched in the homebuying process. To help you decide, here are some general advantages and disadvantage of homeownership: Advantages § A sound investment. If you choose a home you can afford, the payoff can be great. When you make a mortgage payment each month, you build equity in a place of your own (unlike a rent payment). Equity is the difference between the value of the home and your outstanding mortgage. The longer you stay in your home (and the more payments you make), the more equity you’ll have. And, unlik... 12/01/2010

Plans now frozen CHBC News, Kelowna: Friday, November 26, 2010 Plans to connect 80 Faulder homes to the Summerland water supply have come to a screeching halt. Photo Credit: Jeff Martin, CHBC News Plans to permanently fix a south Okanagan community’s water problems have come to a screeching halt.   With the drinking water in Faulder contaminated with uranium and often in short supply, 80 homeowners were scheduled to be hooked up to Summerland’s water supply by next spring.   However, as the design process progressed, costs skyrocketed to nearly double the original $1.5 million estimate.   Doug French with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen says the district will appeal for more grant money from the federal and provincial governments.   If that fails, there are two other opti... 11/29/2010

    Just a quick note to say that, with the current weather, the project has slowed down significantly. Unless we see a window of tropical temperatures before spring there will be little happening with the remainder of landscaping, sidewalk or asphalt patching work. The electrical, Telus and Shaw contractors, however, will continue to pull cable and make their terminations through the month of December. The line painting contractor may also be out one day to attempt some crosswalk lines on Prairie Valley Road. Once the new year rolls around work will begin on powering up the new underground lines, disconnecting the existing overhead lines and removing both the overhead lines and the poles.   I will keep everyone informed in the event of additional work that may affect businesses and res... 11/29/2010

Nov.25, 2010 - Market Update: Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan, BC - Real Estate - Raymond MAASKE Nov.25, 2010 - Market Update: Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan, BC - Real Estate - Raymond MAASKE 11/27/2010

Saving for your first home in Summerland or Penticton, Okanagan, BC If you’re saving for a down payment, you know how overwhelming it can sometimes feel, so here are few budgeting strategies that might help make easier.   First, you’ll want to create a budget. Once you’ve properly structured your finances, you’ll be less likely to overspend. Then, calculate how much you need for your down payment and then open a “home savings account” in order to keep funds separate from your main account. Next, make a list of your monthly expenses and eliminate unnecessary purchases. Here are a few ideas that’ll help you reach your goal: Consolidate Debts – If you carry a credit card balance, consolidate to a line of credit that offers a lower interest rate. Bring Your Own – Buying lunch even a few tim... 11/25/2010

  How to effectively 'show' your Summerland or Penticton, Okanagan BC home. Showing a home does not have to be an overwhelming, costly process. Regardless of your home's size, age, style, and location, there are ways to spruce it up and effectively showcase its assets. So grab your paintbrush, carpet cleaner, lawn mower, and Lysol -- the four ingredients to a great first date -- and get to work on your house. A clean house will sell.  People need to picture themselves in it and feel at home , this will make a prospect fall in love with your house. Does it take work? YES!   If you can not do the work yourself, hire it out, in the long run the increase in offers will be enough to make you a true believer. Home showing checklist - do within Three to a week  of putting up the sign: Outside... 11/24/2010

Canada inflation at 2-year high, stirs rate talk By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's annual inflation rate unexpectedly jumped to a two-year high of 2.4 percent in October, but analysts differed on whether the data would prompt the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates sooner than expected. The October figure, released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday, was higher than the 2.2 percent forecast by market operators. Higher prices for gasoline and energy explained much of the year-on-year increase. The closely watched core rate, which strips out volatile items and the effects of tax changes, rose to 1.8 percent from 1.5 percent in September. The Bank of Canada kept interest rates on hold last month after three consecutive hikes and said it would think carefully about raising the... 11/23/2010

Why do Summerland & Penticton people want to move? You no doubt had many good reasons for buying your current home. But sometimes you may be interested in knowing why others are selling — and buying. Below are some of the main reasons you may consider relocating: The commute. Is your drive too long now that your job has moved or you’ve gotten a new one? Is your commute simply too stressful as the amount of traffic has increased or your tolerance for it has decreased? Or has it just become too expensive with the skyrocketing cost of gas? Location no longer fits. Perhaps you’ve tired of the hustle and bustle of city living and long for the quiet of the ‘burbs’, or your neighbourhood is on the decline due to economic factors. Maybe there’s a new development planned for your area that will ... 11/22/2010

Prairie Valley Road and Rosedale Avenue Progress Report - Summerland BC Real Estate     Prairie Valley Road and Rosedale Avenue Progress Report SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE   During the weeks of November 22nd to December 6th   Prairie Valley Road The landscaper will continue placing paving stones in the medians but will now hold off until the spring to complete installation of the turf and plants. The contractor continues to work on the sidewalks as the weather allows. If there are any small portions of sidewalk that they are unable to complete they will be backfilled with crush for the time being. Contractors for Electrical, Telus and Shaw continue to pull and terminate cable underground. This will be ongoing for a while. There is still a small amount of line painting and asphalt patc... 11/22/2010

Summerland & Penticton BC - Smart Home Renovations  Why not do a home renovation project that allows you to live better now and make your home more saleable later?  Think cost-effective improvements that enhance curb appeal or boost energy efficiency.  The Appraisal Institute of Canada compared typical costs for renovations versus the impact on a home’s selling price to come up with a “payback range” for common projects.  Bathroom reno: 75% to 100% Kitchen reno: 75% to 100% Installing a deck: 25% to 75% Exterior siding: 50% to 75% Flooring upgrade: 50% to 75% Basement reno: 50% to 75% Source: AIC RENOVA interactive guide to the value of home improvements: www.aicanada.ca.   11/22/2010

Bob Isaak , Commercial Manager, Commercial Loans and Mortgages, Summerland & District Credit Union, 13601 Victoria Road North, 250. 494.6057  Summerland BC Real Estate The Summerland & District Credit Union is proud to be a single branch, independent credit union serving Summerland and surrounding area. Although the majority of our members are located here in our community, we have members all over Canada and the world. Bob Isaak , Commercial Manager, Commercial Loans and Mortgages, Summerland & District Credit Union, 13601 Victoria Road North, 250. 494.6057  Summerland BC Real Estate 11/21/2010

Lisa Jaager,   Summerland's 23rd Annual Festival Of Lights, November 26, 2010, Light Up Festival, Summerland Merchants Association, Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism, Things to do Lisa Jaager,   Summerland's 23rd Annual Festival Of Lights, November 26, 2010, Light Up Festival, Summerland Merchants Association, Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism, Things to do 11/20/2010

Denese Espeut-Post, Lawyer at Avery Law Office, 3203 Victoria Road North, Summerland, BC, areas of practice include wine and alcohol beverage law, real estate and much more  Avery Law Office’s areas of practice include wine and alcohol beverage law. We are proud to provide a solid range of legal services to stakeholders in the wine and alcohol beverage industry with a focus on small to mid-sized businesses. Our services are of the highest quality, genuine and personal and recognize the intricacies of the laws, regulations and unique contractual agreements that affect the industry. Our legal services are discussed in further detail on our Areas of Practicepage and include the following: Business Business Structuring and Formation Acquisitions & Sales (Share or Asset Purchases) Contracts ... 11/20/2010