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How to Become a Homeowner on a First-Time Buyer’s Budget

It’s not easy being a first-time home buyer right now. At the end of last year, housing affordability hit an all-time low.1 Additionally, mortgage rates have risen significantly since 2021, while inventory remains tight for many property categories, but especially for starter homes. Even lower-priced condos are harder to snag ...

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A Return to ‘Normal’? The State of Real Estate in 2022

Last year was one for the real estate history books. The pandemic helped usher in a buying frenzy that led to a record number of home sales in 2021 and a historically-high rate of appreciation, as prices nationally rose by more than 20% year over year, according to the Canadian ...

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Shut Down Home Intruders With These 7 Safety Strategies

A break and enter occurs every 90 seconds in Canada.1 Fortunately, there are some proven tactics you can use to decrease your likelihood of a home invasion. Most burglars won’t go to extreme lengths to enter your home. They are looking for easy access with minimal risk. A monitored security ...

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Could Rising Home Prices Impact Your Net Worth?

Learn how to determine your current net worth and how an investment in real estate can help improve your bottom line. Among its many impacts, COVID-19 has had a pronounced effect on the housing market. Low home inventory and high buyer demand have driven home prices to an all-time high.1 ...

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Add Value To Your Home With These 9 DIY Improvements

Whether you’re prepping your house to go on the market or looking for ways to maximize its long-term appreciation, these nine home improvement projects are great ways to add function, beauty, and real value to your home.   The best part is, once you’ve secured the materials, most of these ...

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20 Ways to Save Money & Stretch Your Household Budget

These days, it seems like everyone’s looking for ways to cut costs and stretch their income further. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your household expenses without making radical changes to your standard of living. When combined, these small adjustments can add up to significant ...

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Lowering Shipping Fees When Shopping Online

Online shopping is growing by an average of 20 million new shoppers each year. That’s a lot of people clicking and buying! You may be one of them.  However, there’s a cost to online shopping that’s all too easy to overlook.  Shipping fees.  Imagine saving $10 on a luxury cookware ...

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Watch Out for Carbon Monoxide In Your Home

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is invisible and odourless, so you can’t actually “watch out for it”. However, you should monitor for it because an excessive build-up of this gas in your home can be deadly. Fortunately, there are many types of Carbon Monoxide detectors you can purchase — and most are ...

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What Type of New Home Are You Qualified to Buy?

When you think about looking for a new home, one of the first questions that probably comes to mind is: “What type of property can I afford?” That’s an important question because your price range is a major determining factor in the types and sizes of homes you should be ...

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The Home Buyer’s Guide to Getting Mortgage Ready

Don’t wait until you’re ready to move to start preparing financially to buy a home. If you’re like the vast majority of home buyers, you will choose to finance your purchase with a mortgage loan. By preparing in advance, you can avoid the common delays and roadblocks many buyers face ...

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