In today's market, you have to get creative in marketing your Halifax home. More and more sellers are seeing the necessity of the power of "staging". It may seem silly but you can stage your home in line with the five senses. We are a sensory species and it's true that our judgment and emotions are strongly influenced by what our senses tell us, so it's really a good idea to help your Halifax home appeal to all the senses. To harness the full power of staging, here is how you can use our five senses to your advantage. Sight: This may be the most obvious of all the senses. Your home should be clean and uncluttered. Replace trophies and kids artwork with simple, classic décor. Doing so will help the buyer imagine your home as their own. You may even want to consider temporarily storing ou... 03/28/2011

As future Halifax homeowners, you are in the home stretch. You've learned about your Beacon score, what it is composed of and some programs to help raise that score. Now, you will learn some tips for improving your credit yourself by creating good credit habits. For anyone unfortunate enough to have not yet read my first three posts on this subject, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 are easily available to you! The biggest tactic for improving your credit score is consolidating your debt. One option is to get a short-term second mortgage to pay off all your debt. Your outstanding credit will show zero and after a few months of the bureau's reporting it zero, your Beacon score will increase to allow you to get more competitive rates. Do not over apply to creditors and lenders. As you learned in... 03/25/2011

In Part 2 of "Repair Your Credit Before Buying Your Halifax Home," we discussed how a Beacon score is determined and the most common credit mistakes that lower your score. But don't despair if your score is less than perfect, there are products available to improve that credit score so that you can get the best possible mortgage rate for your Halifax home.   Equitable Trust is designed to help a broad range of borrowers with varying credit scores and situations. As long as they see proof that you are working to improve your credit score, they can offer favorable rates and loan-to-value just as they would somebody with a higher Beacon score.  Mortgage payments do not go on credit reports. So although you may be paying your current lender on time, you still will want to increase your cred... 03/21/2011

Last time we determined that it is important to know your Beacon score before looking for a home mortgage for your new Halifax home. Brokers can help you increase your score by helping you make better financial decisions. But first, you need to understand how the Beacon score is determined. It is comprised of the following percentages: 35% for late payments, bankruptcies, collections and judgments 30% for current debts 15% for the length of time your accounts have been opened and established 10% for types of credit including any bank loans and credit cards 10% for inquiries involving applications for new credit As you can see, chronic late payments will affect your credit score the most and give you a poor credit rating. One solution your broker can help you with is consolidating your b... 03/18/2011

When you decide it's time to buy your Halifax home, it's important to know your credit score up front. Although credit may seem a mysterious concept to some people, it doesn't have to be for you. Paying your bills on time or being oblivious to basic rules of finance, can mean the difference between an A mortgage rating that carries a great interest rate or a B mortgage that carries higher payments. If you find that your credit can do with some improving before obtaining a mortgage loan, a broker is just the person to help. According to Brian Leland, Equitable Trust's Director of Residential Mortgage Underwriting, "Brokering today is so much more than finding your client a mortgage, they are taking an approach to keep that client for a lifetime so they'll try to coach clients to improve ... 03/14/2011

In  Part 1 of my post "Improve Your Halifax Home's Air Quality", you learned of potential dangers with the air quality and toxic levels in your Halifax home or an older home you are looking at buying. Learning of these dangers was the first step in alleviating any further problems. Now, let's discuss how to improve your air quality and minimize toxins in your home. Improving Your Home's Air Quality The most effective way to improve your home's indoor air quality is to find the source of pollution and eliminate it from your home or at least reduce the emissions. For example, gas stoves can be adjusted to vent more efficiently or if you have an old boiler covered with asbestos insulation, it can be coated for protection. "Canadians should be concerned but not scared," says Nicolas Gilbert... 03/11/2011

If you own or are looking to buy an older Halifax house, there may be some air quality issues you need to research. In fact, even with a clean report from the home inspector, there may be air pollutants in any age home so be sure to check them out thoroughly. "You can have different kinds of pollutants, but any home of any age can become contaminated," says Virginia Solares, a senior researcher with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). She says older homes may be more likely to have mold problems because of leaky basements, but new homes are increasingly airtight, often with insufficient ventilation, and may be constructed with building materials that can produce noxious emissions. It's a fact that Canadians spend about 70% of their time in their homes, regardless of the ... 03/07/2011

Often times we don't invest the money into a remodel until we look to sell our Halifax home. In an ideal real estate market, a remodel would add value, but in today's market, expensive pre-sale renovations, for the most part, aren't worth it. According to Remodeling magazine's 2010 Remodeling Cost vs. Value survey, remodels done in 2010 will only recoup 60% of their price when the house is sold. If you do decide to remodel before selling your Halifax home, look to the two rooms that potential buyers look at most; the kitchen and bathroom. You don't have to invest a lot of money to impress potential buyers. Here I will go over what to do and what to avoid when considering a pre-sale renovation: Kitchen Don't invest in expensive professional-grade appliances. Who's to say potential buyers... 03/04/2011

If you are selling your Halifax home, it's still important to take care of your lawn even when it's dormant. This will not only keep your neighbors happy but potential buyers interested, starting from the curb all the way into your home. Winter lawn care is important to ensure a healthy lawn come springtime. I'm not talking involved care or high maintenance; just following some simple precautions can make all the difference to your lawn. The first and easiest thing you can do is to rake up any leaves that cover your lawn. If they are left sitting over grass, they will create dead spots that you will be trying to regrow all next season. The same goes for clutter and debris, such as toys. It's wintertime in Halifax, more than likely snow packed, and toys should not be out anyway. Although... 02/28/2011

If you are either downsizing or looking for a more affordable choice in housing, a Halifax condominium may be the choice for you. There are some things to take into consideration before deciding for or against condo living. It isn't for everyone, but it may just be for you. Here are some pros and cons of condo living to consider before you make a move. Pro Condo Living Location & Affordability: If you have your eyes set on a specific neighborhood but can't afford a single family home there, look at a condominium in your desired neighborhood. It may be more affordable to buy a condo in your ideal neighborhood. Amenities: Many Halifax condominiums come with access to such things as fitness centers, pools and clubhouses. Low Maintenance: If no maintenance of outdoor and community features ... 02/25/2011

If you have ever pondered the idea of turning your Halifax home greener by converting your hot water heater to solar, now may be the time to do it. The Halifax Regional Municipality is making an effort to help bring cleaner, greener technologies to homeowners by way of the Community Solar Project. The Community Solar Project is a proposed pilot program that has the goal of making solar technology more accessible to metro's residents. The real gem in this project is that, if it comes to realization, experts from City Hall will help homeowners deal with the logistical obstacles they may face while converting their hot water heating systems to solar power. Also, City Hall will ensure that residents get all the federal and provincial rebates that they may be eligible to receive through this... 02/21/2011

The weather outside your Halifax home might be frightful, but even more fearsome are the meters doing their fast-forward spin on winter energy costs. When selling your Halifax home, it's a great selling point to have your home as energy efficient as possible. The average house consumes about $2,000 per year in energy costs. You can make some costly and not so costly improvements (some free in fact!) to make your home more cost efficient and desirable to those buyers looking for a more energy efficient home. So let's start our tour on how to green your home from more expensive projects to some inexpensive ways: Basement or Utility RoomYou may want to consider replacing your furnace if it is more than 15 years old. Newer models are 90% or more efficient compared to older ones, which may b... 02/18/2011

When selling your Halifax home, you want all the great assets in your home to stand out. So naturally, you want to draw attention to your fireplace, especially with the cold weather outside. However, real wood-burning fireplaces can be messy and leave a smoky odor when potential buyers walk through your home. Fake logs can look, well, too fake. Why not update your fireplace with a growing trend - to fill it with recycled, reflective glass. It's clean, easy to install and pretty to look at. Plus, a great added benefit for you is that the materials heat up quickly and give off a little more warmth than traditional fireplaces. The reflective glass looks great and is easy to work with but can be costly depending on your choices. Installing the right kind of burner (similar to one you'd use ... 02/14/2011

If you are looking to buy a Halifax home, you may already be looking ahead at the big picture; how to pay off your new mortgage as quickly as possible. Last week we explained how paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible will benefit you in the long run. You can dramatically lower the interest that you will pay throughout the life of your mortgage simply by paying more on your principal in the first few years. Here are some ways to make that happen without breaking the bank: Round your monthly payments up to the next nearest dollar or an even amount you can afford. By rounding say to even $10 more per payment, the extra money will rarely be noticed but the amount of interest you will save over the life of your Halifax mortgage will definitely be noticed. Use the double-up privileg... 02/11/2011

If you are looking to buy a Halifax home, you may already be looking ahead at the big picture - how to pay off your new mortgage as quickly as possible. One way to shorten the life of your mortgage is to pay down extra principal in the early years of your loan. This will also dramatically lower the interest paid over the life of the mortgage as well. The following are a few tips to make that happen: Annually increase your mortgage payment to as much as you can afford. If it turns out to be too great a burden or your income changes, most lenders will allow you to reduce it again to the original level. Prepayments give great return on investment By reducing your Halifax home's mortgage principal, you will save mortgage interest. For example, say you pay an average of 6% in mortgage intere... 02/07/2011

On January 17th, 2011, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced three mortgage regulation changes saying these regulations are meant to "encourage hard working Canadian families to save by investing in their homes and future." This means that effective March 18, 2011, it may become harder to buy a Halifax home or consolidate debt into your mortgage. Just to recap, these three changes are: A 30-year maximum amortization on insured mortgages over 80% LTV An 85% LTV limit on insured refinances Elimination of government insurance on secured lines of credit (aka., HELOCs) If you are currently looking to buy a Halifax home, just what do these changes mean to you? Let's review the highlights in a Q&A format to help you as a homeowner, or home buyer, understand how these changes can affect you. ... 02/04/2011

Ready to sell your Halifax home? There are many things to do when preparing to put your home on the market. You need to decide which home repairs or upgrades are the most important; the ones that will give you a passing grade in your Halifax home inspection are the ones that should top the list. A pre-inspection by yourself and a professional can be important in avoiding little issues becoming big problems. Another huge benefit is the opportunity to correct any defects before marketing your home. This will make your home more salable and increase the odds of a smooth transaction. A home inspection will normally cover all the home's major systems and can make a difference between selling your home or having it passed by. Starting at the TopOne of the first places the inspector will exami... 01/31/2011

Whether you live in Nova Scotia, are visiting, or are looking to move here, there's one event you should not miss. It's the Fourth Annual Nova Scotia Winter Icewine Festival taking place from February 3 to 13, 2011. There will be beautiful ice sculptures to admire, wine-paired dinners to enjoy, terrace tastings and, of course, icewine....lots of icewine. There are many things that make icewine unique. In Canada, the grapes must freeze naturally to be called icewine. Most harvests must happen at night because the sun starts to melt the grapes on the vine in the morning, diluting the flavor. Icewine grapes need to be harvested at -8C or colder to concentrate the sugars and flavours in the juice, leaving behind the frozen ice crystals. Even the pressing happens in a cold, uninsulated build... 01/28/2011

In Credit Reports and Scores are Key When Buying a Halifax Home - Part 1, you learned that before looking to buy your new Halifax home, it's important to know your credit score. If your credit score is too low, you could find yourself paying a higher interest rate than anticipated or even denied access to certain types of loans. You can, however, take precautions to protect your credit report and credit score. This will ensure better rates and a better choice of mortgage products for you. Here are important steps to take to keep your credit report and credit score healthy: Pay your debts on time - always meet current due dates. Don't max out your credit cards - use only up to 50% of a card's credit limit. Make sure not to have too many open accounts at a time. Borrow only the amount you... 01/24/2011

When you are looking to buy your Halifax home, it's important to understand that the pricing of mortgages and other loans is based in a large part on your credit-worthiness. Your credit will be evaluated by lenders in order to approve you for a home mortgage or determine the interest rate given on your loan. There are two main factors to look at: a credit report and your credit score. A credit report is a detailed history of how consistently you meet your financial obligations, and provides a picture of your financial health based on your past behavior. A credit score is a three-digit number usually between 300 and 900. This credit score represents your overall credit worthiness and is based on personal information from your credit score and other sources. Both your credit report and sc... 01/21/2011