Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless and odourless gas which is a common by-product  of the combustion of fossil fuels. The burning of natural gas, propane, oil, wood, kerosene and coal produce CO. Exhaust from your car or gas mower also produce this potentially dangerous gas. Because you can't see, taste or smell it carbon dioxide cannot easily be detected. It can cause serious health problems ranging from flu like symptoms with mild exposure to unconsciousness and death with extreme exposure. Even low levels of CO can be harmful because it accumulates in the blood and depletes the ability of blood to carry oxygen.  The risk of CO poisoning can be minimized by installing at least one CO detector in your home. Select a unit that is stamped with the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) la... 11/18/2008

Ever since we started our business, we have been very blessed in working with knowledgeable and really savvy realtors. From the start, these realtors weren't asking why they should use our services for their listings - they were telling US why! I find that incredibly refreshing after encountering other realtors who just can't see the merit in home staging. A lot of the realtors who don't see the merit, are also unable to see past the expense of hiring a home stager to do consultations for their clients. We offer special realtor rates to agents who use our services on a regular basis - as many other home staging companies do. This makes it affordable to include a home staging consultation in with the other services realtors offer and it sets them apart - especially where we live because ... 10/18/2008

The average sale price of all residential properties sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area held steady at almost $266,000, down only slightly from last month's average of $267,500 and up from last year's overall average of nearly $248,900. Industry experts from RE/MAX and CMHC predicted average price increases of 5 and 6.2 percent respectively for 2008.  Year-to-date average sale prices for all residential properties sold through the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board are up 6.7 percent to $265,500. While sales results were mixed depending on the particular price range, demand for higher priced homes remained buoyant in August, with sales of properties in the $400,000-plus jumping 26 percent. Karen Shartun, President of the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board says, "Properties in lower... 09/11/2008

This house is a lovely bungalow in Stanley Park, Kitchener which we were called in to help with before it went on the market. The home owner was an older lady who had moved to a nursing home and her relatives who lived outside the country were put in charge of getting the house sold. Our first impressions of the house were a lot of wallpaper, clutter and religious items. We were hired to stage but also to manage the wallpaper removal/painting project, general repairs and to de-clutter the house. Once done, the house was neutral and appealing to a wide range of buyers - and within 10 days a young family had snapped the house up! Small second bedroom. This room actually contained a double bed and the larger bedroom contained this single bed. We switched them and then had all the patterned... 09/05/2008

Sales of residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo and area rebounded last month, more than matching July 2007 results. There were 657 home sales last month, surpassing July 2007 results by two sales. All price categories above $225,000 experienced double-digit sales increases last month, while sales of lower priced properties tempered overall results. Sales of homes over $400,000 showed the greatest strength last month, jumping 67 percent relative to July 2007 results. The average price of all residential properties sold in the Kitchener-Waterloo area last month increased a comparable 5.6 percent to $261,936. Single family detached homes sold for an average price of $302,394, a 5.5 percent increase over one year ago. The median sale price of all homes sold in the Kitchener-Waterloo... 08/14/2008

I am a real estate sales representative with RE/MAX in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.  I currently have clients from Ontario looking to invest and/or buy a winter home in Arizona.  I am currently working with an real estate representative from Arizona, but would love to get more contacts and information about the real estate in Arizona and any listings you think my clients may be interested in.  I also have a mortgage contact in Arizona, but would love to be able to open up options to my clients. If you are a snowbird looking for a home in Arizona, I do have some experience in deal with the real estate market in Arizona.  I would be more then happy to assist in finding the right home for you.  My son just recently moved back to Ontario from Arizona.  I am glad he is back, but I will miss ... 07/16/2008

I would just like to take a quick moment to introduce myself, and my company to the active rain website! My name is Heather Cook and my company, Rooms in Bloom, is a Home Staging company based in Kitchener-Waterloo. My partner, Alana Merritt, and myself have a very strong background in interior decorating and creative design. We have been creating beautiful spaces for friends/family/colleagues for years now and realized that there is a definite demand for what we do! For us, it's a labor of love, and we thoroughly enjoy working with clients to help them realize the potential in their homes as they start the selling process. We have been told on numerous occasions that sellers didn't realize their homes could look this good - that once we had peeled back the clutter and staged the house ... 06/10/2008

I attended a presentation this morning by a Market Analyst from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation entitled 2008 Housing Market Outlook. I just thought I'd summarize the highlights from my notes. I apologize that I didn't keep track of the exact numbers, but the main points are bulleted below. Interest rates remain very low. This is what has been and is continuing to drive the Canadian real estate market. Low interest rates combined with flexible mortgage products (low money down, long amortizations) keep home ownership affordable. Local employment continues to be strong and diverse. Job growth is still increasing, but slowing. Manufacturing sector has been negatively affected by US economy and low US Dollar. The KW area is well situated and our industry base remains diverse and st... 03/17/2008

Well, 2008 is off to a great start! Sales of residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo and area last month mirrored January 2007 results, positioning the local real estate market for another strong sales year. There were a total of 381 residential sales last month recorded on the MLS® system of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board, just over the 379 homes sold in January 2007. Relative to December 2007, sales jumped more than 25 percent last month. Sales results in January point to continued market strength. While the market may be poised to keep pace with the record-setting sales of 2007, it is too soon to forecast whether last year's results will be matched or exceeded. Higher-priced homes continued to sell well last month, with 35 properties selling for more than $400,000, com... 02/09/2008

The 6,808 homes sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area last year set a new record for total annual sales in the history of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board.  Last year's results were the continuation of a steady climb in sales since 1990 (3,501 total sales). Dollar volume of all residential real estate sold last year jumped almost twenty percent to $1.7 billion compared with 2006, reflecting continued strong consumer confidence in the local real estate market. The volume of sales in price categories above $200,000 experienced the greatest increases. The greatest percentage sales increase was for homes selling for $750,000 to $1 million. The most active market segment was for homes selling in the $200,000 to $250,000 price range. Despite the record unit sales for the year, sale pric... 01/09/2008

Looking for a great investment property in a growth region?  A two bedroom condominium in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario came across my desk this morning, listed for a shade under $110,000.  The last condo unit listed in the building sold conditionally in one day, and was listed at $119,000. The condominium complex is well managed and centrally located in an established area (Stanley Park) of Kitchener Waterloo;  most of the neighborhood is family homes. If you are interested, contact me now at 519 570 4447.   Benjamin Bach wants to show you how Real Estate Investing can make you wealthy. He works with investors from across Ontario and Canada, helping them build wealth through smart real estate investments. Call or email Kitchener Waterloo’s Favourite Real Estate Agent (KW Record, 2007) t... 11/05/2007

On Monday, Sarah and I closed on an ‘investment-grade’ condominium in North Waterloo. There were some mild theatrics associated with the closing (i.e. where was the other side’s lawyer on Friday when we were to close the deal? Canoing ? Lawn bowling ? Enjoying a lazy Friday afternoon at Morty’s ?) but all is well that ends well - at least in this case. When I say ‘investment-grade’ condo, I am referring to a handful of condominiums in town - buildings with good management, low prices, good rent, great location, modern wiring (and no aluminum!) & plumbing, healthy reserve funds etc. They can be managed for a very reasonable rate, and the annual maintenance and repair you will put into the unit are minimal. One Millonaire Real Estate Investor I know who owns many of these units said ‘The ... 09/07/2007

Back when I was working in a large financial management brokerage (which means I was working with a team of stock brokers), I remembered being shocked at how small people’s portfolios were when they approached retirement. A very common situation was: Married couple, sixty years old Making $100,000+ year combined $500,000 in RRSP and other stocks, bonds and mutual funds Retirement at 65 Expecting to continue living their (relatively) expensive ($75,000/yr) lifestyle in retirement A simple calculation shows that they can live off of their savings for 7 or 8 years, that’s all. They’ll be BROKE by 75 if they continue to live like they do now. Goodbye snorkelling, hello winter. Does this sound like where you might be heading ? If you change some numbers in the above story (say, change 60 yea... 09/07/2007

Everyone's favourite question is, "how's the market?" Well here's your Real Estate Market Snapshot for July 2007.Year-to-date 16% more homes have sold this year than last year The average price of all homes sold this year is $241,498 - that's 4.8% higher than last year Average price in July is about the same as it was in June - meaning that prices are remaining fairly steady right now At present there is a 2.8 month supply of homes on the market if homes continue to sell at the same rate as they did in July and no new homes were to come on the marketTo summarize: more homes have sold this year than ever before, average prices are high and levelling off for the time being, and although there is currently a healthy supply of homes on the market, inventory has declined.Call me if you or so... 08/13/2007

Technorati Profile Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Market UpdateKitchener Waterloo Heat Index: 0.40 November brought us cold weather, and a slight downturn in the temperature of the market.  New listings coming on the market slowed, with 3% less active listings on the market this month than last (which is a good thing when you’re selling your home!). Buyers have an opportunity to get a great deal.  The large inventory means better selection, and with a good number of homes to choose from buyer’s often have the upper hand in negotiations. More detailed analysis to follow… Benjamin Bach is a Real Estate Consultant with Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener Waterloo. He voraciously tracks the Real Estate market ... 12/18/2006

  How to read the Housing Index: The KW Housing Index measures the level of buyer intensity for single family residential homes listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Kitchener-Waterloo. The Index is compiled using raw data directly from the MLS, and buyer intensity is measured by tracking the ratio between the number of firm and conditional sales in a rolling thirty day period, and the number of available homes listed for sale. A higher number (above 1.20) indicates more buyer competition for each home on the market; a lower number (under .80) indicates less buyer competition for each home. The Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Housing Index on October 10, 2006 - 0.36 - Up 2 pts (click graph to enlarge) The Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate market has regained some ground in the fi... 10/28/2006

I have never blogged before but this will be a start.  I always believe in starting new things! 09/19/2006