Blog

05
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Upgrading Your Home? 5 Great Reasons to Make the Switch to Hardwood Floors

Are you tired of scouring the internet, trying to find the secret recipe for whatever will take stains out of your carpet? And the irritating annual steam cleaning ritual where your whole home is soaking wet for a couple of days? Ugh. If your old carpet has you down, it might be time for a change. In today's blog post we'll share five great reasons why you'll want to make the switch from carpet to hardwood floors. Your Home Will Look Amazing Let's face it. Unless you have a serious appreciation for all things shag, hardwood floors look much better…
Read More
04
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Four Mistakes to Avoid When Making an Offer for Your Dream Home

You've scoured the new home listings, been to all the open houses and have finally found the home of your dreams. It is now time to draft an offer and begin the negotiation process. Below we'll share four mistakes that you will want to avoid when making an offer on your dream home. Mistake #1 – Not Working With A Professional The first mistake that home buyers make is trying to buy a home without using the services of a real estate professional. Buying a home is a significant financial transaction and one where the seller and their agent are…
Read More
03
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Real Estate Negotiations: 3 Tricks That You Can Use to Ensure Yours Is the Winning Bid

You've toured through a number of listings, attended all the open houses and have found your potential new dream home. Now the hard part begins, especially if you're working against other buyers who are keen on getting the same home as you. Let's take a look at three tricks that you can use to make sure the bid you submit on a home is the one that wins. Don't Start With A Lowball Offer First, it's important to note that the offer itself needs to be a fair one. If you approach a home seller with a low offer, you'll…
Read More
02
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Housing Market

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – October 2, 2017

Last week's economic reports included Case-Shiller's Home Price Indices, readings on new and pending home sales and Freddie Mac 's weekly mortgage rates report. Weekly jobless claims and reports on inflation and core inflation were also released. Case-Shiller Home Prices Rise in July; New and Pending Home Sales Lower in August According to Case-Shiller July Index reports, national home prices rose at a rate of 5.8 90 percent on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis as compared to June's reading of 5.80 percent. The top three cities in the 20-City Home Price Index were Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon and Las Vegas, Nevada.…
Read More
29
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

5 Key Maintenance Tasks to Prepare Your Home for the Winter

The days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping and the kids are heading back to school. The approach of autumn means that winter is just around the corner. The question is – is your home ready? Break out your checklist and let's run through five key maintenance tasks that will get your home prepared to face the winter. Pack Up And Protect Your Outdoor Furniture Unfortunately, the arrival of winter means that the patio has to be closed up for the season. It's time to get chairs, tables and other furniture covered up or stored if you have space.…
Read More
28
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Pay Your Mortgage Off Faster With These Money-Smart Strategies

As with any loan or line of credit, there are benefits to getting your mortgage paid down. You'll pay less in interest, potentially saving thousands over the repayment period. Moreover, you'll own your home outright that much quicker. Let's explore four money-smart strategies that will help you to pay your mortgage off faster. Start With The Obvious And Increase Your Payments It won't come as a surprise that one of the easiest ways to get your mortgage paid off is to increase the amount you put towards your monthly payments. Most lenders will allow you to place any extra funds…
Read More