Housing Market Outlook 2014

Canadian homebuyers remain savvy, with a long-term mindset that bodes well for stability.   Yet, they also value progress, and we expect that to translate again in 2014.  Equity gains should continue to result in tangible leaps to larger homes or better neighbourhoods, as well as a growing wave of renovation and revitalization.  Stock market performance is also expected to bolster activity, as paper wealth is converted to material wealth.  Read more HERE.

Buying or Selling in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario?  Know anyone who is?  I can help.  705.971.0918

Like A Hawke,
Susan


 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Keep control of your credit rating

(NC) Did you know that everyone should ask to see their credit report at least once a year?

According to a survey done in 2011, over 90% of Canadian respondents said they did not know that a copy of their credit report could be sent to them in the mail, free of charge. Moreover, 62% said that they did not know the procedure when it comes to getting a credit report corrected.

If you'd like to know more, here's an overview:

• Start by ordering a free copy of your credit report. You can do so by mail, fax, or telephone, or in person from the two Canadian credit-reporting agencies: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. Your credit history summarizes the information concerning the types of credit that you use or that you have used in the past, including credit cards, loans and financing plans. Examine your credit report carefully to determine whether there are any errors or signs of identity theft.

• Check for errors in your personal information and in the information concerning your credit card and loan accounts, as well as for mention of accounts that you have never opened. Errors may give lenders the wrong impression and result in a denial of your credit application. Even errors that do not seem to be serious, such as a misspelled name or incorrect address, can create problems if, for example, you want to rent an apartment or are applying for a job. If you find a mistake, contact Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.

• To find out the steps to follow to correct an error in your credit report, go to itpaystoknow.gc.ca.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada provides resources to help you understand your credit report and your credit score. More information is available online at itpaystoknow.gc.ca.

Buying or Selling in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario?  Know anyone who is?  I can help.  705.971.0918

Like A Hawke, 
Susan 

 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Sault Ste. Marie - The Soo - SSM - Ontario - Northern Ontario

How about some pretty pictures from this place we call home?

Buying or Selling in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario?  Know anyone who is?  I can help.  705.971.0918

Like A Hawke,
Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

A Victorian Kitchen

I like how this large square space is designed.

In the United Kingdom, and former British colonies a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). During the Industrial Revolution successive housing booms resulted in the building of many millions of Victorian houses which are now a defining feature of most British towns and cities.

In the UK, Victorian houses follow a wide range of architectural styles. Starting from the early classicism inherited from Regency architecture, the Italianate style gained influence in the 1840s and 1850s, and the Gothic Revival style became prevalent by the 1880s. Later in the Victorian era, the Queen Anne style and the Arts and Crafts movementincreased in influence, resulting in the transition to styles typically seen in Edwardian houses. Victorian houses are also found in many former British colonies where the style might be adapted to local building materials or customs, for example in Sydney, Australia and Melaka, Malaysia.

In the United States, Victorian house styles include Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick (and Eastlake Stick), Shingle, Richardsonian Romanesque, and others.

There are a number of common themes in Victorian housing:

• Sanitation: regulations were introduced progressively from the 1850s to raise the importance of sanitation features, including correct drainage, waste facilities (the "ash pit" or "dust bin"), and toilet facilities either in the form of an outside privy or inside water closet.
• Hot and cold water: at the start of the Victorian era, some houses had running tap water and a boiler for hot water. By the turn of the century, hot and cold running water were a common feature.
• Lighting powered by gas was available in many towns from the start of the Victorian era. By the end of the Victorian era, many houses had gas.
• A basement with a cellar for the storage of coal, required for open fires and to heat water.
• Sash windows but with larger panes of glass, from the 1850s, than the characteristic 6 plus 6 smaller panes seen in Georgian and Regency architecture.
• Victorian houses were generally built in terraces or as detached houses.
• Building materials were brick or local stone. Bricks were made in factories some distance away, to standard sizes, rather than the earlier practice of digging clay locally and making bricks on site.
• The majority of houses were roofed with slate, quarried mainly in Wales and carried by rail. The clay tiles used in some houses would be available locally.
• 
  

Like A Hawke, 

Susan 

 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

How to achieve the look of timeless design

What makes design timeless? What makes a home timeless? Have you ever picked up a magazine from another era and thought  to yourself that you could be looking at something from today? Why do some homes look dated and tired while others always look fresh and current? Most importantly, how can you create your home so that it doesn’t appear to be passe in the next couple of years? Read on for some ideas.

Like A Hawke,
Susan

 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Must-Do Before Selling Your House Roundup

I searched the net to find you some great articles on things to do before you sell your home.

Here they are:

1.  10 must-do repairs

2. 10-things-to-do-before-you-list-your-house

3. Sarahs-top-ten-things-to-do-to-sell-your-home

4. 10-things-to-do-before-you-list-your-house



Like A Hawke,
Susan

 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Safety leader provides three tips to Carbon Monoxide protection

(NC) – Carbon monoxide is called the “Silent Killer” because it is colourless, odorless and tasteless. And it is deadly. The ONLY way to detect its presence in your home is with a CSA-approved carbon monoxide alarm.

As a leading alarm company, Kidde Canada understands the threat posed by carbon monoxide and the technology behind detecting it. Kidde also supports and works closely with a number of organizations that educate Canadians about household dangers including the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Parachute (formerly SafeKids Canada) and the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education.

Now that there is a law mandating CO alarms in Ontario, it is important to understand that carbon monoxide can come from any fuel-burning heating system, appliance or water heater; a gas or wood fireplace; or a vehicle. If your vents are blocked or cracked it may accumulate in your home and you won't even know it's there. Undetected, it can kill.

These 3 tips can help protect your family:

Several CO alarms offer a “digital display” but only Kidde's are “continuous.” Others require you to push a button to get a reading. Many families prefer the simplicity of a display that is “always on.”

The lifespan of CO alarms ranges from 5 to 10 years. Only Kidde CO alarms are all rated for a full 10-year lifespan.

Consider your power source. CO alarms can be battery powered, plug-in or hardwired. Always make sure your CO (and smoke) alarms have battery backup in case of a power outage. And, consider the convenience of Kidde's new “worry-free” alarms that have sealed lithium batteries that last 10 years from activation. No more batteries to replace for the entire working life of the alarm!

For more family safety tips visit safeathome.ca.

Like A Hawke,

Susan


 Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada