Live In Quiet Colby Village
• 2,236 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm bi-level "Extra Large Split Entry" - 
MLS® $239,900 - Amazing Opportunity
Colby Village, Dartmouth
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Downtown, Dartmouth - Announcing a price reduction on 120 Joffre St, a 1,060 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm bungalow "Cozy home with gorgeous hardwood!". Now MLS® $174,900 - Great starter home!.
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Eastern Passage, Dartmouth - The bi-level at 244 Jeep Crescent has been sold.
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Well Established Neighbourhood
• 1,850 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm bungalow "CHARM & CHARACTER - lots of hardwood!" - 
MLS® $219,900 - $5000 Credit On Closing
Dartmouth, Halifax County
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Dartmouth, Halifax County - 1,850 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm bungalow "CHARM & CHARACTER - lots of hardwood!". Now MLS® $219,900 - $5000 Credit On Closing.
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Central Dartmouth - 1,060 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm bungalow "Cozy home with gorgeous hardwood!". Now MLS® $177,500 - Great starter home!.
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Vaulted ceilings,quiet court
• 1,325 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm bungalow "Wheelchair accessiblity - main floor laundry" - MLS® $224,900 - Beautifully Crafted!
Lawrencetown, Dartmouth
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Well Established Neighbourhood
• 1,850 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm bungalow "CHARM & CHARACTER - lots of hardwood!" - 
MLS® $229,900 - Walk to ferry, amenities!
Dartmouth, Halifax County
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Lake Echo, Halifax - Annou5 Old Lake Echo Rd, a 1,685 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story ""Ideal in-law suite" ". MLS® $209,900 - Lake Echo Waterfront!.
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Amazing opportunity!
• 1,685 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story ""Ideal in-law suite" " - MLS® $219,900 - Lake Echo Waterfront!
Lake Echo, Halifax
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Lovely water views of Porter's Lake
• lot / land "Residential building lot" - MLS® $49,900 - Over an acre of land
Porters Lake, Halifax
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Porters Lake, Halifax - 270 Greenough Dr, a lot / land. Now MLS® $39,900 - Residential building lot.
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As we almost come to the end of another we are entering an unknown marketplace. The market in 2009 was not as bad as the media tends to present it to the public. One has to keep in mind that every city has their own marketplace and even within that city each smaller community/subdivision has its own markerplace then one can even minimize that tiny market into indiviual streets. There are areas in HRM which have particular streets that sell better than others.
It is difficult to predict what will happen in the upcoming year. I expect the first 3 months of the new year to be a good indicator of what is to come. January is traditionally slower due to weather. People take a few weeks to recover from their holidays in December and adjust to the kids getting back to school etc. What I do in the first few months is start to acquire buyers for the next 4-6 months. We have some great stabilizers in our economy here one being the military. There are over 100,000 people either working in the military or with the military in HRM. This certainly helps create some stability. We also have a number of universities as well as other types of businesses and institutions that aid our economy here in HRM. I started selling in 1984 and truly only have experienced what I would call a hot market for sellers in the last 5 years. That has now changed and buyers are certainly going to be quite careful in how they approach buying property right now. They may try to negotiate harder than they have in the past few years due to uncertainty in the marketplace.
It shall be interesting to see what happens as the year progresses. I expect there shall be a reduction in the number of agents in the city as there are many who are having a hard time making a living. Real estate is not easy as many people seem to think it is. It is a very demanding business that requires years of hard work to become successful and actually survive long term. It isn't just showing houses and having a good time meeting people. There are many aspects to it which require years of experience to become proficient. I shall talk more about that as time moves on.
Sincerely,
Roz
Life and Disability insurances on Mortgages seem like bad words to most people...They definitely should not be...Yes...your banker or broker is selling you this for a couple of reasons...Of course they may earn a small bonus for doing so and the bank or lender is making money off it however there is something much more important that the clients need to be considering...
The most important thing to think about with this is your ongoing ability to ensure your family is taken care of...If you pass away then the mortgage is paid in full and with disability insurance the payments are paid when you are ill and cannot work...
I hear too often clients reply that " they get the insurance at work" meaning they have some amount of life insurance and disability insurance...The fact is...the majority of people do not know how much of either they have...
I am not trying to get you to automatically take whatever your banker or broker offers...what this would do is inform you that you will need to review your needs with a Financial Planner...
Mostly employers offer small amounts of Life Insurance...and you are able to review this and possibly increase it by your mortgage amount for a similar amount to what your bank is offering...make sure you review this...Banks offer the insurance and it is easy to approve and in place instantly...with other forms it may take months to get an approval...so consider all forms to see what fits your needs best. And is the most cost effective...
Disability insurance is even more difficult to discuss with clients...they never think they will need it and always assume their employer will look after this...however I hear it too often where someone is behind in their payments because they are off work for some reason...Most employers have a small percentage of your income covered...you can top this up with Mortgage Disability insurance to make sure you have the needed coverage...remember just because you may be sick...the bank is not going to let you not pay your mortgage payments...
Yes...they may cost...however they will ensure peace of mind if you are ever in a situation that needs either one...
For example...my very good friend passed away years ago at the age of 28, from an aneurysm...on his first wedding anniversary...and had an 8 week old daughter...I am sure he did not expect this...however he had good life insurance coverage and all his debts were paid off plus his widow had money to live on while she got her life back together...these things happen when you least expect them...and that's what insurance is for...so review your needs...
I am sure we can all think of someone that has been in a similar situation so review your needs...
C.E. (Chuck) Barrington BBA AMP
Mortgage Specialist
BMO Bank of Montreal
The ultimate aim of Canadian monetary policy is to help our economy achieve its maximum sustainable growth, and thus contribute to rising living standards for Canadians. The best way for the Bank of Canada to achieve this objective, is by working toward a specific, concrete goal—that of keeping inflation low, stable, and predictable.
Inflation control contributes to better economic performance in many ways. First, low and stable inflation allows people to read price signals clearly, which in turn help both individuals and companies to make sound, long-term economic decisions. So that's one advantage of inflation control—greater certainty about the future value of money.
Keeping inflation low and stable gives people confidence—confidence in the future value of their money, confidence in their financial decisions, and confidence in the ability of the economy to withstand shocks and grow in a sustainable fashion.
Interest rates are important to all Canadians. And, with inflation being low and stable, both short- and long-term interest rates have been lower and less volatile than in the past. As a result, borrowing and investment decisions can now be made with greater certainty. And interestingly, in contrast to what might have been deemed possible just a decade ago, interest rates in Canada are currently lower—and long-term rates have become more stable—than they are in the United States.
The good news is, this trend is predicted to continue into late 2008, so the time is great to get out of the rental or move into your dream home, mortgage money is inexpensive and house prices are continuing to exceed the rate of inflation.
Chuck Barrington
Bank of Montreal
Mortgage Specialist
Phone: 902-452-1374
chuck.barrington@bmo.com