Affordable upgrades for every homeowner (NC)-With all the government grant opportunities available today for home renovations, homeowners have been able to carry out their planned home improvement projects. While some homeowners have used the opportunity to improve the aesthetic qualities of their homes, others have focused on long-term investments such as improving their home's energy efficiency. "Home renovations that help improve the energy efficiency of a home don't need to be difficult or costly," says Cheryl West, an insulation expert at Owens Corning. "Energy efficiency and energy cost savings can be achieved through simple do-it-yourself projects such as insulating your attic and topping up on the amount of insulation you already have in place." If you're interested in improving... 10/01/2009

In this month's News of the, Realtor's Association of Hamilton-Burlington, A Strong July looks very Good for the Third Quarter.(August 3, 2007 - Hamilton, Ontario) The Hamilton-Burlington area real estate market reported a total of 1,414 unit sales in July, indicating an increase of more than 21 per cent over the same period last year. The total unit sales, for the first seven months of 2007, are being reported at seven per cent higher than the same period last year, while units listed are six per cent higher for the year-to-date, according to Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) statistics released by the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB). "Sales activity in July further demonstrates the strength of the Hamilton-Burlington housing market. July saw a sale-to-list ratio of ... 08/12/2007

The LuxuryMarketSales of luxury homes skyrocket Canadians are embracing luxury living more than ever. As a result, unit sales of luxury properties have skyrocketed in Canada's major markets.In fact, according to the 2006 Carriage Trade Luxury Properties Report, Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax all reported sales increases of more than 125 per cent year-over-year in the first three quarters of 2006.Luxury Home Market SummaryMarketPriceCategory2006Unit Sold*2005Units Sold**% ChangeHalifax$600,000 +4317152.9%Montreal$1,000,000 +1219231.5%Ottawa$750,000 +755633.9%Greater Toronto$1,000,000 +1,3091,08820.3%Winnipeg$500,000 +453625.0%Calgary$1,000,000 +23791160.4%Edmonton$700,000 +9642128.6%Greater Vancouver$1,000,000 +1,9351,23157.2%Victoria$1,000,000 +15412127.3%* Units Sold January to Septembe... 07/05/2007

Fifty-eight per cent of buyers surveyed revealed that they were willing to make a decision after viewing 10 homes or less, while only 11 per cent of buyers thought they would have to view over 20 homes in order to feel comfortable making a decision. An overwhelming majority of people (83%) surveyed said that they would regard their Realtor's assessment of the home as somewhat or very important. As such, sellers need to impress both potential buyers and Realtors, who are local market experts. This dynamic raises the bar for everyone selling a home. When asked which room of the house had the most significant impact on their purchasing decision, 52 per cent of buyers said the kitchen and 25 per cent said the living room.  A surprisingly low five per cent of buyers thought the bathroom had ... 06/23/2007