When a family move becomes inevitable, it is important to involve your children in the process. Since moving can cause some concerns for children, like going to a new school, leaving friends, and unfamiliarity about the new neighborhood, things will go a lot easier if your children support your efforts to get your current home sold. It is important that children keep their toys and clothes put away, and teenagers understand about keeping their room in "showing" condition. Also, showing a family home is much more successful for the realtor if the family is away. Make an effort to include everyone in the discussions about the move and your children on house hunting trips. Contact a realtor who is comfortable with children and will be sensitive to their needs and concerns. New House, New S... 08/27/2009

Here are some ways to make homework time easier for you and your child: Have a regular place for your child to do homework - a desk or table in a quiet room. Set a regular time for homework. You may want to make a rule, "No television until homework is finished." Set aside ample time for homework and help your child plan how she'll use her time. Be available to answer questions and offer assistance, but never do the homework for her. To help alleviate fatigue, have your child close the books for 10 minutes every hour and go do something else. If your child is struggling with a particular subject, and you aren't able to help, a tutor can be a good solution. Discuss it with the teacher first. Have your child do the most difficult homework first. Save "easy" subjects for last. Praise your ... 08/26/2009

Over the weekend I was helping a client purchase a home and one of their concerns were some repairs that this home required. The estimated repairs were around $5,400 and I asked if they were aware of the home renovation tax credit and other incentives provided by various government agencies? They were not so I provided them with a number and website to go to. And this morning, I went on a listing interview (which was successful) and in suggesting some minor upgrades which would maximize the selling price, my new clients were not aware of any incentives. Again, I gladly provided this information and thought I would write this blog to allow more home buyers and home sellers to become aware of these incentives. Briefly, the following will give a few examples: Save up to $1,350 on home impr... 08/24/2009

When the warm summer months begin to wind down and the days become a little shorter, you can almost smell it in the air - back-to-school time is here! And, just as fall and cooler weather approach, so does back-to-school anxiety. Between kids fearing they'll miss the bus and won't make new friends, and parents feeling stressed about hectic mornings and carpooling chaos, how can anyone get excited about the first day back to school? Parents, however, can set the tone for a smooth transition from summer to the new classroom by proactively addressing their children's concerns. Here are a few tips to help ease your family's back-to-school anxiety. Be enthusiastic. If you are excited and confident, your child will be, too. Prepare yourself. Note your child's reaction to separation. If possib... 08/21/2009

The Law of Polarity states that nothing can exist without its opposite. If hate exists in someone, then love must exist as well. If you see low potential in someone, then high potential must also exist in that person. "Failure" in life must be accompanied by the seeds of success. If something is really awful, then the possibility must exist for it to be awesome! Further, the Law of Polarity states that, in fact, these opposites are simply different manifestations of the same thing! When you hear successful people talk about how they got where they are, what do you hear? Do they say that they just opened their eyes one morning and success was all around them? No, their stories are full of how their failures taught them and directed them toward success. You may have heard the story about ... 08/19/2009

Puppy Pawlooza... the name says it all! It's a festival for dogs!We have a star-studded lineup of fun activities for you and your canine friend. Pawlooza has rows of vendors selling unique items for your dog and cat... many of Ontario's rescue organizations will be showcasing their furry friends that are up for adoption... there are free puppy trick classes, free dog obedience classes, free trick demos, free pet psychic demos, doggie dock diving, free agility demos, free pet nutrition demos, free first aid demos, and free dog safety demos for children. There are also food vendors, live music, a children's play and craft area... and lots of prizes, contests, free samples, a silent auction area, and more! Check out our events and contests page for more info.Pawlooza is a fundraising initi... 08/17/2009

A house is not a home, until the buyer adds their own touches.Your challenge as a home seller is to neutralize your dcor and to lighten up the personal display of family, hobbies and recreational toys and trophies in order to allow the buyers to "see themselves" living in the home.You've done all the right things so far if you've followed the advice of un-cluttering rooms, painting or cleaning to freshen up interiors, adding brighter lights and more.Certain touches are welcome by most buyers. Be sure the home is cool in the summer or warm in the winter. Fresh flowers and a freshly waxed table show care and attention to detail. They add a pleasant aroma, too.Giving the buyers "space" when they tour your home is of utmost importance. If a showing is scheduled with short notice, take a wal... 08/14/2009

I, like most Canadians are inundated daily with news paper headlines, TV evening news and morning radio news about unemployment numbers, plant closures, government incentives, health care costs and on and on. Are we listening or are we putting our heads in the sand? Here are some recent polls that indicate what Canadians are actually thinking. (Attention all news reporters: the sun is still going to come up tomorrow!) 78% of Canadians expect family incomes to either increase or stay the same during the next year. 44% of Canadians think this is the best time to buy a house. (I, being biased, agree. Some of the lowest interest rates ever and a balanced buyer/seller market in London, Ontario). In the United States for example, the economy has caused them to experience 66% stress, 35% Canad... 08/13/2009

Here in London Ontario, we get snow in the winter and some pretty hot and humid days in the summer. These can be pretty demanding on our HVAC systems. Here are some tips on reducing the demand. We also currently have a government sponsored renovation tax credit that will pay you back up to $1350 on home renovations up to $10,000 in value. There is a pretty wide berth on what you can do but primarily it has stimulated the door/window and blown cellulose insulation industries. Here are some tips that will help reduce the load on your heating and cooling systems so that they do not have to work so hard, resulting in further reductions of your heating and cooling costs.   Insulating - In the summer, the attic is the first layer of defense between your homes living space and the sun. In the ... 08/12/2009

Tip #1: The 2/3 rule of childcare One of the most frequent comments home-based entrepreneurs hear is, "Oh, that's great. You work from home-you have no childcare expense." Anyone who says this to you obviously hasn't tried this arrangement! While most work at home parents do enjoy spending more time with their children, it's tough to run a business and meet your children's needs 24/7. Pitching an idea to a client while your two year old throws a tantrum isn't exactly professional. Nor is it realistic for you to ask your children to "be good" for hours at a time while you work. If you worked in an office outside the home, you wouldn't take your kids to work with you-they would be bored and distract you. It's no different when you work from home. The 2/3 rule of childcare is a good compro... 08/12/2009

A report on the state of downtown London to be presented to the City of London planning committee Monday (July 20), paints a prosperous picture for the city's core.The report was released Friday (July 17), and shows more than 1,000 building permits worth $320 million have been issued for downtown London since London City Council adopted its Millennium Plan for downtown renewal in 1998.The State of the Downtown Report, also notes that since 2001 private builders have invested $150 million in new residential construction and a further $50 million in building upgrades. The number of Londoners living downtown jumped from 2,510 in 1996 to 3,430 in 2006, a 37 per cent increase."Economic indicators for income, labour force participation and education ... point toward a growing affluence in the... 08/11/2009

Has summer actually arrived?? It's only August!! With today being a scorcher in the City Of London (one of very few we have seen this year so far) many of us Londoner's would have been fleeing to the nearest swimming pool or splash pad for some quick refreshment.   For those who are unfamiliar with the term Splash Pad I will explain. Over the past few years in London Ontario, the city has been integrating these Splash Pads throughout the city. It's an alternative to a public pool and has become quite popular in our city. It's an area, usually found in a public park, and in areas heavily populated with families. They look alot like play grounds. They are colourful and have a soft landing. In various areas there are posts that stick out (some have recently become quite fancy and swirl aro... 08/09/2009

Check out this website. You can refer your clients to it and it will provide most services locally to that location and it maps it out for you as well. It is good for United States and Canada.         http://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=&find_loc=London+Ontario&rpp=10&cflt=realestate 08/06/2009

July sales down, but prices up Last month, 904 homes exchanged hands in the jurisdiction of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR), a 4.8-per-cent decrease over July 2008. This includes 734 detached homes (down 1.2 per cent from July 2008) and 170 condos (down 17.9 per cent from July 2008). Year to date, 4,026 detached homes and 923 condos have been sold - down 9.3 per cent and 19.9 per cent respectively compared to the same period in 2008. Sales in St. Thomas continue to stabilize - 72 homes exchanged hands in July 2009, a 2.9-per-cent increase over July 2008. The average residential price year-to-date in St. Thomas is $183,571, a 1.3-per-cent decrease over last year. "Although July sales decreased 4.8 per cent over the same period last year, the average residentia... 08/06/2009

London Ontario's Wortley Villiage.. Our City's Gem       A Brief History of Old South London Old South advanced as a suburb of London Ontario during the second half of the nineteenth century, integrating with the city in 1870. In spite of the rapid growth the city has experienced in recent decades, the area which spans from Wellington Road to Wharncliffe Road and from Commissioners Road to the Thames River is recognized as Old South London Ontario; the section of Wortley Road near the corners of Craig and Bruce Streets as Wortley Village London. Prior to the residential settlement of the area, the land was covered with towering oak, birch, pine and maple trees, an immense natural forest teeming with wildlife. Old South was surveyed as early as 1810 : the first settlers beginning to inha... 08/05/2009

Downtown Living In The City Of London   With companies such as London Life insurance company and several government and financial institutions in the heart of the city, living close to the core has become more and more attractive. They city of London offers a contemporary yet charming downtown surrounded with amenities to make dowtown living everything it's cracked up to be. When you think of downtown, city living what is the first thing you think about? Words that tend to come to mind are, PENTHOUSE, HIGH RISE, HIGH PROFILE,NIGHT LIFE and of course $$. But living the downtown life in London Ontario doesn't include one of these things. Dowtown London living is certainly affordable. With high rise condo's such as London Tower's located at the corner of Dundas and Colborne St's or the new... 08/01/2009

CONSIDERATIONS FOR BUYING A HOME Before you begin viewing properties make a list of "must haves". Consider location, style and amenities.  Don't view too many properties in one day. When you find a property you like, visit it at different times during the day. Walk or drive past the property before going inside. Don't be put of by interior decoration --- it can be changed. Establish what is included in the sale - land, furniture, appliances etc. Determine the annual property taxes. Ask how much utility bills cost each month. And don't forget to ask for help from your local realtors, Dan and Rachael Polakovic. We'd be more then happy to help! www.two-realtors.com 07/29/2009

Yesterday a Realtor doing an Open House in London Ontario. Here are some tips from OREA regarding saftey on the job. REALTORS® face more on-the-job risks than many other business professionals because of your frequent contact with strangers in various public and private places. We are committed to helping REALTORS® stay safe while working with prospects and clients. Learn how to be safe at open houses, in your car, at the office and showing properties. Here are the of the basic safety rules you should follow every day: Keep a charged cell phone with you at all times. Don't put your home phone number on your business card. Never advertise a property as vacant. Always take your own car for showings. Let potential buyers take the lead when exploring a home, with you following behind. Alway... 07/27/2009

Ontario's new homebuyers would face a massive tax grab under the proposed harmonization of the federal GST and Ontario PST, a new report released today concludes. The report on the implications for sales tax harmonization on new home buyers in Ontario was written by veteran housing analyst Frank Clayton, PhD, of Canada's largest independent real estate consulting and advisory firm Altus Group, for the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). BILD is the Greater GTA affiliate of the Ontario Home Builders' Association. The report looked at nine Ontario municipalities and three different home types. It revealed tax increases for single detached homes ranging from $8,957 (Windsor) to $17,049 (Ottawa) in markets outside the GTA, and from $24,566 (Mississauga) to a whopping... 07/27/2009

Momentum may be building in the London-area real estate market, with June sales up 5% over the same month last year. Sales had not been in positive territory since last September and bottomed out last November -- when they were 41% below the same month in 2007. But last month, the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) said, 946 detached homes and condominiums sold in June, up from 903 in June 2008. Year-to-date sales for 2009 are still down about 20% compared to the first half of 2008. LSTAR president Joe Hough said consumer confidence has been steadily improving and low mortgage rates and federal government incentives are drawing more and more buyers into the market. Hough noted St. Thomas had an especially good month in June, with 90 sales in the city -- an increase of... 07/27/2009