When unforeseen financial circumstances impact your ability to make regular mortgage payments, it's important for you to take quick action. With early intervention, cooperation, and a well executed plan, you can work together with your lender to find a solution to your financial difficulties. What can I do to help? If you find yourself facing financial difficulties, as a result of job loss, family income reduction, or for other reasons, it can be an overwhelming experience leaving you feeling uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. By following these three simple steps, you can make a big difference in resolving your financial difficulties. 1) Talk to your lender To increase the chance of successfully managing your financial situation through early intervention, call your lender at the ... 06/13/2009

Buying your first home is one of the largest investments of your life. Canada's Economic Action Plan introduces the First-Time Home Buyers' (FTHB) Tax Credit and the expansion of the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) to provide you with additional benefits and help you realize your dream of homeownership. First-Time Home Buyers' (FTHB) Tax Credit The costs associated with purchasing a home, such as legal fees, disbursements and land transfer taxes, can be a particular burden for first-time homebuyers who must pay these costs, as well as save money for a down payment. To assist first-time homebuyers with the costs associated with the purchase of a home, the Government of Canada introduced a FTHB Tax Credit in 2009 - a $5,000 non-refundable income tax credit amount on a qualifying home acquired aft... 06/13/2009

Movie stars and writers have agents, musicians have managers, artists have representation. Very few successful people are lone wolves; they rely on the expertise of others to guide them, to sort out all of the opportunities available to them so that they can make solid, educated choices. Just like a movie star, you need an agent. Someone to put your needs above all others. As professionals, we pledge to represent you first. Please feel free to contact us for all of your real estate needs. We look forward to working hard for you.   Dan and Rachael Polakovic   06/08/2009

People are often curious about how certain home improvements will affect the value of their homes. The chart of percentages displayed here presents some findings compiled by the Appraisal Institute of Canada from their 2008 membership survey. It is intended to give the homeowner a very general idea of the potential that certain improvements have in adding value to your home.     Sky lights 0-25% Swimming pool 0-25% Landscaping 25-50% Fencing 25-50% Brick walkways 25-50% Home theatre 25-50% Block paving 25-50% Concrete paving 25-75% Central air conditioning 25-75% Deck 50-75% New windows and doors 50-75% New exterior siding 50-75% Flooring 50-75% Basement renovation 50-75% Addition to dwelling 50-75% Fireplace 50-75% Garage 50-75% Roof replacement 50-80% Heating system/furnace 50-80% Int... 06/02/2009

How to Minimize Your ID Theft Risk When it comes to identity theft, you can't entirely control whether you will become a victim. But there are certain steps you can take to minimize your risk.   Order a copy of your credit report. Place passwords on your credit card, bank, and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, or a series of consecutive numbers. Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having work done in your home. Ask about information security procedures in your workplace or at businesses, doctor's offices or other institutions that collect your personal information. Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or on the Internet ... 06/02/2009

Yes it is possible. Very possible. More importantly, now that I have your attention, as we explore the topic I'm addressing hopefully you will experience just a small paridigm shift in your thinking to at least make you ask some questions. Questions which will hopefully help you see what is the single greatest issue facing every person in this country and around the world today. 99% of the population is completely unaware, not of their own ignorance, but by researching further you will learn that you are intentionally mislead and misinformed so you don't learn of their secret. I'm going to keep this posting simple and not go into great detail. Since you are reading this I know that you have access to the Internet. I know that you have a search function on your browser. You are free to r... 05/27/2009

The results of April home sales are in and the London area proved to be very active. Detached home sales increased by 1.8% over April of 2008. This is very surprising stat - I expected the numbers to be good given the activity and interest I've seen generated over the last couple of months - but these numbers are very solid. Condos sold decreased 26% for April of 2008.This continues with the theme I've reiterated over the last 6 months - London real estate market was in a good situation, is currently in a good situation, and will be in a good situation in the future.I think we are closer to a neutral market now (split even between buyers/sellers market) then the buyers market we say in December for example. I'll have to crunch the numbers in a future post.Below is part of the press rele... 05/06/2009

What a great city we live in!! Always so much to do and see. With the nice weather finally here.. we are all fleeing from the confinement of our homes. Getting out to enjoy the weather and the company of friends and family. As our city grows, so does the community and the amount of things for us all to enjoy. The John Labbatt center offers so many different events and entertainment, Far more then London Knights Hockey! Just in the next month there are so many concerts and theatrical shows. Just to name a few, Il Divo is coming up on May 6th and the show Annie on the 23rd. Visit their website for a complete list of their events. www.johnlabbattcentre.com And the excitement doesn't stop there!! Almost every where you look there is something to do, for every one and every family! For an el... 04/30/2009

Most of us are affected by cancer in some point in our lives. Whether it be a family member, friend or ourselves. Cancer has affected my life most recently with the illness of my mother. She was diagnosed less than a year ago and has fought with all of her being, and unfortunately... the cancer is winning. For the last few weeks she has been being cared for in the hospital by the Palliative Care team in our local hospital. In her last days, they have been a great help to her and a great support to our grieving family in this difficult time. To recognize their efforts we have decided to be a part of the Hike For Hospice 2009 here in London Ontario. We are taking pledges that will go to support this organzation and to help them help others like us. No donation is too small. We appreciate ... 04/27/2009

EXPERIENCE the advantage of working with an EXECUTIVE! Our #1 Priority is to give you the EXECUTIVE experience. We work together as a team giving you the advantage of  TWO REALTORS for the price of one! We'll work hard so you don't have to!! We guarantee our complete dedication to promote and market your listing continuosly and effectively unti it's SOLD! Weekly open houses, online promotion and full colour ads are just the start. Our performance beats all promises. MAKE A SMART MOVE! You won't regret it!!! Call today! Dan & Rachael Polakovic Sales Representatives Realty Executives Elite LTD DIRECT 519-854-7626 rachaelpolakovic@rogers.com and as always visit us online for a complete list of our properties, incentives and services!!   We look forward to working with you!!     04/15/2009

      EXPERTISE! As full time real estate professionals, we have the necessary experience to see you through your home- buying and selling process. Our areas of EXPERTISE include: Calculating an estimate of the market value of your home Crafting marketing strategies to sell your home based on accurate information and research Promoting your property to other Realtors and buyers Holding and supervising open houses Drawing up contracts and negotiating terms Providing guidance when you seek financing Coordinating inspections, appraisals and closing dates Screening potential buyers and reviewing their offers before presenting them to you Negotiating offers and counter offers. There is no substitute for expertise. We invite you to use ours in buying or selling your home. We look forward to h... 04/08/2009

Real Estate home sale numbers are in for March. Homes sales were solid for London Ontario. They were down 7% compared to March 2008 - which is encouraging (If homes sales for the remaining 9 months are 7% less then 2008's numbers, that would be a decent year).I've repeatedly said that home buyers took a couple of months off due to the uncertainty in the world markets. Once they see the area market is stable, and the weather warms up, home buyers are going to be ready to buy - particularly first time buyers. Historical low interest rates and a buyers market are hard to ignore. We are starting to see that activity now. Sales numbers for April and May should reflect this - they won't be 2008 or 2007 numbers - but no one is expecting them to be nor do they have to be for the real estate mar... 04/06/2009

Mortgage interest rates in London, Ontario continue to drop. 5 year fixed terms can now be purchased at 4.19% or maybe a little less. These rates are at historical 50 year lows. A $200,000 mortgage over 25 years equals $1,070 monthly payments. A $150,000 mortgage is $805/month. If you wanted to do a variable mortgage, rates and payments are even lower. Free mortgage preapprovals can be done quickly with no obligation. To find out how much you can afford to purchase go HERE.This is one of the reasons homebuyers are going to be purchasing homes in the spring market. Judging by activity at open houses (a lot of potential homebuyers are attending), and talking with buyers, the spring market should be fairly active. Many of these buyers will be first time buyers looking to get into the real ... 03/28/2009

Spring is here... in Ontario, I believe the weather has turned to the point where the snow isn't returning until next winter. You can enjoy your warm seasons so much better when you are in "warm season" mode. Here are my tips for adding 10% to your warm months each year. - PUT AWAY. We store things for the winter and for the summer. Christmas decorations, winter coats, boots, skates, snow shovels, etc. Get these things in storage THIS WEEK... it will get it all overwith and you'll start enjoying the new season sooner. - TAKE OUT. Unpack the patio furniture, find the spring jackets, dust off the bicycles, pull out the roller blades, unearth the gardening tools and turn on the outside water hoses. Take out all the things you'll eventually take out over time THIS WEEK... get into Spring!! ... 03/27/2009

The slant is often told towards the benefits of mature, resale homes. Hey, I'm one who's talked this talk many times. True enough, mature homes have significant advantages over newer homes - I should know, I bought my current home for just those reasons. Tonight though, as I am updating the baseboard trim throughout the main level, I can't help but appreciate the benefits of building new or buying a home within 5 years of construction! Let me outline a few key benefits, some may apply to you while others don't, but everyone can agree there are benefits: 1) Updates not generally required. If you want to update a newer home it is usually to update the quality of finishings - maybe you put hardwood in where carpet was, perhaps some granite countertops or a big deck. These updates are more ... 03/27/2009

There are a lot of angles to cover when you are selling a home! First you have the mediums: print, internet, direct, referral and more. Secondly you have many branches within each medium. Today I am going to tackle one very specific branch of internet marketing - the Virtual Tour. What is a virtual tour? Some think of this as a warped image that is projected in such a way that it appears a first person navigatable shot of a room. This was the original concept. Today I think this is too narrow a box. In my mind a virtual tour is an online representation of a walk through. Just like Realtors have different styles and techniques of showing a homes, they also have different styles of displaying properties online. Realistically though, this style also has a lot to do with budgeting. Realtors... 03/24/2009

Do you want stats? Do you want hard numbers on the London real estate market so far in the Spring? Sorry, you will have to read elsewhere ;)  This post is strictly my perspective - the pulse of the market. The truth is stats are history, if you are selling your property in the near future the pulse is what you are looking for! A good Realtor spots trends, spots avenues to opportunity and areas of blunder on behalf of their clients. To date I am happy to say that for all listngs priced properly the market is quite brisk! You will notice I put a qualifier in to that statement... The last two offers I put in on behalf of a buyer were multiple offers - 2 offers on the first and 3 on the second. Keep in mind the homes were both well priced. They were not priced like a fire sale, not being gi... 03/23/2009

For all of those London First Timer's that were planning on taking advantage of the HomeOwnership Program our city has been offering, the clock is ticking!! Initially the city was allowing buyers to only have to submit the application by the 31st of March 2009. Now, because of the popularity of it they are running out funds and those wishing to use the program must have a firm and accepted application by this time. With a closing date within 120 days. So that means there are only two short weeks left to find the house you've been looking for, submit an offer and an application. Both of these need to be accepted and you'll be on your way. If this is something you are planning on doing, don't hesitate and call us today. We can help you find your home quickly and easily. As well we can hel... 03/17/2009

This is a note we received from one of our most recent First Time Buyer Clients! We were so happy to read about their positive experience with us and thought we would share it with you!!   Dan and Rachael, I just wanted to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. You have made this experience very easy and comfortable for us. I cannot believe how much fun I had looking for a home. Once we are settle into our home I would love for you both and the kids to come over. They are not enough words to express how thankful we are. Thank you so muchRianne and Bryan   The best  part about this job is seeing results like this and the happy smiles on an excited family!!   Dan and Rachael 03/15/2009

Spring Has Sprung!! Along with it, some of the best properties available in our city. Also some of the best ever seen interest rates ever seen. This matched with some of our great incentives, and down payment alternatives there's no good reason to continue to pay rent!! Call us and we'll show you how!!Fear Trumps Low Interest Rates For Canadian Consumers!OTTAWA - Jim Rawson says it's a great time to buy a house.The regional manager of Invis mortgage brokerage firm in Toronto has been in the business since 1978 and has never seen interest rates, both variable and fixed, so low. Pair that with falling housing prices and it's a no-brainer."People have to have somewhere to live and whether you are paying for a mortgage or paying rent, you still have to be paying to live somewhere," Rawson e... 03/10/2009