According to the survey of 765 Royal Lepage agents “more than 86 per cent of respondents said the HST is affecting their business somewhat.”

The biggest misconception is that the HST applies to resale properties. It does not. It applies to fees and commissions for all home sales, but only to the sale price of new homes.

If you have any questions at all about the impact of the HST on your K-W home sale or purchase please contact me and I’ll give you the full story.

The Blackberry from RIM still holds a commanding lead in the business sector. It is expected that lead will shrink over the next year. But just how much it will shrink depends on how quickly RIM adjusts to the new death-defying competition they are faced with.

What business people need is a secure, dependable and easy-to-use messaging device and the Blackberry is all that and more. In fact Apple’s unwillingness to include a physical keyboard with the iPhone will continue to make it difficult to win over hard core business users. Sending emails and text messages is still significantly faster using a physical keyboard than the touch screen keyboard of the iPhone.

Naturally I am a bit biased towards the Blackberry. After all, RIM is part of our community and has helped put Waterloo on the map – not to mention provided thousands of jobs for local residents.

And, oh yeah, I actually really like my Blackberry!

But RIM can’t ignore the broader consumer market where web browsing, video watching and application using are the chief attractions. On all three of these fronts the Blackberry suffers by comparison. The new Blackberry Torch released in the summer takes RIM part way there, but their next effort will have to be better if they hope to start winning customers back.

See this post for more on the SmartPhone Wars.

Remodeling or improving your kitchen is an important way to increase the resale value as well as your own enjoyment of your Kitchener-Waterloo home.

This is the first in a series of videos about kitchen upgrading and design. In this video kitchen remodeling expert Bob Schmidt discusses the preliminary steps you should go through when deciding on remodeling your kitchen.

Communication between you and your spouse or partner is very important, along with getting the advice of an experienced professional. Every facet of your remodel project has an impact on the end result and on the cost.

If you need some suggestions on reliable contractors I have dealt with in our area feel free to contact me.

In this video from Lowe’s Mike Kraft their home improvement expert, offers helpful tips for maintaining your string trimmer. Learn how to replace string, change the oil, clean the trimmer filter and more that will help keep your trimmer working like new.

When you’re installing a dimmer switch in your Kitchener-Waterloo home here are some useful tips to make the job easier. When you have decided which rooms would benefit from variable lighting, then gather up a few things such as wire nuts, screwdriver, and wire stripper, and get to work.

Imagine how surprised your family will be when they discover that they can lower the living room lights on movie night, or illuminate that important science project they have spread out on the kitchen counter. By watching this very informative video, you will become an expert in no time.

If your K-W home has an asphalt or blacktop driveway, it will almost certainly develop cracks. In this video, Tim Carter demonstrates how to fill a crack in an asphalt driveway. He uses a caulking compound to fill the crack and seal it against the weather.

Points worth noting:

- Make sure the asphalt is not wet
- Brush out the crack so there are no loose bits of debris
- This technique is for “v” shaped cracks
- The caulking material flows easily when the weather is reasonably warm
- Do not put too much compound in the crack otherwise it will create a mess

Notice that he recommends putting bits of asphalt debris from the blacktop to add solid matter to the crack and make the compound work better.

He also suggests you find some asphalt debris along the side of the driveway and sprinkle it on top of compound so it looks more like the rest of the driveway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=aJG9Tol1a0U

In fact, according to Rob Carrick of the Globe and Mail current big bank 5 year fixed mortgage rates are almost back to their 10 year average. They are now at about 6.25% compared to the 10 year average of 6.75%. If the recession is really over, why is the bank 5 year GIC rate (the amount the banks pay on a 5 year GIC) at less than 65% of its 10 year average.

Some observers think it is pretty clear that the 5 year fixed rate has been pushed up prematurely by the new CHMC rules. These rules are forcing some people to go to a 5 year fixed making that a more expensive product.

It is also pretty clear that mortgage hunters should shop around for better rates. For example here are some of the lowest current 5 year fixed mortgage rates:

ING Direct – 4.59%
Meridian Credit Union – 4.19%

Others argue that variable rate mortgages are almost always cheaper over the long term than fixed rate mortgages. The current cost of a variable rate mortgage:

BMO – 2.10%
CIBC – 2.25%
BNS – 2.25%

(All rates from Yahoo finance April 28, 2010)

If you need further advice on sourcing a mortgage for an upcoming home purchase, contact me.

Sources: Globe and Mail – Yahoo Canada Finance

This informative video goes over the simple do-it-yourself things you can do for keeping your riding mower running properly. The video covers:

- preparing your mower for winter storage
- removing and cleaning the cutting deck
- checking and maintaining the belts
- draining and replacing the oil and oil filter
- replacing the air filter
- changing spark plugs
- lubricating moving parts

This video was created by Lowes, but the references to tools and replacement items apply to just about any home and garden centre in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

These solar shingles from Dow could be showing up on Waterloo Region roofs some time soon. They are about the size of a normal asphalt shingle, and can be installed like asphalt shingles too – with just a hammer and nails.

The cost is still prohibitive – about $25k for a bundle capable of cutting your home electrical costs by between 40% and 60%. Government grants in some places could bring the cost down to about $10k.

According to this Consumer Reports video these shingles will pay for themselves “far sooner than some solar water heaters we’ve tested.”

I am always happy to provide as much information as I can about suppliers in the Waterloo Region area for products such as these.