How long must I live in a house once I buy? When you apply for a loan for example in Walnut Grove Homes area, a lender will ask if you intend to use the property as a prime residence. If the answer is “yes,” then it is expected that you will physically move into the property and live there for some time. There does not seem to be a set definition in the term “some time,” but what lenders are getting at is this: They do not want to make residential loans with low rates an ... Full Article...

B.C. intends to enhance the existing B.C. new housing rebates. New Walnut Grove Homes Rebates will be available with respect to newly constructed or substantially renovated homes purchased or constructed as a place of primary residence where the HST becomes payable 1 The enhancedon or after April 1, 2012 and before April 1, 2013.2 As a result of this enhancement, eligible purchasers of new homes purchase price of up to $850,000 will be entitled to receive a rebate of 71.43 per cent of the prov ... Full Article...

Recently we decided to dig into the reports and marketing data for Walnut Grove Homes to see if it supported our feeling that winter is the best time to buy, and the worst time to sell. However, when we got the results we discovered that our assumptions were dead wrong. As we roll through the holidays and into winter, many would-be sellers will be holding off on listing their home, waiting for the spring “selling season” to put their home on the market. But if you’re ready to ... Full Article...

Generally when most people buy a Walnut Grove Homes their thinking that they will never move, at least not with the term of their mortgage. But, what if something happens? You lose your job, you get transferred? What happens then? Recently, we did an interest rate differential (what banks charge you for leaving a closed term mortgage agreement early) calculation for a customer who wanted to refinance. This client was fortunate to have closed his mortgage at one of my lenders instead of directly ... Full Article...

I am proud to say that I have lost another 2 pounds this week! I feel like I have really found a “rythym” and what is most comfortable for me. I am now 210 pounds! 2000 calories per day. Weight Lifting Mon / Wed and Fri 45 mins Cardio Tues / Thurs and Saturday 45 mins (and yes I hate cardio!) Thanks for everyone’s support and well wishes – I do appreciate the emails of support and I really do enjoy helping others with their fitness and weight loss goals. Keep it up! Waln ... Full Article...

Although Sellers are required to disclose all known material latent defects (on the Property Disclosure Statement), they are not required to disclose the existence of all possible stigmas that might be a concern with potential buyers. The doctrine of caveat emptor (buyer beware) still very much applies in BC. This means that buyers in BC have to make their own inquiries for possible stigmas. Of course, they can ask their agent to directly inquire with the seller’s agent. Usually though a ... Full Article...

"We see that in a number of real estate markets in Canada, valuations are at a minimum, firm; in others, they're probably overvalued. So there are risks there. We're watching it closely. We're working with our partners, the federal government, the superintendent of financial institutions," he said in an interview broadcast on Sunday on CTV. "Measures have been taken. They've been effective. We'll keep up that vigilance. If more needs to be done, I'm sure the appropriate authorities will take ... Full Article...

People may wonder if they have mold in their home; the answer is yes. Mold spores are indeed everywhere. Mold is all around us all the time. We often get mold in the bathroom, around the shower. It is easy to identify and can be treated with bleach or a Mold Cleaner. The small amount of mold that is visible in the bath and around any other source of water in the house is not a problem. The real problem is the mold that may be in your house that you cannot see. Unfortunately you can't simply poi ... Full Article...

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says its new housing price index rose 0.1 per cent in December, after a 0.3 per cent increase in November. The agency says higher prices in Toronto, Oshawa and Montreal were the main contributors to the December increase. It says good market conditions and higher land values pushed prices up by 0.4 per cent in Toronto and Oshawa, while a good market in Montreal produced a 0.3 per cent increase. Prices were lower in Vancouver and Hamilton and were unchanged in 12 of th ... Full Article...

Part 1 For many people this can be a very confusing time. Do you buy when the market is going down, do you wait until it is depressed and houses are undervalued, or do you buy when the market is hot and the house you want to buy is increasing in price everyday? This is a huge mistake that keeps people from from building wealth. I find the same people who procrastinated when the market was going up (I can't afford a house, I'll wait til the market cools, I'll wait til prices drop) are the same ... Full Article...

The newly created New Homes Registry (available on the Homeowner Protection Office web site at www.hpo.bc.ca) provides free access to find out if a home has home warranty insurance and is built by a licensed residential builder. Every new home built for sale by a licensed residential builder in BC is protected by a mandatory 3rd party home warranty insurance program. Better known as 2/5/10 Home Warranty. 2 yrs on labour and material 5 yrs on the building envelope (including water penetration) ... Full Article...

Hi Everyone! I am getting pretty excited with my results – I am continuing to lose weight and my body is really starting to respond to the weight lifting. I have to say, I’ve got muscles (where I didn’t know they existed!) And it’s very motivating. In fact every morning I wake and I can’t wait to get to the gym! This week: 212 lbs / 33.1 % fat / 37.1 % muscle Walnut Grove Homes  

Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Federal Government introduced the First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit (HBTC) to help with the purchase of a first home. About the Initiative The HBTC assists first-time homebuyers with the costs associated with the purchase of a home, such as legal fees, disbursements and land transfer taxes, which are a particular burden for first-time homebuyers, who must also save for a down payment. The $5,000 non-refundable HBTC amount applies to qualifying homes ... Full Article...

Depending on where you want to live in The Lower Mainland or for many (what you can afford) here's how prices have fared over the past year: West Vancouver + 15.9% North Vanouver + 5.1% Vancouver + 16.4% Richmond + 16.5% Burnaby + 12.2% New Westminster + 5.2% White Rock + 7.4% Surrey + 7.9% Langley Proper + 1.5% Maple Ridge + 1.9% Abbotsford + 1% Walnut Grove Homes + 3.4%

Canada’s financial regulator is growing worried that Canadian banks are following their American counterparts into the “subprime” mortgage market that blew up the financial system in 2008. According to documents obtained by Bloomberg under access to information laws, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is concerned Canadian banks are becoming less strict in their issuance of mortgages, handing out house loans to people who can’t prove their ... Full Article...

This week I am at 213 lbs / 33.4 body fat and 37 lean muscle mass. I hurt my lower back on Wednesday of last week - so I "skipped" weight lifting for the rest of the week. My back is still tender - so today I did moderate lifting. Considering, I still did reasonably well - losing 1.5 lbs for the week. Proving to me that hwne it coems to weight loss - lower calories than your daily maintenance requires is really important. I lost some muscle mass - so missing weight training days, has hurt me a ... Full Article...

SURREY, BC – According to the president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), international affordability studies regarding Vancouver are misleading because they don’t reflect the reality that homebuyers purchase more affordable homes every day in neighbouring communities. Kevin Boyle is a REALTOR® who specializes in the Walnut Grove, Fleetwood and Clayton areas. “So far this month, over 50 homebuyers in the Fraser Valley have purchased a condo for $199,000 or less a ... Full Article...

Well it's a week later and I lost another 2 pounds again! I am now: 214 pounds / 33.7% body fat / and 37.5 I am really happy with the fat loss and the increased muscle mass. When I look in the mirror I am really starting ot see a more trim defined body. I did make some small changes to my diet (weight training has as stated last week stayed the same - 45 mins to an hour.) I am 214 lbs eating 1900 calories per day on recovery/cardio days while on weight training days I eat an additional 400 calo ... Full Article...

(Surrey, BC) – Overall, Fraser Valley’s real estate market in 2011 was below the 10-year average in property sales and above average in the number of new listings received, however, according to the president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, results varied widely depending on the community and property type. Sukh Sidhu observes, “I can’t remember a year that illustrates better how local real estate is and the importance of talking to your REALTOR® before making ... Full Article...