Saturday, December 19, 2009

Existing home sales activity remains strong in November

According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association, existing home sales activity remained upbeat in November 2009. The current strength of housing demand stands in sharp contrast to weak activity recorded one year ago.

A total of 36,383 residential properties traded hands via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) of Canadian real estate boards in November 2009. Up 73 per cent from year-ago levels, activity was down just four tenths of a per cent from the highest level of activity for the month posted in November 2007. Home sales set new records for the month of November in Ontario and Quebec.

“National home sales activity last month shows how strongly the housing market has rebounded since the beginning of the year,’ said CREA President Dale Ripplinger. “As we predicted last April, the rebound in resale housing activity led the overall Canadian economy out of recession.”

The unprecedented year-over-year gain in activity underscores the extent to which demand has recovered from one year ago, when news of the global financial crisis hammered consumer confidence. Year-over-year gains were biggest in British Columbia (165 per cent) and Ontario (77 per cent).

Since the beginning of 2009, some 437,507 homes have been sold through Canadian MLS® Systems. This is up five per cent from activity in the first 11 months of 2008, but below levels for the period in each of the previous three years.

The national residential average price was $337,231 in November, a gain of 19 per cent compared to one year ago. For the year-to-date, the average price is up 4.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. The year-over-year increase in November continues to reflect the high degree to which the average was skewed downward last year by plummeting activity in Canada’s priciest markets, and then upward by rebounding activity. Average price in November edged back from the peak reached in October.

The price trend is similar but less dramatic for the national MLS® weighted average price, which compensates for changes in provincial sales activity by taking into account provincial proportions of privately owned housing stock. The weighted average price climbed 13 per cent on a year-over-year basis in November. This is a smaller increase compared to the year-over-year gain of 14 per cent recorded the previous month.

The residential average price in Canada’s major markets was up 20 per cent year-over-year to $368,665. As with the national counterpart, the price trend is similar but less dramatic for the major market weighted average price which rose 11 per cent from last November.

The return of strong demand and headline average price gains is beginning to draw more sellers back to the market. Seasonally adjusted new listings coming onto Boards’ MLS® Systems across Canada rose five per cent on a month-over-month basis in November to 69,110 units. This is the biggest monthly increase since January 2008.
Despite the uptick in new listings, the sharp rise in resale housing demand continues to draw down inventories. There were 183,710 homes listed for sale on Boards’ MLS® Systems in Canada at the end of November 2009. This is down 23 per cent from levels reported one year ago, and the seventh month in a row in which inventories have declined from year-ago levels.

Nationally, there were four months of inventory in November 2009 on a seasonally adjusted basis, the lowest level in more than two years. The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of months of inventory in November 2009 stood at five months, up slightly from the previous month (4.6 months). An increase is normal at this time of year, since demand tends to ease relative to supply over autumn and winter months. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

“The latest batch of seasonally adjusted statistics may reflect distortions in the seasonal adjustment procedure due to an extraordinarily weak housing market one year ago,” said CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump. “Deteriorating housing affordability will reign in sales activity as the overall economy further improves and the pool of buyers who qualify for financing shrinks.”
http://www.crea.ca/public/news_stats/pdfs/Nov09_e.pdf
(CREA 11/15/09)

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated

Friends, followers, and connections are the way of the future.

CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642
Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Friday, December 18, 2009

November 2009 Inflation Rate

Canada's annual inflation rose 0.9 per cent in November up from 0.1 per cent in October. November is the second straight month increase, due mainly from higher gasoline prices.

The increase is the fastest rate in eight months. Gas prices were 14.1% higher in the month compared to November 2008.
Housing costs declined by 1.7% mainly from home heating costs and natural gas falling 29.7% and fuel oil and other fuels falling 10.6%

The Bank of Canada predicts inflation to hit 2% in the second half of 2011.


Source: Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642
Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Peterborough Vacancy rate third-highest in Canada

Apartment vacancy in Peterborough is reported to be the 3rd highest in Canada according to CMHC release of vacancies in Canada.
The top five municipalities in Canada are:

Windsor 13%
Abbotsford, B.C. 6.1%
Peterborough 6%
Calgary 5.3%
London 5%

In the Peterborough market, we have seen all year the introduction of first time home buyers controlling the market place. With record low interest rates, it’s no wonder vacancies are on the rise.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Friday, December 11, 2009

Hightlight from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Characteristics of Home Buyers

• Forty-seven percent of recent home buyers were first-time buyers.
• The typical first-time home buyer was 30 years old, while the typical repeat buyer was 48 years old.
• The 2008 median household income of buyers was $73,100. The median income was $61,600 among first-time buyers and $88,100 among repeat buyers.
• Twenty-one percent of recent home buyers were single females, and 10 percent were single males.
• For one-third of recent home buyers, the primary reason for the recent home purchase was a desire to own a home.

Characteristics of Homes Purchased

• New home purchases were at the lowest level in eight years—down to 18 percent of all recent home purchases.
• The typical home purchased was 1,800 square feet in size and was built in 1991.
• Seventy-eight percent of home buyers purchased a detached single family home.
• The median price of home purchased was $210,000 in the Northeast, $158,000 in the Midwest, $175,000 in the South, and $240,000 in the West.
• When considering the purchase of a home, commuting costs were considered very or somewhat important by 78 percent of buyers.

The Home Search Process

• For more than one-third of home buyers, the first step in the home-buying process was looking online for properties.
• Nine in ten home buyers and 94 used the Internet to search for homes.
• Real estate agents were viewed as a very useful information source by 81 percent of buyers who used an agent while searching for a home.
• The typical home buyer searched for 12 weeks and viewed 12 homes.

Home Buying and Real Estate Professionals

• Seventy-seven percent of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.
• Ten percent of buyers purchased a home in foreclosure, up from 3 percent in 2008.
• Forty-four percent of buyers found their agent through a referral from a friend or family member.

Financing the Home Purchase

• Ninety-two percent of home buyers financed their recent home purchase.
• The percentage of first-time buyers who financed 100 percent of the purchase price with a mortgage dropped to 15 percent from 23 percent last year.
• Nearly half (47 percent) of home buyers reported they have made some sacrifices such as reducing spending on luxury items, entertainment or clothing.
• One-fifth of first-time buyers reported their mortgage application and approval process was somewhat more difficult than they expected, and one-in-ten reported it was much more difficult than expected.

Home Sellers and Their Selling Experience

• About half of home sellers traded up to a larger size and higher priced home and slightly more than one-fifth traded down to a smaller and less expensive home.
• Eighty-five percent of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home.
• Recent sellers typically sold their homes for 95 percent of the listing price, and 60 percent reported they reduced the asking price at least once.
• Forty-two percent of sellers offered incentives to attract buyers, most often assistance with home warranty policies and closing costs.

Home Selling and Real Estate Professionals

• Forty percent of sellers who used a real estate agent found their agents through a referral by friends or family, and 26 percent used the agent they worked with previously to buy or sell a home.
• Ninety percent of sellers reported that their home was listed or advertised on the Internet.
• Among recent sellers who used an agent, 81 percent reported they would definitely (59 percent) or probably (22 percent) use that real estate agent again or recommend to others.

For-Sale-by-Owner (FSBO) Sellers


• The share of home sellers who sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent was 11 percent. About half of them, 45 percent, knew the buyer prior to home purchase.
• The primary reason that sellers choose to sell their home without the assistance of a real estate agent to a buyer they did not know was that they did not want to pay a fee or commission (49 percent).
• Nearly one-third of FSBO sellers took no action to market their home, and 57 percent did not offer any incentives to attract buyers.
• Eighteen percent of FSBO sellers reported preparing or fixing up the home for sale was their most difficult task, while 15 percent reported getting the price right and an additional 15 percent reported understanding and performing paperwork was the hardest part of selling their home.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Should you switch to Windows® 7?

According to the most recent REALTOR®.org Technology Report1, 63% of real estate professionals surveyed are still using Windows® XP and 31% are using Vista. That translates into a large number of potential users who are faced with the question, should I switch over to Windows® 7? We'll give you the facts and let you decide.

What the reviewers are saying


It's often what the technology critics say that give us the insights to make our buying decisions. If you're considering making the switch, many of the reviewers are certainly in favour of persuading you to do just that. Read their comments:

1. "After using pre-release versions of Windows® 7 for nine months, and intensively testing the final version for the past month on many different machines, I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft (MSFT) has produced. It's a boost to productivity and a pleasure to use." —Walt Mossberg, Wall Street Journal (10/7/09)

2. "…Windows® 7 is more than just spin. It's stable, smooth, and highly polished, introducing new graphical features, a new taskbar that can compete handily with the Mac OS X dock, and device management and security enhancements that make it both easier to use and safer." —Seth Rosenblatt, CNET editor's review (7/31/09)

3. "Windows® 7 is… —a solid OS with plenty of modern eye candy that mostly succeeds in taking Windows usability into the 21st century….Upgrade without trepidation, people. With excitement, even." —Matt Buchanan, Gizmodo (8/5/09)

What you can expect once you switch


Windows® 7 Professional and a new HP Business Desktop or Notebook PC gives you the power to:

• Boost your efficiency: A new HP PC with Windows® 7 Professional can run up to 330% faster than your old computer while using up to 55% less energy2.
• Work faster: Check your e-mail, calendar or contacts without booting up your notebook PC using HP QuickLook 33.
• Work longer: Enjoy improved battery life. Power management is built into Windows® 7.
• Save time: Start your PC quickly with speedy start-up, shutdown, sleep and resume from standby.
• Work from virtually anywhere: HP laptops work anywhere you have cell phone service with Gobi Global mobile connectivity4.
• Get more protection:
- Windows Defender helps protect you from spyware and malicious software.
- HP 3D DriveGuard protects your hard drive, and the information on it, from drops and shakes.
- HP File & Disk Sanitizer5 enables you to completely remove confidential files after you no longer need them.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

No Change to Rates at Bank of Canada’s Meeting

The Bank of Canada left its key lending rate at 0.25%…as pretty much the whole world expected.

Not much changed from the Bank of Canada’s last announcement in October. In its statement today it said:

• “The target overnight rate can be expected to remain at its current level until the end of the second quarter of 2010.”
• “While significant fragilities remain, global economic developments have been slightly more positive and the global outlook has improved modestly…”
• “The Bank continues to expect…inflation to return to the 2% target in the second half of 2011.”
• “The overall risks to (the Bank of Canada’s) inflation projection are tilted slightly to the downside.”

The Bank of Canada’s main focus, of course, is controlling inflation. There has been nowhere near enough strong economic news for it to consider raising rates—nor do economists expect any for a while to come.

The next Bank of Canada’s interest rate meeting is January 19, 2010.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Self-Employed? You Can Get a Mortgage

You will need to present the following documents to a banker or other lender for the application of your new mortgage:

Self-Employed
• 2 years of Notice of Assessments
• 2 years of T1 general tax return forms
• 2 years' proof of business (your GST number and article of incorporation)

Employed
• Written employment letter from Human Resources stating salary or hour wage /minimum hourly work week/position /start date - if less than 3 months (letter stating you are not on probation)
• Current pay stub
• 2 years of T4 statements if you would like to use overtime earnings

Have these documents ready when you meet with your mortgage specialist and things will move swiftly for you.
Shopping it Around with a Mortgage Broker
When a young woman goes shopping, she doesn't mess around; finding the best deal is worth taking the time and doing it right, and that may include using a professional shopper.

Apparently, shopping for a house mortgage is not much different for Canadian 20 and 30-something women; they are the demographic most likely to use a professional mortgage broker, according to the 2009 Mortgage Consumer Survey [pdf] conducted by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The survey found that 25 to 34-year old Canadians make up 42% of consumers who use an accredited mortgage professional, while female purchasers make up 43%.

The Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) is the only national proficiency standard for Canada’s mortgage industry. Launched in 2004, the AMP designation was developed as part of CAAMP’s ongoing commitment to increasing the level of professionalism in Canada’s mortgage industry.
Raising public awareness and increasing the value of the designation is a high priority for CAAMP.

First-time home buyers are also much more likely to use a mortgage broker than the general public, and that number is on the rise, sharply - from 35% in 2007 to 44% this year who favour brokers.
Loyalty to lenders (e.g. traditional banks) is down significantly among first-time buyers - from 65% in 2007 to 47% loyalty this year.

1/4 of All Mortgages Involved Broker

The CMHC survey shows that from June 2008 to June 2009, one quarter of all mortgage transactions were arranged through mortgage brokers. Aside from the first-time buyers, young and female demographics discussed, the use of mortgage brokers remains stable amongst other Canadians.

Working with a mortgage broker may make the most sense for first-time buyers, to help sort out the complicated formulas required and to minimize damage to one's credit score.

Reasons to use a mortgage broker include:

• Independent, unbiased advice; as a freelancer, the broker won't favour one bank or credit union over another based on anything except rates
• Access to as many as 40 government and CMHC-approved lenders
• Negotiates rates with lenders directly, on your behalf
• You pay no fee (the broker charges the lender)
• The broker educates you on all your options including: open, closed, high ratio, first, second, conventional, CMHC-insured, HELOC, VTB mortgages, prepayment privileges and penalties, reverse mortgages, private loans, and more.

Financial Privacy Issues

However, be wary when sharing your personal financial information; make sure that your mortgage broker has been accredited by a body like the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals and complies with provincial laws requiring education, training and licensing standards. Like in any industry, malpractice by a few brokers has resulted in mortgage fraud (a form of identity theft).

You should check and see if your mortgage broker is licensed and in good standing with your provincial regulator:
• FICOM in BC
• RECA in Alberta
• SFSC in Saskatchewan
• FSCO in Ontario
• ACAIQ in Quebec
• Service NS in Nova Scotia

Have you used a mortgage broker or know someone who has? Share your stories, or questions, below.

Your Mortgage Application Should Resemble a Great Resume
Do you just walk into the bank, sit down and let them make the application on your behalf?

If you answered 'yes' to this question, then you need help!

Think of it this way...
Would you walk into a job interview empty-handed, with no specific information to leave behind with the potential employer about your strengths as a candidate?
Would you hand over a messy resume with all kinds of missing information?
No, of course you wouldn't - not if you wanted that job!
So, if you want a house, why would you treat your written mortgage application process any differently than your polished, well-documented resume or job application form?

The Ideal Structure
The best way to take advantage of the lowest rates in history is to structure your mortgage application so it's the most appealing it can be before you submit it to a lender.

To assess what goes into the ideal mortgage application; ask yourself:
• What income can I use, and not use?
• What do the banks think of a part-time job?
• What does my credit score need to be in order to get the best rates?
• How much of my consumer debt should I pay down first?
• Should I put a consolidation loan in place?
• How can I best boost my credit score?

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Housing starts hit 2009 high

Housing starts hit their highest level this year in November, more proof that Canada's real-estate market has clawed out of recession.

Starts rose slightly to 158,500 units, on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from 157,400 in October as single-home construction outweighed a drop in multiple home activity, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Tuesday.

“The improvement in housing starts continued in November,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC's chief economist.

The results were slightly less than the 165,000 starts economists had expected. Still, they're running at a much stronger level than in April, when they sunk to the 118,500 mark.

Record low interest rates are fuelling a rebound in Canada's real-estate market, spurring rising prices and a flurry of buying activity. The Bank of Canada will provide its current view of lending rates and the economy today at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

More builders have plans in the works, a report showed yesterday. Building permits jumped 18 per cent in October to the highest value in 13 months, Statistics Canada said yesterday.

Multiple starts eased in November, CMHC said, to 71,300 units from 72,500 units a month earlier. Single starts rose 3.4 per cent to 69,800 units.
The annual rate of urban starts has risen the most in Quebec, at 10 per cent, followed by Atlantic Canada.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Monday, December 7, 2009

November 2009 Unemployment Rate

Employment rose by 79,000 in November, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 8.5%. Despite November's gain, employment was 321,000 (-1.9%) below the peak of October 2008.

Full-time employment increased by 39,000 in November, the third consecutive monthly increase. Part-time employment also rose in November (+40,000), following two months of declines.

November saw an increase in the number of private (+57,000) and public (+54,000) sector employees, while the number of self-employed workers declined (-32,000). In recent months, the number of employees in the public sector, as well as the number of self-employed, has trended up, while in the private sector, the trend has been relatively flat.

Most of the gain in overall employment in November was among women aged 25 to 54 (+51,000) and men aged 55 and over (+17,000).

Almost all the employment growth in November was attributable to the service sector (+73,000), especially educational services. With November's increase, employment in the service sector is back at its October 2008 level, while employment in the goods sector remained well below (-324,000) where it was at that time.

In November, employment growth was widespread across most provinces with the largest gains in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Compared with a year ago, average hourly wages in November were up 2.3%, the lowest year-over-year growth since March 2007.

Employment gains in Ontario and Quebec
In Ontario, employment rose by 27,000 in November, the largest gain in the province since September 2008. The unemployment rate, at 9.3%, was unchanged in November. While employment in Ontario remains well below its October 2008 level (-179,000 or -2.7%), since May 2009, employment has edged up slightly.

In Quebec, employment grew by 21,000 in November, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.4 percentage points to 8.1%. During the economic downturn, employment has fallen in Quebec, albeit at a slower pace than the national average.

Employment in Alberta rose by 13,000 in November, the largest monthly increase in the province since October 2008. Since March 2009, employment in the province has edged down by 7,000 (-0.4%), a much smaller loss than the 48,000 (-2.4%) observed during the five months following the peak of October 2008.

In British Columbia, employment edged up in November. Since March 2009, employment has grown by 27,000 (+1.2%), in contrast to the downward trend observed during the first five months of the labour market downturn (-69,000 or -3.0%).
Employment also rose in Manitoba (+3,100), pushing the unemployment rate down 0.5 percentage points to 5.3%. Overall, Manitoba's employment has remained stable throughout the labour market downturn.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, employment increased by 2,700 in November. This caused the unemployment rate to fall 1.1 percentage points to 15.9%.

The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular age–sex group is the number unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group.

Both sexes, 15 years and over
Seasonally adjusted
%
YEAR JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
1999 7.9 7.9 7.9 8.2 8.0 7.6 7.6 7.5 7.4 7.2 6.9 6.8
2000 6.7 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.7 6.8 7.0 6.9 7.0 7.0 6.8
2001 6.9 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.4 7.6 8.0
2002 8.0 7.9 7.8 7.7 7.8 7.5 7.6 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5
2003 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.6 7.9 7.7 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.6 7.5 7.3
2004 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.2 7.2 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.1
2005 6.9 7.0 6.9 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.3 6.5
2006 6.6 6.4 6.3 6.3 6.1 6.1 6.4 6.5 6.4 6.2 6.2 6.1
2007 6.2 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9
2008 5.8 5.9 6.1 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.6
2009 7.2 7.7 8.0 8.0 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.7 8.4 8.6 8.5
Source: Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca


It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Ecotourism: Promoting Responsible Travel



Over the last decade or so, ecotourism has boomed. Defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people" by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism has been growing at a rate of 20 to 34 percent per year-and for good reason. Ecotourism allows you to visit some of the world's most beautiful-and remote-locations.

A subset of ecotourism is eco-luxury travel. "You can either go to Africa and be a backpacker or you can have a $10,000 tour," says Claudia G. Green, Ph.D., director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Pace University in New York. "The higher end traveler wants to be responsible, but is not going to give up comfort." These travelers enjoy all the comforts of home, personal service and elegant accommodations. Wilderness Safaris, for example, houses its travelers in luxurious tents, with en-suite bathrooms. Some of its African camps have pools and spa services.

Eco-luxury travel appeals to a sophisticated traveler, someone who wants to see some of the world's most beautiful places without making an impact on the environment. Eco-luxury experiences are popping up in exotic and remote locales all over the world, from Namibia and Botswana in Africa to India, Chile and even Pakistan. Green says that up-and-coming destinations include Gabon, Laos and Bhutan.

In addition to minimizing the impact on the environment, a goal of eco-luxury travel is to improve the welfare of the local people and promote the protection and conservation of the environment-and statistics show that it's accomplishing this goal. TIES reports that while 80% of the money paid for a traditional tour goes to airlines, hotels and other international companies, eco-lodges hire and purchase locally, investing as much as 95% in the local economy.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

New Locks Go High Tech




It's a familiar scenario. A family hits the road, headed to their vacation destination only to arrive and wonder: Did we lock the front door as we were leaving?

No need to worry, thanks to two well-known lock companies that recently introduced innovative, high-tech door locks that allow homeowners to control access to their homes remotely.

In September, Kwikset launched its remote access control solution, called SmartCode with Home Connect Technology. These keyless entry electronic locks, developed to work with home automation and security systems, can communicate wirelessly with other devices in the home. The locks allow you to check door lock status as well as control the lock using either a Web-enabled device or a home automation system. Now, if you forget to lock your door, and you're already at work, you can just do it yourself with the click of a mouse.

Schlage also offers a remote door lock system called Schlage LiNK. Using wireless technology, homeowners can remotely lock or unlock doors equipped with Schlage's wireless keypad locks, as well as monitor entry. Remote access can be obtained from a computer or Web-enabled mobile phone. The system can even be set up to notify parents when their children arrive home from school, by e-mail or text message.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Shopping for a holiday tree?

Under ideal conditions, a fresh cut tree can last up to two weeks in your home. Follow these tips for choosing and maintaining a fresh holiday tree:

• Buy from a reputable tree seller.

• Inspect fresh trees by lightly shaking them or pulling on the needles. A fresh tree should hold its needles and show no signs of browning.

• Make a fresh cut in the bottom of your tree when you get home. Secure it into a sturdy base that contains water.

• Always keep the end of your tree just below the water line to prevent it from drying out. Check water levels often.

• Place the tree away from furnace vents, fireplaces, radiators and heat-generating appliances, including televisions.

• Decorate with energy-saving lights that give off little heat; unplug all tree lights before going to bed or leaving your home unattended.

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Independently Owned and Operated
Blog / Website / Follow Me / LinkedIn
CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Residential Mortgage Market in Canada

As a member of the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals, I am please to share with you the December issue of CAAMP Stats. This attachment is its fall annual report on the state of the residential mortgage market in Canada.
To read the report please click on the link below.

http://onlineoffice.century21.ca/PublicStorage.c?ID=d349c165-5715-4251-af8e-153a0be16f64

It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!
Constantine Isslamow
Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager
Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
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