Top 10 tips on how to be smart when decorating for the holidays

This week marked the official start to the holiday season (at least in my books). It’s full steam ahead from here on out.

I’m a sucker for the holidays, but I still think it’s important to be smart when it comes to yuletide decorations. Here are some dos and don’ts when getting into the spirit of things:

1. Do check older string lights for damage. Before climbing up the ladder, make sure every light is working and that the cords aren’t frayed in any spots. Cold weather can cause the wiring in string lights to become brittle, which makes it a lot easier for them to get damaged. The longer they stay out during the year, the chances of damage to lights and cords increases.

2. Do not

Rising sea levels are a growing threat to coastal real estate, according to a report in the Toronto Star.

Nationwide, as many as 28,000 homes could be underwater by 2050 – either temporarily, due to storm surges, or permanently, thanks to sea-level rise, the Star reported. And a recent report from Climate Central predicted that 737,000 Canadians would be affected by sea-level rise if average global temperatures rise by 2 degrees.

It’s not just the Maritimes that are at risk, the Star reported. Vancouver’s climate adaption strategy has estimated that $25 billion worth of real estate is threatened by sea-level rise this century – and that’s not even counting city infrastructure. Making improvements to dikes along the British Columbia coast could run up

It is not uncommon for a young couple to purchase what is known as a "starter home". One that is just the right size for the two of them and priced just within budget to begin a life together with plans to move into a larger home to start a family.

Life moves quickly and some couples can find themselves expecting a bundle of joy before they have planned to look for a larger family friendly home. It can seem like a stressful ordeal to sell a home quickly and move into a new one that is more accommodating before baby arrivals, but it is not impossible.

One option is to get your home in top show worthy condition and list on the traditional market in hopes to sell as soon as possible. You will need to consult an experienced local agent and list at

How to Do Your Own Yearly Home Inspection

Before you buy a home, it’s always a good idea to get a professional home inspector—but that shouldn’t be the only time you give your home a thorough look. Here’s a checklist of what to look for when performing a yearly visual inspection on your own home, or one you are considering buying.

A professional home inspection should not be skipped when buying a property. But when you first visit the house, you can also do your own visual inspection so you can watch for certain trouble spots. Even after you buy the house, doing this at least once a year will catch most issues before they become major problems.

You’ll need a pair of binoculars, flashlight, gloves, screwdriver, notepad and pen, and a camera to

Mobile deposit technology to be rolled out

The Canadian real estate market may be poised for transformation with the introduction of mobile-driven deposits, set to help investors avoid the snafus that too often scuttle deals.

ExactDeposit will be launched via a pilot project through Royal LePage Atlantic and other local brokerages before it is rolled out across Canada to follow.

“Mobile payments for real estate deposits have never be possible before,” says Chris Ryan, founder and director of ExactDeposit. “We are the first of our kind.”

The technology has been designed to offer greater convenience and efficiency to investors, Realtors and real estate brokerages.

“[The transaction] can be completed from anywhere, using a smartphone, laptop or

Canadians use an average of 75L of hot water each at home every day—for washing dishes and clothing, cleaning and personal hygiene. For the average family, that adds up!

Water heaters account for 17 percent of the energy consumed in the average Canadian home. That share can vary from 15 to 25 percent depending on the house type, number of inhabitants and their lifestyle habits.

Consumers enjoy greater efficiency and more choices

Manufacturers are making more efficient models of water heaters, due to Canadians’ desire to save energy and money, and to comply with Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations.

Canadians can choose from various types of water heaters—storage tank, tankless, combination, solar, and heat pumps—and different energy

The Kamloops and district real estate association have just released the latest statistics for home sales in November.
Aberdeen proved to be the top seller this month with 20 sales. Sahali with 14 sales including 2 sales over the $600,000 mark and Juniper Heights with 11 sales also including 2 over $600,000 scored highest for total value of sales.

Why not have a look at the communities and see what is currently for sale on our KAMLOOPS COMMUNITIES real estate page.

Canada’s most expensive housing market will continue to see price gains well ahead of the rate of inflation for the next two years, according to a report from a group which represents credit unions in British Columbia.

Central1, which acts as an association for credit unions in B.C. and Ontario, now says the median sale price of a home in Greater Vancouver will climb another 6.1 per cent in 2016 after a 4.5 jump this year. In 2017, the organization is predicting a 3.8 per cent increase.

“Metro Vancouver home prices have remained in the spotlight, keeping the housing affordability debate percolating in the news and social media,” wrote economist Bryan Yu, the author of the report.

His forecast comes as the Real Estate Board of Greater

This week, the provincial government released its 2015/16 Second Quarterly Report: an update on where provincial finances are at six months into the fiscal year and where the economy is heading.

The news is not very good. 

B.C.'s economy is expected to do better than other provinces this year, but that's largely because of weakness elsewhere (especially in resource-dependent provinces like Alberta). Private sector forecasters have lowered their projections for this year's economic growth in B.C. to 2.2 per cent (from 2.7 per cent this time last year). Projections for next year are more optimistic (2.6 per cent) but they should be taken with a grain of salt, given the record of overly optimistic forecasts in the last few years.

1. No recovery

Whether you’re in the next state or across the country, selling a home remotely can be tough. To pull it off, you’ll need to plan ahead and get some help from a local agent.

Just a few years ago, at the height of the real estate crisis, if homeowners were transferred for work or moved for personal reasons and couldn’t afford to sell their homes, they often opted to become “accidental” landlords.

Not experienced real estate investors, they became such as a result of the market. Now that the economy has picked up, many of these landlords are finally selling their investments.

If you know that you’ll be selling a home remotely, don’t wait until the last minute. It’s hard enough to sell a home, and being far away makes it even more difficult to prep