Buy a Home or Rent - What is the Best Choice in Canada Today?

Interest rates are low, lowest ever, and the price of homes have dropped significantly but is this the best time to buy? Prices of homes have begun to recover and the mortgage interest rates have begun to climb. The question I am faced with is should I buy a home or should I rent for awhile first?

Considering the cheap cost of money and lower prices I'd say buying is the best option. But will it be for the next 5 years?

Interest rates can only go up and when that happens the cost of money goes up and the people jumping into the market will dwindle. As demand for homes goes down then the price of homes goes down. That said, the amount of new housing starts is at its lowest levels in years causing a future shortage in supply. With a shortage in supply the decrease in demand will balance out.

As interest rates increase and the cost of money goes up some people who maxed out their limits on buying a home will not be able to afford to make their payments. If they took a closed mortgage this will give the market 5 years until people start walking away from their homes. If they choose the variable then it may happen sooner.

Now if I factor in the cost of renting a home for a family of 4 in the lower mainland at $2400 a month it will cost me $28 800.00 to rent for a year. Even if we rented a smaller home at $1800.00 it would cost $21 600.00. The cost of borrowing at a higher rate next year plus the cost of renting for a year could offset any lower pricing if prices fall due to a higher interest rate.

Blogs that focus on the Real Estate Market or Economy:

America Canada Blog
Housing Analysis Blog
Alberta Bubble Blog
Alberta Real Estate Watch
Vancouver Real Estate Blog

These blogs should give you a lot to think about and look at.

As for my decision. I would prefer to buy then rent, I just want to be smart about it and only purchase that which we can afford over the long run. By using one income for mortgage approval I know that we will be able to afford future increases with two incomes. By paying off as much as possible while we have a lower interest rate will ensure that when we have higher rates the required payment won't jump too high.

When Looking for a Job you Have to Know What you Want

Unfortunatly, I cannot wait forever for a position to open up at Canpages again. I have to help contribute to the family's finances, especially with the higher house prices in the Lower Mainland. So as much as I hate to, I have to start looking for work again.

The first step for looking for any job is to know exactly what I want from a position. This will help me focus my efforts on postings that match my skills and my needs. Without this type of a list I will waste more time interviewing for positions that I don't want and may end up in a position that doesn't fit. It's the difference between shooting at something with a shot gun and a rifle, both do the same job one is less messy and hits closer to the mark.

I do the same thing when looking for a house, I make a long wish list of everything I want in a home first. I won't get everything, especially at my price point, but knowing what I want and what I will compromise on is better than having no clue. I can waste time looking at less then perfect options or I can focus my efforst on those homes that meet the criteria I've set out.

So what's the perfect position for me?

One that is flexible with time and enables me to work from home part of the time so I can get my kids to and from school without daycare. I would be willing to compromise if I could start at 9:00-9:30 so I am getting my kids to school in the morning and daycare in the afternoon.

A position that I find challenging that is filled with research, planning, facilitating, public speaking, promoting, and creative problem solving.

I would love a position that enabled me to promote a company to the marketplace through public speaking, networking, and writing.

I would love a position that facilitated the logistics of events, corporate change, or personal change. A position that would enable me to manage, plan, and oversee projects, events, or relocations.

A position that would value my lead generating skills, relationship building, and customer service skills.

A position with a company that valued its employees and cared about keeping their employees within the organization. A company that saw value and communicated that with its employees. A company filled with management I could respect for their knowledge, experience, integrity, and values.

Although I cringe at the thought of pounding the pavement, I know it has to be done. So let the adventure begin....

Goodbye Canpages - For Now

This move has been anything but easy. I am now officially homeless, unemployed, and kid less - as my kids are in the Okanagan. The good news is there are more rentals opening up since the real estate market has heated up here and I should have a home by tomorrow. If my husband can stop being so picky at least! I'm tired of living out of a cardboard box in my car and not knowing what relative we'll be mooching off at night.

My time at Canpages has come to an end, hopefully only temporary but time will tell. My time there was very valuable because I learned a lot about local advertising and small business. I still believe that Canpages is a necessity in the Canadian Directory market otherwise advertisers and users would still have a mediocre product at a high price.

The Canpages online directory is the best online directory and any business owner who hasn't taken advantage of the free business profile yet is loosing out on attracting more clients to their business. So get it off the to do list and go to the Canpages website to claim your listing.

Canpages understands that the only thing of value in the online world is innovation and lots of it. Canpages is always adding innovative features to its online directory and buying up smaller competitors.

Any small business owner that thinks he won't benefit from Advertising with Canpages is mistaken and needs to find out why. Feel free to email me at carennedy@gmail.com to find out more. I don't work there any more so don't worry - I can't try to sell you anything only give you information.

I don't know what my future holds but I do know that God is in the driver's seat. For now I'll enjoy my summer chillaxin' (my son's latest word) with my kids at the great beaches of the Lower Mainland. Once settled into our new home I'll take a look at the job market here. I may not be thrilled about looking for work again, but I know I'll end up where I'm meant to be. So, here I am in BC again God - If you want me here can we get on with life already!

When Families Relocate a Local Canpages Phone Directory Makes Life Easier

Since we decided to move to the lower mainland BC from Calgary I've been trying to figure out what extra-curricular activities to register my kids in. I would get frustrated searching because I didn't always know exactly what I was looking for, I wanted one place that listed all the local extra-curricular activities that each city offered. Looking at local online directories like Canpages.ca and google searches was great when I knew exactly which type of activity I was looking for. Thing is I want my kids to try something different and take advantage of what the new city offers.

Now that we've narrowed our search to one area of the lower mainland it got a bit easier but without a house and very limited access to the Internet I didn't have the luxury of trying to find that elusive all in one listing of the different extra-curricular activities online. I tried driving around but that was just frustrating, so I stopped in at a Best Western for a Yellow Pages and they gave me an extra Canpages for the area. This tool worked great when I knew what heading I was looking for but not to help me discover new opportunities the community offered.... or so I thought!

I just happened to be waiting for someone and started skimming the Canpages Phone Directory Community Pages and guess what I found! A list with all the contact numbers of various programs, sports, businesses and centers that offer extra-curricular activities for the kids. It was also filled with descriptions of the various parks, farmers markets, sights, and tidbits on the community. The local phone books are really under utilized by the people who receive them. Sometimes you just have to open it to find out why you need a phone book delivered to your door, you might be surprised at what you find.

What every Realtor Needs to Be Effective

For anyone in outside sales that needs to access the internet for information the most important tool you can have is a laptop or netbook with a Roger's Rocket (or other wireless providers internet service). With these two items you can access the internet anywhere whenever you need to. Helpful tool to help close that sale while still in the house when the client has some unforeseen questions.

If you sell an online product or utilize the internet for information or an internet based database you need at least a netbook - small handy 1 gig laptop for $400 - and the Roger's rocket. Without this tool you can be adding a delay or loosing a sale all together.

Is Your Small Business a Professional in its Industry or a paid Amateur?

I've been asking myself a lot lately, what makes someone a professional? In sports and the art world the difference between an Amateur and a professional is simple - one gets paid the other doesn't.

Is it really that simple? I don't think so. A professional means more than a paycheque, it's the difference between learning and arriving at excellence. Its an attitude, an image, a way of thinking, and acting. Being a professional is more then a certificate on the wall or a job. There are many paid individuals in the marketplace, employees, small business owners, and salespeople who do not act or think like a professional.

So what characteristics make someone a professional?

Preparation. A professional is always prepared for any situation, objection, and question. Nothing phases them and they are known for their abilities in their industry.

Knowledge. A professional knows everything about their industry, market, specialty, or job. They are known for being the go to person.

Image. A professional looks like a professional, not just sometimes but all the time. The dress, act, and talk like a professional all the time.

Practice. A professional is always practicing the basics and getting better at what they do. They practice so much that they don't have to think about it, they just do it. They re-act quickly and always know exactly what to do.

Responsibility. Professionals do not blame others for their failures. They take responsibility when they make a mistake and then fix it. They do not offer excuses or play the blame game. The do the job right and make sure everything is done right.

Private. Professionals don't gossip or hang out at the water cooler. Professionals don't bring the personal problems to the office or blab about their lives all day. Professionals are there to work, they understand how to be pleasant and are experts at small talk but they are not about the drama of life.

I want to be a professional, I strive to be a professional salesperson but I fall short. If I keep working, keep striving, and continue to learn I will one day achieve professional status.

Kellog's Raisin Bran

Kellog's makes Frosted Corn Flakes why not Frosted Bran Flakes?

I wanted Frosted Flakes for breakfast and all we had was Raisin Bran and no sugar... my mom is turning into quite the health nut. My morning drink consists of a greeny brown smoothie she brings me. I don't ask what's in it, to tell you the truth I'm a little scared to know so I just drink it down.

As I pour a bowl of Raisin Bran with no sugar I can't help but wonder why doesn't Kellog's make Frosted Raisin Bran? Not that my mom would buy a box.

OMG Shoot Me Now!

I feel like I'm going nuts. Technically we are homeless and staying with my in laws in a small cramped space. If this has taught me anything it's that collecting stuff is not for those who live in small spaces. Keeping from getting on everyones last nerve is near impossible and living like this is a test in tact and polite communication. Sometimes its best to keep your opinions to yourself.

We are out looking at homes daily and I finally had enough of the negativity and nit picking. My husband can see every imperfection from a mile away so I established a positives first rule. My husband is very detail oriented and checks everything he does not once, not twice but three times to make sure its perfect. Don't get me wrong this is a good thing in the long run because he catches everything I miss, which is everything! However, when your looking for a place to live it is better to see the positives of the property first then the negatives, otherwise you'll never find a place.

Perfection is an ideal and is very subjective. Perfection to one person is easily imperfection to another. Expecting perfection in life will only lead to misery because things rarely just fall into place. Life is easier for those who are flexible, creative problem solvers that can make anything out of nothing than it is for those who want everything a certain way.

Its easy to point out the negatives, not so easy to comment on the positives first. For me listing the positives has become a habit, how else would you explain enjoying my 12 years in Calgary weather and all? Recently, my daughter told me that daddy was going to be happy now and she was sorry that I wouldn't be because I liked Calgary. I explained to her that I focused on the good of Cagary and not the bad so that's why I was happy there and I would do the same at the coast (in BC). Its all how you look at something, even the weather and the traffic.