Not your average Nursery
By Angela Nolan / April 30, 2014 / Home Decor
I absolutely love this nursery. First of all, I too love orange like the room's designer, Kari McIntosh. The draw to me is that both adults and children would be comfortable spending time in the room. Love all the non-traditional baby furniture and decor items.
Click to view more photos of the Baby room and the full article.
Time to update your wood fireplace
By Angela Nolan / April 30, 2014 / Home Decor
T
The older part of the city of Hamilton has lots of home with old and drafty wood burning fireplaces. Their beautiful and ornate mantles and tiles surrounding are often worth saving but perhaps a gas insert would be better than the original wood burning design. Wood burning fireplaces can be messy, dangerous if you do not get the chimney cleaned and serviced on a regular basis, and extra work as you need to bring in wood and clean out the ashes. The big negative for most is the inefficiency and the fact that you are often sending more warm air out of your home than the burning wood is bringing into your home. Click below for some terrific ideas for updating your old wood fireplace.
First 3 Steps for the First Time Buyer
By Angela Nolan / April 25, 2014 / Buying a Home
FIRST TIME HOME BUYING
Buying your first home can be both exciting and terrifying all at the same time. It will be far more exciting if you are armed with knowledge about the home buying process. Before you start going out and viewing homes, there are some steps that you should take first.
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Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
The first step in the buying process is to find out if you qualify for mortgage financing and if you do, what is the maximum mortgage amount that you can afford. One of the things that a lending institution will examine is your credit score. If you do not have a credit card or a loan of any kind, you may not have a credit score. This is a very important part of the financing process so if you have always paid in cash for your purchases, now is the time to apply for a credit card. Make sure you use the credit card and always pay off the balance when due. Another factor that the lending institution will take into account is your annual salary, the number of years at your current employer and what debts or loans you are currently carrying. Once the financial institution has given you pre-approval for a mortgage, you will know how much you can afford.
- Know where you want to live
My advice to you as a new buyer would be to look at homes on the internet, advertised in your local newspaper, etc. so that you have an idea of what homes cost, what type of homes are typically available, and what neighbourhoods are attractive to you. Take a walk or drive around to the different neighbourhoods or communities that you are considering. What are the amenities that you want nearby such as public transportation, shopping, highway access, schools, or trails? Another factor worth considering is the type of home that suits your lifestyle best. Are you a busy single person that works long hours and is hardly home? Perhaps a condominium apartment or townhome would be a great purchase for you. Considering all of these variables will provide you with a reasonable expectation of what you can afford and where you would like to live
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Find a Realtor
Again, do your research. Look on the internet; ask friends and family that have recently purchased a home and attend Open Houses where you can meet local realtors. Find a realtor that will take the time to explain the buying process, educate you on the different neighbourhoods (especially if you are from out of town) and that will be patient with you as you embark on one of your biggest investment purchases. Take the time and do your homework. You will be spending a lot of time with this person and it will be a much more pleasant experience if it is someone that you like and trust.
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HOUSE HUNTING!
Not all Realtors are created equal, Part 1
By Angela Nolan / April 25, 2014 / Selling your home
What does it matter who you select to represent you in the sale of your home? In a word, LOTS!
Gone are the days when marketing your home meant an ad in the local newspaper with a non-descript picture taken of the exterior of your home. That just does not cut it in today's market. The listing of your home and likewise the pictures of your home are posted, viewed and shared all over the internet and Social Media and are seen by people all over the country if not all over the world. To best represent your home, you need professional quality photographs taken by a professional photographer.
We, Cameron Nolan (Broker) and Angela Nolan (Sales Representative) with Re/Max Escarpment Realty, hire the services of a local photographer that does extraordinary work. His photographs bring out the true beauty of a home. Below are two sets of photographs taken of the same home. The first set of photgraphs were taken by our photographer and the second set were from a previous expired listing.
If you saw both sets of thes pictures, which ones would make you want to view or better yet, buy this home? If you are the owner of this home, which photographs would you want out there in Cyberspace representing your home?
Professional and Fabulous
Non-professional and Lack-lustre
Now SOLD!! 177 Benvenuto Crescent, Hamilton
By Angela Nolan / April 24, 2014 / Featured Properties
Welcome to your new home at 177 Benvenuto Crescent
This beautiful home says, "Welcome". From the Trillium Award winning perennial gardens, patio and walkways, to the updated interior; this one scores a perfect 10. Click below to see the complete listing information.
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