May Newsletter is ready! Check out the link below and Enjoy!   http://therealtypost.biz/lisamerrett/email.html

10 Home-Maintenance Tips for Spring A certified home inspector shares 10 home-maintenance tips for spring. By Dwight Barnett, Scripps Howard News Service  After a long, dark winter, spring's bright sun and warm winds are, well, a breath of fresh air. The only downside? All that sunshine spotlights your leaf-filled gutters, cracked sidewalks and the dead plants in last year's flower beds. Dwight Barnett, a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors, shared this ch ... Full Article...

Realty Newsletter for April 2012 Love Where You Live http://therealtypost.biz/lisamerrett/email.html   Have a great weekend!

How to Save Money on DIY Projects   Lifestyle - HGTV Canada You've crunched the numbers, recruited knowledgeable friends, and know that you're saving money by using your own muscle-power to revamp your living space. But wouldn't it be nice to save even more money and use those extra dollars to, say, purchase artwork for your new den? Here's how to pinch a few dollars when remodeling or sprucing up a room. Full Article Click Here

Top Ten Bathroom Design Mistakes By: Marissa Ponikowski of HGTV The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in a home, which means planning a remodel of this vital nook is not a task that should be taken lightly. Whether embarking on a do-it-yourself job or hiring a professional, it pays to put some serious thought into the planning and layout of your new bathroom. To help you avoid common pitfalls and design disasters, we've asked a professional to give us the goods on what not to do....... ... Full Article...

11 Reasons to List During the Holidays 1. People who look for a home during the Holidays are more serious buyers! 2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for You! 3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase come the early Spring, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand mends less money for You! 4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays! 5. Buyers are more emotional during the ... Full Article...

Economic and market info from 1 of Canada's top mortgage brokers, Mark Herman of Mortgage Alliance. Why you should get a rate hold now. Very pleased to be a guest blogger for Lisa Merrett and also pleased to work with one of the best realtors in Calgary. There are about 5,000 realtors in town and about 500 make their full-time living at it; Lisa is one of the better ones for sure. Now, down to business; the advantages of using a top mortgage broker are listed near the end of this entry but rea ... Full Article...

Open House today from 12-3pm 312 Ranch Estates Drive NW - Stop in and take a look! Read More about this home...

Fall is just upon us as the Labour Day long weekend is already here. The kids are back in school and it’s time to get back to a familiar routine. This also means it’s time to get your home ready for Fall as Winter will soon be upon us. 10 Steps to get your home ready for Fall Get the windows wiped down from the inside and the outside, to remove any dry dust that was collected over the summer heat. Finish off any painting or staining, to protect the exposed wood from the elements ... Full Article...

5 Tips: Getting your house ready for the new season.   It's the unofficial end of summer. While you may be caught up with other things, like getting the kids ready for school, it's important not to neglect your home. Early fall is the time of year to prepare your house for the cooler weather just around the corner. Most people know to clean their gutters and seal openings around windows that can leak heat. But there are other less obvious measures you'll need to take to keep your home in tip- ... Full Article...

Current home sales and prices expected to continue through 2012 According to a recent report from the Canadian Real Estate Association, the nation's current level of home sales and prices will continue through 2012, despite the international economic turmoil threatening the sector. CREA released a report recently that showed the national home price fell by more than $10,000 during July, which now sits at its lowest level since January. However, the company explained home sales are still up 9. ... Full Article...

Before heading out to the garden, take stock of these 10 common household items—some you might otherwise count as garbage! They may be your new favorite garden tools. 1. Use Yogurt Cups to Trap Slugs Dig a hole in your yard the size of a yogurt container near any plants being eaten by slugs. Place the cup flush with the ground, and fill with beer or salted water. Bait the rim with sliced potatoes; the pests will crawl into the container and drown. 2. Use Charcoal to Nourish Your Compost ... Full Article...

When you’ve found that perfect little house you'd like to call your home, the last thing you want is to have to compete with other potential buyers. But bidding wars — especially in hot real estate markets and urban centres — are more of a reality now than ever. So what do you need to know to stand the best chance at signing on the dotted “sold” line? Winning a bidding war is always a roll of the dice, but read on for the real deal on how to prepare before entering ... Full Article...

Sometimes in the Real Estate world there are terms used that the average person may not know or quite understand, so let’s look at a few of them. Amortization: The period of time it takes to reduce a debt to zero when payments are made regularly. Amortization periods are 15, 20, 25 or 30 years. Chattels: Articles of moveable personal property (ie: dishwasher, fridge, dehumidifier, etc.) Closing Costs: Costs and expenses associated with closing a real estate transaction. Such costs can inc ... Full Article...

Cigarette Smoke Can Eliminate Buyers My job is to help sellers get the most money for their home, I hope this article will help a future seller. Every Realtor has come across this situation. A wonderful home that your about to list, you walk in the front door and into a wall of cigarette smoke. For the sensitive ones, your eyes start to water and your nose starts to sting, and it continues until you leave and breath in the fresh air.  All the feedback you get from other Realtors about the home ... Full Article...

Interesting article I found, what the work force might look like in a few years from now.  Take a look! http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/time-to-lead-archives/five-key-trends-likely-to-shape-the-world-of-work-in-coming-years/article2067108/?from=2070773

How to increase the Resale Value of your Home Take a look at this great article. Very practical and simple steps to get the best value out of your home.  http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/how-to-increase-the-resale-value-of-your-home-2476316/

10 Tips for Turning a First Home Into an Income Property By: Amber Dowling (Lifestyle - HGTV Canada) For the past ten years, Scott McGillivray, a 30-year-old real estate entrepreneur, has made a living by transforming houses into income properties. The 30-year-old currently manages 18 properties with over 100 tenants, and now he's coming to HGTV to help a "house poor" generation create legal income suites and help offset their rising mortgage payments. Whether it's a 100-year-old Victorian home ... Full Article...

Keller Williams Realty South Volunteers for Paul Brandt's Build it Forward Program. Tomorrow I will be volunteering my time to help such a great cause.  Check out the article below: http://samaritanmag.com/paul-brandts-new-build-it-forward-tv-show-still-needs-sponsors-volunteers