Spring Home Maintenance Tips   It’s no surprise that our winters can be harsh, which can cause wear and tear on our homes.  Here's a list of the top 10 items to do around your home to get a kick start to spring and the warmer weather ahead.     1. Clean your Gutters and Downspouts Lots of leaves and debris can get stuck in your gutters and downspouts. Clearing these out before the Spring rain comes is ideal to avoid... [read more]

When looking for the top design trends for 2021, we turned to no other than Stella & Sloan Home.  Stella & Sloane Home is an Online Home Shoppe (Coming Spring 2021) carefully curating pieces with a dynamic mix of vintage, modern and a timeless coastal sophistication. Co-founded by two sisters, Jessica and Kendra are incredibly excited to finally pursue their dream of not only owning a business together, but also a business and brand centred around home decor, lifestyle... [read more]

2020 is officially over! Send in the marching band!!!! There were many lessons learned and lots of hope created.  The Real Estate Market was booming in spite of all the chaos around us. December was a very interesting month for Real Estate.  We saw less homes listed than in the previous year, but more homes sold.  Inventory was very scarce for Burlington and the surrounding areas, but that did not affect our sales numbers.  Freehold homes saw an increase in sales and... [read more]

How Much will it Cost to Buy a Home?   There are many costs attached to buying a home that goes above and beyond the purchase price.  Being informed and prepared is the best way for you to ensure a smooth and easy transition to purchase a home.  Here is a list of costs that will arise when you are buying that home:   Down Payment:  This is the initial portion that you will be paying for your home.  For Canadian residents, the minimum down payment for... [read more]

The First Time Home Buyers Guide Buying my first home was probably the scariest and most rewarding experience I have ever gone through.  The anticipation, the worry of the unknown and the constant thought of "What am I doing?" that truly did not end until I moved into the home.  I was grateful to have experienced home owners in my corner, encouraging me along the way.  After getting my real estate license, I became fortunate to begin helping others that were just... [read more]

Add a second unit in your house Adding a Second Unit to Your Home Many people have been asking us how to add a second unit or basement apartment to their homes.  It is a great way to add some extra income to your property and can be very beneficial if you are wanting to have a family member live independently.  Instead of writing our own article, we thought we would share what Ontario.ca has written and laid out very easily for residents to follow.  Please... [read more]

Burlington's Real Estate Market Update for September In past years, September has been a month of re-grouping where many people are getting settled into their new homes and starting off the school year.  This year however has shown to be much more active in all parts of real estate.  There is still a flux of buyers searching for homes whose hopes are that this selling season will prove to be successful for them.  On our end, this September has been much more lively than... [read more]

  September 1, 2020 Daniela Gonzalez A disorganized kitchen can make life stressful. Cooking for yourself or your family is much easier when your kitchen is neat and organized. A busy lifestyle can make keeping this part of your home clean a challenge unless you have the right decluttering plan in place. Thankfully, with a few simple tweaks and some habit-forming tips, you can master the art of kitchen organization. Read on for some helpful... [read more]

Top Reasons to Sell Your Home in Fall   1. Demand is Still Strong People have the misconception that spring and summer are the best months to sell a home.  They are not wrong, but fall is also a very busy time of year. The past few years we have had an influx of home buyers in the market.  This is resulting in many homes receiving multiple offers and selling over the asking price.  The buyers that missed out are still looking for a home, which makes fall the... [read more]

Hello Burlington,   I am Natalie with the Nat and Nate Real Estate Team, here to give you the July Market update for Burlington.  We have entered into STAGE 3!!!!  I know many of us are relieved, I know I am!  With us entering into Stage 3, Realtors are allowed to host Open Houses again!  Certain health precautions are in place to ensure everyone’s safety.   You can check out our Facebook and Instagram pages @livelifeburlington to see how our team... [read more]

When moving from our last home, I realized while packing, that we have A LOT of stuff! I was taken aback when going through everything and noticed that we don’t use half of the things that we have been lugging from house to house! Yes we have moved a few times! It was shocking to me because I am always down for a good house purging and getting rid of items that haven’t seen the light of day in a while.  We didn’t have the time to go through everything while... [read more]

Hey Burlington,   Thank you for tuning into Live Life Burlington.  I am Natalie with the Nat and Nate Real Estate Team, here to give you the market update for June.  June has been a very hectic month, both in real estate and with the city moving into stage 2.  We are happy and excited that businesses are opening their doors and people are able to begin getting back out there and finding their routines again.  I just wanted to mention that during these times,... [read more]

Burlington was made into a town in 1915 and is known for its port and fertile farmland. It began to take on a lot of growth in the 1990’s where it developed into a family centered community. It has been ranked by Maclean’s Magazine as Canada’s Best Community and Best Place to raise a Family for 2019.  After reading the article, it is no surprise that Burlington is a top choice for families. With an easy commute into the city and direct access to Hamilton, Burlington has... [read more]

Hey Burlington, thank you for tuning into Live Life Burlington. I'm Natalie with the Nat and Nate Real Estate Team here to talk about the real estate market for the month of May. When talking to our clients this past month, we've noticed an overall positive shift. They're more optimistic and excited about reaching their real estate goals that they set out at the beginning of the year, but put on hold for the months of March and April. We're here to help you guys reach your real... [read more]

The HST New Housing Rebate program allows you to claim a rebate on part of the HST you pay on the purchase price of either a newly constructed home or cost of building the home. You can claim a rebate on a newly renovated home, a purchase of a new mobile home, or when your home is destroyed in a fire and is subsequently rebuilt. The purchase price of resale homes are exempted from the HST whereas the purchase price of newly constructed homes are subject to HST. New home buyers... [read more]

First-time buyers of new and re-sale homes are eligible for rebates on provincial and Toronto land transfer taxes. The maximum that first-time home buyers can receive for provincial land transfer tax (LTT) is $2,000 and for the Toronto LTT its $3,725. The provincial LTT is payable anywhere in Ontario, including Toronto. As mentioned before, the maximum that a first-time buyer can receive for the provincial LTT is $2,000. For re-sale homes, the provincial rebate only applies to... [read more]

Buying a house for the first time is a big and important decision in your life. As someone who represents you and looks out for your best interest, We would like to introduce you to the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit. First-Time Home Buyer’s Credit (FTHBC) is a government program geared towards buyers like you. The objective is to reduce costs associated with purchasing a home. As a first time buyer, you are eligible for a 15% income tax credit on a maximum of $5,000 of home... [read more]

The Home Buyer’s Plan (HBP) is a government program that allows home buyers to withdraw up to $25,000 from their Registered Retirement Saving’s Plan (RRSP) to put towards buying or building a new home.   Before you can withdraw funds, you have to be entered into a written agreement that specifies whether you will be buying or building your new home.  You also must occupy this space no later than a year after buying or building this new home.   To take... [read more]

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With a New Year already on its way, we wanted our first blog post to be a piece that will encourage us to make this year better than the last.  Every year my husband and I discuss our long term and short term goals.  We create a “plan” and try to follow it as best as possible. Our “plan” diverts often with many revisions, but at the end of the day, we are still on the right path to our goals.  We do this as a way to keep us motivated, as life tends to... [read more]

  The Nat and Nate Real Estate Team has always been active in trying to minimize our economic footprint and looking for ways to help protect our environment.  We were ecstatic to read about the city of Vaughan's innovative Sustainability Community Development Plan in trying to create a minimal long term effect on our environment.  We wanted to share their plan with you today to support their efforts.  We hope that you take the time to reflect and think of ways... [read more]

7 Reasons to Sell Your Home During the Holidays                                                                     You may be on the fence about whether or not listing your home in the later months of the year is a good idea or not.  We are hear to share with you 7 reasons why it is a better idea than you may... [read more]