One Minute With The One Group

Despite what you might hear in the news, Ontario is still booming with Real Estate investment choices.

In this week's One Minute With The One Group podcast, we reveal 3 of the best destinations for investment in the province

One of the most common dilemmas owners face when it comes to home improvement projects is whether you should hire a professional or go the DIY route and potentially save some money.

While there is no one size fits all answer, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself to help decide whether to swing a hammer or write a cheque.

The most important aspects to consider before you begin are things like,

Do you enjoy physical work?

Are you reliable, and patient, meaning once the project is started will you finish it?

Do you have all the tools, materials and skills to safely complete the job?

Do you have the time?

Are you familiar with the building codes and the permits needed?

If you answered no to more than one or two of these, than it might be in your best interest to explore hiring a professional.

A Renovation project may pretty up your home, but have you thought about the effect it might have on the air you breath?

Chemical Pollutants released from common things such as finishings, paints and even carpets can potentially cause issues with your home’s air quality, especially if it’s an older house.

But you can safeguard yourself and your family with a few easy preventive measures.

First off, check the label of all the products you are using. Look for a Green Seal or Global Organic and other safety certifications. Anything that says it uses formaldehyde or lead should be avoided.

Make sure every room is properly ventilated before you start working; the buildup of particles from even the safest paint and finishing liquids can be mildly harmful if the air isn’t flowing.

And finally, be vigilant on dusting; contaminants in the air mixed with ordinary household dust are a recipe for allergic reactions.

If you have questions about Barrie Real Estate or an idea for our next podcast, we want to hear it! Reach out anytime to [email protected]

As sale prices rise and mortgage rules tighten, it is becoming more challenging for first time buyers to get into the Real Estate market.

And for some, a Rent To Own program might seem like a path to ownership.

But what does it entail?

Basically, a homeowner rents to a tenant with a portion of the rent counting toward a deposit, with the tenant having the option to buy the home for a predetermined price at the end of the lease.

But there are potential pitfalls. For the investor, the downside is that if a tenant decides to break the rent-to-own agreement, or decides the home is not suitable, you risk losing money on re-sale while being left with a vacant property.

For the tenants, if the deal doesn’t come together they may lose their deposit, and depending on how the contract is written, may lose all the money that was put aside for the down payment.

The bottom line is that while Rent-to-own home ownership isn’t a bad option, it can be risky for those who don’t understand exactly what they are signing up for. Do your research.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate, we have answers!

Reach out anytime to [email protected]

When you’re looking at potential homes, there is much to consider, things like how many bedrooms, and the state of the roof, but one important aspect that we tend to ignore…and that’s your commute time.

Recent studies have discovered that people with the longest commutes tend to have lower overall satisfaction with life, and that even high paying jobs don’t provide enough wealth to comfortably offset the costs of vehicle maintenance and transit.

Longer hours away from home also mean commuters are more likely to miss children’s school activities and less likely to eat dinner with friends and family.

So when it comes to finding your forever home, make sure the distance to office is reasonable

… both for your finances and long term health.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate, or an idea for our next podcast, we want to hear it! Reach out anytime, to [email protected]

FIRST TIME REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TIPS

Real estate investing has produced some of the world’s wealthiest people, so there are plenty of reasons to view property ownership as a money maker.

But like any investment, it’s vital to do research before diving in with your hard earned cash.

Here’s a few starter tips…

DON’T BUY A FIXER UPPER - It’s tempting to look for a house that you can get at a bargain and flip it into a rental property. But in that case, you’re likely to pay a lot to renovate. Instead, target houses that needs only minor repairs.

FIND THE RIGHT LOCATION - Look for houses with low property taxes, a good school district, and amenities like parks, malls and restaurants nearby.

GET A LOW COST HOME - The more expensive the home, the higher your ongoing expenses will be. Some experts recommend starting with no more than a $250,000 property.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate, or an idea for our next podcast, we’d love to hear it!

Reach out anytime to [email protected]

April marks the return of warmer weather, but it also marks the return of an unwanted guest; Spring Flooding. But does your insurance cover a potential deluge?

There are two major types of insurance against flooding in Canada: regular and overland

Flood insurance generally covers you for damage in the event of a basement leak or burst pipes, but isn’t normally included in a normal house policy.

Overland is the kind that protects you in case of a river or lake flooding, but can be very expensive and in some cases not offered at all.

In the event you can’t get insurance at all due to the age or location of your home, you can still make a claim to the Public Safety Minister if the house sustains water damage.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate or an idea for our next podcast, we want to hear it!

Reach out anytime to [email protected]

As house prices have risen over the last decade, owning a home has become more challenging for first time buyers, and one option to help the younger generation to get property, is for parents to co-own a house with their kids.

If you’re considering this route, here’s a few important aspects to consider…

If you are Buying together as an investment as a way to secure a mortgage for the kids, a capital gains tax will be triggered when the home is eventually sold. However, you can structure ownership so that their interest is nominal, and work with a lawyer to place that interest in a trust for the benefit of the kids.

It is a good idea to enter into co-ownership with a solid agreement in writing about who will be responsible for what payments, and what happens in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

And keep in mind that joint ownership exposes any house to claims from personal or business creditors or spouse in the event of a divorce.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate, or an idea for our next podcast, we'd love to hear it! Reach out anytime to [email protected]

Here in Barrie we are lucky enough to have one of the country’s most progressive healthcare facilities in our own backyard. As RVH approaches it’s 121st birthday, here’s a few things you might not know about it…

The forerunner, called the Barrie General Hospital was nothing more than a small cottage with just four beds when it opened on Duckworth street in 1891.

The hospital was renamed Royal Victoria in recognition of the Queen’s jubilee in 1897, and the unit’s first X-Ray machine took up an entire room and was powered by a Water motor!

Today 435, 000 patient visits RVH every year, including many thousands who attend the Cancer centre, one of the most cutting edge facilities in the province.

If you have a question about Barrie Real Estate, or an idea for our next podcast, we want to hear it!

Reach out anytime, to [email protected]

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Audio version from the first ever Talking Barrie, a live stream round table discussion of all things Barrie, presented by The One Group!

See the video version on our YT Channel!

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