Have a home inspection done before your property goes on the market to identify any defects. Or if you know someone really well-informed about homes, have them do a walk-through with you. Fix anything that you know might be less-than-perfect. Replace burned-out lightbulbs, re-caulk your tubs and showers, make sure all appliances and drains are functioning properly, for example. If there are any defects that you do not wish to rectify (ie if the roof or windows need to be replaced), be sure to disclose them to potention buyers, therefore minimizing opportunities for buyers to negotiate you down.

Making your home move-in ready, so as to substantiate your asking price, also means giving it a fresh coat of paint in a neutral shade (if necessary), replacing flooring or window coverings as needed, again in a neutral tone, and cleaning it until it SHINES!

If you want to go the extra mile, have your home professionally staged. Staging can help justify your asking price by distinguishing your property from others on the market, and positioning your home more favourably in the minds of prospective buyers by appealing to their emotions and creating an environment in which they can picture themselves living. For some people though, this is not necessary: if you have nice furniture in good condition and an experienced Realtor who can help advise you on proper furniture placement to maximize space and appeal. You are going for that warm “show home” look! Remember, when it comes to furniture and decor, less is more when you are trying to sell.

Source: Mortgage Matters

Bank of Montreal made the biggest splash by announcing a five-year fixed-rate mortgage of 2.99 per cent – the lowest advertised rate for such a popular mortgage term by any major Canadian bank, ever.

Yes, there are more restrictions than usual attached to this mortgage and it’s supposedly just a two-week promotion.

But other big lenders – like the Royal Bank – have already begun to match BMO’s offer. TD Canada Trust and Scotiabank now have a similar interest rate for four-year fixed-rate mortgages and TD this week lowered its six-year fixed rate mortgage to 3.79 per cent – a drop of more than a full percentage point. It also lowered its seven-year mortgage by almost a full percentage point to 3.99 per cent.

So what’s driving all these rate plunges at the chartered banks?

One element is that bond yields have been plunging recently, so market watchers say it’s not too surprising to see other rates drop, too, a reflection of there being more cash in the system.

“Mortgage rate declines have actually been lagging behind falling bond yields, driven by global economic uncertainty,” says John Andrew, a real estate expert and professor at Queen’s University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning. So what we are seeing here is a bit of catch up on the part of mortgage rates.

It is the bond market that is the bigger driver of longer-term fixed mortgage rates, not the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate, which directly affects variable mortgage rates and other floating loan rates.

With stock markets shaky and volatility reigning in the currency and commodity markets, nervous investors have been stuffing money into safe Canadian bonds – driving up prices and driving down yields.

The other reason cited by the experts is competition. “The first few months of the year are typically slower for the mortgage market,” says Mark Kocaurek, the chief lending officer at ING Direct Canada.

In a commentary earlier this week for RateSupermarket.ca, he wrote that he expected lenders would lower fixed rates “over the short term in order to win more business.” A couple of days later, they did just that.

So if you belong to one of the estimated three million Canadian households that currently have a fixed-rate mortgage, you’re probably wondering whether it’s worth trying to get in on this super-low mortgage-rate action.

The bottom line from the experts: it depends.

For one thing, there’s the penalty you pay if you do want to make a change.

The cheapest fixed-rate mortgages are closed mortgages – meaning that you can’t escape the interest rate you agreed to pay for five years unless you pay the lender compensation for the interest it would lose by letting you switch from a higher interest rate mortgage to a lower one.

There are two main variables that determine the prepayment penalty to get out of a fixed-rate mortgage early:

The difference between your higher-rate mortgage and the current mortgage rate, known as the interest rate differential penalty; and

The amount of time remaining in your mortgage’s term. The longer the time, the bigger the penalty.

It’s a complicated calculation – made all the more so because financial institutions have different ways of calculating penalties.

Some base their calculation of interest rate differentials on the posted rate (the current posted rate for a fixed five-year mortgage, for example, is 5.29 per cent – far above the actual 2.99 per cent lenders are now charging.) Some lenders, though, use their discounted rates to do the calculation.

If you want to switch, the only way to know for sure whether you’d be further ahead is to ask your current lender how much it would charge to release you early from your mortgage.

Once you have that figure, it’s a relatively easy matter for any independent mortgage broker to figure out whether it’s worth your while to make the switch. Will the added costs of the prepayment penalty, and other costs that might be involved, be covered by the much lower payments over the next five years?

A good broker can also explore other alternatives to lessen the blow. For instance, some lenders eager to build market share may offer incentives that would cover much of the penalty.

By the way, those penalties can be huge.

“Fixed rates are attractive to people because they want to avoid risk, but one of the biggest risks you can have is the interest rate differential (IRD) penalty,” says Aaron Vaillancourt, principal broker at Centum Engage Mortgages in Toronto.

“The penalty can be as much as the realtor fees,” he says, sometimes even more. Vaillancourt says he has one client with a $290,000 mortgage who is facing an IRD penalty of $32,000.

There’s no question that low mortgage rates are great for first-time buyers or others whose mortgages are now just coming up for renewal.

But some economists warn that these low rates will do nothing to keep a lid on what’s been called an “overheated” real estate market in a few Canadian cities.

Others point out that the added restrictions on some of these 2.99 per cent mortgages – such as no amortizations longer than 25 years – will help to keep out the barely-qualified.

What there’s no debate about is that low rates have already saved Canadian borrowers billions of dollars.

The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals estimated recently that the 1.35 million mortgage holders who renewed their mortgages in the past year saved an average of $2,000 a year in interest costs – or $2.7 billion a year in total.

Source: CBCnews.ca

The way I feel about myself; how much I open myself to new people and experiences; how often I choose to smile simply because it feels good. None of these things depend on my life situation.

1. Enjoying the present moment is a habit that takes practice. If you always look toward tomorrow for happiness, odds are you will do the same when you attain what you’ve been dreaming of. As strange it sounds, the ability to appreciate what’s in front of you has nothing to do with what you actually have. It’s more about how you measure the good things in your life at any given time.

Practice wanting what you have and it will feel even sweeter when you eventually have what you want. Look around—what’s in front of you that can enjoy?

2. Finding reasons to be happy now can benefit your future. Dr. Dacher Keltner of the University of California claims she can predict a person’s future by judging the strength of their smile. Researchers examined yearbook photos of 111 female students taken between 1958 and 1960. Subsequent tests revealed that the women who expressed more positive emotion in those photos became more mentally focused, had more

“While positive emotion tends to broaden thought, negative emotion tends to narrow it and hold back development….The findings of Dr Keltner and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, are among the first to show that differences in the extent to which people express emotion may be stable throughout their lives and dictate personal and social success.”

3. Tuning into joy can improve your health, something that affords you many possibilities in life. Something that most people take for granted until it’s compromised.

Christopher Peterson, Ph.D of the University of Michigan—who has studied optimism’s link to health for over 20 years—shows optimistic people have a stronger immune system than their negative counterparts. This may be due to their tendency to take better care of themselves. Choose to be happy now and you’ll have more days of good health to enjoy.

4. Consistent, long-term happiness depends on your ability to notice and appreciate the details; you can hone that skill right now. Once you get everything you want, you will still be subject to life’s highs and lows. If you haven’t learned to enjoy the little things, your well-being will parallel your life’s circumstances. Every time something goes wrong, you’ll feel deeply unhappy (as opposed to disappointed but determined to make the best of things).

Think about the things that fill you with the most joy—spending time with your pets, listening to the rain, and running on the beach, for example. Focus on those things right now, and let them brighten your day. That way, no matter what changes, you’ll have a variety of simple pleasures to help you through.

5. Every day is a new opportunity to be better than yesterday; that pursuit can increase your self esteem and, accordingly, your happiness. I used to be obsessed with being perfect. If I wasn’t the best at something, I couldn’t sleep at night. Becoming great never felt as good as I imagined it would because there was always room to be better. I was constantly dissatisfied and disappointed in myself.

I now look at the things I do as opportunities to get better from one day to the next. It’s more satisfying to set and meet an attainable goal, like focusing better and writing an extra article tomorrow, than it is to obsess about perfection, stressing because I’m not a world-famous author.

By focusing on small improvements and mini-goals, you’ll naturally move yourself toward your larger dreams. And you’ll respect the way you’re doing things.

6. You can be who you want to be right now, no matter what your situation looks like. You may think life needs to change dramatically for you to be the person you want to be. That you can’t be giving unless you make more money. Or you can’t be adventurous until you sell your house. The truth is you can be those things at any point in time.

So you don’t have money to share. Be generous with your compassion, and listen when your friends have problems. So your house hasn’t sold, pinning you in one place. Create adventure in your day by trying new things and introducing yourself to new people.

You never know when your nows will run out—so ask yourself, “How can I be that person I want to be in this moment?”

7. Finding joy in the present moment—no matter how inadequate it may seem—makes a difference in other people’s lives. Though we all have different lists of dreams and goals, for most of us this is at the forefront : the possibility of living a meaningful life that affects other people for the better.

Happiness is a moment-to-moment choice, one that many have a hard time making. Other people will notice if you make that choice. And you will motivate them to do the same. As the research above indicates, this motivation has a substantial impact on their health and future happiness.

I know this isn’t your usual reasons-to-be-happy post. It didn’t start or end with “count your blessings” and I didn’t delve into your relationships or good fortune. There’s a very good reason for that.

I don’t think happiness is so much about what you have. What you have changes; your “blessings” evolve. Happiness is about how you interpret what’s in front of you. How proud you are of the way you live your life. How willing you are to enjoy simple pleasures, even if things aren’t perfect.

Though I have’t always done this well, today I choose to focus on the good—both in the world and myself—to feel happy right now. How will you tune into happiness today?

This week I was “creating” in the kitchen and came up with this little gem! I LOOOOOVE it. Even had to make it a second time a few days later.

This recipe makes 2 dinner-sized servings.

Ingredients:

• Baby spinach
• 1 ripe vine tomato (medium), seeded and chopped
• Grated extra old white cheddar cheese (small amount)
• 1/2 of a medium onion cut in thin slices and separate each slice
• 4 medium sized mushrooms washed, with stems removed sliced thin and then cut in half
• 1 whole roasted red pepper (I buy them in a jar), chopped
• 2 freshly hardboiled eggs – be careful not to overboil!
• 6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• Freshly ground pepper

Place 2 eggs in a pot of water with salt. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand in the boiled water until ready to use

In a pan, fry 6 strips of bacon until crispy (but don’t overdo it!). Set aside on paper towel to remove all excess fat. Add the slices of onion to the bacon fat in the pan, fry over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then remove the onions and place them on paper towel to remove all excess fat.

In a small bowl combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. Whisk and add to a clean frying pan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add in the onion, chopped roasted red pepper and chopped bacon and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. The sauce will reduce. Stir often. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

Meanwhile in 2 bowls, plus 2 handfuls (approx 2 cups) of baby spinach, with all the big stems cut off. Add the chopped tomato (half to each bowl), Add small sprinkling of extra old white cheddar on top.

Take your eggs out of the boiled water, peel and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle on top of the salads. Then divide warm mixture from the pan in half and place on top of the salad, drizzling the extra sauce. Again season with freshly ground pepper to taste.

Voila! Please let me know what you think if you try this. This is one for “The Menu!”

Ladies and Gentlemen,
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Here’s a link to the video if you’re interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

We can do a lot to stop food waste, starting with a few adjustments to refrigerator organization. Here are 12 suggestions on how to waste less money on food:

1. Buy less food overall. The European model of more frequent and even daily shopping trips can help reduce food waste compared with the more American-style mega-shopping sprees on the weekends.

2. Keep your fridge uncluttered. If you can’t see the hummus, you might forget to eat it. Start a “use it up” shelf for items that will soon go bad so you remember to eat them. Try putting new groceries in the back and pushing older items to the front.

3. Ignore expiration dates. Well, maybe not completely, but those dates tend to be conservative. Rely more on your own senses to determine whether or not food is still edible.

4. Decline the “extras” at restaurants. Once the bread basket hits your table, it can no longer be served to others, so speak up if you’d rather skip the carbo-loading before the main meal. Similarly, if you’re not going to eat the fries that come with your meal, let your server know.

5. Bring home leftovers. Some restaurants are famous for large servings; don’t let the leftovers go to waste. Bringing your own container for them makes the choice more environmentally-friendly, too.

6. Use smaller plates at home. One of the families Bloom profiles in the book uses smaller plates to encourage taking smaller servings, which can then be refilled if necessary. That way, children (and adults) are less likely to take more than they will eat.

7. Cook more. Bloom found that people are less likely to waste food that they or a loved one made, which means home-cooked meals have a better chance of avoiding the garbage disposal.

8. Grow your own herbs. The small amount of basil or mint often called for in recipes can lead to big waste, since you often have to purchase a larger bunch. Instead, consider growing the herbs yourself in small indoor pots, or plan several herb-heavy recipes in one week.

9. Eat before you shop. Shopping on an empty stomach tends to lead to impulse buys and unnecessary stocking up.

10. Limit bulk buys. Stocking up on items can lead to overspending (and waste), especially if we don’t get the chance to use up all that cream cheese before it gets moldy.

11. Save and eat leftovers. Some items, such as chili and meatloaf, taste even better the next day.

12. Use your freezer. Putting long-term leftovers in the freezer, along with other freezable items that you can’t use right away, can help reduce the amount that ends up in the trash.

Source: Kim Palmer (US NEWS), “American Wasteland” by Jonathan Blood

- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 box (900 mL) chicken or vegetable broth
- Olive oil
- 1 14-oz can of plum or diced tomatoes
- 3 large vine-riped tomatoes (ripe!!)
- Fresh basil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Roughly chop carrots, celery and onions. Peel and slice garlic. Place them all in a large pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix together. Cook for around 10-15 minutes with the lid askew until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden.

Add the broth, whole tomatoes (chopped into chunks) and can of tomatoes. Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.

Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and add fresh bunch of basil leaves to taste (about one handful). Use an immersion blender or liquidizer to blend. Season and serve with salt and pepper.

We went to Rosie’s on Robson for a quick dinner before the show so we missed the first opening act. The second act was Cage the Elephant. I recognized some of their songs from the radio and definitely enjoyed some of them.

Foo Fighters hit the stage with HUGE energy. I was surprised and impressed, though I confess – I didn’t really know what to expect. They played for about 3 1/2 hours, including a 6-song encore set! Dave Grohl was not what I expected live, he was awesome! Not that I expected him NOT to be, but my only knowledge of him came from shows like Entertainment Tonight lol and I didn’t realize what a true rockstar he is. I left thinking wow, what a super-talented, likeable guy. He CLEARLY enjoying performing and wanting to deliver a great rock show experience to their fans. Great audience interaction, a very entertaining show. All my favourites of theirs were played, including a couple acoustic versions in the encore (“Best of You,” “Everlong”, “My Hero”).

Now I know why Mike likes Foo so much and why he keeps sneaking their albums onto my iPod haha. We didn’t get home until 1am!

What a powerful book. This takes us through their life in Room up to their daring escape and subsequent reintegration into society. I could not put this one down! Horrible to imagine and yet thought-provoking, inspiring and hopeful. Beautifully articulated in the dialogue of a 5-year old.

I had asked for book recommendations on Facebook, so thank you to Tarrah for this suggestion. Mark my words, this one will be made into a movie. Let me know what YOU thought!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
•  1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

            Directions

1.  Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk, vanilla and oil. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Beat until smooth.

3. Pour or scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, using 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Best served with fresh fruit and berries, or with a small dab of butter and syrup.