WINTER SELLING COURTESY OF GUEST BLOGGER JAMIE WOODEND

'Winter Selling' Jamie Woodend, Contributor

Winter Selling

As we enter the winter months many people think it is the wrong time of the year to sell their house. “Oh, I’ll wait for the spring before I put it on the market, it will never sell until than anyway.” This may be the wrong strategy for your home. Let’s look at some of the reasons to consider “winter selling.”

Less competition – Since most other sellers wait until spring to sell there is fewer houses on the market in the winter. What this means to you the Seller is potentially, a better price, (high demand + low inventory = higher pricing).

Buyers don’t go away – When the snow flies Buyers don’t leave town. They still want to buy; unfortunately it’s the Sellers that tend to disappear. More importantly First Time Buyers can be a bit impatience, once their mind is made up they want to buy, the time of year is not that important, they will buy what is available.

Professional Services – Every transaction requires the services of some sort of professional, home inspectors, lawyers, mortgage brokers etc and they simply aren’t as busy to do a February closing as a July closing. Even getting a contractor for some minor repairs will be easier in the off-season.

So if you are thinking of selling your home there is no reason to let the winter months stall your plans.

Jamie Woodend
Sales Representative
Remax a-b Realty Ltd Brokerage
88 Wellington Street
Stratford, Ontario, N5A 2L2
519-273-2821 ext 229 Office
519-949-0345 Cell"

GO GREEN WOODSTOCK

Check out this link for you Guide to
Greener living
City of Woodstock Recycling

Stress Management

Check Out This Link For Some Great Ways Of Dealing With The Burdens Of Life
Stress Management

Driving Tips: Fall

Living in Canada means dealing with cold, ice and snow, all of which can make for challenging driving conditions. The bottom line: your vehicle needs a little extra care as the mercury plummets. A little preparation before winter sets in may help prevent major headaches later.

What you can do

• Make sure you have a heavy-duty ice scraper and snow brush in your vehicle.
• Cold weather reduces tire pressure, so check tire pressure often. Visit the GM Goodwrench Tire Knowledge Centre for more information.
• Check your wiper blades. Cold temperatures can make blades brittle, and ice on the windshield can cause nicks in the blades, decreasing performance.
• If you're planning a trip, take a blanket, extra-warm clothing, a collapsible shovel, a bag of road salt and an extra bottle of windshield washer fluid.
• Install snow tires if you live in an area where temperatures remain below 7°C for extended periods of time. Choosing Winter Tires...

More winter driving tips

• Take care of your windshield: Make sure your vehicle has antifreeze rated for the coldest weather. It's also a smart idea to replace your windshield wipers every year before winter begins or purchase winter rated windshield wipers.
• Lights On, Please!: In rainy or snowy weather, turn on your headlamps and tail lamps. Even if your visibility is good, other drivers will have a better view of your vehicle in their rearview mirrors.
• Snow on the Roof: If you live in a snow belt, don't let snow pile up on top of your car or truck. Peaks of snow increase drag and decrease gas mileage. Also, don't let snow pile up in the bed of your pickup. It can cause an obstruction of your view and the view of other drivers.
• Battery efficiency: Most cold-weather breakdowns occur because batteries aren't delivering full cranking power. Your GM Goodwrench technician can check your battery and make sure battery cables are corrosion-free.
• All-season vs. winter tires: Although all-season tires can be used in a moderate winter environment, winter tires provide the best cold weather performance below 7°C. This includes wet and dry in addition to snow/ice/slush surfaces where greater tread flexibility leads to better grip.
• Loss of Pressure: Tires will lose pressure when the temperature gets colder. The general rule provided by tire manufacturers is 7kpa or 1psi drop for every 5 degree Celsius or Fahrenheit change, so measuring tire pressures year-round is vital.

Make sure your vehicle is ready for the colder weather by visiting your local GM Goodwrench dealer for a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection, including checks on wiper blades, tires, fluids and more. And for more vehicle tips and advice, plus great maintenance offers, visit goodwrench.ca.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE?

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO ENTERTAIN THE LADIES...CHECK THIS OUT!!!!
RE/MAX.COM OUTSTANDING AGENTS. OUTSTANDING RESULTS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inHWWXLdGis

Check out this link for an update on the ongoing saga between Real Estate companies, MLS, and the Competition Bureau.

The country's 4 largest real estate companies are close to an agreement to share their listings.....
Read more http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=2217586

What key thing do you want first time home buyers to know right now?

Expert Advice from the Sales Team of RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd. Brokerage.....



Today is the best day to buy. Houses are more affordable today than 5 years ago. Interest is at historical lows and buyers are in the driver's seat. Buy today as tomorrow it will change. Jamie Woodend, Sales Representative, Stratford office


Home buyers should know how the process works and that we will be with them every step of the way and beyond. Jason and Anne-Marie Proulx, Sales Representatives, Woodstock office


The time is now. Interest rates will go up, and the rebound is already underway - get in while you can! Ben Sage, Sales Representative- Woodstock office

They need to plan ahead and work with their Realtor and Mortgage Broker to have their credit in order and pre-approval done before starting to look. It makes the whole home buying process so much smoother and prevents dissapointment. Laura Barker, Sales Representative

I want first time home buyers to know that buying a house is NOT a scary experience and that your Realtor will make it painless and fun! That's what we are here for. Use us. Trust us. Move in with a smile on your face. :)

Sonia Christof, Sales Representative, Stratford office

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!

Air Canada Will Text Passengers When Flights Are Delayed

Air Canada is launching a new service notifying passengers by email or a text message to their mobile phone when their flights are cancelled or delayed.

Passengers disrupted by storms or other problems will be able to rebook flights using their computer or mobile device, avoiding the need to line up or contact agents.

The airline says passengers will be notified automatically, offered alternative flights or the ability to choose another flight and be allowed to cancel trips altogether.

Chief operating officer Duncan Dee says the airline wants to use mobile phones and smartphones to improve communications with its customers.

Those without electronic addresses will be routed to call centres.

(The Canadian Press"

Courtesy of guest blogger Jamie Woodend

"I love home renovation and home flipping shows. It's fun to watch 'Joe and Mary Homeowner' with limited skills transform their homes into works of art that should grace the pages of Home & Garden magazine. The home flipping shows where they turn a dump into a vast fortune pocketing 10's of thousand of dollars on a simple flip.

Unfortunately in the real world these shows sometimes do more harm than good. The general public gets the impression that if they spend $10,000 on a renovation their house is now worth $20,000 more. In fact very few renovations return a dollar for a dollar on your investment. Some return nothing.

I'll give you two examples. A new roof and a new kitchen. You spend $5,000 on a new roof does your home value increase by the same amount? Not likely as people expect a home to have a good roof. A poor roof certainly removes value but a good roof doesn't give you a monetary return, but it does make your house more competitives on the market.

A new kitchen on the other hand, will usually return close to 100% with a couple conditions. The workman ship must be good using quality products. Going to the lumber yard and picking out a cheap pressboard kitchen cabinets may not return your investment, but a nice mid-grade likely will. Buyers aren't fooled by cheap shaudy work.

As for flipping, it is not for the faint of heart. It is tremdous amount of hard work. It is far easier to lose money than to make money. Remember the shows you see on TV have a special feature you don't have - the delete button.

Jamie Woodend
Sales Representative
Remax a-b Realty Ltd Brokerage
88 Wellington Street
Stratford, Ontario, N5A 2L2
519-273-2821 ext 229 Office
519-949-0345 Cell"

Canadas Dollar Climbs Most in 5 Months as Stocks and Oil Gain.
Click on the link below to read this interesting article about the Canadian economy.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aZ6Xx_hpF_3E

Quality of Life

This is a fabulous video! Take a moment to check it out!

Click on the following link to see it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEr0ZiFsTdE

Our Featured Open Houses For the Week-end!

Open Houses - Sun Nov 8th

2-4pm

597 and 585 Sales Drive.

Woodstock, Ontario

Feel free to come and visit these 2 beautiful homes.

We will be happy to tell you all about their amazing features!!

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD & H1N1 FLU SYMPTOMS

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 FLU
FEVER	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100º F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the H1N1 flu.
COUGHING	A hacking, productive (mucus-producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as a dry cough).
ACHES	Slight body aches and pains can be a part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the H1N1 flu.
STUFFY NOSE	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
CHILLS	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people with have the H1N1 flu experience chills.
TIREDNESS	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the H1N1 flu.
SNEEZING	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the HINI flu.
SUDDEN SYMPTOMS	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
HEADACHE	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the H1N1 flu, present within 80% of flu cases.
SORE THROAT	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
CHEST DISCOMFORT	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the H1N1 flu.

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE EPIDEMIC IS TO SPREAD THE AWARENESS.