Trusted Regina Electrician Shares a TIP about Common Circuit Breaker Issues.

4. Feb 2020 Trusted Regina Regina Electrician, TRUSTED TIPS

Active Electric are Trusted Regina Electricians and they get it right the first time, delivering all electrical services including installation, upgrade, and repair solutions.

Whether it's hanging a ceiling fan, installing a custom-designed landscape lighting system, installing a state of the art home theater system or rewiring a commercial structure, or other electrical services, you can call Active they are here eager to help and no job is too small! Customer service is always their top priority and they should be your first call for a Regina Electrician!

Active Electric are your TRUSTED REGINA ELECTRICAL EXPERTS

Why Do My Breakers Keep Tripping?

There are a variety of causes that could trigger a circuit breaker. Some of these causes are fairly harmless but others could be putting your home in danger. For this reason, it is important to know the common causes of a tripped circuit.

Breakers can trip for a variety of reasons, and it is always important to know the cause of a tripped breaker. If your breakers are continuously switching, make sure that you contact an electrician. Some of the most common causes of tripped circuits include:

Overloaded Circuits

The most common cause of a tripped circuit breaker is an overloaded circuit. Circuit breakers are designed to trip when too much power is being drawn, as this can cause overheating and lead to a fire or damage all of the electrical devices plugged into the circuit. When something is plugged in that draws too much power or when multiple appliances are plugged in that overload the circuit, the breaker trips. If your breakers are tripping, check to see what is plugged in.

Problematic devices could include vacuums, air conditioners, space heaters, hairdryers, and corded tools.

Short Circuits

A short circuit occurs when a hot or live wire comes in contact with a neutral wire somewhere in the circuit. This usually occurs at an outlet, light fixture, or switch. Short circuits can be incredibly dangerous, as they create massive amounts of heat.

Short circuits are the most common cause of electrical fires.

Ground Fault Surges

Similar to short circuits, ground fault surges occur when two wires cross when they are not supposed to. When a hot or live wire comes into contact with a ground wire, the edge of the box, or any other grounded source more power than the circuit can handle will begin to flow through the system and a ground fault surge occurs.

If not handled properly, this can lead to electrical fires and electrocution, so a licensed electrician should always be called.

If you are ever uncertain about a potential electrical issue in you home please contact Active Electric and one of their qualified professionals would be happy to come out and take a look. They Also provide Free quotes!

ACTIVE ELECTRIC are TRUSTED REGINA ELECTRICIANS - Check out his listing here in REGINA ELECTRICIANS on the Regina Directory of excellence!

Trusted Regina Realty Lawyer shares a tip for home buyers on how to avoid real estate mistakes

27. Sep 2019 bonnied Regina Home Inspections, Regina Lawyers, Regina Legal & Professional Services, Regina Mortgages, Regina Real Estate

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay & McLean are TRUSTED REGINA LAWYERS

When looking to buy, sell, or refinance a property, you need to hire somebody who is not a stranger to addressing the real estate needs of individuals and families.

How to avoid realty mistakes

If you are selling or Investing in a home can be overwhelming and stressful. It is, perhaps, one of the most important decisions you will ever need to make. It is fraught with potential pitfalls and you must do everything you can to avoid making costly mistakes. the following is list of the biggest mistakes we all make when buying and selling our homes.

Failing to Showcase Your Home and Making Small Cosmetic Changes

When you are selling your house, you have to really look at it objectively and think about it from the viewpoint of the house hunter. Make minor enhancements to the house and maybe hire a professional stager to come and arrange your furniture.

Staging is about decorating your house for the buyers' taste, not yours.

A great place to start is with the front of the home and the main entryway. Home staging is designed to increase the potential selling price and reduce the amount of time the house stays on the market.

Setting Too High of a Sale Price

As a seller, it's really important to do your research. To come up with your sale price, look up what comparable homes in your neighborhood have sold for. Figure out what the going price is and try to put yours right in the middle of that, unless you have something extra-special to offer. It's always better to price a home that way than to start too high and have to reduce. Once you reduce, it always looks like something is wrong with the home.

Overlooking the Extra and Hidden Costs

Buying a home is not just about the money that you spend upfront; it's about all the rest of the money you have to spend beyond that. Find out what the property taxes are, what your water bill might be and what a standard electric bill is in that home, especially if you have electric heat instead of gas heat. You also need to factor in furnishings you may need to purchase before you can move in.

Buying a Home Without a Professional Inspection

There are a lot of things a home inspection can reveal about a property that are not visible to the naked eye. Be sure to hire someone who comes with a good referral basis, who's been in the business a while and knows what to look for. Look up Home Inspectors and get a list of qualified home inspectors in your area.

Be sure to hire a home inspector to thoroughly check out a house you are interested in purchasing.

Once you find an inspector, insist that they compile a written report, complete with photos. Photographs are important because there are areas a home inspector will go that you might not look at.

Falling in Love With the First Property You See

Many homebuyers, particularly first-time homebuyers, fall into the trap of falling in love with the very first house that they see. You need to at least look at three more houses in the area to get an idea of what the comparables are in that price range. You want your real estate agent to show you homes comparable to what you saw. At the end of the day, re-evaluate.

Skipping the Loan Pre-Approval Step

When you are pre-approved, the bank is saying, "we will give you a mortgage of up to this amount, so now all you have to do is find your home." Some sellers only allow real estate agents to show their house if someone has a pre-approved letter. That indicates that the shopper really is serious about buying a home.

Not Hiring an Agent

There's a lot more to selling a house than just putting a sign on the front lawn. If you don't have an agent, you will not get on the multiple-listing service (MLS). That means that other agents are not going to know that your property is for sale. Another thing to consider is if you are willing to show the house each time someone wants to come by and look at it. If you do plan to sell your house on your own, be sure to have a lawyer present at the closing. It's really important to have someone on your side who understands all the complexities.

Not Thinking About Resale

When you are decorating and renovating your home, you need to think about what is going to appeal to a broad section of buyers when it comes time to sell it. Buying houses and being in the real estate market is like chess: You always want to look two or three steps ahead in the game.

Not Researching the Neighborhood

It's absolutely critical that you research the neighborhood before you buy. Check out the area, amenities and the school system to be sure that your address corresponds with the correct school district. Also attend a community meeting, if possible. You're not just buying a house, you're buying a piece of that real estate and the land around it.

Buying a House for Its Decor

Remember that you are buying the house, not the things inside it, so make sure you see beyond the decorations and look at the bones of the home. Focus on the floor plan and the square footage. You also might want to measure the dimensions and graph out how that's going to work with your belongings.

Not Providing Easy Access for Showings

Make your house easily accessible to potential buyers. If there's nowhere to park or it's difficult to get into, buyers may just skip it and look at someone else's property.

When you go about buying your home the right way, you can make it less difficult and ensure success. For more questions and help with any legal property issues consult with our Trusted Regina Real Estate Lawyer Robert MacKay

Here is a list of more consumer tips by Robert MacKay

Robert MacKay's team provides professional, personalized service and with their assistance, you can rest assured that your real estate transactions will be handled with the utmost consideration and care.

They provide a full range of legal services including:

Real Estate & Mortgages
Wills & Estates
Family Law & Divorce
Commercial & Corporate Law
Litigation & Personal Injury

ROBERT Mackay is your TRUSTED REGINA REAL ESTATE LAWYER!

Trusted Regina Disaster Services company Winmar Restoration Specialists share a great testimonial.

22. Aug 2019 Trusted Regina Regina Contractors, Regina Insurance, Regina Mould, Regina Renovations & Design, TRUSTED TIPS

WINMAR Regina's experienced and certified staff provide full-service restoration for all types of loss.Canadians are no strangers to disasters. Both natural and accidental. Fire. Flood. Wind. When your life has been turned upside-down by a catastrophe, you can count on WINMAR®. We are the Property Restoration Specialists. WINMAR IS A TRUSTED REGINA DISASTER SERVICES & REGINA GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Here they share a great Testimonial from Vince Garland

"Around January my elderly mother fell at home,at this time I didn’t realize how bad her house had become with black mould ,I called Chris at the time he came out and saw how bad the situation was Winmar came in gutted the outside walls insulated with foam re dry walled house also at this time the shower downstairs spring a leak and again Winmar took care of all the problems we did major renovations in the house new flooring drywall kitchen cupboards led lighting and I can tell you they worked with the budget we had I can’t thank Chris Steve and mike for all the work they did
My mom couldn’t be happier thanks so much Winmar Regina they are the only company I would ever call on an emergency first rate guys." Vince Garland

WINMAR® Regina's experienced and certified staff provide full-disaster service restoration for all types of loss:

With their 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year service they always come through for you. See more services by clicking on the show more info button below. They also offer full general contracting services to Regina and surrounding area.

General Contractor Services include:

Renovations
New Constructions

WINMAR® knows what it takes to satisfy its customers.

'WINMAR® Coming Through For You!'

WINMAR IS A TRUSTED REGINA DISASTER SERVICES & REGINA GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Trusted Regina Real Estate Lawyer Robert MacKay Shares That The Bank Of Canada has lowered the mortgage stress tests rate

22. Jul 2019 bonnied Regina Lawyers, Regina Legal & Professional Services, Regina Mortgages, Regina Real Estate, TRUSTED TIPS

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay & McLean are TRUSTED REGINA LAWYERS

When looking to buy, sell, or refinance a property, you need to hire somebody who is not a stranger to addressing the real estate needs of individuals and families.

Bank of Canada lowers qualifying rate used in mortgage stress tests

The Canadian Press - Jul 19, 2019

With files from BNN Bloomberg

According the Canadian Press and other sources The Bank of Canada has lowered the rate used by mortgage stress tests to determine whether would-be homeowners can qualify, marking the first drop in three years.

The central bank's five-year benchmark qualifying rate is now 5.19 per cent, down from 5.34 per cent.

It's the first decrease in the five-year fixed mortgage rate since September 2016, when it dropped from 4.74 per cent to 4.64 per cent, and increased steadily since.

Rob McLister, founder of mortgage comparison website RateSpy.com, says the dip will increase the buying power for mortgage borrowers by allowing them to afford up to 1.4 per cent more home.

For example, someone putting a 20-per-cent down payment on a home who makes $50,000 per year can now afford $4,000 more home, according to calculations by Ratespy.com.

The Bank of Canada's five-year benchmark rate is calculated using the posted rates at the Big Six Banks.

Home sales softened last year after the federal government introduced new stress test rules for uninsured mortgages, or those with a down payment of more than 20 per cent, and mortgage rates inched higher.

As of Jan. 1, 2018, to qualify for an uninsured mortgage, borrowers needed to prove they could still make payments at a qualifying rate of the greater of two percentage points higher than the contractual mortgage rate or the central bank's five-year benchmark rate.

An existing stress test already stipulated that homebuyers with less than a 20-per-cent down payment seeking an insured mortgage must qualify at the central bank's benchmark five-year mortgage rate.

The federal financial regulator has said that the new, stricter regulations aimed to tighten mortgage lending and take some of the risk out of the market.

Meanwhile, home sales have improved in recent months as mortgage rates have moved lower.

But on Thursday, the Ontario Real Estate Association called for less stringent mortgage rules, saying that policy changes are needed to counter a downward trend in home ownership.

OREA's chief executive Tim Hudak said in a letter to federal policy-makers that Ottawa should consider restoring 30-year insured mortgages, ease up on the interest rate stress test and eliminate the test altogether for those renewing their mortgage with a different lender.

Borrowers looking to renew their mortgages are subject to stress tests if they switch to a new lender, but not if they stick with their current one.

In a May letter to policy-makers, the chief executive of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation defended the stricter lending rules, arguing that "the stress test is doing what it is supposed to do."

Full Article here: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/bank-of-canada-lowers-qualifying-rate-used-in-mortgage-stress-tests-1.1289707

For more questions and help with any legal property issues consult with our Trusted Regina Real Estate Lawyer Robert MacKay

Here is a list of more consumer tips by Robert MacKay

Robert MacKay's team provides professional, personalized service and with their assistance, you can rest assured that your real estate transactions will be handled with the utmost consideration and care.

They provide a full range of legal services including:

Real Estate & Mortgages
Wills & Estates
Family Law & Divorce
Commercial & Corporate Law
Litigation & Personal Injury

ROBERT Mackay is your TRUSTED REGINA REAL ESTATE LAWYER!

Robert MacKay your Trusted Regina Real Estate Lawyer expert explains how CRA may penalize you if you fail to report it.

11. Dec 2018 bonnied Regina Lawyers, Regina Legal & Professional Services, Regina Real Estate, TRUSTED TIPS

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay & McLean are TRUSTED REGINA LAWYERS

It’s an exciting time – the old house is sold, the new one is ready, and all that’s left is the move…..oh wait – not quite yet! There's all that legal “stuff” to deal with now….signatures….titles to be given…and pages and pages of documents that need to be signed before the key is in your hand!!! And to top it all off – who really knows a good real estate lawyer?

Robert MacKay your Trusted Regina Real Estate Lawyer expert explains how CRA may penalize you if you fail to report it.

Reporting the sale of a principal residence was unnecessary before 2016, the year the federal government announced a series of steps designed to slow the housing market down and close housing-related tax loopholes. Some people used the previous lack of scrutiny of gains from the sale of a home to their advantage, including investors flipping homes, and others who owned both a cottage and a house and weren’t conscientious about declaring which was a principal residence.

CRA says that if you forget to report the sale of a principal residence, you’ll need to amend your tax return for that year as soon as possible. Late reporting may be accepted in some cases, but it’s possible you’ll have to pay a penalty equal to the lesser of $8,000 or $100 for each complete month you’re late in reporting.

In most cases, you won't pay tax on the money you make from selling your home if it was your principal residence every year since you bought it.

If you sold property in 2017 or after that was, at any time, your principal residence, you must report the sale on Schedule 3, Capital Gains (or Losses) corresponding with the tax year and Form T2091(IND), Designation of a Property as a Principal Residence by an Individual (Other Than a Personal Trust).

According to CRA here is why you must report the sale.

Why you have to report the sale

For the sale of a principal residence in 2016 and subsequent years, we will only allow the principal residence exemption if you report the disposition and designation of your principal residence on your income tax return. If you forget to make this designation in the year of the disposition, it is very important to ask us to amend your income tax return for that year. Under proposed changes, we will be able to accept a late designation in certain circumstances, but a penalty may apply.

Once you have committed to either buying or selling your property, simply tell your realtor and lender, as applicable, that Robert MacKay will be representing you and to forward the appropriate instructions to MacKay & McLean, attention "Robert MacKay".

Robert MacKay's team provides professional, personalized service and with their assistance, you can rest assured that your real estate transactions will be handled with the utmost consideration and care.

They provide a full range of legal services including:

Real Estate & Mortgages
Wills & Estates
Family Law & Divorce
Commercial & Corporate Law
Litigation & Personal Injury

ROBERT Mackay is your TRUSTED REGINA REAL ESTATE LAWYER!

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Regina Electrician Shares a TIP about Common Circuit Breaker Issues.

Why Do My Breakers Keep Tripping?

Short Circuits

Ground Fault Surges

Trusted Regina Realty Lawyer shares a tip for home buyers on how to avoid real estate mistakes

How to avoid realty mistakes