Ottawa Real Estate - Homes & Land

Conspicuous Consumption to Consciencious Consumerism. Need a moment? Ok, we'll call it the 4Cs. Back in the day when Baby Boomers were calling the shots, real estate had a much different perspective. Rising land costs somehow translated to requiring larger homes. It also was a measure of success; take that Mr. Jones! The average size of ...

Electrical appliances use a whopping 30% of energy in a typical home, with the fridge taking up 8% of that. New appliances are up to 3 times more efficient. Only run the dishwasher when it is full. Now that summer is here fire up the BBQ whenever you can to give the stovetop/oven a rest. Microwave the side dishes. Tomorrow - Bedrooms and ...

And then you won't move. Kitchens are the centerpiece of a good home, which is why many feel it is necessary to spend a gazillion dollars, the alternative being to let them age not so gracefully. It doesn't have to be that way. Read on:The kitchen sink and hood fan are two fixtures that tend to stay, well, fixed. A stainless steel sink ...

Let me preface this little rant by saying I'm a financial guy by past trade. Numbers come easily to me. Or maybe not. One area I thought would serve me well is interpreting the 'Nutrition Facts' on food labels to make good choices. Grams and MLs and %ages, oh my!  Easy-peasy. Let's see...125ml = 60 calories, 2g fat, etc. Got ...

The ongoing housing mess south of the border is beginning to have an impact on how we view our homes in Ottawa. And that is: - smaller is smarter. Money sucking McMansions are necessarily going to become less attractive as energy costs continue to skyrocket, uncertain economies, and eventually, social pressures. Got $500k for a home? Great! Why ...

We are exposed to a flood of information every day, every hour if we look for it. Lot's of bad stuff, good stuff too, but for the most part, we are immune to feeling or caring about what we see and hear because we are almost never 'part' of it. Well cue the recession. Got your attention? Mine too! It starts with "I think I'll ...

Buying and selling property in Ottawa should be a pleasant experience. But our beloved media insists on the use of Journalism 101, selective/slanted reporting, to announce the impending demise of the Canadian housing industry. When I last checked, even the most westerly point in Ottawa is not all that close to the most easterly point in Calgary. ...

Over the years, I've had occasion to need varying amounts of cash to finance, at first, the necessities of life - home, transportation, etc., then comfort stuff. Yes it came at a premium in the form of interest but I'm going to die someday, so there was no time to waste. All good. Now it came to me the other day, in the midst of my stuff, ...