The Latest in Kitchen Fire Prevention. What You Need to Know.
More fires start in the kitchen than in any other room. Those fires can be
expensive; since even a minor incident, with no injuries, can result in
significant damage. That’s why it’s important to keep up with the latest in fire
prevention.
The most recent research tells us:
• Never leave cooking food unattended. Doing so is the number one
cause of kitchen fires.
• Make sure cooking appliances, especially deep fryers, are safety
certified by the appropriate government agency.
• When using oil in a frying pan, always heat slowly at no more than a
medium heat setting.
• Always turn off stove burners and other cooking appliances
immediately after cooking.
• Never attempt to put out a grease fire with water. Use baking soda or
a fire extinguisher.
• Never remove or cover up a smoke detector due to nuisance alarms.
The one alarm that isn’t a nuisance may save your life.
Finally, experts say that if you can’t put out a fire immediately, get everyone
out of the home and call emergency services.

As you’re probably aware, the list price you set for your property has an
impact on how quickly it sells — and how much you earn on the sale.
What you may not realize is just how significant an impact it has. Consider
the following examples. 

Example 1:
You price your property well above its current market value. As a result,
many buyers don’t bother to see it because it’s outside of their price range.
Those who do see it are confused by the high price tag, (and may even be
suspicious.) They may wonder, “What’s going on?”
In this scenario, the home will likely languish on the market for weeks or
even months. You might even have to lower the price dramatically to reignite
interest. 

Example 2:
You price your property just a couple of percentage points lower than what
is necessary to gain the interest of qualified buyers. That might not seem
like much of a problem. How much can a couple of percentage points
matter?

Those points matter a lot.

On a $400,000 property, pricing your home just 2% lower than necessary
could cost you $8,000 on the sale. That’s a serious amount of money!
So, as you can see, pricing your home right is serious business. 

Fortunately, a good REALTOR® knows how to set the right price. 

Call The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team today!!

On the heels of the first rate increase in 8 years, the US Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee (the Fed) opted to leave its target overnight rate unchanged at a range of 0.25 to 0.50 per cent.   In the statement accompanying the Fed's decision, it was noted that with gradual adjustments to the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will continue to expand at a moderate pace and labour market indicators will continue to strengthen. The Fed expects that inflation will remain low in the near term, but slowly rise to 2 per cent over the medium term as the impact of low energy prices fades.

While early speculation was that the Fed would raise rates at least four times this year, a slowdown in the economy to end 2015 along with still tame inflation and volatility in financial markets will likely put monetary policymakers on a much more cautious footing.  We expect that the Fed will raise rates a maximum of one more time in 2016 which should translate to very little upward pressure on Canadian bond yields and mortgage rates. 

“Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.”

The Bank of Canada announced this morning that it is maintaining its overnight rate at 0.5 per cent. In the press release accompanying the decision, the Bank noted that inflation is evolving as expected with total CPI continuing to test the bottom of the Bank's 1-3 per cent target range due to low energy prices. However, the Bank expects that inflation will rise over the next year, reaching its 2 per cent target by mid-2017.  On the economy, the Bank sees economic growth firming after a slowdown in the fourth quarter of last year. The Bank projects that the Canadian economy will grow a modest 1.5 per cent this year before strengthening to 2.5 per cent in 2017. 
 
In not moving on interest rates this morning, the Bank is recognizing that there is little that monetary policy can do to offset a significant supply-side shock such as the dramatic decline in oil prices. Indeed, given Canada's floating exchange rate, the loonie has already adjusted to help partially absorb the negative impact of falling commodity prices on exports.   Keeping in mind that the Canadian economy is still projected to grow at a rate very close to its somewhat diminished potential for 2016 and that inflation will be spurred by a dramatically lower Canadian dollar, we anticipate that the Bank will reassess the need for monetary stimulus once the worst of the oil-shock had passed. That means, barring a significant deterioration in the economy, the Bank will more than likely remain sidelined for 2016. 

Call the Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team today for more information about the Kelowna Real Estate Market. 

“Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.”

When you’re out-of-town, there are plenty of kennels and other facilities that
will mind your dog or cat. In fact, the pet-care business is booming!
However, the same options aren’t available for your houseplants. So what
do you do?

First, keep in mind that plants can go for several days or even a couple of
weeks without water. This frequently happens in their natural habitats. So if
you’re gone for just a few days, your flora will probably be fine.

Flowering plants tend to need the most water. Give them an extra dose just
before you leave. Also, make sure they are in indirect, rather than direct
sunlight. That will help them conserve water.

If you’re going to be away for a week or more, consider one of the several
products on the market that water plants automatically. Many of these allow
you to adjust how much water each plant gets — and when.

You’ll find plenty of do-it-yourself instructions for making your own automatic
waterer on the internet, from plastic cups with tiny holes in the bottom to
upside-down bottles with wicks. These might work, but you’ll want to test
them first.