Smoke alarms are an important defense against injury or death in house fires. The National Fire Protection Association states that nearly two-thirds of home fire fatalities happen in homes with non-working or missing smoke detectors. Most building codes now require smoke detectors in all residential structures, which has resulted in a steep drop in fire- and smoke-related deaths. Homeowners should check with their local public safety office or fire department for specific information on these requirements.

• As in real estate, location is important! Smoke alarms should be in installed every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on each level of the home.
• Alarms should be placed high on a wall or on the ceiling. It's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for placement. High, peaked ceilings have dead air space at the top; smoke alarms should be placed no closer than 3 feet from the highest point.
• For areas close to the kitchen, use a detector with a hush button that can be used to silence nuisance alarms triggered by cooking smoke or steam. Alternatively, consider installing a photoelectric alarm, which is better at detecting smoldering fires (vs. flames) near the kitchen. Never remove the unit's battery to stop or prevent nuisance alarms.
• There are two primary types of smoke alarm technology: ionization and photoelectric. According to the National Fire Protection Association, ionization alarms are more responsive to flames, while photoelectric alarms are more sensitive to smoldering fires. For the most comprehensive protection, both types or a combination unit should be installed.
• Test the alarm monthly. Put a reminder in your calendar to do this on the first or last day of the month, for example. The units have a test button that will sound the alarm for a brief time when pressed. Any alarm that fails to sound should have the battery replaced. If the test button fails with a new battery, replace the entire detector immediately. Monthly testing is also an ideal time to dust off the unit.
• Replace the batteries at least once a year. A common rule of thumb is to do this when changing to or from Daylight Saving Time in fall and spring. Some alarms come with 10-year batteries; for these, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for battery replacement. Remember, a non-working alarm is no better than no alarm at all.
• If the alarms are hard-wired to the home's electrical system, make sure they are interconnected for maximum effectiveness - meaning that if one alarm is triggered, all of the others will sound as well. Any hard-wired alarms, interconnected or not, should be installed by a licensed electrician.

Information provided by Craig Hostland at Pillar to Post. 

Craig.Hostland@pillartopost.com
www.pillartopost.com/ kelowna   / vernon

Shopping for a home is a little like shopping for a car.  Unless you know what to look for, you risk being swayed by first impressions and buying something that does not truly meet your needs.

For example, you might fall in love with the basement recreation room — complete with a bar and a dartboard —and unconsciously overlook the fact that the home doesn’t have enough bedrooms to accommodate your growing family. 

So when you’re viewing a potential new home, or checking out a property during a weekend “open house”, what should you look for?

Here are some suggestions:

• Is there enough room for your family, now and in the future? 
• Are there enough bedrooms, bathrooms, closets and storage space?
• Is the yard big enough?
• Will your furniture fit the space?
• Do you like the neighborhood? Always take a walk around and explore the area.
• Does anything need to be repaired or replaced? If the seller won’t be taking care of such issues, repairs or replacements could add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the true cost of buying the property.
• Will you be as happy there in the winter as you will in the summer and visa versa? Imagine the home in all four seasons, good weather and bad.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions when viewing a home. After all, it’s a major purchase. You want to get it right! 

Need help finding homes to view that meet your requirements? Call the Dion-Ivans Real Estate Group today!!

No surprises from the Bank of Canada this morning. The Bank left its overnight rate at 1 per cent, where it has been since September 2010.  The statement released this morning in support of the interest rate decision noted that while global economic headwinds continue to restrain economic activity, the Canadian economy is growing roughly in line with its production potential.  On inflation, the Bank sees core inflation returning to its 2 per cent target over the next 12 months.

The Bank once again made clear that a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus may be become appropriate as excess supply in the Canadian economy is absorbed, but that such withdrawals would need to be weighed against domestic and global economic developments. Given ongoing uncertainty in the Euro-zone and the unresolved "fiscal cliff" in the United States, that caveat means that the Bank will likely hold off on raising rates until early 2013. We expect monetary tightening to proceed very cautiously, with perhaps a 25 to 50 basis points increase over 2013, bringing the Bank’s overnight rate to between 1.25 and 1.5 per cent by the end of next year.

Information provided by www.bcrea.bc.ca

Property Type:
22.8% of purchases were by Move-Up Buyers
19.9% by First Time Buyers
13.1% moving from Single Family Home to Strata Unit
10.7% buying Revenue/Investment Property (up from 6% in June)*
9.7% purchasing Recreation Property  (up from 7.6% in June)*
4.4% moving from Strata property to Single Family Home 
3.9% moving into Retirement Home/Seniors Community

* During the month of July there was a significant jump in sales to Buyers of Revenue/Investment Property (10.7% compared to 6%) and Recreation Property (9.7% compared to 7.6%)  over June.

Buyer Type (Family Dynamic):
26.4% Two Parent Family/Children
24.5% Empty Nesters/Retired  (up from 16.7% in June)**
19.9% Couple without Children 
16.7% Single Female (up from 13.5% in June)**
10.2% Single Male
4.6% Single Parent with Children

** In July, there was a significant increase in purchases by Empty Nesters (24.5% compared to 16.7%) and Single Females (16.7% compared to 13.5%) over June.

Moving From: 
47.2% from Within OMREB Board Area
19.4% from Alberta (up from 13% in June)***
13.4% from Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island 
9.7% from Other Areas in BC 
4.6% from Eastern Canada/Maritimes (up from 2.1% in June)***
2.3% from Saskatchewan/Manitoba 
1.9% from Outside Canada  
1.4% from NWT/Yukon (11th month reported – up from 0% in June)***

*** Compared to June, there was more migration from Alberta(19.4% of purchases compared to 13%),  Eastern Canada and the Maritimes (4.6% compared to 2.1%), and from the North West Territories and Yukon (1.4% compared to 0%) during the current reporting month (July).

When shopping for a new home, it's a good idea to try and see the potential of the property you're viewing. It may not be exactly what you're looking for "as is", but it may have the potential to become your dream home after some redecorating or renovating.

The challenge is, judging how much work is required. You don't want to buy a home with the expectation that it requires a $20,000 renovation, only to discover that it really needed three times that much!

That’s where a good REALTOR® can help.

He or she can help you get a realistic estimate of the cost of repairs, upgrades, and renovations, and even recommend some reputable interior designers or contractors.

That way, when you see a home with "potential", you'll be able to make a more informed decision.

Want more tips on finding and buying your next dream home? Call the Dion-Ivans Group today!!

Let's face it. Life can get complicated, complex and stressful very easily. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to simplify your life, especially at home. Here are some tips from the experts:

• Don't be ruled by the TV guide. Instead, select what you want to see and then record those shows. That way, you can watch them anytime.
• Prepare some meals in advance that can simply be heated up as needed. That reduces a lot of "after-work, gotta-get-dinner-ready" stress.
• Create a weekly dinner menu. It takes some time to prepare, but it allows you to shop effectively, and greatly reduces the stress of figuring out what to cook each day.
• Don't accumulate stuff you don't want or need. Give those things away.
• Simplify your cleaning by dividing tasks into ten minute chunks (such as vacuuming the living room.) Then fit those tasks in here and there whenever you have ten minutes.
• To avoid clutter, adopt the "touch it once" rule, which simply means putting things where they belong right away.
• Think of the home-related chore you hate doing most. Can you outsource that to a local company, or a neighbour looking for some work?
• Limit the time you and others in your family spend checking emails and text messages. Consider having an hour or two each evening that's "no screen" time.
• Develop healthy routines, such as evening walks and family board game night.

These are just a few ideas. If you want to simplify your home life, you can probably brainstorm several other strategies and habits you can try. The idea is to make your home an enjoyable place to be – for you and your family.

Like most things in life, shopping for a new home can either be time-consuming and stressful, or fun and satisfying. It just depends on how you go about it.

There are many things you can do to make the home shopping process go smoothly and accomplish what you want: finding the home of your dreams at a price you can afford.

Here are some ideas:

• Get pre-approved. Find out from your bank or lender how much you qualify to borrow. That will give you confidence when home shopping, because you’ll know that, should you find the right property, financing won‘t be a problem.
• Make a list. Write down everything you want in a new home.The obvious items include the number of bedrooms, size of backyard, location, etc. But also list not-so-obvious features, such as walking distance to public transit and the potential for a large recreation room in the basement.
• Take a camera. After seeing a few homes, you may not remember every important feature and characteristic. So be sure to take pictures (where allowed) of the properties you view as well as the neighbourhoods. They’ll be invaluable when shortlisting potential properties later on.
• Keep an open mind. There’s probably an ideal home available for you on the market. But it might not be exactly what you had originally envisioned. So try to be flexible when considering potential homes. If, for example, a property doesn’t have a big deck for entertaining, you can always have one built.
• Take care of yourself and your family. When you’re viewing properties, bring some healthy snacks and water with you.  Take regular breaks, especially when you’re seeing multiple homes. And don’t see too many properties at a time especially if you’re bringing young children with you.  

Also, find a good REALTOR® to help you. He or she can make the home shopping process go smoothly.

Looking for a good REALTOR®? Call the Dion-Ivans Real Estate Group today!!