Often, when I'm at home, I daydream a bit about what I would do with my house if I had unlimited funds. Conveniently, there is now a website that will let me run wild with those daydreams. I was on Twitter the other day when I saw a post by Mashable about Houzz, a new...
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cesia@wall-arm.ca
A few head-scratching questions
Rob Carrick, a columnist at the Globe and Mail, wrote an article yesterday called "20 things I don't understand about personal finance". It's a really neat slideshow of questions he can't answer. I am biased, of course - I particularly like his question about why all...
What exactly is an easement?
It is very common for properties to be transferred subject to easements. But you may be wondering, what exactly is an easement in the first place? In a nutshell, an easement is a real property law term for the right to use someone else’s property without actually...
Playing with death
Growing up, I played the odd video game. I was never a serious gamer, but I did have a fondness for the Zelda series, as well as a great RPG called Might and Magic. (I may be a bit of a sci-fi/fantasy nut.) They were fun, and they made me think just enough but not too...
First-timers
The Globe and Mail published an article a few weeks ago on tips for first-time buyers. In a nutshell: don't overspend on furniture or "unnecessary" remodelling; don't ignore important maintenance; hire qualified people if you do need to do repairs; get help with your...
A different kind of estate auction
Gerry Beyer over at the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog posted a little while ago about a new way to solve the age-old question of who gets the stuff when someone dies: auction it off. Not in the usual, sell-everything-and-share-the-profits type of auction, mind...
Selling your house while you are on vacation
When I bought my home three years ago, I ran into a small snag: the vendors were insistent on closing on a date when I was not going to be in the country, as I had booked a (very) long-planned visit to old friends overseas. Not wanting to lose the house over this...
Reviving the euthanasia debate
The Globe and Mail published an article yesterday about a group from Vancouver called the Farewell Foundation For The Right To Die. They are pushing both British Columbia and the federal government to change the laws surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide,...
When do you have to pay HST on a house?
In Ontario, HST always applies to the purchase of land unless there is a specific exemption. For most residential resale transactions, there is an HST exemption in place so that it does not apply. For many new homes, there are significant rebates for HST, as long as...
Litigation-proofing your estate
Gerry Beyer over at the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog posted a link the other day to an article by Ashlea Ebeling called “10 ways to lawsuit-proof your estate”. She goes through some very common-sense tips, such as treating siblings equally, keeping track of...