canadacreditfix.com

The Facts About Credit Fix
You are unique, and so is your credit. If you are hiring a credit repair service you want the best possible results and you want them fast. Unlike many services we are not just a bunch of software and automated programs. You and our professionals want errors removed from your report, and want your credit scores to be as good as possible. This is more involved than you may think, and no automated service does what we do effectively. We believe in communication not complication!
Removing Credit Report Errors
Effective credit repair involves more than spotting unfamiliar account information and disputing it. Many reporting errors are compliance violations that you will not find so easily. Compliance violations will look familiar, but should not be on your report as a matter of law. These errors are often overlooked and yet can have a dramatic impact on your credit scores. Let us fight for you!
Optimizing your Beacon/FICO score
Lenders base underwriting decisions on the content of your credit report along with the value of your FICO scores. Removing errors can improve your scores, but in most cases will produce only half the potential result. Optimizing your scores involves a thoughtful reshaping of the content of your credit report; the number of trade-lines, current account balances, and the mix of credit types can have a dramatic impact, yet without proper attention this potential remains untapped.
Getting the Results You Need
The goal of a credit restoration professional is to clean up your credit, optimize your scores, and leave you with truly usable credit. Along with skillful identification and removal of reporting errors, the process may include specific recommendations for building new credit, managing existing debt, and rehabilitating defaulted obligations. The credit repair professional operates in a fiduciary capacity and will utilize the widest range of tools to insure both quick and lasting results.

First Aid Kit Checklist

Having a well stocked first aid kit in your home and car could mean the difference between life and death. Keep it in a safe location that’s known to family members and babysitters but away from young children and replace missing items right away. Your first aid kit should include:

• a first aid manual
• an assortment of bandages
• sterile roller bandages
• sterile gauze pads
• cleansing agent/soap
• moistened towelettes
• latex gloves
• sunscreen
• safety pins
• an epipen
• scissors
• tweezers
• needles
• antiseptic
• thermometer
• aspirin, antacid, antihistamine, etc.

Make sure to review the first aid manual so you’ll know how to use the contents of your kit should the time come. It's also a great idea to take a first aid course so you’re prepared for emergencies. It's a good feeling to know you have the skills to help others in distress.

Mortgage Matters

Homeowners who break a closed mortgage before maturity will often make a pre-payment before the mortgage is discharged. The idea is to reduce the mortgage balance and thereby pay less of a pre-payment penalty. It’s a great idea if you have the funds to do it. Remember, however, that lenders have different policies on how close to the payout date you can make a pre-payment.

FRASER VALLEY HOME BUYERS TAKE HOLIDAY IN JULY

(Surrey, BC) – The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) processed 1,101 sales on its Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in July, a decrease of 47 per cent compared to the 2,089 sales during the same month last year and down 39 per cent compared to June.

“Last year, we experienced the busiest July in our history and this year it was the quietest in a decade,” says FVREB President, Deanna Horn. “Although the real estate market typically slows in the summer months, we didn’t anticipate this level of change.

“We attribute it to a combination of factors, the beautiful weather, interest rates edging up and reaction to the Harmonized Sales Tax in BC – although the HST does not apply to resale housing, not everyone knows that,” explains Horn.

“The plus side of this market is highly favourable conditions for buyers – potentially the best they will be this year due to the significant volume of listings currently, which is already showing signs of decreasing.”

In July, Fraser Valley’s MLS® received 25 per cent fewer new listings, 2,355, compared to the 3,153 new listings received in June. At month’s end, the total active inventory was 10,852, 14 per cent more than was available in July 2009, however 2 per cent fewer than in June.

For the first time since January 2009, benchmark prices for the three main residential property types: single family homes, townhomes and condos, decreased compared to the previous month. The benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes in July was $510,470, down 1.5 per cent compared to June and 6.9 per cent higher compared to $477,420 in July 2009.

The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses in July was $325,856, a 0.7 per cent decrease compared to June and a 6.9 per cent increase compared to July 2009 when it was $304,940. The benchmark price of apartments decreased by 0.8 per cent from June and increased 4.4 per cent year-over-year going from $234,178 in July 2009 to $244,368 in July 2010.

Avoid overpricing your home

It’s essential that you price your home as accurately as possible in any market to help ensure it sells at a reasonable price within your desired timeframe.
Sellers can often be reluctant to price their home in line with the marketplace as they feel they may be giving away too much of their home equity. The reality is, however, that pricing your home correctly from the start will benefit any seller in the long run.Here are some of the reasons why pricing your home at the current market value is extremely important:
Potential buyers may not look at your home if they believe it’s out of their price range.
Buyers comparison shop when considering a home purchase. When a buyer compares an overpriced home versus one that is priced at market value, it will likely convince them to place an offer on the well-priced property instead of yours.
Properties that have been on the market for extended periods often come under scrutiny from buyers who question why the properties have yet to sell.
Perception is a key factor in how a seller’s home is viewed by the average homebuyer.
Real estate agents may skip over showing an over-priced home as they may believe the seller has little motivation to actually sell the property. Buyers’ agents are always keen on getting their clients through the doors of a well-priced home first in order to give their clients first crack at getting the home of their dreams.
The longer a listing stagnates on the market, the more likely it will sell for less than had it been priced right in the first place.The key to pricing your home to sell for the most amount of money in the shortest period of time is to work with a local real estate professional. We know how to do an accurate market comparison and arrive at an asking price that will offer some room for negotiation, but not scare off potential buyers.
As always, if you have any questions about buying or selling a home, your answers are just a phone call or e-mail away!

homeowner tips Paint brush tips

When it comes to painting, many people will buy the big package of brushes for $7. But the bristles on these brushes may be coarse or could fall out. In addition, they can end up looking ratty after a while and the paint won’t spread evenly. The key is to buy a good quality brush and clean it properly as specified on the label. And if you have a big job and find yourself having to paint in intervals, you can wrap your wet brushes in kitchen wrap. Place the oil-based brushes in the freezer and the latex-based in the fridge. When the job has been completed, you can then clean them and put them away. In many cases a good brush will last for dozens of paint jobs.

Positive correlation between home ownership and financial fitness

According to a recent survey sponsored by mortgage insurer Genworth Financial Canada, homeowners are in the best shape when it comes to financial fitness in Canada.
Sixty-five percent of homeowners pay off their credit card balances each month (versus 48% of non-homeowners). Furthermore, a quarter of those homeowners with mortgages have managed to make a lump-sum payment or accelerate their mortgage payments in the past year.
Nearly half (44%) of homeowners were able to pay all of their bills and save some money in the past year, suggesting a strong correlation between homeownership and financial fitness.
The Financial Fitness survey was conducted in conjunction with the Canadian Association of Credit Counselling Services. Compared to the same survey undertaken in 2007 when the economy was booming, Canadians are even more likely now to say their financial fitness is good (55% versus 50%).

Other key survey findings show:
Mortgage holders more likely to have accelerated or made a lump-sum payment include those with incomes $75-$99k (32%) or $100k+ (30%), and women more than men (26% versus 21%).
49% of homeowners made down payments of 20% or more on their purchase
13% of homeowners say they are in great financial shape
12% of homeowners say they have requested a credit report within the past 12 months
59% of Canadians say they pay their credit cards in full each month
39% of Canadians say that in the past year they were able to pay their bills and save some money. A further 41% were able to pay their bills but not save
First-time buyers/those who intend to buy a home as well as those requiring mortgage insurance are more likely to have spoken to a financial planner/coach in the past 12 months