Cottages: Merriment, Death and Taxes

Taxes Wonderful--that cottage you purchased a few decades back has experienced an astronomical increase in value! So big in fact, it may now prevent the beloved family cottage from being passed to the next generation. A cottage is capital property, and with capital property comes capital gains tax. If the cottage owner is planning to leave the property to the next generation via his or her Will, and he or she has not planned for the taxes that will become due when the property is transferred ...

Tips for Using Real Estate Signs to Generate Buyer Interest

Is it possible to sell a home without a for sale sign? Well, it is if you intend to sell it to your closest relative. Otherwise, neglecting to properly advertise your home will cost you those interested buyers. While it is a good idea to place a "for sale" sign in front of your home, try to avoid those signs that the local hardware store sells (you know, the orange and white ones). Instead, think of creative and inventive ways to advertise the fact that your home is for sale. While you may ...

Exit strategies: 1 way to sell in a tough market

So March 28th, 2007. I dunno how many people recognize this date, but it's one that will forever be burned into my mind. The beginning of the sub-prime meltdown. Little did I know how much impact this would actually have on me. For the previous year and a half, I could do no wrong. And all the sudden, the down cycle hits. And it hits in a way that was a little different than I expected. Where were the lost jobs, the increase in unemployment, the welfare lines growing by the day? This ...