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Winter Driving
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Prevent problems before they occur: Top 10 tips
- Get your vehicle ready for winter in the fall.
- Install four matching winter tires.
- Pack an emergency kit.
- Learn and practice winter driving techniques before you need them.
- Plan your trip, check road and weather conditions.
- Remove all snow from your vehicle before each trip.
- Give yourself extra travel time in bad weather.
- Avoid using cruise control on slippery roads.
- Travel with a fully charged cell phone.
- SLOW DOWN and WEAR your seatbelt.
Prevention is better than recovery
Winter driving can be risky, so be prepared.
Tip 1: Get ready
Get your vehicle ready for winter
Winter weather is hard on your vehicle and its engine. Prepare for winter in the fall, by getting a complete check-up of your:
Battery
Your motor needs a fully charged battery to start in cold weather. Clean battery posts and check the charging system and belts. Have your battery tested in the fall and spring. Replace weak batteries before they fail.
Ignition system
Replace defective ignition wires, cracked distributor caps and worn spark plugs, since they can make starting difficult or may cause a sudden breakdown.
Lights
Make sure that all lights work and that headlights are properly aimed.
Brakes
Check or service your brakes to ensure even braking. Pulling, change in pedal feel, or unusual squealing or grinding may mean they need repair.
Tires
Check pressures often, especially before any highway driving. Properly inflated, high quality winter tires will give you best traction on winter roads and increase fuel efficiency.
A tire that has good pressure when checked in a warm garage will be under-inflated when it is below zero outside - because tire pressure goes down in the cold. That is why you should do your checks when the tires are cold. Use the maximum pressure amount shown in the owner's manual or on the doorframe as a guide, but never go above the pressure shown on the tire sidewall. Check your spare tire pressure regularly.
Since having four matching tires improves vehicle handling, don't mix tires with different tread patterns, internal construction and size.
Winter tires have been designed for use in snow. They carry a pictograph on the side-wall of a peaked mountain with a snowflake, meet high standards for winter traction performance and should not be confused with Mud + Snow (M+S) rated snow tires. Winter tires are a good idea, and may even be legally required where you live. To learn more about winter tires, visit: Transport Canada's Winter Tire Safety Tips and Be Tire Smart! Play your PART.
Exhaust system
Check for leaks that could send deadly carbon monoxide into your vehicle.
Heating and cooling system
Check your radiator hoses and drive belts for cracks and leaks. Make sure the radiator cap, water pump and thermostat work properly. Test the strength and level of the coolant/anti-freeze, and make sure the heater and defroster work well.
Windshield wipers
Make sure that your wipers are in good condition. Replace blades that streak. Purchase wipers designed for winter use. Fill up on winter washer fluid in the -40°C temperature range and carry an extra jug in your vehicle.
Tip 2: Watch the weather
It's a good idea to visit www.weatheroffice.gc.ca for local weather reports, before you leave home. Environment Canada issues warnings when it expects blizzards, heavy snow, freezing rain or drizzle, cold snaps and winds.
Blizzards are the worst winter storms. They can last six hours or more and bring: falling, blowing and drifting snow; winds of 40 kilometers per hour or more; poor visibility; and temperatures below -10°C.
Snow and ice are more slippery
at 0°C than at -20°C or below.
HEAVY SNOW can bring 10 centimeters or more in 12 hours, or 15 centimeters or more in 24 hours.
Watch for black ice at temperatures between +4°C and -4°C,
where the road surface ahead looks black and shiny. It is
often found on shaded areas of the road, bridges and
overpasses long after the sun has come out.
COLD SNAPS are rapid drops in temperature.
WINDS cause blizzard conditions, drifting, poor visibility and wind-chill effects.
Tip 3: Prepare for Driving
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The safest strategy is to avoid driving in bad weather conditions. If you must drive, check weather and travel conditions before heading out. Give yourself extra time for travel and, if weather is bad, wait for conditions to improve. Always tell someone where you are going, the route you plan to take and when you expect to arrive. If you don't arrive on time, and people are worried about your safety, they will know where to search for you. If driving becomes too risky, turn back or look for a safe place to stop until it is safe to drive. Make sure you have enough fuel. Try to keep the fuel tank at least half-full.
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Be alert, well rested and sober behind the wheel and always wear your seat belt. When worn correctly, seat belts save lives. Lap belts should be kept low and snug over the hips, while shoulder belts should always be worn across the chest. Learn more about seat belt safety. Children aged 12 and under should ride in the back seat, safely seated in a car seat or booster seat made for their size and age.
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See and be seen. Remove all snow from your vehicle's hood, roof, windows and lights. Clear all windows of frost and fog. If visibility becomes poor, find a place to safely pull off the road as soon as you can. It's best to stop at a rest area or exit the roadway and take shelter in a building.
If you can't exit, pull off the road as far as you can. Get out from the passenger side, to reduce the risk of being hit by other drivers. If visibility is poor, put on your emergency flashers.
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Stay on main roads and drive carefully: Match your speed to the road and weather conditions. Avoid passing another vehicle when weather and road conditions are bad.
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Wear warm clothes that do not restrict movement.
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Be prepared to make a call. Take a fully charged cell phone with you. These are very useful in an emergency or if you need help. *911 is often a free call. But don't talk and drive. Let someone with you make the call, or pull over to a safe spot to place a call.
If you do a lot of winter driving in areas with poor reception, think about getting a citizen's band (CB) radio.
- Pack a winter survival kit. The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA®) recommends you:
Keep the following items in your trunk.- shovel
- sand or kitty litter
- traction mats
- tow chain
- compass
- cloth or roll of paper towels
- warning light or road flares
- extra clothing and footwear
- emergency food pack
- booster cables
- matches and a "survival" candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
- fire extinguisher
- extra windshield washer fluid
- fuel line antifreeze
- reflective vest
- road maps
- ice scraper and brush
- flashlight
- first aid kit
- blanket (special "survival" blankets are best)
In bad weather, put more distance
between you and the vehicle in front of you.
Tip 4: Avoid Collisions
The danger of skidding is greatest when you are taken by surprise. Since not all vehicles respond in the same way to icy, slippery roads, learn how to handle your vehicle in all types of weather. Read the owner's manual to learn about your vehicle's braking system and tire traction. You may also consider taking a winter driving course.
In extreme weather avoid using cruise control.
Having the latest safety features on new vehicles and/or knowing how to handle your vehicle are good ways to keep control.
New Safety Features
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) helps drivers avoid crashes. ESC sensors compare the direction of the steering wheel to the direction the vehicle is going. When they are not the same, and the vehicle begins to skid, ESC applies the brakes to one or more wheels, or reduces engine power, or both, to help keep the vehicle under control.
ESC is 'On' when you start your engine. If your vehicle has an ESC 'Off' switch, turn off ESC when you are stuck in deep snow. A dashboard light will remind you to turn it back on.
The only way to get ESC is to buy a new or used vehicle that is already equipped with it. If you are thinking about buying a new vehicle, ask your dealer to show you models with ESC. To learn more, visit www.tc.gc.ca/ESC.
The best way to avoid a skid is by driving at speeds
that are safe for the weather and road conditions.
Skidding
A good way to avoid skidding is to drive appropriately for road and weather conditions: SLOW DOWN. Allow extra travel time and be very careful when you brake, change lanes, make turns and take curves.
Even careful and experienced drivers can skid, so be prepared. Skidding may be the result of panic braking when you are trying to avoid an obstacle on the road. What should you do?
- Learn to handle a skid. Practice the steps on pages 12 &13 in a safe location, until correcting a skid becomes a reflex - and remember that sometimes the vehicle will skid a second and even a third time before you regain complete control.
- Avoid forceful braking or sudden, jerking movement of the wheel.
Electronic Stability Control helps to avoid skidding.
When driving on a snow-covered road there may be more snow/slush between lanes than in the lane, making changing lanes more difficult.
Rear-wheel skids
A skid occurs when the rear wheels lock or lose traction. To regain steering control:
- Take your foot off the brake pedal, if hard braking causes the rear wheels to skid.
- Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction.
- Shift to neutral (automatic) or push in the clutch pedal (standard).
- Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go, and be aware of the vehicle and how it is responding to your steering.
- To regain control, steer gently in the direction you want to go.
- Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear.
- Accelerate gently.
- Drive at a safe speed.
Front-wheel skids
Front-wheel skids are caused by hard braking, acceleration or by driving too fast for the road conditions. You can't steer when the front wheels lose traction. To regain steering control:
- Release the brake if the front wheels skid from hard braking.
- Ease off the gas pedal if the front wheels lose traction.
- Shift to neutral (automatic) or push in the clutch (standard).
- Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again.
- Select drive (automatic) or release the clutch (standard).
- Accelerate gently.
- Drive at a safe speed.
Four-wheel skids
Sometimes all four wheels lose traction - generally at high speeds or under poor road conditions. To regain steering control:
- Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
- Shift into neutral.
- Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.
- Wait for the wheels to grip the road again.
- Return to a driving gear.
- Drive at a safe speed.
Safe Braking
Proper braking is important to safe winter driving. Since it takes longer to stop on a slippery road, you should:
- Leave more distance than normal between and your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
- Pay close attention to the road - as far ahead as you can.
If you don't have anti-lock brakes (ABS), the best way to stop on a slippery road is to brake but not so hard that your tires stop turning. If you brake too hard and cause the wheels to lock (stop turning), release the pedal just enough to get the wheels rolling. Then, brake again right away, with slightly less force than before.
ABS is a system that allows you to steer while braking hard.
ABS prevents wheels from locking and allows you to control steering during hard braking. When wheel sensors detect lock-up, the system relieves enough pressure to keep the tires rolling, while you brake hard. You will feel the brake pedal rapidly pulse back against your foot and may hear some mechanical noise. DO NOT lift your foot from the brake or pump the pedal. In an emergency stop, press the brake quickly and hard. The ABS system will NOT shorten stopping distance. For more information on ABS check out the Transport Canada site.
Practice techniques before you need to use them.
Tip 5: Stay Calm
Stay calm if you get trapped in a storm or snow bank
Don't do any heavy lifting, shoveling or pushing in the bitter cold - it can kill. Do make sure the tailpipe is not blocked by snow, to keep carbon monoxide from getting into your vehicle. Then, if your vehicle is not at risk of being hit by other drivers, stay inside so you have shelter. Going out into a storm puts you at risk of getting lost, or suffering from the cold.
You should also:
- Keep a window on the side sheltered from the wind open a bit, to give you a good supply of fresh air.
- Run your motor as little as possible.
- Use a survival candle for heat if you have one, instead of the vehicle's heater.
- Wear a hat, since you can lose up to 60 per cent of your body heat through your head.
- Set out a warning light or flares.
- Put on the dome light. (Overuse of headlights may run your battery down.)
- Exercise your arms and legs often.
- Stay awake.
- Watch for traffic or searchers.
Article Courtesy of Transport Canada
Via: FAST COMPANY
TEXTING IS THE NEW EMAIL--DOES YOUR COMPANY DO IT RIGHT?
It’s one thing to text a colleague that you’ll be late for a meeting, but would you conduct a major business deal via SMS? Ari Zoldan did.
As CEO of Quantum Media Holdings, a technology incubator based in New York City, the company builds next-generation hardware and software for 3G and 4G end users and does a lot of business in Africa, Asia, and South America.
“More often than not, our foreign partners have a hard time getting access to Internet and are unable to conduct business via email, but they all have mobile phones and can be their primary mode of communication with my company,” Zoldan tells Fast Company. He admits that the medium may not necessarily be the safest, most secure way of doing business. “Sometimes it’s the only way to get things done,” he contends, and it's more accepted under certain restrictive situations
Global Hotspot
Like the time his partner in Africa only had access to a mobile phone during the final stretch of closing a deal. “We concluded the deal via text. It was signed, sealed, and delivered and, most important, it was binding,” explains Zoldan, “I got a confirmation text from the bank that the funds were deposited in the bank.”
No longer the exclusive domain of fleet-fingered teens and tweens, text messaging is exploding across all populations. Last year, 9.8 trillion texts were sent, according to industry group CMO Council, making texting for a mobile phone. (The first is checking the time.)
For enterprising executives like Zoldan, burgeoning cell phone use in the developing world--nearly 5 billion subscribers and three-quarters of the world with access to mobile networks--is making the technology a critical tool to communicate.
Yet while businesses are scrambling to find mobile’s sweet spot to market their goods and services to customers, texting colleagues or clients (even while poised to close a big deal) is largely uncharted territory, beyond the fact that instant connectedness dips into taboo territory on the road. Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, and T-Mobile USA joined the “It Can Wait” campaign that AT&T began in 2010 to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.
Work Texting 101
Sitting at your desk or in a meeting, however, is becoming fair game --even if the phone you use is your personal mobile. “I work with a team spread out across the U.S. and Canada and often need to get in touch with people urgently when PR opportunities arise,” says Grant Greenberg, communications manager at Regus, a global flexible-workspace provider.
Like most anyone working these days, Greenberg finds he and his colleagues are “flooded’” with emails every day and unless you’re hypervigilant about checking every item in the inbox, important notes could slip through the cracks. Also, he notes, people also can’t answer the phone in the middle of a meeting. That’s when Greenberg tends to text. “Especially where there are tight deadlines, a simple text message to give me a call or a reminder to check an email has been very effective,” he says.
Though she texts her closest colleagues, bosses, and some administrative partners “fairly often,” Donna DeChant, senior manager of Organizational Development at Ryder has her own etiquette for mobile messaging. Appropriate topics for texting include, “Are you coming to this meeting? I'm on my way. We can't find someone, is he/she with you?” DeChant observes. “We get so many long emails from so many people,” DeChant adds, “When something is critical, I'll text others to say, ‘the report you need is in your email.’ That is a real time-saver.”
Sapped Productivity
Others, meanwhile, find it a time-suck. Melissa Korn at the Wall Street Journalrecently reported that after one person received her out-of-office message, they sent a text message to her personal cell phone because they thought the matter was too urgent to wait until she returned to the office. Korn writes: “It wasn’t.” but the fact that she did check the message cut into her personal time.
Indeed, a recent survey estimated that companies with more than 1,000 employees lost $10 million a year in sapped productivity from digital distractions such as texting or checking social networks and personal email.
Carson Tate, founder of Working Simply, notes that the science journalNeuroImage found managing two mental tasks at the same time significantly reduces the brain power available on either one while The Journal of Experimental Psychology found that it takes your brain four times longer to recognize and process each thing you’re working on when you switch back and forth among tasks. “Think about it,” writes Tate, “If it takes you 10 minutes to get oriented to the new task every time you switch gears, and you switch gears 10 times a day. That’s one hour and 40 minutes of wasted time.” What’s more, Tate says, if you have any of the sound features on, the dinging and pinging not only pulls you away from work, but it’s a distraction to others.
Establishing Etiquette
If you must text, Tate says it’s best to keep the message “short, sweet, and tactical” in a corporate setting. “If you can’t, there’s probably a better medium,” she emphasizes. Greenberg concurs. “Text is a great touch point, but not necessarily the appropriate place to go into too much detail,” he explains, “I tend to keep the texts broader and use it as an alert that we need to discuss a bigger topic. An example might be something like, ‘the local newspaper wants to come do a story on us this afternoon, please call back,’ or scheduling a time for a meeting.” Tate also reminds texters that if they’re concerned about retaining the information sent in a text, they need to back it up by sending an email or other method.
Watch Your Language.
If you thought email was tone-deaf and rife with misunderstood inferences, imagine how badly things could go in less than 160 characters, says Tate. “If you are limited in space and using vernacular is already an issue, eliminate misunderstanding by being tactical. Maybe an emoticon could lighten the message? Tate says some people find smileys and winks off-putting, so unless you know your audience, refrain from scouring the emogi menu in an effort to be humorous.
Set Clear Boundaries.
Both DeChant and Greenberg report that they only text during “normal business hours”--between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. “Since texts can be considered more personal than other forms of communication, I believe it’s important to use them sparingly,” Greenberg says.
Tate observes the only way to make sure your phone isn’t vibrating with urgency at 3 a.m. is to let your colleagues know when they can expect a response, right after you give them your number.
Even though she finds email overwhelming, especially when juggling several projects simultaneously, Chel Wolverton, owner of Chel Consulting, says she’s very careful to vet to whom she’ll even give her digits. “Out of all my clients, only a handful have my cell number,” she asserts. “Instant message communications weren't any better because the interruptions came during times I needed to focus, not chat,” she adds. Text serves as a go-between, but only because she’s kept the phone at arms length. “Where some people feel the need to answer calls or texts immediately, I've trained myself to answer them during certain times of day.”
Bottom Line: Texting, when done right, is an efficient new tool for businesses to communicate.
Where do you want to live? HomeSearchPros.com/guides
Smoke-Free Ontario
New rules
As of January 1, 2015, it will be illegal to:
- smoke on and around children’s playgrounds and publicly owned sport fields and surfaces (e.g., areas for basketball, baseball, soccer or beach volleyball, ice rinks, tennis courts, splash pads and swimming pools that are owned by a municipality, the province or a postsecondary education institution)
- smoke on all bar and restaurant patios, whether covered or not (with an exemption for uncovered patios established by the Royal Canadian Legion – Ontario Provincial Command before November 18, 2013)
- sell tobacco on university and college campuses (this applies to buildings that are owned and areas that are leased by a postsecondary institution or student union)
About Smoke-Free Ontario
The Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy has greatly reduced tobacco use and lowered health risks to non-smokers in Ontario.
The Strategy combines programs, policies, laws and public education to:
- help smokers quit
- protect people from exposure to second-hand smoke
- encourage young people to never start
Learn more about programs to help you quit
The law
By law, you cannot smoke or hold lighted tobacco in any enclosed workplace, any enclosed public places and specifically designated outdoor places in Ontario.
If you smoke or hold lighted tobacco in a place where it has been prohibited, you may be ticketed and charged a fine.
All employers, owners and operators of such facilities must:
- post "No Smoking" signs at all entrances, exits, washrooms and anywhere signs can be easily placed and seen
- make sure that no one smokes or holds lighted tobacco in an enclosed workplace, public place, or area where smoking is banned
- make sure that a person who does not comply leaves the premises
- remove ashtrays (or any object that serves as one)
Local public health units carry out inspections and respond to complaints to enforce the act.
Source law
You can find the complete set of rules related to the smoking ban in:
Rules on where you can’t smoke
It’s illegal to smoke in:
Outdoor patios
All bar and restaurant outdoor patios (covered or uncovered) must be smoke-free as of January 1, 2015.
If you operate a bar or restaurant and want to make sure your patio meets the rules, please contact your local public health unit for help.
Find your local public health unit
Child care facilities
Any child care facility licensed under the Day Nurseries Act must be smoke-free.
For private home daycares licensed under the Day Nurseries Act, the entire location must be smoke-free at all times – even if children are not present. This includes any outdoor spaces used by the children.
Motor vehicles with children inside
You must not light or use a tobacco product in a motor vehicle with anyone inside under 16 years of age. The law applies to both moving and parked vehicles – even if a window, sunroof, rooftop, door, or other feature of the vehicle is open.
Enclosed workplaces
The law protects employees from exposure to second-hand smoke in an enclosed workplace. The ban on smoking in these places applies at all times, even when not open for business.
An enclosed workplace means:
- the inside of a building, structure or vehicle that an employee works in or frequents during the course of their employment whether or not they are acting in the course of the employment at the time
- this includes the inside of a trailer office on a construction site, the inside of a loading dock, or the inside of a delivery truck
- common areas such as washrooms, lobbies and parking garages
An employer may not dismiss, threaten to dismiss, discipline, suspend, penalize, intimidate or coerce an employee who follows the act or seeks compliance with it.
If your employer takes any of these steps, you may complain to the Ontario Labour Relations Board:
- call toll-free at 1-877-339-3335
- visit the Ministry of Labour website
Smoking Shelters
You cannot smoke in an outdoor smoking shelter that has more than 2 walls and a roof.
Areas where home health care workers work
A home health care worker is a person who provides health care or support services in private homes that is provided or arranged by either:
- a Community Care Access Centre
- an entity that is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care or a local health integration network
These workers have the right to ask clients not to smoke in their presence. If the person refuses to comply, the worker can leave. They do not have to provide services.
In these cases, the home health care worker must
- notify their employer as soon as possible
- follow any guidelines the employer provides
- ensure the client is safe
- provide information about the conditions and needs of the client over the next 24 hours
Hospitals (public, private and psychiatric)
You must not smoke or hold lighted tobacco within a 9 metre radius of any >entrance or exit of a hospital.
A hospital can choose to provide a smoking shelter outdoors if it:
- has no more than two walls and a roof
- is located outside a 9 metre radius of any entrance or exit
A hospital cannot sell tobacco products.
Common areas of hotels, motels and inns
The only place you may smoke in hotels, motels and inns are guest rooms designated as smoking rooms. Designated smoking guest rooms must be fully enclosed. Only registered guests and their invited guests can smoke in designated guest rooms.
Owners and employees must:
- fully comply with the act if offering smoking guest rooms
- follow the rules for enclosed public places in all other areas of the hotel, motel or inn
As of January 1, 2015, smoking is not allowed on or around playgrounds at hotels, motels and inns.
Multi-unit residences
You must not smoke in any common areas of condos, apartment buildings or college and university residences. Examples of common areas include:
- elevators
- stairwells
- hallways
- parking garages
- laundry facilities
- lobbies
- exercise areas
- party or entertainment rooms
Residential care facilities
You must not smoke in residential care facilities. They are considered both an enclosed public place and an enclosed workplace. However, some residential care facilities may choose to construct and operate a controlled smoking area for residents to smoke. These include:
- long-term care or retirement homes or publicly funded supportive housing residences
- certain psychiatric facilities
- certain veterans' facilities
A residential care facility must have its controlled smoking area approved by and registered with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Exemption: Aboriginal people
If you are an Aboriginal person and reside in a public or private hospital, psychiatric facility, long-term care home, home for special care or independent health facility, you may request an indoor area to use tobacco for traditional cultural or spiritual purposes. This area must be separate from any Controlled Smoking Area.
Schools (public and private school property)
You cannot smoke or hold lighted tobacco inside the building of any public or private school, or on any outdoor property used by the school. This includes playgrounds and sports fields.
Rules for selling tobacco
Rules for duty-free retailers
Duty-free retailers may:
- show a countertop tobacco display
- allow customers to handle tobacco products before they make a purchase
If you are under 19 years of age, you may not enter a manufacturer outlet unless accompanied by somebody who is at least 19.
All duty-free retailers must fully comply with the law. For example, they must:
- ensure that tobacco products and accessories are not visible from outside the place of business
- not allow people to enter the shop from another store
- not force people to walk through the shop to access other stores
Duty-Free Retailers must post certain signs. These include:
- No Smoking signs at all entrances, exits, washrooms and other appropriate places to ensure that everyone knows that smoking is prohibited
- Age Restriction and Health Warning and Government I.D. signs in stores at the point of sale and where it is clearly visible to customers
To learn more about these signs, please contact your local public health unit.
Rules for manufacturer outlets
Manufacturers registered with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are exempt from the prohibitions relating to display and promotion of tobacco products in a place where tobacco products are manufactured, fabricated and produced.\
If you are under 19 years of age, you may not enter a manufacturer outlet unless accompanied by somebody who is at least 19.
2014 is now in the books. At times, it flew by, at times we thought it would never leave. There were illnesses, deaths, break ups, conflicts, crisis and missing airplanes. There were breakthroughs, births, new beginnings, resolutions, Olympic Gold, and ice bucket challenges.
From all troubles and events that caused suffering, to the exhilaration of victories and the ensuing celebrations, we learned a lot about friends, family and most of all ourselves. We learned about what could break us down, and we learned how we would dig deep and find the strength to persevere. Most importantly, through our losses and our victories, WE LEARNED!
So what does 2014 leave us with? Memories and Life Lessons. 2014, for that we thank you. We will bring those same memories and life lessons into 2015 along with our hopes and dreams for a better year, a better life, and a better world.
As with the start of every year, the slate has been wiped clean of the events that took place in 2014. Not that we will forget, just that those moments have now passed. Good, bad, or ugly, it's all over. The blank canvas that is 2015 awaits your creativity, vision and passion. Go ahead and paint your 2015! No limits, no fear! Let's make 2015 the best year ever for our health, wealth and happiness. Let's do this together. I'm in, are you?
Thank you for being a part of my 2014. I wish you a Happy New Year, and all the best for a great 2015!
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For a personal consultation about your Real Estate Portfolio, contact Asif Khan at 416-985-5426 or by email Asif@HomeSearchPros.com.
View Properties Available For Sale at http://asif.homesearchpros.com
9 red flags to watch for when picking a real estate agent
By Teresa Mears | U.S. News
The proliferation of online real estate information makes it easier than ever to be an informed consumer when buying or selling a home. Yet the digital revolution has done little to lessen the importance of choosing the right real estate agent to work with you.
The right agent can help you buy your dream house or sell your existing home quickly. The wrong agent can botch the transaction, leaving you with egg on your face and nowhere to call home.
Despite the high stakes, many buyers and sellers give little thought to choosing an agent, whether they're buying or selling.
"They get dazzled by these great listing presentations," says Michael Soon Lee, regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate in Walnut Creek, California, who likens the relationship to dating. "It's a longtime, intimate, trusting relationship. If it doesn't start out feeling good at the beginning, it's probably not going to get any better."
Get recommendations from friends and relatives, and see which agents are buying and selling the most homes in your neighborhood. Read online reviews, but realize they don't tell the whole story, since most clients, satisfied or dissatisfied, don't write reviews. Interview three or four agents to find the one who is the best fit for you.
Most real estate agents are independent contractors who are paid a commission based on the number of homes they sell. The commission, paid from the sales proceeds, is usually split equally between the listing agent and the selling agent. Once the deal is closed, each of those agents usually has to pay a share to the broker who owns the office where he or she is affiliated.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about how many listings the agent has, how many homes she has sold in your area, how often she will communicate with you -- and in what format -- and who she will represent in the transaction.
If you're a seller, ask how the agent will market your home, who the target buyer is and how he will get your home in front of those preferred buyers.
If you're a buyer, ask how often the agent will send you listings and whether he has worked with other buyers in your situation. A transaction involving a Federal Housing Association or VA loan, for example, includes some steps that aren't required for a conventional loan. Some buyers may want to sign a buyer-broker agreement, agreeing to pay a share of the commission if the agent shows them homes where the seller won't pay a commission, such as for-sale-by-owner houses or new construction properties.
Here are nine red flags to watch for when choosing a real estate agent:
The agent suggests the highest price for your house. If you're selling your house, get listing presentations from at least three agents, who will tell you what comparable homes have sold for and how long they take to sell. The agents are all looking at the same data, so the suggested listing price should be close. Pricing a home too high at the start often means it takes longer to sell and ultimately sells for less. "If you're too high for the market, buyers will not even look at it because they know you're not realistic," says Lee, the author of eight books and a frequent speaker at real estate conferences. "The longer your property sits on the market, the more people are going to think there's something wrong with it."
The agent does real estate on the side, part time. Whether you're a buyer or seller, you want to choose an agent who is actively following the market every day. If you're buying, you want an agent who can jump on new listings and show them to you immediately. If you're the seller, you want an agent who is always available to show your home to prospective buyers.
The agent is a relative. Unless your relative is a crackerjack full-time agent who specializes in your neighborhood, he or she is unlikely to do as good of a job as another agent. That can breed resentment, as well as derail your transaction.
The agent doesn't know the real estate landscape in your neighborhood. Finding a neighborhood expert is especially important in areas where moving a block can raise or lower the value of a home by $100,000. An agent who specializes in a neighborhood may also be in touch with buyers who are looking for a home just like yours or sellers who haven't put their home on the market yet. "It's really a very local business," Lee says.
The agent charges a lower commission. In most areas, commissions are traditionally 5 to 7 percent, split between the buying and selling agent. If the commission on your house is lower, fewer agents will show it. This doesn't mean you can't negotiate a slightly lower commission if one agent ends up both listing and selling the house. Some newer companies rebate part of the commission to the buyer or seller, but don't use that as the sole reason to choose an agent. That's only a bargain if the agent is otherwise a good fit.
The agent's face shows up with online listings. The agents' faces are there because they paid to be there. They may or may not be the best choice for you. Don't accept the online portal's assertion that the agent is a neighborhood expert. Interview him or her yourself and find out.
The agent doesn't usually deal with your type of property. If you're buying or selling a condominium, don't pick an agent who rarely sells condos. If you're looking for investment property, find an agent who traditionally works with investors. Many agents have multiple specialties, but you want to make sure the agent is well-versed in the type of transaction you're doing.
The agent doesn't usually work with buyers in your price range. Some agents specialize in homes of all types in a specific area. But if you're a first-time buyer looking for a $200,000 entry-level home, you are unlikely to get much attention from an agent who mostly handles $10 million luxury listings.
The agent is a poor negotiator or fails to keep up with details of the transaction. In many cases, the most important work of an agent is not to find the home but to make sure the sale closes. That includes making sure the buyer is preapproved for a mortgage, the home is free of liens before it goes on the market, the appraisal is accurate and issues raised by the home inspection are resolved.
Where do you want to live? HomeSearchPros.com/guides
Ottawa targets U.S. retailers over ‘price gouging’
Colin Perkel/The Canadian PressIndustry Minister James Moore announces legislation aimed at ensuring prices in Canada are not unfairly higher than those in the U.S., in Toronto, on Tuesday December 9, 2014
OTTAWA — The federal government may be pushing ahead with a promised crackdown on retailers who jack up their prices — and viewed as widening the gap between Canada and the United States — but a weaker dollar may have already resolved much of that disparity.
Industry Minister James Moore said Tuesday that new legislation will tackle the so-called “geographic price discrimination” between the two countries — a practice he prefers to call “price gouging.”
Mr. Moore said the Competition Bureau will be given “the tools necessary to investigate alleged cases of price discrimination and to publicly report situations where consumers are unfairly targeted with higher prices.”
The bureau will be authorized to “seek court orders to compel the production of evidence to expose discriminatory pricing practices that are not justified by higher costs in Canada and to publicly report to consumers on the findings,” Mr. Moore told reporters at a Toys ‘R’ Us outlet in Etobicoke, Ont.
“It’s called geographic price discrimination. A more blunt way of putting it is to call it price gouging of consumers — price gouging of Canadian consumers because of where Canadian live,” he said.
The legislation was first proposed in the Feb. 11 federal budget. Mr. Moore said the new act is expected to be passed in early 2015.
The legislation will enable the bureau to report cases in which Canadians appear to unfairly pay more for goods and products — both sold in the U.S. or purchased online — than consumers in the United States.
The new law does not carry fines or any other measures against companies found charging more in Canada.
“This legislation will not set or regulate prices in Canada,” Mr. Moore said. “This is about informing the consumer by empowering the competition commissioner so the marketplace can react. . . . This is, in that sense, a tool for the free market.”
Even so, there may be little the government and consumers can do about the price gap that the markets haven’t already done.
Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMNO Capital Markets, said “when we talk about the gap, we’re talking about U.S. prices in Canadian-dollar terms.”
“The gap was basically created by the surge in the [Canadian] exchange rate from the low-60s [U.S.] to over parity. And now, with the exchange rate coming back down close to fair value, it basically brings U.S. prices back closer into line with Canadian [prices] — when they’re converted at the exchange rate,” he said.
On average, international currency watchers put fair value for the Canadian dollar at around US85¢ — generally based on trading history.
“At that level, a basket of goods in Canada costs roughly the same as it does in the U.S.,” Mr. Porter said.
The loonie close at US87.41¢, up 0.32¢ on Tuesday.
“I don’t think the gap has been completely done away. But I suspect it’s just not what it used to be . . . . The currency has largely taken care of the issue, at least for now.”
10 Signs That You Might Be a Real Estate Agent
By Joe Kerouac |
1. If your career choice has ever made you question your sanity…
Via NewsCastic
…you might be a real estate agent.
2. If your passenger seat doubles as your desk (and occasional lunch table)…
Via Roman Novian
…you might be a real estate agent.
3. If you’re more lost without your cell phone than the average teenager…
Via imgur.com
…you might be a real estate agent.
4. If your “Realtor® Radar” goes off when anybody within a city block mentions anything about real estate…
…you might be a real estate agent.
5. If you know what it’s like to go from wondering where your next deal will come from… to juggling 3 buyers who want to see 17 homes by 6pm… and suddenly having to negotiate an offer on one of your listings that’s been on the market for a year… all within a split second…
Via amctv.com
…you might be a real estate agent.
6. If you’ve ever been accused of making too much money…
Via vice.com
…you might be a real estate agent.
7. If your “Ice Bucket Challenge” looked more like this…
…you might be a real estate agent.
8. If your tax write-offs almost match what you earned…
Via uproxx.com
…you might be a real estate agent.
9. If a “working vacation” is the only vacation you know…
Via internetsuccess.info
…you might be a real estate agent.
10. If technology is your best friend… AND your worst enemy…
Via 20th Century Fox | giphy.com
…you might be a real estate agent.
Bank sees 'broadening recovery,' but stands firm on key rate
(Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:04AM EST
Last Updated Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:25AM EST
Published Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:04AM EST
Last Updated Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:25AM EST
OTTAWA -- Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz is keeping the trend-setting interest rate at one per cent, even as Canada's recent economic performance has the look of a "broadening recovery."
In its interest-rate announcement Wednesday, the central bank cautioned that improvements to Canada's economic health have been offset by risks such as sliding oil prices and high household debt.
The bank pointed to the balance of risks as the basis for its decision to maintain the rate, which hasn't budged since September 2010 and has helped keep borrowing rates at historic lows.
Looking to the future, the Bank of Canada's outlook appeared positive thanks to an improved U.S. economy and despite disappointing global growth.
"Canada's economy is showing signs of a broadening recovery," the bank said in its statement.
"Stronger exports are beginning to be reflected in increased business investment and employment.
"This suggests that the hoped-for sequence of rebuilding that will lead to balanced and self-sustaining growth may finally have begun."
Due to the recent changes, the central bank also said the output gap appears to be smaller than it had predicted in its October monetary policy report. It noted, though, that there was still significant slack in the economy.
Signs of improvement have appeared in the data since the central bank's last interest-rate announcement in October.
In that statement, the central bank called underlying inflationary pressures "muted" and said the inflation projection was "roughly balanced."
Since then, the unemployment rate dipped to 6.5 per cent and the pace of GDP growth climbed to 2.8 per cent in the third quarter -- half-a-percentage-point higher than the bank had expected.
Fresh figures have also pointed to a faster-than-anticipated growth for inflation.
The bank acknowledged Wednesday that inflation had climbed faster than expected, but it described the increase as "temporary effects" of a lower Canadian dollar and price jumps in certain consumer sectors, such as telecommunications and meat.
Meanwhile, it said weaker oil prices pose a downside risk to inflation and household imbalances present a risk to financial stability.
"Overall, the balance of risks remains within the zone for which the current stance of monetary policy is appropriate," the Bank of Canada said.