Are you a renter and want-to-be home owner? Industry Canada has developed a new on-line tool that can help you decide if you can afford to become a home owner in Canada.

Check it out by clicking on the link below:

http://bit.ly/yeYspE

Often, homeowners with a non-working appliance assume they have to replace it, but calling a reputable repair company first could save them big bucks. A new appliance could cost thousands of dollars, but the average price of an appliance repair call ranges from $40 to $100.

To determine what is best for your situation, there are certain questions you need to ask yourself.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/y2HfGK

As published in USA Today, Wi-Fi is the most common and obvious solution for getting the Internet throughout your entire house. A single router broadcasts a wireless signal that passes through walls, floors, ceilings and any other obstacles.

Of course, Wi-Fi has its own downsides and limitations. An improperly secured network leaves your Internet open to nefarious individuals who might violate your privacy. Also, wireless access is not yet as robust as a wired connection for use with online games, where any interruption to the flow of data can spell doom and gloom. Wi-Fi also won't always penetrate thick walls, especially if that wall isn't standard stud-and-drywall construction or there are several walls between your router and the device trying to use its signal.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below:

http://usat.ly/yrI70r

Gardening as an ideal leisure activity is once again on the upswing worldwide. High unemployment and reduced spending power due to the global economic downturn have made people frugal, and driven them to adopt austerity measures. As a result, gardening has received a boost as more and more people turned towards gardening to curtail their monthly expenditure on other leisure activities. Moreover, with people postponing or cancelling their holidays due to the austerity drive, the garden has emerged as a popular social venue for throwing lawn parties, barbecues, and backyard camping, thereby driving investments in the garden maintenance tools and services market. In addition to the aging population, and the desire to enhance aesthetics of their dwellings, factors such as increasing income levels, and changing lifestyles, are driving consumers to increase investments in gardening.

To read more of this press release, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/w96iIx

CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, today officially announces the availability of the 2012 Canadian Electrical Code (CEC), Part 1. The 2012 CEC is the 22nd edition of Canada's primary standard for electrical installations and includes more than 180 updates and revisions - the most comprehensive set of changes ever - including future-looking developments toward sustainable technologies that help address climate change issues, as well as several considerations addressing the safety of Canada's children.

New and extensively updated sections focus on renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic installations and wind-generated electricity, new requirements for electric vehicles and home-based vehicle charging stations, as well as tamper-resistant receptacles for child care facilities.

To read more of this CSA press release, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/ywnEet

Home prices rebounded in January following declines in each of the two previous months, according to a Canadian Real Estate Association report released Monday.

The MLS home price index was up 0.27 per cent on a month-over-month basis in January, after slipping in November and December.

The increase was driven by stronger results in three of the five key markets that make up the index - Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The gains were offset by softer sales in Calgary and B.C.'s Fraser Valley region.

To read more of this Canadian Business story, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/yc6lPr

As reported on CBC.ca, Kaiser Exploration Ltd. is an oil and gas exploration and development company that is applying to build the oil well.

Ned Beattie, general manager for the operation, said the installation will meet or exceed all safety requirements. He said a lot of community concerns are not well-grounded.

To read more of this article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/zhtQdj

So you are doing your final walk through of your newly constructed home. It is advisable to bring a home inspector with you.

To read why, click on the link below to read this important information:

http://bit.ly/wrSPgp

If you are looking to add a little curb appeal to your home for a sale or just to spruce things up a bit, here are some exterior staging tips.

To read, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/yXCHzM

Looking to spruce up your home without spending a pile of cash? Try these interior design tricks.

To read this article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/AgyWZh

Dressing your home is like dressing yourself. Do you follow the trends or prefer your comfy old couch? In 2012 you can do both. Stamping your personality on your decor is what's in, and almost anything goes, just like in clothing.

And, just as in fashion, retro looks are coming around again. Whether it's the influence of Mad Men television or a desire for the comfort of a childhood home, mid-century modern is a big trend. There's also a desire to layer that with contemporary elements, such as easy-care fabrics and different proportions, as well as today's concern for the environment.

To read more of this London Free press article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/xNhyeB

Macleans.ca has a good article that discusses if 2012 will be the year for a housing price drop - especially in Toronto and Vancouver where many economists are warning of a correction.

Click on the link below to read this article and get opinions from industry experts about buying or selling in 2012.

http://bit.ly/w6OwHn

Interior design experts said colors in the tangerine and blue-green families are big in the paint market this spring.

But because those colors are "so high impact," as interior designer Jeffrey Evans said, they have to be used carefully.

Evans, owner of Jeffrey Evans Design, said these colors are best used as accents - on one wall, on the doors, on a mantle.

To read more on these interior design colour trends, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/zWUAnD

In an ideal world you'd have the latest and greatest in home security system technology. The fact is, however, not everyone can afford a state of the art home security system. And, while there are budget home security systems out there, sometimes they just aren't terribly effective.

Here are seven relatively inexpensive things you can do today to protect your home:

To read these tips, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/zWZUwE

When designing the interiors of a space, one of the key aspects for consideration is flooring. It is one of the only interior design features that runs throughout the entire space, sets the overall look and feel of the environment and can simply not go unnoticed.

Aesthetically, flooring sets the feel of a space. What is often forgotten is that this ‘feel' is more than atmospheric. Out of all the interior design facets, flooring is the most tactile and therefore brings with it various other features, which include both positive and negative elements.

Due to the high level of involvement that people have with flooring in a space, it can cause an incredibly strong reaction, both mentally and physically, going so far as to affect mood and even health.

To read more, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/w0oGu0

Emergencies aside, the project that could cause the most damage and expense if left unfixed is the priority. Below, the order in which to tackle your biggest repair needs.

To read this CNN article, click on the link below:

http://cnnmon.ie/yKnBZt

Designers are using all sorts of new tactics from implementing classic designs with studs to new modern designs using leather. Take a look at the following upholstered headboards to get your own creative juices flowing!

To read this Blog, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/z1uYTg

An interesting read for a Friday afternoon. Courtesy of the Toronto Star.

Frank and Dolores Lipischak are next-door neighbours to Diana DeWolf and Joe Russ on Caille Ave. in the town of Lakeshore in Essex County. Their homes front on Lake St. Clair and their deep lots back onto the municipal street.

When the Lipischaks bought their house in 1969, there was a wire fence running north-south separating the two properties. Shortly afterward, Frank Lipischak replaced it with a new chain link fence in the same location. The fence that was intended to divide the two lots along the property line in fact extended into the DeWolf property by about 3.6 inches.

Due to this misalignment of the boundary fence over a period of many years, the Lipischaks claimed ownership by adverse possession (also known as "squatter's rights") to two specific areas of the DeWolf and Russ property, measuring a total of 192 square feet.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/z1WYOY

As reported on ConstructionLinks.ca, asbestos was commonly used in building materials throughout the 20th century and many homes to this day still contain these materials.  Recently, many homeowners are choosing to remodel their homes instead of putting it on the market or hiring professional contractors.  With popular television shows on the DIY Network and HGTV , more homeowners than ever before are ready to dive into these household projects. A recent study published in the Medical Journal of Australia explains that do-it-yourself projects are largely to blame for an increase in asbestos related diseases, which may soon be the case in the U.S.  if we aren't careful. Here are some tips to help keep your family safe if you are considering a DIY home project.

To read more, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/wS5wrU

Mortgage brokers are taking a wait, watch and worry approach to news that CIBC's wholesale mortgage arm, FirstLine, is no longer accepting new applications from so-called "stated-income" homebuyers.

If other banks and mortgage lenders follow suit, it could become difficult for self-employed, new immigrants and higher-risk borrowers to get mortgages based on the "misleading" notion that Canada is at risk of a U.S. subprime housing crisis if there is a downturn in the market, brokers say.

To read more of this article, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/xQ2LZv