The most popular sport in Canada

Ice hockey is a sport played between two teams of six players with skates on an ice rink. Skaters must run a rubber disk with a long stick, trying to score in the opponent's goal. In the end, the team that scores the most goals wins.

 Hockey this variant is characterized by a physical sport; players can carry loads with the body on the opponent to try to wrest control of the disc, so usually equipped with all kinds of protections. It is also one of the fastest games, because the friction disc and skates on the ice is minimal, and one of the few sports that allow players to make changes without limitation and without interrupting the game.

It was invented in the late nineteenth century in Canada where is your sport national  addition, it also enjoys considerable popularity in the United States, Sweden, Finland, Central Europe and Russia, and is even considered as the main variant of hockey in countries northern Hemisphere cold climates. Its main governing international body is the International Ice Hockey Federation.

REAL ESTATE

"Is it a good way to make money?" That's probably one of the most common questions that people who want to start investing in real estate does. Another common question is, "How do I find a mentor to work with him?" Of course, there is no perfect answer for all cases. This depends on several factors including: the money available, goals and current skill level. But for my money the answer to both questions is to be intermediary in real estate.
 

An Intermediate in Real Estate is a person who finds prospects for Investors.

Canadians are the top global buyers of residences in USA

Who is currently helping the real estate market for sale of US recovers? Many Americans, of course. But to get a more balanced picture, look outside the USA

Foreigners accounted for $ 82.5 billion, or 8.9%, of the $ 928 billion spent on residential real estate in the USA April 2011 to March 2012, agreeing to a June survey by the National Association of Realtors ("National Association of Realtors").

That was up 24% from $ 66.4 billion last year. More than 50% of sales during the past year occurred in just five states: Florida, California, Texas, Arizona and New York. Canadians also have been buying in the Midwest, including Chicago.

Since the economic deterioration in 2008 of properties in the USA, foreign buyers have flooded the American market, taking advantage of favorable exchange rates, weaker prices and, in some cases, mortgage rates record low.

Canadians are now buying especially in the USA for investment and retirement later.

Canadians accounted for 24% of foreign sales in the year to March, according to the NAR.

POWER PLAY

A power-play goal from Haley Irwin with 5:48 to go was the game-winner as Red topped White 3-2 on Sunday afternoon to close out Canada’s National Women’s Team Fall Festival.

As Red worked the puck around on the man advantage, Samantha Sutherland found Irwin in front with a no-look, behind-the-back pass, and the two-time Olympic gold medallist redirected it past White goaltender Jaimie Leonoff

Sarah Potomak and Brigette Lacquette also scored for Red.

White got goals from Rebecca Johnston and Sarah Nurse After clawing back from three one-goal deficits in its 5-3 round-robin loss to White on Thursday, Red gave up a pair of leads Sunday before Irwin’s goal clinched the victory.

Potomak opened the scoring just 6:12 in, taking a pass from Emily Clark in front and roofing a shot over the shoulder of Leonoff from in close for the lone goal of the first period.

Johnston tied the game less than three minutes into the second, one-timing a Sarah Davis) feed through the legs of Red net minder Geneviève Lacasse, but Lacquette hammered in a point shot with the teams playing four-on-four midway through the middle frame to restore the Red lead through 40 minutes.

Nurse tied it again for White just past the seven-minute mark of the third period, ripping a wrist shot over Lacasse’s glove, but Irwin’s goal was the difference as Red earned first place in the camp tournament.

Lacasse earned the win for Red, making 18 saves, while Leonoff finished with 24 stops in a losing cause.

- See more at: http://stats.hockeycanada.ca/game/show/8271632?subseason=184052&referrer=1398260#sthash.lvzCgQKW.dpuf

Handy tips for first-time homebuyers

Prepare yourself ahead of time before you seek a loan this year.

With mortgage rates near all-time lows and the government of B.C. saving first-time buyers up to $7,500 by increasing the First Time Home Buyer’s Property Transfer Tax limit from $425,000 to $475,000 (and partial savings up to $500,000), now could be the perfect time to finally take the plunge into home ownership.

If you are thinking of obtaining a loan of any kind, like a new mortgage, vehicle loan or any other loan, it is important to understand how the banks think. By setting up your finances as optimally as possible, you can increase your chances of getting approved instead of declined. Here are some tips for increasing your borrowing power in 2014.

Also, having all of your documents ready may allow you to make a more competitive offer on a timesensitive deal like a foreclosure in real estate. Here are some of the documents you will likely need: Two years of T1 Generals (tax returns filed to the CRA); Two years of Notice of Assessments (document sent back from the CRA once income taxes have been filed); Job letter and paystubs if an employee; Mortgage statements and lease agreements if you own real estate; And more, depending on your circumstances.

Find out what your credit score is

It is always a good idea to obtain a copy of your own credit bureau report ahead of time. Every time a lender does a credit inquiry, your credit score will take a small hit. Learning ahead of time whether your credit score is good or bad will allow you to prepare and fix anything that may appear on your credit rating.

You can obtain a copy of your own credit rating yourself at Equifax.ca.

Get pre-approved

If you plan on purchasing real estate or a vehicle in 2014, it would be a good idea to discuss your options with your broker or bank to learn more about what you qualify for. You don’t want to be wasting your time looking at making a major purchase only to find out you
won’t qualify for the loan you need to make that purchase.

If looking to obtain a mortgage, get a pre-approval so that you will have a sense of what your borrowing cost will look like and lock in your interest costs.

Investigate RRSPs

If you are a first-time homebuyer, you can pull out up to $25,000 per person out of your RRSPs to be used towards the purchase of your first home. Important points about the first time homebuyer plan are: The $25,000 is tax free, but must be repaid into the RRSP over a 15-year period.

The funds have to be in the account for 90 days before you pull them out, so make sure if you plan on buying a house in the spring, you make an RRSP contribution this fall.

You can create “money out of thin air” by making an RRSP contribution shortly before purchasing because of the tax refund.

Example: If you deposit $20,000 into your RRSP and earn between $30,000 and $62,500 annually, you will get an approximate $6,500 tax refund once your taxes have been filed. You will now have $26,500 available for the down payment, not $20,000.

Filing your taxes

Generally, the sooner you file your taxes, the better. There are some exceptions, however.

Lenders will generally use either your minimum guaranteed income (common for salaried employees) or what you have averaged for the past two years on your income taxes (the net income on Line 150 on your taxes).

So, if you had a very good year in 2013 and have a variable income (self employed, or a large amount of your annual income is derived from commissions, bonuses, etc.) you should file ASAP. However, if 2013 was a very poor year, you can still get away with using your 2011 and 2012 income taxes to qualify for a mortgage or other loan until the summer. If you had a bad year, you may want to buy in the first half of 2014 instead of waiting.

Presales completing in 2014

If you have a presale completing in 2014, it is important to prepared ahead of time. The developer will usually give you an idea of the estimated closing date well in advance, but the dates often change.

Make sure you are prepared in advance. Once the developer is ready to close, they usually only give about 10 business days’ official notice which means you should already have your financing arranged. Rates can be held for 90-180 days depending on the lender (most lenders are 90-120 days) so start early to make sure you get the best possible rate by the completion date.

If you are buying a new presale that doesn’t complete until after 2014, make sure you find out if the developer has arranged a rate hold guarantee with a bank. The rate will usually be higher than current market rates but it’s important to have a worst-case scenario. Financing is harder than it has been in a long time. Make sure you get the update on what is new and how some of the new rules may impact you. Particularly for real estate investors, it is much more difficult to qualify for rental properties.

Prepare yourself ahead of time before you seek a loan this year.

With mortgage rates near all-time lows and the government of B.C. saving first-time buyers up to $7,500 by increasing the First Time Home Buyer’s Property Transfer Tax limit from $425,000 to $475,000 (and partial savings up to $500,000), now could be the perfect time to finally take the plunge into home ownership. If you are thinking of obtaining a loan of any kind, like a new mortgage, vehicle loan or any other loan, it is important to understand how the banks think. By setting up your finances as optimally as possible, you can increase your chances of getting approved instead of declined. Here are some tips for increasing your borrowing power in 2014.
Also, having all of your documents ready may allow you to make a more competitive offer on a timesensitive deal like a foreclosure in real estate. Here are some of the documents you will likely need: Two years of T1 Generals (tax returns filed to the CRA); Two years of Notice of Assessments (document sent back from the CRA once income taxes have been filed); Job letter and paystubs if an employee; Mortgage statements and lease agreements if you own real estate; And more, depending on your circumstances.

Find out what your credit score is
It is always a good idea to obtain a copy of your own credit bureau report ahead of time. Every time a lender does a credit inquiry, your credit score will take a small hit. Learning ahead of time whether your credit score is good or bad will allow you to prepare and fix anything that may appear on your credit rating.
You can obtain a copy of your own credit rating yourself at Equifax.ca.
Get pre-approved
If you plan on purchasing real estate or a vehicle in 2014, it would be a good idea to discuss your options with your broker or bank to learn more about what you qualify for. You don’t want to be wasting your time looking at making a major purchase only to find out you won’t qualify for the loan you need to make that purchase.
If looking to obtain a mortgage, get a pre-approval so that you will have a sense of what your borrowing cost will look like and lock in your interest costs.

Investigate RRSPs
If you are a first-time homebuyer, you can pull out up to $25,000 per person out of your RRSPs to be used towards the purchase of your first home. Important points about the first time homebuyer plan are: The $25,000 is tax free, but must be repaid into the RRSP over a 15-year period.
The funds have to be in the account for 90 days before you pull them out, so make sure if you plan on buying a house in the spring, you make an RRSP contribution this fall.
You can create “money out of thin air” by making an RRSP contribution shortly before purchasing because of the tax refund.
Example: If you deposit $20,000 into your RRSP and earn between $30,000 and $62,500 annually, you will get an approximate $6,500 tax refund once your taxes have been filed. You will now have $26,500 available for the down payment, not $20,000.
Filing your taxes
Generally, the sooner you file your taxes, the better. There are some exceptions, however.
Lenders will generally use either your minimum guaranteed income (common for salaried employees) or what you have averaged for the past two years on your income taxes (the net income on Line 150 on your taxes).
So, if you had a very good year in 2013 and have a variable income (self employed, or a large amount of your annual income is derived from commissions, bonuses, etc.) you should file ASAP. However, if 2013 was a very poor year, you can still get away with using your 2011 and 2012 income taxes to qualify for a mortgage or other loan until the summer. If you had a bad year, you may want to buy in the first half of 2014 instead of waiting.
Presales completing in 2014
If you have a presale completing in 2014, it is important to prepared ahead of time. The developer will usually give you an idea of the estimated closing date well in advance, but the dates often change.
Make sure you are prepared in advance. Once the developer is ready to close, they usually only give about 10 business days’ official notice which means you should already have your financing arranged. Rates can be held for 90-180 days depending on the lender (most lenders are 90-120 days) so start early to make sure you get the best possible rate by the completion date.
If you are buying a new presale that doesn’t complete until after 2014, make sure you find out if the developer has arranged a rate hold guarantee with a bank. The rate will usually be higher than current market rates but it’s important to have a worst-case scenario. Financing is harder than it has been in a long time. Make sure you get the update on what is new and how some of the new rules may impact you. Particularly for real estate investors, it is much more difficult to qualify for rental propertie
- See more at: http://blog.besthomesbc.com/category/canada-real-estate-news/#sthash.mNvXjAXC.dpuf

Canadian Consumer Confidence Rises on Real Estate Outlook

Canadian consumer confidence rose for the first time in a month as optimism about real-estate prices surged to the highest in almost five years.
The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index climbed to 59.2 for the week ended June 27, from 58.5 in the prior period. The percentage of respondents who believe home values in their neighborhood will increase in the next six months rose to 44.1, the highest since the fourth quarter of 2009.
Optimism about personal finances and the economy also increased, while job-security sentiment dimmed, according to the survey-based index.
“Looking at the key drivers of consumer sentiment over the past six years, it is clear that positive views of real estate is a key factor in Canadian consumer confidence,” said Nik Nanos, chairman of Ottawa-based polling firm Nanos Research Group. Sentiment about real estate is “noticeably” above its six-year average, while personal-finance views are “marginally” below the average for the period, he said.
Canada’s housing market has been surging even as the world’s 11th largest economy struggles to shift into high gear. Canadian realtors recorded their biggest sales gain in almost four years last month, as the industry rebounded from the impact of a difficult winter, the Canadian Real Estate Association said June 16.
Housing starts rose to their strongest level in seven months in May, following a slump in construction in the first three months of the year, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp. reported June 9.

Rapid Homebuilding

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said June 12 that the biggest domestic risk to the country’s financial system remains households with stretched consumer finances after a period of rapid homebuilding. Poloz also predicted a soft landing in the housing market and progress in Europe’s effort to ease its debt crisis.
Canada’s economic growth slowed in the first quarter as the harsh winter slowed housing construction, business spending and exports, and expanded less than economists forecast in April. Poloz said June 4 it remained appropriate for the central bank to keep its benchmark interest rate at 1 percent, in view of the economy’s “modest” pace of growth.
The survey-based Nanos index has two sub-indexes. The Expectations Index, based on responses about the national economy and real estate, rose to 58.7 last week from 58.2.
The share of respondents who think the Canadian economy will improve over the next six months rose to 21.8 percent from 21.1 percent the week before.

Personal Finances

The Pocketbook Index, based on responses to questions about personal finances and job security, climbed to 59.7 from 58.9.
Those who say their finances have improved over the past year rose to 17.6 percent from 17.0 percent, according to the Nanos report.
The proportion who say they feel at least somewhat secure about their jobs dropped to 68.8 percent, the lowest since May 30, from 69.2 percent.
“A modest pickup in overall economic activity appears to have bolstered consumer sentiment,” said Joseph Brusuelas, senior economist at Bloomberg LP, “However, Canadians remain concerned about their own personal financial condition, which is reflective of the household imbalances that remain a pressing policy challenge.”
Canada’s gross domestic product grew less than economists forecast in April as goods production fell while service industries such as wholesaling expanded, Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa. Output rose 0.1 percent to an annualized C$1.62 trillion ($1.51 trillion), the same pace as in March. The median forecast in a Bloomberg economist survey was for the world’s 11th largest economy to expand 0.2 percent.
The Nanos data are based on phone interviews with 1,000 people, using a four-week rolling average of 250 respondents. The results are accurate to within 3.1 percentage points.

Source: Bloomberg.
Author: Andrew Mayeda.

Get ready and escape from next Winter

Right now with the sun that summer has brought, no one remembers how low the temperature was last winter. Canadian winter is cold, and some years the winter can be very hard as the last one that didn't want to leave.

That's the reason many Canadians buy properties in warmer places to spend a more pleasant winter time without snow blocking their doors. Usually the places in mind are the Bahamas, Cancun, Ecuador, Thailand, Florida, Portugal, Panama, Costa Rica, Arizona or Florida, just to name a few.

But irrespectively to your own preferences, either if you prefer to stay close to the beach or inland, in Southeast Asia or in Central America, you can always find the perfect property to buy or to rent by using the service provided by Multi Listing Global Services.

 MLS Global has specific web sites for almost each country in the world, with tips on how to buy/rent a property easily.

Once you have made out your mind and know the country you would like to escape to, go to www.mls-global.com, select your preferred country from the menu and leave a wanted ad for free. After this you will only have to wait as this is going to be viewed by brokers and agents of your selected country that will be able to contact you only with information relevant to your needs and desires.

On top of this, each site has a document library with legal forms ready to be downloaded, making the process of making contracts much easier than if you do everything individually by yourself.

So get ready before the sun disappears and escape from Canada to avoid dusting snowflakes from your jackets!