Buy or Sell First?
When it comes to home buying, the ideal situation would be to find a new home, just as you receive an offer on your existing home. You would then be able to close concurrently and move into your new home a few days prior to closing on your previous home. This does happen more often than not, but ... more...

Debt is The Master of Souls
Wholeness requires separation. In order for you to experience yourself as being whole, you spend most of your live experiencing being separated, trying to get back to wholeness.One of your most creative ways of moving away from happiness has been through consumer debt. Your fixation with spending, ... more...

Selling of Real Estate by Non-Residents of Canada
As I deal routinely with non-resident investors wanting to sell Canadian real estate assets, I would like to shed some light on this otherwise somewhat arcane subject. DISCLAIMER: please note that the following essay is presented solely for general information purposes, it is not intended to be ... more...

Old House? New House? Weighing Your Options
Maybe it has something to do with a childhood home we fondly remember. Many of us long for old homes built with solid construction, quality craftsmanship and beautiful details. We wax poetic and wistfully recall the hand carvings, plaster walls and eyebrow dormers of homes weve known. On the other ... more...

Housing Bubble, Interest Rates, Timber Costs; What Has Changed?
What has really changed in the housing market with regards to timber dumping from Canada, lumber costs since the Professional Building Magazine issue in Sept. 2001. How is this affecting the housing market or the predicted housing bubble burst which was suppose to cripple the economy. We have seen ... more...

Office Security
Security, as weve suggested before, can mean many things, and different measures bring a feeling of security to different people. But the core of security is controlling access to oneself (and by extension family or coworkers); to personal information; to portable property, or a physical location, ... more...

Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing
PolicyFederal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should be written in building code language certified as Fair Housing compliant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD should be vigilant in compliance education and assistance as is NAHB. Use ... more...

It's A Wonderful Movie
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story called "The Greatest Gift". Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was unable to sell it to a publisher, so he sent the tale out as a long Christmas card to friends. His agent subsequently sold the fable to RKO pictures, where it went through several ... more...

The Identity Theft Epidemic : What The Experts Arent Telling You
Picture yourself walking down the street, all alone. It's late at night. It's a bit brisk, and the wind is blowing through the tall buildings on both sides of you. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone runs by you, knocks you over, grabs your wallet, and takes off.It sounds like a scene from a ... more...