I've always been a believer of fate. That somehow there are signs in the world that will guide you as you make decisions in your life or help lead you to people you need to meet or get to know. Or that events bring people together, people who will change your life in some way or introduce you to people who will.
Fate can linger in anything and everything. The smallest and most mundane of things, like a billboard advertising a lunch special just as your stomach growls, or directly in people who tell you about jobs in the field you want to pursue.
On Tuesday, fate came in an e-mail. I shop occasionally from Chapters Indigo (the Canadian equivalent of Amazon), and occasionally I receive e-mails with special or recommendations. In Tuesday's e-mail there was a recommendation for a book called Home Girl: The Single Woman's Guide to Buying Real Estate in Canada by Brenda Bouw. It's as if Chapters knew that I had started house hunting up again and that I was actively pursuing it and that this book could help me navigate the waters or buying a home.
The book description:
Statistics show that Canadian women now outnumber men in buying a house or condo. Women see the value in owning property. They are no longer waiting for, or expecting, a “Mr. Right” to come along before taking one of the key financial steps of their lives. Such is the case with the author of Home Girls: The Single Woman’s Guide to Buying Real Estate in Canada
If this doesn't scream "Alex at this present moment in time" then I don't know what does!
I came home yesterday and found my Amazon order in my mail. Guess what I'll be reading (and probably highlighting and making notes from) over the next few days?!
Fate can linger in anything and everything. The smallest and most mundane of things, like a billboard advertising a lunch special just as your stomach growls, or directly in people who tell you about jobs in the field you want to pursue.
On Tuesday, fate came in an e-mail. I shop occasionally from Chapters Indigo (the Canadian equivalent of Amazon), and occasionally I receive e-mails with special or recommendations. In Tuesday's e-mail there was a recommendation for a book called Home Girl: The Single Woman's Guide to Buying Real Estate in Canada by Brenda Bouw. It's as if Chapters knew that I had started house hunting up again and that I was actively pursuing it and that this book could help me navigate the waters or buying a home.
The book description:
Statistics show that Canadian women now outnumber men in buying a house or condo. Women see the value in owning property. They are no longer waiting for, or expecting, a “Mr. Right” to come along before taking one of the key financial steps of their lives. Such is the case with the author of Home Girls: The Single Woman’s Guide to Buying Real Estate in Canada
Brenda Bouw’s own experiences in buying and selling real estate, and those of other single women she interviewed for the book—as well as insights from real estate professionals—are built into this informative and entertaining guide. If you are looking at buying a first property, you’ll find out about the pitfalls you need to avoid and the necessary steps you must take to make that purchase a success story. If you already own real estate, you might be interested in renovating your house, buying an investment property or even becoming a landlord. Here are some of the key concepts:
- How to tell if you’re ready to own your own home
- What to look for in a house
- The role of a real estate agent
- The offer, the deal, the closing and the aftermath
- The dozens of little expenses that you might not be aware of before it’s time to pay for them
- What renovations to tackle yourself, and when it’s time to call a pro
- How to become a landlord—and if you really want to be one
If this doesn't scream "Alex at this present moment in time" then I don't know what does!
I came home yesterday and found my Amazon order in my mail. Guess what I'll be reading (and probably highlighting and making notes from) over the next few days?!
Today, after two months off, I have started my house hunting again. I was doing a lot of reading and scouring in local papers and on the internet late last fall and went to a couple of developers in late November/early December, but then Christmas rolled around and I was busy shopping on the weekends. Then in January and February the weather was too cold and the roads too icy for me to be driving around. But today was a beautiful, spring-like day so I started my house hunting again.
I went back to a development I was looking at last December, a new development 15 minutes away from where I currently live now, called Milton Trails. It's nestled at the base of the Niagara Escarpment and is at the edge of the city, which is predominantly farms, nurseries and orchards. No doubt the area will grow in the coming years and become more of a busy city, but for now it's relatively untouched -- except of course for the 1,000+ homes being built in the area! But the city plans for the area includes lots of green spaces, even a couple of ponds. They are still in Phase 1 of the development there, which is about 750 homes from three builders: Fieldgate, Green Park and Arista.
When I was there in December I had my eye on two homes in particular, both of which were sold out, so I am waiting for Phase 2 to start. That way I'll have a better chance of buying a smaller home rather than the bigger lots and homes that are remaining. But as I found out today Phase 2 won't open until about July or so.
My favourite, which my mom and dad both also like, is the Cornwall by Fieldgate Homes. It's a 1,683 square foot home, which is a bit larger than I wanted to buy since it's just me and it has a living room and a family room, which is again more room than I would need -- or have the money to furnish -- but it is one of those homes that feels just right.
I went back to a development I was looking at last December, a new development 15 minutes away from where I currently live now, called Milton Trails. It's nestled at the base of the Niagara Escarpment and is at the edge of the city, which is predominantly farms, nurseries and orchards. No doubt the area will grow in the coming years and become more of a busy city, but for now it's relatively untouched -- except of course for the 1,000+ homes being built in the area! But the city plans for the area includes lots of green spaces, even a couple of ponds. They are still in Phase 1 of the development there, which is about 750 homes from three builders: Fieldgate, Green Park and Arista.
When I was there in December I had my eye on two homes in particular, both of which were sold out, so I am waiting for Phase 2 to start. That way I'll have a better chance of buying a smaller home rather than the bigger lots and homes that are remaining. But as I found out today Phase 2 won't open until about July or so.
My favourite, which my mom and dad both also like, is the Cornwall by Fieldgate Homes. It's a 1,683 square foot home, which is a bit larger than I wanted to buy since it's just me and it has a living room and a family room, which is again more room than I would need -- or have the money to furnish -- but it is one of those homes that feels just right.
Labels: Homes
