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A report from the Globe and Mail revealed that the number one financial resolution is paying off debt. While many people would love to simply pay their bills and be debt free, that's not often the case.

The holidays are an exciting time to welcome guests into your home, but they can also be stressful. Whether you’re hosting a holiday get-together or are expecting your usual drop-ins, here are some tips to help keep you sane, and get your home ready for the holidays!

Although winter may not be the most popular time to sell a home, this doesn't mean you have to wait until the weather warms up to list your property. With the right strategy and a bit of hard work, you can make your home stand out to potential buyers in a season where competition is less fierce and certain buyers are highly motivated to purchase.

Homeowners and house hunters should take note of these indicators of a neighborhood’s health.

When you buy a house in a good neighborhood, you want to make sure the neighborhood stays that way.

Pastels often get a bad rap for being too sugary sweet, frivolous or girly. But don’t be too quick to fall into this mind-set and immediately pass over pastel shades when choosing which hues to incorporate into your home.

What is Real Estate (Home) Staging?

• It is creating an environment that buyers want.
• It is using marketing and decorating techniques that will highlight the value of each room.
• It showcases the unique features and adds character and warmth to the home.
• It is creating an appeal to your home for a wide variety of buyers.
• It allows a buyer to see the potential of a house and visualize themselves in the home.
• It helps the home to stand out compared to the competition.
• It will help to sell the home quicker and for top dollar.

Home staging is becoming less of a novelty and more of a necessity. If your neighbour is selling their house and has it staged, then you will also need to stage yours if you wish to stay competitive.

Home insurance policy provides coverage for five main areas:

• The primary dwelling/building
• Other Structures such as storage sheds and detached garage
• Personal property
• Loss of use (if the dwelling is uninhabitable due to damage)
• Personal Liability (if your negligence caused injury to a person or his property)

The home policy is generally an “all perils” type of coverage that includes damage due to fire, theft, wind, hail, hurricanes, water and sewer backup. Earthquake is available for extra premium.

The policy provides replacement cost for both building and contents.