Four natural ways to reduce cellulite and fat. How to Make Perfect McDonald’s-style French Fries at Home. How to win a real estate bidding war. With fewer sellers and high demand for housng in the GTA, bidding wars are back as the spring market gets under way.
But for buyers these auctions are stressful and fraught with dangers, not the least of which is that you may end up paying too much for a house and go on to regret it. Here are some things that can help you come out ahead: 1.Research the area to get the low down on the neighbours, schools, parks, demographics and crime rate. 2.Visit with your lender or mortgage broker in advance to get a clear understanding as to what you can afford to spend in order to buy a property, without having to dramatically change your standard of living. 3.Work with a professional sales person.
Massive Mansion Markdowns. The following nine enormous homes started out with price tags that were even more enormous than they are now.
All told, these properties have been reduced in price by more than $85 million. Why do these upscale properties linger on the market? How Renting Out Your Spare Room Can Backfire. Using rental income to offset a portion of the monthly mortgage payment is an attractive option for many homeowners.
The income boost can make home ownership more affordable or put a nicer, more expensive property within reach. If you're thinking about renting out your spare bedroom, in-law suite or basement apartment, be aware of these potential problems before you take on a tenant. Rental Income Is TaxableIf you need to generate a minimum amount of income per month from your rental, keep in mind that taxes will take a chunk out of your rental revenues. The rate of tax you'll pay on this income is your marginal tax rate. If you're in the 25% marginal tax bracket and you receive $800 a month in rental income, you'll only be able to pocket $600 a month after taxes. The good news is that you can reduce your taxable rental income by any expenses associated with the rental. However, sometimes tenants cause massive damage to the properties they rent. 10 products with outrageous marketing claims.
We live in a hypersaturated consumer products market where businesses have to fight to get our attention.
It's no wonder that to do so, companies have resorted to making marketing claims that border on the ridiculous. We've all come across the variety of weight-loss pills that claim to help you lose X pounds in Y days, or supplements that claim to enhance certain male parts by Z inches, and wondered: Why are companies allowed to get away with such outrageous claims? Shouldn't they be submitted to truth tests? MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY —Next great grocery scam is in your home —Most outrageous acts of corporate America —4 risky places to swipe your debit card In fact, the American Federal Trade Commission is the agency responsible for administering a truth test of sorts for consumer products.
5 Tips for Cleaning Pots and Pans. Most Dangerous Colours for Your Car - Yahoo! Autos Canada. Beauty Secrets from Around the World. 10 Shoes Every Woman Should Own. Montreal ranks as best city in Canada to be a student. McGill support staff walked out Thursday morning, on the first day of class for many students.
Montreal has been rated the best student city in Canada, but it falls well behind Paris according to a new international survey. Paris was followed by London and Boston with Montreal landing 10th, Toronto coming in 26th and Vancouver coming in 31st. British firm QS, which usually ranks individual universities, examined 50 cities around the world, looking at student mix, quality of living, employer activity and affordability to devise the list. How to Think of What to Draw - wikiHow. Personality Quiz - StumbleUpon. Amazing Places To Experience Around The Globe (Part 1) - StumbleUpon. How to Plant Ideas in Someones Mind - StumbleUpon. Homes of Celebrity Couples 2012. Which Healthy Foods Are Best for Flat Abs? What are the best foods for firmer abs?
Two Worst Foods for Your Weight. For people trying to lose weight, here's the good news: Nutrition researchers have scoped out the enemy.
Turns out potato chips and soda are the top waistline assassins. Everyone knows to cut back on junk food, but in a recent large study examining what foods were most associated with weight gain, potato chips and sweetened drinks stood out as the ultimate arch villains. Indeed, not all snacks are created equal. Reluctantly Healthy Videos - Yahoo! Shine CA. Eggs vs. Fruit. 11 Unusual Household Uses For Food Items That Will Save You Money.
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U.K. scientists claim to have found cheapest meal. Times are tough in Canada, but is the economy bad enough to eat a toast sandwich?
Scientists from the Royal Society of Chemistry in the U.K. are calling the sandwich (which costs the equivalent of 12 cents Canadian), the cheapest meal. It is a slice of toast between two pieces of buttered bread with salt and pepper. Although according to the Guardian, it can also be one untoasted piece between two toasted pieces. 5 Energy-saving myths. What you didn't know about energy efficiency could hurt your pocketbook.
Myth #1: Closing the Vent Saves Energy Though it seems that closing vents in unused rooms would save energy, the energy consumed by the system is at the unit itself, and restricting conditioned air at a vent termination redirects it to other locations in the house or through leaks in your duct system. Closing vents also puts backpressure on the fan that pushes the air through the system, causing it to work harder, use more energy, and wear out faster. Myth #2: New Windows = Significant Energy Cost Savings Replacing single-pane windows for Energy-Star rated dual-pane windows will save energy.
See the full list of Energy-Saving Myths Myth #3: Setting Thermostat Higher Heats a Home Faster. 5 things people buy because of peer pressure - Yahoo! Canada Finance. Peer pressure is often thought of as something that only affects young people, especially teenagers. Though peer pressure impacts people of all ages, and in various aspects of their lives. Peer pressure often has a big influence on a large portion of our society's purchasing decisions. How Stores Trick You Into Spending More - Yahoo! Canada Finance. In marketing and retail, the price of a product is often the most important factor in determining the product's success.
Sure, quality and appearance play a large role in a customer's decision, but shoppers are being manipulated by the pricing, and they're often not even aware of it. Ideally, every retailer would determine their costs to provide goods or services, and then tack on a modest surcharge to those goods or services to produce a profit.
But in the reality of your local Target or Safeway, shopping is not that simple. Finding the true cost or value of an item is muddled in rewards programs, rebates, discounts on multiple items, etc. More than ever before, retailers and service providers understand that a mix of the following pricing strategies will ultimately produce more profits than selling exclusively with a variable cost-plus pricing method. The shrewdest loss leaders are products like razors, cell phones and video game consoles. Are dollar stores really a bargain? It costs just a dollar. What a deal! The World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces - Yahoo! Canada Finance.
Getting Promoted at work means getting noticed, here's how to get noticed at work. 5 People Who Turned $1,000 Into $1 Million. What Not to Wear to a Job Interview. Will this get you the job? You finally got the job interview you've wanted, have researched the company and position in question, and have prepared a list of smart questions to ask.
Now the only thing left is putting together the perfect outfit. 4 things you didn't know you could put on your resume.