About Middlesex County, ON

Dear Friends,

"The service we render others is really the rent we pay for our room on earth." - Wilfred Grenfell

One of the most challenging things about real estate business is the variety of ways we serve our clients and customers - from advising, to marketing, to financing, to construction, to you name it!

If you are interested, or know of anyone else who could benefit from our services, We'd love to hear from you.

Your support means alot to us.

Sincerely,

Dan and Rachael Polakovic

Sales Representatives

Realty Executives Elite Ltd Brokerage

London Ontario

rachaelpolakovic@rogers.com

www.two-realtors.com

"Make A Smart Move!"

While there is no crystal clear answer to the age-old "real versus fake" Christmas tree debate, most environmentalists, "tree huggers" among them, would agree that real trees are the better choice, at least from a personal and public health standpoint. Some might make a case for fake trees, because they are re-used every year and thus don't generate the waste of their real counterparts. But fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC, otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic.

Fake Christmas Trees and Cancer
Furthermore, several known carcinogens, including dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride, are generated during the production of PVC, polluting neighborhoods located near factory sites. Most of those factory sites are actually in China, where 85 percent of the fake trees sold in North America originate. Labor standards there don't adequately protect workers from the dangerous chemicals they are handling.

Fake Christmas Trees and Other Health Problems
In addition to PVC, fake trees contain lead and other additives designed to make the otherwise rigid PVC more malleable. Unfortunately many of these additives have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological and reproductive system damage in lab studies on animals. The Children's Health Environmental Coalition warns that fake trees "may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts and the floor below the tree." So heed the advice of the label on your fake tree, which tells you to avoid inhaling or eating any dust or parts that may come loose.

The Drawbacks of Real Christmas Trees
The primary downside of real Christmas trees is that, because they are farmed as agricultural products, they often require repeated applications of pesticides over their typical eight-year lifecycles. Therefore, while they are growing--and then again once they are discarded--they may contribute to pollution of local watersheds. Beyond the run-off issue, the sheer numbers of trees that get discarded after every holiday can be a big waste issue for municipalities that aren't prepared to mulch them for compost.

The Benefits and Care of Live Christmas Trees
The most eco-friendly way to enjoy a Christmas tree is to buy a live tree with its roots intact from a local grower, and then replant it in your yard once the holiday has passed. However, since trees are dormant in the winter, live trees should spend no more than a week indoors lest they "wake up" and begin to grow again in the warmth of your home. If this happens there is a good chance the tree will not survive once it is returned to the cold winter outdoors and replanted.

http://environment.about.com/od/greenchristmas/a/christmas_trees.htm

When it comes to mortgage financing, more and more Canadians are choosing to work with a professional mortgage broker. According to a recent study by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 23 per cent of mortgages written were arranged through a broker.

Canadians are just catching up with their American neighbors, who are far less likely to simply walk into their home bank for a mortgage. In 2000, almost 70 per cent of all U.S. mortgages were arranged through mortgage brokers.

If we follow the U.S. model - and it seems that we are - then we're in for a sea of change in the way Canadians manage their most significant personal asset. It makes sense. After all, investment returns aren't as lucrative as they were five years ago, and investors are seeking out ways to make financial gains through avenues they may have overlooked.

There are some significant benefits to working with an independent mortgage broker. Firstly, let's compare mortgage expertise: Most banks have one or more representatives who are specifically assigned to assist with mortgages. Their role is to develop commercial mortgages business for the banks. A ontario mortgage broker, on the other hand, is a trained mortgage professional who has met standards for education. The comprehensive training of an independent mortgage broker may exceed the training of their counterparts at the bank. More importantly, the mortgage broker is independent. He or she is not an employee of a lending institution, but has access to rate and option information for a full spectrum of chartered banks and other lending institutions. Their role is to find the best possible mortgage rates
and options for you.

Let's also look at choice: A mortgage broker offers you access to many competitive lenders, each with a range of mortgage options. It would take weeks of research, telephoning and personal visits to recreate the range of features and options that a mortgage broker has at his or her fingertips. Rate information, mortgage options and payment schedules are up-to-the-moment, so you and your broker can make valid comparisons of the options available. The result of all this choice is a mortgage which is customized to meet your needs and to save you money.

Also consider accessibility. Your mortgage broker will be available to you before and after your mortgage closes, which will be good news for those who have spent long hours on hold or in a telephone voice answering loop.

Above all, clients have turned to mortgage brokers for better rates. Access to a broad range of lending institutions is a critical advantage for mortgage shoppers. A quarter-point difference on your mortgage rate can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Many mortgage brokers work inside a brokerage organization with sufficient mortgage volumes that they can negotiate the best possible rates for your situation. Canadian homeowners who have experienced the benefits of a mortgage broker are unlikely to ever return to a world in which they simply accept the best posted rate at their local bank.

Beautiful and exclusive Warbler Woods are words used by the majority of Londoners. Located in South West London off of Commissioners Road West or Byron Baseline Road. Protected to the west by 2 conservation areas.

Quick and easy access to downtown London, UWO and the 3 hospitals. Convenient shopping near by with great schools, recreational areas, skiing at Boler Mountain, bike paths and more.

For more information about Warbler Woods and other homes or condos for sale in London, or other real estate enquiries,

Create a Clutter Free and Functional Home Office

Part 7 of Easy & Inexpensive Ways to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Working out of the home is a reality for many people today, so a functional home office space can give your home a competitive advantage over other homes on the market.

Try to make the space as functional as possible, and if it's part of another room, make sure and maintain the main function of the room.

Here are some home office tips:

• Get some bank boxes and start packing up all the files and paperwork you don't need for every day function.

• Remove big bulky filing cabinets that take up a lot of space, and store them somewhere else to make the office look bigger.

• Clean everything off the desk surface, leaving only your computer and desk lamp. A neat desktop makes the workspace look more functional, and the lighting makes it look more inviting.

• Store all personal and confidential or client information out of sight, and set up a password protected screensaver on your desktop.

• Weed out the postings on bulletin boards or wall organizers. A few things are ok to make the office look organized and functional, but an overcrowded bulletin board looks crowded.

If your office is a part of another room, make sure it doesn't overpower the main function of the room. If it's in the dining room, consider getting it out of there and into a temporary space somewhere else.