As part of the 2022 federal budget, the Canadian government wants to provide initiatives designed to make homeownership more affordable. One way they plan to accomplish this is with the new First Home Savings Account (FHSA).

Aimed at first time home buyers, this new program will give prospective homeowners some tax relief as well as make it easier for them to achieve their homeownership goals. The FHSA does not replace the RRSP Home Buyer's Plan that already exists, however, it’s important to note that the two programs cannot be used in tandem. While the RRSP Home Buyer's Plan requires withdrawals from the account to be repaid, the FHSA does not.

Learn More About First Home Savings Accounts

First Home Savings Accounts are expected to be available in 2023. There will be eligibility requirements, as well as rules and conditions, so it’s best to consult with a mortgage broker or financial institution to determine if and how you can make this new option work for you.

In the meantime, here are some top things to know about this new savings option:

• You’ll be able to contribute up to $8,000 annually, up to a lifetime maximum of $40,000.
• Contributions made to an FHSA are tax deductible.
• Funds can be withdrawn from an FHSA tax-free, as long as the funds will be used for a first-time home purchase.
• It is likely that funds in an FHSA will be able to be invested to support growth in limited ways such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, but these specifics have not been confirmed by the government.
• Any income made from investing FHSA funds will also be tax free. 
• Transfers can be made from an RRSP to an FHSA but are subject to the FHSA annual contribution limit.
• Transfers can be made from an FHSA to an RRSP or RRIF if no home is purchased and this will not affect RRSP contribution room. This provides great flexibility for first time buyers who may end up buying a home with someone else who also has an FHSA.

All in all, there is no downside to the new FHSA as a savings vehicle and this very well could be a big step in the right direction when it comes to making buying a first home easier.

Let Sue Heddle Homes Help You Purchase Your First Home

Buying your first home is a very exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming. With an experienced Oakville realtor like Sue Heddle, you’ll get local expertise, excellent negotiation skills and more than a decade of proven success helping clients find a home they love. If you have any questions about the current real estate market or about the home buying process, contact us. We’d love to help you find your first home.

The last two years have changed the way people view and use their homes. As such, it should come as no surprise that the trends unfolding for 2022 in the landscaping space focus on pampering ourselves at home. The second dominate trend is bolstered by our increasing interest to preserve our planet by making simple changes on our own properties to support the environment.

Regardless of what your own backyard goals are for 2022, it’s fun to learn about the trends that are shaping decisions, and think about possibly incorporating them into your own space. While some are more unique and aesthetic, you may also get ideas on how to add convenience and practicality to your backyard too. 

4 Trends to Consider Adding to Your Backyard Space

From improving the plants and flowers you have in your backyard to incorporating additional living space for your family to enjoy, read more about the trends influencing backyards in 2022.

1. Edible gardens.

With the rising cost of food and a growing interest in farm-to-table eating, growing your own food is bigger than ever. In addition to getting fresh fruits and veggies, you get a chance to 

teach your kids about sustainability, make less trips to the grocery store, and customize your garden to grow the produce you like best. Plants in raised beds are the top choice for incorporating this trend into your outdoor space.

2. Flowers and plants that offer rich colours and jewel tones.

This is the year to choose bold, vibrant colours in jewel tones to add positive energy to your backyard landscaping. Red, orange, magenta, lime, and deep purple are expected to be big in 2022. Ask your local nursery about crocosmia, salvia, allium, freesias, and cannas – all great options for adding bold colour.

3. Dahlias.

Colours are key but if you’re looking for the top option in 2022, dahlias are it. With more than 100 varieties, these flowers are robust and easy to care for. They look good in planters as well as in your backyard garden. They also bloom for a long time and make great cut flowers, allowing you to enjoy them throughout your home.

4. Creating an outside room.

Since most of us have spent more time at home in the last two years than anywhere else, homeowners will continue to improve their outdoor space in 2022. Adding an outdoor kitchen, fireplace, or pergola helps create the feeling of an additional room. Strategically planted shrubs and plants can add privacy, and strings of lights add the ambiance. Outdoor rooms designed for gathering promote the connection and socialization we’ve all missed so much.

Sue Heddle Homes Can Find the Space You Crave

So many of the 2022 landscape and backyard trends revolve around continuing to make your space feel as comfortable and relaxing as possible. If you’re looking to find a home that will help you enjoy time together with family and friends, Sue Heddle Homes can help. With more than a decade of experience, Sue has expert industry knowledge coupled with local market insight that can help you find what you’re looking for. Let us support all your real estate needs and find a home that works for your family. Contact Sue today!

Housing affordability seemed to be a priority of the 2022 Federal budget; however, it will remain to be seen how effective some of the actions will prove to be. Buying a home in Canada has become increasingly out of reach for many Canadians, but will this new budget be enough to change the current market?

“TRREB is encouraged that governments at all levels continue to make housing affordability a priority, but it is critically important that governments take actions that will have meaningful impacts. All levels of government should be implementing evidence-based initiatives that address the real cause of affordability challenges, which is an inadequate supply of homes for sale or rent,” said TRREB President Kevin Crigger.

While the Toronto Regional Real Estate board is in favour of the budget actions intended to increase housing supply, it did express concern when it came to the effectiveness of policies intended to suppress demand. In particular, they feel that the focus on reducing foreign buyers only represents a small percent of the problem for buyers and doesn’t focus on some of the real issues plaguing the market.

How Future Home Buyers May Benefit from the 2022 Federal Budget

 While it will certainly take some time to see the benefits of new measures implemented, a quick summary does demonstrate that hopeful home buyers could finally be getting additional support. To start, the goal is to double new housing construction by 2032 which will provide more options for future home buyers.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the details:

• A new housing accelerator fund totaling $4 billion over five years, starting this fiscal year. This will provide support to municipalities in an effort to speed up housing development. 
• Creating at least 6,000 new affordable housing units, with at least 25 per cent of funding going towards women-focused housing projects. 
• A new multigenerational home renovation tax credit that can provide up to $7,500 towards a secondary suite for a senior or an adult with a disability, starting in 2023. 
• A new tax-free first home savings account where first-time buyers can save up to $40,000 tax-free. Contributions would be tax-deductible, and withdrawals to buy a first home would be non-taxable.
• The first-time home buyers’ tax credit is increasing to $10,000, providing up to $1,500 in direct support to home buyers, applying to homes bought on or after January 1, 2022. 
• Anyone selling a property they’ve held for less than 12 months will be taxed on their profits as business income, effective January 1, 2023. Exceptions will be made for sales due to life circumstances.

Home Buyers Get the Support They Need from Sue Heddle Homes

Once of the most helpful things home buyers can do is find an experienced real estate agent that can help decipher and navigate the current market. With more than a decade of proven experience, award winning Oakville realtor Sue Heddle Homes can help make your home buying experience more successful and more enjoyable. With incredible industry knowledge and effective negotiation skills, let Sue and her team help you find the home you want. Ready to get started? Call Sue at 416-906-7998.

Time to finally shed our winter coats as spring has definitely sprung across all major real estate markets within Ontario! The trend of significant over asking bids continues across all housing sectors, from condos to semi-attached and single-family homes.

Below you can find current hot housing markets and key indicators to watch out for. Are you ready to list or buy? Have questions? Looking for tips on how to market your home to increase resell potential? Sue Heddle Homes has only your best interests in mind whether you're selling or buying.

Key Insights to Note & Detailed Stats by Area

• Consistent sales growth continues across all markets.
• Hamilton and Niagara are rebounding from previous sales lag and are an affordable choice for families and commuters to major city centers.
• The number of residential units sold also continues to be on the decline across all regions due to limited supply. This corresponds with an even shorter downward trend of units being sold faster than last year.

Take a minute to review the detailed stats shown below. Please reach out anytime if you're looking to buy or sell a property, and for any real estate market questions at 416-906-7998. 

What design style catches your eye? Are you familiar with Scandinavian farmhouse style? This charming style and design trend is gaining in popularity. In fact, we’re seeing more and more homes listed for sale that have been renovated to reflect this calming type of environment.

Newly listed, this beautifully renovated home in Milton that has just hit the market is best described as a modern Scandinavian farmhouse. The attention to detail put into this cozy but spacious home makes it a perfect space to welcome friends and family. With two acres of lush property and luxurious wood finishes throughout, this home has been designed with style in mind.

View the listing for this modern Scandinavian farmhouse.

Scandinavian farmhouse style can be recognized by the inspired use of rustic and woodsy elements matched with practicality that results in a beautiful, but very livable space. Some of the most recognizable features include unfinished wood throughout the home, a white colour palette, large windows, and some simple black contrasts. Additional décor throughout the space is minimalist, but does include plants that provide pops of green as well as cozy textiles. 

How to Incorporate This Style into Your Home

Love what you see in the listing photos? If you aren’t ready to move but feel drawn to this style of décor, here are some ways to incorporate Scandinavian Farmhouse Style into different areas of your home.

• Kitchen – wood cabinets, white shiplap, farmhouse sink, dark countertop.
• Dining room – using a mix of light woods for your table, chairs and sideboard with a light and bright chandelier.
• Living rooms - warm textiles added to simple furniture, with wood accents and a cozy rug. Adding books, plants and picture frames will make the space visually interesting.
• Bedrooms - Cozy textiles and pillows in neutral tones on a simple bed frame. Rustic nightstands and warm white walls make bedrooms feel inviting.
• Bathrooms - Rustic floors matched with large windows to deliver as much natural light as possible. Adding exposed wood to ceilings can add uniqueness as well as adding simple metal light fixtures and greenery.

When it comes to the exterior of your home, Scandinavian farmhouse style favours white washed paneling or a warm white paint with black window and door frames to provide a striking contrast. 

Finding A Home That Matches Your Style

If you’re ready to find a home that matches your style and works for your family, reach out to Sue Heddle Homes. With unparalleled industry knowledge and local Oakville and Halton area insight, Sue Heddle can work with you to find what you’re looking for. With award winning strategies and a commitment to client satisfaction, you can count on Sue Heddle Homes to make your real estate transactions a success. To learn more about how we support home buyers and home sellers, contact us today at 416-906-7998.

It’s been common past practice to add a synthetic air freshener to your Oakville home when you’re trying to make it smell pleasant for a showing. However, if you’re doing so in the hopes of improving the chances of selling your home, you might want to think twice. 

Smell is one of our most important senses and is closely linked with memory. Good smells can evoke happy memories and experiences while bad smells can do the opposite. Smell is also highly emotive, meaning different fragrances can convey a vast array of emotions and feelings. So, it should be no surprise that smell can come into play when you’re trying to sell your home.

Increasingly, more and more people find it difficult to tolerate synthetic perfumes, which can come across as overpowering and uninviting. If you use one in your home, there’s a good chance that a potential buyer may be sensitive to these types of scents, making it hard for them to make it past the front entrance, let alone be able to really get a sense of whether or not your home is right for them.

Three Simple Ways To Add Pleasant Scents To Your Home 

Give your prospective buyers extra incentive to purchase your house by making it smell like a home they can see themselves in. Your goal is to make every guest feel like they belong. By using scents that evoke only the best memories and feelings, you may end up adding the factor you need to make the sale.  Keep reading for some suggestions from Sue Heddle Homes on how to use scent to help sell your home without relying on synthetic products.

Now, before you make the effort to include some pleasant scents as part of your selling strategy, it’s best to make sure you don’t have any negative scents working against you! Empty every garbage, make sure the laundry hampers are emptied too, make sure appliances are clean inside and out (especially front-loading washers which can develop a mildew smell), and use natural/unscented cleaning products. 

1 - Essential Oils.

In addition to offering a lovely smell, essential oils have many health benefits as well. For example, peppermint oil has been known to reduce stress, tension and headaches. While lavender oil is thought to be a great way to relieve anxiety. All of these are exactly the emotions you want potential buyers to feel when they are in your home. Avoid using strong scents that can have a polarizing effect such as patchouli, sandalwood, or ylang-ylang. Other great options include grapefruit, rose, or bergamot. These smells can evoke the atmosphere of a luxury spa.

2 - Fresh Flowers.

This may be the simplest option, as it’s easy to run out to a florist and pick up a beautiful bouquet. Not only will flowers add to the visual appeal of your home, but the scent of fresh roses, for example, can often encourage people feel happy and relaxed.

3 - Open The Windows.

If you have time before a showing, open all the windows for 15 minutes or so. Yes, even in winter! Outside air can do wonders when it comes to removing unwanted odours from a home and leave the space feeling fresh. If it is cool outside, you can close the windows back up after a few minutes, which will still give the home time to warm up before prospective buyers arrive. 

Sell Your Home With Sue Heddle Homes

For more tips on selling your home, contact Sue Heddle Homes. Sue Heddle is an experienced Oakville realtor that always goes the extra mile to ensure her client’s get the results they want from the sale of their home. From free home staging, to understanding that the little things really do matter, working with Sue Heddle Homes will reduce the stress that often comes with real estate transactions. Call Sue today at (416) 906-7998 – we’re ready to help you sell your home!

Most people want to gather as much information as they can before they make a decision. Let’s be honest, asking Google for an answer is something we all do, likely on a daily basis! However, it’s so important to make sure you’re getting accurate and up to date information that’s relevant to your particular situation.

This is certainly true when it comes to real estate and making the decision to sell your home. You absolutely don’t want to make decisions about listing your home based on bad information. Not only can this have financial implications, but it can also make the process longer, more stressful, and you’ll end up with results that weren’t at all what you were looking for.

Sue Heddle Homes Provides the Real Estate Information You Need

As a trusted Oakville realtor with more than a decade of experience, Sue Heddle Homes can help you wade through all the information that’s out there about the current real estate market in Oakville, Burlington and Milton. 

When it comes to real estate, you want to make sure you get the most accurate information possible, based on the most up-to-date data that pertains to the Halton region. Not only can Sue Heddle Homes provide that, but we will also share our key insights that will make the available information relevant to you and your situation. For example, we’d be happy to tell you approximately how much your home would likely sell for today. 

Unfortunately, too many sellers don’t seek out the right information and end up listing their home for the wrong price. Just because you have a sale price you want to get for your home, doesn’t mean that’s what prospective buyers will pay!

Even if you’ve done many updates, it doesn’t mean that prospective buyers think they’re worth paying for. Additionally, your upgrades won’t be to everyone’s taste. We’ll help you look at similar neighbourhood comparable sales and with the right information, arrive at a sale price that will attract buyers and get you the best selling price possible for your home.

Find The Best Oakville Realtor Near Me

The start of every new year typically gets people thinking about goals and plans for the upcoming 12 months. While there are many areas you can focus your efforts, don’t forget that you can apply these same ideas to your home! 

Whether you’ve just moved into a new home in Oakville or have been living in the same place for decades, make this the year you dedicate some time to making your home the best it can be. 

How To Help Your Home This New Year 

When talking about home improvements, most assume it means renovations or perhaps a home décorupgrade. While those may be part of your plans, there are many other ways to improve the safe and functionality of your home without any major overhaul plans. In fact, investing time and effort into the ideas listed below will keep your home in good condition and help you retain your home’s value.

Take a look at a few ways to improve your home in 2022:

1 - Pay attention to your home’s exterior.

If you’ve set aside money to invest in your home, it should first be spent on your home’s exterior. If you have problems with the roof, the foundation, windows and doors or the insulation, it will only be a matter of time before those issues start to cause major problems. Take a proactive approach and address concerns as soon as they are known.

2 - Clear out clutter.

From boxes that haven’t been unpacked in years to items no one uses anymore, clutter takes up space that could otherwise be used for a better purpose.  Clutter makes it harder to create a relaxing home environment, and also makes it harder to see potential issues in your home, particularly in basements or garages. Make a strategy and then make this the year you tackle all the unwanted and unneeded things in your home.

3 - Go green

Think about what you can do in your home to reduce your carbon footprint. Are you consistent about turning off lights when you leave the room or keeping your heating and cooling systems at reasonable temperatures? This year, make it a priority to switch out your lights for LED bulbs, learn more about low-flow plumbing options and using solar power. 

Trust Sue Heddle Homes to Help You Find the Home You Want 

If you’ve recently realized that the time has come to move and find a new home, Sue Heddle Homes can help. With more than a decade of experience helping clients successfully buy and sell homes in Oakville and the Halton area, you can trust Sue to deliver on your expectations. With free home staging and an award-winning marketing strategy, our clients are able to maximize their real estate transactions. Backed by HGTV’s Scott McGillivray, you won’t find a better Oakville realtor than Sue Heddle! Call 416-906-7998 and let’s get started.

In 2000, the Pantone Colour Institute created the Pantone Colour of the Year as a trendsetting concept. For the very first time, the Pantone Colour of The Year for 2022 has been created especially for the occasion. As this new year begins, the Institute wanted to recognize the significant ways our lives have changed with the pandemic and, as a result, how our collective creativity is expanding to new levels to meet our current reality. 

Prior to 2022, all previous colours were chosen from the existing colours in the Pantone Color System. Without further ado, the brand-new colour and the 2022 Pantone Colour of the Year is Very Peri!

Incorporating the Pantone Colour of The Year

For those looking to buy or sell a home this year, you may notice that this purple hue will start to pop up more and more. While it’s not always helpful to incorporate trends into a home you’re trying to sell, here are some smart ideas that can help your home look fresh and inviting for prospective buyers:

• Add pops of colour to living spaces by adding a vase, a thrown pillow or a blanket in Very Peri.
• Add plants or flowers to spaces that have the same hues as the Pantone Colour of the Year.
• Go bold and paint an accent wall in Veri Peri.

For those looking to renovate our update your home in 2022, blending in this new hue with peaceful neutral colours can be a great way to help you create a home that feels both relaxing and welcoming.

Since the colour is designed to bring out joy and creativity, there may be an even bigger uptake when it comes to embracing this new colour trend as we make our way through 2022. You can even count on seeing this colour more and more in marketing and branding materials for products and services across all industries.

Create the Space Your Love in 2022 

It’s so important to create a space where you and your family can thrive. If you think it might be time to find your next home, contact Sue Heddle Homes. With over a decade of experience helping people find the right home for their needs, you can count on the Sue Heddle Homes team to provide the exceptional service you’re looking for. With free home staging for all listing clients and award-winning strategies that consistently get results, it’s time to let us help you find a space you love in 2022. 

While the real estate market in Oakville and across Canada can experience many changes on a typical year, a full year of living in the COVID pandemic meant that there were even more ups and downs to handle!

The Sue Heddle Homes team had another positive year and it was our pleasure to help so many clients with their real estate needs in 2021. Despite uncertainty, price increases, limited supply and COVID restrictions, we were still able to provide top level service and help buyers and sellers navigate real estate during a pandemic.

In addition to working with our clients, we also provide helpful and insightful real estate content on our website blog. It’s always interesting to look back and see which posts resonated with people the most, so without further ado, take a look at our most popular blog posts from 2021.

1. Sue Heddle earns Scott McGillivray Trusted Agent endorsement for Oakville

2. Interior Design Trends Going Away in 2021

3. Top House Hunting Mistakes

4. Sue Heddle Contributes to CBC News Article on Current Rental Market

5. What Features Do First Time Home Buyers Look for in a Home?

6. Wondering How You Can Help Your Child When It Comes to Buying a Home?

7. 3 Things to Ignore When Buying a Home

8. 5 Signs It’s Time to Move to A Bigger House

9. What You Need to Know About the Proposed Changes to The Mortgage Stress Test

10. What You Should Know About the Real Estate Market in 2021

As we head into 2022, we know that there will still be plenty of unknowns thrown our way. Regardless of what the market may do next year, you can count on Sue Heddle Homes to help you navigate through in all with expert knowledge and professionalism. Thinking about buying or selling in 2022? Now’s the time to get organized! Give us a call at 416-906-7998 and let’s talk about how we can help.