WATERLOO REGION — The Region of Waterloo will spend $19.5 million on renovations and maintenance to the Waterloo County Courthouse.

City of Waterloo is considering controls on mobile signs like these, pictured in 2009 along Hespeler Road in Cambridge.  At that time, Cambridge wrestled with new rules for mobile signs like Waterloo is now.

“I will make your house stand out,” your Realtor says as he/she sits with you at  your kitchen table going over the paperwork to put your house up for sale.

Your Realtor lets you know that she will use every possible means, both  modern and traditional, to put your home in front of as many potential buyers as  possible. The more potential buyers who see your home, the quicker it will  sell.

That is the good news. All these steps will help sell your home as quickly as  possible.

The bad news is that this aggressive marketing and advertising of your home  might bring your home and family to the attention of individuals who may wish to  do you harm. Now, don’t panic. We all know there are bad and just plain evil  people in our world who commit crimes against other members of our society.  While we all continue about our daily lives as usual, we take common sense steps  every day to keep our families and homes safe and secure.

Your Realtor will give you some common sense tips and instructions to help  ensure you and your family stay safe while your home is on the market. These  include:

Be sure you know who you let into your home: Your Realtor or her office will  contact you in advance to set up appointments for Realtors to show your home to  their clients. The Realtor showing your home will give you his business card  when you greet him at the door. This allows you to confirm that he is the  Realtor who scheduled the appointment.

If you have not received advance notice, or if a Realtor does not provide you  with identification, do not let him into your home. If anyone shows up at your  door wanting to see your home without a Realtor, do not let him enter. Simply  refer him to the phone number on your yard sign to get information and to set up  an appointment to see your house.

Your Realtor usually will suggest that you try not to be at home when your  house is shown. Generally, a potential buyer will be more comfortable and spend  more time looking at your home if you are not there. If anything seems wrong  when you return to your home, such as the door being unlocked, do not go into  your home. Contact your Realtor to see when the last showing occurred, or if he  has any answers. If you are still concerned, you will want to contact local  police and have them inspect your home for you.

In today’s world, many older children and teenagers are home alone during the  day, particularly this time of year. It is very important that you tell them to  take the same precautions if someone comes to look at your house while they are  home alone. All of us, and particularly young people, can be swayed by a good  story. Remember, con artists and others seeking to do harm or steal are often  very convincing. Be sure you and your children do not fall for their  deceptions.

Take care of your valuables and your identity: I have walked into homes I was  showing and found jewelry boxes open in the bedroom with expensive items in  plain sight. This is just asking for trouble. When your home is on the market,  be sure to, at the very least, put all your valuables away. If possible, it is a  good idea to put expensive jewelry that you don’t wear frequently, or other  valuables like coin collections, in a locked cabinet or even a safety deposit  box.

If you are like me, yesterday’s mail probably is sitting on the kitchen table  or the counter. You may have even left your bank statement or credit card bill  open on the kitchen counter after you opened it. With just a mobile phone,  someone could take a picture of your statement or bill that you left on the  counter and have your account numbers.

De-personalize your home: All of us have photos of family and loved ones in  our home. These pictures can provide too much information to someone viewing  your home, such as your child’s name, school, etc. Also, lots of photos of your  family make it harder for potential buyers to picture their family in your home.  While I am not suggesting you leave empty nails on your walls where pictures  used to be, it is a good idea to remove pictures from end tables, dressers,  etc.

If you are home when your home is shown, it is best to stay out of the way of  the Realtor and her client. If you are asked questions, keep your information to  facts about your home and the neighborhood. Information about your family and  your children is none of their business. A professional, business conversation  is always the best and safest course.

Your Realtor is your guide to a safe, trouble-free home-selling experience.  By following a few simple, common sense precautions, you can make sure your  family is safe and secure as you get ready to move to your next home.

Date: Sunday, June 10, 2012

Location: Waterloo Public Square

(75 King Street South, Waterloo, Ontario)

Every year thousands of Canadians across the country take part in a Walk. Get involved by creating or joining a team, registering as a participant, sponsoring a participant, or by joining us as a volunteer.

Walk with us in Kitchener-Waterloo and take a significant and positive step towards ending global poverty in the developing world.

Schedule

More and more often, couples are turning to backyard weddings as a romantic and intimate way to tie the knot, but it’s the type of in-house celebration that takes some foresight. When it comes to budget, the cost of a backyard wedding can be a shocker. The total tally can be as much or more than the average wedding, which nowadays hovers around $25,000+. Whatever your budget, the idea is to host a soiree you and your guests will enjoy. So before you exchange those vows near your childhood swing set, read the following tips.

Home Improvement

The first thing to consider is whether your home is suited for the wedding, says wedding planner Donna Stasko of R.S.V.P. Party Planners, based in Mississauga, Ontario. That means you must determine early on how many people you’ll invite, as well as suss out the layout of your home and garden. Is your backyard level or is sloping? Is your backyard big enough to comfortably seat your guests for dinner, or will you have to adjust your plans to a cocktail affair? “You’ve got to know your numbers. That will dictate what we can and cannot do,” says Stasko.

Cost Conscious

It’s the golden rule: “Anything can be done if you want to pay the money,” says Stasko. Decide what fits best within your budget, and in your home. Will it be a full dinner or finger foods affair? A casual or a fancy barbeque? Luncheons or afternoon tea parties are popular too, and will certainly bring the price down. You’ll save on liquor and venue prices, but if you envision an elegant, fairy tale wedding it could be very pricey. “It can turn out to be just as much as a banquet facility,” says Stasko. Tents are a must for any outdoor affair, she adds. If you have to cut costs, keep the tent, and cut elsewhere.

Parking Problems

Don’t make your guests walk miles to get to the ceremony. Consider parking issues. Depending on the number of guests, scout your neighbourhood to determine whether there are enough parking spots outside, or near the house. “It depends on the area,” says Stasko. “If it’s normal residential then people can park on the street. We can set up a valet service.” If parking becomes an issue talk to your neighbours and find out if you can negotiate using their spots. The same applies for noise, says Stasko. Advise neighbours of your party plans.

Floral Fun

Depending on when you plan to have your backyard wedding, consider what flowers will be blooming in your garden at the time, if any. Flowers are always a beautiful way to embellish the day of, but with a garden at your disposal the possibilities are endless. “I’ve done it a lot of different ways,” Stasko says of co-ordinating floral arrangements. “A lot of people have baskets on each table with different and brilliant colours.” Not everyone wants the décor to be rustic, though. You might consider simple glass vases with classic flowers such as roses and lilacs. “We can colour scheme anything to the garden,” says Stasko.

Let Caterers Cater to You

Depending on the type of party you’re hosting, plan your menu well in advance. Not just what your guests will be eating, but exactly how the food will be cooked, delivered and stored. If you choose to have a caterer, make sure it’s a reputable one. “A good caterer should always do the rentals because they know what they need,” says Stasko. “And they have their own staff!”

Sinking Heels?

Backyard carpets are available but most couples don’t rent them, says Stasko. “They say guests know it’s an outside wedding, so they won’t wear stiletto heels,” she says. However, a lot of couples go for the dance floors, which are easily accessible. It might be a good idea to remind the style mavens on your wedding guest list that it’s a backyard party! But if it’s really swanky then seriously consider renting carpets.

It’s technology that links and controls the electronics and systems in your home – through one easy-to-use interface. At Digital Smart Homes, we believe that life’s better when everything works together. Smart Homes start with a few basic categories: One Touch Home Theatre, Multi-room Music & Video, Smart Lighting & Shades, Advanced Temperature Control, Safety and Security.

Control4 offers a complete line of home-automation products that makes sophisticated home-control solutions practical and affordable for every home. With Control4, everything works better because it works together – home theater, multi-room music, lighting, temperature, safety and security systems – are all controlled by a single platform.

We can install full-featured, practical, and reliable home-automation systems that are easy to use and at a price that fits into your budget. Our scalable designs also mean that it’s not an all-or-nothing choice—you can start with a basic system and upgrade over time with solutions that fit your evolving lifestyle.

Imagine Having a Single Remote That Will:

New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale

Event Details:

Location:
Fairgrounds, 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg, ON

 HOT PROPERTY FOR SALE

16424 Marvin Rd, Charlotte North Carolina
For sale: $5,899,900

For the first time in “The Bachelor/Bachelorette’s” lengthy span on ABC (since 2002), the popular reality show did not debut at the Spanish-style estate “Villa de la Vina” located in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, but rather in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Why the change in venue? Charlotte is the hometown of new Bachelorette, Emily Maynard.

This season’s Bachelorette home is a $5.89 million dollar estate. Not only is it private, set on five acres, but it has all the trimmings for creating romantic reality show moments.

And, as listing agent Nick Peters of Peters and Associates points out, it has a ballroom.

“There are beautiful houses all over,” Peters said, “but this one has an official grand ballroom with a 20-foot-high fireplace made of solid marble. The room also has gold-glazed mahogany trim, silk window treatments and gorgeous lighting.”

An ideal place, if you watch the show, to host the dramatic rose ceremony in which The Bachelorette eliminates potential suitors.

The Bachelorette home is a European-style mansion with stucco and stone exteriors. Boasting 12,000 square feet of living space, the 6-bedroom, 8.5-bath home has plenty of room for filming the show. The home features high-end finishes, and specifically a two-inch thick marble floor that runs from the home’s entrance down its main hallway.

Although the home’s interiors are spectacular, most of the first episode of the show focused on the grounds of the property — from a lawn enough to land a helicopter, to a slate courtyard with benches, intimate gardens, fountain and fire pit. The home also includes a saltwater pool with mosaic-tiled waterfall.

Before ABC snatched the home for filming purposes, the property was listed for $3.9 million. The house was off the market while ABC filmed, but was recently relisted for a higher price.

The higher price can be explained in the publicity that the house will receive over the course of The Bachelorette show.

And it’s not necessarily just the exposure, says Peters.

“You can’t really showcase a house with photos. I’ll bring in a professional photographer, but the way that it shows on TV… it’s breathtaking,” he said. “You can’t get that from a photo shoot.”

According to Zillow’s mortgage calculator, a monthly payment on the Bachelorette home would be $21,424, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year-mortgage.

Look familiar? This mansion was the setting for this season of “The Bachelorette.”