Most people don’t know that if you buy a home that contains a rental unit, the income from that unit can help you to qualify to get a mortgage. For example, if you were to buy a home with a basement suite, you can rent out the basement. For maximum income, you could even live in the basement suite yourself and rent out the upper portion of the house.

In order to cut costs, even more, you could look into doing renovations to the rental yourself, which is, of course, more work but it could save you lots of money in the end. Rental spaces are definitely worth exploring! You can always run the numbers on purchasing certain properties with rental spaces in them to determine the best possible outcome for you. Worried about irritating and irrational tenants? Or dealing with the regulations that come with renting out a portion of your home? Concerns such as these can be dealt with by screening tenants during application processes. Make sure to check out the Government Canada website for regulations that need to be followed.

# 2 Go in With a Partner (or a few)

A huge way to cut costs would be to split everything between you and another or a few people! Let’s be honest, these days it’s becoming common for couples to find themselves living with other couples! To make this happen, you must first choose a worthy partner. Whether it be a few siblings sharing a house, a couple friends splitting a condo well you get the idea! You may be able to split the bills, monthly payments and the havoc of a down payment with one or more people! A few things need to be in place in order for this process to work! Like well-chosen partners, a draft of a co-ownership agreement drawn up by a lawyer that spells out all of the rules, and a system for communication between partners to make sure that everything moves smoothly. Communication between housemates is key, especially in preventing miscommunications and conflicts.

Another alternative in order to lessen your stress is to consider co-ownership opportunities. These allow you to buy shares of a company that owns the property, or to buy a small ownership percentage of the property. By doing this, it grants you specific rights to a unit itself. 

# 3 Consider Using Your RRSP

As a first time homeowner, you have written proof that you plan to build or buy a new home and you have money in your RRSP. As a Trusted Saskatoon realtor, Clark Dziadyk can help you with all of your pre-ownership needs! You may be able to use the RRSP Home Buyer’s Plan to get your hands on a tax-free down payment. However, if you are helping a relative with a disability through this process, you also qualify! The Home Buyer’s Plan allows each spouse to withdraw $25,000 to purchase a house. The only downfall is that you need to pay the money back to your RSSP in annual payments within 15 years. Any amount unpaid within that timeframe will be subject to income tax.

Tax-free money homeownership looks pretty good, doesn’t it? Or at least being able to start off your homeownership using tax-free money is. Depending on your individual tax bracket, it could be like having almost twice as much money at your disposal. You just cannot forget about those annual repayments in your new budget. 

#4 Make MORE Money

Home prices seem to be increasing but that doesn’t always mean that your income is. An obvious solution is to make more money; however, this is easier said than done. Here are some approaches that can be taken:

The quickest approach is to ask for a raise at work. This can be a lot to ask, but it doesn’t always have to be. Communicating to your boss that you’re looking to settle down and buy a home (first time, second, upgrade, etc.) and what income level you’re striving for in order to make it happen, you could persuade them into giving you the raise you are looking for! In the end, asking for a raise is like a sales pitch. You are selling yourself by describing the situation, your goals, how to leverage your strengths, and ultimately asking for the raise itself. Whether you believe it or not, employers are people! Generally, people like to be as helpful as they can towards others. Sharing personal stories always have a measure of relatability to them, and more often than not they work better than pure logic.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to open yourself up to new opportunities, there is no harm in looking into another job. Shop yourself around and see if you are truly earning what you should be in your career marketplace. You will surprise yourself and may open new doors to new job opportunities in your field. Increase your network and speak to recruiters, you may find the job that you’ve been looking for that increases your income!

# 5 Relax

Let’s be honest, you’re not getting any younger. You want to be a homeowner! The whole process can be very stressful for a person. In order to relieve stress, you should consider using a Trusted Saskatoon Realtor such as Clark Dziadyk!

You need to make sure you’re ready before you become a homeowner! The right house will come along, it always does! Clark can make sure that you find your dream home! We live in a real-estate obsessed culture, but the relationships you build with family and friends will be the real key to your happiness in the long run. 

Set goals for the next few years of where you want to get to and take it one goal at a time. Write out your plan for home ownership and hold yourself accountable to it! Meanwhile, take a deep breath, relax, sign up for a yoga class and don’t rush things. You will be a homeowner one day! Believe it!

This article was adapted from Zoocasa.

CLARK DZIADYK, The Associates of Ron Baliski Realty Inc. Coldwell Banker and he is 

a Trusted Saskatoon Realtor. You can find him at 1322 8th Street East Saskatoon! View his Facebook page here!

When asked about how they usually clean their drains, a lot of homeowners today answer by reaching for the chemically engineered liquid cleaners they keep under the sink.  Of course, they provide an instant and easy solution to drain cleaning. However, expert plumbers have long avoided this type of cleaning product. Would you like to find out why? Listen to what the Trusted Saskatoon plumbers have to say about it below.

They Are Toxic

What the RHR Numbers Should Say

According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate for adults is between 60-100 beats per minute. Well-trained athletes tend to fall somewhere between 40-60 beats per minute. Regardless of what your RHR is, that first baseline measurement will be an important number by which you’ll be able to spot trends over time. 

This is why it is important to regularly check your RHR.

1. If, for example, you notice that your RHR is rising, it could be an early warning sign of a heart problem. Much research has been devoted to demonstrating the link between elevated heart rate and the development of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and other cardiovascular diseases.

2. Alternatively, you can also experience a reduction in your RHR as a result of increased fitness, meaning your heart is working more efficiently. These numbers can be especially motivating as you progress through a workout program or training regimen. When you notice your RHR slowly declining over weeks and months, it’s an indication you’re getting fitter. ( THATS ME!!) 

Methods for Lowering Resting Heart Rate

There’s a reason they call them “cardio” workouts. As previously noted, exercise is perhaps your best bet when it comes to decreasing your resting heart rate and boosting heart health. Going hand-in-hand with that is good nutrition and achieving a healthy weight. Hydration also plays a role in keeping your heart healthy. To be sure, good hydration means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. This thereby increases the overall efficiency of your cardiovascular system.

Another factor that can increase your risk of heart issues is a poor sleep over a prolonged period of time. When you get the right amount of high-quality sleep, blood pressure and heart rate drop overnight, giving your heart a break.  What’s more, not enough sleep has also been connected to weight gain which is yet another factor that can affect resting heart rate and heart health.

Want to see where you rank for your age? 

Based on the extensive research of The K. G. Jebsen Center of Exercise in Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, you can easily estimate your fitness level by answering a few questions. Simply click on this link to find out. www.worldfitnesslevel.org 

Selling your home?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, it sounds like you need the help of MARLA JANZEN!

Marla not only has the experience needed to sell a home in the current market, but she is also committed to providing superior customer service. Choose to work with Marla to sell your home and see what it’s like to have a stress-free selling experience.

Marla’s Selling Process Includes:

• When potential buyers look to obtain financing, the appraised value of your home is taken into consideration by their lender. A Trusted Saskatoon Realtor like Marla has access to the same database as appraisers to determine your property value so she can price your home right from the beginning. 
• Marla factors in information on similar properties in your area, homes with the same square footage, and other comparisons to value your home.

• First impressions matter and Marla wants potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home, making it their own.
• Marla works with a professional photographer to get the best quality pictures of your home

• She will do a run through of your home room by room to get it 'sale ready' by providing that expert opinion and design eye and give tips and tricks for reducing clutter, moving furniture around, etc.
• Marla also works with a professional home staging company who she will happily recommend to you if you want to do a full stage of your home to sell it! 

• Marla creates and manages the listing of your home on mls.ca which reaches a large pool of potential buyers.
• Marla is part of Trusted Saskatoon, a local directory of trusted businesses and was their first real estate partner who came on board when the directory launched in 2011.

• In every contact, Marla works hard to ensure you're completely satisfied. She handles the coordination of viewings that work for you, open houses that make sense, all with the goal of finding the right buyer for your home. 

• As part of Trusted Saskatoon, Marla is contractually obligated to uphold the Trusted Guarantees, and that includes committing to providing excellent customer service. 

“Marla continues to be a superstar. This is the third home that she has helped us purchase and always goes over and beyond any expectations we have. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would want to use any other realtor in Saskatoon and area to help them buy or sell their largest investment! Thank you, Marla Janzen. You rock our world! Marla continues to work past possession to help ensure every detail of the contract is adhered to. Top notch quality and effort. What would we do without Marla!” The Dale's

To read more testimonials about Marla Janzen, view her listing HERE! 

Find Marla Janzen Online at www.marlajanzen.com   she is a Century 21 Fusion Realtor and Marla Janzen is TRUSTED SASKATOON REAL ESTATE EXPERT.

Are you hunting for the perfect home?

Do you find it hard to keep up with the new properties on the market?

New to the city and don't know what area to buy in?

If you answered YES to any of these questions - you need to call Marla Janzen AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

• Finds and researches all properties that you're looking for that meet your criteria - even the ones she isn't the selling agent for.
• Arranges viewing appointments with sellers and their agents that work around your schedule.
• Negotiates offers on your behalf.
• Provides you with trusted and reliable recommendations for other services needed during purchase like a lawyer and mortgage broker.