This Blog was initially planned to be called "Halton Talk"; however, the name as of today changes to "The Halton Blog".  The reason is simple.  When I went to register the name today, I discovered much to my displeasure that my "Halton Talk" name has been registered and no longer available to use. 

While name is important...content is really what matters.  It is said  "The name's the thing"...well now the name is just what it is..."The Halton Blog".  I am sitting in my office in Halton...by way of Television, the Internet, News Programs, Magazines, my Blackberry, the Phone and more...I am privy to information overload.

When attempting to pick topics for My Blog I am making an effort to give you something different.  I would like to be informative...learning something new everyday adds excitement to life. 

I would like to be humorous...I know that growing up with humour allowed me to develop into an adult that can see the sides of life as they are.  We have sadness and grief to contend with, pressure to work under, joy to find pleasure in but there are times when humour just gets you through.

I would like to offer opinions.  There may be times when we disagree but that's what makes life worthwhile. It would be a very boring world if we all thought and felt the same.  I don't think I will be controversial but there may be times when we see situations differently.  If and when that happens, please don't be afraid to e-mail me and offer your opinion.  It might even get published in a follow up Blog.

While my livlihood is centered around Real Estate and The Mortgage Industry, My Blog will not focus on these areas.  In order to give you a reason to visit often I need to make this Blog diverse.  That is what I plan to do.  I will offer information on what's happening locally here in Halton, in the GTA, in the Province, the Country, the World. 

There will be Blogs on What's Happening in the world environmentally and politically, in Entertainment, in the world of Science & Medicine (Healthcare), in Sports, in Technology...I quess what I am trying to say here is that I will Blog on anything and everything that I think may be of interest to you.

"Where Unfomation Is Key!"...is the motto of "The Halton Blog". My promise to you is to educate, entertain and occassionally give you something to think about or laugh about.  I would be most receptive to receiving e-mails from you, if from time to time, you have topics you would like me to address.

Thanks for dropping by and I do hope you come again...Deborah

July 1^{st, 2010} marked the beginning of the HST – so for those of you who aren’t sure what is the impact on Real Estate, I thought I would shed some light on the issue. 

This is what the HST means for Real Estate:

If you are purchasing a new home there is a rebate in place that will ensure that Buyers of homes up to $400,000 will, on average, pay no more tax than they would have had they purchased their new home prior to the inception of the HST on July 1st, 2010.   If you are purchasing a resale home you are in luck.  Resale homes were not subject to GST and are not subject to HST going forward.

If you are selling your home, Real Estate commissions were subject to GST prior to July 1^st so they will be subject to HST from now on.  This means a change from 5% GST to 13% HST on Real Estate commissions which translates to an additional $1600 on the sale of a $400,000 home.

Whether you are buying or selling, you will likely have moving costs, legal fees and possibly a home inspection to pay for.  All of these services will now be subject to HST @ 13%, so plan for extra costs.

 If you currently live in a condo, the tax on your condo fees will not change.  If you currently rent, the amount you pay will not change as a result of the HST, but you really should talk to me about buying!

 That’s the impact on Real Estate in a nutshell.

Good Day & WELCOME to the premier edition of my Blog, "Halton Talk"...where information is key!  I will endevour to offer you Blogs that are current & topical.  If at any time you have a suggestion for a Blog topic that you feel is relevant, please feel free to contact me with your suggestion.  This Blog is for you.

It has been said that there are only two things in life that we can be sure of...Death & Taxes. Well on July 1st, 2010 we experienced a new tax, the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). This tax should not have had an effect on a great many of the things we purchase, as it really is the PST in sheep's clothing,so to speak and we currently pay that tax. It did; however, add an additional 8% tax to a great number of services and some products that were not affected by the PST. How this will impact our lives and our finances remains to be seen. Having talked to a number of my clients I have found that the over-riding majority do feel that the HST has had already made an impact on their lives and on their personal disposable income. Those on fixed incomes, which in reality is most everyone will in one way or another, feel the pinch.