by Allen Ehlert | December 16, 2025 | Home Specifications, Insurance
… Don’t Sleep on It: Updating Your Smoke and CO Detectors the Right Way You know that saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Nowhere does that ring truer than when we’re talking about smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. These small,...
by Allen Ehlert | November 30, 2025 | Commercial, Home Specifications, Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
…Appraisals Uncovered: What You Need to Know About Property Valuation Methods Whether you’re a realtor helping clients close deals faster, or you’re a homeowner trying to wrap your head around why some appraisals cost nothing and others come with a $700 bill attached,...
by Allen Ehlert | November 20, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgages, Real Estate
… But Only If You Follow the Rules Replacing a fence sounds simple enough, right? Two neighbours, a bit of lumber, a weekend, and maybe a cooler of cold drinks. But once you start talking property lines, costs, and local by-laws, things can get a little...
by Allen Ehlert | November 19, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgages, Real Estate
… Drawing the Line: Why You May Need a Land Survey Buying, selling, or upgrading a home is one of those times when small details can make or break the experience. You can renovate kitchens, paint walls, and swap out windows—but none of it matters much if you don’t...
by Allen Ehlert | November 18, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgages, Real Estate
… Lines in the Sand: How to Handle Property Line Disputes Without Losing Your Cool Few things can sour a cup of morning coffee faster than a knock at the door and your neighbour saying, “You’re on my property.” Whether it’s a fence, a shed, or even a few inches of...
by Allen Ehlert | November 13, 2025 | Home Specifications, Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… and why you might not be entitled to see it If you’ve ever gone through a mortgage process and found yourself wondering, “Wait, I paid for that appraisal—why won’t the lender give me a copy?” you’re not alone. This is one of the most common sources of confusion and...
by Allen Ehlert | November 5, 2025 | Home Specifications, Real Estate
…What That White Dust Really Means (And How to Fix It Right)” Have you ever walked into a room that was painted years ago, ran your hand along the wall, and ended up with a chalky white residue on your fingers? It’s one of those home maintenance mysteries that...
by Allen Ehlert | October 29, 2025 | Home Specifications
… The Unsung Art of Soldering for a Watertight Home” When you’re helping a client buy a home—or you’re a homeowner tackling a small plumbing fix—sometimes you get hands-on with the little things that make a big difference. Ever tried soldering a brass fixture onto a...
by Allen Ehlert | September 2, 2025 | Home Specifications, Insurance, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
Let me guess — you bought a home, told the lender you’d be living in it, and now life’s thrown you a curveball. Maybe you’re getting separated.Maybe you’ve been relocated for work.Maybe you just see an opportunity to turn your place into a rental. So...
by Allen Ehlert | August 7, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Real Estate
Let’s say you’ve found the perfect townhome. It’s modern, beautifully landscaped, and sits in a neat little community that shares a private road and maybe even a small playground. Sounds like a freehold dream, right? Well… not so fast. That “freehold” might actually...
by Allen Ehlert | July 23, 2025 | Home Specifications, Lender, Mortgages, Real Estate
One of the most critical and often underestimated components of the mortgage process is the property appraisal. Whether you’re buying a home, refinancing, or leveraging equity for investment, the appraisal determines the property’s market value—and that value...
by Allen Ehlert | July 19, 2025 | Home Specifications, Real Estate
I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous staircases in my time — stairs so steep, so narrow, and so poorly thought out they might as well come with a warning label. These designs don’t just look intimidating — they actively scare away anyone over 45 (who are the buyers with the...
by Allen Ehlert | July 9, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Real Estate
… What you need to know before that lakefront listing hits the market As a realtor, when you’re helping a client buy a cottage or rural property, you already know it’s not your average suburban transaction. The property may be cute as a button, the lake view...
by Allen Ehlert | July 6, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgages, Real Estate
As a licensed mortgage agent who works with a wide variety of homebuyers, investors, and homeowners looking to renovate or expand, I regularly introduce clients to an often misunderstood lending solution: construction financing. Whether you’re looking to build a home...
by Allen Ehlert | June 12, 2025 | Home Specifications, Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
So you’ve found a great-looking unit in a well-kept building at a price that makes your eyebrows shoot up. It’s not a condo — it’s a co-op. And now you’re thinking, “Hey, maybe I’ll rent it out. Get a tenant in there, let them cover the costs, and...
