Start by discussing with your Realtor about what you would like, a house, or an apartment, in which area of the city, and about which locational factors, amenitities and type of neighbourhood you most desire.  Do you like to be in the center of downtown, or in a quiet street close to an excellent school for your science-minded 14 year old?  Be sure to ask your Realtor about the local schools if that is of interest to you - I have reports on all the schools in the GTA I'll be happy to send you.  Once you've seen a few places, you will be ready to decide.  Why not start your search now with the map on my website, by clicking here.  Remember to use the icons at the bottom of the map to display the locations of features of interest to you, such as schools, and shopping centers.

When you find the place you want, your Realtor will work with you to "present your offer".  This will consist of a couple of forms to complete, including the Offer to Lease,  and a Rental Application.   Why not take a couple of minutes now to view these "plain language" versions of these forms via the hyperlinks.  It is in the Offer to Lease that we will put in any special terms you would like, such as asking the landlord to repaint the place.   This is the document you must understand since this will be where we present your interests.  Now, the great part is that when you are ready to move up to buying a home, you will already have seen all the paperwork!  I will ensure that yo

In additional, you might be asked for a credit report.  You can get this from http://www.transunion.ca/.  There is a form that you complete - it takes 15 minutes and costs $15.  Everyone should be checking their own credit a couple of times a year away to ensure that no bank errors, or worse yet - identity theft type activities, have been damaging your good name. 

Many people ask about how the utilities work.  There are 2 ways it can be done: 

The unit you are renting can be separately metered, for gas (heating), and electricity.  There is also water and sewage charges but these are generally too low to pay attention too ($60 or so).

The other way is that there is only one set of meters for the house, then you'd split the utilities with the other tenant.

In terms of utilities, it would be:  Hydro, Gas (heating), and Water.  Hydro and gas charges vary according to usage.  You can call Toronto Hydro and Enbridge gas and ask them about typical usage rates for that area, to get a sense of it.

There are also the optional utilities, such as cable TV, phone and Internet.  Many people just use their cell phone and don't bother with a home landline.  Also, increasingly people are watching TV on the Internet on not getting cable.

You can look a Yak.ca or other low price providers of cable, phone and Internet to keep your costs down.

 5 Ways to improve your credit score

Now that you are renting, and later when you are looking to buy a home, having a good credit score can save you over $200,000 in real money over the course of your lifetime.  It is often the deciding factor when leasing a place to live, and in determining what your mortgage interest rate, and therefore affordability, will be.  Now, many of the renters I deal with, particularly younger people just getting started, shy away from the whole credit score thing and view it with fear.  But as the old saying goes, "Energy Flows Where Attention Goes".  Just deciding that you really want to gave a great credit score is the first step in making it happen.  You don't need to go it alone.  http://www.Transunion.ca is a great bunch of people, and they'll give you all the advice you need to turn not-great credit into a great credit score.  Don't you really want to put your kids in the home they will want to grow up in?  So, what are you waiting on, let's get started!

Many consumers aren't knowledgeable about their credit scores-or what impacts them. More importantly, they may not be aware of the many things they can do to improve their scores. Here are some tips that could help boost your score.

• Get a copy of your credit report. Review it carefully to ensure that it's correct. If you find an error, contact the creditor to have it corrected. You can request a free copy of your report at http://www.equifax.ca/ or http://www.transunion.ca/
• Pay your bills on time. This is probably one of the most important-and simple-things you can do to improve your credit score. Just pay your bills by their due date. Consider setting up automatic payments from your bank account to help you pay on time.
• Pay down your credit cards. Paying off your credit cards or loans will help increase your score, but so will paying down your balances. Try to keep your balances below 30 percent of your credit limit.
• Avoid closing unused credit cards. The older your credit history, the better. So keep your older cards, and use them periodically to keep the account active. Just be sure to pay your bill on time.
• Check your credit limits. If your lender has reported a lower credit limit than you actually have, your score will be depressed. Once the information is corrected, your score should improve.

For more tips on improving your credit, or to meet with Bryn Jones, Heritage Group's Mortgage Broker, call or email me today.

Contact me today for a Checklist of what you need to take care of, before, during and after your move.

Peter Sigurdson is a Realtor with Century 21 Heritage Group.  With five offices throughout the GTA, Peter will help you in renting your first house or condo, buying an investment property to complement your retirement planning, or selling and downsizing now that the kids are all grown up.  I will work with you as your assistant buyer to find the perfect place to call home, and in providing any additional information or services to make that happen.  Whether you are a new grad or a younger person getting their first place, or someone looking to buy an investment property, Peter will spend the time with you to provide all the information you need to be completely comfortable.