I contacted all three and will be using Mike Leclerc. He told me his minimum quote is $1700. Mine will be the minimum (plus cost of permit). QUOTE (LukasWywrot @ Aug 21 2010, 03:40 PM) The City of Hamilton also has a Lead Pipe Service Program in place. They will finance up to $2000 of the bill...

Thanks, much appreciated!

The city has checked the water intake pipe at my rental property and found it to be lead. I`d like to replace it as soon as possible (then the city will replace their portion). Does anyone have recommendations on who I should hire? Or any experiences/advice? Thanks!

This is all great info and very helpful. Interesting that there are conflicting opinions on rent increases, yet both sides make a lot of sense. Thank you very much for your insights and advice.

QUOTE (EdRenkema @ Jan 14 2010, 12:19 PM) What about paying their own way? It is a certain way to motivate them to work hard at it, thats what I did, I manged to get myself off academic probation in one semester and actually received honours later on. I`m not saying there is only one way what...

QUOTE (NiagaraInvestor @ Jan 16 2010, 10:09 AM) Oh I forgot, if you buy the place, get an eco energy audit before you replace the boiler. I`m pretty sure you can get up to $1500 back for the prov and fed govt`s for energy saving retrofits like these but you need to get the test done then after...

Thanks for the additional info. And congratulations, Ed!

Interesting. Thanks for responding, all.

I expect my tenants will want to stay after their lease expires in June. Never having renewed a lease, given tenants` deposit interest, or raised the rent, I have a ton of questions. Thanks in advance for your help, it`s really appreciated. (This is Ontario, BTW.) Re: Increasing the...

Thanks Carla. Hilarious! Note to self: Beware of mirrors while taking property photos.

I got an email from a RE agent that starts: "We have just listed two properties that are being readied for sale under the Multiple Listing Service banner. You will find details on www.morethanahome.ca (featured properties). The Sellers would be happy to consider offers before we take it to the...

QUOTE (NiagaraInvestor @ Jan 13 2010, 08:50 AM) The issue here is that often home owners are forced to get the asbestos removed when the boiler konks out and gets red tagged because it`s so old and more difficult to service. Although they are ineficient and should be replaced, the fact that...

Good to hear that people like radiant (hot water) heating systems. I`m not considering putting in ductwork, just changing the boiler. I`m glad to know that sounds doable, though perhaps expensive. Thanks for the heads-up re: asbestos. One more reason to change the boiler. I`m not keen on oil...

I`m considering purchasing a house in Ontario that has a 3-year-young oil tank (in the basement, not buried or outdoors), an old boiler, and radiant baseboards (like radiators, not electric). There are no ducts, so switching to forced air natural gas isn`t feasible. But I see online that there...

I don`t. (I only have one rental property.) In Ontario, LTB says this about receipts:Does a landlord have to give rent receipts? Yes, if a tenant asks for them. The Act requires a landlord to provide rent receipts, free of charge, to a tenant when the tenant asks for them. A tenant can ask for...

QUOTE (AndyLuchies @ Nov 4 2009, 07:28 AM) 1. If you mortgage it you`ll get a better interest rate. [etc...] Thanks very much for the great info!

QUOTE (asifghayoor @ Oct 28 2009, 04:22 PM) just wondering what rent your getting for your "normal" houses, are they 3 bedroom type houses? we are getting 1250 + all utils for our townhouse up on the mountain but i have no feel for the lower part of the hammer. thanks Asif Ghayoor P.Eng...

QUOTE (RedlineBrett @ Oct 26 2009, 04:29 PM) Depends on the term but usually the initial deposit is cashed right away and then becomes `non refundable` once conditions are waived. The initial deposit is then refunded to you when you choose not to waive a condition under the appropriate...

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice regarding a recent conditional offer, including buying using LOC. I had the inspection on the weekend and have decided not to proceed with the purchase. I contacted the agent and he said he will fax through paperwork to sign to say that the offer is not...

QUOTE (NiagaraInvestor @ Oct 26 2009, 03:52 PM) Same story here. We had on of those "everything is great" home inspectors too. On my second property an expensive but very good one.. Anyways how did the inspection go? Lots of significant problems, including foundation issues and wood rot...