Protecting your outdoor faucets from freezing temperatures is essential to avoid costly damage. Frozen pipes can burst and lead to leaks inside your walls or foundation. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to winterize your outside faucets and keep your home safe:

1. Disconnect Garden Hoses

Remove all hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can trap water in the pipe, increasing the risk of freezing and bursting. Empty the water out of the hoses and store them away for the winter.

2. Turn Off the Water Supply

Find the shut-off valve(s) inside your home that controls the exterior faucets and turn them off. This is normally in the furnace/mechanical room.

3. Drain Remaining Water

Go back outside and open the outdoor faucets to drain any water left in the pipe. Leave the exterior faucets open throughout the winter so any residual water can expand without causing damage.

4. Bleed Water Back Out Of The System

Go back to the water shut-off valve(s) and locate the bleeder cap. Open the bleeder cap and have a bucket handy ready to catch the water as you drain the outside faucet water line (to make it a little less messy you can also use a cloth or small towel beneath the bleeder cap and put the end into the bucket, so the water soaks through it into the bucket). Once the water has finished draining simply tighten up the bleeder cap(s). Your system is now winterized.

By taking these simple steps now, you’ll protect your home from water damage and expensive repairs down the road.

Please don't hesitate to reach us to us if you have any questions.

Sending warm wishes to you and your family on Canada Day. From our family, to yours. The Julie Parry Real Estate Team - RE/MAX First.

Understanding the Impact of Co-Signing a Loan on Your Credit.

If a friend or family member asks you to co-sign a loan, we completely understand you would want to help them out, but it’s important to understand the implications this can have on your own financial health, especially your credit score. Co-signing a loan is not just a signature; it's a commitment that makes you equally responsible for the repayment of the loan. Here’s what you need to know:

You’re Responsible For The Loan.

As a co-signer, you agree to take on the responsibility of the loan along with the primary borrower. If the borrower fails to make payments, you will be expected to step in and make them. This can affect not only your finances but also your credit score.

Your credit score could be affected in multiple ways. Initially, when the loan is approved, there might be a slight dip in your credit score due to the hard inquiry from lenders. Furthermore, the loan will increase your debt-to-income ratio, which is a critical factor in credit scoring. If the primary borrower misses a payment or defaults, your credit report will reflect these delinquencies, since the loan appears on your credit report as well.

By co-signing a loan, you’re using up part of your credit capacity, making it potentially more difficult to obtain personal credit for other uses. The length of the loan also matters. For long-term commitments like mortgage loans, remember that you’re tied to this financial responsibility for the duration, potentially limiting your financial moves.

Co-signing a loan should not be taken lightly. It entails significant financial risk and can impact your financial standing and credit score substantially. It’s crucial to ensure that the primary borrower is reliable and to have a solid agreement in place about who will cover the loan payments. Always consider seeking advice from a financial advisor to understand all possible outcomes before you commit.

Thank you so very much for everyone who took the time to vote for me, it is very much appreciated. This award is so important to us because it is voted for by you.

Congratulations to all the other recipients.

Saxon has just graduated from puppy training school. He looks so cute in his cap!

Merry Christmas & A Happy, Successful New Year.

Best Wishes, Julie, Eddie & Sue.

I would like to start off by assuring all our clients that we are professional and work extremely hard in the office. A stress ball in the shape of an orange appeared in the office recently (probably a freebee from one of the real estate conferences we have attended) and a couple times Julie and I have tried to hit each other with the stress ball (all in fun). Sue (our assistant) has even been caught in the crossfire lol! Well imagine my surprise this morning when Sue gave us both gifts, and they were Nerf guns. As you can see Julie's is like a sawn off shotgun and mine in like a pea shooter....How is this fair