House & Home

If you're in the market for a new house or simply looking to
renew your existing mortgage, I'm sure you've noticed the "Mortgage War" being waged by most of Canada's big banks. RBC, TD, Scotiabank and BMO have been offering long term, fixed rate mortgages for 2.99 per cent. This is among the lowest fixed rate mortgages you're likely ever to see.

On the one hand, this has been a bit of a strange move from an industry that has expressed worries in the past about mortgage debt in Canada. On the other hand, now might be a terrific opportunity for first-time buyers to get into the market. So, what should you be conscious of if you're thinking about a rock-bottom mortgage rate?

With Mother's Day approaching, I find myself shamelessly
hinting to my husband and kids about what they can treat me to that will show their appreciation for me simply being the Mom of the family. I have to admit, Mother's Day is one of those occasions when I actually do feel like I deserve a bit of pampering or a thoughtful gift for the many sleep deprived nights I've experienced -- not to mention the many diapers I've changed and seemingly endless clean-up tasks I've endured. For anyone looking for gift ideas to appreciate all that Mom has done for you, here is some guidance on what Moms really want. In the under $50 range, you can actually go quite far with your money.

It must be a sign of summer that the top three items listed in this week's product recall are all related to warm temperatures:

Health Canada has issued a recall for Husqvarna Grass and Hedge Trimmers, due to a possible problem with fuel leaking from the fuel lines.

The grass trimmer recalled is model 122C with serial numbers 2011 17 00001 to 2011 52 99999, while the hedge trimmer is model 122HD60 and 122HD45 and serial numbers 2011 17 00001 to 2011 52 99999.

There have been no reports of injury due to this possible problem. Consumers are asked to return their trimmers to Lowe's for a free repair.
For more information, consumers can contact Lowe's.

Clikbrix, an award-winning QR Code and mobile website solution for real estate professionals is changing the way you buy or rent your next home.

Usually, when it comes to looking for a new home, house hunters spend hours poring through one-dimensional data found on the Multiple Listing Service. And, with the vast number of properties and the vast number of agents to help move them, the sea of sameness can create a stressful situation for a potential homebuyer.

In today's time-crunched world, this isn't good enough. The world has gone mobile and consumer expectations have changed.

It's that time of year when no matter how busy we are, we get the
urge to exile every last stale winter dust specimen from our homes. Perhaps it's the extra light we're getting throughout the day that shows up the excess particles floating around. Or could it be with the arrival of spring comes the instinctual urge to renew and refresh? Whatever it is, a thorough clean is something that takes a lot of time, which most of us don't have. I spoke with Molly Maid franchise owner and cleaning expert Amelia Mackie to get some tips on how to be efficient and pick priorities during a spring clean.

1. Set goals and get organized
Being prepared and setting attainable goals are important to keeping your sanity. Make sure you have all the necessary cleaning tools before you start and make sure you have time to finish each task. Organize your work into smaller jobs, like cleaning level by level or room by room.This way, focusing on smaller areas can be less intimidating. Draw yourself a cleaning task map, so to speak, and your journey will be a smooth one.
Helpful tip before you start: Decluttering is probably one of the most important tasks to perform prior to spring cleaning -- it's the only way to clean efficiently and effectively.

When you're shopping at the dollar store, it's tempting to pick up more than you need simply because the prices are so good. However, just like any other store, many of the cleaning supplies they sell can be safely left on the shelf. Trust me, your home's cleanliness won't suffer and, more importantly, neither will your wallet.

Here's how to shop for spring cleaning supplies at the dollar store.

Marc Springer used to sell Harley Davidson motorcycles, but then the economy took a dive and people didn't buy as many man toys as they used to. Springer's income was dwindling rapidly, so it was time for him to move on -- now what?

"I was a teamster truck driver back in my early 20s and I always had this burning desire to drive the big trucks. It was something I always wanted to do and it just never happened. So, when I began to strike out on my own I thought, 'Well, I've got zero income and zero working capital, how do I start a company?"

His wife reminded him that he had a leaf blower sitting in the garage and suggested he go clear the lawns in the neighbourhood. But Springer thinks big, so he began extrapolating how many employees he'd need to do all the surrounding neighbourhoods and quickly realized he'd need a trailer. But when he went on Craigslist looking for a trailer, he found a 1999 frieghtliner truck with a 20 foot flat-bed.

"They wanted $20,000 for the [trailer] and I thought, 'You know, I think I'm just going to buy a truck.'"

He booked a load the day he bought the truck and was just going to use his contacts in the scrap metal business to haul scrap metal in Seattle and the surrounding area, until he hit the internet and found a veritable trucker's Shangri-La.

"I was looking to fill the truck with scrap and I was doing pretty well at that, making decent money and one day, I was on the computer wondering, 'How do you find loads? There's got to be a better way to do this. How do these guys find the freight to get on their trucks?'"

That's when he stumbled onto uShip.com. It opened all the doors to all of the business opportunities he enjoys today, including becoming a reality TV star as the handlebar mustache sporting, big-rig driving, cast member of A&E's Shipping Wars.

Related Links:

• Free Shipping Day Comes to Canada
• Moving Day Scam - Busted!
• Gilt.com Now Ships to Canada

A mixed bag of items for consumers to be aware of this week from the recall list:

Health Canada has issued a recall for the Hide and Surprise Easter novelty toy shower duck, because a detachable part of the toy may be a choking hazard.

The toy consists of four yellow rubber ducks in a mesh bag with UPC 012495979167. Over 3000 were sold at London Drugs stores in Canada.

There have been no reports of any injuries related to this toy, which was sold between January 2008 and March 2012.

Consumers can return the toy to London Drugs for a full refund; for more information 1-888-991-2299.

It's pretty obvious that Canadian Tire has spring cleaning top of mind. There are sales on many, many cleaning items including Lysol Wipes (20 per cent off) and Shark vaccuum cleaners (25 per cent off). Take a look at what's on sale.

When you spend $75 or more before taxes, of course. The offer is good until April 5 and you can print off your coupon here. I wonder if it's good for The Room.

If you're also looking for bed linen, The Bay has 40 per cent off selected Fieldcrest linen.