Found 2 blog entries tagged as interest.

JayMan is the first major builder in Alberta that has fully endorsed solar. Kudos to them for taking a big step. And it's gotten lots of press coverage, along with all the sales people in the showhomes pushing it as a feature.

 

But is it worth it?  And, how do we measure what something is worth?

  1. Is it just financial returns
  2. Are you willing to buy for the environment alone (ignoring the disposal and manufacturing of the panels)
  3. Or is it the self sufficiency aspect of knowing that you are WHOLLY reliant on the grid / others?

In terms of the last point, the self sufficiency, I like being self sufficient.  But in Alberta, even the biggest installation that could fit on my roof is NOT going to enable me to go off-grid in December. …

5797 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

People use the equity in their homes for many different reasons. Home equity is often used to pay off other debt, fund home renovations and upgrade projects as well as help purchase other necessities. It’s important to know these few facts when obtaining a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC to ensure that this is something you can manage.

  1.        HELOCs do not have fixed rates. This means your monthly payments can fluctuate. The interest rate is determined by the prime rate plus the percentage rate that the bank has set.  Let’s say the interest rate at the bank is prime + 1.5%. If the prime rate is 2%, then take 2% and add 1.5%. This gives you a total interest rate of 3.5%.
  2.        You might be paying way more than expected if the interest…

5144 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post