City, suburbs, or country? The decision is yours, depending on your tastes, interests, and needs.

ESTABLISH YOUR CRITERIA

Keep the following points in mind when deciding where you'd like to live:

• proximity to your place of work
• available means of transportation (car, public transportation, etc.)
• your lifestyle
• existence of recreational facilities
• your family situation

WEIGH EACH POSSIBILITY

Each area has its pros and cons. Consider them in light of your criteria.

CITY

SUBURBS

COUNTRY

SOME TIPS FOR DISCOVERING WHAT YOU WANT

Below are a few tips to help you find the kind of place where you'd like to live.

• Walk around the neighbourhood to make sure you like it
• Travel the route to and from work—if possible at the times of day you would actually be travelling—to see how long it takes
• Find out about fluctuations in local housing prices over the past few years
• Contact the town or city hall to find out if there are any zoning bylaws or development projects that could affect the area

And remember that it is better to buy a smaller, less expensive home in a nice neighbourhood than a more expensive home in a neighbourhood with less potential.

Consider carefully whether you want a new or a resale home, and weigh up the pros and cons.

NEW HOME

RESALE HOME

Nowadays, there's a wide variety of housing to choose from, and you're bound to find something that suits your tastes, needs and budget.

CONDOMINIUM

This type of unit is generally found in a multi-storey building containing many other condominium units.

ROW HOUSE OR TOWNHOUSE

Row houses are joined together by common walls.

DUPLEX

A duplex has two units, one above the other, with the bottom unit usually occupied by the owner.

SINGLE DETACHED HOME

A house not connected to any other.

SEMI-DETACHED HOME

This dwelling is joined to another one by a common wall.

PREFABRICATED HOME

A prefabricated home is factory-built and then transported to the chosen site and placed on a foundation.

Have you always dreamt of building your own home? The National Bank's Home-Builder's Helper Program, offered to you by our financing experts, will guide you every step of the way and keep you on budget.

MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE

Our Home-Builder's Program will enable you to take advantage of mortgage financing that is specially tailored to the needs of people who are building their own home.

The Mortgage Development Managers will be pleased to explain you the advantages of this program.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HOME-BUILDER'S HELPER PROGRAM ?

Contact us by:

• E-mail at sdh@bnc.ca. Our Mortgage Development Managers will respond within 48 hours.
• Telephone at 1-888-483-5628 or 514-394-5555, options 5-3-2.

When you view a home that you are interested in, remember to take notes, and if possible, photos. Above all, make sure that you examine the key points.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Is the entire house insulated, and what type of heating does it have?

BASEMENT CONDITIONS

Do you see any signs of mildew, water stains, leaks or cracks?

WATER PRESSURE

Test the water pressure by turning on the taps and flushing the toilet.

DOORS AND WINDOWS

Do the doors and windows stick? Are the floors uneven?

EXTERIOR CONDITION

Check the brick, mortar, siding and paint. The roof, eaves troughs, decks and patios must also be carefully examined.

If you view a number of homes, you will inevitably compare them. If so, make sure you compare houses with similar features such as number of rooms, total living space, size of lot, etc.

Remember that even if you try to be observant, important points may escape you. Nothing can replace a home inspection by an accredited inspector.