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Wintertime Home Advice – Part Two (Also Printed in February Snap South Simcoe) (via Ask Realtor Steve)
Posted by on February 3, 2011
Wintertime Home Advice – Part One (Also Printed in January Snap South Simcoe Paper) (via Ask Realtor Steve)
Posted by on January 5, 2011
CMHC Housing Start for November
Posted by on December 11, 2010
What is Tarion? As seen in the December Snap South Simcoe Paper (via Ask Realtor Steve)
Posted by on December 5, 2010
Moving North of the 416? I suggest Bradford
Posted by on November 23, 2010
In Bradford prices have gone up by 17% in the past year. In Bradford, you can find an all brick, 3+1 bedroom raised bungalow with two kitchens for under 289,900 (PRICE REDUCTION!)
Toronto Real Estate Board News Release 16 Sept 2010
Posted by on September 17, 2010
According to the Greater Toronto REALTORS, 2,623 sales were reported through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in the first 2 weeks of September 2010. Last year during the same time period there were 3,361 sales reported (a 22% decrease).
While September and August were lower in sales this year, the year-to-date sales are up around 65,455 which is about 6% higher than 2009. “Sales remain below the record pace we experienced in the second half of 2009. The prospect of higher interest rates and new mortgage lending guidelines resulted in higher than normal sales in the first few months of the year. To balance this out, the pace of sales has slowed in the second half,” according to Bill Johnston, Toronto Real Estate Board President.
Mr. Johnston also points out that “year-to-date sales remain above the number reported through the same period last year”. The average price for September mid-month transactions was up 5% to $412,367 from last years reported average of $393,818 .
“Under current lending standards, the average selling price is affordable for a household earning the average income in the GTA. The annual price growth we have been experiencing has been justified by this positive affordability picture,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.
Do I need a Realtor when Buying a New Home from a Builder?
Posted by on August 18, 2010
In Toronto the number of subdivisions are rapidly decreasing. This post is more geared towards larger builders though everything written still applies (except for the decor centre comments) Smaller custom builders will usually pay the buyer’s agents fee so please take advantage of that and protect yourself as much as possible. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or call me direct at 1-855-737-8383 and I will try to respond quickly.
You can also download Steven’s Buyers Guide.pdf
How to end a Tenancy Agreement
Posted by on August 11, 2010
When the Tenant and Landlord agree to end a Tenancy, Use the N11 Form approved by the Landlord and Tenant Board. As a landlord, I have had my share of problems, I cannot stress how important it is to use this simple form. The N11 form can save thousands of dollars. Here it is:
(You can download the file here)
Sometimes tenants say they will move out at the end of the month and the Landlord believes them. If this form is not used, and the tenant does not move out, the landlord could be in a sticky situation. If the tenant signed this, it is very easy to get the tenant out. Landlords, never offer a tenant anything for them to leave without getting this form signed in return. Tenants, in order to protect yourselves, use the forms approved by the Landlord Tenant Board when interacting with Landlords.
Before I start spending money on advertising a rental, take money from a new tenant and sign a new lease, it is my policy to get this form signed. If I want to rent a place that has a tenant now, I will want to make sure the current Landlord has this form signed too. That way on moving day, a truck and movers don’t show up to find a locked door and a previous tenant claiming their not moving.
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View more documents from Steven Silva.
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Buying a New Condominium from a Builder and the New Home Warranty Plan
Posted by on July 26, 2010
When buying brand new Condo in Ontario from a builder you get a New Home Warranty which is administrated by Tarion Warranty Corp. Tarion protects buyers of new condo units, if the builder is registered with them. Some of the protections are:
- Deposits (or down payments) are guaranteed by Tarion up to a maximum of $20,000 plus interest if the builder goes bankrupt. (Note: Condo purchasers can be protected for deposits over $20,000 IF they are held in trust)
- Units and common elements are insured against defects (see Warranty Coverage at a Glance). Read more of this post
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Quick Tips for Keeping Your Home Cool During The Summer Heat
Posted by on July 7, 2010
I write this during a heat wave here in Southern Ontario. Here are three quick tips to help feel cooler you more comfortable during this heat during the night.
Close Your Bedroom Doors:
Hot air rises and the cool air conditioned air flows out of ducts along floors and down stairs. So one way to help keep a room cool is by trapping that air for a while longer. Keeping the doors closed will do that.
Turn the fan from AUTO to ON:
You may have noticed that the upstairs is hot the main floor okay and the basement cool. We call that stratification (the layers of temperature in your home) If you turn it from AUTO to ON the furnace fan will work continuously. What this will do is help make the temperature of the home more uniform by moving the air around and bringing that cool up stairs. Normally your thermostat , which controls the furnace fan, only turns on when you need AC (or Heat in the winter). The actual AC uses a lot more electricity than just the fan.
Close the supply vents on the lower levels:
Cold air will naturally travel to the lowest point. The furnace also has a harder time push up the cooler air. To avoid giving the AC an easy out, close the supply vents on the lower levels and make sure they are all open upstairs.
I hope to add more to this post later. Hope this help a little for now. Keep hydrated and remember those cold winter nights!
Don’t Cook Indoors
Why spend money on electricity (or gas) to heat up your food (and home) then spend more money to use an air-conditioner to get rid of the heat. The amount of BTU’s put our by many cook-tops are equivalent to a furnace. Would you turn your furnace on during a heat wave? On those really hot days, consider BBQ, Delivery, Take Out or better yet, give the AC a break and go out for dinner at a nice Air-Conditioned Restaurant.
Add Insulation to your Roof Space and Keep it Ventilated
This isn’t really a quick tip but I think it is important to say it here. Manny older homes do not have much insulation in their roof space. What keeps in your heat in the winter time also keeps out the heat out in the summer time. Having a proper amount of insulation in roof space will save you money in both the winter time and summer. Keeping that roof space well ventilated is also important as the temperature inside will usually be much hotter than outside (Think about the inside of a car during a hot sunny day) Like a car, if you leave the windows open, it won’t get as hot inside.
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Contractors “Green Book”
Posted by on June 10, 2010
In the World of Construction the Green Book (also known as the Construction Bible) refers to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction Regulations.
I’ve included a copy of just the Occupational Health and Safety Act here: Read more of this post
Toronto 311; Telephone Access number
Posted by on May 18, 2010
From “http://www.toronto.ca/311/about.htm”
311 is the largest, most exciting customer service improvement undertaken by the City of Toronto since amalgamation. 311 improves accessibility to non-emergency City services and information, and will increase the City’s effectiveness in responding to public inquiries.
Not sure how to report a pothole? Need to request pick-up of an old appliance? Looking for a program at your local community centre? Simply call 311. Our customer service representatives are available to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Read more of this post
Set Fines Given out By the Ministry Of Labour
Posted by on May 10, 2010
On Ontario Construction Sites many fines are preset at the back of the Green Book (Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction Regulations). For example: A person walking onto a construction site without a Hard Hat and Safety Boots would be fined $195 dollars for each offence and the Construction Site super could be charged $295 for each of the trespassers offences. I’ve included the 2010 pre-set fines below.
A guide to Toronto’s area codes: with the new 365, the city’s phone-based social hierarchy is evolving
Posted by on May 1, 2010
Here’s a fun article by Toronto Life:
A guide to Toronto’s area codes: with the new 365, the city’s phone-based social hierarchy is evolving
Each area code in Toronto comes with a slew of stereotypes that—rightly or wrongly—are circulated with remarkable persistence (see Wikipedia’s “905 in popular culture”). When the GTA gets the new 365 in 2013, our region will become a seven–area code town, and the trash-talk hierarchy will only get more hilarious and complex. As Maestro has revealed no plans for a “416/647/905/289/365/519/226 (T.O. Party Anthem),” we offer this handy primer on phone-based bigotry—now, and for the years ahead.
The 416
Coverage: One of the first area codes in North America, dating back to 1947. It serves Toronto proper.
Archetype: Phone snobs who look down on people without a “true” Toronto number, 416ers are the most likely to use 905 as a verb or adjective.
The 647
Coverage: Introduced in 2001 to cover the glut of new phones in central Toronto, forcing residents to dial 10 digits when making a call.
Archetype: Johnny-come-latelies who have either moved to T.O. in the past eight years or switched to cell-only lifestyle. Cooler than—or former—905ers but will forever reside in the 416’s shadow. If 416 is Beyoncé, 647 is Solange.
The 905
Coverage: Introduced in 1993, when 416 numbers ran low, 905 covers the half-doughnut around Toronto (the blue parts on electoral maps).
Archetype: Often characterized as the Jersey of Toronto by 416ers, the 905 is the butt of more jokes than all the others combined. 519ers think of the region as the bit of the 401 that has to be endured when driving into the city. The upside for 905ers is that, with the introduction of 365, they’ll have not one, but two area codes to look down on. Read more of this post
Competition Bureau misguided about MLS (April 30, 2010)
Posted by on April 30, 2010
I found this excellent article by Mark Weisleder at yourhome.ca here. The article has been reproduced here for you to read.
“SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Buying a home is a lot different than buying an airline ticket. Yet if you read the complaint by the Competition Bureau against the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), you would think it is that simple to buy or sell a home in Canada, by just using the Internet for support. Unfortunately, it is not that easy.
According to the Bureau, CREA and its member real estate boards effectively control the market in Canada, since 90 per cent of all residential home sales are completed using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems, and consumers thus have no real choice in paying commissions, which, according to the bureau, is usually five per cent of the sale price. It is further claimed that the rules passed by CREA regarding use of these systems prevent anyone from offering different service models, thus eliminating choice for consumers. They would like every seller and buyer to have access to the MLS system, and be able to sell and buy properties themselves, without the services of a real estate salesperson. Read more of this post
