Muddy York: Toronto Real Estate Blog

When getting ready to sell, where do you start?

July 27, 2010 · Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, now is the time to perform some upkeep on the house before the real staging begins.

Check your Curb Appeal
Well in advance is when you can start on checking your curb appeal. This gives you enough time to make any repairs to the exterior of the home, fix bald spots on the lawn, repave the driveway and ensure your garden is attractive and welcoming. Curb appeal makes that important first impression, so it should be first on the list.

Walls and Roof
How do the walls and roof look from the outside? A pair of binoculars might help you spot damage that might be otherwise difficult to see. If these aren’t spotted and fixed, a buyer’s home inspection might catch them.

Basement and Garage
The basement and garage will also be on a home inspector’s list. The garage may just need a deep clean and de-clutter, but it will save you from having to do it later when you’re busy prepping your home for open houses. The basement is the most important of these two because of the structural foundation it provides a home. Any cracks or leaks should be repaired immediately.   Home inspections for sellers are always an option to consider. If it’s in your budget, an inspection can help you spot and fix problems before a buyer’s home inspection catches them, making the whole process go that much more smoothly – and quickly.

The Canadian Homeowner’s Inspection Checklist is available from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for $19.95 on their website, and offers information and solutions on what to check for periodically in and around your home. This guidance can prove especially useful if you intend to sell in the near future.

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Buyers can expect more choice in the Canadian housing market

July 26, 2010 · Leave a Comment

One of Canada’s leading real estate brokers, Royal LePage Real Estate Services, says that buyers will have more choice in the coming months while housing prices cool off towards the end of 2010.

Royal LePage released it’s housing survey for the second half of 2010 and says sellers may expect less offers when they list their homes.

“We have seen an unusual pattern of activity in the housing market over the past 12 months, with the market experiencing a surge of activity and price increases that peaked in the fall of 2009 rather than spring.  Early 2010 has followed a more typical seasonal pattern with prices and activity peaking in the second quarter,” said president of Royal LePage Real Estate Services Phil Soper in a press release. “An expected increase in the supply of homes on the market will now bring stabilization in prices and in some cities we will see both prices and unit sales decline towards the end of the year. This should not be interpreted as a severe correction but rather a natural reaction to the market having peaked quite early this year.”

The next 18 months are predicted to be more stable. By the end of 2010, home prices are also predicted to rise about 6.8 per cent from the same time later year. The number of home sales is expected to increase just one per cent.

The heated market earlier this year was attributed to all of the different industry and regulatory changes, as well as rising impending interest rates, the new mortgage rules and the HST.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that these factors may have prompted an increase in housing market activity in early 2010, as people sought to get out ahead of the changes,” he said. “Moving into the next six months, key economic indicators such as employment growth will continue to bolster consumer confidence and help to ensure a fundamentally healthy housing market. Home prices will remain flat or decline slightly in most cities, but will be more likely to hold their value or increase in energy-producing economies such as Alberta.”

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The History of the Toronto Real Estate Board

July 21, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Source:  Toronto Real Estate Board

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CMHC’s Healthy House: Toronto

July 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Healthy House in Toronto is one of two in the entire country. After a design competition in the early 1990s, the Healthy House was built and showcases the most green and energy-saving building opportunities available to homeowners.

The Healthy House is self-sufficient, not requiring municipal electricity or water, with reduced energy and water needs. It uses rainwater that is purified naturally, using only 120 liters of water per day for an entire family, whereas an ordinary water consumption for a similar family is 1050 liters per day.

The Healthy House also has solar panels and super-tight construction, which keeps the place insulated. On average, heating bills for the house would be less than $80 annually, and the home has some of the best indoor air quality around thanks to the materials used. Its currently under the ownership of a research company and the owner of the research company and his family has lived in it since 1996.

The CMHC promotes the use of Healthy Housing elements in everyday homes, and all one has to do is follow the key elements:

Occupant Health
Indoor air quality, healthy water and lots of lighting are important for health and well-being of human occupants.

Energy Efficiency
Because 67 per cent of home energy used in Canada is for heating and cooling, a well-insulated home will help reduce energy wasted.

Resource Efficiency
The Healthy House uses sustainable but affordable building materials while conserving energy and water.  Environmental Responsibility The Healthy House doesn’t use much land, relying on creative design to make the most of space. The landscaping of the home is also resource-efficient and considering collecting rainwater to even just water the plants or garden can go a long way.

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Thoughts on Home Inspections

July 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

By Heather Rose

A thorough home inspection might require a little boldness on the buyer’s part, touring someone else’s home can be an interesting experience. Most prospective buyers may not feel comfortable moving items or putting certain appliances through a test-run, but it can save you a few headaches later on.

Home inspections are generally not invasive, meaning the inspector may not move items around or look under, behind or around furniture. While he’s looking for hidden defects, meaning latent defects that you can’t see, you can be looking for visible defects that may be hidden.

The latent defects, like faulty wiring, mold and leaky pipes are defects that the seller must disclose to you under Canadian law, unless they can prove they had no idea about them in the first place. Patent defects are the trickier ones. These are defects you can see, and include stains or something that is broken. No one has to mention these to you.

However, there are cases when buyers have gone through with transactions after doing everything the right away by getting a home inspection, only to find very obvious signs that the sellers had hidden visible defects by moving objects around to conceal them. By purchasing the house, you may basically accept the home in this condition without even knowing it.

So protecting yourself is left up to you, and it might require some boldness. But it’s much better to feel awkwardly nosy than to pay out the nose later.

Don’t hesitate to try all of the light switches, open windows, turn on the showers, flush toilets and run appliances if possible.

Talk to your future neighbours about any basement floods or septic tank issues they may recall to gain an idea of what you’re getting into. When a neighbour’s septic tank backs up, everyone seems to know about it.

Ask the sellers about leaks, water issues, large repairs and the indoor air quality testing history of the home. Don’t forget to ask for proof of repairs if any.

Fully inspect the floors, walls and carpets yourself. This may require moving furniture around or peeling back area rugs.

Now, I’m not advocating such behaviour during something like an open house. But if you’re committed enough to be undergoing a home inspection, it’s wise to protect yourself.

Heather Rose is a Toronto based Journalist, who is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Real Estate Blog.  Heather website is located at heatherroseportfolio.squarespace.com.

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Life in North York

July 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Despite the amalgamation into the city of Toronto in 1998, each region of the city remains as distinct and unique as it was before. North York is certainly no different.

Part of the Township of York, North York was founded as a township in 1922 and then as a borough in 1967. It completed its journey into adult hood as the City of North York on February 14, 1979. Because it was commemorated on Valentine’s Day, North York is known as the “City With Heart”.

As of the 2006 census, the population of North York was over 635,000. North York is extremely diverse, and as of 2006 almost 60 per cent of the residents were not born in Canada. North York’s portion of Bathurst Street also has a large Jewish population and a notable amount of Holocaust survivors.

Much of North York, including the Cricket Club Neighbourhood, is a chunk of suburbia on the footsteps of one of the largest cities in Canada. Most of the area around North York Centre is constantly being developed, and the section of Yonge Street that runs through it is dotted with skyscrapers. Some of these skyscrapers are condominiums, and others are head offices for large companies like Xerox, Procter & Gamble and Cadbury. One of the larger shopping complexes, Empress Walk, is located here. Empress Walk houses the Empire Theatre and the tallest residential buildings in North York.

Highway 401 also travels through a portion of North York nearby, and this particular section of freeway is the busiest in North America. The city has several giant shopping mall complexes, such as Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and smaller ones like Sheppard Centre and Bayview Villiage, and North York is also home to some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city, including Lawrence Park, the Bridle Path and York MIlls.

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When should I plant my vegetable garden in Toronto?

July 17, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Few Torontonians know when the best time to plant a garden is. Each has their own method for deciding when’s the best time, ranging from the calendar date to instead looking to see what the trees and birds are up to and following suit.

Many people take advantage of the Victoria Day weekend (that’s May 24th this year), but some feel that might be too late, or figure they’d much rather be BBQing. To follow the older rule of (green) thumb, most gardeners try and wait until the last frost has passed, so the May 24th weekend works most of the time.

The latest frost ever recorded on Bloor Street was over thirty years ago on May 2nd. However, the latest frost ever recorded at Pearson Airport was over 60 years ago, on May 28th. And, each year these last frosts come just a little sooner. The Bloor Street average for last frost of the year is April 16th, and the Pearson Airport average last frost is May 4th.

This spring has also been unseasonably warm. You don’t have to wait too much longer to put root vegetables or ground plants in the garden – they can even be planted now. Cold weather vegetables can generally tolerate the seasonal hurdles that might get periodically thrown at them, and these include spinach, kale, lettuce, peas and radishes. Warm-weather veggies are brought in from areas around the globe that don’t generally see harsh winters or frost – they should be left until later, and these include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and beans.

If you missed the spring planting season this year, it’s not too late to set up certain veggies for harvest later this summer and fall. Some late-season plants include artichokes, snap beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, garlic, endive, radishes and spinach.

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New Toronto Island tunnel could begin construction Spring 2011

July 16, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The Toronto Port Authority has announced that early next year it will break ground on a pedestrian tunnel that links the end of Bathurst Street with Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport. In total, the project is projected to cost $45 million.

Only five years ago, 25,000 people used the airport. Last year, 770,000 people used the airport and an estimated 1.2 million people will make their way to the Billy Bishop Airport this year. The majority of the costs will also be covered by a $20 fee tacked onto every fare paid at the airport.

The tunnel only goes to the airport, and will not provide access to island attractions like residences or beaches much like the existing ferry.

It’s estimated that it will take about two years to complete the tunnel, running about 400 feet across Lake Ontario, underneath its shale bed.

The new tunnel will increase the number of takeoffs and landings at the airport. A public-private partnership will prevent an additional $19 millon improvement fee on the airport.

An assessment on the effects of the tunnel on local surroundings and the operation of the airport is expected to be released in August. The amount the tunnel eventually costs may increase depending on the assessment.

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Buying a House? Interested in the Impact of HST?

July 14, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Claire Gordon is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage/Johnston & Daniel Division and regular vlogger contributor to the Muddy York site.  Claire’s website is located at www.findahomeintoronto.com.

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