Here are a few images taken today of the construction progress of the New Urban Park being Built behind main Street, Newmarket. For more information on the project, CLICK HERE
Coldwell Banker
We Never Stop Moving
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Newmarket's Urban Park is taking Shape
Here are a few images taken today of the construction progress of the New Urban Park being Built behind main Street, Newmarket. For more information on the project, CLICK HERE
Friday, July 22, 2011
Know When it's Time to Renovate - TREB President's Toronto Sun Column
Toronto SUN Column (as it appears each Friday in the Toronto Sun)
July 22, 2011 -- Living in Toronto and renovating homes seem to go hand in hand. One of the major ways we build equity in our homes is by adding a new bathroom, kitchen or family room. Families grow, space must be maximized, and keeping parents close to work and children in their favourite schools often means, "Honey, It is time to renovate...again!"
Buying a fixer-upper can be a great way to get into a desirable neighbourhood at an affordable cost. It’s important to recognize though, that all renovations involve some inconvenience and a lot of elbow grease. While you’re rolling up your sleeves, it’s wise to maximize your efforts, go green, and remember that what may no longer suit your lifestyle, might be of use to someone else.
Renovating Benefits Others as Well!
A great way to renovate for you while supporting a charitable cause is to consider your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. This building supply store accepts and resells quality new and used building materials. Funds support Habitat's building programs while reducing the amount of used materials that are headed for overflowing landfills. Check ReStores out online at http://www.habitat.ca/en/community/restores/location.
Regardless of the upgrades you undertake, keep in mind that you can reduce the amount of waste you generate by donating or recycling construction materials. Certainly don’t dismiss the old for the new, if there are items to be reused, refurbishing them can add greater character to your home.
If you are looking for some great tubs and sinks you may have to go no further than your current bathrooms and kitchens. Techniques for resurfacing and countertops made of more recent materials like Caesar Stone, recycled glass, concrete, steel, stones, and the myriad of tiles will give you lots of options for upgrading the look without replacing the whole bathroom or kitchen.
Paint and paint techniques can change the look of a kitchen in a few afternoons, save you money and improve your investment: The Appraisal Institute of Canada says that upgrading kitchens and bathrooms is a smart choice, potentially offering a 75 to 100 per cent return.
Greening your Renovations!
Energy efficient lighting, appliances, faucets, toilets and showerheads are a few of the options for increasing the green factor in these two essential rooms and you can watch your monthly expenses drop.
When it comes to flooring, cork and bamboo are among the greenest options, as they are derived from renewable resources. While bamboo is also an excellent choice for cabinets, wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada is another responsible option.
Visit the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s RENOVA, an interactive web-based guide to the value of home improvements. RENOVA is designed to give consumers a better idea of the return on investment they can expect for a variety of home improvements.
Household drafts will increase your heating bills and make those lovely spacious rooms an expensive proposition in our colder months. Window and door replacement may offer a more limited return of 50 to 75 per cent, but if your existing units are broken or have been installed for fashion rather than performance, this upgrade should take priority.
When purchasing windows, look for low-E argon-filled units with the Energy Star symbol to achieve the highest thermal efficiency. Note: if you wonder how old your thermo pane windows are, most are stamped with the year and month they were made on the metal piece between the panes of glass.
Similarly, replacing an aging roof may only offer a small return but it’s an upgrade that should not be deferred due to the potential for water damage. Fortunately, roof shingles made from a variety of recycled materials are widely available and sometimes the life expectancy of your new roof is worth paying the extra costs. Housing is a long term investment.
Heating systems can offer a 50 to 75 per cent return, while central air conditioning can deliver 25 to 75 per cent on your investment, but given the extreme temperatures of our climate, these are also wise investments, particularly when you choose models with the Energy Star symbol. We replaced our workable 60 percent efficiency furnace with a high efficiency furnace that, with our new windows and doors keeps us toasty all winter.
While decorating choices may be subject to taste, you’ll find that when it’s time to move again, energy efficient, money-saving upgrades have universal appeal. Renovating can be helpful to you, others, and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. Enjoy!
For Greening, Renovating or finding the right home, talk to a Greater Toronto REALTOR® and visit www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com for neighbourhood profiles, open house listings, market updates and more.
Richard Silver is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 31,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area.
Buying a fixer-upper can be a great way to get into a desirable neighbourhood at an affordable cost. It’s important to recognize though, that all renovations involve some inconvenience and a lot of elbow grease. While you’re rolling up your sleeves, it’s wise to maximize your efforts, go green, and remember that what may no longer suit your lifestyle, might be of use to someone else.
Renovating Benefits Others as Well!
A great way to renovate for you while supporting a charitable cause is to consider your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. This building supply store accepts and resells quality new and used building materials. Funds support Habitat's building programs while reducing the amount of used materials that are headed for overflowing landfills. Check ReStores out online at http://www.habitat.ca/en/community/restores/location.
Regardless of the upgrades you undertake, keep in mind that you can reduce the amount of waste you generate by donating or recycling construction materials. Certainly don’t dismiss the old for the new, if there are items to be reused, refurbishing them can add greater character to your home.
If you are looking for some great tubs and sinks you may have to go no further than your current bathrooms and kitchens. Techniques for resurfacing and countertops made of more recent materials like Caesar Stone, recycled glass, concrete, steel, stones, and the myriad of tiles will give you lots of options for upgrading the look without replacing the whole bathroom or kitchen.
Paint and paint techniques can change the look of a kitchen in a few afternoons, save you money and improve your investment: The Appraisal Institute of Canada says that upgrading kitchens and bathrooms is a smart choice, potentially offering a 75 to 100 per cent return.
Greening your Renovations!
Energy efficient lighting, appliances, faucets, toilets and showerheads are a few of the options for increasing the green factor in these two essential rooms and you can watch your monthly expenses drop.
When it comes to flooring, cork and bamboo are among the greenest options, as they are derived from renewable resources. While bamboo is also an excellent choice for cabinets, wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada is another responsible option.
Visit the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s RENOVA, an interactive web-based guide to the value of home improvements. RENOVA is designed to give consumers a better idea of the return on investment they can expect for a variety of home improvements.
Household drafts will increase your heating bills and make those lovely spacious rooms an expensive proposition in our colder months. Window and door replacement may offer a more limited return of 50 to 75 per cent, but if your existing units are broken or have been installed for fashion rather than performance, this upgrade should take priority.
When purchasing windows, look for low-E argon-filled units with the Energy Star symbol to achieve the highest thermal efficiency. Note: if you wonder how old your thermo pane windows are, most are stamped with the year and month they were made on the metal piece between the panes of glass.
Similarly, replacing an aging roof may only offer a small return but it’s an upgrade that should not be deferred due to the potential for water damage. Fortunately, roof shingles made from a variety of recycled materials are widely available and sometimes the life expectancy of your new roof is worth paying the extra costs. Housing is a long term investment.
Heating systems can offer a 50 to 75 per cent return, while central air conditioning can deliver 25 to 75 per cent on your investment, but given the extreme temperatures of our climate, these are also wise investments, particularly when you choose models with the Energy Star symbol. We replaced our workable 60 percent efficiency furnace with a high efficiency furnace that, with our new windows and doors keeps us toasty all winter.
While decorating choices may be subject to taste, you’ll find that when it’s time to move again, energy efficient, money-saving upgrades have universal appeal. Renovating can be helpful to you, others, and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. Enjoy!
For Greening, Renovating or finding the right home, talk to a Greater Toronto REALTOR® and visit www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com for neighbourhood profiles, open house listings, market updates and more.
Richard Silver is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 31,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area.
for more eral estate information, go to www.darcytoombs.com
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The York Region School Board has put 2 Old School up for sale
Two weeks ago, the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) put up 2 of it's Schools for sale. The Wells Street School On Wells Street, Aurora and the King George School on Park Ave, Newmarket.Both Schools are located in the beautiful old historic Neighbourhoods of each town and leave some neighbours anxious to know who will be buying them, as the Real Estate Values in these sections of town are highly in demand.
On the YRDSB website, ther is a news release stating that the Wells Street school that was built in 1892 has been out of service since 2007 for Structural deficiencies. There is no mention why the King George School is being sold or why it has gone out of service.
for more real estate information, go to www.darcytoombs.com
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Glenway Information Sessions Planned
For all those who know Newmarket, you know that the sale of Glenway Golf and Country Club to a developer has been a hot button issue for the past few years. Now with services at the club being scaled back and some even cancelled, it is believed that there will soon be an announcement as to what is happening with the course.
Newmarket's Ward 7 Councillor, Chris Emmanuel, has been taking a very direct approach with the community to keep them up to date with what is going on.
This morning at 9:45am, I, along with the others on his email recipient list, received a bulk email from Chris informing me of the information sessions that the Owners of Glenway will be hosting on Saturday June 18th at Glenway Golf and Country Club.
It is their intent to have this session with residents about the development concept, where they will take residents comments.
Above is a map and indication on the times at which they would like to visit with certain sections of the Glenway community.
I'm not entirely sure if this will be a drop in session for all Newmarket Residents, as this is not a Town of Newmarket event, but rather an event hosted by the New Owners of Glenway.
However, to stay up to date with all that is going on with Glenway, go to http://www.chrisemanuel.com/ to sign up for his email notificatations.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Know what to Look for in a Condo
Bill Johnston, TREB President
April 22, 2011 -- Condominium transactions (sales of condo apartments and condo townhouses combined) comprise approximately one in every three resale home transactions in the Greater Toronto Area compared to 25 years ago when condominiums comprised 25 per cent of the market.
There are many advantages to condo living including energy efficiency, proximity to amenities and maintenance free living. There is also a wider selection of condominium housing structures than ever before.
Regardless of the structure all condominium owners hold title to their units and share ownership and responsibility of and for the operating costs of the common elements that comprise the balance of the property.
Maintenance fees, which are paid in addition to your mortgage and property taxes, are directly related to the size of each condominium apartment unit.
While the maintenance fees may include the cost of heat, hydro, building insurance and upkeep of common areas, it is important to understand specifically what is covered in the maintenance fees.
Ask your REALTOR® for help in understanding what your fees will include in the particular condominium you're interested in buying.
Condominium townhouses may also involve maintenance fees. In this case, fees are related to common areas outside of the structure like Snow removal and lawn care.
There are a number of details involved in a condominium purchase that are unique to this housing type. As such, it's wise to work with a REALTOR®, regardless of whether you are buying a new or resale unit.
When buying a new condo unit, buyers should request a disclosure statement. It includes a description of the project's most important features, bylaws that govern the corporation, rules that regulate owners' living environments and the condominium corporation's budget for the first year after registration.
When buying a resale condo, buyers should also request a status certificate, which offers similar information and confirms that the owner is current with common expenses. It's important to speak with your REALTOR® and discuss which conditions are best suited for your offer.
The move-in date for a new condominium is referred to as an occupancy closing, which takes place until the condominium corporation is registered. Again, ask your REALTOR® to help you understand exactly what is and can be expected at closing.
A condominium Board of Directors, consisting of at least three Directors, is responsible for ensuring monies are held in trust, funds are properly invested and records are kept.
Owners meanwhile are responsible for ensuring their units are in good repair and must seek approval for structural changes within them.
To be sure that you are clear as to your responsibilities as a condominium buyer, be sure to talk to a Greater Toronto REALTOR® who can help you find a condominium ideally suited to your lifestyle. For more information visit www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com
Bill Johnston is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 31,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area
Image Source Page: http://urbanrealtytoronto.com/wordpress/2010/08/18/toronto-hotel-boutique-condos-part-2/
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