Well, here we are edging towards autumn on the
heels of a very 'interesting' summer in the Real
Estate industry. You can tell from the 'bi-polar
pontificating' of real estate, business, and political
gurus that no one truly knows what's going to
happen in the market next. Will home prices go
up, will the next government change industry programs,
will mortgage rates remain the same? ... and so
on.
From the stats provided below you can see what's
happening nationally and locally. All is certainly
not great news, but these are the facts nonetheless.
My personal beliefs are that any positives in
our little 'Quinte bubble' may be offset by a
myriad of factors in 2010 such as an increase
in mortgage rates and/or by the 'dreaded HST'.
In other words, positives like the future expansion
of the military base could be be negatively impacted
by larger factors outside our market place.
The silver lining in all of this is that Buyers
are happier with the more realistic prices, great
mortgage rates, and potential upside to market
prices. Consequently, our market has not seen
the drastic slide in prices as has happened elsewhere.
Before signing off, I would like to introduce
the three latest members to our Team. Robyn is
a young and energetic person who has already worked
in the Real Estate industry for a few years. She
is a great addition to our administration arm
and will, no doubt, be talking to you soon. Kevin
is our 'down homer' who is preparing for his transition
from the military and who already has a few sales
under his belt. Pierre (Pete), has recently retired
from the military and is our second bilingual
Team member. He is already enhancing the Team's
presence in the francophone community in a very
large way. Check out our Meet
the Team page to read more about the entire
Team.
Finally, I would like to thank those who made
it out to our 12th Annual Open House. As always,
we would also like to thank everyone for your
continued support of our Team and for allowing
us to serve you and our great community. We look
forward to seeing you all in the near future.
National Housing Market Continues to Show
Signs of Recovery
According to RBC Royal Bank, Canadian housing
markets are on the mend. Improved housing affordability
has brought buyers back into the market and created
momentum across the country; contributing to a
more active and balanced housing market.
Florida
Resort Giveaway Just a reminder that we're encouraging entries
for our annual Florida getaway. Anyone who has
bought or sold Real Estate with Team David Weir,
or who has referred clients to us, is welcome
to participate as a token of our appreciation
for your business and your confidence in us as
your Team of choice.
If accommodation at a luxury resort
or at an executive condominium on the fabulous
Gulf coast appeals to you, be sure to send Donna
an email with your name and contact information.
Last year's winner told us they "... had
a great time. The place was just beauitful and
the girls' eyes were so big when they saw Disney
World." You could be next!!
Great
Big Sea Great Big Sea features traditional,
East Coast, and Celtic influences and is guaranteed
to deliver a passionate, high energy, rocking
show that defies you to sit still. Show date is
Monday September 28, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. Check out
the Empire
Theatre's site for more information.
The
Legendary Downchild Blues Band's 40th Anniversary
Celebration with
special guest
Colin Linden 40 years ago Donnie 'Mr. Downchild'
Walsh and his late brother Hock formed the group
that would be the inspiration behind the world
famous Blues Brothers. Grammy Nominee Colin Linden
helps celebrate their anniversary in style. Show
time is Thursday, 19 November at 8:00. Come hear
all your Downchild favourites!
To enter your name in either of these
draws, Donna
is once again the person you need to email. Good
luck!
If you’re
in debt, you’re not alone. According to the
Vanier Institute of the Family, the average household
debt in Canada rose to $90,000 in 2008 — a
figure the Institute claims puts debt loads into
the 'danger zone'. And while the average household
income increased 11.6% (to $65,000) between 1990
and 2008, spending increased a staggering 24.4%
over the same period.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Check out the following debt control secrets as
offered by Maura Drew-Lytle, Director, Media Relations
and Communications for the Canadian Bankers Association
(CBA). Click here
for more detailed explanations of each point.
1 Effective May 1, 2009 you will lose your licence
if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) registers
from 0.05 to 0.08 during a roadside breath test.
Driver's caught more than once face mandatory
alcohol education programs and ignition interlock.
2. As of June 1st, 2009 travellers to the United
States by land or water must show either a passport
or an accepted alternative document at the border.
Ontario's Enhanced Driver's Licence is a convenient,
affordable, secure alternative to a Canadian passport.
Visit ServiceOntario
to apply.
3. As of January 1st, 2009, smoking in motor
vehicles with passengers under 16 is illegal and
the fine is up to $250.
Article courtesy of Service
Ontario's bulletin 'CentreLine'
A WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) inspection
is an important part of a home purchase, and an
inspection condition should always be inserted
into an agreement of purchase and sale where the
home has a fireplace or a woodstove.
A WETT inspection report details the areas in
which the fire-burning installation meets or does
not meet the manufacturer's instructions and the
appropriate building codes.
A typical building inspection will not be sufficient
if the home has a fireplace or woodstove. Unless
a home inspector has a WETT certification, a separate
inspection of the fireplace by a certified technician
is required.
The issue is more than certifying the original
installation. The WETT report will also note whether
it is still safe to use the fireplace. Unsafe
fireplaces could also prevent a buyer from getting
home insurance.
A complete inspection might involve checking
whether the chimney has a cap with wire mesh sides
to keep rain, birds, animals, and debris from
entering. The outer mortar between the bricks
or stone of the chimney will be examined to make
sure it is intact. The inspector also looks for
cracked tile liners or missing bricks, and dents,
rust and missing screws on metal chimneys.
All homes with fuel-fired appliances should have
both a carbon monoxide (CO) detector and a smoke
detector. This is especially important if the
home has a fireplace or woodstove, or both.
If a wood-burning stove or fireplace is not used
and maintained correctly, the results can be disastrous
and even fatal.
Tune up Your Hot Water Tank
Have a qualified person check the temperature.
Most manufacturers recommend setting it between
49-60°C (140°F). Any higher is probably
wasteful and may produce water that is too hot
at the tap.
Wrap your electric water heater with an insulating
blanket to add to the existing insulation and
reduce heat loss. Be sure it's CSA certified for
use on all CSA approved electric water heaters
set between 49-60°C (140°F).
Fix Leaky Taps A tap dripping at one drop per second
wastes 800 litres of water per month. In most
cases, a worn out washer is the culprit.
Get Sparkling Savings from Your Dishwasher
Read the instructions for your dishwasher
to make sure you're taking advantage of all its
energy-saving features.
Shower or Bath? A typical bath uses about 75 litres of
hot water, while a 5-minute shower with an energy
efficient showerhead uses less than half of that.
Install an Energy-Saving Showerhead
An energy-saving showerhead can reduce your hot
water use by up to 30%. In one year, you can save
over 28,000 litres (6,167 gallons) of water.
Use Faucet Aerators
Aerators mix air into the water flow and reduce
water consumption by 25 - 50% per tap.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes
Insulate at least the first three feet of pipe
leading to and from the hot water tank with tape
wrap or snap-on foam pipe tubing. If your hot
water pipes run through unheated sections of your
home, insulate them there too.
Wash Your Clothes for Less
About 25% of all household hot water is used for
clothes washing. Use cold water washing wherever
possible. Remove and clean the washer's agitator
once a month. Clean the filters of both water
hose inlets on the back of the machine once a
year.
Looking for a New Dishwasher or Washing
Machine?
It pays to read the EnerGuide label and comparison
shop for the most energy efficient model. Remember,
the lower the kWh rating, the better the efficiency.
In May 2009, Ontario passed a law, which is to
be phased in slowly, making an energy audit mandatory
when selling a home. Homeowners can get off the
hook only if potential buyers waive the right
to an energy audit in writing.
To assist homeowners, Ontario is matching the
enhanced rebates announced by the federal government
under its EcoEnergy Retrofit program.
This means an extra $178 million will go into
Ontario's home energy savings plan in the next
two years.
Rebates to install insulation in ceilings, foundations,
basements and crawl spaces, or upgrade windows
and doors, will increase by 25 per cent or more.If
you want to put in a solar domestic hot-water
system, you'll get $1,250 back from Ontario, up
from the previous $500. There's also a $150 rebate
on a home energy audit, which costs $300 on average.
You have 18 months to do energy-saving repairs,
after which you must get another audit done to
qualify for rebates.
Click here
to check out Ontario's Green Energy Act and a
65-page Energy Efficiency Resource and Funding
Guide at the ministry's website.
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