Showing posts with label home seller. Show all posts

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Exploring Toronto Neighbourhoods: Willowdale

Looking for a thriving, diverse neighbourhood centrally located that offers either an urban or suburban vibe? Look not further than North York’s Willowdale.

Where is Willowdale? Comprised of three villages: Newtonbrook, Willowdale and Lansing, Willowdale runs on either side of the Yonge corridor north of Finch Avenue up to Steeles Avenue. To the east, it is border by Bayview Village and to the west, by Bathurst Manor.

This area has changed significantly in the last few years. Cadmium, business and retail development has increased along the Yonge corridor. Comparing pictures taken in 1980 versus 2010 show demonstrate the impressive growth and ever-growing skyline. Single-family homes built prior to the 1960s are being redeveloped as much larger homes. Landmarks in this area include: North Central Library, Mel Lastman Square, Toronto Center for the Arts, Gibson House, John Mckenzie House and the Holocaust Museum.

This area is becoming a transportation hub, linking to Toronto in the south via subway and cities and towns to the north, west and east via bus. TTC Subway Line 1, the Yonge-University line, runs in a north-south direction through the neighbourhood with Finch Station to the north and Sheppard station to the south. Line 4, the Sheppard line, runs in an east-west direction from Sheppard station to the west and Don Mills Station to the east. The 401 can be accessed from the neighbourhood via Bayview and Yonge exits.

I encourage you to catch out further what this fine Toronto neighbourhood has to offer you.

David Gharat

www.housecondopro.com

Friday, August 25, 2017

David Gharat RE/MAX For Sale 21 Horton Blvd, Toronto, M1J1K7

Friday, August 4, 2017

Summer in Toronto: What is Simcoe Day?

Retail signs have started to go up announcing hours for the Civic Holiday on Monday of this upcoming long weekend. Some people in Toronto refer to this holiday as Simcoe Day. I love my work so long weekends don’t really get me excited but I was curious about the reason for this holiday.

This mid-summer holiday is recognized in some but not all provinces. In Ontario, the holiday has different names based on municipality. In Toronto, it is officially Simcoe Day. For instance, here are some other names for the Civic Holiday:

Colonel By Day in Ottawa,

George Hamilton Day in Hamilton,

Joseph Brant Day in Burlington,

Founders' Day in Brantford,

McLaughlin Day in Oshawa,

Alexander Mackenzie Day in Sarnia,

James Cockburn Day in Cobourg,

Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough,

John Galt Day in Guelph,

So who was Simcoe and why does he merit a holiday? Simcoe Day was named in honour of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor for Upper Canada (now Ontario). Simcoe influence on Ontario and Canada was remarkable.

As Lieutenant Governor and British Member of Parliament, he was known to support the abolition of slavery before coming to Canada, supported the Act against Slavery in the 1793. This meant that slavery was abolished in Ontario decades before all other colonies in the British Empire.

Simcoe was also responsible for moving the capital of Upper Canada (now Ontario) from Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York (now Toronto). At the time, Toronto was severely underdeveloped and Simcoe’s decision began the development of the city. Two main streets were built at this time through Upper Canada – Yonge Street and Dundas Street.

In July 1796, Simcoe return to England due to ill health and never return to Upper Canada.

So, this weekend, enjoy time with friends and family and be grateful for Simcoe for putting Canada on the forefront of slavery abolition.

David Gharat

www.housecondopro.com

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Your Home, Your Investment: Preparing your home for summer vacation!

It’s summertime and you may be planning to get away to the cottage, the beach or across the country to visit family and friends. If you are planning to be away longer than 3-4 days, you will want take specific steps to prepare and protect your home for while your away. There are several checklists available on the topic. Here is the one we use for preparing and protecting your home room by room.

General:

Home Monitoring: Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check on your house every 3 days. Investigate installing a security system to monitor your home more closely.

Social Media: Do not communicate beyond a trusted group that you will be away. Avoid posting photos on social media while you are away.

Pets: Arrange for care of pets, if necessary.

Home Insurance: Review your home insurance policy to make sure you comply with insurance company requirements.

Yard and Driveway:

Flowers: Arrange to have summer annuals watered daily.

Lawn: Arrange to have lawn mowed if away longer than 2 weeks.

Flood Lights: Install motion-censored floodlights outside your home.

Windows: Close and lock all windows.

Vehicles: Leave vehicles parked as normal, be it in the driveway or in the garage, if possible.

Entry:

Additional key: Have an extra key made for a trusted neighbor or friend.

Mail: Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect your mail if you have an outdoor mailbox.

Newspaper: Discontinue the newspaper while you are away.

Air Conditioning: Set temperature 4-5 degrees Celsius higher than normal to save electricity.

Living Room and Bedrooms:

Lamps: Turn on one indoor lamp near a window during the evening hours using a timer or a web application.

Electronics: Unplug all small electronic while you are away to save electricity.

Kitchen:

Perishables: Remove all perishables from your refrigerator that will go bad before your return.

Garbage: Remove all garbage from your inside home. Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to put out on Garbage Day.

Recycling: Remove all recycling from inside your home. Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to put out on Recycling Day.

Compost: Remove all compost from inside your home. Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to put out on Recycling Day.

Dishwasher: Run and empty dishwasher. Leave dishwasher open while you are away.

Basement/Laundry Room:

Laundry: Wash and dry laundry. Make sure last minute dirty items are dry.

Water: Shut off water supply if away longer than 2 weeks. Adjust hot water heater setting to vacation setting, if possible

Relax and enjoy your summer vacation!

David Gharat

www.housecondopro.com

Monday, July 10, 2017

Driving Around Toronto - For Sale And Open House Signs

Driving around Toronto these days, you actually see For Sale and Open House signs up in neighborhoods. This is exciting! While the last few years have been exciting, I believe his balanced, non-frenzied market is strong with potential benefits for buyers, sellers, and investors.

Whether or not to buy, sell or invest at any given time for any one individual or family depends on many factors. The real estate market and the prices that result from the forces of supply and demand are only some factors to consider. Your current personal, professional and financial goals and milestones will also be key in your decision.

If you are buyer, here are some positives to consider:

· Recent requirements for 20% down payment protect prospective buyers from over-extending their debt.
· With increased supply in the housing market, prospective buyers have more choice, more time to consider different homes and review home inspections.
· Increased tax requirements for foreign buyers tempers the foreign demand somewhat and may be beneficial to buyers who reside in Canada.
· Overtime, once the forces of supply and demand set in, prices may become more stable and predictable and potentially, more affordable.
· Real estate, over time, appreciates and continues to be a very good investment.

· Interest rates remain historically low and any anticipated increase would likely be modest.

If you are a seller, consider the following benefits:

· With more days on the open market, sellers will be in a position to consider best offers over the course of days, not hours.

· Home prices (otherwise seen as asset value) may be more stable and predictable, allowing for better financial and retirement planning.

· If you have been in your home for a while, you can use the value from your home to downsizing and fund an earlier retirement or you can leverage the value from your current home to upsize to your future home.

David Gharat

www.housecondopro.com

Monday, June 26, 2017

Your Home, Your Investment: Stay Cool with Central Air Conditioning!

Your Home, Your Investment: Stay Cool with Central Air Conditioning!

Summers in Toronto are usually sunny, hot and humid. Even though we love it, the high humidity, hot air temperatures and bright sunshine can sometimes combine to make an uncomfortable indoor environment. An air-conditioning system provides relief by lowering the air temperature and the humidity level your home.

There are a few options open to you and qualified HVAC Specialists can help you determine the system to cool your home. Some options to consider include: a room air conditioner (either window or wall-mounted), a central air conditioner or a heat pump. A room air conditioner works if you are cooling 1-2 rooms. A heat pump may be an option if you are looking for a new heating and cooling system. If you want to cool the entire space of 4 or more rooms and your home already has a furnace to heat your home, investing in central air conditioning may be the best option for you.

How does a central air conditioning system work? Air conditioners, working in conjunction with your existing heating system, manufacture cool air by evaporating refrigerant such as Freon. Basically ,there are coils both inside (for cold air) and outside (for warm air). The units contain a compressor to change Freon into hot, high-pressure gas that travels through the coils. As it does so, it loses its heat and becomes liquid; the liquid in turn goes through a valve and evaporates into cold, low-pressure gas. When it enters the coils, it absorbs the indoor heat and lowers the temperature.

What factors should you consider when selecting a Central Air Conditioning system? There are five factors you should consider when selecting a central air conditioning system: 1) Size, 2) Energy Efficiency, 3) Budget, 4) Manufacturer’s Brand and 5) Installation. Let’s consider each factor in more detail.

1) Size: Determining the size of the system that best fits your home is key. Factors such as number of rooms, number of windows, ceiling heights external temperatures should be considered.

2) Energy Efficiency: Residential air conditioners use the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) as a measure of their efficiency. This measure shows the number of British Thermal Units (BTU) of cold air provided for each watt of electricity. Higher EER is more efficient and more expensive units.

3) Budget: There are two costs associated with installing a central air conditioning system: equipment cost and installation labour costs. To help reduce the costs of the system, ask about Manufacturer, Installation Vendor or Government of Ontario rebate programs.

4) Manufacturer’s Brand: There are multiple air conditioning brands and each brand manufacturers different units to meet different needs. Warranties are pretty standard at 10-year parts and labour.

5) Installation: After you determine the size, energy efficiency and budget, selecting the installation vendor may be your most important decision. Good equipment can be installed improperly, creating short and long-term problems.

David Gharat

www.housecondopro.com

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Summer in Toronto: Sensational Strawberry Shortcake!

Summer in Toronto: Sensational Strawberry Shortcake!

What is there not to love about Strawberry Shortcake? During summer in Toronto, we indulge in a perfectly balanced sweet but not too sweet combination of fresh, red strawberries, sweet whipped heavy cream and light and flaky shortcake. It is red and white, the colours of the Canadian flag.

This dessert evokes memories in me. When I taste the cream it takes me back to memories of my first home: India. I fondly remember drinking fresh cream on my grandfather’s farm near Alibag, a coastal town south of Mumbai in the Raigad district. When I taste the cream, I think of him and the trips my family made when I was young. The strawberries trigger memories of summer in my second home: Canada. It brings back the fun of trips to U-Picks across Southern Ontario and the start of the Canadian summer on sunny June days.

I am told recipes for shortcake either Team Biscuit or Team Cake. Here is the recipe from The Canadian Living Cookbook we use every time we enjoy this delightful summer dessert!

Classic Shortcake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cold butter, cubed

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter finely. Combine sour cream and milk, add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring with a fork to make a slightly sticky dough.

Gather into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface, knead gently 8 times until smooth. Roll or pat out as an 8-inch round about ¾ inch thick or cut into 6 individual rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Place on a baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in 425-degree oven for 20-25 for minutes for large shortcake or 15-20 minutes for individual shortcakes or until baked through in center and golden brown.

To serve, split in half while warm. Spoon lightly-sweetened strawberries over bottom half .

Top with whipped cream and then top with other half.

Top with whipped cream and more fruit. Makes 6 servings.

Summer in Toronto. Enjoy!
www.housecondopro.com