Smart owners would pay up for enviro-certification (Source: The Province) Homeowners may be thinking about the earth’s future when choosing to go green, but incentives for the self-interested consumer are a growing part of the picture, industry experts say. Ron Lemaire, spokesman for the Canada Green Building Council, says according to a Nielsen survey conducted this year, 82 per cent of Canadians said they would invest more for a green-certified home. A major factor is perceived value, he said. “The … Read More

BuzzBuzzHomeSeptember 30, 2009 SigNature Developments has released these two short-videos promoting their new Triumph Living Condominiums including Triumph North in Schomberg Ontario and Mackenzie Ridge in Maple Ontario. Although extremely cheesy, they are really funny and fun to watch. It is interesting – and exciting – to see developers and marketers starting to make use of the internet and social-media tools to further push their projects and promotions. While I think the below two videos are funny, I found the … Read More

Canadian homeprices in July down 5.1% from year earlier…eighth consecutive 12-month decline…HOWEVER Monthly price rises in all markets surveyed…third consecutive monthly rise of composite index…trend reversal consistent with improving market conditions… (Source: Teranet-National Bank House Price Index) Canadian home prices in July were down 5.1% from a year earlier, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. Though it was the eighth consecutive 12-month decline, it was also the first time in 13 months that prices in every … Read More

In the home remodeling and construction world, there are many additional responsibilities home owners have. Many old homes may need repairs or renovations and may still contain obsolete building materials. Gaining the assistance of Canadian home construction professionals can make the home renovating or constructing process easy and stress free. Highly regarded throughout the 20th century, asbestos is a fibrous mineral that gained popularity due to its flame resistant, highly durable and inexpensive qualities. Commonly found in pipes, insulation, roofing … Read More

BuzzBuzzHomeSeptember 30, 2009 Where would you want to live if you recently graduated university, were launching a new career and looking for a mate? In the article mentioned below, The Wall Street Journal outlines the coolest areas in the US, but what about Canada? Big cities dominate our panelists’ forecasts. Where trendy smaller cities might have captivated youth in the past, today’s recession-scarred young people are more pragmatic, placing “greater emphasis on where high-quality, high-paying jobs are created,” says Ross … Read More

(Source: Daily Commercial News) Things are on the rise at the Spring at the Minto Gardens condominium and townhouse project in North York, Ont. Minto Communities Inc. has completion of the 33-storey building, with 326 units and 16 townhouses, scheduled for the end of 2010. The project was designed by Page & Steele Inc. and IBI Group Architects. Read the full article “Moving upward on Minto Gardens” in the Daily Commercial News (September 30, 2009). Want to buy a new … Read More

BuzzBuzzHomeSeptember 30, 2009 The Case/Shiller report, of September 29 2009, dominated the real-estate news/industry, as the index rose 1.2 per cent in July. As such, it was indicated that home prices in 20 US cities rose the most in 4 years. What does this mean for real estate? Check out Laurie Goodman’s (from Amherst Securities) interview with Bloomberg television as she discusses the “Shadow Inventory” and the impact on the housing supply and housing prices.

(Source: CBC News) Alberta officials are investigating another incident at a downtown Calgary construction site, this time involving the failure of a small crane. The mobile crane, which was roped to the Bow building, fell off the third storey on Saturday, smashed into some windows and was left dangling over the construction site. “There was a hoist that was lifting a window panel, and the hoist failed, and the window panel fell approximately 20 feet,” said Chris Chodan, a spokesman … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome September 29, 2009 The battle lines have been drawn… The players? Online real estate services such as Zillow, Trulia, blogs; and, the MLS system. This fight took a turn in Washington State, where new blogging guidelines have been set… new players must adapt to these new rules, or be prepared to pay thousands of dollars in fines. If only the MLS met the needs of the public, then maybe this war would never have been started. It seems that … Read More

‘Young & Eligible’ now Yonge & Restless (Source: The Star) Yonge and Eglinton has always been a battlefield. In 1837, rebels killed a loyalist colonel at the corner of Montgomery Ave. and Yonge St., in one of the first shots of the Upper Canada Rebellion. Almost 200 years later, it’s hard to tell who the rebels are – the developers pushing for highrise condos or the residents trying to preserve the lowrise way of life in the adjacent neighbourhoods. Read … Read More