Archive for October 25, 2007

Laurin Jeffrey | October 26, 2007
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More young homeowners in rural areas than cities

CTV.ca News Staff

Young adults in rural and small towns were more likely to become homeowners than their counterparts in Canada’s three largest cities in 2006, says a report from Statistics Canada.

The report cites higher housing costs in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal as the main reason for the gap.  Another factor is the relative scarcity of rental housing in less populated areas.

In the study, Statistics Canada defined “young adult” as those between the ages of 25 to 39.

In Canada, six of every 10 people aged 25 to 39, who did not live with their parents, owned their own home in 2006.

The study, based on data from the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), showed the proportion was highest (71%) among people in the age group who lived in a rural area or small town.

In contrast, 54% of people from the age group owned their own home in Vancouver. The amount dropped to 53% in Toronto and 48% in Montreal.

The study found that household income was one of the “biggest” factors on the likelihood of owning a home.

Only 22% of young adults reporting a household income of less than $30,000 annually were homeowners in 2006. On the other hand, 68% of those with a household income of $50,000 to $80,000 were homeowners, as were 82% of those with an income of $100,000 or more.

Still, in rural areas 40% of young adults who had household incomes of under $30,000 annually were homeowners. The rate was only 16% among young people living in one of Canada’s six largest metropolitan areas.

Additional factors

Overall, three-quarters of those aged 25 to 39 who no longer lived with their parents said owning their own home was very important to them.

Aside from rising housing prices, many in the age group delayed buying a home because they decided to stay in school longer.

Young adults were most likely to own a home if they were married and had children.

In 2006, 79% of married young adults who had children owned their own home. This proportion was only 40% among individuals living alone and 33% among single parents.

Almost two-thirds (64%), of young adults born in Canada and no longer living with their parents were homeowners.

Meanwhile, less than half (48%) of those who immigrated five to nine years prior to the survey were homeowners.

Homeownership rates also varied with age and employment.

Only 38% of young people between the ages of 25 and 27 owned their own home in 2006. In contrast, 73% of those aged 37 to 39 owned a home.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Category: Ajax Real Estate, Buying Real Estate, Pickering Real Estate |
Laurin Jeffrey | October 25, 2007
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Green Up Your Home

We all know that our natural resources will not be there in the long run. So why don’t you do something good for your family, your pocketbook, and the environment. Making your home a little greener is easy but will have a great impact on the environment. A few simple changes in your house can go a long way to combat both high energy bills and global warming. To green up you home, consider these 10 tips and save money.

Tip # 1: Use CFLs
Replace your incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). By replacing even your five most frequently used light bulbs, you’ll save $100 per year because they use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer.

Tip # 2: Program Your Thermostats
Watch the temperature and save 10% on your heating and cooling costs just by setting your thermostat back when you’re not home and while you’re sleeping. Turn down the thermostat in cold weather and keep it higher in warm weather. Each degree below 20°C(68°F) during colder weather saves 3% – 5% more heating energy, while keeping your thermostat at 25°C(78°F) in warmer weather will save you energy and money. You won’t notice the change in the temperature, until you look at the reduction in your energy bills.

Tip # 3: Plug Air Leaks
Air leaks are the biggest energy waster in the home but they can be simple to plug. Install weather-stripping and caulk to stop those expensive drafts and improve comfort. It’s cheap and easy and good for the environment . Look for leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, plumbing penetrations, and in the attic floor.

Tip # 4: Go Low-Flow
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to save resources without sacrificing water pressure. An efficient showerhead will save your family $300 per year. They only cost about $15 and installing them couldn’t be easier, just screw them on! You could also install a low-flow toilet. However, if you don’t want to make changes to you washroom, adjust your toilet’s float valve to admit less water into the toilet’s tank.

Tip # 5: Green Up Your Appliances
When replacing your appliances, such as your water heater, furnace, or air conditioner, you should select ENERGY STAR qualified products. Appliance use comprises about 18% of a typical home’s total energy bill. If any of your appliances is more than 10 years old, replacing them with energy-efficient models that bear their “Energy Star” logo will be very beneficial and save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Tip # 6: Clean Green
Stop buying household cleaners that are toxic to both you and the environment. Use alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve,  found in carpet cleaner and some window cleaners as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum in detergents. Or, skip buying altogether and make your own cleaning products. Use simple ingredients such as plain soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice and save money.

Tip # 7: Bamboo for Floors
Renovating your wooden floors? Look for bamboo. Bamboo is considered an environmentally friendly flooring material due to its high yield and the relatively fast rate at which it replenishes itself. It takes about four to six years for bamboo to mature while other typical hardwood take 50-100 years. Just be sure to look for sources that use formaldehyde-free glues.

Tip # 8: Use Healthier Paint
Conventional paints contain solvents, toxic metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause smog, ozone pollution, and indoor air quality problems, all that result with negative health effects. These unhealthy ingredients are released into the air while you’re painting, while the paint dries, and even after the paints are completely dry. When selecting paints, look for the Green Seal and opt for zero- or low-VOC paint.

Tip # 9: Save a Tree
You can save a tree if you use less paper. You can buy “tree-free” 100% post-consumer recycled paper for everything from greeting cards to toilet paper. Paper with a high post-consumer waste content uses less virgin pulp and keeps more waste paper out of landfills.

Tip # 10: Garden Green
When fertilizing your garden’s grass, flowers, and plants, use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. Compost provides a full complement of soil organisms and the balance of nutrients needed to maintain the soil’s well-being. This will result in a healthy soil, which will minimize weeds and is key to producing healthy plants.

As you can see, being earth-friendly doesn’t require going solar or growing  your own food. There are many simple easy ways to make a big difference. When it comes to saving the environment, being a good global citizen starts at your doorstep. From using alternative cleaning materials to making minor changes at your home, all can add up to big benefits for the planet and your health and will also save you money.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Category: General Real Estate, Miscellaneous, Renovation and Maintenance |
Laurin Jeffrey | October 25, 2007
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15 Tips for Hiring a Remodeling Contractor

Finding a qualified contractor for your home remodelling project can be daunting and confusing but it’s not a difficult task. You can easily search the web or look in the yellow pages and find many home remodelling contractors listed in your area. But the question is:  which one do you hire for your home remodelling project? Which one will perform quality work, charge a fair price, and get the job done on time?

By following these tips you will make the selection process easier and be better prepared to make an informed decision that best suites your needs.

1. To reduce the risk of hiring the wrong home contractor you should first do a little preparation yourself for the home remodelling project. Sketch out and write down what you want to get done. Provide a copy of this information to the prospective home remodelling contractor as this will help to minimize misunderstandings of requirements.

2. Visit home improvement centers such as The Home Depot, and look at materials expected to be used on your project. Make note of their costs for you to compare material costs proposed by prospective contractors.

3. When you start to call prospective contracts ask for references and previous work that you can visit.

4. Employ a contractor with an established business in your area. Local firms can be checked through references from past customers in your community. Local contractor are compelled to perform satisfactory work for their business to survive.

5. Contact your local licensing agencies to ensure the contractor meets all requirements.

6. Check the contractor with the government’s Consumer Affair Office and the Better Business Bureau to ensure there is no adverse file on record.

7. Ask to see a copy of the contractor’s certificate of insurance for you to also ensure the contractor meets all specifications.

8. Make sure the contractor’s insurance coverage meets all the minimum requirements.

9. Be sure that the contract between you and the contractor states exactly what is to be done and how change orders will be handled.

10. Make as small a down payment as possible so you won’t lose a large sum of money if the contractor fails to complete the job.

11. Be sure that the contract states when the work will be finished and what action you can take if it isn’t. Also remember that in many instances you can cancel a contract within three business days of signing it.

12. Ask if the contractor’s workers will do the entire job or whether subcontractors will do parts.

13. Be sure that the contract specifies that the contractor will clean up after the job and be responsible for any damage.

14. Guarantee that materials used meet your specifications.

15. Don’t make the final payment until you’re satisfied with the finished job.

Whether you’re planning an addition to you home for a growing family or simply getting new storm windows, finding a reliable contractor is the first step to a successful and satisfying home improvement project. However, to find a good contractor, someone you can trust to do a good job for a fair price and stand behind his or her work could be hard. But if you do your homework and follow these tips, you will improve the odds of getting a contractor you will be happy with.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Category: General Real Estate, Miscellaneous, Renovation and Maintenance | Tags: , , , , ,
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