How Well Do You Know Your Ontario Birds?
March 10th, 2008 Categories: Food for Soul and Spirit, Green Trends, Oakville Real Estate News
This is a beautiful gallery of Ontario birds, as captured by my friend Ashley Hockenberry, an avid amateur photographer. I appreciate the chance to share them with you.
Try to guess the name of each bird before placing the cursor over the image to find the name. How many do you know?
FOR A BIRD’S EYE VIEW ON LOCAL REAL ESTATE CONDITIONS, CALL HILARY AT 905–599–3311! NOW’S THE TIME TO LIST FOR THE SPRING MARKET.
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Downsize your home, but upsize your amenities
March 8th, 2008 Categories: Fifty-five plus, Green Trends, Oakville Real Estate News
The kids have flown the coop, and now you’re looking to build a smaller nest. But downsizing doesn’t have to mean downgrading. Instead, add more comfort, convenience and luxury with less square footage. After all, life is too short to not love your surroundings.
The Great-er Outdoors
For mature adults who are tired of the rigors and high cost of constant lawn upkeep, no-mow lawns are a time-, water-, fuel- and money-saving alternative. These lawns are a mix of several slow-growing fescue grasses that form a dense, tough turf. They are extremely low maintenance, needing no fertilizer nor watering, and typically only require mowing once per year.
For colder climates where snow removal is important, driveway heating systems are an ideal amenity. Most feature automatic smart sensors that turn on when it begins to snow, providing snow removal, whether you’re home or not.
Ordinary Extraordinary
Mature adults are finding ways to turn ordinary rooms into extraordinarily indulgent experiences. Shower customization with rainshowers, sidesprays and handheld showers are today’s hottest bathroom trend – creating a private spa escape. But mature adults also need to keep it safe by adding shower seats and grab bars. Home Care by Moen offers safe and stylish options with their mesh shower chair and its SecureMount grab bar installation system. The beautifully designed grab bars are available in a variety of styles and finishes — looking like decorative pieces, rather than safety devices – while a unique anchor system makes them easy to install.
Interior Ingenuity
With many mature adults using their retirement as a time to jet set around the globe, get a second home, or visit children and grandchildren, a convenient, accessible space for luggage is a must. According to CNNMoney.com trend spotter Les Christie, luggage rooms, which store luggage and travel goods between trips, are one of the top home amenity trends. Luggage rooms save homeowners the hassles of cramming suitcases in closets or using inconvenient attic storage space.
Another popular amenity is the customized exercise room. Many older adults are using their spare time (and spare rooms) to get in top shape with customized weight training, cardio machines and even indoor lap pools, which provide a rigorous resistance workout without placing stress on joints and muscles.
Regardless of the size of your home, whether you build new or buy used, filling your empty nest with hot amenities will help to make your golden years as good as gold.
Source - News Canada
HILARY CAN HELP YOU FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT HOME FOR YOU IF YOUR KIDS HAVE LEFT HOME. CALL 905–599–3311 TODAY TO LEARN WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE.
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GOING GREEN CAN SAVE YOU MONEY: Do You Know About New Government Rebate Programs?
March 7th, 2008 Categories: Green Trends, Home Maintenance, Oakville Real Estate News
It’s good to keep abreast of grants that are now available for homeowners going green.
I give regular updates on The Buzz about money-saving energy initiatives so stay posted!
Both the provincial and federal governments have new programs designed to encourage energy reduction. By staying up-to-date on the latest programs, you can save money.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is offering a new residential energy efficiency assessment service to owners of single family homes, including detached, semi-detached and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) that are no more than three storeys high.
Under the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, property owners can qualify for federal grants by improving the energy efficiency of their homes and reducing their home’s impact on the environment.
Energy advisors come to your home to do assessment
NRCan-certified energy advisors conduct a detailed on-site assessment of the home’s energy use from the attic down to the basement. They provide a personalized report, including a checklist of recommended retrofits to improve the energy efficiency of your home and, in some cases, to reduce water consumption. The report also shows the grant amounts for each eligible upgrade that you can receive by carrying out these energy-saving improvements. The maximum grant you can receive for a home is $5,000.
For instance, if you replace an old natural gas furnace with the most efficient unit available (92% AFUE or annual fuel utilization efficiency gas furnace with DC variable speed motor) you could qualify for $1,350 in rebates: $500 (Federal) plus $500 (Provincial) plus $100 from Enbridge plus $250 from the Ontario Power Authority (Cool Savings Rebate). According to the Ontario Ministry of Energy, replacing an old system (63% AFUE) with a new high efficiency condensing furnace (93% AFUE) in an average 1,200 square foot, detached house will result in savings of approximately $450 per year.
Because of its high-tech design, a high-efficiency natural gas furnace squeezes the most heat out of every heating dollar. For every dollar you spend on energy, it produces 88 to 97 cents worth of heat. It could save up to 24% in energy and related energy costs and will also help insulate homeowners from increasing energy prices.
The high efficiency furnace and many of the other retrofits eligible for rebates come with a higher price tag, but environmentally conscious homeowners believe the energy cost savings – and reduced greenhouse gas emissions – are well worth it. Also, from a resale perspective, many potential homebuyers will view “greener” appliances as a desirable feature.
For more information on the ecoEnergy Retrofit Rebate program visit the following sites:
- Natural Resources Canada (Federal) Web site at www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal under residential housing, home improvements.
- Ontario Ministry of Energy Web site at www.energy.gov.on.ca and click on the Rebate update.
- For information on qualifying toilets from the federal and provincial perspective, go to www.veritec.ca under Reports, 11th Edition (test results start on page 16)
- For information on residential rebates from the Ontario Power Authority - Cool Savings Rebate Program, go to www.everykilowattcounts.ca.
- For information on Energy Star appliances go to www.energystar.gc.ca.
- For information on Enbridge rebates, check under Residential, Rebates Incentives and Energy tips at https://portal-plumprod.cgc.enbridge.com.
(Some of the information for this post came from OREA Edge newsletter March 2008)
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Oakville Home-Owners: Back to Yanking Out Weeds the Old Fashioned Way!
February 9th, 2008 Categories: Green Trends, Oakville Events, Why Move to Oakville?
This morning I got a call from our usual lawn service company. The gentleman on the line asked if we wanted to continue our lawn treatment package for 2008.
Ever since the Town passed the no-pesticide bylaw, effective January 1, 2008, I was wondering how lawncare companies would adapt to this change.
‘You can continue with the same price and package, but instead of spraying there wll be two lawn technicians who will arrive and manually remove your weeds with a special tool. Your grub control will continue with an approved grub-deterrant.”
When I inquired further as to whether or not manual weed digging would be the way of the future for lawncare, he indicated that some new eco-friendly weed-killers were being developed and have not yet received regulatory approval by the authorities in Canada. (We Canadians are always more cautious when it comes to adopting new drugs, new lending practices, you name it.)
Call Hilary for your real estate needs and for more information about Living in Oakville!
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No More Exterminating Critters: New Pesticide Ban in Effect in Oakville
January 31st, 2008 Categories: Green Trends
To illustrate this post, I am featuring some photos of insects taken by my friend Ashley. It is good news for bugs and humans, oh and dandelions too!
The new No Pesticides bylaw went into effect January 1, 2008. In Oakville it is now an offence to apply pesticides on lawns. There are a few exceptions, some of which I list below:
1) Termite control
2) Wood preservatives
3) Exterminating or repelling rodents
4) Land used for commercial production of food
4) Buckthorn control
5) Insect repellent applied on the person
If you break this bylaw, you are liable for a fine of not less than $350 and not more than $5,000 for a first offence, and up to $10,000 for a subsequent offence.
There is a list of permitted substances for use. These include
- soap
- mineral oil
- biological pesticide
- Borax
- Ferric phosphate
- Acetic acid (vinegar)
- Sulphur
- Corn gluten meal.
For more info visit www.oakville.ca or call the Pesticide by-law Hotline at 905–815–6090.
P.S. Boris says “Hooray!”
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Attention Builders and Homesellers: What’s Hot and What’s Not for Homebuyers
January 24th, 2008 Categories: Green Trends, Halton Real Estate, Oakville Real Estate News, Real Estate News
Builders and homesellers, make sure you are hitting the sweet spot with buyers!
Here are latest home trends for 2008 revealed in annual survey by Mark Nash, real estate author, (Nash surveys 886 real estate agents in U.S. and Canada).
What’s Hot in 2008
Destination Bathrooms The master bath has evolved into “the home getaway with multiple task areas, featuring freestanding or “throne” bathtubs in the center of a soaking room, multiple flat screens TVs and wireless Internet so you don’t miss anything as you move from bathing to grooming to lounging. If the bathroom is outfitted for serving bars, wine coolers, espresso machines and grazing snacks, all the better. (Definitely seeing this trend in Oakville luxury homes)
Pet Showers The kitchen or work sink is out for the dog bath. Dedicated dog showers are an emerging trend. Be it in a mud or utility room, garage corner or basement, dog lovers want a place to clean their pooches after a visit to the neighborhood dog park. Common dog showers feature a 3′ x 3′ shower base, surrounded by ceramic tile 4 feet up the wall. Pet showers are all about convenience: Fido can step in, eliminating the master’s need to lift. (Seeing these in many $1 million+ homes in South East Oakville)
Monitoring and Controlling with Hand-held Devices. Forgot to turn off the coffee maker, close or open the blinds, turn the heat down or the air conditioning up? The latest technology lets hand-held devices open or close the blinds, turn lights on or off, or let Fido out the electronic pet door. The home owner can be around the corner or across the country and still determine what’s going on at home.
Home Elevators Catering to the aging baby boomer population, home elevators are another trend. You don’t have to move or downsize when you get older. Simply have a mini-elevator installed and you’re all set for the future. No more unsightly and very 1970s chair-on-the-rail-system for these financially flush, forward-thinking home buyers.
Outdoor Living Spaces Nash says outdoor living spaces that look interior are a very hot item for 2008. These spaces are decked out with massive fireplaces, flooring, walkways, custom kitchens and even artwork, fabrics and finishes that will hold up against Mother Nature.
New Home Energy Options The environment is a big part of the home scene. Eco-friendly homeowners are also looking for new home energy options. More and more builders will be employing out of the ordinary energy sources, such as solar panels and windmills. Using materials and systems that help protect the environment are not just a fad, notes Nash. “Home buyers are asking about how their potential new home can save the planet,” he says. “It’s more than a trend, it’s a convenient truth.”
Off-grid homes. Solar panels, windmills and inverters are here to stay in a big way. With brown-outs and power line-damaging storms on the increase, buyers in 2008 will look for hybrid home-energy options. Even being partially off-grid beats getting expensive power from coal-fired utilities to these eco-energy users.
Floating homes. If your ‘hood has calm, protected waters, you’ll soon have floating homes that look like conventional, soil-situated structures. From Louisiana to Vancouver, floating homes are being chosen as primary home. Plus, watching sunsets are a more enjoyable and greener alternative to lawn mowing.
Concealed appliances Buyers bypass matching cabinet panels that are used to disguise the ubiquitous refrigerator and dishwasher. Hinged and pocket doors are the latest way to integrate visually those boxy necessities and make the kitchen more non-traditional and less functional-looking.
What’s Not
Formal Living Rooms The living room belongs to a bygone era. The great room has officially replaced the traditional living room. Homeowners are favouring more of an informal open space that combines the eating, cooking and living space in one. Nash refers to the living room as the “forced museum”. (In viewing homes with buyers, we often see the living room being used as work-out space, pool room, home office, craft or hobby place.
Soaring cathedral ceilings are now being seen as wasteful. Buyers prefer ceilings between nine and 11 feet in height. If you can’t add a loft in a soaring room, “downsize me” height-wise, buyers say.
Bigger Is Not Better Goodbye to what Nash calls the “McMansions”. Huge homes that boast massive square footage are out. In 2008, homeowners are looking for quality, not quantity. Nash says size doesn’t matter as much as quality finishes. (On that note, we are seeing custom rebuilds in Oakville sit on the market if finishings, fixtures, workmanship are not of a high standard.)
Mosaic Tile and Retro-70’s Look Mosaic tile is on its way out. Intricate, detailed tile is very costly and time-intensive to remove and it really reflects the previous owner’s taste. In general the retro-70s chic look is becoming a thing of the past.
Need help getting your home ready for sale? Click here to Contact Hilary and her home-selling team today!
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News on North Oakville Development: OMB Gives Approval for Greenbelt
January 20th, 2008 Categories: Green Trends, Halton Real Estate, North Oakville Development, Oakville Town Planning & Development, Why Move to Oakville?
As an interested resident and local REALTOR, I attended some of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearings for the North Oakville Secondary Plan in October at Town Hall.
This week the OMB gave approval for the preservation of an extensive network of linked natural heritage corridors as the “first priority. This ruling means that 900 hectares, or more than one-third of the 3,400 hectares of developable land, will be preserved as green space.
The planned system of linked open spaces, woods and wildlife corridors, along water systems such as Bronte Creek and Sixteen Mile Creek and their tributaries, preserves an area 20 per cent bigger than New York’s Central Park, bigger also than Vancouver’s Stanley Park and almost double the size of Toronto’s High Park.
The OMB ruling marks the end of a decade-long battle by town planners and environmentalists who fought to ensure the proposed development would adhere to the planning principles of “new urbanism,” particularly in being more transit- and pedestrian-friendly.
The town has won a series of successive, hard-fought victories over developers who initially tried to fight the Natural Heritage System idea of planning at the OMB a few years ago and then abandoned the battle.
Most of the developers settled with the town in August, but a handful continued to fight, asserting their right to develop lands the plan had designated for green space.
Until now, the notion of “linked natural heritage” corridors has typically been an afterthought in planning GTA developments - or at least secondary to the goal of putting in as many housing units as possible.
The OMB ruling is expected to have ramifications across the GTA, especially in other high-profile developments in the works such as the provincially planned community for about 70,000 people on the Seaton Lands in north Pickering.
Some believe it may also play a significant role in how the province’s internationally lauded Places to Grow Act is implemented. The act is an attempt to contain urban sprawl by promoting intensification and growth in already built-up urban areas in the Golden Horseshoe.
Much of the information in this post came from a longer article in The Toronto Star entitled Hard Won Green Victory for Oakville, January 17, 2008.
Should you be interested, the Town of Oakville website contains full details of the proposed North Oakville Secondary Plan including maps.
Stay posted for upcoming article: The Oakville Buzz Interviews Planning Director, North Oakville, Town of Oakville
Related Posts:
Oakville Development North of Dundas: Whats Happening?
Do You Remember When We Ate The Fish in Lake Ontario: New Memorial in Bronte
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10 Ways to Keep Heating Costs Down This Winter
December 18th, 2007 Categories: Green Trends, Home Maintenance
Oakville Ontario Real Estate, Burlington Ontario Real Estate, Halton Region Real Estate
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The huge snowstorm we had on the weekend reminds us here in Halton Region that we have a few months of winter weather to anticipate. (This beautiful photo – Lone Tree in Winter – was taken by my friend Ashley Hockenberry. Not entirely relevant to the topic at hand, but I wanted to share it with you anyway.) Now that winter is here, being wise about controlling heating costs and minimizing wasted energy are a concern for many of us. Here are some ways to maximize warmth in your home this winter, and reduce heating costs. 1. Dress warmly indoors. When I was a child living in Scotland, most people didn’t have central heating. We were in the habit of dressing warmly or wearing a sweater around the house, thick socks or slippers. 2. Adjust your home thermostat. A good rule of thumb: Set your thermostat at 21°C when you’re home awake, 18°C when you’re sleeping and 15°C when you’re out of the house. Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat to reduce you heating bill by as much as 20 per cent. 3. Let the sun shine in: While up to 25 per cent of your home’s heat is lost through its windows, they are also a source of solar warmth. During daylight hours, keep your drapes open and let the sun help heat your home. In winter, open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house (north-facing side). 4. If you don’t have curtains, you may consider installing some. Curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds (fullness) can prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out, which reduces your heating costs. 5. Insulate your windows with plastic window film to reduce heat loss by 50 per cent, For a good source of window film information and installation, contact www.allprotint.ca and chat with Janet Johnson, right here in Oakville. 6. Check to see where draughts may be coming in. Caulk, seal and weather strip around windows and doorframes, baseboards, ducting and electrical outlets, as well as fireplaces to save up to 20 per cent on your heating bill. 7. Remember to close your fireplace flue when you’re not enjoying a fire. 8. Close interior doors leading to hallways or stairways to keep the heat where it’s needed most. Don’t heat areas of your house you don’t use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs 9. Did you know a bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour? Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount. Use both bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans more sparingly in winter. 10. Keep your furnace, heat pump, or other heating equipment in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel. An annual maintenance agreement is well worth the money to ensure that your equipment is properly maintained and will last as long as possible. Do you have any other winter energy conservation tips to share? Use the comments button to pass them on! |
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