Virtually Toronto Real Estate: News and Information for April 2002

TODAY'S TOPICS
-Toronto Real Estate Board 'MarketWatch' April 2002
-Canadians Break Out The Barbecue
-Golf Courses In Toronto

-MARKET WATCH-April 2002-
Just Another All Time Record

At 7,602 transactions, sales for March were the highest ever recorded in the 82 year history of the Toronto Real Estate Board, TREB President David Pearce announced today. "We eclipsed the previous record of 7,485 sales, set just last May, by about 2%, and we are up 20% over the 6,328 sales recorded in March of 2001."

The President went on to note that average prices rose 1% in March, to $274,874 from February's $270,883, and were up 11% from March 2001. "While prices continued to rise, the rate of increase slowed markedly last month. For this reason, we predict relative price stability over the course of 2002, not a late-80's style run-up."

Breaking down the total, 2,932 sales were reported in TREB's 28 West districts and averaged $249,155; 1,221 sales were reported in the 14 Central districts and averaged $390,999; 1,482 sales were reported in the 23 North districts and averaged $298,675; and 1,967 sales were reported in TREB's 21 East districts and averaged $223,194.

Neighbourhood Corner-The Downtown Condo Market

The Downtown Condo Market (C-1) was extremely active in the 1st quarter of 2002, with 415 apartment sales recorded, up 55% from the same three-month period last year. The average price remained stable at $250,330. However, the median price rose 11% to $227,011 over 2001's $204,000 figure.
TREB Market Watch (April 2002)

CANADIANS BREAK OUT THE BARECUE-
Spring has officially arrived, and while the winter weather may not be gone in parts of the country, for many Canadians, barbecue season is fast approaching.

Maybe it never left. According to the Barbecue Industry Association (now part of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association) www.hpba.org , more people are barbecuing year-round than ever before.

There's a continuing trend to outdoor living rooms that are becoming almost as well-equipped as most kitchens. Even in cold-climate locations, homes are being designed to take advantage of the outdoor weather, with elaborate built-in barbecue, clean-up and storage facilities, as well as outdoor hearth products.

Here are some other barbecue trends:

Men use gas and charcoal barbecues twice as much as women, but if it's an electric barbecue, it's likely a woman who will do the cooking.

The most important features in a gas grill, according to buyers, are a large cooking surface, shelves, a grease catcher and a fuel gauge.

The most popular barbecue foods are still hamburgers, steak, hot dogs and chicken. But other foods that are becoming more popular for the barbecue are ribs, corn, other vegetables, fish, other red meat burgers, vegetable burgers and whole turkey.

About 17 per cent of gas grill owners now use smoking wood chips to enhance barbecue flavour. The most popular flavours are mesquite and hickory.

The Canadian Standards Association www.csa.ca says that every year, there are safety problems with gas barbecues because of improper lighting techniques and lack of maintenance. The beginning of the season is a good time to review some common-sense safety tips for lighting and transporting barbecues.

If you haven't used your barbecue for awhile, make sure the burner holes and tubes connecting to the burners are free of rust, grease and dirt. A blocked burner can create a gas backup and cause a fire at the control panel.

Remember to check all connections for leaks, by spreading soapy water on all fittings. If bubbles appear and grow larger, or if more bubbles keep appearing, there's a leak.

Always use and store the barbecue outside.

When transporting propane cylinders, make sure they are in a secure upright position with the valve plugs in place. They should be in the trunk with the trunk lid secured partially open, or on the floor of the back seat of the car, with all the windows open.

If you use a charcoal barbecue, make sure the barbecue lighter is kept in a safe place where children can't reach it. Store the lighter indoors --the weather can damage the plastic and cause the lighter fluid to leak out.

And once you're ready to cook, keep these food safety tips in mind:

Meats for the barbecue should be kept refrigerated until it's time to cook them. Keep uncooked meat on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator until it's ready for use.

If you're using frozen meat, thaw it only in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. You can also thaw it under cold running water or in a microwave oven. Frozen meat can also be placed directly on the barbecue.

Make sure the centre of all ground or stuffed meats, and poultry and fish, reaches 165 F by using a meat thermometer. Cook the red colour out of hamburgers -- only rare roast beef and beef steaks can be safely eaten if the meat is still red.
(realty times)

GOLF COURSES IN TORONTO-
Challenging courses, reasonable rates and more...

Toronto's golf courses are a challenge for players of every skill level. Our green fees are reasonable, with reduced rates for Juniors and Seniors, a 9-hole morning rate off the back nine, and a twilight special for early evening players.

Enjoy a refreshment or a light snack at our licensed snack bars after the game. Visit the course pro shop, managed by a certified member of the Canadian Professional Golfers Association. The fun begins in mid-April and finishes in mid-November.
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/parks/recreation_facilities/golfing/golf_index.htm