Virtually Toronto Real Estate: News and Information
for Dec. 2003
TODAY'S TOPICS
-Toronto Real Estate Board 'MarketWatch'
December 2003
-How to "Cure" Your House
Before You Sell
-The Canadian Opera Company
-MARKET WATCH-DECEMBER 2003-
Banner Year as November Breaks Record
With November continuing a record breaking streak for a sixth
consecutive month,
2003 will be the best year ever for the Toronto real estate
market, TREB President
Cynthia Lai announced today.
"With residential sales reaching 74,764, the 11 month
total is already above the
74,759 sales recorded in all of 2002," the President said.
"By the end of December,
we should be up five per cent over last year's figure, and closing
in on the 80,000
sale mark. It will be a truly remarkable end to a remarkable
year."
Sales for November reached 5,847, besting the previous record
November (November 2002,
with 5,537 sales) by about six per cent.
Breaking down the total, 2,207 sales were reported in TREB's
28 West districts and averaged
$282,696; 1,006 sales were reported in the 14 Central districts
and averaged $407,632; 1,134
sales were reported in the 23 North districts and averaged $321,582;
and 1,500 sales were
reported in TREB's 21 East districts and averaged $243,244.
TREB Market Watch (December 2003)
-HOW TO 'CURE' YOUR HOUSE BEFORE YOU SELL-
If you're getting ready to sell, then ensuring you have curb
appeal, clutter-free rooms,
and the look of a model home is important. But it's also vital
to play house doctor and
cure those ailments that have been lingering -- drafty windows,
stale odors, cold floors,
and the like.
There are several reasons to get these problems taken care
of before potential buyers
are alerted to them. First, these types of shortcomings will
more than likely be noticed
by a home inspector on behalf of the potential buyer once an
offer is made.
Home inspectors provide a written report that includes information
on the condition
of each section, calling attention to the systems or components
that may need repair,
are unsafe or do not function properly.
It's best to get these problems taken care of up front so they
don't delay the process
-- and take away from the value of your home.
For starters, if you have mildew or musty odors, then you may
have some moisture
and potentially mold issues. Normal activities of everyday living
-- breathing, showering,
cooking, and drying clothes -- bring moisture to the air inside
your home.
To counter moisture problems, make sure your kitchen and bathrooms
can breathe
and have proper ventilation; make sure the clothes dryer is
vented directly to the
outside; be certain your home envelope -- the combination of
materials that surround
the interior space you live in including walls, floors, ceiling,
roof, windows, and doors
-- prevents moisture from entering your home.
Also, test your ducts for air leaks. Hire a heating and cooling
contractor to determine if
your air-conditioning unit is sized and operating properly for
adequate humidity removal.
Fix foundation water problems and any leaks in the roof, around
doors and windows,
and pipes.
If the moisture problem is in your basement, you should clean
your rain gutters and redirect
downspout run-off away from the foundation; re-grade the ground
around the house so
that it slopes down away from the foundation (only if other
solutions don't work); provide
adequate ventilation of internal sources of moisture, like dryers
and bathrooms; and seal
around windows and any wall penetrations.
Inefficient windows can bring high moisture with inadequate
ventilation, causing condensation,
frost, or pools of water on the windowsill. Moisture in the
air can condense on the cold surfaces
of your windows; continued excess moisture can lead to -- you
guessed it -- mold and mildew.
As with other moisture problems, proper ventilation is also
important in this case. Also, if you
have single pane windows, especially with metal frames, install
storm windows or consider
replacing your existing windows with energy-efficient ones.
If you have a humidifier, check for
proper operation so you don't add excessive moisture to your
indoor air. The humidifier setting should be adjusted with large
swings in outdoor temperature.
Another hallmark of moisture problems is peeling paint. Correct
moisture problems and reduce air
leakage to avoid repainting. Use a proper vapor barrier to control
moisture. Apply paint according
to the manufacturer's instructions. Air leaks can also be a
potential problem.
Cold air leaking into your house around windows, doors, electrical
outlets, light fixtures, and gaps
between the floor and wall, can cause rooms to feel drafty and
uncomfortable.
Things to do:
Hire a professional to perform an evaluation with a "blower
door" test. A professional can find
and seal hidden air-leaks and verify that combustion appliances
are operating safely.
Install weather stripping around doors and windows.
Install electrical outlet gaskets.
Hire a heating and cooling contractor to check for adequate
and balanced air-flow from heating system ductwork.
Check the fireplace to make sure the damper closes tight when
not in use.
(realty times)
-CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY-
Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts
Our dream of an opera house in Toronto is now a reality.
With gifts totalling more than $79 million to date, we’re
over halfway
to our campaign goal of $150 million and construction is well
on its way.
The Canadian Opera Company’s new home will be a 2,000-seat
jewel set
in the heart of downtown Toronto. Acoustics have been designed
to
showcase the full glory and range of opera, and the tiered horseshoe-shaped
auditorium is modelled after the best European opera houses,
offering
unparalleled intimacy and sightlines.
Participate in the creation of this cultural landmark and play
a leading role.
Help keep the Canadian Opera Company strong as we build toward
our
future. Please consider subscribing to all six operas and making
an annual
gift with your subscription.
http://www.coc.ca
