Virtually Toronto Real Estate: News and Information
for Nov. 2003
TODAY'S TOPICS
-Toronto Real Estate Board 'MarketWatch'
November 2003
-Ways To Make Your House Warm And
Cozy
-Create A Grand Entrance When Showing
Your House
-Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
-MARKET WATCH-NOVEMBER 2003-
Five Consecutive Record Months! October Exceeds 7,000 Sales!Toronto's
residential resale market continued its winning ways in October,
with Toronto
Real Estate Board Members reporting an October record 7,227
sales during
the course of the month, TREB President Cynthia Lai announced
today. "The
local market turned in its fifth straight record-setting month,
with sales up 12
per cent over October 2002, which was our previous best ever
October,"
Ms. Lai stated. "Not only that, sales were up seven per
cent over September,
so it appears that the Fall selling season will be an active
one as well."
Ms. Lai went on to note that prices in October continued their
upward swing,
coming in at $304,844 in October. This is up two per cent from
September's figure
of $297,398, and up nine per cent from the figure of $279,771
recorded for the
same month in 2002. "In addition," said the President,
"the year-to-date price,
at $292,836, is up six per cent from the first 10 months of
last year. So what we
are seeing are price gains that are steady enough to satisfy
the homeowner,
but not so steep as to price first time buyers out of the market."
TREB Market Watch (November 2003)
-WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME WARM AND COZY-
It's the time of year you may tend to seek out additional ways
to
warm up the look and feel of your house, making it cozier for
your family and guests. Or perhaps you're getting ready to sell
and you want your house to look welcome and inviting to potential
buyers. There are myriad ways to achieve that warm, cozy feeling.
Quick fixes to add warmth and a cozy feeling to any room include:
Lighting up. With the right lighting, a room can turn from
mediocre-looking
to sensational. The right lighting can enhance your skin tone,
allow
you to see what you're doing, draw attention to focal points
in your
décor, and make a big difference in how you feel about
your home. And best
of all, it's inexpensive compared to other home decorating or
remodeling
options. Lighting experts tell us there are three types of lighting:
general,
which gives overall light to an area and allows for safe function
in your
home; accent, which highlights and draws special attention to
details;
and task, which helps you to perform tasks.
A change of paint. Certain hues with more depth will add a
sense of intimacy
and coziness. The right shades of yellow, orange and red will
add warmth to
the room. Paint manufacturer Glidden says orange is an especially
good choice.
"It is, therefore, particularly respected in task-specific
rooms such as the kitchen
or study," its web site tells visitors. "Lighthearted
and aglow with warmth, orange
bursts alive with positive energy. It is bright, vivid, wild
and wonderful ... Keep in
mind too that orange will light up and lift the spirit of any
dark room in your home."
Accenting with an area rug. A warm, rich rug will add instant
warmth and texture to
your living room, dining room, entryway, bedroom --wherever
you'd like.
New products allow homeowners to add fireplaces to nontraditional
locations and can
be used as creative design elements throughout your house. Some
of those new
innovations include a see-through fireplace that provides a
window to the outside,
small bookshelf fireplaces installed at eye-level, fireplaces
that double as a mirror
when they're not being used, oversized gas fireplaces with 30-inch
flames, invisible
glass and no visible vents, and fireplaces in which the flames
dance in pebbles or
glass beads.
Letting the natural light in. Start by cleaning your windows
and then open
your blinds, shutters or window treatments every day to allow
the natural
light to illuminate your rooms.
Accessorizing. Add warm throw blankets to your sofa and chairs.
Use warm,
rich colors for toss pillows and accessories. Heavier fabrics
like chenille, velvet,
and tapestries also lend themselves well to a warm, cozy look.
(realty times)
-CREATE A GRAND ENTRANCE WHEN SHOWING YOUR
HOUSE-
If you're selling your house, you've probably heard all about
curb appeal.
Once that first impression passes the test, the next thing that
meets the
eyes of potential buyers is the entryway -- so make it look
good.
The entrance serves as the transition from outdoors to indoors
and can
leave an indelible impression in the mind of a potential buyer.
It defines the
quality of your property when people enter. If your entrance
exudes richness,
buyers will think of your home as a rich property and be prepared
to make
offers accordingly. If the entrance is shabby, then no matter
how well appointed
the rest of the home, 'shabby' is what will be imprinted on
the buyer's mind.
Having flooring in the entryway that varies from the rest of
the house is one way to
set off the entrance. He suggests tile flooring, whether it's
ceramic, marble, granite,
or synthetic.
An entryway is the place to make a statement. Italian ceramic
tiles come in a range
of colors; those from Mexico come in rich browns and reds.
A nice chandelier can do wonders for your entryway. Considered
the jewelry of the
home, lighting and other fixtures are by themselves of limited
value.
Tips that can help make your home more attractive to those
picky buyers out there.
They include:
Add plants. Ficus trees are good for traditional décor;
palm trees are a
good fit for contemporary.
Throw an area rug on the floor.
Use a chest or console table to anchor the area. Display a favorite
collection
or a lamp. Hang a picture or mirror above the table.
Paint a shade of yellow. It goes with everything so it's a good
choice for an
entryway, which flows to other rooms in the house.
Finally, make sure the area is clean and sparkling. If your
entryway leads
into a staircase, make sure the banister and railings are clean.
Keep the
area clear of the clutter that may otherwise accumulate during
your everyday
routines -- kids' backpacks, coats, mail, etc. Make sure the
floor is always
swept or vacuumed and make sure the entryway is fully lit, whether
it's
by a hanging fixture or a lamp.
(realty times)
-THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM (ROM)-
Experience the wonders of the ROM. Choose from programs, classes,
lectures and more.
http://www.rom.on.ca/
