The earth is suffering from the population’s carbon footprint. You can feel it in the heat of the summer. You can see it in the natural disasters clogging up the news. Between 1990 and 2003, Statistics Canada reported greenhouse gas emissions increased by 24 per cent. Many would like to make a difference in their own household through the use of green energy. Popular choices are solar or geothermal ...
Posted by Paul Baron
on November 29, 2010
The days are getting chilly, and the nights even more so. Your home is a place of comfort and one of the biggest costs of comfort during these colder months is home heating. According to Statistics Canada, in 2005 the average Canadian resident paid $142 per month for home heating. Add 10 years of inflation on top of that as well as HST and you have some big numbers. After experiencing ...
Posted by Paul Baron
on November 11, 2010
When you first walk into a home, you want it to feel warm and inviting...Especially over the holiday season. To create this "cozy" atmosphere everyone yearns for after coming in from the cold, here are a few little design tips from LHL DESIGN to help you and your guests stay warm this winter!
Warm colors + inviting accents + a few decorations here and there +and textured fabrics= a lovely ...
Posted by Lorynne Lofsky
on November 11, 2010
It’s the last thing you want to think about at such an emotional time, but when a family member passes away the house legally changes over to care of the executor and it’s time to make some hard decisions. With more than 400,000 Canadians born between 1947 and 1966 in the baby boom, more and more families will be dealing with aging family members.
There are a few steps the family and ...
Posted by Paul Baron
on October 31, 2010
Whether you have recently moved or are thinking of relocating, getting to know the neighbourhood should be first on your list of things to do.
Explore on foot. The best way to get your bearings, remember streets and possibly run into neighbours and members of the community is to take to the streets and walk your way around. You’ll also know how far it is from one destination to ...
Posted by Paul Baron
on October 17, 2010
It’s all about first impressions. Your home has a personality. Let it shine with simple updates that can take your home from nothing special to eye-catching. First, head out to the driveway or street and look back at your house. Is it aesthetically pleasing? Would you be interested in buying your home with its current outside appearance?
Your home’s curb appeal is what sparks ...
Posted by Paul Baron
on October 10, 2010
Fire Safety and Your home.
The week of October 2 – 9 is fire prevention week. You need to check all your smoke detectors. Canadian researches show that 50% of people who tamper with their smoke detectors, forget that they did it. So replace batteries, push the test button, and replace any smoke detector 10 years or older. A working detector doubles your chance ...
Posted by Orville Lewin
on October 4, 2010
Why people are complaining about the Toronto and Greater Toronto market?
Homes in Markham, Vaughan, and Toronto are selling and in some cases we are generating multiple offers. The reason why some homes are sitting on the market is because they are either in poor condition, in a less then desirable location or most importantly for this market, not priced right.
I ...
Posted by William Karnasiotis
on September 29, 2010
The kitchen is an area in a home that is used A LOT. We all know that if the kitchen is conducive, the party will end up there all night! Lights can keep the mood up or down, they can make you feel invited or unwanted. In a kitchen, there are so many options even as to where to put the lights; let alone the type and style of light. In a kitchen there can be under cabinet lighting, top of the cabinet ...
Posted by Lorynne Lofsky
on September 22, 2010
The CD Howe Institute recently released a study written by Professor Jim MacGee (University of Western Ontario), which poses the question of whether or not the Canadian housing market could experience a US-style bust, including a steep drop-off in the average selling price.
MacGee argues that mortgage underwriting standards evolved much differently in the US and Canada leading up ...
Posted by William Karnasiotis
on September 10, 2010