Real Estate Info

Happy new year to one and all!
 
With the dawning of 2018, the Toronto real estate market seems to be stuck in first gear. With the introduction of new regulations to stem the tide of soaring housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver in the spring of 2017, both real estate sectors were stopped in their tracks. Although Vancouver has managed to rally, the Toronto housing market is still a relative seller’s market. December slide in sales was not as steep as in the previous five months, but nonetheless, it was not a great showing.
 
What does this mean for you? Well, if you were planning to buy a house this year, then you are in luck. The steady rise of Toronto housing prices has slowed down dramatically and in some areas fallen off slightly, so it can be seen as a buyer’s market. Conversely though, since sellers might not be able to get a higher asking price, they might be less likely to sell. If that happens and there is a shortage of inventory on the market, then housing prices will remain stable and not necessarily fall as most buyers would like.
 
Regardless of what the future holds in 2018 for the Toronto housing market, one thing is certain – we will be here to keep you on top of it all!

When it comes to the holidays in your Toronto home, nothing says festive like a decorated fireplace mantle. Whether you like the minimalist look or go all out hanging stockings with care, the fireplace is usually the focal point of every home and should definitely get the kind of holiday dressing it deserves.
 
Candles
While there are several ways of sprucing up your mantle for the festive season, one of the simplest ways to add a bit of glamour or cheer is through the use of candles. For a homier look you can add more traditional candles but modern, shimmering candles will produce a contemporary elegance.
 
Wreaths
Green wreaths are the more classic look for the holidays and go well with different kinds of ornaments, but if you are going for a more chic appearance then using gold or silver wreaths with colour-coordinated ornaments will add the right zesty look to your fireplace mantle.
 
Stockings
Stockings are among the most commonly used items to decorate mantle places – and with good reason! They are colourful, can be personalized and add a lot of warmth to any holiday setting. Using stocking holders is another way of sprucing up your fireplace. Some holders are very fancy. Made from copper, brass, pewter or wood, some holders are heirlooms that can be passed down through the generations.
 
Snow Globes
Snow globes are a great way to add cheer to any mantle. Whether big or small, these fanciful treasures can depict a variety of festive scenes and are a must-have for any holiday setting.
 
Pictures
Another great way of personalizing your mantle for the holidays is by putting up family pictures of all holidays past.
 
Preparing for the holidays is one of the best ways to get into the festive spirit and adding colour and sparkle to your mantle will enhance your home beautifully.

Toronto winters can be long and shivery. Installing a fireplace is always a popular idea yet many urban municipalities no longer permit wood-burning fireplaces due to the emissions they produce. However, gas fireplaces are a viable alternative, which offer many benefits over the traditional wood models.
 
One of the biggest draws of the gas fireplace is that it is so clean. There are no messy embers to deal with, no yearly cleaning of your chimney and no grate to sweep up and empty periodically.
 
The other very convenient aspect of gas fireplaces is that you can turn them on with one click of a remote or with your thermostat. You don’t have to fiddle with matches or paper to get the fire going and you don’t have to tend it to make sure that it doesn’t go out. You just set it to the temperature that you want and let it do the rest. In fact, you can even program them so that they turn on automatically when the temperature drops below a certain level. And, turning it off is just as easy – one click and it’s done.
 
Installing a gas fireplace is also very simply when compared to installing a wood burning one. As long as they are properly vented outside, you don’t have a build a chimney or any other very complicated infrastructure.
 
Lastly, a gas fireplace in your Toronto home means a constant flame for consistent heat – no fluctuations and a more comfortable environment.
 
The cons of having a gas fireplace are clear: a higher cost than that of buying cords of wood and the warm, cozy feeling of sitting in front of a crackling fire with the smokey smell of burning wood. The atmosphere created by a wood burning fireplace cannot be replicated by a gas fireplace, although it does come very close.

Are you thinking of replacing your Toronto garage door? Deciding between replacing it with a manual or electric garage door can be a tricky decision to make. Although there are clear advantages for one over the other – especially given our cold winters, there are other factors that you might want to consider before deciding.
 
Manual garage doors
 
Pros
Spring-loaded for easy opening
Low maintenance
Relatively inexpensive to install
Still work during a power outage
Not dependent on electricity or technology to open/close
 
Cons
Must get out of your car to open the door
Locking and unlocking is sometimes not possible for both the inside and outside
Loud opening
 
Electric garage doors
 
Pros
Convenient – can be opened/closed from your car with a remote
Quiet operation (more sophisticated models)
Has safety features including sensors that stop the door from closing if someone is in the way
 
Cons
More expensive
Require more maintenance
Remotes require batteries
Don’t work during power failures

Home security in Toronto has gone from neighbourhood watches to super-sophisticated computers and cameras that can detect friends from foes and give you far more control over your private sphere when you are away than ever before.
 
Home security used to consist of neighbours watching out for each other. Then came the home alarm system. Pressure sensors that could detect forced entry at various spots in your home including ground floor windows and doors. These alarm system were/are generally monitored and the alarm company will send public security officers to your home as soon as a signal is detected. Next came laser sensors and cameras. Toronto homes that needed more security could have cameras installed – monitored or not. Just having a camera visible would automatically deter would-be intruders.
 
Security pads instead of keys became popular for a while but didn’t seem to catch on as widely as expected although they are still a secure way of keeping your home safe. Now there are also finger print key pads for your doors that will ensure that only those who have registered fingerprints are allowed inside.
 
Today, these same kind of camera home security systems have become incredibly sophisticated. One of the most advanced is the Nest Cam IQ. The next generation of Nest technology has produced a powerful 4K sensor with a 1080p HD camera offering a 130 degree recording angle that can be zoomed in to capture details. It also comes with the Nest Aware software that enables it to recognize faces so that you don’t have to worry each time a relative or friend comes over.
 
Not only does the Nest Cam IQ come with a revolutionary camera, but is also comes with noise a noise cancelling microphone and extra loud speakers. The speakers can address intruders from beyond your boundary line, while the microphone will pick-up their conversations clearly.
 
The best part? You can monitor it easily from your smart device and it is on 24/7 so you don’t have to be.
 
Home security has certainly come a long way and we are fortunate that we have such powerful tools at our disposal for giving us that peace-of-mind.Another very good resource if you are interested in home security is the Home Alarm Guide published by the consumeraffairs.com website. Check it out for more information!

Toronto home security is a big business and the system you choose to secure your home will reflect the level of control you want over what your system can do.Some systems are quite unsophisticated and include sensors and triggers at key entry points and nothing more, while other systems can include multiple cameras and live surveillance depending on your requirements. In the end, the best alarm system solution will be the kind of service that the provider can deliver. Just make sure that the company you choose doesn’t coerce you into buying more security than you want or need and that all costs are disclosed upfront.
 
Some of the factors to consider when choosing a home security system include:
 
Customer service
Equipement options
How easily the company can integrate the system into your home and life
Cost
 
Home security is expected to provide you with a level of comfort and peace-of-mind knowing that your family is safe and your belongings secure. However, a nice perk to having a security system is a lower cost to your home insurance – in many cases, this is not an insignificant amount and can total to a nice sum at the end of the year.
  
Three of the top security systems in Canada include Frontpoint, Reliance Protection and Protect America.
 
Reliance Protection is the only top three providers that is available in all provinces. It has an excellent customer service reputation, but was recently acquired by ADT, so things might not stay that way for long.
 
Frontpoint comes in next only because it is not available in Quebec. In every other respect, Frontpoint is stands out from the crowd. It has great customer service, a three-year warranty on equipment, easy installation and offers the latest technologies. The only drawback is the fact that it can’t provide service is you live in an area that is not covered by cellphone service.
 
Protect America is only available in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia for the moment. But they have competitive pricing and high quality equipment. However, they have very agressive sales people and don’t offer free cellular monitoring.

So, you want to wire your Toronto home? It is certainly one of those options that is still very much in demand in new and resale properties – why? Very simply because while wifi is super convenient, ethernet still has it’s advantages. We’ll explore the benefits of a hard connection for those devices that matter down below.
 
Naturally wifi is what everyone uses – especially to connect their mobile devices. However, when it comes to televisions, gaming or media PCs and backup devices, a wired connection is definitely the better option as it is far more reliable, generally provides much faster speeds and lower latency.
 
The first points we’ll look at is speed – a wired Cat 6 connection can, theoretically, provide speeds up to 10 Gb/s depending the kind of cable you are using. Even a Cat 5e cable can provide speeds of 1Gb/s. Whereas, wifi’s max speed right now is somewhere around 866.7 Mb/s with the new 802.11ac standard. The only problem with the potential for these speeds is the actual speed of your internet connection. If your internet speed is lower than the speed of the connection you are using, then your connection really won’t matter.
 
Ethernet is definitely the way to do for file transferring between devices in your home, however. A wired connection is also best when streaming from a media server.
 
The other big factor to consider is latency – basically the time it takes traffic to get from a device to its destination. Usually referred to as “ping”, reducing latency is very important if you are an online gamer and need those quick reaction times. Otherwise, if all you are doing is listening to music or streaming content, then this aspect won’t bother you as much.
 
Lastly, using a wired connection is generally better because it is more reliable. Simply by its nature wifi is more prone to interference. Dropped signals can be very annoying when you are trying to watch a show or listen to music, more latency can interfere with gaming and lower speeds will affect the overall quality of the information being received.
 
Wiring your Toronto home is still highly recommended as, for now, ethernet connections are still among the best options for being connected at home.

Smart Toronto homes are the way of the future. With advances in what automation can do to improve and facilitate everything in our lives from locking our doors remotely to monitoring who is going in and out, there are gadgets that can answer nearly every want.
 
In the past a wired home was the ultimate in modernity. Now, a wired home is slowly going the way of the dinosaur. While all homes need one hardwired connection for a router or other network adaptor, many don’t even require that with occupants working of their mobile device data plans through WiFi. Now, smart homes are so much more. Here we take a look at four devices that will change the way you live.
 
Curb Energy: Monitoring Device
This nifty device attaches to the inside circuit breaker panel in the garage and monitors real-time energy consumption data for your entire home. It is terrific way to see where your highest energy consumption takes place and helps you to cutdown on energy costs quickly and efficiently.
 
Ecobee 3 Smart Thermostat
Install this in your hallway or living room and let it do the rest. Although it will need to connect to every room in your home, it reads the temperature of every room and then adjusts the temperature to the room you are in so that you don’t have cold spots or hot spots – just a consistent and comfortable temperature throughout. It saves energy and money. The best part – you can control it remotely from your Android or iPhone.
 
Sonos Wireless Speaker System
All you music buffs will want to have this installed as soon as you can in your Toronto home! This clever sounds system allows you to play anything anywhere in your home. As long as you’ve installed the speaker in the desired spots, you can control who hears what from any part of your home.
 
Philips Hue Smart Light Bulbs
Naturally having LED light bulbs are all the rage – energy efficient and long-lasting they have revolutionized the way people approach lighting. However, the Philips Hue Smart light bulbs can let you program them to mimic sunrises and sunset and can even turn different colours according to who messages you!
 
As homes get smarter technology will slowly get woven into every facet of our lives – until we can no longer remember a time we didn’t have some kind of gadget taking care of every need.

The roof of your Toronto home is what protects it from the elements, provides you with a warm, dry place to live and shields your belongings from the elements. The key to taking care of your roof is maintenance. Although no one really wants to put in the time and effort required to ensure that their roof is in good shape, a yearly check-up of the basic points is all you need to keep your roof going for year to come.
 
Yearly Check
Given the severity of the Toronto winter, every spring after the snows have melted you should set aside some time to go over your roof. If you are unable (or unwilling) to climb up to take a look at what the winter wrought, then hiring a reputable roofer to give is a thorough once-over is a good idea. If you go up on the roof yourself, be sure to wear good rubber boots that have sufficient grip on them and have someone spotting you when you climb up. These yearly checks can help you spot problems when they are small enough to warrant a quick fix.
 
Gutter Care
Making sure that your gutters are not blocked, cracked or otherwise unserviceable is another very important aspect to roof care. A moist roof will deteriorate much more quickly than a dry one. Allowing water runoff a proper place to drain will help to keep your roof dry. So, during the roof check in the spring, be sure to check that your gutters haven’t accumulated any debris over the winter. In the fall, once the leaves have fallen, be sure to clean out any errant leaves that might have clogged up your gutter.
 
Timely Repairs
Nothing can beat making repairs as and when you see them on your roof. A small leak is easily fixed, but if left unchecked can lead to extensive damage – not only to your roof, but to the underlying structure as well.
 
Your roof can last a good 20-25 years with the proper care. As long as you take the time to maintain it, you won’t have to worry about what is over your head.

Creating an income suite in your Toronto home is a good way of generating passive income and of helping you pay down your mortgage. With the ever-increasing cost of homes in the GTA, it is no wonder that some people are opting to install income suites in their private homes so that they can afford their first or even their fifth homes.
 
The first thing to think about when creating an income suite is whether you have the room for one. Not just that, but the creation of an income suite should not impinge on your own comfort of the free use of your home. It is best to choose a spot that has it’s own access to the exterior so that there is no daily contact between you and your renters. Ideal spots include lower levels that have an exterior access, above the garage or on the main level if there is a way to partition it so that your renter can go directly into their own wing.
 
You must also determine what the by-laws of renting out a space in your home are in your locality. If you need a permit or need to change the zoning of your home, then be sure to get all of the necessary paperwork in place prior to beginning work.
 
Next, look for a good contractor who has experience in creating income suites. He/she will be able to get the necessary build permit so that you don’t run afoul of any zoning bylaws.
 
When you are creating a second dwelling within your home, be sure to get adequate fire and sound-proofing between your dwelling and the rental unit so that you don’t have to worry about clumsy or loud tenants. You will want to make sure that the second dwelling has proper exits and sufficient lighting in each room. As well, remember to rebalance your heating so that your home doesn’t suddenly lose heat to the new dwelling and do the same for your plumbing.
 
When you have properly installed an income suite in your home, you will reap the benefits for years to come.