Toronto Realtor

Student Loans

For over two decades, tuition fees in Canada have been on a rise. Currently, their growth is roughly double our inflation and increases the financial burden of education all of us keen on learning.

Indebting oneself as a teenager is a serious burden to bring upon oneself. This means that all your outlooks, your future as far as you can see, will have you pay back what you’ve spent in no time in order to improve your life.

The need of paying your debt decreases your discretionary earnings – what’s left in your pocket when you’ve settled your other recurring bills. If this sounds familiar, getting approved for a sufficient mortgage may be difficult if not impossible

Statistics Canada states the mean period of indebtedness is more than 7 years past they leave school. This is a pretty extensive timespan, and there are definitely ones that take even longer. Thus, many educated people aren’t capable of taking out a new loan commitment until they are thirty.

To improve the circumstances as best as possible, it is crucial that the young graduate handle her or his monthly budget methodically to maintain a solid credit rating. Good rating will make it easier for one to apply for more financing going forward.

Well, you seriously want to buy a real estate property? Fortunately, taking out a mortgage and purchasing a house means that rent ceases to be an expense, so these funds can go to the mortgage payment. This in fact makes it not that difficult to switch the model from renting to “buying”. Additionally, there is no need to purchase life insurance until one has dependants. Let’s also hope that the earned degree will grant the aspiring young person better chances of working at a higher-paying vocation and let her or him reach financial autonomy faster.

Challenge Indoor Pollution Fast And Environmentally Friendly

Most homeowners lack knowledge of a crucial detail: the air is inside our lofts, colleges and workplaces probably is totally polluted. This may sound disturbing, but don’t stress – there are many simple ways to refresh the air in your lofts.

People traditionally neglect the significance of air quality. Homebuyers take it for granted that because their lofts are clean, the indoor air is hygienic as well. Unfortunately, micro particles such as dust, mold spores, and pet dander can be prevalent in even the most hygienic of houses. There is a number of air cleaners distributed on the market, but if you’d opt out to go for a eco solution, we suggest the following options:

1. Air cleaning plants
While all flora are able of destroying harmful particles from indoor atmosphere, research by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration proofs that certain cleaning plants are remarkably successful in destroying toxic particles and carbon dioxide from the air we breathe. You should keep a cleaning plants for every 9 sq m of floor space. The more vigorous the cleaning plants, the more air it can filter. These are the key cleaning plants that can be found in NASA’s top list: Janet Craig dracaena, English ivy, Australian sword fern, peace lily, rubber plant, and weeping fig.

2. Essential oils
It was examined that distributing essential oils into the surroundings is one of the most convenient ways to sanitize the surroundings people live in. The essential oils enjoy certain anti-bacterial features that help to remove viruses and other pollutants in the surroundings.

3. Beeswax flame
Common paraffin candle sticks are made from petroleum that intoxicates the surroundings every time you burn the candles. Candles made from beeswax, on the contrary, are a big improvement over petroleum ones: once the candle sticks burn, they filter the surroundings comfortably , in the same time emitting a natural honey scent, a comforting and yellow flame. It represents a wonderful solution for spacious rooms - like Toronto lofts

Natural wax is the sole material able to spread negative ions, which assist to cleans bacteria from the surroundings.

Adjusting Your Way Of Life? - Hints To Make Your Lifestyle Go Green

Thinking about making some green changes to your life and as a result helping the environment? We may love the idea of saving money, but here are some tips that could save you money, possibly improve your health and be eco friendly at the same time.

Donate your old glasses

Maybe your old prescription lenses are not fashionable anymore, but they can help millions of people with eyesight issues. Only 13% of visual impaired people live in developed countries, which means a significant number live in countries that don't have easy access to the correct support. By donating unwanted prescription lenses you can give the gift of sight to someone else. Old glasses are clearly not the major pollution source, but giving away this item gives you an extra good feeling.

Save the rain water in a storage barrel

It is probably not the best idea to drink rain water, but it can be great for watering your garden or washing driveway. There is a huge offer of barrels in shops, or you can create your own.

Drying your clothes the environmentally way - in the great outdoors

Our mothers and grandmothers hung their washing out and they didn't have any concerns with it. Hanging clothes outdoors keeps them fresh and smelling nice, is eco friendly and saves money. Individuals worry that they many be judged unfavourably if they put washing outdoors and are uneasy people may think less of them. All I can say is 'don't be ashamed', being eco friendly is the in thing; so set a great example and be proud of being green.

Take a bath less frequently, shower more

Health troubles can be created by bathing and showering too much or for long periods of time; apart from that your bills will jump up and heating of water consumes lots of energy. Chlorinated water is fine to drink, but when you breathe the chlorine from the hot shower steam, you inhale chlorine in somewhat high concentrations which are a risk to your health. Another great idea is to use an attachment on your shower that cuts down the amount of water you use.

Share transport with one or two work mates

Car sharing is not a new thing and it is promoted by authorities, but many car owners still don't do it through lack of incentive or knowledge. Unfortunately, as a Toronto lofts realtor I have to drive a lot. Commuters who use their cars for work are said to drive about 20 km each day. By teaming up with a friend you could save about 170 litres of fuel a year which is a lot of money and it protects the environment by cutting carbon dioxide by around 400kg over the same period. Some business's have a car sharing scheme already set up which is worth checking into, if not try and set one up yourself; ask people to see who would be interested in saving money.

Organizing People - From Properties to Lives

We say change is good for you, luckily for the community volunteers made a big change; from organising properties to lives.Volunteers started out as a Personal Organizer with her own company called Artful Organizers and made the move into assisting the poor around 2006.

The Sanctuary is a healthy or wealthy community that is there for the rejected and abused. The Sanctuary wants to help and support everyone regardless of the colour of your skin or your beliefs. There are members from a big age range and both men as well as women. Each year the Sanctuary helps thousands of individuals, seeing about 500 different people each week.

The street outreach team does an exceptional job, going out to the community on their own turf, offering and supplying support such as meals and Children's Aid. The aid does not stop there, the Sanctuary also has health clinics, support for those who are abusing drugs and rehab for the mind and body. Another thing the mission does is organise employment training, which can only mean more relevant employment for people.

Each year events are arranged to support the Sanctuary and give a sense of belonging to its members with Xmas being a great time for a big feast. This feast is made more momentous with a play, a talent show and from the church donation, a gift bag is given out. Other events are organised throughout the year, with September seeing a music concert in the park with a corn roast, a 5k walk for poverty in the summer and a spring play. The events are not just for the people who rely on the organisation for support, anyone that contributes is welcome, this way they can see their money is put to good use. One of the primary objectives is to break down the barriers between those individuals who are rich and those that are poor. People, who have been stripped of their dignity, will be given back their pride. To really help these people, time, a feeling of camaraderie and friendship are just a couple of things that make a difference to a person previously rejected by society.

The mission is not a replacement for social services but an added service set up to help. The Sanctuary have friends who were living on the street and they are now living with a roof over their head. These people could not do it by themselves, so the charity has helped them find a home and furnish it.

To give you an idea on one of the success stories of this organisation, is one of a woman born in Toronto and grew up there. Not too soon after this child was born, she was placed into foster care. The maltreatment she suffered included her aunt setting light to her cot. Cockroaches covered her small body when her grandmother looked in on her one day. Physical abuse did not end there, this little child was also sexually abused. Over the years she went through the homes of many foster parents, no relationship seemed to last and this woman was an addict. For four years this woman has been attending the Sanctuary, a testimonial to the guidance and help she has been receiving.

Julie Kinnear is Toronto MLS Listings specialist and environmental activist.

How Has Our Lives Been Affected by Green Events?

Environmental and green are the two words most often used when people talk about things affecting us. Every one has got on the band waggon from governments to big companies, trying to promote sustainability and renewable resources. What are a few of the most important developments, which made green lifestyle a hot topic for politicians, businessmen, scientists, and the majority of the western world citizens?

Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs

Incandescent lamps are a product of the past in lots of cases and are extremely energy inefficient compared to the new compact fluorescent light bulbs. These light bulbs consume a lot less power and are longer lasting when comparing them to the incandescent bulbs they supersede. Whilst there are many positive points to these bulbs, it is worth remembering that they contain mercury like any other fluorescent light bulb, so disposal is difficult.

In spite of this inconvenience, they're still much more considerate both towards our environment and our wallets though their price is usually a bit higher then the price of standard light bulbs, they can save much more in the long run.

Extreme Weather

When you compare weather patterns over history, extreme weather is the name for those incidents that happen only seldom. Many of us will remember the earthquakes across Haiti, hurricane Katrina, the boxing day Tsunami and the Indian ocean Tsunami; all these events plus many others have occurred over the last decade and all over the world. It is accepted that these disasters are only the start of it, with more disasters coming our way, though many climatologists can't agree whether mankind is having a negative impact on the world we live in.

Renewable Energy

Sunlight, wind, geothermal heat, rain and wood all provide energy that is renewable, these natural resources of energy are called renewable energy resources.

Advancements in the use of these sources has increased over the last decade and is the way forward for sustainable development of the future. We can no longer rely on the supplies we have at the moment to generate electricity and need to look in alternative directions to create it Extending the renewable energy sector will be crucial for allowing meaningful cuts of the emissions while helping us find long-term solutions for electricity generation.

Mexican Gulf Oil Disaster

It is not likely many of you will not know about a fairly recent disaster, one that is still being felt worldwide - the Mexican Gulf oil spill. The Deepwater Horizon oil platform was at the heart of the problems, with a large explosion and fire on April 20th 2010. Despite the first reports stating that relatively little oil had leaked, the consequences were catastrophic. The reported amount of oil lost per day was quadrupled by the end of May, from 5,000 to up to 19,000; the size of the disaster was escalating.

We may not hear about tragedies surrounding oil very often, but they are becoming more repetitive, which is not good news. Recent events raised questions once again - are we even capable of underwater oil drilling without threatening the environment substantially?

Being environmentally friendly is a matter of personal decision - everybody can choose unique way. I am trying to be environmentally friendly condos in Toronto agent. Can you think of any choice for you?

picture by BoyReale

Real Estate FAQ Summary

I've been told I may need a building permit for some work I am doing on my house.

A building permit is written permission from the City of Toronto to begin construction, demolition, addition or renovation on your house. There are quite a few regulations that your plans must comply too, as well as the Ontario Building Code and local Zoning By-laws. There are lots of instances when you will need one, here are some of them: You may want to structurally alter your property or even knock some of it down or add to it, along with doors and windows, modifying the heating, plumbing and air-conditioning or even add a new bathroom, as a result you need to check to find out if you need this permit.

My insurance business is asking a multitude of questions about the property I bought, can my realtor help?

If your house has been changed in any way, the amount of land the property sits on, when the property was put up are some of the questions asked. We will contact the listing agent for your new house to get as many answers as we can from the sellers, who will know the most about the house. Most insurance companies realize that the precise details are not always available, as a result they normally accept approximate details.

Which is the better investment opportunity, a house or a condominium?

I orient on houses for sale Toronto but I believe that this all depends on your personal situation, how you see the future and what you are expecting out of the investment. When looking at average Toronto rental prices for a decent apartment it pays for itself, on the downside the value doesn't go up very much, but part of a house can be rented out while you are still living in it. We will give assistance and advise you which is the right type of property based on your lifestyle and situation.

Why do prices for the same type of condo vary so much in the same complex?

Many factors can influence pricing, including ceiling height, finishes, accessories & upgrades, exterior access, parking and the like. Condos higher up have better views, less people around and less noise from above, so they attract the higher prices. Finally the price being asked is not a matter of course the price that you will pay, it could be greater or less than the asking price        .

Proposed Adjustments to MLS

Canadian housing agents are unhappy with the proposed changes, meaning proposed deregulation within the housing market. While MLS has proposed modifications to try and improve the real estate industry, a recent poll has shown that most of those surveyed are against it.

There are many separate types of listings within MLS and the concern surrounds which of those listings should mainly be dealt with by accredited specialists. Over three quarters of those who expressed their thoughts, were disturbed by the fact that by not regulating listings, the service and safeguards to customers could fall dramatically. Deregulation will open the market to more competition, but the majority of property agents believe the market is already extremely competitive with very few only seeing it as only competitive and even less seeing it as not competitive.

The survey also tried to see in what way real estate specialists support buyers and sellers in completing their transactions. When a client is looking to buy or sell a house, the majority of specialists gave the following as their main considerations: Arranging a full brokerage service, avoiding needless delays and taking care the consumer's financial welfare. From the poll we can see that most agents have or have in the past helped a customer avoid financial problems, with less than 1% saying they haven't. "This financial support is given frequently" stated over half of the agents, though 37.1% said they gave this support often. Marketing homes is an area were realtors were very active. Over three quarters of those agents said they often used methods including Toronto MLS, conducting an open home, websites and local advertising.

At the end, the question about experience and continued education showed that agents have been members of Royal LePage for 15.5 years on average and almost 90% of them participate on formal conferences, seminars or courses one to four times a year.

The Royal LePage Real Estate Advisors Survey was administered online in April 2010 and can be read on the official website.

GTA Needs to Start Being Environmentally Friendly

A new chart has been distributed by Mercer Consulting when it released its annual Quality of Living report, called the Eco-City Ranking. While Toronto was located at a solid 16th place in the world and in third place in North America, in terms of regular quality of living, our position in the Eco-City chart is not so good.

This chart named the best cities in terms of water availability and drinkability, waste removal, calibre of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion. In other words, the top-notch cities create minimal pollution and take advantage of maximum renewable resources. While we would assume the green cities such a Oslo to rate high, we wouldn't have assumed industrial cities such as Stuttgart to be more eco-friendly than Toronto, but they are! Even when you only compare the North American cities, Toronto didn't do very well, easing in at number 11. The city with world's highest ecology standards is Calgary, trailed by Honolulu and both Ottawa and Helsinki receiving the bronze medal. Two more Canadian cities ranked better than Toronto and they were Montreal and Vancouver in 13th place.

While the figures for general quality of living may be okay, the figures for the eco-city push us down to 16th place, consequently we need to do something about the eco-friendliness of Toronto. As Slagin Parakatil, Senior Researcher at Mercer, said: "A city’s eco-status or attitude toward sustainability can have significant impact on the quality of living of its inhabitants".

Our dragging our heels in environmental quality of life may have control on our overall quality of life, quicker than many of us would expect.

Julie Kinnear is local green enthusiast and a MLS Toronto professional

Awards go to the Best Green Inventors in the Greater Toronto area

Green Innovators Awards event knows its three winners. April 23rd gave the announcement by Mayor David Miller, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss of the top green innovators, at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. The prize of $50,000 was shared out between the award winners and they each received the coveted Green Toronto Award.

The young innovators hope to maintain the environment, the prize money is just a bonus. All the finalists presented fascinating green solutions and improvements. Since the idea was to show real resolutions, most of the projects were affordable and easily applicable, so one day you may see them applied also in your neighbourhood, or in your own house.

Next are the top three award winners:

• Olivier Trescases, PhD and Chris Lea, with Green Gym: A fitness centre that takes energy from the equipment as it is used and sends it to the grid.
• Sarah Lazarovic and her idea GreenHouseTO; multi-purpose web and mobile restoration application for all Torontians interested in Toronto buildings: architects, constructors or just everyday individuals.
• Robert Kori Golding, for his concept My Green City: A Facebook and iPhone cross-platform application. Build a virtual town on these applications/games and claim reward points to use on your town by supporting the environment.

Green is always the way to go!

Community Projects Award, Energy Conservation Award, Environmental Awareness Award and 6 more prizes, were handed out: as well as these rewards. There was reward money of $5,000 to all of the finalists which they shared with a charity of their choosing.

Article published by Julie Kinnear, Toronto Royal LePage

Appraisals are obstacle for green homes

Developers would like to see green property projects rise rapidly. Unfortunately appraisals are slowing down the rapid advancement of the environmentally friendly property projects. Imagine you are going to build a standard $500,000 home. You decide that you want the real estate to be more environmentally friendly, therefore you ask your architect to design the new house so it makes use of the sunshine and you put in high quality insulations and solar panels. Due to these green choices, this will add another $100,000 to the cost of the property.

The appraiser from your bank or mortgage business doesn't look at it the same way. David Snook is an appraiser and associate of the real property committee on education for the American Society of Appraisers and he does doesn't think it's about the cost of the house but more about resale value.

Shall we continue with our example? Although the property cost $600,000 to build the bank or mortgage company will only accept the appraisal at $550,000. This escalates your payment by $50,000 working on a 20% down payment. For those of you that can't afford the 20% down payment and wish to take out a high-ratio mortgage, (5% down payment) then your payment will be $77,500. That is a very large amount of cash to save for upfront. This might force you to look at the cheapest green alternative, using older and cheaper technologies, or maybe you will abandon the whole green idea of the project altogether.

Still, as a green MLS expert I realize even though there is a rise in cost going green does make a big difference According to Green Work Realty statement, green homes are priced 8.5% greater on the resale market, and also sell 22% faster. This information doesn't help you though if you are dealing with bank or mortgage business appraisers who don't have much if any experience with the green home technology.

While you can give the appraiser the costing, until they have the experience then there is not a lot you can do about it. Support could be on the way for appraisers and future home owners if strong initiatives are put in place that will standardize environmental and energy efficiency. Green real estate is not only about the environment, it's also about money. When looking at purchasing a car, one of the first things you look at is its fuel consumption, how many miles to the gallon does it do. Understanding property energy consumption is the normal next step.

 

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