Hello folks, welcome to 2007!
From what I have seen so far this year it looks
like we are in for another good 12 months in the
real estate business ... although 2006 will be hard
to beat. On behalf of our Team, Donna and
myself thank you for your support last year.
We had our best year ever and once again we made
it into the top 1% of Royal LePage REALTORS®
nationwide. As a result, we will be featured
in Profiles of Success, a magazine
that pays tribute to success stories in the
Real Estate community, due to hit the streets
by the end of February. We invite you to check
out the on-line version HERE
and if you do not receive a print copy by early
March, give us a call at the office and we will
gladly send one to you.
One of our latest projects is the website at www.quintwestconnections.com
which promotes our area, local businesses and all
of our charities. If you would like to see
which local businesses are offering discounts
or if your charity needs free advertising please
go to the 'Giving
Back' section. If you have
suggestions for entries to our new site please drop
us a line from the Quinte West Connections website.
No cost, only benefits!
In keeping with the theme of 'Giving Back',
David and Doug Comeau of Timberwolf
Gallery have
recently collaborated in a project to raise money
to support Canadian military families. David has
commissioned Doug to create a piece of art depicting
'Families Helping Families' and
the limited edition prints will be signed
and numbered by the artist. All proceeds will
be donated to the Military Family Resource
Centres (MFRC) nationwide. For the complete
story, check out the article recently published
in The
Trentonian.
Luxury
Resort Accommodation ... Last Chance to Enter!
If this brutally cold weather
is getting you down and you would like to get back
to shorts and t-shirt weather, try your luck at
winning a week of free accommodation at a luxury
resort in Florida. Draw date is 14 February
2007! Don't miss out. If you didn't
respond to the announcement in December's newsletter, simply
send donna@davidweir.com a
quick note telling us you want to participate.
Don't forget to send us your contact information!
Last year's lucky winners went to Westgate
Lake Resort in Orlando.
Home
Sellers/Buyers Seminar
David will be hosting
his 10th Annual Seminar for those contemplating
the sale or purchase of a home in 2007.
This event will be held at the Military Family
Resource Centre on Wednesday, 28 February from
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Guest speakers will include
a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation representative,
a local lawyer, and a highly experienced home
inspector. This is a complimentary service
and open to all members of the community.
Refreshments and door prizes will be offered.
Feel free to bring a friend!
Free
Labour or Staging
Last year, David offered
his buying and selling clients 2 hours of
complimentary ‘Handyman’ labour or
‘Home Staging’ by an accredited stager.
It was so well received that he intends to offer
the same service to his clients again this year.
Choose between 2 hours of touch up work and a
complimentary staging CD or a 2-hour staging consultation. If
you or anyone you know will be in the market to
buy or sell this year, contact David at david@davidweir.com.
Tom
Cochrane in Concert at the Empire Theatre
David will be giving
away 2 tickets to see Tom Cochrane and the Red
Riders performing at the Empire Theatre on Saturday
March 24th. Tom Cochrance is a multi Juno
Award winner, Grammy nominee, and Canadian
Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee. Tom Cochrane,
along with the stellar musicianship of Red Rider
will present all his best and great new songs
from his new CD "No Stranger".
For more information about the show and other
events check out the Empire Theatre here.
If you would like to be entered in the draw for
the ticket giveaway please send Donna an email
at donna@davidweir.com
DID
YOU KNOW THAT ...
~~
on February 1st, a bottle deposit system became
effective for wine and liquor bottles purchased
at LCBO stores and are redeemable at beer stores?
~~
daylight savings time starts three weeks earlier
- the second Sunday in March (11th) - and ends
one week later - the first Sunday in November?
~~
this year college and university students are
entitled to a new textbook credit - $65 for each
month of full-time study or $20 for part-time
studies? Remember to print or save your
receipts?
~~
you can claim the new Canada Employment Amount,
a non-refundable tax credit of up to $250 for
2006? It will be $500 for all of 2007.
Check line 363 on the Federal portion of your
tax return?
~~
since January 23rd, all Canadians flying to the
United States must carry a valid passport?
The new security measure falls under the U.S.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Act?
~~
to prevent cheese from getting mould spots, simply
remove the entire wrapper and re-wrap it in aluminium
foil before putting it in the fridge?
~~
about 62% of Canadians own homes, up from 60%
five years ago?
~~
homeowners will spend approximately $17 billion
on Ontario's home renovation industry this
year?
Average Resale Home
Price Gains 11.1% in 2006 The
11.1% increase was the largest since 1989, The
Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) said.
According to CREA, the average home sold through
the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) went for a
record $276,974 last year. Read the entire
article HERE.
'Soft
Landing' and Price Gains Seen for Housing:
CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is
calling for a "soft landing" in the
new housing market and rising prices in the resale
market.
CMHC said the number of housing
starts is expected to decrease this year
and again in 2008. Click HERE
to view the full report.
In Canada, the Appraisal Institute
has selected projects, that their 'specialists'
feel offer the best potential for 'payback'
when selling. They suggest that the average
potential payback for different renovation projects
is as follows:
interior painting and decor
- 73% (of cost recovered)
kitchen renovation - 72%
bathroom renovation - 63%
exterior painting - 65%
upgraded flooring - 62%
replacing windows or doors
- 57%
main floor family room addition
- 51%
fireplace addition - 50%
basement renovation - 49%
furnace/heating system replacement
- 48%
The Ontario branch
of the Appraisal Institute produced similar findings.
Work done to kitchens and bathrooms were the clear
winners. The rule of thumb is that the kitchen
should be renovated if it is more than 20 years
old and the bathroom should be renovated if it is
more that 40 years old. Kitchen renovations
generally start at $10K and bathrooms usually cost
no less than $5K ... both depending on taste and
quality of products.
Courtesy of HOUSERICH
- Renovations: Everything Old is New Again
Thinking about buying electricity
from a retailer? Consider these 3 points
before you make a decision:
the price you pay on the 'electricity'
line of your bill is set out in your contract
with the electricity retailer and is not regulated
by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). Usually
the price is fixed but it may change during
the term of the contract.
your contract with the electricity
retailer only affects the 'electricity'
line of your bill. Your utility will continue
to charge you for other items such as the 'delivery',
'regulatory', and 'debt retirement
charge' lines on your bill.
you will have to settle your
account if you leave the Regulated Price Plan
(RPP). If you switch to an electricity
retailer, you will either pay or receive a 'final
RPP variance settlement amount'. This
amount reflects your share of any accumulated
variance between the actual price paid to generators
and the forecast price paid by price plan consumers.
Consumers who remain on the RPP are also responsible
for the RPP variance settlement amount, which
is incorporated into the calculation used to
set RPP prices for the next period.
Birdfeeding allows us to enjoy
nature's beauty in our backyards. However,
not all species are equally welcome. Wildlife
will act as instincts dictate, so some tolerance
is needed. But more serious problems may
require some strategic planning:
mixes that contain a high proportion
of items such as hulled oats, rice, peanut hearts,
corn, millet and wheat can bring in pests such
as pigeons, starlings and house sparrows.
Switch to separate feeders of black oil sunflower
seed and thistle seed
shorten or remove perches from
tubular feeders to give the advantage to smaller
birds
use specially adapted feeders
i.e., weight sensitive or surrounded by a metal
cage, to allow smaller birds to feed but keep
out most larger birds and squirrels
your best chance at discouraging
squirrels is to place feeders on posts with
a baffle underneath
position feeders at least
three metres from launching points such as trees
or fences but provide shelter, such as thick
shrub, just beyond this distance to help birds
escape from hunting hawks
realize that efforts to limit
access for problem species may also hinder desirable
species with similar feeding habits
for serious problems, it may
be necessary to stop feeding for a while
Trenton Real Estate • CFB Trenton • Trenton
Ontario Real Estate • 8 Wing Trenton • Trenton Realtors •
Trenton Homes for Sale • CFB Trenton Housing • Trenton HHT
• IRP • Military Relocations • Quinte West Real Estate
• Quinte Real Estate • Quinte Homes For Sale • Real Estate
For Sale • Trenton • Frankford • Belleville • Brighton
• Royal Lepage • Military • DND • National Defence
• MLS Houses • Quinte Homes • Houses For Sale •
Real Estate Listings • Home Sales • MLS • Relocations
• Realestate • Buyers • Sellers • Mortgages •
Ontario
David proudly supports
Women's Shelters locally & nationally.
