FALL HOME CHECKLIST

Home Ownership Tips from Team Dunlop, Toronto Real Estate
Don't "Fall" into the Season Without Preparing Your Home
Getting your home ready for the cooler weather in Toronto

Proper maintenance of your home and garden will help preserve your investment. And best of all, keeping your house in tip-top shape this fall will prevent any unnecessary chores in the spring.

Outdoor Projects

- Complete exterior painting before cooler weather arrives

- Check and repair exterior lighting before daylight fades

- Store lawn ornaments and patio furniture in a shed or basement. If space is limited, weather-resistant covers can protect outdoor furnishings

- Cover air conditioner and barbecue to prevent winter damage

- Close your pool before leaves start to fall, and nighttime temperatures begin to drop. Sooner than that and you risk an algae bloom

- Store kids toys indoors or in an outdoor shed to prevent rusting and fading

Lawn & Garden

- Till and prepare planting beds when the soil is relatively dry. By adding soil and mulch to your beds, you'll be a step ahead for spring planting

- Plant spring blooming bulbs and perennials

- Protect roses, saplings and small trees by sheltering them with a burlap screen

- Pull weeds to reduce the number of seedlings next spring

- Mow grass short for the final cut of the year by reducing the cutting height gradually to 3.5 cm (from 7.4 cm) until the grass stops growing

Indoor Preparation

- Bring container plants indoors, making sure they are free of pests. Doing so may enable plants to survive the season and bloom again in spring

- Check and clean your humidifier. Empty the tank, dry the inside surfaces and refill with clean water. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions

For more tips on home ownership from Chris Dunlop, Broker and Lesley Patterson, Sales Representative - sign up at www.chrisdunlop.ca

FREE SEMINAR, Estate Planning

Aspire for the best... And plan for the worst...

HAVE A PLAN - GET A WILL!

Please join me for this special presentation.

Ever wonder what will happen to your home if you die? Who will raise your children? What would happen if your parents passed away and they had no will? OR what do you do if there was a will and you were the executor?

These are unquestionably unpleasant questions. However not nearly as unpleasant as your loved ones trying to sort things out if you pass away without a plan and a will

Once we have loved one's, assets and children it is wise to have a plan and a will. A simple estate plan does not take much time or cost much money - it can be quite simple really. Not having one can be a nightmare and will be costly.

As part of my value added services as a realtor I'm pleased to invite you to join me for a complimentary presentation - question and answer session and to help you tackle this uncomfortable topic.

Seating is limited and available on a first come first served basis.

REGISTER TODAY!
Hosted by Chris Dunlop, Real Estate Broker, Royal LePage Estate Realty

Presented by Denise Branton, LLP Estate Planning Lawyer, Carnevale Law Offices

Be Alarmed!

Day light savings is upon us and fire safety experts suggest this is the time of year to put new batteries in your fire alarms. Following are some tips to keep in mind.

A short, low beep every 60 seconds indicates the battery power is low and the battery needs replacing. Change your smoke alarm batteries every 12 months or at the end of daylight saving, and use a long-lasting alkaline battery.
Smoke alarms should be tested monthly by pressing the test button
with a broom handle.

Smoke alarms should be vacuumed regularly - at a minimum once a year to clean the vents.

Powered smoke alarms, such as those in condominiums and newer homes, also have back-up batteries - check with the manufacturer if your model has batteries that need to be replaced regularly or whether it has a re-chargeable battery. If the electricity goes out in a fire... you'll be glad you did!

Fire Services recommend you change your smoke alarm (both battery powered and 240v hard-wired types) after ten years as it may start to fail after this period. A year of manufacture date is displayed on all smoke alarms.

It's a wrap

Another year come and gone - The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB)announced that 2010 ended up as the third best year for existing home sales... it was however not a typical year following traditional patterns for sales.

Following is a brief synopsis of the year just passed.

The December 2010 Market Watch from TREB Revealed a balanced market at year end. Prices overall in 2010 were up 9% compared to 2009. However we began the year generally up 20%, compared to the lows from the recession and generally ended the year up about 5% compared to year earlier periods.

Sales volumes were very high in the first part of the year with very low inventories. Sales volumes then tailed of dramatically during the summer as a result of mortgage rule changes, consumer concerns about increasing mortgage rates and confusion over the HST.

As fall approached it became clear interest rates remained at historic lows, that the HST did not impact the cost of buying in any substantial way and buyers returned to the market. The inventory of available homes remained steady but did not increase dramatically provinding an overall foundation for the market. As a result most of the fall was a balanced market with prices moving sideways and were generally 5% higher than fall 2009. Properly prepared, priced and marketed properties continued to sell, however by year end the Average days on market had increased to 37 from the year earlier period of just 27 days. With multiple offer scenarior's being the exception rather than the rule Realtor's and Sellers had to adjust their expectations on what and how long it took for even the best properties to sell.

Overall 2010 was an excellent year for real estate and has established a sustainable trend for the year ahead. Next post i'll offer up my thoughts for the year ahead and why the next couple of months may be the ideal time to sell.