As humans, we devote a large chunk of time, money and energy on food.

From the money we earn to buy groceries, to planning menus, shopping, preparing, cooking and eating, food is an all-encompassing portion of our lives. And as such, it’s incumbent on home cooks to look for more eco friendly ways of feeding your family. Let’s explore some options:

Tools & Equipment:

• Did you know it’s best to cover your pots and pans when cooking? That simple step adds up to less cooking time which conserves energy. It also means less clean-up with water as spattering is reduced.
• Try to grill outdoors as much as possible. This reduces indoor gas or electric usage as your food is cooked by propane gas or charcoal. With this method, you get the added bonus of not heating up your home on hot days and needing to turn up the air conditioning.
• Play it smart with foil. Use it to line baking dishes as that will help you with clean-up, meaning you will use less water. Foil can be recycled, too. Simply wash off and use to wrap leftovers.
• Be fridge friendly. These energy guzzlers consume the most in your kitchen so don’t buy ones that come with ice makers and water dispensers as that will only hike hydro consumption. Also if your fridge has exposed coils in the back try to vacuum them twice yearly as that will help the appliance run more efficiently.
• Run your dishwasher in the evening or early morning hours to save energy. Make sure it’s full and use biogradable soap. Let your dishes air dry as opposed to heat dry.

Produce & Groceries:

• Try to buy local as much as possible. Not only does this support local growers, but you are also getting food at its peak flavour and sparing the planet by preventing oil-fuelled trucks, planes and trains from delivering food from afar.
• Look for organic products. Organic farming practices do not depend on chemicals. Organic foods not only taste better but provide you with more nutrients than food from factory or commercial farms.
• Don’t dismiss leftovers. These kitchen miracles are often tastier the next day or a whole new dish once you transform Tuesday’s leftover meatloaf into a pasta dish for Wednesday. Think of the money, time and energy you will save with a little pre-planning. Keep kitchen scraps to make soup stock or toss them in your composter.
• Try cooking with smaller portions. Cutting meats and vegetables into smaller chunks allows your food to cook much faster which requires less energy.

Sources: www.fluxmagazine.com, www.earthbuddies.net, www.howstuffworks.com

There are potentially dozens of reasons to select a real estate agent. Having one that also happens to be a friend, neighbour or family member is not an uncommon occurrence and that’s why many consumers feel the pressure to choose someone they know.

But many real estate gurus say that’s unwise for a number of reasons. Disagreements could put an end to a valued friendship or perhaps your friend/agent will begin to resent you because of the discount or kick back you’ve requested on their commission. Another possibility is that your agent doesn’t view you as seriously as his other clients and may put in less time house hunting or drumming up buyers. They also may have a more difficult time telling you the truth — that your house isn’t worth what you think it is, for instance. Finally, if you get to a point where it’s time to break up with your realtor/friend how do you do that without any hard feelings?

But for those who feel compelled to retain an agent with whom they’re already comfortable, what happens when you have competing realtors in your life? How do you choose one over the other without offending the unsuccessful candidate? How do you break the news to Cousin Bernie that you’ve decided to go with your sister-in-law Alice?

Let’s look at ways to break it to them gently:

Fictionalize it — You could start by lying. While that’s not always the recommended course of action, sometimes a little white lie is your best line of defense. Imagine telling your neighbour/realtor that you’ve decided to retain your nephew, a rookie real estate agent, due to the fact that your neighbour’s breath could topple the C.N. Tower. Better to bow out gracefully with a wee fib. In this instance, you could take advantage of your nephew’s inexperience by claiming that you’re trying to help out your relative and that’s why you decided to hire him.

Blame your spouse — This strategy is a classic for good reason. By pointing a finger at your better half, you, in effect, tell people that you are being held hostage based on your partner’s choice, however different it may be than yours. The beauty of this game plan is that you end up looking like the sympathetic supporter, unlike your spouse, who is likely viewed as something of a villain.

 Be Honest Abe — The truth can hurt but it also sets you free. If you have the strength of character to weather chilly responses and cold shoulders, this is likely a good pick for you. You never have to look over your shoulder or struggle and squirm to remember your white lie when you invariably run into your Aunt Maude at Thanksgiving dinner. This option is a tough one but it’s worth it given the peace of mind it leaves you with.

Pick a Pro over Blood — Because home buying is such an emotionally charged transaction involving big, life-changing amounts of money, the process can be highly volatile and there is little room for mistakes. Giving your best friend’s daughter a break will earn you brownie points for sure, but may not be in your best interest in the long run. Same for hiring a friend or relative who doesn’t work relatively close to your area. Regardless of the relationship, you need a professional who lives, eats and breathes real estate and understands the local market, including everything from schools and shops to local issues and housing inventory.

The real estate industry is predicting a banner year as it looks into its crystal ball for 2020.

Given the doldrums the market showed over the last two years, this news may come as a bit of a surprise.  But who doesn’t enjoy a surprise especially when it’s tied to good news.  Housing industry insiders say this turnaround in the market means sales are anticipated to grow this year. This good news, however, is tempered with cautionary predictions that housing inventory will continue to affect the shape of the market in that supply issues will put pressure on prices.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is forecasting “solid” house pricing gains in 2020 thanks in large part to the weak start in home sales that took place at the beginning of 2019. The turnaround that took place in real estate in the second half of 2019 is credited to a fall in new listings, a trend that CREA says will persist into 2020.

“These trends have caused many housing markets to tighten,” said CREA in its year-end quarterly forecast, “which has sharply lowered the national number of months of inventory. This is resulting in increased competition among buyers for listings and providing fertile ground for price gains.”

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is calling for a recovery of the housing market this year with an expectation that out-of-control pricing in Toronto and Vancouver markets will settle.

According to the Toronto Star, the national housing agency suggests a rebound in Toronto house prices in the next two years by as much as five per cent. That would put the average home between $765,300 and $898,400. It forecasts that prices could average $949,400 by the end of 2021, which is a 10.5 per cent hike over 2019 prices.

Increased consumer confidence will drive gains in 2020, which according to leading Canadian real estate franchises are pegged at a house price appreciation of 3.2 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively.

According to Canada Mortgage Trends, the Bank of Canada is expected to cut the lending rate in 2020 and deliver a 25-basis points rate cut. An RBC economist wrote that the cut should come in the second quarter of the year, however, continued strength in the housing market could translate to inaction on the Bank of Canada’s side. The mortgage information blog went on to say that some experts expect a cut in mortgage rates by July.

Sources: Canada Mortgage Trends, CREA, CHMC, RE/MAX, Toronto Star

By mid January we’re holidayed out. Often by now, we’ve turned off the timers on our Christmas lights and our only tree leftovers are those pesky evergreen needles that got caught in area rugs, furnishings and heating vents.

For many the post holiday period is a time of curtailment. And while you may be watching what you eat and drink, restricting your spending and trying to limit your Netflix viewing, now is not the time to skimp on your outdoor decorating especially if your house is on the market.

And though it could be argued that buyers trudging through ice and snow to view your home are likely highly motivated, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to heighten your home’s curb appeal. Let’s look at environmentally friendly ways to make your home stand out amid the New Year frost.

Not all holiday decorations need to go into storage come January. If you’ve furnished your front porch in a plethora of greenery, pine cones, branches and berries, these classic signs of winter are an attractive reminder of the season.  Nothing says welcome quite like the natural simplicity of a burlap bow and a boxwood. It’s a good idea to pack away any glitz and glitter décor items or ones that scream Christmas at this time of year.

Lanterns are a pretty way to decorate your outdoors. They come in all shapes, sizes and décor styles so you would be hard pressed not to find one that suits your design aesthetic. Depending on the amount of space you’re decorating, a grouping of three lanterns looks eye-catching. What adds to the mood of this decorative device is the fact that you can lend extra ambiance to your front entry by adding flameless candles to each lantern.  The realistic flickering light from these candles will provide your home with a warm welcoming vibe.

Since colour is hibernating at this time of year, you can incorporate splashes of colour in your outdoor décor. A colourful welcome mat at your front door, tastefully placed outdoor chairs in bright colours and a cold-hardy plant such as juniper or a topiary placed in a colourful pot near your front entry are all striking and inviting touches. One surefire way to add colour is to repaint your front door.

Be kind to wildlife with feeder garlands that will attract all kinds of birds and animals to your home. You can also add cheer to your outdoors thanks to colourful bird feeders strategically placed. Not only do these look pretty thanks to their colour and shape, they also serve to provide a sanctuary for our feathered friends.

The Ontario government has introduced a bill outlining new rules for the province’s real estate profession that centre on discipline and enforcement, improving professional standards and consumer protection as well as providing greater autonomy for real estate professionals as to how they manage their businesses.

The bill would give the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) more powers to fine realtors and suspend licences for unprofessional conduct and unethical behaviour, as well as allow it to consider a broad range of factors including the public interest when considering registration eligibility.

It also gives realtors more independence in how they conduct business with the ability to incorporate and to be paid through the corporation. This provides them with tax write-offs and new ways to manage their flow of income.

For real estate consumers, the bill allows realtors the discretion as to whether or not they disclose competing offers in a bidding war scenario. Currently, purchasers in a multiple buyer situation are not privy to the monetary value or conditions of competing offers.

“This bill has been a long time coming and we’re thrilled to see the Ontario government is determined to put buyers and sellers first, while ensuring realtors have the tools and training needed to do the best job for their clients in today’s modern marketplace,” Ontario Real Estate Association president Karen Cox told REM online.

It has been nearly 20 years since the province updated its rules around the real estate industry. The 2002 Real Estate Business Brokers Act (REBBA) is being renamed The Trust in Real Estate Services Act.

The bill comes on the heels of public consultations in early 2019 and closely follows what the Ontario Real Estate Association had been campaigning for.

Ontario is home to more than 86,000 registered real estate salespeople, brokers, and brokerages in Ontario.

The real estate industry in Ontario has undergone dramatic changes since the act was initially passed two decades ago, Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson told the Toronto Star. “Economically real estate is booming. Between 2005 and 2015, the total value of all residential properties more than doubled in Ontario.”

Sources: www.torontostar.com, www.remonline.com, www.chroniclejournal.com

October and November may feel like something of a break before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This period is a good time to take stock of our homes, our properties and whether or not our endeavours are environmentally kind to the planet.

Here’s a checklist of a few fall maintenance items that will add some green not just to your wallet but also add to your sense of pride about doing the right thing.

The furnace

These heat sources get a big workout in Canada so be kind to them by cleaning — yes cleaning — them regularly. Furnaces are often stored away in a dark and dingy portion of the basement so they tend to collect dust and dirt. Don’t let that accumulate as a build-up of grime can affect its performance or worse, cause a fire. Clean and replace your furnace filters. Consider having yours serviced by a heating professional or if you’re so inclined do it yourself. Online would be a good source to see how it’s done.

Turn down the heat 

Water heaters have a default setting of 140 degrees, a temperature that can easily scald and burn energy unnecessarily. Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees. To save more consider purchasing a blanket for your water heater. While you’re at it, throw on a sweater and turn down your furnace, too.

Leave the leaves 

Believe it or not, leaves offer our lawns and gardens many benefits. Collect and place them on flower beds or at the base of trees, shrubs and bushes. The leaves will eventually decompose and their nutrients will be passed on to your vegetation. Also there’s good reason not to toss your leaves and to delay your garden clean-up till spring. Decaying plants and curled leaves provide a home for many insects. Bees, butterflies and many other bugs depend on our garden debris to overwinter. If it helps, think of your yard as a sanctuary for insects, birds, amphibians and animals.

Start composting 

The fall season is a great time to start a compost pile in your yard. Compost helps enrich your soil and reduced the need for water and pesticides. A compost pile can also hold your grass clippings and leaves in addition to food scraps.

Kick your tires 

Since colder temperatures can result in lower tire pressure on your vehicles, be sure to inspect your tire pressure on occasion as outdoor temperatures start declining. The reason? Under inflated tires can result in reduced fuel efficiency for your vehicle.

Farmer’s Market 

Many farmers markets continue into the fall season so be sure to check out their offerings. Remember, when you purchase apples, carrots and potatoes there you are supporting local growers and helping to trim down our collective carbon emissions.

Sources: www.earth911.com, www.eponline.com, www.gerberlife.com, www.greenerideal.com

The prospect of mold growing in our homes is enough to send many of us on a mission to seek and destroy, often spending a fortune on remediation, not to mention the mental and physical distress it inflicts.

Before we hire the first available mold removal company, it’s important to take stock, calm down and evaluate your situation.

Likely the biggest concern with mold inside your home is how it affects the quality of air. Mold releases chemicals and spores that can be damaging to certain people. Health Canada says mold can cause “allergic reactions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis, non-allergic reactions such as headaches, and other symptoms [including] lung and breathing infections.”

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), you need to pay attention to the amount of mold your home contains, how long it’s been there and the health of those living in your house. Pregnant women, children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory ailments or a weakened immune system are at higher risk.

Moisture and nutrients cause mold growth. It’s fairly clever and can grow on everyday building materials such as wood and drywall. Mold can also grow behind wallpaper; in areas where water may have seeped, like wall cavities, basement subfloors, crawl spaces, and so on; under wall-to-wall carpeting and in areas near to mold that has been discovered before.

Continued mold growth means that there is too much moisture in the home. In Canada, basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms and cold exterior walls are where most mold growth is found.

According to the CMHC, small amounts of mold in your home are relatively easy to treat. Simply use warm water and an unscented dishwashing detergent. And do not use bleach, even though it is commonly believed to help in mold clean-ups. The CMHC says bleach does not prevent mold from coming back and it produces harmful fumes so it’s best to avoid. Be sure to wear protective items such as rubber gloves, goggles and a mask. The CMHC recommends leaving large areas of mold (1 m x 3 m or a standard piece of 4 ft. x 8 ft. plywood) to professionals to cleanup.

Stains and discolouration are often signs of mold. Mold growth usually looks fuzzy or powdery and is very often light green to brown or black in colour. It can also be white, red, orange, yellow, blue or violet. The other way to detect it is through scent. A musty smell often means mold.

How to prevent mold and moisture indoors?

• Keep your house dry
• Prevent and repair leaks
• Control moisture that is produced within your house
• Use bathroom fans
• Use range hood fans
• Store firewood outside
• Regularly check your house for signs of mold
• Act quickly to keep small problems from getting bigger

For more information go to https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/maintaining-and-managing/managing-first-nation-properties/maintenance-solutions/mould-in-housing

With each passing year, our technology becomes more and more sophisticated and the same goes for the over-the-top decorations we use to adorn our front doors and lawns during certain observances and holidays.

Halloween is perhaps the most exciting time of year to adorn the outdoors. The assortment of fun and frightening decorations is endless with fake-blood spattered doors, lawns turned to cemeteries and dead bodies or ghosts hanging from trees.

While you may find the notion of frightening folks all very amusing, home buyers may not see it that way at all.  Here are some pointers to help subdue your frightening decor this Halloween:

Don’t over-ghoul it:

The simplicity of planting a few colorful mums and rolling out a carved pumpkin during the Thanksgiving and Halloween season has been replaced by extreme décor. Decorations now comprise 10-feet-tall inflatable ghosts, creepy clowns, dead children and zombies. And that list does not include the blood and gore some homeowners enjoy putting on display for Halloween.

Remember that it may be families with little ones coming to view your home. You don’t want to frighten away kids or adults for that matter. Go ahead and decorate but make it more pleasing as opposed to a hell house kind of vibe.

There’s a very practical reasons to scrap those large inflatable yard decorations as their presence may block the for sale sign on your lawn.

Keep it tasteful:

Try for more neutral and aesthetically pleasing types of décor such as pumpkins, bales of hay, scarecrows and corn stalks. Even an attractive fall wreath or front-door display with pops of fall colours and Halloween themes can be fun and, most importantly, not off-putting.

In keeping it tasteful, you will want to avoid references to blood, death and gore. No nods to your favourite Walking Dead zombies or scary movie and TV clowns. Also, tone down the quantity of decorations you put out.  There’s no need to turn your home into an out-of-control haunted house. Remember, less is more.

Be safe:

Don’t block sidewalks, walkways and stairs with your Halloween décor.  Though pumpkins and potted mums look especially pretty situated to the left or right on each of your front entry steps make sure you have plenty of room to navigate the steps. If it seems too tight move your décor to your porch or at the base of your steps on the lawn.

Light it up:

Now is the time to get to that burnt-out porch light you’ve been meaning to replace. It’s important to illuminate your outside especially around your main entryway since that’s how strangers will be coming into your home. A nicely lighted home is also particularly welcoming and cozy. Remember, you want to invite home buyers in, not scare them away.

Be sure to clean up:

It’s easy to ignore those rotting gourds and pumpkins on your porch. Don’t. The stench may be a big turn off for buyers and you don’t want to draw vermin to your home.

1. Are you financially stable? Have you been working in the same industry for one year? Have you been self-employed for more than two years? Do you have some savings for your down payment
2. Ready to shoulder the costs of home ownership? Remember that in addition to mortgage payments there are repairs, maintenance and unexpected costs. Do you have the time and money to devote to home maintenance? What if your furnace dies? How much is a typical water and sewer bill? What do you mean, there’s dry rot in the attic?
3. How much is too much? Add your debt payments to your household expenses. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommend your monthly housing costs should not exceed 32 per cent of your gross income.
4. Your credit rating. Before getting a mortgage, lenders will want to see how well you’ve paid past debts and bills. If you have no credit rating, start building one. Apply for a credit card with a good interest rate, make small purchases and pay the bill in full when it comes in.
5. Get pre-approved for a mortgage.
6. Understand your terms. It’s a good idea to research mortgage terminology prior to meeting with a mortgage specialist so you understand commonly used words and phrases such as variable rates and amortization. Ask friends or family for help or go online.
7. Find a realtor. Ask trusted friends or family members. The other option is to select a realtor who specializes in a certain area or type of real estate such as first-time home buyers or condos. If that’s not doable, take notice of the for sale signs in the neighbourhood you want to live. Whose name continues to pop up again and again?
8. Figure out where you want to live. Do you want to be near Go Transit, highways, schools or are you looking to live near restaurants and nightlife?
9. What kind of a house are you looking for? Know the difference between a stacked townhouse, a semi-detached house and a duplex. Bone up on the language of buying.
10. Speak to a lawyer. Know your closing costs. Get a quote from two or three lawyers on what fee they charge and what they bill for disbursements. Closing costs can also include land transfer tax, mortgage insurance and a home inspection. Budget 3 to 4 per cent of the purchase price for closing costs.

Toronto might be the city of neighbourhoods, but how much of being neighbourly actually goes into your day-to-day routine?

Two women looking over fence

Sure, you wave hello or offer a nod to your next-door neighbour but how much do you really know about them? At the same time, how much do you really want to know about them? Either way, it’s considerate and kind to be there for your neighbours in times of crisis, for minor emergencies or simply to help another human being out.

Remember when folks went out of their way to welcome new families to the neighbourhood? A couple might drop by with a bottle of wine or a plant to greet their newest neighbour or mom might drop off a home-baked apple pie or oatmeal cookies.

While taking a token gift to meet a new neighbour may still occur in some areas, it’s very much a rare occurrence today. Why is that?  Are we too busy? Do we care less than we used to?  Whatever happened to the notion of being neighbourly?

While spending hours over a hot stove may be too much for some, let’s look at ways we can be neighbourly without being too nosy:

• A day or two after the big move pop by to introduce your family and answer any questions they may have. Don’t overstay your welcome.
• Consider hosting a casual dinner party or barbecue with old neighbours and the new ones.
• Given modern concerns around allergies and special diets, if you’re giving consumables, it’s best to give baked goods, a basket of apples or other fruit or specialty coffees and teas.
• If the new neighbours have pets or kids, introduce them to other neighbours with pets or kids. Better yet, offer to let their kids play with yours or watch TV at your house so that they can move in uninterrupted.
• Don’t overstep your bounds. Be nice and not nosy. That’s a fine line to tread but know when their eyeballs bulge that you may have stepped over the line.
• Always greet your new neighbour, even once they’re an old one. Wave, say hi or smile. And remember that even though you may not see eye-to-eye on most things, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be civil. Being neighbourly makes for a friendly, hospitable neighbourhood and those are the best in which to live.