Archives for November, 2015

Written by Brenda Ernst

All young children seem to love Art Class, and they can’t wait to bring their Treasures home and post them right on the Fridge for everyone to admire. If you’re getting your home ready to sell, potential buyers need to see that fridge if it’s included in the Sale, so where does all that artwork go?

Fun ways to display this art is with individual picture frames of varying shapes and sizes.

Yard Sales, Flea markets and Thrift Stores are places to find interesting frames at great prices.

You can paint them in different colours, or all the same colour, whatever works for you. Look for ones that can easily be opened up and pictures changed out on a regular basis.

Create a display area in your home where this artwork can be seen and enjoyed by the little artist. Your child will be proud of their masterpieces, and your fridge will stay shiny and magnet free! A win, win situation for everyone!

Image retrieved from http://www.decoist.com/2012-10-16/displaying-kids-artwork-in-a-sophisticated-fashion/

Written By Brenda Ernst

The idea of staging your home to sell, is so the buyer can envision themselves and their belongings in your space. The best way to do this is to neutralize with colours that fade away so the space can be seen and appreciated for its size and interesting features. Ideally you try to match the colour choice to the floor and cabinetry, or pull a color from a favorite piece of art you have hanging on a prominent wall.

Here are a few good choices, all from Benjamin Moore.

• White Dove or Simply White for Trim
• Revere Pewter – Mid Gray
• Grey Owl – Soft gray
• Pale Oak – Soft, creamy gray
• Gentle Cream – Cream with soft yellow undertone
• Niveous- Off white colour with a hint of tan undertone
• Muslin- Perfect beige, not gray, not tan, not gray – Goes anywhere
• Manchester Tan – Quiet tan colour that goes with most everything
• Stonehouse- Soft brown
• Quiet Moments- Lovely and fresh light blue/gray/green color
• Rainwashed- Beautiful blue/green/grey (from Sherwin Williams)

Image of “Revere Pewter” paint colour retrieved from: http://www.homebunch.com/page/123/

   Want to know what homes in your area sold for in Q3 of 2015?

(July 1 to September 30)

For each of the 9 residential neighbourhoods in Newmarket we have a analysis of the following:

• Average days on market (Avg. DOM)
• Number of Sales
• Overall Average Sale Price
• Overall Highest Sale Price
• Overall Lowest Sale Price
• AND, a breakdown of these numbers if the area includes detached, semi-detached, and/or townhomes.

Here is a boundary map for each of the 9 residential neighbourhoods in Newmarket:

Yellow – Woodland Hills

 76 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $679,513

Avg. DOM: 15

Overall Highest Sale Price: $995,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $490,000

This Includes: 

54 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $734,066

11 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $555,445

11 Townhouse Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $535,773

Lime Green – Bristol/London Rd.

60 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $538,078

Avg. DOM: 18

Overall Highest Sale Price: $1,282,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $339,000

This Includes:

35 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $634,063

25 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $403,698

Purple – Huron Heights/Leslie Valley

40 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $569,998

Avg. DOM: 11

Overall Highest Sale Price: $850,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $347,000

This Includes:

31 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $617,194

8 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $408,250

Blue – Glenway Estates

13 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $853,361

Avg. DOM: 20

Overall Highest Sale Price: $970,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $730,000

*All of these sales were detached homes.

Green – Central Newmarket

42 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $608,033

Avg. DOM: 23

Overall Highest Sale Price: $1,085,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $360,000

This Includes:

37 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $608,105

Maroon – Gorham-College Manor

33 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $604,397

Avg. DOM: 14

Overall Highest Sale Price: $875,401

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $357,000

This Includes:

28 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $627,414

4 Townhouse Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $455,625

Red – Summerhill

71 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $601,556

Avg. DOM: 17

Overall Highest Sale Price: $975,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $438,800

This Includes:

35 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $683,499

10 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $551,198

26 Townhouse Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $510,615

Grey – Armitage Village

12 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $719,740

Avg. DOM: 27

Overall Highest Sale Price: $856,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $519,000

This Includes:

10 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $758,788

2 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $524,500

Orange – Stonehaven/Wyndam

69 Sales with an Overall Avg. Sale Price: $907,387

Avg. DOM: 22

Overall Highest Sale Price: $1,445,000

Overall Lowest Sale Price: $415,000

This Includes:

57 Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price $990,852

11 Semi-Detached Sales – Avg. Sale Price: $519,645

*Keep in mind statistics like these can sometimes be misleading and areas that are more homogenous (with respect to type, style, and age of homes) offer a more accurate representation of the market in that area. If you have any questions about the numbers in your area feel free to contact us at www.DarcyToombs.ca

Lets start off by saying that Aluminum wiring itself is safe and if proper connections and terminations are made without damaging the wire and using approved materials installed in accordance with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and the manufacturer’s instructions, there should be no problems with the aluminum wiring installation. In Newmarket/Aurora, there are many homes that were built in the late 60’s to mid/late 70’s that have Aluminum wiring and I’m not aware of any major cases of incident in our area (as of the date of writing this).

Excerpt from a Notice the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) released in November 2015:

“The Electrical Safety Authority has received an increasing number of questions about the safety of aluminum wiring. In particular, purchasers or owners of homes built from the mid 1960’s until the late 1970’s with aluminum wiring are finding that many insurers will not provide or renew insurance coverage on such properties unless the wiring is inspected and repaired or replaced as necessary and this work is inspected by ESA and a copy of the certificate of inspection is provided to the insurer. In some cases the insurer may require replacement of the aluminum wiring with copper wiring. Check with your insurance company for their requirements.

Some homes may have a mixture of aluminum and copper wiring. Reported problems with aluminum wiring have been related to the overheating and failure of aluminum wiring terminations. This is due to aluminums tendency to oxidize and its incompatibility with devices designed for use with copper wiring. Warm cover plates or discolouration of switches or receptacles, flickering lights, or the smell of hot plastic insulation may evidence these problems. Each home will be different and must be assessed on its own. It is highly recommended the homeowner hire a licensed electrical contractor who is knowledgeable in the special techniques required for working with and repairing aluminum wiring. The contractor should do an assessment, make the necessary repairs, and have the work inspected by ESA. The homeowner should obtain a copy of the Certificate of Inspection for their records and for their insurance company (if requested).

As mentioned above, where problems exist with aluminum wiring they are usually found at termination points. This necessitates the opening of all outlets (receptacles, switches, fixtures, appliance connections, and in the panelboard) and visually inspecting terminations for signs of failure and overheating without removing or disturbing the devices or wiring. There should be no signs of overheating such as darkened or discoloured connections, melted insulation, etc.

Where problems are found the damaged aluminum conductor should be cut back to remove the damaged portion and then the necessary repairs made.”

To view the entire notice, visit: http://www.esasafe.com/assets/files/esasafe/pdf/Flash_Notices/15-02-FL.pdf

If you are considering purchasing a house with Aluminum wiring, it’s important to either:

• ask for the Seller to provide a “Certificate of Inspection” from the ESA showing the system is considered safe, or
• make your offer conditional upon arranging home insurance and see if your insurance carrier will provide insurance without the certificate mentioned above

To stay informed on news and other home related topics, be sure to Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter

Time to jump into the holiday season with festive events throughout the month of November.

1. Remembrance Day

Remembrance is Wednesday, November 11, 2015 and there will be a ceremony held at the Newmarket Cemetery (112 Main St. North) beginning at 10:30 AM to approximately 12:00 PM. Parking is limited, so arrive early.

2. Theatre Productions

If you are looking for something a bit different to do, or maybe you are an avid theater connoisseur, check out the production of Mary Poppins running from November 5th to 15th at the Newmarket Theatre.

November 5th to 15th, 2015
Marquee Theatrical Productions: Mary Poppins
November 5 – 7, 12 -14 at 7:30 PM
November 7, 8, 14, 15 at 1:00 PM
Location: Newmarket Theatre
Cost: Adults $29, Senior & Child $27 (Over 65 & Under 12)

3. Santa Clause is Coming to Town

Around the middle of the month the holiday events begin in full force with the Keswick Santa Clause Parade on Saturday, November 14th and the Sharon Santa Clause Parade on Sunday, November 15th, followed by Newmarket & Bradford’s parades on the 21st, and Aurora’s Santa Under the Stars Parade on Saturday, November 28th. Keep in mind that on December 5th, 2015 Mount Albert will host a parade sponsored by the Lions Club, so there will be no shortage of opportunities to see the man in the big red suit. For more details on times, parade routes, and donations see below..

Saturday, November 14, 2015
Keswick Santa Clause Parade
1:30 PM
Cost: FREE

Sunday, November 15, 2015
Sharon Santa Clause Parade
2:00 PM
Cost: FREE

Saturday, November 21, 2015
Newmarket Santa Clause Parade
11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Cost: FREE – attendees are encouraged to bring a non perishable food item for donation.

Saturday, November 21, 2015
Bradford Santa Clause Parade
6:30 PM to 8:30 pm
Cost: FREE – attendees are encouraged to donate $2 towards the Feed The Deer Collection.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Santa Under the Stars Parade (Aurora Santa Clause Parade)
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Cost: FREE
The parade travels south on Yonge Street from Orchard Heights Blvd to Murray Drive.

4. Holiday Home Tour

Finally, if you love homes, and clearly we do, check out the Annual Pickering College Holiday Home Tour on November 20th / 21st which features six homes in the Newmarket, Aurora and Stouffville areas.

November 20th & 21st, 2015
Pickering College Holiday Home Tour
Friday 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Tickets: $40

To stay informed on news and other home related topics, be sure to Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter