Four simple tips to upgrade the look and feel of your bathroom

(NC)—You can give your bathroom a fresh update without blowing the budget on renovations. Consider these four simple tips from Hilary Farr, designer and host of W Network’s Love It or List It.

Paint or Wallpaper

A fresh coat of paint will instantly uplift your bathroom and can be the inspiration for designing around a new colour palette. You can also change the ambiance of the room by wallpapering one wall in bright or ornate wallpaper.

Accessorize

Buy new bathroom accessories in a classic stainless steel and elegant design. Hide toiletries in pretty bottles and storage containers. Complete the new look with scented candles, large wicker baskets and luxurious looking bath products.

The Bathtub

Help your tub look like new again with Vim Cream, which contains a powerful formula for removing soap scum, lime scale and bathroom grime. An old toothbrush to scrub faucets and grimy grout will make them sparkle like new.

Linens

Instantly brighten and refresh the bathroom space with a spring-inspired shower curtain. Add new textures to the room with fluffy hand and bath towels in a neutral palette mixed with a few bright colours. Stack them in large baskets with pretty soaps and lotions.

www.newscanada.com

Comparisons are often made between the current real estate boom and the one experienced in the Greater Toronto Area from 1986 – 1989. While there are some similarities, there are a number of key differences that have contributed to the extended real estate ‘boom’ here in the GTA.

The most important difference has to do with affordability. Affordability refers to the share of average household income used to pay the mortgage, property taxes and utilities on a home. As you can see from the chart below, there is a dramatic difference between the current affordability level and the levels experienced throughout the course of the real estate boom in the late 1980′s. At it’s peak in 1989, nearly 55% of every household dollar earned went towards paying the mortgage, property taxes and utilities!

Toronto condos help increase housing starts in February

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of Canadian housing starts reached 196,700 units in February 2010, up 6.1 per cent from a downwardly revised January figure of 185,400 units. Much of this gain took place in the urban multiple-family segment of the market, which includes condominium apartments. Increases in multiple-family home starts were especially noted in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), where the annual rate of total starts was up by 66 per cent compared to January.

Tight resale market conditions in the GTA and Canada-wide have started to impact new home construction. As resale market conditions tightened in 2009, more home buyers started to visit preconstruction sales centres. Stronger new home sales in the second half of last year have started to translate into increased home starts, especially in the high-rise segment of the market. Residential construction activity will continue to improve this year. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has forecast between 30,000 and 34,000 starts per year over the next two years, a substantial improvement over the 26,000 starts in 2009.

View January 2010 Housing Starts

Click here to view the GTA Release

Click here to view the Canadian Release

Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) with economic commentary by Jason Mercer – TREB Senior Manager of Market Analysis

March 1, 2010 – March 7, 2010

Here’s a look at the Real Estate Market in Vaughan over the last 7 days:

Vaughan Real Estate Market Overview

There were a total of 197 homes listed in the 9th week of 2010 and a total of 60 sales. The breakdown of new listings includes 36 condos, 18 townhomes, 27 semi’s or links and 116 detached homes with 25 being priced under $500,000, 83 priced between $500,000 and $1,000,000 and 8 priced over $1,000,000.

The breakdown of sales includes 10 condos, 7 townhomes, 6 semis and 37 detached homes with 15 selling for under $500,000, 21 selling between $500,000 and $1,000,000 and 1 selling for over $1,000,000.

Here is the breakdown for week 9:

Condos

• 36 Condos Listed
• Low: $219,800
• High: $549,000
• 10 Condos Sold
• Low: $269,000
• High: $400,000

Townhomes

• 18 Townhomes Listed
• Low: $339,900
• High: $479,800
• 7 Townhome Sold
• Low: $340,000
• High: $531,000
• Low Days On Market: 4
• High Days On Market: 24
• Low % Of Asking Price: 98%
• High % Of Asking Price: 106%

Semi-Detached (includes Linked Homes)

• 27 Semis Listed
• Low: $349,900
• High: $599,850
• 6 Semis Sold
• Low: $359,000
• High: $460,000
• Low Days On Market: 4
• High Days On Market: 11
• Low % Of Asking Price: 97%
• High % Of Asking Price: 108%

Detached Homes (under $500,000)

• 25 Detached under $500,000 Listed
• Low: $428,800
• High: $499,900
• 15 Detached under $500,000 Sold
• Low: $365,000
• High: $498,000
• Low Days On Market: 2
• High Days On Market: 55
• Low % Of Asking Price: 96%
• High % Of Asking Price: 107%

Detached Homes ($500,000 – $1,000,000)

• 83 Detached between $500k – $1,000,000 Listed
• Low: $504,900
• High: $999,000
• 21 Detached between $500k – $1,000,000 Sold
• Low: $515,000
• High: $970,000
• Low Days On Market: 2
• High Days On Market: 133
• Low % Of Asking Price: 91%
• High % Of Asking Price: 110%

Detached Homes ($1,000,000 and up)

• 8 Detached over $1,000,000 Listed
• Low: $1,180,000
• High: $4,898,000
• 1 Detached over $1,000,000 Sold
• Low: $1,300,000
• High: $1,300,000
• Low Days On Market: 7
• High Days On Market: 7
• Low % Of Asking Price: 93%
• High % Of Asking Price: 93%

See the weekly review from last week
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Looking for a more detailed report on Vaughan Real Estate including a list of homes for sale or sold in your neighbourhood?

See The Video & Get Your Copy of the Vaughan Real Estate Report

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Homes Still Affordable in the GTA

Here is a chart that shows a breakdown of what homes in the Greater Toronto Area sold for in the month of January 2010.

With mortgage rates near all time lows and the majority of sales falling within the $200,000 – $300,000 range, it is clear that there is still plenty of affordable housing in the Greater Toronto Area!