KELLER WILLIAMS REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES, BROKERAGE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer and we look forward to catching up soon.
REALTY GROUP tbaird.com
On the Real Estate front July statistics are out from the TRREB board citing that market conditions remained much more balanced in July 2022 compared to a year earlier. As buyers continued to benefit from more choice, the annual rate of price growth has moderated. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by 12.9 per cent year-over-year. The average selling price was up by 1.2 per cent compared to July 2021 to $1,074,754. Less expensive home types, including condo apartments, experienced stronger rates of price growth as more buyers turned to these segments to help mitigate the impact of higher borrowing costs.
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Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer for TRREB said “The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) population continues to grow and tight labour market conditions will drive this growth moving forward. Despite more balanced market conditions resulting from rapidly increasing mortgage rates, policymakers must continue to take action to boost housing supply to account for long-term population growth. TRREB has put realistic solutions on the table to address the existing housing affordability challenges. With savings high and the unemployment rate still low, home buyers will eventually account for higher borrowing costs. When they do, we want to have an adequate pipeline of supply in place or market conditions will tighten up again,” This is still good news whether you are a buyer or seller. We would love to have a conversation with you directly on how the market maybe impacting your choice to buy or sell or even perhaps invest in another property. Our team is always available to sit down with you, or prepare a current market evaluation for your home.
e hope you have been enjoying the “dog days of summer” and you are starting to look forward to the coziness that the fall weather brings. In this issue we wanted to share some great stories, one in particular about how a group of older women decided to become the “Golden Girls of Port Perry”. Are you at the stage where you have given some thought to aging in place, going into a retirement home or downsizing to a different community or type of home? We have a number of solutions you may want to consider including one that we will share more information about in our next issue, called Sell n Stay Home.
Power to Move You tbaird.com 3 CONTENTS 4 6 9 10 14 16 NEW PROVINCIAL RULES CAN’T STOP SURPRISE FEES AND ADDITIONAL CHARGES BILLED TO BUYERS FOUR OTTAWA WOMEN CHOOSE A COHOUSING WAY OF LIVING SNEAK PEEK 1 ELM DRIVE, MISSISSAUGA FOR 601-65LEASEPORT STREET EAST, MISSISSAUGA SIMPLE WAYS TO ENHANCE HOME SAFTEY LIVING IN THE SUNNY SOUTH 26 AUGUST ISSUE 2022 20 22 24 26 28 32 33 THERESA RECOMMENDS 3 QUICK BACK TO SCHOOL LUNCHES FOR 203-65SALEPORT STREET EAST, MISSISSAUGA SENSORY GARDENS DESIGN TO ENGAGE ALL FIVE SENSES BODY HEALTHYWORKTREATMENT FROM HEAD TO TOE 12 TIPS ON HOW TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL QUICKLY WHY IS THE TB REALTY GROUP ONE OF THE BEST IN THE MARKETPLACE MARKET STATS AT A GLANCE JULY 2022 6 24
New
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Ontario law requires pre-con struction condominium pur chase agreements to have a 10day conditional, or rescission, period for buyers to review the documents and accept or rene gotiate the terms, or back out of the transaction. Provincial Rules Can’t Billed to Buyers the Final Hours Before Closing
in
When Shub pointed out to the builder’s lawyer that some of the charges had in fact been capped in the purchase agreement, the ad ditional charges were dropped by $47,200 to about $81,000.
Beyond vague clauses in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale that there would be cer tain unspecified extra “adjust ments,” none of these charges was itemized.
Stop Surprise Fees and Additional Charges
A group of buyers of new townho mes in Mississauga got the shock of their lives when, a few days be fore closing their purchases last month, the developer presented them with demands for between $70,000 and $170,000 in extras in addition to their purchase prices.
August
By Bob Aaron - Contributing Columnish | 18, 2022
Veteran Toronto real estate lawyer Stephen Shub contacted me earli er this month to forward copies of the builder’s statement of closing adjustments for one of his clients. The purchase price for the prop erty on Journeyman Lane was $888,900 but the builder added unexpected last-minute additional charges of $128,261. The big tick et items were $61,656 for utility meters, $55,674 for development charges, and $10,930 for a munic ipal park levy.
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The builder also said the additional closing fees cover municipal de velopment charges, parkland lev ies, the connection of utilities and related services, and additional in frastructure costs.
While builders always need to re cover their construction costs,
A new Code of Ethics — regula tion 245/21 — prohibits a builder’s undefined unprofessional con duct, misrepresentation and false advertising. It does nothing to stop huge extra charges or proj ect cancellations. It’s little more than smoke and mirrors. Ontario homebuyers deserve much better from our government.
the issue to me in this develop ment is the timing of disclosure and last-minute surprises to the Matteopurchasers.Guinci is a communica tions manager with Ontario’s Min istry of Public and Business Ser vices Delivery, which is in charge of new home builders. He emailed me to say that the government has strengthened regulatory tools to protect consumers.
Each agreement has two sched ules: one containing the fixed additional costs, and another detailing the unlimited extras which can be tacked on to the purchase price. Many of the buyers in the Missis sauga development had to scram ble at the last minute to come up with funds for the unexpect ed extras or lose their deposits and Lawyershomes.who review precon struction agreements will caution their clients about the unlimited extras and attempt - with varying degrees of success - to negotiate a maximum on the costs. Based on my experience, however, only a small percentage of buyers bother to have their lawyers re view the agreements. That was apparently the case for many of the Mississauga town home buyers. Shub had only harsh words for the builder. “When,” he asks, “will someone out there revise the regulations and put a stop to this type of outlandish creativity by Builderbuilders?”Haven Developments did not respond to my requests for Butcomment.inastatement sent to CityNews last month, Haven Developments said adjustments to final closing costs “should not come as a sur prise to any purchaser and, cer tainly not, to their legal counsel.”
By Anita Murray, All Things Home | August 1, 2022
The concept, which originated in Denmark in the 1960s, is a way of forming an intentional com munity for sharing their lives, and while it’s common elsewhere, particularly in British Columbia, it’s one of just two developed co housing communities in Ontario, both of which are here in Ottawa, according to the Canadian Co housing Network. Those who co house have similar values and will typically share weekly meals and other activities, as well as offer support to one another.
“We very deliberately among ourselves built in privacy so that we’re not throwing our whole The Soul Sisters are from left to right: Mary Alice (Ang) Henry, Norah McMahon, Dona Bowers and Kathy Crowe. Photo credit: AllThingsHome.ca
Courtesy Rosaline J. Hill Architect
Four Ottawa Women Choose a Cohousing Way of Living
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But the Golden Girls these women are not. Unlike the four mature women who shared a sin gle home together in the 1980s TV sitcom, the Soul Sisters each have their own private two-bed room apartment, complete with kitchen and living room, within the larger home.
Four friends who have chosen to share their senior years to gether by cohousing are finally within sight of seeing their dream realized.Inthe works for five years, the women — Dona Bowers, Kathy Crowe, Mary Alice (Ang) Henry and Norah McMahon, who call themselves the Soul Sisters — are nearing completion on their unique home under construction in Vanier.Technically a semi-detached home to fit the city’s zoning re quirements, the 5,780-squarefoot building is divided into four apartments of roughly 800 to 900 square feet each, plus shared common space for gathering as a community, or cohousing.
The Soul Sisters project is a large semi-detached home on a corner lot in Vanier with four private apartments and shared common space that’s about 1,245 square feet. In total, the building is 5,780 square feet. Construction is expected to finish in late fall.
Each half of the semi-detached is open to connect all four units, although they could be closed off to create two separate homes.
The second floor houses a pri vate unit and the house’s com mon kitchen, living room and dining room.
The experience - and timing - led Hill to launch Ottawa Co housing earlier this year to help those interested in cohousing find each other and work through the sometimes-lengthy process of developing relationships with each other and then building The Soul Sisters and their architect, Rosaline Hill (middle), held a walk-through of their home under construction in mid-July. Photo: AllThingsHome.ca
Technically a semi-detached home, the house has double stair cases and an elevator. The main floor houses two of the private units.The second floor houses a pri vate unit and the house’s com mon kitchen, living room and dining room.
The basement has large win dows at ground level for lots of natural light, plus a walk-out patio for one of the private units. It also has more common space (guest room, full bathroom, multi-pur pose room and storage).
Power to Move You tbaird.com 7 lives together,” says Henry. But the house also includes a larger shared kitchen, dining and living room area, a guest room, storage and a multi-purpose craft room.
Technically a semi-detached home, the house has double stair cases and an elevator. The main floor houses two of the private units.The second floor houses a pri vate unit and the house’s com mon kitchen, living room and dining room. The Soul Sisters first began ex ploring cohousing in 2017, but it wasn’t until they teamed up with Hill in late 2019 that things really got going. An architect with an in grained sense of community her self, Hill has a deep understanding of how to navigate the city’s de velopment system, making her a valuable ally for the Soul Sisters.
“Technically speaking, there are primary units and secondary units in each half and that’s how we pulled off a four-unit building — a four-unit apartment building is not permitted here,” says their architect, Rosaline J. Hill. “We had to go to some lengths to convince the building permit staff that this really wasn’t a four-unit apart ment building, it was a semi.”
The basement has large win dows at ground level for lots of natural light, plus a walk-out patio for one of the private units. It also has more common space (guest room, full bathroom, multi-pur pose room and storage).
Still, it would be more than a year and a half from the time the group bought their property in March 2020 (just as COVID was emerg ing) to when builder Arterra Cus tom Homes starting construction in November 2021.
Their ownership arrangement is also atypical. Where most co housing communities are a condo, the Soul Sisters each own 25 per cent of the whole building. They have also taken the opportunity to create a home that is mindful of the environment and that will allow them to age in place, some thing that is important to them.
“Ninetycommunity.percent of groups that start off wanting to cohouse don’t ever form,” says Linda Kruus, Ot tawa Cohousing’s directing man ager. “It’s such an enormous undertaking for people… Our in tent for Ottawa Cohousing is to shorten the timeline for these groups and give them a shot at it by giving them the expertise and organizing them so that they pro ceed on their group work in a me thodical manner and addressing all the things they need to address before it becomes critical.”
The Soul Sisters and their archi tect, Rosaline Hill (middle), held a walk-through of their home under construction in mid-July. Photo: AllThingsHome.ca“Thisisnotthe norm for co housing, either in terms of demo graphic or in terms of numbers,” says Bowers, adding that cohous ing groups are usually multigen erational, do not know each other ahead of time and average about 25 units. “We knew each other be fore and we didn’t have to recruit. That, I think, is quite a challenge for a lot of cohousing groups… We knew our values and what was important to us.”
their
“There are so many little things that I think will be fun to have other people around to share,” Henry says. For Terra Firma, their backyards are a common space and the families gather on each other’s decks. Photo courtesy Terra Firma
“Our whole idea to begin with was that we share our lives as we age so that we not neces sarily do a lot of intensive care for each other but advocate and be able to make sure that appro priate resources (are accessed),” says Henry. The building includes an elevator, curb-less showers and easily accessible cupboards, for instance. It also includes solar panels, an electric car charger and an innovative wall panel system for improved indoor air quality and“Thisperformance.wayof living is more efficient,” says Crowe. Ottawa’s other cohousing group just celebrated its 25th an niversary. Called Terra Firma, the group is small by cohousing stan dards, with seven families that make up its condo and four auxil iary families who live separately in the
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The Soul Sisters are quick to point out that their cohousing ar rangement is not typical.
ingisthetionships,infrastructure,proponentwerevisedofSuzannetrying“There’sfamiliestheirhomethatwouldalleywayunitlish,TerraPhoto:fourcommonhomeunittawacohousingTerraneighbourhood.Firmaisalong-standingcommunityinOldOtEast.Itconsistsoftwothree-townhomesjoinedbyaninfillthatincludesthegroup’sspace.Therearealsoseparateauxiliarydwellings.AllThingsHome.caLiketheSoulSisters,ittookFirmaseveralyearstoestabeventuallybuyingtwothree-townhomesseparatedbyaninOldOttawaEast.Theylateraddaninfillhomeinalleywaytocreateaseventhandaddcommonspaceforcommunity.AllofTerraFirma’soriginalarestillpartofthegroup.acommitmentthereoftomakethingswork,”saysGagnon,whoisonethefoundersandwhoadtheSoulSisterswhentheyestablishing.“I’mastrongofbuildingthesoftwhichistherelabecauseattheendofday,whatmakesorbreaksittherelationship.”Heradvicetothoseconsidercohousingistobuildthe
relationship, hire professionals, be clear about your values and develop good principles to guide your decision-making. “If you’re a person who needs a lot of quiet and downtime and you’re private, this is not for you.”
“Thischange.opportunity is allowing me to end my life in a way that I find to be really important, not only for me but for others, in a specifically chosen communal setting,” says McMahon. All four cite the benefits of proximity to one another.
The Soul Sisters expect to move into their new home in late fall. While they will miss the homes each has lived in for many years, they’re looking forward to the
Group meals are a mainstay of cohousing. For Terra Firma, their backyards are a common space and the families gather on each other’s decks. Photo courtesy TerraKruusFirmapoints out that the ben efits are huge. “We think there are a lot of people who are really yearning for something like this, so they don’t feel isolated, so they can share resources, so they’re entering a mode of housing that’s environmentally sensitive and they’re able to live in a city and feel like they have a little village around them.”
Power to Move You tbaird.com 9 SNEAK PEEK LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION This sun-filled, west faciing condo boasts floor to ceiling tinted windows, contemporary design with engineered wood flooring, an open balcony with amazing views. One bedroom plus den with fantastic building amenities including an indoor pool, exercise room, games room, home theatre and 24 hour concierge. If you’d like more information before we go live on MLS don’t hesitate to call our team at 647-298-0997. 1 Elm Drive in Mississauga
Living in the Sunny South
Property Listings Courtesy of John R Wood Properties & Kevan Patel CFRM (Central Florida Realty Management)
Thorncrest Lane in Naples - Life is good in this thoughtfully renovated pool home by Hawaii based builder and designer duo. This gorgeous renovated home features a sprawling single level floor plan which boasts a beautiful 12’ quartz island with waterfall sides and seating for five as the epicenter of a cozy open concept floorplan. The formal dining area showcases built-ins and is adjacent to a cozy living room with wood burning fireplace. The beautiful chefs kitchen overlooks your new pool plus spa with water features and fenced in backyard with green space for your family to enjoy!
Thinking of moving to Florida? Here are several homes that the Realty Group has available.
Apartment complex near Mount Dora - Excellent immediate cash flowing investment opportu nity. Each unit is rented out on annual 12 month lease at $1,300 per unit per month. All utilities are the tenant’s responsibility. This is a fully occupied 4 unit multi-unit apartment building that has been fully remodeled and renovated both inside and out. New laminate floors throughout, stainless-steel appliances, fenced in back yards and new vinyl perimeter fence. Each unit is a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom unit along with its own private, large storage area.
Longleaf Trail in Estero - Own a beautiful turn-key furnished two-story home in the lovely Longleaf neighborhood in Shadow Wood and skip the line on the golf waiting list, in the pro cess! This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2 car garage home features a brick paver lanai, the over sized homesite offers great privacy on each side of home, and so many great features that en hance this Kingfisher floor plan. Enjoy gorgeous lake and preserve views year-round from your heated pool and spa with southern exposure. Offered move in ready allowing you to start living your best life now with no wait for enjoying the Shadow Wood lifestyle. Shadow Wood Country Club offers 54 holes of golf, 9 tennis courts, bocce ball, pickleball, private beach club, fitness & spa, new clubhouse, pro-shop, ladies and men locker room and terrace fireside seating with mile-wide views of the golf course.
Altessa Way in Bonita Springs - You are going to love this spacious and well-maintained 2nd floor Coach home with 2 car attached garage! With over 3,100 square feet of living space, this is the perfect year-round or seasonal home. The generous leasing options make this the ideal investment property as well. Enjoy the great room floor plan offered by the Verona, with a spacious kitchen overlooking the living/dining rooms with a perfect breakfast bar/island separation and the dining nook for informal meals and table games. The master suite features 2 walk-in closets and a spa-in spired bathroom with an oversized soaking tub and large walk-in shower and dual vanities. Jack and Jill split bedrooms provide privacy for guests. Perfectly located central to the sandy beaches of the gulf, shopping and dining in downtown Naples and RSW airport, this amenity-rich, bundled golf community offers you all sorts of opportunities to enjoy the Southwest Florida lifestyle.
14 tbaird.com Power to Move You 601 - 65 Port Street East in Port Credit, Mississauga PERFECT FULLY FURNISHED PENTHOUSE FOR LEASE This ideal lease is available beginning November 1st. The Regatta is the waterfront building in Port Credit where the trails run along the waterfront just outside its doors and the restaurants, shops and other amenities are plentiful. This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit is being offered fully furnished, so it could be an awesome choice if you are new in town or planning a renovation on your home and need a great place to stay. FOR LEASE
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ANSWER: First, congratulations on your new home! Moving into your own space is an exciting time, but as you mention, it can also be a time when you suddenly realize what a significant respon sibility it is to be fully in charge of a home or an apartment. This is a discovery many people make around other life changes as well—when a baby becomes a toddler and is suddenly on the move, or when an older relative comes to visit or stay—especially as the safety messages of the day seem to change so frequently.
16 tbaird.com Power to Move You Simple Ways to Enhance Home Safety By Meghan Wentland | Updated June 9, 2022 | Text and images on https://www.bobvila.com
QUESTION: I’ve just moved into my first home, and I’ve sudden ly realized how much I took for granted about home safety and security when I lived with my family. I am thrilled to be out on my own, and I want to be able to invite my friends and family over safely, but now I’m worried that my home may not be as safe as I think it is. How can I secure my home against potential hazards?
Ridding the house of hazards can seem like an impossible task, as it’s hard to know what is a hazard and what is not. Once you know what to look for, however, clear ing safety hazards around the home isn’t difficult or particularly expensive, and many of the steps can be achieved quickly. Your home will feel safer in no time.
LOCK DOORS AND WINDOWS TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM INTRUDERS
Cleaning up spills promptly is es pecially important in bathrooms and kitchens, where hard surfac es are more likely to cause inju ry during a fall than on carpeted surfaces. While tidying up can be an onerous task, it’s important to clear the debris that can accumu late in entryways, hallways, and staircases each day, as that pile of shoes, mail, or work and school bags can be a tripping hazard.
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Consider removing loose throw rugs or adhering them to the floor in such a way that a toe can’t catch on the edge. Rugs are pretty, but they can slide across the floor too easily and take a person down with them, so se curing them to the floor can in crease safety if they’re a necessity.
This seems like such a simple step, and yet intruders often gain access to homes through un locked or open doors and win dows, so it bears repeating. The most important step residents can take to secure their homes is to lock the door each and every time they leave or return home— even if they’re just walking over to the neighbor’s yard or running to their own backyard for a few min utes, or running upstairs to grab a forgotten jacket on the way out. The same goes for windows. If the home already has solid, se cure door locks, then all this step requires is developing the habit of locking the door regularly. But the quality of the door lock matters; if the door is old, or the lock doesn’t fit tightly in the door frame, or the resident doesn’t know how long it’s been since the lock was re placed, it may be time for a new one. Front door security depends on a strong door, a strong lock, and good lighting. Do the win dows in the home rely on a single sliding sash lock? They may also need bolstering or replacement; there are a number of after-mar ket window locks that can be added to existing windows to make them harder to pry open or break. If the windows are old er or single-pane, it may be time to replace them to increase the home’s security.
Finally, good lighting—especially on staircases—makes an enor mous difference in reducing the likelihood of falls. Staircases need overhead lighting to re duce shadows and missed steps, and most hallways can benefit from low lights or night lights that illuminate when it gets dark.
HOME SAFETY OPTIONS Keep floors dry and obstruc tion-free, and keep hallways and staircases well lit to help prevent accidental falls. Taking a tumble on a kitchen rug can be something to laugh about later when joking with friends about a clumsy accident. But clumsy accidents can easily be come dangerous injuries, so it’s best to protect guests and resi dents from slipping or falling as much as possible and save the jokes for another time. Falls are especially dangerous for adults over the age of 60 and for young children, but anyone can be se riously injured during a hard fall down the stairs or in a bathroom.
CONSULT A HOME SECURITY PRO Find trusted technicians in your area and compare multiple proj ect quotes for free. Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors regularly to ensure they are in good work ing order. Smoke alarms buy home residents precious time in the event of a fire; they give the home’s residents extra minutes to get out of the home and call the fire department, potentially reducing injury, loss of life, and damage to the property. There’s a catch, though—smoke detectors only buy this time if the batteries are fresh and the alarms are func tioning properly. It’s the home owner’s or renter’s responsibility to test the alarms monthly and replace the batteries twice a year, even if the alarm hasn’t had cause to sound. The batteries drain just from “sniffing” the air and re maining on guard. Often people choose to replace the batteries when the clocks go forward and backward, and it’s a good idea to use a marker to write the most recent change date on the in side of the smoke alarm cover as a reminder of when the batteries were Carboninstalled.monoxide is a hidden danger. The colorless, unscent ed gas seeps out of damaged furnaces and appliances, heat ers, or garages and poisons res idents quickly and silently, often while they’re sleeping and thus unaware of early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. These signs can include dizziness, nausea, confusion, and headache. Car bon monoxide detectors look similar to smoke detectors and display the current level of carbon monoxide in the air in the home. When the levels get too high, the alarm will sound, giving residents time to get out of the home, call for assistance, and seek imme diate medical attention. Just like smoke detectors, carbon mon oxide detectors need to be tested monthly and have their batteries
A range of cordless sconces and ground lighting is available to light areas where hardwiring would be difficult.
Poison control centers do a brisk business with calls from terrified parents whose children (or pets) have ingested medication that wasn’t intended for them. It’s easy to forget about medicine and poi son safety when things get busy, and accidents can happen in a flash when medication or chem icals are left unsecured around the house.
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Finally, keep the phone number for the American Association of Poison Control Centers (1-800222-1222) posted in an accessi ble location as well as saved in a cell phone, or save Poison Con trol’s emergency chat function as a shortcut on a laptop or phone so that if an accidental ingestion does occur, help can be sum moned immediately.
Locking medicine cabinets don’t have to be fancy— they can be as simple as a regu lar medicine cabinet with a lock on the side or tackle-box style to keep in a linen closet—and they may not be foolproof, but they’ll present a much greater obstacle than a childproof cap on a med icine bottle. Household chemi cals and paint are best kept in an area that is not accessible to chil dren, also behind a locked door.
REMOVE OR TIE UP BLIND CORDS TO PREVENT ANDSTRANGULATIONACCIDENTALINCHILDRENPETS
HOME SAFETY OPTION Monitor the stovetop and oven while cooking to prevent acci dental burns. For many cooks, the quick reach over one pot to stir another is a motion that is second nature, but if the cook is wearing loose sleeves, has long hair, or has a towel casually draped over an arm, that quick reach can start a fire that causes injury. Most peo ple think of gas ovens or stoves as the culprits of kitchen fires, but a dish towel in contact with an electric burner can light up just as quickly, and heated oils and foods can burn just as badly as flames. It’s a good plan to take basic pre cautions such as wearing closely fitted clothing, keeping the area clear, turning pot handles toward the inside, and paying careful at tention to the cooking food, as well as using dedicated pot hold ers or gloves to remove food from the oven. Also, keeping a fire ex tinguisher in the kitchen to tackle small fires quickly is an excellent safety precaution - just be sure the home’s residents know how to use it so that key moments ar en’t lost reading the directions in a moment of crisis.
KEEP MEDICINE AND OTHER POTENTIALLY POISONOUS SUBSTANCES IN A LOCKABLE CABINET
CREATE A FAMILY ESCAPE PLAN TO FOLLOW IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY In a true emergency, it is much easier to fall back to a planned course of action than it is to try to decide what to do in the mo ment, when hearts are pounding and adrenaline is surging. All of the home’s residents should work together to create an emergency plan so that it’s the default course of action and no time is wasted. Knowing which exit to use and designating a “meet outside the
Most homeowners or renters don’t give a second thought to the cords on the blinds or shades in their home. Chances are the bottom of the cords have become tangled over time as us ers have grabbed them to raise or lower the blinds. The tangle may be unsightly, but it also presents a strangulation hazard for children or pets who may get their heads or limbs caught in the cords. An average of one child a month dies as a result of this hazard. This safety hazard can be corrected by snipping the cords high above the reach of children if possible, or by removing them entirely and replacing them with cordless blinds or shades.
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The best home security sys tems and best apartment secu rity systems use burglar alarms, door and window sensors, cameras, and other technology to help protect the home from potential intruders. As smarthome systems have developed, however, security systems have incorporated the smart-home features into the whole-home automation plan, allowing resi dents to control many functions from the same app or interface. Of course, the apps associated with a home security system will allow users to arm and dis arm their system, and many in clude a panic button that can be an important part of a home emergency evacuation plan. But the smart-home features incor porated into security systems can add to home safety in oth er ways by allowing a home’s residents to control hazards through an app.
Ever returned home 10 minutes after leaving to check that the front door was locked or called a neighbor from vacation to see if the garage door was closed?
Power tbaird.com 19 home spot” is a good first step, and depending on the region, households may need additional plans for power outages, torna does, or floods. Create the plan, and then practice it so that in an emergency the focus will be on enacting it, not panicking. A SMART-HOME SECURITY SYSTEM TO HELP KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE AND SECURE
Smart door locks and garage door openers allow users to an swer those questions by check ing an app, and to lock dead bolts or close garage doors with a quick tap. Forgot to turn off the stove before leaving for the day? Another tap can turn off a smart appliance. While away from home, have you suddenly realized it’s hotter than expect ed and that a beloved pet may overheat? Use the smart-home security app to turn up the AC. And when arriving home later than expected, the option to preset a smart light to turn on at dusk means that the all-import ant front door lighting will be shining brightly upon the resi dent’s return. A comprehensive home security system protects a home from intruders (and may garner a discount on home owners or renters insurance), but it can also make home safe ty an easier task to tackle.
INSTALL
Written by Ronda Swaney. Text and photos seen in Homes by Design. Photography provided by Tatiana Buzmakova/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Gardeners often choose plants for how they look—the color or the shape of their flowers and leaves. Gardens focused on ap pearance alone provide beauty and solace. But engaging all five senses - sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste - makes a garden more enticing and immersive.
SENSORY GARDENS Sensory gardens can make the experience more enjoyable for those with vision or hearing im pairment. They are great teaching tools, helping children explore the natural world through all their senses. The benefits of gardening on mental and physical health are well documented for people of all ages. Exposure to sunshine and nature provides a mood boost, and the physical activity of cre ating and maintaining a garden improves strength, dexterity, and Aflexibility.sensory garden can also im prove your health through spe cific senses. Fragrances trigger the limbic system (the part of the brain that helps us pro cess memories and emotions). For example, lavender is said to prompt relaxation, while some studies find that a minty fragrance increases alertness. Sounds can also be soothing; birdsongs, trickling water foun tains, or rustling leaves may provide a sense of peace for lis teners. Babies touch soft things to soothe themselves; that soothing action can stay with us into adulthood, which makes touching soft, fuzzy plants a calming activity to soothe a busy mind. Lean on the follow ing ideas to construct a more immersive garden and create a feast for the senses
SMELL Roses, lilies, gardenias, and hon eysuckle are top picks for im buing a garden with fragrance. Add herbs for savory, citrusy, and sweet smells too. Good options include mint, chives, rosemary, thyme, or lemon balm.
SIGHT Plants offer the most obvious appeal to sight. Group flow ers by color by either pairing all warm or all cool hues, or blend ing a combination of hues. Mix up foliage as well, contrasting dark-green leaves with varie gated, greenish-yellow or even silvery options. Plants aren’t the only sight-related elements that can be added to a garden. A re flecting pool, gazing balls, mir rors, and moon or keyhole gates that frame a view all add inter esting visuals.
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FIVEENGAGEDESIGNGARDENSSENSORYTOALLSENSES
SOUND Ornamental grasses rustle gen tly when blown by the wind. Water features provide soothing
NEXT STEPS What steps can you take to create your own sensory garden? It may be easier than you think. First, take stock of what you have now. In ventory your garden and note the various senses that your plants, containers, and hardscape appeal to. That list will help identify miss ing senses you can expand on in your garden. Also consider the pathways through your garden. If your goal is to provide an immer sive experience, pathways should lead visitors close to plants that offer a pleasing fragrance or a pleasant touch. As you plan your garden, think through how it will change with the seasons and how you can make it a year-round experi ence. Choose plants that appeal to senses throughout the year. For example, a crape myrtle tree provides a beautiful sight during summer (its blooming season) and autumn (when many variet ies sport leaves that turn deep, rich colors). In winter, the tree bark peels back, providing an in teresting surface to touch, while also revealing new colors be neath the surface. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but natural beauty ex tends beyond what we see. A sensory garden helps deepen your experience of the natural world as you incorporate sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste into your landscaping plans.
TOUCH Interior design focuses on texture. Velvet, jute, silk, and tweed, for example, each elicit different sensations and feel ings when touched. The same is true for plants. The bark of trees provides a rough texture. The leaves of an Artemisia shrub are gentle to the touch. Fountain grass tufts also offer a pleasing texture. Succulents, like hens and chicks, provide a harder and sometimes pricklier surface. Hardscape features, like cedar fencing or galva nized steel planters, add to the mix of textures in the garden.
Power to Move You tbaird.com 21 sounds. Pathway paving, such as gravel, river rock, or pea peb bles, crunch when walked on. Insect-attracting plants add the buzz of bees as they pollinate the garden and other surround ing flora. Wind chimes can also be a charming audible addition.
TASTE Herbs, fruits, and vegetables pro vide the obvious options for ap pealing to taste in your garden. Edible flowers, such as pansies, roses, violets, and nasturtiums, offer another avenue to explore this sense. Use caution, however. Choose edible varieties and do not treat them with pesticides or other chemicals. Be sure they are washed before consumption.
SOPHISTICATED LAKESIDE CHARM!
Rarely available and exceptionally upgraded, this elegant 2 bedroom suite in The Regatta has it all! This well-appointed condo features a spacious 1314 sq ft floor plan, ideal for today’s modern living. The im pressive living and dining room space allows for all your entertaining needs, featuring stunning custom cabinetry creating a lovely niche for the built-in electric fireplace and TV, crown moulding, exquisite hard wood floors, track and pot lighting, and walkout to the balcony. The gourmet kitchen includes stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, tile backsplash, undermount lighting, stainless steel double sink, breakfast bar and additional built-in pantry/storage space. The primary bedroom features his and hers closets and a luxurious 4 piece ensuite with marble flooring, built-in floor to ceiling cabinetry, floating vanity and a gorgeous, large glass shower with a fabulous rain shower head and bench. The second bedroom includes a custom built-in desk with cabinetry for additional storage, a murphy bed, and a sliding glass door leading out to the balcony. The additional 4 piece main bathroom has been stylishly updated and is perfect for guests. Convenient in-suite laundry room includes a full-size washer & dryer with undermount storage drawers and shelving for additional storage. The balcony features two sepa rate entrances and is ideal for entertaining, as BBQs are permitted in The Regatta. Just steps to water front trails, marinas, restaurants and shops, The Regatta is in one of Port Credit’s most exclusive lakeside communities and offers a truly walkable lifestyle.
FOR SALE
22 tbaird.com Power to Move You 203 - 65 Port Street East, Mississauga
Power to Move You tbaird.com 23
24 tbaird.com Power to Move You
In the last decade, the integra tion of complementary medicine within conventional medicine has seen an increase as people are looking for more natural ap proaches to bettering their health. And more than half of Americans say they use alternative medicine treatments in their healthcare and self-care routines. “Comple mentary medicine is vital to your overall health,” says Bill Dan iels, a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise special ist (NASM) and certified strength and conditioning coach (CSCS) based in Walnut Creek, Califor nia. “If you only rely on western medicine, you are missing a huge piece of the puzzle. By taking the time to practice self-care such as exercise, acupuncture, chiro practic, or whatever other modes work for you, you are allowing your body to recover in ways that medication just can’t do.”
BODY
TREATMENT FROM HEAD TO TOE
Written by Blake Miller. Text and photos seen in Homes by Design. Photography provided by Albina Gavrilovic/iStock/Getty Images Plus.
MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Basic Background: “Myofascial release is a body-work technique that uses sustained, gentle-tofirm pressure that allows the fas cia—such as the Iliotibial Band (IT) that runs from the pelvic bone to the shin bone—to relax and unwind,” explains Brittany Herz berg, LMBT, a massage therapist in Apex, North Carolina. “The IT Band is the best known exam ple of fascia. That type of tissue weaves all up and down your body. It’s a giant web that holds you together.” And if it becomes too tight, it can pull on your knee or hip, for example, and result in WORK - HEALTHY
NERVE FLOSSING
REIKI. Basic Background: “Reiki is a Jap anese energy channeling modal ity, which stimulates the flow of energy through the body to re store mental, physical, and emo tional wellness,” explains Luke Bonecutter, a spiritual counselor in San Antonio, Texas. “Using crystals, sounds, elemental cor respondences, and other chan neling techniques, this treatment can help manage chronic pain or stiffness, comfort anxious feel ings in the body, balance and realign energy centers, remove mental and emotional blockages, and strengthen the aura.”
Who Should Try It: Everyone. “Reiki is recommended both as preventative and reactive treat ment to keep the body’s energy balanced, therefore anyone can try and benefit from Reiki,” says Shanise Spruill, certified holis tic health practitioner based in Indian Head, Maryland. “Reiki is often used to help reduce per sons under stress, high perform ers, as well as those who suffer from anxiety.”
Power to Move You tbaird.com 25 chronic joint pain. Who Should Try It: “If you bat tle chronic pain and tension, you may want to see if myofascial re lease is a good fit,” says Herzberg. “Clients often comment on how they feel calmer because their nervous system is at ease and looser because the fascia isn’t as bound up as it once was. Many of my massage clients who are se rious—or even amateur—athletes or desk jockeys who sit at a desk all day long seek out this type of work. They know their bodies are tight in certain areas and have found myofascial release to be an effective body-work tool.”
Basic Background: Nerve floss ing is a technique used to gently m obilize the nerves and there fore improve range of motion and reduce pain in the joints. Who Should Try It: “Nerve floss ing is a technique I use both for myself and for clients regularly,” says Daniels. “I use it for people who have pain in joints and mus cles but can’t seem to pinpoint what the cause is. What I have found working with people is that the nerve can become impinged by either scar tissue or within a joint and it needs some light ten sioning to get it free. I think of it like a hose with a kink. If the water can’t get through well, then you don’t get a great output. Think of it like the signal from the brain can’t travel at full force through the nerve to the muscle.”
DETOX YOUR BODY
You are what you eat, quite literally, so sometimes we need to flush out the toxins built up from consuming processed foods, gluten, meat, and dairy, which are often the cause of chronic gut health issues. A water detox is a great option to detoxify your gut. “Water detox helps remove toxins from the body,” explains Lea McMahon LPC, EdD, with Symetria Recovery based in Illinois and Texas.
“You can add lemon and cucumbers in lukewarm water. This is used by many people to control their weight. But that’s not the only benefit. The release of toxins from the body can improve your immunity and met abolic rate, which keeps you ener gized throughout the day. That is because you are hydrated.”
Place chicken in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in ce lery, green onions, mayonnaise, capers and juice, relish, salt and pepper.
Toasted Chicken Salad Sandwiches
3 Quick Back to School Lunches
INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
26 tbaird.com Power to Move You THERESA RECOMMENDS FOOD AND DRINKS
4 cups cube d rotisserie chicken
20 slices French bread (1/2 inch thick)
Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes Makes 10 servings
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
STEP 2: Brush 1 side of each bread slice with butter. In a large skillet, toast bread, buttered side down, in batches, over medium heat until golden brown. To assemble sandwiches, place 10 slices bread with toasted side down. Layer with lettuce, radishes and chicken salad; top with remaining toast slices.
2 tablespoons caper juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise or avocado oil mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
STEPMETHOD1:
As seen on http://tasteofhome.com
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
8 thin slices deli roast beef
STEP 2: Place pita halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Top with meat mixture, tomato, spinach and olives. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until cheeses are melted, 4-6 minutes.
STEP 2: Spread cream cheese mixture over tortillas; layer with ham, turkey and roast beef. Sprinkle with bacon mixture and cheddar cheese; roll up.
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 whole wheat pita breads (6 inches), cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup diced canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
INGREDIENTS
Mini Mediterranean
Power to Move You tbaird.com 27
3 ounce s cream cheese, softened
12 Greek pitted olives, thinly sliced
8 thin slices deli ham
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, thinly sliced
Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes Makes 8 servings
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
Total Preparation Time: 35 minutes Makes 4 servings
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rose mary, crushed
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
METHOD
Club Roll Ups Pizza
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet; cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes; crumble meat; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 6-9 minutes.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
8 thin slices deli turkey
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 table spoon olive oil
8 ounces lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing mix
8 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
STEPMETHOD1:
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, ranch dressing and dressing mix until well blended. In another bowl, combine the bacon, onion, olives, pimientos and jalapenos.
1. Choose clothing the night before There’s nothing worse than hearing the bus in the distance while kids are still scrambling to find their fa vorite sweatshirt. Get prepared the night before by helping kids pick out every single item of clothing, from their shirt down to their socks and shoes (see No. 3 below) in ad vance. And make sure to check the weather forecast when doing so!
By Laura Richards | August 1, 2022 | Text and images on https://www.bobvila.com
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From preparing backpacks and lunches the night before to ban ning screens in the morning, try these tips for getting ready and out the door stress-free. Running out the door at the second. Trying to find an errant sock that you know was on the counter a minute ago. Last second trips to the bath room! This year, school mornings are going to be different… right? Whether you cut everything down to the wire or try to plan as much as possible the night before, it seems like school mornings with kids are almost always harried. No more!
12 Tips on How to Get Ready for School Quickly
From home organization tips to the perfect alarm clock, these 15 tips with help make mornings stream lined and stress-free. For real.
3. Keep shoes organized You can waste heaps of time in the morning by trying to sort through mismatched and disorganized footwear. To avoid this, have a des ignated shoe bin for each child in the mudroom or hallway closet. You can also have kids keep their shoes with the clothing they will be wearing the next day, so that ev erything is all in one place.
2. Designate one place for clothes Once you prepare an outfit, have kids put it in a designated spot. That way, when morning hits, kids will know exactly where to go to find their clothes for the day. No more “Where’s my [fill in the blank], Mom?!”
Some kids have a really hard time waking up. It might help to get an alarm that uses light along with sound. These alarms mimic the sun rise, which helps ease kids awake.
Kids will be able to get out the door faster if they are free from distrac tions, like trying to finish one more Youtube video or the end of a car toon show. In the moment, it may feel like it’s helpful to have every one sitting down in one place, but in the end, it’ll bite you!
6. Keep backpacks fully stocked You can also prepare kids’ back packs the night before. Make sure that homework, school supplies and permissions slips are all safely tucked away. And place backpacks next to the door so kids can grab them quickly on their way out.
5. Make lunches the night before This is a no-brainer, but the more you can do the night before, the better. Make sandwiches, fill water bottles, prep snacks and keep ev erything in the fridge or a des ignated spot so you, or the kids, can grab them easily and get out the door on time. Not sure what to make? Check out these healthy school lunch ideas.
Bathing the night before can save kids a lot of time in the morning. And it lets them sleep more!
10. Invest in a light alarm
9. Set alarms 15 minutes early Having a few extra minutes can ease stress levels for everyone. In fact, it’s always best to allot your family more time than you think you need.
11. Ban screens in the mornings
7. Organize your own items
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12. Cross-check everything the night before It can’t hurt to double check that ev erything you and the kids need in the morning is laid out properly, especially if little ones took the initiative to pre pare their outfits and supplies them selves. By doing this, you can rest easy knowing that there won’t be any big surprises in the morning.
8. Have kids shower at night
4. Make sure kids complete homework before bed Don’t fall for every child’s favorite “I’ll do it in the morning” line. Morn ings are hectic enough before you add schoolwork into the mix. And no kid does quality work while try ing to race out the door. Your best bet for getting things done the night before: Have a designated homework spot.
You can be a good model for kids by making sure that everything is in place on your end. To keep things running smoothly, make sure to organize all the items you and the kids use in the mornings in ad vance. Do you know where your car keys are? Your phone charger?
30 tbaird.com Power to Move You To express our gratitude to all of our clients that we have served in the community we would like to offer you an apple pie to enjoy with your Thanksgiving dinner! Please reserve your pie before Monday, October 3rd, 2022 to ensure that we have plenty for everyone. Please register at: http://applepiegiveaway.wehelp.ca/
Power to Move You tbaird.com 31 Summertime, and the Living is Easy!
Samantha on vacation with Morgan and Jack. Lindsay having fun playing dress-up with her niece and nephew!Julia celebrates in her new home. Carolina and Walter on the town.
Theresa and her sister Lisa, on the CN Tower.
Julia and the team were a pleasure to work with. From the start and throughout the entire process, she's shown an unmatched level of professionalism. She's very responsive, knowledgeable and understanding. She's very passionate about what she does and that translates in all of her efforts made. I'd eagerly choose to work with Julia again in the future!"
We want to thank you both for the great job you did selling our condo. Your in-depth market knowledge enabled you to see the intrinsic value of the suite which you highlighted with your highly professional staging, professional photos and 3D virtual tour posted on MLS and Realtor.ca to provide maximum exposure. It was highly effective leading to a steady flow of showings to "qualified" buyers and an early sale at virtually full list price. Your expertise was evident throughout the offer process leading to a successful sale within a few short days. We would definitely list with you again and recommend your services to others. Thanks again!
- Zofia
Why Is the Realty Group One of the Best in its’ Marketplace?
- Aida and Rula
- Peggy & Graham
- Regards, Blake & Lisa
We had the pleasure of working with Theresa and Samantha for the sale of my mother's home. The entire transaction from our initial meeting to the closing was very smooth and personable. They had great ideas for virtual staging and suggestions for improvements that would have the most impact. Theresa was always available to speak to and provided a wonderful advertising campaign, maximizing the number of potential buyers. We were able to sell the home quickly, above the asking price, with multiple offers. All in all, it was an easy and pleasurable process, mostly as a result of their vast experience and professionalism, we highly recommend working with Theresa and Samantha. Thanks again!
Selling and buying a home in this crazy, fast-paced market could be extremely stressful, but Lindsay and the Realty Group put our minds completely at ease. Their attention to detail, responsiveness, professionalism, and ability to close the deal was outstanding! They helped us to declutter and got our house looking its best. With all of their support, it sold for more than we had ever imagined, in only 24 hours. We couldn’t be happier! They also helped us find the perfect home to purchase. Covid really made us discover what was most important at this stage of our lives. Being closer to our children and grandchildren and being able to see them whenever we wanted was #1 on the list. With this in mind, we bought a home large enough to live in together. Lindsay and Theresa made this possible. They found us the home that checked off all of the boxes and guided us through the negotiating process and bidding war. The entire experience was wonderful and we would highly recommend Lindsay and The Realty Group. Thank you for making this dream a reality!
Real Estate Associates, Brokerage Home by Design is a magazine that we publish every other month featuring topics and subjects of interest to many of our clients. If you would like to be added to our subscription list please email Theresa directly at: tbaird@tbaird.com Are you ready to tap into the best-kept secrets of successful home sellers? You can sell any home in any market when you know these secrets. This book reveals the most effective tactics to get the most money out of your home in the shortest amount of time. These strategies have helped sell thousands of homes and now, you can have them all at your fingertips. For your free digital copy go to: https://theresabaird.book.live/ca-biz-card-book EXPLORE THE EXPANDING WORLD OF REAL ESTATE WITH THERESA BAIRD IN THESE TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS 647-298-0997 The Power To Move You www.tbaird.com
