KELLER WILLIAMS REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES, BROKERAGE
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
T
hank you for making 2021 a great year in so many ways for our team at The Group!
Realty
The current state of the real estate market has brought forward many positive results, along with several concerns. This November became the most active November in the history of the Toronto Real Estate Board. It set a new record for the highest average price for property sales at $1,163,323, which is up 21.7% over November 2020. The average sale price year to date as of the end of November was $1,092,212, up 17.5 % since the start of the year. This trend of escalating prices is not likely to stop in the foreseeable future. When the borders reopen, there will again be an increase in demand for properties as new immigrants search for a place to live. Combined with the ongoing lack of supply, the end result will be a continued upward trend in home prices.
However, the good news is that interest rates, low unemployment, and increases in wages will continue to make homeownership an affordable prospect for many. Where affordability is an issue, there will continue to be opportunities for housing, as one gets closer to the city center or if one decides to move further out of the GTA. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to help our clients, friends, and those who referred us to their friends and family, with their real estate needs this year. If you know of anyone who we could assist in 2022, we would look forward to helping them as well. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season, filled with good health, happiness, and prosperity, and wish you all the very best in 2022! Theresa Baird - Broker The Realty Group
CONTENTS DE CE M B ER ISSUE 2021
6 30 27
6 11 12 16
TOP 20 PLACES TO SPEND CHRISTMAS Festive locations across Canada to experience Christmas
UNDERSTANDING INVESTMENT PROPERTIES What to know if you’re thinking of investing in real estate
FOR SALE 80 Port Street, Suite 208 in Port Credit, Mississauga
FOR LEASE 3310 - 4070 Confederation Parkway in Mississauga
18 20 22 27 29 30 32
FOR SALE OR LEASE 1704 - 1 Hurontario Street in Mississauga
OMICRON WILL HEAT UP THE CANADIAN REAL ESTATE MARKET The Omicron variant could actually make the real estate even hotter
LIVING IN THE SUNNY SOUTH Homes and investment properties in Florida
THERESA RECOMMENDS A simple perfect roast turkey and stuffing
NEW YEAR’S SPARKLER New Year’s Sparkler
AVERAGE PRICE FOR HOMES SURGE The price for buying a home continues to rise
THINKING ABOUT SELLING OR BUYING A HOME Essential tips for sellers and aspiring home buyers
The
Realty Group
PHOTO CONTEST
Christmas and the New Year is here! We would love to see your beautiful photos from in and around your neighbourhood this Holiday season. Submit your favourites to admin@tbaird.com and we will post the top 3 on our website.
Happy Shooting!
TOP 20 PLACES TO SPEND CHRISTMAS
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Dawson City in the Yukon. Photo by Andrea Magee Photography
By Tim Johnson, readersdigest.caBy Tim Johnson, readersdigest.ca Updated: Nov. 18, 2021
rom festive Santa Claus parades to can’t-miss holiday markets, we’re counting down the best places to celebrate Christmas in Canada.
QUEBEC CITY - QUEBEC Even the most cynical Grinch would have to admit Quebec City is a great place to spend Christmas in Canada. Even if you don’t add any festive events to your itinerary, the city’s cobblestoned lanes, fluffy white snow and striking historic architecture is enough to put you in the spirit of the season. But there’s a lot going on in the capital of La Belle Province, including an authentic German Christmas market where you can sip mulled
wine and browse for gifts, and the chance to meet Santa Claus himself at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac - widely recognized as one of Canada’s greatest hotels. If you can’t decide where to spend Christmas in Canada, Quebec City will not disappoint you. DAWSON CITY - YUKON Winters are long, cold and dark in Canada’s sub-arctic, but in the former gold rush town of Dawson City, Yukon home to the cabins of Robert Service and Jack London, and all of it a national park the hardy locals light up the holidays with a unique “flotilla.”
Towing river boats strung with lights and decorations, residents cruise through town in a boat parade, accompanied by snowmobiles, quads, canoes and police cruisers. And sometimes - on one of the longest nights of the year - the northern lights add to the show, dancing in the sky above. Truly magical! TORONTO - ONTARIO Canada’s largest city certainly knows how to do Christmas. Attracting half a million people each November, Toronto’s Santa Claus Parade is one of the biggest in the world. And throughout the month of December, you can take in the Winter Village
in the charming Distillery District, as well as the Cavalcade of Lights - a festival that kicks off with the lighting of a massive Christmas tree in Nathan Phillips Square, in front of City Hall. ALMONTE - ONTARIO Just like clockwork, they appear every holiday season - those kitschy, cozy, made-for-TV Christmas movies. Predictable as their feel-good plots might be, we eat them up year after year, curled up on the couch with a comfy blanket and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Where does Almonte, Ontario, fit into this cherished holiday tradition? Believe it or not, this pictureperfect town just southwest of Ottawa has served as the filming location for countless festive flicks, including The Rooftop Christmas Tree and Christmas Festival of Ice. Step into your own Hallmark-worthy winter wonderland by touring its impossibly charming streets and scenic waterfalls. If you can, time your visit for the first Friday of December: the town’s population literally doubles for the downtown’s annual “Light Up the Night” festivities. Plus, the townsfolk are among the kindest in Canada.
Almonte, Ontario. Photo by Simon Lunn
most awe-inspiring natural wonders even more impressive? A spectacular light show, of course! The illumination of the majestic waterfalls is part of Niagara Falls’ annual Winter Festival of Lights, which sees more than three million lights strung throughout the city, including the world’s largest Canadian/ American illuminated flag. There are also weekly fireworks over the falls for the duration of the festival, and a number of other festive events, including musicals, shopping fairs and concerts.
OTTAWA - ONTARIO Beginning with an illumination ceremony in early December, the nation’s capital bathes the Parliament Buildings in dramatic lights with the prime minister often flipping the switch himself. The ceremony also includes free hot chocolate, Christmas caroling and Beaver Tails, and is followed by a solid month of beauty: both Parliament Hill and more than 60 sites along Confederation Boulevard feature lovely illumination displays. NIAGARA FALLS - ONTARIO How do you make one of Canada’s
Niagara Falls, Ontario. Photo by Shutterstock
SASKATOON - SASKATCHEWAN There are few bigger thrills than being a kid at Christmas, especially if you live in Saskatoon. A recent study by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management found that Saskatoon (the only city in Canada to break their Top 10) has the highest number of candy and toy stores, per capita, in the country, plus an abundance of kids under the age of 14, and a very good probability of having snow on December 25. It’s the perfect combination for a
magical Christmas! Grown-ups will also appreciate the burgeoning food scene in this “Paris of the Prairies.” ST JOHN’S - NEWFOUNDLAND Christmas in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is strange in all the best ways. At the heart of the celebrations is the 200-year old tradition of “Mummering,” which can be traced back to the English and Irish settlers in Newfoundland’s remote “outport” communities. In these small fishing towns - accessible only by boat - the settlers would disguise themselves in whatever odds and ends they could find in their homes (think pillowcases and cardboard boxes) and show up on their neighbour’s doorsteps singing, dancing and celebrating - and not removing their masks until the neighbours correctly guessed their identities. This fun and festive tradition lives on in the Newfoundland capital with an annual Christmas festival, complete with workshops and
Barkerville, BC. Photo by Thomas Drasdauskis
a big parade that showcases these homespun disguises. VANCOUVER, BC An annual tradition since the 1960s, Vancouver’s Carol Ships Parade of Lights takes the holiday spirit out on the water. Every night in the month of December, as many as 80 boats strung with some 100,000 lights cruise
around False Creek, Deep Cove and Port Moody. Watch from shore at a bonfire or carol sing, and book yourself a spot on a dinner cruise on board one of the ships. Or, head to Stanley Park one of Canada’s greatest green spaces - to ride the miniature train through an impressive display of more than one million lights. CALGARY, BC While taking a trip to the zoo may not be your first impulse on a cold winter’s day, in Calgary, it’s a tradition. Every year, from late November to early January, the Calgary Zoo hosts a huge event called Zoolights. Sip hot chocolate and wander through a winter wonderland of two-million beautiful lights, warm yourself at a crackling firepit, then get a picture with Santa himself.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Photo by Tourism Saskatoon
BAY ROBERTS, NEWFOUNDLAND What’s better than a Santa Claus parade? Two, of course. This small Newfoundland community on the Avalon Peninsula hosts an annual Festival of Lights that includes the largest Nativity scene east of Montreal, the province’s first intelligent light park, fireworks, concerts
case at the elegant Parkside Hotel and Spa - a charitable event benefiting Habitat Victoria which brings amateur and professional bakers together with very merry results.
Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Photo by Quebec Original
and, yes, two parades - one during the daytime and another at night. EDMONTON, ALBERTA Home to an honest-to-goodness Candy Cane Lane, Edmonton’s West End becomes a winter wonderland every December. The neighbours in the city’s Crestwood community have banded together for the past 50 years to decorate their homes with a festive spirit that would make Santa proud. So popular is the spectacle that on peak nights during weekends just before Christmas, there have even been traffic jams. Organizers encourage people to walk - or, better yet, use their website to book a horse-drawn sleigh ride. MIDLAND, ONTARIO On the shores of Georgian Bay, you’ll find the town of Midland, Ontario - and a slice of living history. Saint-Marie Among the Hurons, a 17th century mission and part of the ancestral homeland of the Huron Wendat Nation, hosts a First Light celebration from the end of November to early December, which sees the impressive site lit by the warm glow of 5,000 candles. Move your feet to live Indigenous
drumming and dancing, as well as Franco-Ontario folk songs, before moving on to the cookhouse for some fresh-baked nibbles. AIRDRIE, ALBERTA This city north of Calgary hosts a super-sized holiday celebration every year. In the heart of Nose Creek Park, you’ll find the Airdrie Festival of Lights - a massive outdoor display of a million-dollars’ worth of twinkling lights that’s the largest of its kind in Western Canada. You can wander through the immersive illuminations (or take one of three miniature train rides for a toonie), and enjoy bonfires, an impressive assortment of food trucks and skating on Nose Creek Pond. VICTORIA, BC Few places embrace Christmas with the same enthusiasm as British Columbia’s capital, which dresses the dome of its legislature in thousands of lights for the holidays. Nearby, at the recently renovated Fairmont Empress - one of the grandest buildings in town (it’s hosted crowned heads on several occasions) - you can enjoy s’mores out on the veranda. And don’t miss the month-long Gingerbread Show-
MONT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC With 102 trails to choose from once you’ve reached its 875 metre summit, Mont-Tremblant is deserving of its legendary reputation amongst skiers. What it’s also got in spades, however, is Christmas spirit. Every season, this picturesque Laurentian Mountain town becomes an enchanting winter wonderland, with bonfires burning throughout the pedestrian-only village, and plenty of events including a treasure hunt, lumberjack demonstrations, traditional storytelling and Quebecois song and dance. SIMCOE, ONTARIO A 90-minute drive southwest of Toronto, Simcoe, Ontario, goes big - and bright - each holiday season with the Simcoe Christmas Panorama. Now in its 63rd year, the beloved festival transforms the park at the heart of town into a whimsical display of thousands of lights. Take a horsedrawn trolley ride through the charming vignettes, then snap a selfie with a giant Santa Claus. BARKERVILLE, BC Cradled in British Columbia’s spectacular Cariboo Mountains, Barkerville was once Canada’s greatest boomtown, home to a lucky strike that spawned a gold rush worth billions. That heritage lives on in this historic town and park, where you can tour 125 remaining buildings at the Old Fashioned Victorian Christmas celebration. The festive event features blacksmith demonstrations, caroling, warm drinks, shopping and sleigh rides - but no gold panning! SAINTE-THERESE, QUEBEC Located northwest of Montreal
at the foot of the lovely Laurentian Mountains, the town of Sainte-Therese, Quebec, hosts an annual food and art festival that runs for three weeks over the holidays. Visit their Village de Noel to say hello to Santa while you sample French Canadian delicacies and sip hot chocolate along Rue de L’Eglise. Can’t
feel your nose or your toes after taking that bracing sleigh ride? Warm up inside the Maison des Metiers where you can admire the craftsmanship of talented local artisans. FERNIE, BC The picturesque Kootenay Mountain town of Fernie, B.C., makes the most of its alpine
location during the holidays. Where else could you Nordic ski under a full moon, and have your photo taken with a skiing Santa? Round off your trip with a sleigh ride at the Fernie Alpine Resort, then party like its 1984 at Do They Know It’s Christmas - an unabashedly ’80s-themed holiday dance.
Victoria, BC. Photo by Shutterstock
Understanding
INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LOCATION
What to know if you’re thinking of buying an investment property of your own.
INSURANCE
The neighbourhood should positively impact your home’s value and attract tenants or tourists. Make sure the property can generate enough rent income to comfortably cover your mortgage, plus property taxes, repairs and HOA fees.
Rental property insurance or landlord insurance covers property damage, lost rental income and protects against liability. Separate insurance exists to protect your vacation rental.
DOWN PAYMENT
Investment properties require a higher down payment if they’re not owner-occupied. The law says 20% minimum, but it doesn’t hurt to put down 30% if possible.
VACATION RENTAL
LONG-TERM RENTAL
PROS
PROS
• More upfront ROI • Flexible pricing • Personal use
• Consistent income • Easier to manage • Tenant-paid utilities
CONS
CONS
• Require more management • Inconsistent occupancy • Local laws vary
• Longer commitment • right tenant
Using AirBnB or VRBO to rent your investment home? Vacation rental regulations vary by city and province. Get familiar with your local laws before listing on any site.
FINDING TENANTS
FOR SALE
208 - 80 Port Street Mississauga TWO BEDROOMS PLUS DEN With 1,505 sq ft this 2 bedoorm plus den open concept condo has many desirable features including a 330 sq ft terrace with 2 entrances, (one off the living room and off the second bedroom or den) crown moulding, quartz countertops, S/S appliances, hardwood floors and a 5 piece ensuite bathroom. There is a large laundry/ pantry, an extra storage room, the 2nd bathroom with a large shower that is flush with the floor and remote/keyless entrance to your own personal suite. 2 parking spaces, one which is 35 % larger than most and is great for bigger vehicles. Call Lindsay Meadwell or Theresa Baird today.
FOR LEASE
3310 - 4070 Confederation Parkway in Mississauga FOR LEASE - GRAND RESIDENCE AT PARKSIDE VILLAGE Welcome to this lovely fully furnished 1 bedroom condo. Enjoy the amazing amenities in this building that include 24 hours concierge service and security, an indoor pool that includes a hot tub and sauna, a fully equipped exercise room, a stylish party room, a games room and free visitor parking. This condominium is ideally located close to Square One, Sheridan College, the public Library, City Hall, Living Arts Centre, Celebration Square and Public Transit.
FOR SALE
OR 1704 - 1 Hurontario Steet in Mississauga FULLY FURNISHED CONDO IN TRENDY PORT CREDIT This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo features open concept living and dining rooms with rich, dark hardwood floors. The gourmet kitchen comes with upgraded Bosch appliances, granite countertops, and a breakfast bar. Enjoy spectacular unobstructed views of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario from all rooms and the balcony. Experience everything Port Credit has to offer. Available to buy or rent! Call us today for details.
FOR LEASE
OMICRON WILL ONLY STIR THE FIRE OF REAL ESTATE IN THE RED HOT CANADIAN MARKET
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Written by Neil Sharma and posted on www.storeys.com on December 15th, 2021
ounterintuitive though it may seem, the Omicron variant of COVID-19, of which little is presently known, could actually ensure real estate activity remains red-hot going into 2022.
“What that uncertainly will do to real estate markets is, we believe, trigger similar behaviours to the previous three waves of this pandemic, and that has been shown to, strangely, paradoxically, drive real estate market activity,” said Royal LePage President Phil Soper. “It’s challenging for policymakers, in particular the Bank of Canada, to aggressively tighten monetary policy and raise interest rates in the face of this kind of uncertainty, and they have been reluctant to. We believe Omicron will cause them to back off on plans to push interest rates up earlier in the
face of inflation concerns, so money will stay cheaper for longer, we believe.” The rock-bottom overnight interest rate has been the catalyst for frenzied activity in Canada’s real estate market because money that is cheap to borrow offsets exorbitant home prices. But the other major reason Omicron could perpetuate the market’s pace of activity is that it might dissuade people from travelling or, say, attending hockey games, and, as recent history has shown, money that isn’t spent on non-essential outlays sits in the bank.
“We know that in mid-2020, the savings rate in Canada, which is typically at 2-3% of income, peaked at over 28%,” Soper said. “People were saving an astonishing amount of cash and they were either sitting on it or moving it into real assets instead of going on vacation. We believe that, with concerns around another wave, another variant will cause people to delay travel plans, delay getting out and mixing in the community again, as sad as that is; they’re less likely to go to a big event or a concert, and that money will flow into their savings. ”Additionally, just as during the pandemic’s
incipience, the more time people spend working from home, especially if their children aren’t attending school physically although school boards may not shut down this time - the more they seem to yearn for spacious homes. Soper sees no reason that pandemic-long trend won’t continue. “This reason has less directly to do with economics and more to do with an emotional desire to find appropriate shelter for one’s family,” he said. “We believe companies that may have had aggressive plans to return their employees to the office could delay those plans in the face of employment concerns. And with people working from home for longer, home takes on additional significance.“ Royal LePage just released its forecast for next year and anticipates the national aggregate home price will rise by 10.5% to $859,700 by the end of 2022. The median price of a detached home in Canada is also estimated to increase by 11% to $918,000, while the average price of a condominium nationwide is slated to grow by 8% to $594,000. The report says Canada’s housing inventory shortage is the reason prices will rise, but Soper at least expects the rapid growth to decelerate through 2022, most likely because the country’s central bank will have to start hiking the interest rate sometime during the upcoming year. In the Greater Toronto Area, the aggregate price of a home in Q4-2022 is forecasted to increase by 11% to $1,256,500 from the current quarter, the Royal LePage report says. The average single-family detached
home is estimated to increase by 10% to $1,564,200 during that period, while the median condo price is predicted to rise by 12% to $763,800. Although it may seem unexpected that condominiums would appreciate more than detached homes, the spread between the two has never been larger, and as a result, affordability concerns have made the former appear like relative bargains, Soper says. “The gap between the price of a detached home and a condominium grew larger and larger to the point that we believe for someone, a family or a person who’s a first-time homebuyer looking to get into the market, there will be more interest that swings to condominiums,” he said. “In relative terms, condos really look like a bargain here but it’s not going to be everywhere. The place we see it happening most significantly is in the GTA.” Demand for detached housing will be robust in 2022 because millennials are approaching their peak earning years and, while a hot market has five months’ supply, the GTA only has two, which means sellers will be salivating at the prospect of cashing in. “We don’t have a lot of three bedroom condos at an affordable price,” Soper said. “If you want three bedrooms, you’re looking at luxury condos that are more expensive than detached housing. Families are looking to alternatives and that’s why some are moving to secondary cities, but they are buying detached that is available and in their price range, so we don’t see any slowdown in that sector.”
During the early months of the pandemic, Toronto’s condo investors offloaded their properties, however, they have long since returned in droves, and given that the city is on the cusp of a monumental demographical shift, why wouldn’t they? “We have some 840,000 international students typically studying in Canada and they are coming back,” Soper said, adding that Toronto is one of their obvious choice destinations. “Even though immigration is slower to ramp up than anticipated, it is ramping up. It’s been slow because of a backlog in the system, which is slowly being cleared, but people are continuing their immigration to Canada.” In Greater Vancouver, the most expensive real estate market in the country, the aggregate price of housing by the end of next year is forecasted to grow by 10.5% year-over-year to $1,375,700, with single-family detached homes and condos expected to increase by 12% and 8% to $1,892,800 and $766,800, respectively. “There are a lot of mega capital projects on the books, despite the fires and floods, and this is the most desirable geography in the country, so I believe we are going to see an unusually busy winter in the Lower Mainland,” he said. “Right now, it’s typically slowed down, but we believe things will continue being unusually busy for our people through January and that will lead into a strong spring market for 2022, but without the irrational exuberance of 2021, which was at the heart of the post-lockdown frenzy to find new living accommodations.”
Living in the Sunny South Thinking of moving to Florida? Here are several homes that the Realty Group has available. Property Listings Courtesy of John R Wood Properties
This home is fabulously located and has a wonderful backyard, perfect for Florida living! This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, plus loft, 2 car garage home has so many architectural features to enjoy. Including a renovated kitchen and guest bath, spiral staircase to loft space, wood-burning fireplace and more. The family chef will delight in this fantastic kitchen, granite counterspace galore, center island, stainless steel appliances, upgraded cabinetry with pull-out drawers, pull-out spice rack and pass-through window to your outdoor living space. Gorgeous natural light flows through your volume ceiling sky-lights, enhanced with wood beams and wide-open loft space which creates an awesome office-playroom or music room. Come see this amazing sought-after North Naples gated community nestled near US 41, close to all shopping, dining, warm sandy beaches and RSW airport. Perfectly between Naples and Bonita Springs. Golf memberships are optional. Close to many restaurants and shopping. I-75 is minutes away, simply use the rear homeowners’ gate for faster access. Don’t miss out on seeing this Imperial Country Club Estate home! We would love to show you the new clubhouse!
The Perfect Investment Opportunity in Kissimmee This lovely 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo is situated on Bermuda Lakes Lane in Kissimmee. Located on the third floor and featuring high ceilings, wood floors and 1,103 square feet of living space. Placed in the heart of Kissimmee and close to shops, the Loop Mall, and 20 minutes to Disney World. Contact us today to learn more about this opportunity.
Another Florida Investment Opportunity A highly desirable 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom townhouse available in the Winter Park school zone with a fenced-in yard. An amazing location off University Boulevard close to Costco, shops, restaurants and downtown Orlando. For more details, call us today.
Investment Opportunity in Orlando One bedroom, 2 bathroom condo surrounded by a multi-million dollar development on Daryll Carter Pkwy. This 2 story condo boasts updated cabinets, tile flooring on the main level and new carpeting on the second level, and new air conditioning unit. Situated close by Sand Lake Road, restaurants, shops, and theme parks. Call us today for more information.
A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
S
THERESA RECOMMENDS FOOD AND DRINKS
Turkey recipe seen on www.allrecipes.com, Stuffing on www.bbcgoodfood.com
imple, perfect roast turkey just like grandma used to make. Seasoned with salt and pepper, and basted with turkey stock, the flavours of the turkey really stand out. Stuff with your favourite dressing. INGREDIENTS - Turkey 1 (18 pound) whole turkey ½ cup unsalted butter, softened Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 ½ quarts turkey stock 8 cups stuffing
METHOD - Turkey Step 1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven. Step 2 Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey. Step 3 Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours. Step 4 Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe Nothing frilly or trendy. Classic, amazing, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves! Simple ingredients with stellar results! It’ll be your new go-to recipe! INGREDIENTS 2 onions, sliced 25g butter 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced 2 x 400g packs meaty sausages, removed from their skins Handful sage, leaves chopped, plus extra for topping 140g breadcrumbs METHOD STEP 1 Fry 2 sliced onions in 25g butter for 5 minutes, then add 1 small diced Bramley apple and cook briefly. STEP 2 Cool, then mix with 800g sausages, skins removed, the chopped handful of sage, 140g granary breadcrumbs and seasoning. STEP 3 Use to stuff the neck end of the bird, then roll any leftovers into balls. Or, pack the whole mixture into a 1kg loaf tin and top with extra sage leaves. STEP 4 Bake with turkey for 30-40 minutes. Drain off any fat and serve sliced.
New Year’s Sparkler Seen on www.liquor.com
New Year’s Eve is perhaps the most iconic of drinking holidays. While St. Patrick’s Day is notorious for general over-inebriation, Derby Day is famed for its midday Mint Juleps and the winter holidays feature mulled wine, Eggnog and other cold-weather drinks, New Year’s Eve brings a particular level of class and sophistication to drinking. The New Year’s Sparkler is a breeze to make and can be adjusted to individual tastes. The sparkling concoction starts with a berry -flavoured vodka. Before the boom of craft vodka labels, this would have meant turning to one of a few big-name brands. Today a number of quality brands produce vodkas flavoured with real fruits - Wild Roots, in Portland, Oregon, for instance has a number of berry-infused vodkas, including raspberry, marionberry and cranberry. Each bottle is made with more than a pound of berries, most of which is harvested locally. The next step is to add pomegranate, cranberry juice or a mix of the two. As with selecting any juice, the level of sweetness is up to you, but it’s always best to avoid ones with artificial flavourings and sweeteners. The last bit of the New Year’s Sparkler is the most important: the wine. Since you’ll be mixing it with fruit vodka and juice, don’t use one that’s too pricey. Or select another kind of sparkling wine, like an affordable prosecco or cava. Just be sure, again, to avoid anything overly sweet - or else the drink could end up a cloying mess. INGREDIENTS 1 ounce berry-flavoured vodka 1 1/2 ounces pomegranate or cranberry juice 3 1/2 ounces Champagne, chilled, to top Garnish with skewered raspberries METHOD Add the vodka and pomegranate or cranberry juice to a chilled Champagne flute. Top with the Champagne and garnish with raspberries on a long skewer.
AVERAGE PRICE FOR A HOME IN CANADA SURGES
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Written by Ainsley Smith and posted on www.storeys.com on December 15th, 2021
anada’s housing supply issue intensified in November, as buyers continued to purchase the limited inventory available, pushing the average price of a home to a new all-time high in the process.
In November, national home sales rose 0.6% on a monthly basis to 54,222 after posting a 9% increase in October, but when compared to a year ago, actual home sales were down 0.7%, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). On a year-to-date basis, some 630,634 residential properties have already traded hands, far
surpassing the annual record 552,423 sales for all of 2020. The association says the number of newly listed homes also rose by 3.3% on a monthly basis in November, driven by gains in a little over half of local markets, including the GTA, Vancouver Lower Mainland, Montreal, and many markets in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe.
“Housing cycles can be very long, so market trends do not care that we’ve put new 2022 calendars up on our refrigerator doors,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “The fact is that the supply issues we faced going into 2020, which became much worse heading into 2021, are even tighter as we move into 2022.
HPI was up another 2.7% on a month-over-month basis to $790,600 in November. At the same time, the non-seasonally adjusted Aggregate Composite MLS HPI was up by a record 25.3% on a year-over-year basis in November. The average selling price of a resale home in Canada last month was $720,850, beating the all-time high that was set in March of this year. On a provincial basis, CREA says Ontario saw year-over-year price growth hit 30% in November with the GTA continuing to surge ahead after having trailed most other parts of the province for most of the pandemic. Year-over-year price growth has also crept back up to nearly 25% in BC, though it does remain lower in Vancouver. Greater Montreal’s year-overyear price growth remains at a little over 20%, while Quebec City was only about half that.
With new listings up by more than sales in November, the sales-to-new listings ratio eased slightly to 77% compared to 79.1% in October. The long-term average for the national salesto-new listings ratio is 54.9%. At the end of November, CREA says there were just 1.8 months of inventory left on a national basis, which is tied with March 2021 for the lowest level ever recorded. In line with some of the tightest market conditions ever recorded, the Aggregate Composite MLS
Gains are still in the mid-tohigh single digits in Alberta and Saskatchewan, while gains have risen to about 13% in Manitoba. The association says in Atlantic Canada, price growth is running above 30% in New Brunswick (higher in Greater Moncton, lower in Fredericton and Saint John), while Newfoundland and Labrador is now at 10% year-overyear (lower in St. John’s). “November provided another month of evidence that the housing supply/demand issues facing the country have not gone away,” said CREA chair Cliff Stevenson. “Even at what is traditionally the slow time of year for housing, conditions and price trends are at the same record levels we saw this spring.” Stevenson said things may calm down a bit through December and January, but next year’s spring market will “no doubt be an interesting one.”
here are some essential tips for sellers and aspiring home buyers. make sure you also lean into your trusted real estate professional for additional insight and guidance.
Smart StrategieS for SellerS Putting a home up for sale can be stressful, and some owners have a hard time making objective decisions when it matters most.
68 per cent of homeowners believe the value of their home has increased over the past two years.1
Price it right Your listing agent will perform a current market analysis. look closely at the sales of similar homes that have closed in the last 90 days and take the number of available listings into account when agreeing to an asking price. Sources: 1. Royal Bank of Canada, April 5, 2012 2. TD Canada Trust, 2012 First Time Home Buyers Report
KeeP in mind • Homes that have failed to attract a buyer in a reasonable period of time may be overpriced. • Foreclosures or short sales in your neighbourhood can impact your home’s market value. • It’s doesn’t pay to set the price too high; most buyers will need financing and the bank will generally use an appraisal based on recent sales to justify the loan amount.
Your agent may recommend that you perform repairs to correct visible flaws—or even suggest staging your home so it feels more spacious and potential buyers can picture themselves living there.
Pricing your home competitively from the get-go increases the odds of a quick sale. • Many buyers look online for properties when they begin their home searches. nearly 52 per cent intend to stay within their budgets and aren’t willing to compromise on price.2 if your home is priced too high when it hits the market, you run the risk that active, qualified buyers will scroll right past it. • New listings are called “hot” for a reason—buyers get excited about them. Showings are likely to cool off noticeably after the first 30 days on the market. • When weighing an offer, make sure to consider the potential costs of holding on to your property longer than you want or need to (including the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.).
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Theresa Baird - Broker Theresa is an award winning professional real estate agent. She has been in the industry for over 20 years, and prides herself on being able to communicate with her clients. Theresa’s aim is to make every client feel like they are the only client – even though she is typically working with 10 or more at a time. Theresa loves meeting new people and getting to know them, which makes her job perfect for her! Theresa enjoys the diversity of her business. She is able to provide clients with excellent service due to her extensive knowledge and experience in the Real Estate market. Theresa is committed to delivering what her clients need. She is a Master Certified Negotiation Expert and works hard to put the most amount of money in her client’s pockets. Theresa will work with you from beginning to end, ensuring that your closing is as stress-free as possible.
Lindsay Meadwell Real Estate Agent Since receiving her license, Lindsay has utilized her knowledge of the industry, along with her hard-working attitude and passion for providing excellent customer service to help several families meet their real estate goals. Lindsay believes in the importance of developing strong client relationships that will last a lifetime.
Samantha McGrath Real Estate Agent Samantha has worked in the Real Estate world for the past 6 years. She began at our Keller Williams Brokerage on-boarding new agents and teaching them our systems and technology. She has acquired her Real Estate license and is now working with the TB Realty Group. She enjoys working with both sellers and buyers.
Carolina Mauti Administrative Assistant After years of working as a successful real estate agent, Carolina is the TB Realty Groups administrative assistant.
Julia Baird-Oryschak Real Estate Agent Julia has worked and trained across the globe and brings her go-to-market strategies, campaigns and domestic expansion skills to the TB Realty Group. After completing her BSc and BBA she has joined the TB Realty Group where she brings her great customer skills and resourcefulness into play.
Dereck Addie Graphics/Photography Dereck has been working in the graphic design field for over 20 years and enjoys the challenges of working with the TB Realty Group.
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