There is no doubt about it! Even if the weather is relatively pleasant, your
home won’t show as well in the winter as it would in the summer, especially
from the outside. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your home look
more attractive and appealing to buyers during the winter season.
First, before showing your home to a potential buyer, clear your front
walkway. Make sure fence doors and gates open freely. Also, clear off the
backyard deck or patio area. You want buyers to be able to explore around
your property without any obstructions.
In short, do everything you can to make the experience of walking up to
your front door and around your property as pleasant as possible.
Second, clear away any boots, shoes and other outerwear from the front
foyer. You want buyers to focus on your beautiful home, not a cluttered
entranceway. Also, have mats on both the outside and inside of your main
entranceway. This will give buyers – as well as you and your family – a
chance to wipe their boots and shoes.
Next, adjust your thermostat. You want your home to feel warm, cozy and
comfortable for potential buyers.
Finally, remember that in the winter, homes show much better during the
day. In the evening, it may be too dark to fully appreciate your property. So
work with your REALTOR® to schedule viewings during the day whenever
possible. If you can, also have pictures of your property available that
showcase what it looks like in the summer. That takes planning. So if you're
even just casually thinking of the possibility of selling your home, take some
good "summer" pictures.
Want more advice on how to sell your home in the winter? Call today.
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Preparing Your Home For Winter Showings!
Monday, 3 December 2012
Thursday Night Jazz Party
Thursday Night Jazz Party
Date: December 6, 2012
Venue: The Home Smith Bar at the Old Mill, Toronto 7:30 to 10:30 pm
Jazz party featuring Don Naduriak and Don Laws as well as some very special surprise guests!!
A great evening of Jazz and Latin Jazz!
Friday Night Jazz Party!!
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Friday Night Jazz Series- Latin and Jazz Lula Lounge 8 pm
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Mississauga Arts Council annual Cranberry Breakfast
MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL ANNUAL CRANBERRY BREAKFAST! LATIN JAZZ SENSATION, LAURA FERNANDEZ EXPLORES “BALANCING YOUR ART, BALANCING YOUR LIFE”
Date: December 7, 2012
Venue: 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Living Arts Centre (4141 Living Arts Drive).
With the holidays approaching and family and friends toasting, the Mississauga Arts Council invites you to celebrate the season at its annual Cranberry Breakfast, Balancing your Art, Balancing your Life on Friday, December 7, 2012 from 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Living Arts Centre (4141 Living Arts Drive).
The Cranberry Breakfast is an invigorating morning of networking, inspiration, a delicious holiday breakfast, raffle prizes and entertainment. The morning will be hosted by Singer/Songwriter and Jazz FM Radio personality, Laura Fernandez, who will be sharing her secrets to balancing her busy career as a sought-after musician, media personality, realtor and mother. “My life has always been a balance of art and function. I dream, I work hard and I do my best to make things work and to fulfill my responsibilities without compromising my responsibility to myself and to my art. I also have great faith and a lot of help and encouragement!” expresses Laura Fernandez.
If you feel overwhelmed and fragmented as a busy artist, come to this interactive event and learn tips on balancing the modern day demands of being an artist. Come and enjoy a keynote discussion by Laura followed by a spicy performance of her original Latin Jazz compositions.
This is definitely one event you won’t want to miss! Some of the topics that will be covered by Laura include: How to balance a “day job” with your arts career; Finding time to work at your craft; Balancing family life with your career; Valuing “downtime”; The importance of identifying goals; How to become a ‘thriving artist’ instead of ‘starving artist’; How to avoid over-commitment and spreading yourself too thin. Following Laura’s discussion and performance, we will open the floor to you, giving everyone in attendance the opportunity to announce any upcoming events they would like to promote and share their triumphs from the past year.
The Cranberry Breakfast will be held at the Living Arts Centre, located at 4141 Living Arts Drive. Tickets are now available to purchase for $25 for MAC members and $30 for non-members. They can be purchased by calling the office at 905-615-4278 or emailing info@mississaugaartscouncil.com. For more information, please go online at www.mississaugaartscouncil.com. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MissArtsCouncil and Twitter @MissArtsCouncil.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Opening for Eliades Ochoa and la Banda Patria _ Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
What a wonderful experience! Sold out shows in all three cities, beatuful venues also. I was surrounded by great talent and generosity. A special thank you to Noah Zacharin who played along side me on the tour, the organizers and Eliades Ochoa and la Banda Patria! Here are some highlights of the Toronto show at the Danforth Music Hall. Thanks to Robert M Saxe for the great photos!
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Real Estate in Toronto
Should your home’s selling price be made public?
Should you care whether someone knows how much you paid for your home?
Some people think that information should be made public, while others believe that constitutes an invasion of privacy. Why should a stranger have access to that kind of information?
This issue is a big bone of contention and now the basis of a lawsuit launched by Ottawa’s Commissioner of Competition against the Toronto Real Estate Board. The commissioner holds that anyone should be able to go onto a real estate brokerage’s website and see any price of a recently sold home in their neighbourhood. In Ontario, real estate agents can view prices through their local MLS system, but members of the public cannot. In Canada, only Nova Scotia lets everyone see this information, while in the United States, access is for the most part universal.
Read more about the lawsuit here.
More of my clients are asking if there is a way to keep the price they paid for their home off the title records that are accessible by anyone. It can be done if you make arrangements to pay the land transfer tax before closing. This way you keep the price you paid off the title.
The competition commissioner believes that if sold prices were publicly available, buyers could figure out what to offer on a home themselves and would not need to employ a real estate agent. In my view, it wouldn’t change anything because there are many varied reasons why a home sells for a particular price. For example:
•Two houses on the same street, the same size, built by the same builder, may have different views and layouts, which can make a big difference in their curb appeal.
•The price is affected by seller motivations. One vendor may have to sell quickly because she has bought a house, or has had a change of life circumstance, whether through death, marriage breakup, or job relocation.
•A history of sewage backups could affect a selling price, or whether the house backs onto a park or ravine, or is close to a hydro tower.
•What about a wind farm that has just been announced as coming to your area, a crazy neighbour, or a halfway house located on the same block?
In the U.S., sold prices have been available for years. A study compiled by the National Association of Realtors found that 89 per cent of deals done in 2011 were handled by real estate agents. This figure was much higher than it had been before the Internet came into common use.
Before the lawyers make too much money fighting over privacy, my hope is that this issue can be settled amicably and that buyers and sellers continue to receive all the information they need, whichever way they might try to buy or sell a home.
thanks to Mark Weisleder for sharing his knowledge with us.
Mark is a real estate lawyer in Toronto , Canada
Sunday, 16 September 2012
The State of the Real estate market in Toronto- Update
Real Estate Market Update
Major media outlets are referring to August 2012 sales figures from several sources. TREB reported a decline in sales of 12% with a 22% decline in condominiums. Media are pointing to a dramatic decline in activity from August 2011. Some media have asserted that prolonged, low interest rates have fueled recent sales gains and have artificially propped up the real estate market. They credit the recent mortgage rule changes with the coincidental decline in sales. Last week Macleans Magazine reported that “Canadian Housing, there is an obvious over supply problem in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.” This story referenced monthly downtown Toronto condo sales of approximately 350 units for August 2012. Declaring it a four year low. TREB reports over 660 units sold for August 2012. Lower than 2011 but on par with 2010, not a four year low. Macleans is conveniently picking a specific district in the core to justify their point.Closer examination of the complete market data for central Toronto reveals a different story. The aggregate statistics that the media are referring to are simply averages of many diverse market segments. Each differentiated by product segments, price categories and geography. Generalizations of this nature result in inaccurate or misleading summations. Following the GTA statistics at the top level is similar to quoting the TSX numbers. That doesn't reveal the whole picture. Fundamentals that exist in the market include the following. Modest price appreciation of 6.5%, balanced listing inventory, with healthy absorption rates. Supply is not out pacing demand. TREB reported that in August 2012 the new listings were 5% less than new listings in August 2011. The Sales to new listing ratio for August 2012 was 0.55, down slightly from 2011. This typically will take pressure off of price appreciation.The decline in sales activity experienced in August compares with the same relative rate of change in sales the past two years. This indicates a seasonal market adjustment, driven more by consumer behavior rather than mortgage rule changes in 2012 as a cause. Affordability is a key driver for the housing market. Affordability remains at historic levels. Low interest rates have maintained affordability even as prices have risen.Healthy immigration has contributed to maintaining demand. That along with domestic demand has contributed to maintaining a balance in the overall housing market. It is never been more important for the consumer to have an expert interpret how their property is impacted by the market. That expert is not the media. By combining intelligent interpretation with acute awareness of market activity, we have never been in a better position than today to assist our clients.This article was written By Gary Zalepa Jr. VP Royal LePage Johnston and Daniel Division Brokerage
Friday, 7 September 2012
A Sweet gig with the world renowned Luis Mario Ochoa!
Friday, 13 July 2012
Skip Prokop's Jazz friends
I'm really excited to be included in Skip's new blog project Skips Jazz Friends, you all can check it out!
http://skipsjazzfriends.blogspot.ca/2012/07/skips-july-jazz-friends.html
Monday, 2 July 2012
Summer Samba at Hugh's Room
Summer Samba at Hugh’s room
Date: July 14, 2012
Venue: Hugh's Room -2261 Dundas Street West Toronto, ON M6R 1X6 (416) 531-6604
Summer Samba – Come join us, for dinner, drinks and a great evening of music in a concert setting!
Featuring:
Laura Fernandez
Laura Marks
Julie McGregor
Jazz Poet Chris Hercules
with
Norman Amadio on piano
Duncan Hopkins on bassThe Singer’s Jazz Series – Summer Samba show is a summery, Latin influenced, fun-filled evening featuring singer/songwriter; Laura Fernandez, host of the popular show Cafe Latino on Jazzfm91, along with an exciting line up of captivating vocalists who will be accompanied by the great Norman Amadio on piano and the incredible Duncan Hopkins on bass.
Laura Fernandez is a wonderfully talented singer and composer from Toronto, Canada. Born in Madrid, Laura is also an acclaimed artist and painter. Always a captivating performer, Laura’s second CD “Un Solo Beso” contains all original compositions in Spanish and English. Also the host of the “Café Latino” radio show on Jazz.FM, Laura was recently honoured to be the subject of a CBC radio “live concert” special. While she loves Latin Jazz, Laura’s music is a soulful blend of many different musical styles. Laura is currently performing in support of “Un Solo Beso” and writing new songs for her next CD. Laura Fernandez is definitely one performer whose star is on the rise.
Hugh’s Room:
A crowd-pleasing dining experience is the perfect warm-up act to every performance at Hugh’s Room — and one of the best venues in Canada. Sample a delectably diverse range of menu options in an inviting, intimate concert hall setting.More info: and tickets:
http://hughsroom.com/2012/05/the-singers-jazz-series-summer-samba/
Saturday July 14, 2012
Tickets: $20 Advance/$25 Door/Groups of 8 or more $15 (when purchased at the same time) (tickets include HST)
Performance: 8:30pm
Request a reservationhttp://hughsroom.com/2012/05/the-singers-jazz-series-summer-samba/
Friday, 15 June 2012
Free Seminars for Florida properties!
Here is some information on investment properties in Orlando, Florida
the seminars are free and for anyone who would like to attend!
Seminar Registration Link - http://www.orlandoproperties.ca/free-seminars
Website Links - http://www.orlandoproperties.ca/ / http://www.floridacondoinvestments.com/
Friday, 1 June 2012
Canadian Housing Market Update
Some in teresting numbers in this update, this is a comprehensive review of all the markets
if you have any questions please feel free to contact me
Canadian Housing Update:
Prepared By Genworth CanadaSpring 2012 In-Depth Housing Analysis for Canada, the Provinces, and Nine Metropolitan Areas
You can scroll through to find the place in Canada that applies to you...Click Here:http://www.genworth.ca/content/etc/medialib/genworth_ca/pdfs.Par.90134.File.d...
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Tonight At the Delta Chelsea
7 pm showLatin Jazz Nights!
A fabulous night of music with an all star band including:
Laura Fernandez vocals (and piano)
Don Naduriak on piano
Duncan Hopkins on bass
Luisito Orbegoso on drums
Hope to see you there!
Our sincerest thanks for your support
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
A Worthwhile Cause I Am Honoured To Be a Part Of!
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Monarch’s Pub Delta Chelsea May 16th
7 pm showLatin Jazz Nights!
A fabulous night of music with an all star band including:
Laura Fernandez vocals (and piano)
Don Naduriak on piano
Duncan Hopkins on bass
Luisito Orbegoso on drums
Hope to see you there!
Our sincerest thanks for your support
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
A Beautiful Tribute to Billy Bryans By Nick Jennings
Billy Bryans was an important force in Canadian Music
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/billy-bryans-eclectic-musical-ta...
A Beautiful Tribute to Billy Bryans By Nick Jennings
Please read this tribute, Billy Bryans was an important force in Canadian music.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/billy-bryans-eclectic-musical-ta...
Monday, 23 April 2012
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Rumbon for Billy Bryans at Lula Lounge Toronto This Thursday Apr 19
This Thursday the musical community is putting on a fundraiser do Billy Bryan's at the Lula Lounge. billy produced my Cd Un Solo Beso and we became very close. My album was the last album he produced and I will be ther to show the love. he is suffering from a second bout of cancer and the proceeds will go to his palliative care. please join us in support of Billy Bryan's a musical tour de force and beautiful person who has given so much to so many musical communities. if you can't attend please donate at www.lula.ca
Thank you!
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Easter and Passover
Whether you spend the holidays with family or with friends these holidays bring us closer to each other and through these religious traditions we bond and enforce those bonds in our present lives and through the ages.
I remember as a little child how much fun the holidays were, I am Spanish and we made a feast of it. A long lingering meal hours long at the table with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, everyone together. These were and still are the happiest and most magical moments of my life.
These holidays, take the time to be together, really present. Keep these wonderful traditions alive. Whether you are religious or not they are the spiritual bonds that help us through the tough times in our lives and give us strength to keep going. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to our Jewish brothers and sisters.
PS. the photo is of family I love in Spain
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Laura Fernandez to open for legendary BuenaVista Social Club- Eliades Ochoa
At the Opera House.
I couldn't me more honoured and excited! I'll be performing as a duo with the wonderful Don Naduriak.
The concerts will be taking place April 26 (Montreal) 27 (Ottawa) and April 28
(Toronto)
Thank you for all your support as I make my way on this little journey!
Friday, 24 February 2012
Liberty Village before the condo!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Laura Fernandez Trio @ Lula Lounge Fri Feb3/12
8 pm Show
$15 cover
or reserve $49 dinner and show package
Laura Fernandez vocals and piano
Don Naduriak Piano
Roberto Riveron Bass
Hope to see you there,
Thank you for your continued support!
Monday, 30 January 2012
Why This is the Best Time To Buy A Home
Here’s why:
Mortgage rates at historic lows: They can’t get any lower. Four to five-year fixed mortgages at 3 per cent are unheard of. It is lower than the variable rate that most Canadians have been paying for years. Rates have nowhere to go but up, either later this year or next. If you are paying a variable interest rate, lock in now.
Canada’s appeal: This country has everything going for it — a stable banking and political environment, steady real estate market, the natural resources people want and few social tensions. That makes us a safe haven in a volatile world.
Our immigrant draw: Because of the above, we’re a draw for immigrants, often wealthy ones. When they get here, they need a home. So in my view while the real estate market may level off in some areas of Ontario, it should stay strong in most of the GTA and likely Canada’s other large urban centres as well.
Mortgage defaults: According to CMHC, over 99 per cent of Canadians pay their mortgages on time. It quite a different picture in the U.S. where 7 million homes are in foreclosure and perhaps another 7 million homeowners are under water. This represents almost 15 per cent of all homes. So while the American housing market will likely be weak for the next few years, this should not occur in Canada. Our banks are not dumping homes onto the market, so there is no downward pressure on prices.
First published in moneyville.ca
Article by Mark Weisleder
Www.markweisleder.com