Monastery Bakery in Oakville

If you are driving to Oakville, you have to stop by the Monastery Bakery and Deli. Started in 1990 this bakery is located at 1133 Monastery Drive (intersection Dorval and Monastery) in the Monastery Plaza.
They serve freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes and a great selection of deli meats and cheese.
I went there last Saturday for the first time to try out their Bread and Cheese, but also ended up buying Foccacias, pizza and pastries.

The place seemed to have an endless supply of every kind of bread you can imagine. I have been told their deli meats are mostly imported from Italy. There is a hot food takeout section which serves fresh pastas, chicken, pizzas and potatoes. The desert counter is filled with mouth-watering pastries, cookies, pies and cakes, the list is endless.

If you need company give me a shout and I will be there.

Warm Regards,

Zeenia Kola

Sales Representative with Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage

Email: zeenia@zeeniakola.com

Ph: 905-828-3434

Add: 2691 Credit Valley Rd, #101, Mississauga, L5M 7A1

Website: http://www.zeeniakola.com/
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December 2010 Market Report from Toronto Real Estate Board

The average prices and the number of sales, once again, both were very strong last month. It was the Third Best Year for Existing Home Sales. TREB reported prices were up 9% in 2010 compared to 2009.

January 6, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,395 existing home sales for the month of December, bringing the 2010 total to 86,170 – down by 1% compared to 2009.

"Market conditions were anything but uniform in 2010. We went from super-charged sales activity during the first four months of the year, to a marked drop-off in transactions in the summer and then in the fall saw sales climb back to levels that are sustainable over the longer term," said TREB President Bill Johnston.

"New Federal Government-mandated mortgage lending guidelines, higher borrowing costs and misconceptions about the HST caused a pause in home buying in the summer. As it became clear that the HST was not applicable to the sale price of an existing home and buyers realized that home ownership remained affordable, market conditions improved," continued Johnston.

The average home selling price in 2010 was $431,463 – up 9% in comparison to the 2009 average selling price of $395,460. In December, the average annual rate of price growth was five per cent.

"At the outset of 2010, we were experiencing annual rates of price growth at or near 20 per cent. This was the result of extremely tight market conditions coupled with the fact that we were comparing prices to the trough of the recession at the beginning of 2009," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

"Balanced market conditions in the second half of 2010 resulted in more moderate home price appreciation," continued Mercer. "Expect the average selling price to grow at or below five per cent in 2011. With this type of growth, mortgage carrying costs for the average priced home in the GTA will remain affordable for a household earning an average income."

Median Price
In December, the median price was $355,000, from the $349,000 recorded during December of 2009.

Regards,
Zeenia Kola
Sales Representative with Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage
Email: zeenia@zeeniakola.com
Ph: 905-828-3434
Add: 2691 Credit Valley Rd, #101, Mississauga, L5M 7A1
website: http://www.zeeniakola.com/

Facebook Link

October Price Growth Reflects Healthy Housing Market Conditions

Toronto, November 3, 2010 - Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 6,681 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in October 2010. This represented a 21% decrease compared to the 8,476 sales recorded in October 2009. Through the first ten months of the year, sales amounted to 75,582 – up 1% compared to the January through October period in 2009.

"The annual change in sales and average selling prices has been quite uniform across the GTA and by property type as the market has balanced out from record levels of sales in the second half of 2009 and first few months of 2010," said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston.

"The composition of GTA home sales does differ depending on location. Condominium apartments accounted for 42% of total sales in the City of Toronto and almost 60% of sales in TREB's central districts," Johnston continued. "In regions surrounding the City of Toronto, in contrast, low rise home types accounted for almost 90% of transactions."

The average price for October transactions was $443,729 – up 5% compared to the average of $423,559 reported in October 2009. The average selling price through the first nine months of the year was $430,802.

"The average selling price in the GTA has continued to grow relative to 2009 because home ownership has remained affordable," said Jason Mercer, the Toronto Real Estate Board's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "A household earning the average income in the GTA can comfortably afford the mortgage payments associated with the purchase of an average priced home."

The median price was $366,000 in October, from the $357,000 recorded during October of 2009.



For a detailed report for the month of October click here.

Regards,
Zeenia Kola
Sales Representative with Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage
Email: zeenia@zeeniakola.com
Ph: 905-828-3434
Add: 2691 Credit Valley Rd, #101, Mississauga, L5M 7A1
website: http://www.zeeniakola.com/
Facebook Link

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For Further Information Contact:
Zeenia Kola
Sales Representative with Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage
Email: zeenia@zeeniakola.com
Ph: 905-828-3434
Add: 2691 Credit Valley Rd, #101, Mississauga, L5M 7A1
website: http://www.zeeniakola.com/
Facebook Link

Energy efficiency for all homes, new and old

A Great Article by the President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, Bill Johnston in Toronto Star.
When it comes to character, you just can't beat the charm of an older home. Newly constructed homes however, come with their own unique assets, one of the most noteworthy of which is energy efficiency.

From the roof to the foundation, a number of innovative building practices often go into constructing today's greenest homes.

Roof shingles for example, are now available in recycled materials. Environmentally friendly spray foam insulation, which can help prevent dampness, keep out pollutants and contribute to structural strength, is even partially made with recycled materials.
Roofs, walls and floors can be insulated as well with special structural panels that consist of two layers of board with insulating foam in between them. The forms that are used to mould a home's poured concrete foundation can now also be found with insulating ability, and barriers that prevent dampness from rising into the foundation can be used at this stage of construction as well. Even exterior cladding is now insulated to offer greater energy efficiency.

If you prefer an older home though, there are many simple ways to make it more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Start with an Energy Star programmable thermostat that will save on heating and cooling costs when you're not home. You can take this approach a step further by investing in a new high efficiency furnace or air conditioner. Adding insulation to the attic of your home will offer reduced energy costs for years to come as well.

A tank-less water heater will also save on energy costs by providing only the amount of heated water that you need rather than maintaining it in a cylinder.

Even making minor changes can have an impact, like choosing energy efficient light bulbs - Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are good and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are even better.

If you're planning to make cosmetic changes to your home you can do your part for the environment by choosing wood flooring, and even carpet, made with recycled content. Look for low VOC paints and stains as well, which reduce the number of unstable, carbon-containing compounds that enter the air and react with other elements.

In the bathroom, you can keep more money in your pocket by installing low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets.
Replacing old windows with low-E argon-filled units that have the Energy Star symbol can make a dramatic difference to your home's energy efficiency as well.

Changing your old appliances with new Energy Star machines is also a great way to reduce energy consumption while enhancing the overall appeal of your home.

Beyond enjoying the aesthetics, cost savings and fulfillment associated with helping the environment, you can also consider getting an energy audit to take full advantage of a number of government rebates for energy-saving home improvements.

Regardless of the approach you choose, remember that nothing can substitute for good-old fashioned conservation. Remember that the energy you save today may well be the energy that is needed tomorrow.

Third Time is a Charm: Bank of Canada Hikes Up Interest Rates Again

The Bank of Canada has announced today that it is raising its overnight rate by 25 basis points. That changes the overnight rate from 0.75% to 1%. This change in the overnight rate has a direct effect on the prime lending rate, which will now jump from 2.75% to 3.00%.

In recent weeks, many reports have come out projecting smaller than projected growth, although many top economists still believed that the Bank of Canada would increase the key rate. As outlined in the press release "the global economic recovery is proceeding but remains uneven, balancing strong activity in emerging market economies with weak growth in some advanced economies".

Future forecasts for growth in Canada expect growth to be solid and business investment is expected to rise. From the press release, the Bank of Canada believes that the economic recovery will be more gradual than the previous Monetary Policy Report, which was released in July 2010, mainly in part due to the weakness in the United States.

Even amidst the report of slowing economic growth, the Bank of Canada determined that allowing a 25 basis point increase would still allow for stimulation, even though there may be some financial tightening. The increase in the prime rate is one key way that the Bank of Canada tries to control the inflation rate within the country, in order for it to stay around 2%.

This rate increase of 25 basis points is the third consecutive rate increase since June 1st, 2010. Canada was the first from the Group of Seven to begin increasing interest rates, and previous publications by the Bank of Canada predicted Canada to be leading the way in terms of the global economic recovery.

However, the Bank of Canada heeded in saying "any further reduction in monetary policy stimulus would need to be carefully considered in light of the unusual uncertainty surrounding the outlook". Most economists have now tightened their forecasts for future rate increases.

Since the rate hike announcement at the policy meeting, the Canadian dollar has increased 1.09 cents, sitting at 0.9650 cents US by midday Wednesday. The Toronto Stock Exchange also felt some gains of about 0.2%.

The next scheduled date for the Bank of Canada to announce the overnight rate is scheduled for October 19, and an updated Monetary Policy Report will be released on October 20, 2010.

Current home owners with a variable mortgage are most likely wondering what this all means in terms of their existing loan. Variable rate mortgages are based on Prime lending rate minus or plus a specific amount.Contact your Accredited Mortgage Professional, Mortgage Broker today to find out more about your available mortgage solutions.

Market Watch - Summer Cool Down Continues

The Canadian resale housing market continues to ease up. July sales dropped significantly when compared with the same month last year. This slow-down is not surprising in the face of tighter mortgage regulations and rising interest rates.
"The level of July sales remained below the expected long-term trend. The market has become more balanced following record monthly sales through most of the winter and early spring," said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston.
While July sales were down compared to last year, the number of new listings in the marketplace also fell. This means there was enough competition between buyers to exert upward pressure on price.

Ontario - Sales and new listings down, average price up in July

Toronto, August 5, 2010 - Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 6,564 sales in July – a 34% dip from the record 9,967 sales reported in July 2009. New listings, at 10,825, dropped to the lowest level for the month of July since 2002.
Total sales through the first seven months of 2010 were up 12% compared to the same period in 2009.
Despite the fact that price trends vary at the neighbourhood level in GTA, the average price for July transactions was $420,482, representing a 6% increase over July 2009. Over the first seven months of 2010, the average selling price was up 12% annually to $432,253.
"Market conditions promoting growth in the average selling price have remained in place. While July sales were down compared to last year, the number of new listings in the marketplace also fell. This means there was enough competition between buyers to exert upward pressure on price," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis.
In July, the median price was $361,000, from the $339,900 recorded during July of 2009.