August 30th, 2010
Good news from the employment sector! Payrolls in Canada increased in June, Statistics Canada reported last week. If June is included in the figures, the number of payroll workers in our country rose by 172,300, which is 1.2 percent, since August of last year. If compared to June 2009, weekly wages increased by 4 percent to $853.50.
(Rise of Payrolls continued...)August 29th, 2010
Home prices in Canada keep on increasing! According to the newest Teranet National Bank Composite House price index report, released earlier this week, the June 2010 increase of housing prices in the country was the most significant one in ten months. Prices rose by as much as 1.5 percent from May of this year.
(Home Prices Rising continued...)August 28th, 2010
Here we have another sign that our economy is not in such a great state as it was just a couple of months ago! The composite leading index of Statistics Canada has slowed down from 0.7 percent rise in June to only 0.4 percent increase in July, the agency reported.
(Composite Leading Index Slowed Down continued...)August 27th, 2010
Loft apartments are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. How do we define and recognize them? It is very simple. A loft apartment can, for instance, be defined as a place transformed from former industrial buildings. Such apartments are usually located in an urban environment. Interestingly, people like this type of home, so much so, that if there is a shortage of these types of properties; developers either create them from old buildings or build new homes with typical loft apartment features. Therefore, there are two basic types of loft.
(Loft Apartments continued...)August 27th, 2010
Yonge Street is home or close to many neighbourhoods in Toronto. As a major arterial street it is running from Yorkville through Chaplin Estates to Teddington Park. Yonge Street was formerly listed as the longest street in the world. This is why there is no lack of great architectural views that we can see in this beautiful photo taken by Rick McGrath.
(Extraordinary View on Yonge Street continued...)August 26th, 2010
The annual inflation rate, in Canada, increased again in July, Statistics Canada announced earlier this week. Its pace was actually the fastest one since April with the consumer price index increasing by 1.8 percent since July 2009. Electricity prices have been increasing the most during the year.
(Inflation Rate Rose in July continued...)August 25th, 2010
There is to be no further increase, in interest rates, by the Bank of Canada after September. This news is what Avery Shenfeld, a CIBC economist, predicts. After seeing an extremely low level of the key lending rate for such a long period of time, 0.25 percent, the bank has raised the rate twice in past two months. In June the rate increased to 0.5 and then a further increase, to 0.75 percent, was seen in July.
(Shenfeld about Economy continued...)August 24th, 2010
The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation has just released its 2009 report and an outstanding 1.5 million dollars was raised last year! A portion of each transaction I complete is donated to this worthwhile cause, and I feel honoured to have been named in the Top 1% of donors. (see pg 21 of report)
(RLP Shelter Foundation Report continued...)August 23rd, 2010
August housing news from GTA is here! Greater Toronto Realtors reported this week that 2,732 sales through the Multiple Listing Service were recorded in the area during the first fourteen days of this month. When compared to the same period a year ago when 3,832 sales were reported, at 29 percent, there has been a substantial decrease in sales.
(August GTA Housing continued...)August 23rd, 2010
Yonge Street running through Deer Park, Davisville Village and Chaplin Estates neighbourhood can at some point surprise with such an unusual view as at this gorgeous photo taken by skillful photographer Scott.
(Moon Sets Behind Yonge Street continued...)August 21st, 2010
More negative economic news from Canada, this time about real estate. As the Canadian Real Estate Association have just announced, existing home sales in our country fell by 6.8 percent in July, to 31,536 units. Their level a month before, in June, was 33,836 units.
(Bad July Housing News continued...)August 20th, 2010
Some bad economic news is here! The trade deficit of Canada has, quite surprisingly, widened in June, Statistics Canada has reported this last week. The level of deficit in June was $1.13 billion, increasing from $695 million in May. The reason for the widening gap is a very significant fall in exports during the month – actually, the sharpest one in 10 months.
(Trade Deficit Widened in June continued...)August 19th, 2010
As Mayoral elections in Toronto are getting closer, the public opinion surveys are asking the question “who are you going to vote for?” According to a very recent survey, conducted between July 30 and August 5 by the Pollstra Research, the clear winner and thus the future Mayor of Toronto will be Rob Ford.
(Ford to Win Toronto Elections? continued...)August 18th, 2010
This extraordinary interior is home of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. It is situated immediately west of Queen’s Park nearby Yorkville and The Annex neighbourhood. Looking at this picture one can start to think about the studies again. Thank you The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy continued...)
August 18th, 2010
Housing starts in Canada declined by 1.6 percent in July, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported on Tuesday. From the level of 192,300 units in June, they fell to 189,200 units. New home construction is therefore currently at the lowest level in seven months.
(Housing Starts Decline in July continued...)August 17th, 2010
Inside Toronto we can admire beauty of many parks. Hillcrest Park situated in the Regal Heights neighbourhood has one of the most amazing views of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario. Thanks to Emily we can almost feel the peace and joy which brings the sunny day in Hillcrest Park.
(Hillcrest Park continued...)August 16th, 2010
I am pretty sure that during your life, you have seen a couple of seemingly flawless houses with the ‘for sale’ sign. That would be perfectly fine, if the sign was not there for too long. Have you ever thought about why these homes, even though absolutely beautiful, do not sell?
(Overpriced Homes continued...)August 14th, 2010
More housing news for you! Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have just released their 48 page report regarding real estate in the Greater Toronto Area. Among other issues, it emphasizes strong apartment starts, cooling sales and declining resale activity.
(GTA Q2 Housing continued...)August 13th, 2010
The Artscape Wychwood Barns were former TTC streetcar maintenance complex which was transformed into multifaceted community centre. Thanks to Gabriel Li we have the possibility to see this interesting place from a different perspective.
August 12th, 2010
Here’s some fresh GTA housing news just for you! As Greater Toronto Realtors reported, 6,564 sales were recorded in the area last month. That is a very significant drop from last years’ numbers! Just take a look: exactly 9,967 homes were sold in GTA last July, which makes a 34 percent difference.
(GTA Housing in July continued...)August 10th, 2010
Surprising news! There was a 6.5 percent rise in the value of building permits in Canada for the month of June! That indeed is a lot more than I expected, especially considering the unpleasant results from last month. In May, the value of building permits fell by 8.2 percent.
(Rising Value of Building Permits continued...)August 9th, 2010
The 13th straight increase of home resale prices was recorded in Canada this May! It is the largest increase since last September, at 1.3 percent. All of the six surveyed metropolitan areas were showing a rise from April, the Teranet National Bank Composite House Price Index states.
(Resale Prices Rose Again continued...)August 7th, 2010
Canada’s gross domestic product has, after no change at all in April, increased in May 2010; Statistics Canada informed the public at the end of last week. The rise was quite minor though, only 0.1 percent. If compared to the January and March results, both with 0.6 percent growth, the May results are not that good, are they?
(Canada’s May GDP continued...)August 4th, 2010
Summer time is the favorite time of the year for many. The weather is, or at least should be, quite nice and warm. You can spend long evenings outside having a barbeque, or just talking in your garden full of flowers. Yes, THE garden. We should not forget it needs attention during the summer, too.
(Summer and Gardening continued...)
August 2nd, 2010
Hot off the press, the housing results are here! As the new report released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows, the revised seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 192,800 units in June 2010. That is a fall of 3.1 percent from a revised 198,900 units in May. Ontario did not do well, unfortunately.
(Fresh Housing News continued...)August 1st, 2010
The Conference Board of Canada has released the results of its consumer confidence survey conducted between July 8th and 18th. It shows that consumer confidence in the country fell for the second straight month! Confidence was down by 3.7 points to 80 points this month. Consumers seem to be especially unhappy about jobs and personal finances.
(Falling Consumer Confidence continued...)
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