Chirstmas Gift From Habitat For Humanity

Toronto December 18th, 2005 - The Toronto Chapter of Habitat For Humanity gave a early Christmas gift to some well deserved families over the weekend by presenting them with the key to 40 new Toronto homes. This marked the largest key presentation ceremony in Canadian Habitat for Humanity history.

The homes were built in the McLevin Woods area of Scarborough. This 2.1 acre parcel of land, worth over 2.3 million dollars, was made available to Habitat for Humanity Toronto under the Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative, part of the Government of Canada's National Homelessness Initiative.

Under the terms of receiving their new home, families must help in the construction and agree to pay back the cost of the home with a no-interest mortgage.

Along with the many volunteers who aided in the project, Habitat for Humanity also received support from many private institutions including the Toronto Real Estate Board and The Ontario Real Estate Association.

When Is The Right Time To Buy

Toronto Homes & Condos For Sale

If you are thinking of buying a Home or Condo you are probably wondering when is the best time to buy. You are probably searching the Internet for Toronto Homes & Condos for sale and there is a lot to look at. But is this the right time? If you talking about interest rates the answer is most certainly yes. Interest rates have never been lower and it is a great time to take advantage of this.

But interest rates are not the only thing to consider. Time of the year is also a factor when searching for Toronto homes & condos for sale. The usual peak times for the Toronto Real Estate market are from March to July and from September to December. This is not to say that you should not look at other times of the year as there are always new listings coming onto the market. There will be, however, a greater number of Toronto homes & condos for sale during these times.

This also means, of course, that there are a greater number of buyer looking and bidding on these homes. Because of this the average price of homes & condos is usually higher during these peak times.

The opposite is true during the non-peak months. Because the number of Toronto homes & condos for sale is less than the peak months so is the number of buyers and also the average price.

Ultimately the answer to when the right time to buy is dependant on what is available and for what price at the time you are searching. And as long as you have a qualified and professional Realtor working for you under a buyer agency contract you will be certain to get the best possible deal.

Smoke Detectors Mandatory For Toronto Homes

Does your home have a smoke detector? If not you may want to buy yourself an early christmas gift to avoid a heavy price for your Toronto home. Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter announced on Tuesday that before the end of this winter, smoke detectors will be mandatory for all Ontario homes.

Under the new law all homes must have smoke detectors installed on every level, including basements, by March 1st, 2006. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed an additional smoke detector must be installed there as well.

The age of your smoke detector will also come into play. Any smoke detector more than 10 years old will need to be replaced.