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Showing posts from June, 2014

Canada Day Firework Celebrations

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The weekend we've been waiting for has finally arrived. Canada day long weekend is upon us. Time to hit the barbeque, crack open a cold one, and light up some fireworks anywhere we please.....well not exactly anywhere. In looking forward to this coming Canada day its important for our Mississauga residents to know where they can light up the skies this July 1st. Fireworks can only be set off on Statutory Holidays (Victoria day & Canada Day) No Fireworks can be set off on a public road No Fireworks in a park without a permit No public fireworks display without a permit Ward 5 Councillor Bonnie Crombie had received numerous complaints following the May 24th long weekend regarding noise disturbance and large amounts of garbage left either in public parks or city streets. Sorry to dampen your mood, but safety always comes first. Not to ruin everything though their are still some great fireworks displays in and around the GTA with Mississauga Celebration Square sure to li

Farmer's Market Mississauga

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The weekend tradition in Mississauga would have an occasional visit to a local park, maybe lakeshore, and most definitely the Farmers Market now is Celebration Square. That's right, Farmers Market beginning July 28th will be setting up shop within Celebration Square just outside of Mississauga central library and city hall. The Market had for many years had its long time home in the parking lots of square one mall just outside Target, previously Zellers. The Mississauga Lions Central club has been operating the farmers market and were notified last year that their previous renting space near Coliseum Mississauga Theater would no longer be available. With the donation from Desjardins General Insurance and Collier International, the property manager, Farmers Market will have 2 operational sites beginning July 28th; Wednesdays 11am-8pm at Celebration Square Sundays 8am -4pm at 3 Robert Speck Parkway Ideally the market would prefer the dates switched with Sunday operations b

June 2014 Real Estate Report

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Summer is finally here, which means it’s the busiest season in the real estate market. A report has been released by the Toronto Real Estate Board comparing the numbers from this month to the same time last year. New listings have increased from last year in the first two weeks of June of this year which is good because many are looking to purchase homes in this hot condo market. As a result, sales outpaced the supply of houses on the market which may be an indication that more houses need to be built or people need to start considering locations outside of the GTA. The average sales price in June of the past year for the first two weeks was $535,865 compared to $582,100 today. The prices will only rise from here because of the vast amount of demand for houses. This may cause bidding wars among buyers and skyrocket the price to an amount that the house may not be worth. This is a great sign for sellers to generate as much income as possible from their houses. Stay tun

House Mistakenly Built

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In an interesting story, developers Four Twenty Corporation have completed construction on a home in 2011 only to be ordered by the supreme court to have it removed. The land the house was built on was already owned by the Rose Nulman Park Foundation, In an attempt to salvage the home Owner Robert Lamoureux had attempted to strike a deal with the Park foundation to no avail. The corporation is in a losing battle as the Park foundations had been preserving the land to keep it as a park and maintaining the public's interest who desired a park as well. Permits have been acquired by the Four Twenty Corporation to relocate the house but still has one pending. While the idea of the developer building a house on land that was already previously owned is bad, perhaps the brunt of the scrutiny comes towards the designer and the house itself. The picture alone shows that this isn't exactly a house that one would be jumping for joy over. The house doesn't necessarily look like

One Million Trees Plan

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In the 2014 election Tim Hudak’s platform was called the million jobs plan. That plan gained a lot of publicity but has anyone ever heard of Mississauga’s million trees plan. That’s right, Trees! Currently, Mississauga has 2.1 million trees on public and private land with the goal of adding 1 million trees within a span of 20 years. The trees will be planted with the help of city staff, volunteers, students, and businesses all throughout Mississauga.  The city of Mississauga has many tree planting events set-up on their site in various neighbourhoods. If you don’t see one that is close to you, well then Mississauga has offered a plan to create your own tree planting event which you can help organize. Over the past year, there have been just over 100 000 trees planted and are on pace to reaching their goal of 1 million trees planted well before 20 years. The top planters from each category include: Large Organization: City of Mississauga - 46349 Small Organization: Credit

Rising Gas Prices = New Location

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So the weekend has passed and by now we're all at work still lamenting over the fact that we had to pay a whopping $141 cents on average per litre in and around the GTA. In Mississauga the price soared up to $141.9 cents causing even more empty wallets. This jump in prices is said to be caused from the long distance drives we'll be taking to our cottages in a couple weeks, as well as uneasiness in Iraq. With the Canada day long weekend up ahead you would have to think that the worst may be yet to come. Traditionally on the long weekend gas prices would soar and would not come back down until the following Monday or Tuesday of the week. With these prices always on the rise, many are slowly beginning to abandon their vehicles. High insurance costs coupled with high prices at the pumps leaves that new car smell sitting in your driveway. Looking forward now, its no wonder condo's are selling the way they are. Buying a home on the outskirts of Toronto or Mississauga means

Creditview Road Expansion?

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In an attempt to help relieve the traffic congestion that plagues Mississauga, the city has been considering the idea of adding more lanes from Bancroft road towards Old Creditview Road. The current situation along that stretch of Creditview road sees one lane going each way with traffic build up occurring in the early morning hours along with the usual rush hour traffic in the evening due to the financial district of Mississauga located just north at Financial Drive. Marlys Komalski a member of the Creditview expansion awareness committee has expressed her concern as the stretch from Bancroft to Old Creditview road carries with it a scenic view of the Credit river along with much forestry and wildlife. Residents of the area can often be seen going up to the river side through a trail connected to Credit Meadows Park. Steve Barrett who is the manager of transportation infrastructure management in Mississauga has stated the obvious in that, as the population grows more lanes will

Canada's Most Haunted

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Last week we looked at, arguably the most haunted place in Mississauga, this week we'll be taking a look at perhaps the most haunted and scariest place in Canada! The place I'm discussing is the Merritton Tunnel, which is more aptly referred to as The Blue Ghost Tunnel, located in Thorold Ontario. So what gave this place such a nasty reputation for frights? The tunnel was completed in 1876 and was used as a railway tunnel for almost 40 years before it was closed down in 1915. In 1903 there was a horrific collision between two trains both traveling roughly 22 miles per hour. The accident left one of the train's firemen, Charles Horning dead. His body was mangled and put through a boiler. The other train's firemen had severe burns and later died in hospital. People who visit the tunnel claim to see a blue ghostly mist, hence the name "The Blue Ghost Tunnel". Others have reported seeing a ghost dog. What relation the colour blue or the dog have in relation

Part 3 of 3: Preliminary Results Show Liberals Ahead

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In what was the final poll heading into today's election, The liberals have the lead as narrow as it may be. The survey conducted by Ipsos Reid asked the residents of Ontario the same question they will be asking themselves today. Who will I vote for? If the actual voting ballots reflect this survey then the Liberals will win the election tonight. The full survey shows the following among decided voters; Liberals 33% PC 31% NDP 30% Numbers don't lie and if any story from these numbers holds true, it is that this is going to be a photo finish. In the end the party that can get all of their supporters out to vote today will be the winner. Voter turnout is not more important than ever. With the most likely to vote candidates gearing towards the liberals at 36%, It is crucial for the PC and NDP parties to get their supporters out to the polling stations. For more info check out the link below. Ontario Election Tight Race This is sure to be a great race with plenty of

Part 2 of 3: PC Letters Directs Voters in Wrong Direction

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Today is election day, and Tuesday was perhaps a day for misguidance in the election. The PC have been alleged by the Liberals of sending out letters that have misdirected voters to wrong polling stations ahead of today's big election. Deb Matthews, who served as Ontario's health minister under Kathleen Wynne stated that potential voters in her riding of the London North Centre, were sent letters claiming that polling stations were located up to 15 minutes away from where voters actually lived. Tory representative Tim Gatten has said that it was a mistake made by a volunteer in that area, which resulted in 64 homes receiving the letter. Under the elections act the PC could be fined of up to $25,000 and 2 years in prison if found to be guilty. As someone who plans to vote this does prove as a sneaky tactic among the PC to discourage voters from heading to the polls. Adding to this is the forecast for potential showers and thunderstorms again heading for the GTA. With vot

Condos for Baby Boomer's and Young Adults

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There is an ever increasing popularity of condos amongst the general public which has two demographics who are primarily interested in this style of living. Young adults and baby  boomer's  account for most condo purchases or rentals. For young adults, in the mid to low twenties, they are purchasing condos to be close to urban activities and since many are choosing to live a car-free lifestyle, condominiums are the choice for them. If you’re a young adult you should consider renting your condo rather than buying because generally young adults move out of condos after five years to find a bigger place. This is common with people wanting to start a family who decide to purchase houses to grow into. If you do purchase the condo, you can use it as an investment after you move out of the place. Looking at the baby  boomer's , there are a vast amount of them moving into condos as well. For baby  boomer's  they are primarily looking to downsize and condos can offer just

Part 1 of 3, Hudak Visits Mississauga Gas Plant

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In a 3 part series I'll be taking a look at the major developments in the day's leading up to the Ontario Provincial Election on June 12th 2014. Tim Hudak recently visited this past weekend the site of the cancelled gas plant in Mississauga. In looking at Tim Hudaks approach to this election campaign there are 2 main numbers that uses to forefront his movements. The 1 million new jobs he aims to create, and the 1 billion dollar expense that himself and Andrea Horwath have used to attack the liberals Kathleen Wynne. Hudak had committed to not building the gas plant in the first place. Hudak has argued that Wynne's leadership team had a part in the documents that the OPP are looking for, while Wynne's is denying it. Both Hudak and Horath maintain that the liberals only signed the cancellation of the gas plant in order to save themselves from political disaster in 2011. Without a doubt this is a major aspect that will influence voters in this years election. Tim Hu

Cherry Hill House of Horrors

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Friday the 13th is next week and while this isn't exactly a house I will be jumping at my clients to buy, I definitely think its a spot in Mississauga anyone should check out for a scare. The Cherry Hill house located near the major intersection of Cawthra and Dundas street has been haunted for well over 40 years. The tale goes that the house was relocated in the 1970's and to this day the original home owners have been more than upset from beyond the grave. Residents have been seeing paranormal activity through the sightings of a small girl appearing in the windows of the house, constant flickering of lights, and even shadows or apparitions appearing in the reflections of mirrors. While this all seems crazy, the home is actually serving as residence to a basement bar. Bartenders have noted that glasses or plates they would leave in one spot, would suddenly end up in another. So how bout it guys?  Mickey Beloate is the restaurant owner at Cherry hill and if not for the

The New Square One

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If you've lived in Mississauga your entire life then you have certainly seen some major changes. Get ready for some more as Square one goes under more developments in time for 2015. The southwest expansion will see the addition of many stores with a Holt Renfrew department store opening its doors in 2016. Holt Renfrew along with many others will help serve the needs of an ever growing Mississauga population, particularly in the downtown core. The rise of condo's in the center of Mississauga, coupled with the new Sheridan college campus which sees an influx of students, will see down-town Mississauga as the place to be. The square one addition has recently completed construction of their food court, and with major cinemas, Go Transit hubs, and Playdium Mississauga makes it just another enticing addition for shopaholics. For more info on the construction and some great pictures check out the link below. Square One Southwest Expansion Underway

Great Home Sales in May for GTA!!

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The housing market in the GTA has seen a great increase in an annual period. Last year at this time the average selling price was upwards of  $540,000. Looking ahead to present day, the current average selling price for May was now $585,000. Condo's seekers were on the rise as well, as those who were essentially pushed out of the housing market due to steep prices, didn't mind settling for a condo. Condo prices in the month of May for Toronto were upwards of $400,000. Overall the unit sales were up for both condos and homes as well; Houses Increased 13% Condos Increased 8.4% Active Listings Decreased 9% With the amount of active listings down, this reads competition for any new house and condo buyers. The increase in bidding wars between buyers and prices going well above inflation. Town-homes and semis still saw the most sales through their affordability for buyers.  In looking at the months ahead if your a buyer, now is the time to buy as the average sale price

Gorgeous Home at a Reduced Price!

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View the virtual tour today! http://www.myvisuallistings.com/dhf/136667 Address: 3383 Credit Heights Drive, Mississauga L5C2M2, Ontario Presented by Legacy Realty Inc., Brokerage tyler@tylertim.ca Office: 289-454-7018 Tyler Tim Sales Representative tyler@tylertim.ca ·          10 minutes from Square One. ·          5 minute drive from University of Toronto (Mississauga Campus). ·          1 minute away from Dundas Street West. ·          Elementary & High Schools within walking distance. Spectacular open concept home in the centre of Mississauga. Newly renovated, with professional quality workmanship and high-end material. Brand new spacious kitchen, new windows, modern hardwood flooring, and paint and move-in ready. Stylish lights embedded in stairs. Comes with all new top quality stainless steel appliances. Offering a vast master bedroom with Ensuite, large bedrooms, massive living and dining room. Enormous finished walk out basement with beautiful po

RBC Report: Affordability Index Decline

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RBC is reporting in the first quarter of the year that it will become more difficult for Canadians to purchase a home as the affordability index has declined. This coupled with the rising house prices, puts Canadians in a deep hole. Now I know what you are thinking what is the affordability index anyway? The affordability index is a percentile measurement of before taxes household income that is needed to service the cost of owning a home at current market prices. The 3 main payments include; * Mortgage * Utilities * Property Taxes This increase as it affects residents of Ontario sees an affordability index of 44.9% for bungalows and 51.0% for two storey homes. While this all does seems bad, RBC has stated that interest rates will not be on the rise until the middle of next year. A forecast by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation sees the average price of a home increasing to $396,000. The biggest thing to consider now is that this index will be affecting new ho

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