Saturday May 20TH 1 – 3 PM

Sunday May 21st 5 – 7 pm

Move right in!!

•   2 bedrooms
• 2 1/2 bathrooms
• New Kitchen w/granite counter tops
• Sun room
• Fully finished basement
• End unit with great green space

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ON THIS FANTASTIC PROPERTY!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FEATURES!!

• *1684 Square feet Bungalow
• *3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
• *Maple “open” Kitchen w/Island
• *Great room
• *23′ x 27′ attached garage

*  Breath taking South West views

*End unit

*  Updated Oak kitchen

*Great layout

*Well maintained

*Fridge, stove, dishwasher & freezer included

*Laundry facilities on each floor

*Underground parking available

*Great Rec Room/Centre with game area

 CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW 

Listing Price: $154,900
Address: #711-175 Pulberry St.
City: Winnipeg

MLS # (if any): 1208772
Square Feet: 812
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Basement (full, 1/2, finished, unfinished): Condo, none

860 Laxdal Road

$289,900

Open House Saturday & Sunday, April 28th & 29th, 1 – 3 pm.

 Big, bright and spacious describes this very well cared for 1284 square foot Bungalow.  Featuring 3 bedrooms, 1 full and 2 half baths, hardwood floors, custom Kitchen, fully finished basement, updated windows on main floor, newer high effeciency furnace, large fenced yard

Listing Price: $289,900
Address: 860 Laxdal Road
City: Winnipeg

MLS # (if any): 1207379
Square Feet: 1284
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2, and two 1/2's
Basement (full, 1/2, finished, unfinished): Fully Finished

So, you’ve decided to sell your house in a season where people can scrutinize your yard….  Not a problem!!  With these helpful hints, it will be a breeze!

1.  Eliminate All Debris:  The winter often leaves our yards looking like a war zone.  After months of snow, wind and rain, trees and landscaping look battered and worn. Clean up all scattered branches, sticks and litter.  Trim your trees of any hanging branches as well and check to see if any have found their way on your roof top. If necessary, hire a professional tree trimmer.

2.  Clear All Dead Leaves:  In order for your lawn to thrive, it needs to get sunlight.  Rake all leaves and twigs from your yard, including your garden beds.

3.  Remove Dead Plants:  Unfortunately, many plants don’t often survive the winter.  To a buyer, seeing dead plants is not the most pleasing way to see a home for the first time.  Replace any dead bushes and cut back any damaged hedges.

4.  Clean Out Gutters:  At some point, after an offer has been made on your home, an inspector will check out your gutters among other things.   It is strongly suggested you do the work now and have them cleaned out and properly inspected.  If there are any parts hanging or need to be replaced, hire a professional who can handle it quickly and properly.  There are many companies that offer attractive spring deals and are usually available quickly.

5.  Create curb appeal:  Now that your yard is rid of any debris, it’s time to look and see what can be done to create a more attractive curb appeal for buyers.  Even if you didn’t plant fall bulbs, you can purchase spring flowers like tulips or daffodils at your local garden store and plant in planters near your front door.  Add some other spring flowers, like petunias, around borders, tree trunks and window boxes if you have them.  Just make sure they are planted in the proper location if they need a certain amount of sunlight.

Spending a weekend cleaning up your yard and getting it ready for potential buyers will reward you in the days ahead.

FOR MORE TIPS ON GETTING YOUR HOME READY FOR SALE, CONTACT     THE TONY MARINO TEAM

TORONTO, April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Early spring-like weather jump starts housing market activity

The Royal LePage House Price Survey released today showed the average price of a home in Canada increased between 2.2 and 5.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, compared to the previous year.

Market activity in the first quarter of 2012 was unusually high resulting in tight inventories and strong price appreciation in most major cities. Buyers were attracted into the market by historically low mortgage rates and sellers brought listing inventory to market earlier than normal, encouraged by unseasonably warm weather.

In the first quarter, standard two-storey homes rose 5.0 per cent year-over-year to $398,282, while detached bungalows increased 4.4 per cent to $356,306. Average prices for standard condominiums increased 2.2 per cent to $243,153.

“Our housing market is being pulled in opposite directions by opposing economic forces,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “On one hand, there is the rapidly strengthening U.S. economy, increasing Canadian consumer confidence and what can only be called a national mortgage sale encouraging activity and bidding up home prices. On the other, we have signs of over-shooting values and strained affordability in our largest cities. We are likely to see much more modest price appreciation as the year unfolds.”

Price appreciation and strong unit sales reflect Canadians taking advantage of borrowing rates that for the first time fell below 3.0 per cent for a five year fixed mortgage and a banking environment that the Royal Bank of Canada has referred to as “hyper-competitive.”

Soper commented that the effect of low mortgage rates is more pronounced in cities that are affordable such as Winnipeg, Ottawa and St. John’s.

“In Vancouver, the average price of a standard two-storey home is now $1,182,250. Although the city posted strong year-over-year price gains in the first quarter, we expect to see Vancouver’s housing market to reach a level of price resistance. Although desirability is high, many potential buyers have simply been pushed out of the market and cannot take advantage of low mortgage rates, which will ease demand and should bring price relief,” said Soper.

In comparison, Soper commented that he did not expect price resistance to affect Toronto’s housing market where a standard two-storey home would sell for $645,467.

Another notable exception was Calgary whose flat year-over-year house price appreciation masked a very active housing market that witnessed double digit growth in unit sales compared to the same period in 2011.

Across the country, consumers sought to buy into what they believe is a good investment market. The Conference Board of Canada’s consumer confidence index continued to rise in March, gaining 4.3 points to stand at 79.5, its third consecutive month of gains, and attitudes towards major purchases, such as real estate, were particularly strong.

Soper concluded, “Generally when the market witnesses a surge in unit sales activity in the first half of the year, it borrows from the second half as potential buyers jump in early to take advantage of a favourable environment.”

Regional Market Summaries

Cities in Atlantic Canada all witnessed price appreciation with the exception of Moncton where house prices remained flat year-over-year. The strongest year-over-year price appreciation was found in St. John’s, Newfoundland where the average house price increased between 7.0 and 9.9 per cent.

Montreal witnessed an increase in average year-over-year price gains across the housing types surveyed. The largest gains were seen in standard two-storey homes, which rose 4.9 per cent year-over-year.

Ottawa’s stable local economy continued to produce healthy gains as the average house price appreciated between 6.0 and 6.2 per cent year-over-year across the three house types surveyed. The average price of a standard two-storey home is $387,833.

Toronto’s lack of inventory in a low mortgage rate environment produced strong year-over-year price appreciation in the first quarter of 2012. Detached bungalows and standard two-storey homes increased by 5.5 and 7.5 per cent respectively. On average, standard condominiums appreciated a healthy 3.5 per cent year-over-year demonstrating continued demand despite concerns of ample supply.

Considered Canada’s most affordable city with a diversified economy, Winnipeg’s housing market benefitted from low mortgage rates as all three housing types posted substantial price gains. Standard condominiums, generally the most affordable housing type, witnessed a considerable year-over-year price gain rising 11.2 per cent – the largest price gain of any housing type across Canada.

Regina saw strong price appreciation across all housing types surveyed confirming that it is still in a seller’s market. Detached bungalows made the largest gains, increasing 10.7 per cent year-over-year to $316,500.

Despite double digit unit sales growth, Calgary’s housing market remained generally flat in the first quarter due to ample housing supply. Average prices for detached bungalows increased a modest 1.9 per cent year-over-year due to a lack of inventory. However, Calgary’s standard two-storey homes and standard condominiums witnessed modest price declines of 1.2 and 2.6 per cent, respectively, as demand was met with a sufficient amount of listings. Edmonton, posted healthy gains for both detached bungalows and standard two-storey homes, which rose 4.6 and 3.4 per cent year-over-year. Prices for standard condominiums remained flat compared to the same period last year.

Vancouver posted strong price appreciation for detached bungalows and standard two-storey homes, while condominiums remained flat compared to the first quarter of 2011.

Royal LePage’s quarterly House Price Survey shows the annual change of prices for key housing segments in select national markets.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE CONTACT      THE TONY MARINO TEAM

Dollar Volume Sets February Record with a 12% Increase

WINNIPEG –

If this was a Winnipeg Jets hockey game we would be going into overtime as February MLS® sales were identical to last year’s. We will have to wait until February 2013 to break the tie. On the other hand, dollar volume was a different story altogether with the clear edge going to February 2012 with dollar volume up 12% at $191 million. As a result, the average residential-detached sales price was notably higher at $266,000 in comparison to $240,000 in February 2011. Condominium average sales price also vaulted past February 2011 with a jump from $198,000 to close to $211,000 in February 2012. Another virtual tie came in new MLS® listings with 1,315 entered in February 2012 compared to 1,313 in February 2011.

Even the total sales price to total list price ratio which is an indicator of strong buyer demand when the ratio climbs over 100% were nearly the same between the two February’s with ratios over 101%. As for other February’s, only February 2007 had 16 more sales than 2011 and 2012.

One of the clear differences in February 2012 from last year is while there were only a few more over $500,000 residential-detached sales there were only half as many under $99,999 sales and for the first time ever the $250,000 to $299,999 price range had the highest percentage of total sales. In 2011 the lower price range of $200,000 to $249,999 always came out on top.

February MLS® sales were even with last February at 781 while dollar volume rose 12% ($191.0 million/$171.1 million) in comparison to the same month last year. Year-to-date MLS® units sales are only two shy of last year at 1,345 while dollar volume is up 10% ($324.3 million/$295.6 million) in comparison to the same period in 2011.

“Knowing how exceptional 2011 was in our 108–year WinnipegREALTORS® history we certainly have no issue with history repeating itself this year where sales keep pace with 2011 and dollar volume continues to show gains as it has consistently since 2002,” said Shirley Przybyl, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “So far our 2012 forecast is on track. Without trying to get too ahead of ourselves as still ten months to go, we are moving into spring market conditions. Even with some of that white stuff that has been more fleeting this year, it will not dampen a real estate market that saw 44% of single family house sales and 31% of condominium sales go for above list price in February.”

Housing inventory remains tight with about a month and a half worth of supply if no new listings were to come on the market. While this is not the case in all MLS® areas throughout the Greater Winnipeg market region, there clearly is a need for fresh listings

overall. So if an owner is thinking of putting their property on the market, they should be calling their REALTOR® to give them a current market assessment of their unique situation and positioning in the market as it may well indeed be a wonderful opportunity to give their listing full maximum exposure on the MLS® when there are less properties to compete against.

The most active residential-detached price range in February was $250,000 to $299,999 with 20% of total sales. The two next lower price ranges of $200,000 to $249,999 and $150,000 to $199,999 each grabbed 17% of total sales. While not quite as dominant as it has been, the price range of $150,000 to $199,999 represented 36% of the total condominium sales. The next busiest price range was from $200,000 to $249,999 with 20% of total sales.

The average days on market to sell a home was 28 days, two weeks quicker than last month and 2 days slower than February 2011. Days on market for condominium sales was 28 days too, one week faster than last month and 4 days off the pace set in February 2011.

Established in 1903, WinnipegREALTORS® is a professional association representing over 1,600 real estate brokers, salespeople, appraisers, and financial members active in the Greater Winnipeg Area real estate market. Its REALTOR® members adhere to a strict code of ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) designed exclusively for REALTORS®. WinnipegREALTORS® serves its members by promoting the benefits of an organized real estate profession. REALTOR®, MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned and controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association and are used under licence.

For further information, contact Peter Squire at 786-8854.

Next weekend, drive to three open houses. Walk through the homes with the eye of a buyer. Stick with us here. We are opening your eyes and changing your perspective. As you walk through the homes, think about the nice features and the negative ones. Pay particular focus on the kitchen and adjoining rooms.

Drive home immediately after your tour.

Keep your buyer’s hat on. Walk into your house through your front door. No cheating, use the FRONT DOOR. Look at your house with the same discerning eye that you had when you walked through the open houses. What would you do to make your house more appealing? List 10 items. What makes your house special? List those items.

Now lets get to business. Start with the list of items that make your kitchen special. What can you do to make accentuate those features? Make a list.

Now take a look at the list of 10 items that will make your kitchen more appealing. Rank the items in order of expense and effort. Once complete, rank the same list again in order of the effect the change will have on the feel of your house. Look at the three lists that you have compiled. Do you see any items on the ‘make my kitchen appealing’ list that will contribute to accenting the items that make your house most appealing.

We are looking at building your house’s muscle; strengthening its strengths. In other words, we are creating a clearer and more unified focus on the positive features of your home.

5 inexpensive solutions to update your kitchen:

1. The obvious first choice is paint. This is the weekend warrior’s special. Almost anyone can paint a minor portion of their home over a weekend. Myself included; and this is from the voice of a believer that “if I can do the home improvement project, there must be thousands that can do it better.”

Look as paint as a woman looks at her hair. If you get tired of the look, make a change. In fact, paint is more like a haircut than you may think. As with a bad haircut, a poor choice in paint colors can easily be changed. The wrong paint color can be quite forgiving.

There are some simple rules and ideas to keep in mind when painting.

2. Light, Light and More Light. Natural light is the best form. Adding light will alter the feel of your kitchen for the better. Your kitchen will feel larger and more open with the use of natural light.

Adding a solar tube or two is easy and inexpensive. That is if you don’t have another room above your kitchen. If all else fails, add lighting to your kitchen. A thoughtful choice in light fixtures can add the pop you are looking for in your kitchen home improvement project.

3. Cabinet door pulls can give just the right touch to your kitchen. In most cases, affordable door and drawer pulls can be an affordable way to add character to your kitchen.

4. Kitchen faucet is the next item for sprucing up. Not only will a new faucet look good, it will be a functional addition to your kitchen improvement.

5. Appliances can have a big effect on the look and feel of your kitchen. The refrigerator and range are the two most visible appliances. There is no need to worry here. There are tactics to saving on appliances.

With your revised mindset and samples of effective remodeling solutions to improve look of your kitchen at a minimal expense, you are ready to move forward with your budget kitchen remodeling project.

Exterior Configurations

You’ll have many choices where exterior configuration is concerned. Often, the final choice is highly influenced by finances. Refrigerators come in the following shapes and styles:

• Side-by-side
• Top freezer conventional
• Bottom freezer conventional
• French door
• Counter-depth
• Built-in
• Under-the-counter small units
• Commercial styles—such as glass front, or triple units

If you’re installing a new refrigerator in an existing kitchen, it’s important to accurately measure the width, depth, and height of the designated space. Allow wiggle room to slide the refrigerator in and out, especially if the space is completely enclosed by cabinets or walls. However, it’s advisable to get the largest unit that will comfortably fit into your space.

It’s important to determine how much space is available in front of the installed refrigerator for opening the door and standing or walking by. Side-by-sides and the new French-door refrigerators are wide-width units; however, since they have narrower doors, they need less space out front. Picture yourself standing in front of the open refrigerator. Are you able to walk past the open door without running into existing cabinets or countertops? If you choose a conventional refrigerator, should the door open to the right or to the left? Remember that many standard refrigerators are deeper than standard cabinets, so they protrude forward past the cabinets.

Counter-depth refrigerators lack some interior space, but recede into the décor of the kitchen for a more finished look. Care must be taken with commercial refrigerators—they can be too wide to carry through a doorway, much less install in the kitchen.

You may want to consider looking for the following exterior features:

• Trim kits—colored panels, brushed aluminum or stainless steel panels, or cabinetry
• Special stain-resistant exterior finishes
• A water filter located behind the base grille
• A door lock feature
• A reversible door swing, especially if you move often
• A “clean back”—condenser coils are located on the bottom of the unit, instead of the back
• An open-door alarm
• A through-the-door water and ice dispenser

Interior Features

Judge the interior of a refrigerator by matching it to your family’s needs. What kinds of foods will you be storing? Side-by-sides often are attractive because of their exterior water and ice dispensers, but the narrow lines limit the size of items that can be stored and reduce visibility and access. Does your family love pizza? Most side-by-sides are too narrow to store them. Ditto that large cake pan. When judging the interior of a fridge, look for the following:

• Is the interior layout convenient and adjustable to your needs?
• Can you store wide or tall items conveniently?
• Can large drink bottles be stored in the door?
• Can you easily reach items at the back of the fridge?
• Are temperature and humidity controls easy to reach?
• Is the interior well-lit?
• Do the available compartments suit your food-storage needs?
• Are the shelves sturdy, adjustable, and easy-to-clean?
• Are slide-out shelves available?
• Are the foods you use the most storable at eye and arm level?

Comparative Costs

Top-freezer refrigerators account for 50% of all refrigerator sales, and are by far the most economical to purchase and maintain. They make good use of space and tend to be energy-efficient. Most models have factory-installed interior icemakers, which are less repair-prone than through-the-door dispensers. 

Bottom-freezer fridges are next in sales, and are still economical. Side-by-sides take a leap in price, but are still cheaper than counter-depth refrigerators. The new French door models are pricey, but desirable for their wide-width interiors and bottom freezers. Built-ins are costly, luxury refrigerators and are often available with designer fronts or cabinet fronts. Commercial refrigerators can cost even more than built-ins, and are for dedicated cooks with state-of-the-art kitchens. As far as finishes are concerned, stainless steel is more expensive than brushed aluminum or basic colors. Custom cabinet fronts are still more expensive.

Potential Repairs

Refrigerators break down much less often than other major appliances, and all brands rate good to excellent in quality. Through-the-door water and ice dispensers are the primary cause for repair calls.

Energy Use

Your refrigerator is probably the top energy consumer in your home. However, due to regulations implemented in 2001, new refrigerators use 60% less energy than those made 25 years ago. If you have a refrigerator that is 15 years old, you should probably consider buying a new model.

When buying a new refrigerator, look for one that is Energy Star® compliant. Many municipalities and utility companies offer rebates if you replace an old refrigerator with an Energy-Star® compliant model. Check with your local utility company for information regarding rebate programs.

Top or bottom freezer models are generally more energy-efficient than side-by-sides. However, because of the through-the-door water and ice dispenser, family members might open the doors less often with a side-by-side, thereby keeping the cold air in. It’s worthwhile to know, however, that the difference in yearly running costs between the most efficient and least efficient models is only about $30 a year.

Here are some tips to help you conserve energy when using your refrigerator:

• Keep the door shut.
• Defrost the freezer often if you have a manual defrost. Heed the manufacturer’s instructions; being careless during defrosting can cause damage to the point of destruction.
• Avoid buying a fridge with a drink and ice dispenser—they use a lot of energy.
• Buy a fridge with transparent drawers to decrease searching time.
• Keep the fridge filled 2/3 full, or switch to a smaller fridge.
• Consider a model with auto-close doors.
• Don’t overload the refrigerator with food; it cuts down air circulation.
• Avoid buying a frost-free fridge; it uses more energy.
• Avoid placing the fridge near a heat source.
• Never place hot foods in the fridge.
• Defrost frozen foods in the fridge to boost the cool factor.
• Consider turning off the butter conditioner—it actually heats.
• Vacuum the exterior coils often.
• Wipe the condensation off containers when putting them back in the fridge.
• Check the seals all the way around the door: Insert a sheet of paper, and close the door. You shouldn’t be able to pull the paper out.
• Set the temperature between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle is the most important consideration when choosing a refrigerator. How much food will you be storing? What are the container sizes you’ll be storing? What is eye-level for the people in your household? The food you access the most should be stored at eye level. Do you entertain often? Do you need extra space for drinks? Perhaps you should consider purchasing an extra under-the-counter drink fridge. Are you unable to bend over? A bottom-freezer model might be your best option, since a freezer is accessed less often than a refrigerator. Are you a professional cook? If so, you might want to leap into the realm of commercial refrigeration.

A refrigerator is a major investment for your home; yet, refrigerators are more serviceable and energy-efficient than ever, and can provide good service for years. The huge variety of exterior and interior configurations and designer looks can make buying a refrigerator a confusing, but exciting, prospect. Knowing what to look for can give you much peace of mind.

Who really wants to contribute to our growing landfills? There are things we toss away everyday that make up the bulk of our trash and they don’t even belong in our garbage bins. Here are my Top 7 ways to be less trashy so you can get started today.

1) RECYCLE ALL PAPERBOARD

Paperboard is the thin cardboard packaging that holds so many of the items we buy – think cereal boxes, packaging for toys and even tissue boxes. Nearly all curbside recycling programs accept paperboard but many won’t accept pizza boxes. Why? That paperboard generally contains greasy food residue that is not good for the recycling process.

2) PAPER IS VALUABLE

Do you recycle all the paper that comes into your home? You know – schoolwork, junk mail, magazines and the like? Remember, all paper is recyclable and that includes coloured paper and those envelopes with the plastic window. The general rule for paper is that if it’s free of food waste, it can be recycled.

3) DON’T WASTE THE LEFTOVERS

It might shock you to find out that a third of what goes in our trash bags is food. Instead of letting it go to rot in a landfill, consider composting it instead.

4) GIVE ELECTRONICS A SECOND LIFE

E-waste is the fastest growing disposal problem in this country. Electronics contain heavy metals that are both dangerous and valuable. For where in the CRD to drop off old electronics, visit return-it.ca/electronics/locations/ capital-regional-district/. Many businesses will take in old electronics when you buy new.

5) REUSE, REUSE, REUSE

Don’t trash what you can reuse. Whether you turn baby-food jars into paint containers, milk cartons into bird feeders, or this year’s holiday cards into next year’s gift tags – there are plenty of ways to get creative with things that might ordinarily wind up in the trash. This goes for sporting equipment, too. There are loads of thrift shops that accept donations of gently used or worn items.

6) WHAT ARE YOU (NOT) WEARING?

Well-cared-for clothes hold a lot of value and can be sold to others through consignment shops or online sites such as eBay. If you’re looking to donate them, consider the Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores, the WIN stores or Dress for Success programs. Clothes that are worn or torn but not contaminated with chemicals, can be recycled as mixed textiles.

7) DON’T SHOP FOR TRASH

Think twice before buying items such as paper plates, bottles of water or food in individual serving sizes. There are less trashy options such as renting or borrowing extra party supplies, buying in bulk and using reusable containers. That way, those items don’t spend decades waiting to decompose in our landfills.