Thursday 27 November 2014

Holiday Train returns to Woodstock again on Dec 1

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

He’s making a list and checking it twice, and for the second year in a row the CP (Canadian Pacific railway) (Santa Claus) Holiday Train will be making a stop in Woodstock – Monday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 pm at the Canadian Pacific station yard at the corner of Winniett Street and Ingersoll Avenue, which is essentially behind Holy Family French Immersion School. 
Get there early ! 


When you attend with your family, be prepared to bring non-perishable food items or a monetary donation for The Salvation Army of Woodstock. All local donations on this Santa trek stay local. The Salvation Army also suggests bringing daily-use items such as toothpaste.
I took my children to the seasonal show last December. I call it a Christmas show as one of the train cars will open up and a stage with a band will appear to sing Christmas carols. I have included a link to the story published in The Sentinel-Review as the local police will be closing three intersections that day around 5 p.m. for safety. Last year, there was a very large crowd, so plan on arriving early to be standing along the caution tape (front row) line. 
From The Sentinel-Review:
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The purpose of the holiday train is to raise money for local food banks and last year CP Rail made a donation of $4,500 to the Woodstock Salvation Army.
That money is used to help local families with Christmas hampers, buying gifts for the angel tree, stocking shelves at the food bank throughout the year and other programs.
Vanessa Giuliano, director of community and family services with the Salvation Army in Woodstock, said she always looks forward to the holiday train’s arrival.
In 2013 they collected 3,800 pounds of food and a further $600 donation from local residents.
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A CP spokesperson notes that since 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised close to $9.5 million and 3.3-million pounds of food for local food banks along the route.
Immediately after its stop in Woodstock, the train departs for a London stop at the tracks on Richmond Street. 
LINK: http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2014/11/26/safety-first-as-holiday-train-chugs-into-town

Mark Schadenberg
Sales Representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Call me anytime: (519 537-1553
Twitter: markroyallepage

Saturday 22 November 2014

Important research dollars to continue studying heart disease

Rogers foundation donates $130 million to heart research

By Mark Schadenberg

Medical research is very necessary and very expensive – that is a given fact, but since one family (or company) has given a significant monetary donation to a cause, so many more research projects can be funded.
Renowned businessman Ted Rogers died from a heart condition in 2008. He was the man behind the gigantic corporation Rogers Communications, which includes cell phones, fibre-optic high speed internet, high definition cable television, TV stations, important community (access) television, radio stations (CHFI in Toronto was is believed to be first stereo FM station), magazines (Today's Parent and Maclean's, etc) and other publications, Toronto Blue Jays baseball, Rogers Centre stadium, and so much more. In massive companies there is always ups and downs, but about the only venture likely not to succeed in the Rogers conglomerate was Toronto’s arena football team.
This past week, the Rogers family donated $130 million to heart research. Read many of the links below for even more background, but this sum of money will be combined with the time, facilities (labs, etc), knowledge and dollars of the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, the University Health Network, and the University of Toronto to create the Ted Rogers Centre For Heart Research. 
There are alarming stats about heart health in Canada. For example, according to www.tedrogersresearch.ca, one in five over the age of 40 are at risk to developing a serious heart condition, and 50,000 new cases each year of heart failure are diagnosed in Canada.
I’m part of those numbers as my Dad died of a heart attack when he was just 52.
WOODSTOCK
It is interesting to note that one of the key large-scale donations received to assist in building Woodstock’s new hospital was $1 million from Ted Rogers in the fall of 2008. Later that same year – Ted Rogers passed away. The Rogers family made that significant contribution because Ted’s mom Velma grew up in Woodstock. There are two internet stories attached below on that topic.
RESEARCH
The press conference on Thursday, Nov. 20 not only unveiled how this funding system will work, but also introduced the website, and described some of the already important clinical studies on-going in both heart disease and stroke prevention. I liked the following online quote:
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We will push the boundaries of scientific discovery, through innovation and unprecedented collaboration to address and eradicate the significant heart health issues that endanger the lives of children and adults today.
We will challenge the next generation of heart specialists and health technology innovators to think beyond what is possible today to set a new landscape for heart health in Canada and around the world.
We will bring hope through exceptional clinical care drive by world-leading research that will build a new future each and every day and change lives forever.


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Also in the past, the Rogers family has made significant donations to both Ryerson and the University of Toronto to improve educational facilities in broadcasting, engineering and business.
Consultant and business journalist Robert Brehl assisted in writing the Ted Rogers autobiography titled Relentless: The True Story of the Man Behind Rogers Communications, which was also released in late 2008.
As a part-time broadcaster for Rogers TV on London Knights games, I'm proud to be a Rogers employee.
 

 
 
LINKS:

Mark Schadenberg, sales rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553

Add this Winchester side split to your shopping list

Imagine the convenience of living across the street from your children's school

By Mark Schadenberg

149 Winchester St, Woodstock
MLS: 74191
Asking $224,500
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, Nov 23, 2-4.

Families most certainly want to live near schools, parks and shopping, and always desire a home on a quiet street, which is hopefully relatively near shopping too.
Check out this 4-bedroom 4-level back split ! Your search is over.
Two Schools
In Woodstock, there is just one public-board French immersion school, and it's found about three blocks from 149 Winchester. The Roch Carrier school is K-8.
If your children are to attend a K-8 school, Winchester Street (go figure ?) Public School is even closer – across the street. The Winchester school also features a gigantic schoolyard for kids, many recent renovations and an addition to create a terrific education facility.
The front of the house creates both privacy and shade.

 


The Winchester side split features several amenities for your family, including an eat-in kitchen with a peninsula (new countertops) and newer patio doors to a large wood deck. The current owners installed the patio door where a window once existed and built the 20' x 18' deck. The gazebo and its awnings would also stay with the home. The fridge would certainly be included, but the high-end stove can be negotiable.
 
 
The hardwood flooring in the front living room and in the three upstairs bedrooms was refinished also by the present owners.
The main bathroom is a nice selling feature with its jetted tub, light in the tub's ceiling, along with newer flooring and newer vanity.
Another important improvement is the lower recroom which was taken back to the original foundation and then re-insulated and new drywall installed. The lower 2pc bathroom is also updated. Also, as the home once had a hair salon by the back door, the fourth bedroom still has plumbing in the walls which could be used to create your indoor spa, or one of many work-at-home uses.
The lowest level includes the mechanicals such as the forced air gas furnace, but also includes the laundry and a ton of storage space with steel shelving that will stay with the home. You could build another recroom here as well since a steel I-beam creates open space.
Other highlights include a security system, many newer windows and a second driveway thanks to a sidewalk cut-out off Warwick Street. The lot has 82 feet of frontage with unique lot dimensions (see below).

 

 
 



 
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Monday 17 November 2014

Conrad Black lists a building lot for $7.2 million

Bridle Path area in Toronto is exclusive and opulent 
By Mark Schadenberg
Sometimes real estate terms are over-used such as unique, one-of-a-kind, opulent, spectacular or perhaps even the 'best-of-the-best' property.
What happens, therefore, when the best building lot in Toronto does become available? No matter the asking price, the value could be apparent as market value truly is defined as what someone is willing to pay for a parcel of land.
Currently, famed Canadian businessman Conrad Blank has listed a lot in his neighbourhood and it adjoins his private residence.
Black always seems to be in the limelight, including a current media book tour to promote his latest called: “Rise to Greatness: The History of Canada from the Vikings to the Present.” His history prose takes the reader back to the days of Samuel deChamplain and up to present time.


Globe And Mail photo
Black, who was born in Montreal and is now 71, was convicted of fraud in the U.S. back in 2007 and served more than three years in prison.
Besides his other ventures, Black has worked on severing off 2.8 acres from his Bridle Path property in Toronto. He will certainly retain the remaining 6.5 acres (approximately) and his Georgian-style mansion there.
Still known also as Baron Black of Crossharbour thanks to his position in Britain's House Of Lords (non-affiliated member), the Conrad Black 'building lot' property on Park Lane Circle is listed for a mere $7.2 million.
If you wander through www.realtor.ca in the GTA, you will quickly see several stunning (I think it's a correct description) homes, including three links I've included below in this Bridle Path enclave (another word I don't like). Recently, according to the Toronto Star story also attached here, one Bridle Path (Just south of the 401, and east off Bayview Avenue, but west of the 404 – or Don Valley Parkway) home sold recently for over $14 million.
A listing at 46 Park Lane Circle has an asking price of $16.9 million. I read the listing and the amenities are staggering, for this French chateau style 2-storey including 10 bathrooms, an 8-car garage, and found on a 4-acre lot with a ravine setting.
Everything is relative when analyzing GTA real estate and its buyers and sellers.
You must remember, at one time about 20 years ago, Black had controlling interest (Hollinger International) in over 400 publications.

LINKS:


REALTOR.CA

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Friday 14 November 2014

Many methods to spruce up a kitchen or bath

Bathroom and kitchen renovation ideas
By Mark Schadenberg

Kitchen and bathroom renovations will certainly increase the value of your home.
Dated bathrooms, for example, begin to appear un-hygenic as tiles crack and permanent stains appear in the tub. Also, wood rot and mold could be found behind these fixtures.
Lots of companies exist that will assist you in sprucing up these important rooms at a lower cost than what you think you need to budget.

COUNTERS & CUPBOARDS
An Ingersoll company called Granite Xpressions bills itself as an improvement creator using the two mottos: Revived Interiors and Don’t Replace It – Reface It !
Check out www.revivedinteriors.com. Shelley Essery is the person I spoke with and she talked about improving tiling and backsplashes, but most importantly re-facing kitchen cupboards, and your dated and overly-used aged countertops.
The interesting angle to their kitchen cupboards project is that they remove the cabinet doors and bring them off-site to sand and re-paint. With the addition of new hinges and handles, you have an esthetically-pleasing upgrade.
Contact Granite Xpressions at (226) 377-1333 for a quote on all their specialty work, including reviving wall tile and making your old counters like new with a new finish to add another generation of wear-and-tear, plus update the look to today’s style.
The company also delves into interior design, including what I always call knick knacks.
The website explains the kitchen counter improvement process, this way:
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We offer a wide range of granite look finishes to choose from, all for a fraction of replacement cost. Our coatings are applied directly over your existing material, which means no costly tear-out or plumber required nor do you need to worry about reinforcing your existing cupboards to accommodate a new heavier surface.
The material used is extremely durable. The stone finish is scratch resistant, stain resistant and heat resistant to 500 degrees.
All work performed by GraniteXpressions comes with a 2-year written warranty on materials and workmanship.
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Bottom line is that I relish the ideas surrounding recycling – reducing, reusing, rejuvenating and reviving. Another word is diverting as you are not sending more old building materials to the landfill.

 

 

 
BATH TUB
I also like the idea of a quick refurbishing of a bath tub by installing another tub around it or over the existing one. The only time it’s not a great idea is if you have mobility issues and then replacing your tub with an entry-level unit would be best.
If you watch TV – and who doesn’t – you have likely seen the Bath Fitter (Dial: 519 652-2222; www.bathfitterlondon.com or email at London@bathfitter.net, or visit the showroom at 150 Exeter Road with more than 20 displays) commercials starring the London pair of Carolyn and Matt.  They say your reno could be completed in under 24 hours.
It’s a versatile system with various tub designs, and tub surrounds as a possibility to select from. Adding a tub surround with safety bars and a shelf for your shampoo can make life easier.
The Bath Fitter website has a ton of details about renovations and assistance on how you can re-design your own bathroom. Lots of advice from Matt and Carolyn:
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Visit our BATH FITTER showroom, and see why BATH FITTER is your top source for tub surrounds, shower conversions, shower enclosures, and other bathroom remodeling solutions installed in as little as one day. Discover inspiring bathroom designs and start transforming your bathroom today!

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The company Bath Fitter does not hold the monopoly or secret formula on these systems, but obviously they do an extensive amount of marketing to make it appear they are industry leaders in southern Ontario.
You can certainly checkout www.bathmaster.com as well as they have offices in London and Kitchener. For London, Jeff Monk is the contact at 519 681-8822. Bath Master is also your quick call if your desire is to save the nostalgia tub or a clawfoot model you currently have and have chosen to re-glaze the finish.
If your plan is to sell within the next couple of years, both of these cost-effect renovation ideas should be important for you to consider.
 
LINKS:


Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Wednesday 12 November 2014

A sleigh, several reindeer and thousands of children

Three Santa parades in one day in Oxford County
If the reindeer work for all-you-can eat carrots, and Santa has an appetite only for milk and cookies, this Saturday (Nov 15) it should be easy to satisfy the stars of three Santa Claus Parades in Oxford.
Ingersoll will host its parade (see map) at 11 a.m. The Ingersoll Pipe Band are among a few entries participating in all three parades.


Tillsonburg (another map) Kiwanis parade is next at 2 p.m. You may read more about the Tillsonburg event online (http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2014/11/06/tillsonburg-kiwanis-santa-claus-parade---saturday-nov-15) but their Santa welcoming party includes guests Olaf and Elsa from the famed Disney cartoon movie Frozen. The town and its business improvement area (downtown BIA) are sponsors along with the Knights Of Columbus service group.


Woodstock's annual night-time parade to welcome in the holiday / festive season begins at 6. In Woodstock, the parade starts at the fairgrounds on Nellis Street, but it's just one block north of the main Dundas Street, so the parade route is essentially westward on Dundas from MacKenzie Street to VanSittart Avenue, and then along VanSittart to Drew Street.
The Lions Club of Woodstock is among the volunteer crew by setting up the staging of the floats, school entries, and Shriner cars (etc.) around the racetrack oval at the fairgrounds. I should know this, as on a few occasion as a Lions member I have assisted in telling participants where their particular group was assigned. Lots of sponsors plan the Woodstock parade, and donate time and money, so check out the poster below as you can't have a parade without Spicer's Towing, Anderson Pontiac, and corporate friends like Vuteq, Boshuko, and Toyota.
As of writing this prose (on Nov. 12), organizers of the Woodstock caravan of boats, dancing schools, baton twirlers, and bands still required a few more volunteers to collect the donated non-perishable food items along the parade. (See: www.woodstocksantaparade.ca). Contact them if you can be of assistance.
Kids of all ages love Santa, and all children in Oxford will seemingly get an opportunity to see the jolly old man on Saturday, and if you like an adventure and a parade why not attend all three.


I love Oxford County !!
Call me if you want to buy a home in Oxford !
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Trilnd
(519) 537-1553
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Johnny Bower lied about his age to serve his country

More than 70 NHL players were both hockey veterans and war veterans
By Mark Schadenberg
Famed NHL goalie Johnny Bower told officials he was old enough to participate and that his birth certificate was destroyed in a house fire.
Bower was not talking about signing a contract to play pro hockey.


The Hockey Hall of Fame netminder, who played up to the 69-70 season for the Maple Leafs, recently turned 90 and is a Second World War veteran. As one of three Leafs honoured with a statue outside Air Canada Centre in Legends Row, Bower was a goalie with the last Stanley Cup champion Leafs in 1967 – a team which also featured heralded puck stopper Terry Sawchuk, along with Red Kelly, Bob Pulford, George Armstrong, Dave Keon, Bob Baun, Frank Mahovlich, Ron Ellis, Allan Stanley, Eddie Shack and Tim Horton.
Red Kelly volunteered in 1954 to join a visit of Canadian troops in the Korean War.
Kelly and Bower were both in attendance at the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto earlier this month during the official opening of an exhibit called: ‘Hockey Marching As To War’.
The new display recognizes hockey’s connection to international conflicts and the role played by many NHL players – Canadian and American.
The First World War began 100 years ago, so the HHOF commeroration is timely.
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"It's been 100 years since the start of the Great War. Many Canadians from across this great land gave the ultimate sacrifice, and hockey players were no different. Partnering with Library and Archives Canada, the Hockey Hall of Fame pays tribute to all of those involved in the great game of hockey and who also served their country with this special exhibit on hockey during wartime." Phil Pritchard - Hockey Hall of Fame Vice President and Curator, in the HHOF website.
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Hall Of Fame members who also served in the military in some capacity currently have a red ribbon attached to their plaque.
For junior hockey fans, the Memorial Cup is on display as well as it was created in 1918 to honour those who died in the First World War. The OHL’s Red Tilson trophy for most outstanding player is named after an Oshawa Generals hockey star who died in the Second World War.
Other noteworthy pro hockey players who also served in the military include Conn Smythe (pictured below), Syl Apps, Punch Imlach, Frank McGee, Frank Selke,  Sid Abel, Bobby Bauer, Max Bentley, Turk Broda, Roy Conacher, Hap Day, Doug Harvey, Tommy Ivan, Harry Watson, Kitchener’s Milt Schmidt, plus American Hobey Baker (Top NCAA player annually receives the Hobey Baker award)
Bower is the first in videos posted online in links below – to note how many more could have played in the NHL if not dying overseas serving their country. Even with that in mind, 40 NHL players served in the First World War and 31 in the Second World War, according to theHHOF.  


LINKS:


Sunday 9 November 2014

Stats for two area Realtors' boards announced

Sales numbers for real estate impressive in October
By Mark Schadenberg

Now that the municipal elections are over, the streetscape can again be dominated by real estate lawn signs.
The signs are there for a continued strong autumn in sales in southern Ontario, especially reported numbers both east and west of Woodstock – the London & St Thomas (LSTAR) market and the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
In the LSTAR zone, Realtors had the best October in seven years. It would follow I would guess, based on the on-going impressive numbers that the market is leaning to favour sellers over buyers. Usually a high number of sales is mirrored by a low 'days on market' stat as properly priced homes in good locations often sell rapidly.
It's the stale listings – more often than not – that end up selling for less than the vendor was expecting.
Consumer confidence is strong, and let's remember when a house sells, the next items purchased are paint, furniture, light fixtures, appliances, floor coverings and lawn mowers. Lots of economic indicators are pushed upward by a strong real estate sector.
In the LSTAR area, total sales for 10 months in 2014 are 7,474 – up 7.6% over 2013. Wow! The last six months have all been higher in sales versus 2013.
May            988     +5.0%
June            981     +23.4
July             980     +24.4
August        791     +13.5
September  682      +11.0
October      698      +8.4
 
LONDON
On-going low interest rates are key to people picking up home keys at a lawyer's office. For buyers worrying about a lack of inventory of homes to view, a balanced market continues somewhat (not really a contradiction by me) as the LSTAR region had an increase in listings in October of 8.1% when compared to October of 2013.
Keep in mind, these are LSTAR stats and the Woodstock-Ingersoll final tally for October has not been tabulated by the abacus at the board office at Springbank Avenue North.
Also included here is a link to the K-W sales table, which displays that the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors recorded 563 sales last month, up from 481 in October 2013.

LINKS:
 

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
 

Guildcrest & Viceroy homes promoted at Woodstock sales office

Comfort Homes delivers by building homes off-site
By Mark Schadenberg

It's seems simply too logical not to be a great idea.
Find a piece of property, pour a foundation, prepare all other services you may need including electrical and sewer hookup, and then bring in the already-built house.
You can buy a modest brand new house for under $120,000 and have it transported to your destination. The cost of the house itself can be under $90.00 per square foot.
There is a company (dealership) in Woodstock doing just that and very successfully actually as they have a geographical area and franchise agreement with three builders of large modular homes, including the well-known Viceroy brand based in Port Hope, along with Guildcrest (Moorewood, Ontario). The Viceroy houses would essentially be built on site, while Comfort Homes models (interior picture and specs page here) are built in a factory and then transported.


Contact Comfort Homes at 1-888-600-9336 or (519) 533-0855, or better yet visit their site at 560 Athlone Avenue in Woodstock where they currently have both a permanent Viceroy and 'sample model' Comfort Home on display. The brand new – it arrived less than three weeks ago – Pondstone model is 1524 square feet and quite a functional and impressive ranch-style house. While it is vinyl-sided, the home features a large eat-in kitchen, 3 bedrooms, a luxury ensuite to the master bedroom (walk-in closet too), vaulted ceilings, plywood roof sheathing, high efficiency gas furnace, high-end carpet, and could include more specific upgrades such as a gas fireplace.
When discussing the 20 or more building plans available with Woodstock office owner/manager Ted Rumsey, it quickly became apparent that Woodstock's location is ideal for this 'showroom' as it is visible from the 401 and is just a short drive to the 401 / 403 crossroads. Woodstock is also about mid-way between southern Ontario cottage destinations such as Grand Bend on Lake Huron or southward to Lake Erie. Oxford County is also the bullseye on the target as many in the agricultural business are either replacing old farm houses with a modern residence or adding a secondary home on an existing farm for a second generation family member living nearby.  
Their traffic area or geographical area in which automobiles arrive in Woodstock includes northward to Collingwood, so the local office is also attracting visitors to Oxford.
You too should plan on stopping by two visit the unique homes, as hours are: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
 
 
 
Weather alone can be a reason to select Comfort Homes as your home builder as Rumsey noted in an earlier London Free Press article, but there are additional reasons to consider.
The advantage of factory-built is obviously speed. You can have things done on site simultaneously to in the factory. There are no weather delays. We don’t have to worry about snow in the factory.
We work with the customer on finishing the inside. It’s one-stop shopping. They don’t have to go around to different kitchen and flooring places.”
 
Viceroy home photo here:





Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination