I might need winter tires

The tires on my car are about 3 years old, and by all reports I have seen or even heard on talk radio about winter driving safety, I believe I may need winter tires. What to do?
The biggest news to me is that once it gets below 7C regular year-round tires become less effective. Therefore, a decision to install winter tires is based as much on temperature as it is snowfall.
Here's a story I borrowed from Yahoo!

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Do you need winter tires?

- Jeff Voth

  

“Tis the season to be jolly”, or so claims the famous Christmas song we know and enjoy at this time of year. But does this hold true when it comes to driving our vehicles as temperatures drop, snow starts to fall and winter shovels replace garden rakes at the side of the shed? 

With each change of season comes the need to adjust our driving habits and the equipment found on our vehicles. Although all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles offer greater traction and all-weather drivability in general, they can be just as hazardous as any other vehicle when equipped with all-season or "M + S" tires in the winter.

All-season tires are designed to perform best when the temperature exceeds 7°C. Below this, they become hard and begin to lose grip. Winter tires are specifically designed to remain flexible in cold weather. Plus, their deeper tread pattern acts as a shovel to clear away snow and water from the tire as it rotates. With more rubber exposed to the road surface, traction improves dramatically when compared to all-season tires.

The hard part is, however, investing in winter tires can be very expensive. In fact, a full set of four “snow” tires (it is never recommended to use only 2 winter tires even on a front-wheel drive vehicle), will easily cost upwards of $600.00, plus fees for mounting and a set of seasonal steel rims. Should you spend the extra money? In general, yes.

Let’s say, for example, you drive back and forth from the country or suburban areas to the city each day for work, plus spend time taking the kids to the arena and running a few errands. If this is your typical winter day of driving, snow tires are definitely worth the investment.

On the other hand, should you live in a major city with easy access to mass transit once the snow starts to fly, the added expense of winter tires may not be worth the investment. Traction will certainly improve on your vehicle, but your money may be better spent taking the bus or subway and letting someone else do the winter driving instead of you.

To better test the theory of winter tires, we contacted Continental Tires of Canada this past winter and asked them to supply two different sets of winter tires for long term evaluation. The late model test mules used in our evaluation represented everyday vehicles, typical of what many Canadians drive.  

The first was a set of 215/55R16 Altimax Arctic tires from General Tire.  Designed to aid in cold weather driving, key features and benefits included the following:

Features:
-    Multi-Angle Sipe System
-    Directional Pattern with Center Stability Rib
-    Reactive Contour Technology (RCT)
-    All-Weather Dual Tread Compound

Benefits:
-    270 degrees of sipes with biting edges that enhance traction in any direction of travel.
-    Water evacuation is amplified and straight-line stability is improved.
-    Contour reacts to different road conditions to maintain optimum contact with road surface throughout the life of the tire.
-    Exceptional cold-weather flexibility and excellent wet traction.
The second set we tested over the winter of 2010-2011 was the top-of-the-line 195/65R15 ExtremeWinterContact Continental Tires. Designed to look and perform at the highest level, features and benefits included the following:

Features:
-    Compact outside tread with elevated lateral grooves
-    Inclined longitudinal grooves
-    Maximum void and grip edges in center contact patch with traction ridges in grooves
-    High sipe density. Highly flexible compound

Benefits:
-    Improved dry handling
-    Swift removal of water
-    Excellent traction and braking on snow
-    Reduced braking distance

Over the course of a five month period, we drove both sets of tires on city and country roads, in blinding snowstorms and on clear days when it was simply too cold for mere mortal man to enjoy. We also spent time driving when the weather was clear, above freezing and, for the most part, favourable.
Both sets of tires performed flawlessly, providing superior contact with the road in every case when compared to equally new, all-season tires. This should hold true for any competitive tire of equal value and age to the Continental tires we tested. Why? Simply put, winter tires are specifically designed to work best when the weather turns cold and all-season tires are optimized for warm weather driving. 
Winter driving is a fact of life in Canada. That doesn’t mean we always have to enjoy it when the weather outside turns frightful. But, with the right set of winter tires, it may be somewhat less intimidating and potentially a little fun. Spring is still a long ways off. Put on some “snows” and have a safe driving winter.

Time Management Time With Fellow Realtors

Thursdays With Melanie & Company
In the real estate world -- just like any sales and marketing career -- there are seminars to attend, referral networks to maintain, and countless personal planning sessions offered.
At last week's Trilanders think-tank, a group of Royal LePage Realtors gathered to remind ourselves of what we already know, but need to keep top-of-mind. Time management skills can be nurtured and then ignored, perfected and then not always relied upon.
At the end of the day, a Realtor must be structured, but then the phone rings and I run.
Name dropping all those in attendance last week: Melanie Pearce, Peggy Stewart, Dianne Hanbidge, Kelley McIntyre, Nicole McKenzie, and Hazel Sinclair, we all realized that agents need a game plan and these defined -- but individual -- guidelines should be adhered to. In other words, what works for me, might not be a successful playbook item for someone else.
The common thread, however, surrounds being organized and structured. One person said they actually turn off their computer (email and social media access) and cell phone for about four hours midweek to literally break down everything on their schedule and set priorities. They 'block' this time.
One of the main reasons to have effective systems in place is that when you're busy, you're in theory still finding time to find new business -- prospecting.
I have a program called Top Producer, which I use extensively, and it's more than just a database of names, addresses and phone numbers. This so-called alphabetical 'sphere of influence' includes contacts from my years as sports editor of The Sentinel-Review, friends from the Lions Club and Cancer Society's Relay For Life, the city's recreation advisory committee, my past involvement with the local sports celebrity dinner, past clients, and hopeful future clients. It sounds cliche that it's a fluid list, but right now when I'm preparing to deliver or mail 2012 client calendars, I spend a lot of time with address labels.
Back on topic here, when the job description of a Realtor is looked at, it includes many roles: marketing expert, statistician, internet analyst, writer and researcher, desktop publisher, amateur inspector (hire a pro when you sign a conditional offer), communicator, negotiator and photographer. The interesting connection with a camera is usually the agents who can take the best pictures themselves therefore know the importance of depicting a property, especially online, so they usually also go the extra mile to hire a pro with a tri-pod and software to create a virtual tour. If you're thinking of hiring your 'friend' the Realtor to sell your house, look at their listings on www.Realtor.ca to determine if that person should be interviewed for the job.
Getting back to Thursdays With Melanie (You've heard of Tuesdays With Morrie), one rep discussed how she colour-coded her lists of email connections -- clients, lawyers, inspectors, mortgage reps, other agents, etc. Another good idea was to set the time of day that your emails are sent out, and what type of drip marketing materials are available through the company's local and national internal websites.
The bottom line, when you're self employed or an independent contractor -- and I am (I get paid solely on my own sales) -- it's easy to convince yourself that you're busy. As I type this, the Leafs are playing on the tube, but I hardly realize they have scored a pair to even up the score by late in the third period. I will, however, take a break and watch the overtime.
By the way, if you would like to receive a 2012 desk calendar from me, simply email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
If you're thinking of selling or buying in the near future, call me today at (519) 537-1553. If you want to explore another city for a possible move, call me first as I have many 'network' Realtors.
Since I haven't perfected my time management, I will now finish spell-checking, then walk away from my keyboard and get back to those address stickers.

Max Domi will likely be dominate in OHL

If you read Canadian Press sports stories a lot, or maybe stumbled upon a feature about Max Domi of the London Knights on tsn.ca, Metro papers or Yahoo Sports!, what you might not realize is that as a freelancer I was the writer.
Anyway, here's the version I submitted. As per usual, CP did a good job of editing -- shifting some sentences and improving flow.

Max Domi destined for pro hockey career
Mark Schadenberg
LONDON -- Ignore the name on the back of the jersey -- simply watch and admire his game.
Max Domi is a remarkable talent -- possibly the top future-pro prospect among all 1995 players in the Ontario Hockey League. The London Knights centre leads all rookies with eight goals, including 19 points and just 16 penalty minutes in 18 games, and displays a rare combination of composure, creativity and vision.
Domi has the ability to back-check inside his own zone, start an offensive rush, stop on a dime and click with an accurate pass to a teammate. The OHL leader in plus/minus is London defenceman Scott Harrington at +18. Max Domi is +14, to simply confirm that his hockey sense is beyond his years, and depicts why NHL scouts looking at the horizon to the 2013 draft, look closely at Tie Domi's son.
Tie Domi played 16 years in the NHL and is third all-time in penalty minutes. Max's coach Dale Hunter, meanwhile, is second all-time on that same list.
While Max certainly demonstrates a tenacious effort -- his future is all about displaying a flair for offence and becoming a complete player in all three zones.
"I like to try to play in my own zone first and work from there -- play from 'D' side and then out," says Max. "I also try to play a little physical. I find that I've had my most success in the offensive zone when passing the puck."
A grad of the Don Mills Flyers AAA program, Max Domi paced Don Mills to a GTHL (Greater Toronto league) title last year and then second place at the OHL Cup season-ending tourney. Under head coach Bob Marshall, the Flyers (blueliners Darnell Nurse in Sault Ste. Marie and Adam Bateman in Windsor are also Flyers grads and first-round OHL draftees) would win 60 of 74 games.
"Max has outstanding offensive skills and instincts," says Marshall. "I think what gets lost with all his offensive abilities is how sound he is defensively and how hard he has worked to learn and continue to learn how to play in his own end and without the puck. Some kids are gifted and they just take it for granted and get by on that, but Max is one of the hardest working kids I have been around in practice and in his off ice training.
"I think that's what will seperate him from the pack," added Marshall.
When talking about his own abilities, Max Domi is quick to be modest and deflect instead to team goals.
"He is a very polite well-mannered kid," continued Marshall. "He makes everyone around him feel welcome and important."
After Don Mills, Max Domi was drafted eighth overall by the Kingston Frontenacs at last May's OHL priority selection, but opted not to report to the club operated by two of Tie's former teammates in Toronto -- general manager Doug Gilmour and coach Todd Gill. On Aug. 30 as league training camps began, Kingston would trade Max's rights to the Knights for what amounts to three future second-round picks.
Elite hockey is certainly a year-round pursuit. Working with skating coach Darryl Belfry this past summer, Max Domi feels he made a lot of progress in preparing for a 68-game OHL schedule. If a golf coach can dissect a swing, Belfry could be described as a skating analyst.
"(Darryl) works a lot with video. He'll take a look at my stride -- cross-overs and my shooting stride -- and he will break it down," described Domi. "This summer I was working on my cross-overs a lot. I had a choppy cross-over. I've had three other skating coaches in the past that couldn't crack the code in improving my cross-overs."
Listed at a somewhat generous 5'10" in the Knights program, Max Domi is a skilled forward, and not the agitating player his dad was with the original Winnipeg Jets, Rangers and Maple Leafs.
"I like to pass and make the guys around me better," said Domi. "Since I was very young, I've always liked to pass. My dad used to get mad at me for passing too much.
"It's a natural instinct for me to pass and not shoot on a two-on-one."
In his first OHL regular season game, Max Domi had no problem shooting, recording a hat trick in an 8-0 win over Saginaw on Sept. 23.
Knights first-year assistant coach Dylan Hunter knows all about the difficulty in following a famous parent. Dylan, who won a Memorial Cup with the Knights in 2005, is Dale Hunter's son and another hockey mind who is impressed with the young Domi.
"Max has exemplary skills. He is a very powerful skater with a strong stride, and for his age he's very hard to knock off the puck," said Dylan Hunter. "He's a tremendous athlete, who passes the puck hard -- he doesn't chip it forward to his teammates, he wires it."
Domi and London teammate Bo Horvat both were members of Team Ontario Under-16 at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax. Both are now hoping to have their names announced in the next week or so for the Ontario Under-17 entry at the World Hockey Challenge, set for Windsor, Dec 29 - Jan 4.
Under coach Dale Hunter's systems, Max plays mostly at centre, but is also taking a few shifts on the wing. Hunter doesn't believe in lines set in stone, and at the same time Max says he enjoys learning some different concepts.
"I'm practising a lot lately at centre and the wing," says Max. "It's fun to learn both positions."
Max maintains his high-level of activity despite a requirement to monitor a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes, which is an ailment he has in common with teammate and Bruins prospect Jared Knight. While Tie wore jersey 28 and Max's hero Mats Sundin was No. 13, Tie selected 16 to recognize Bobby Clarke and the extensive NHL career compiled by the former Philadelphia captain who was a NHL star despite diabetes.
The Knights have completed more than a quarter of the schedule and not only reside in top spot in the league at 15-2-1, but have been ranked No 1 four consecutive weeks in the CHL.
London appears to be a good mix of veteran forwards like Knight, Tampa draftee Vladislav Namestnikov, plus Seth Griffith and Dane Fox, along with a tremendous trio of sophomores in twins Matt and Ryan Rupert, along with Andreas Athanasiou. The blueline is likewise formidable with Montreal-signed tower and first-rounder Jarred Tinordi, and Pittsburgh pick Harrington.
Maybe it's the surname recognition or the obvious immense potential, but Max Domi appears to have all the tools. With dad Tie now a regular at Knights home games, Max doesn't have far to look for inspiration.
"I've never seen anyone with as much heart and work ethic as my dad had in the NHL. He played many many years in the NHL and has shown me with his intensity what it takes to be a professional athlete, and he's always there for me if I have a question to ask," said Max.
The younger Domi wants to follow the likes of Corey Perry, Patrick Kane, Dave Bolland, Sam Gagner, John Carlson and Brandon Prust -- from London to the NHL.
"He's an elite player," adds Knights assistant GM Misha Donskov. "He's a great kid and a character player. He has vision on the ice and impresses everyone with the hard passes right on the tape."

PM Meighen's homestead doesn't sell in auction

To follow up on an item in my November Newsletter, the childhood home of former Prime Minister Arthur Meighen did not sell on auction on Oct. 28.

Arthur Meighen house fails to sell

Auction was held Oct 29.

Tristan Hopper, NATIONAL POST

Former prime minister Arthur Meighen’s statue was deemed too ugly for Parliament Hill, his portrait was nailed up in the House of Commons without a dedication ceremony and now nobody seems to want to buy his childhood home.

In a Saturday auction, the three-bedroom house in Anderson, 40 kilometres north of London, Ont., failed to attract any bid higher than $372,000 — well below the reserve.

“We had a lot of people going through the house, but when push came to shove bidders just didn’t come through,” said Brent Shackleton, the home’s auctioneer. “To be honest, it was simply a lot of curious people.”

Meighen’s old school in nearby St. Mary’s, Ont., also did not sell after going under the gavel last week.

Canada’s ninth prime minister lived in the former farmhouse for the first 12 years of his life.

“When we bought the house we didn’t even know he was the Prime Minister of Canada,” says owner Fred Lewis, who purchased the house in 1985 with his wife Joanne.

“My wife just saw it and fell in love with it.”

After she died in 2009, he decided to sell.

The 1840s-era fieldstone house, which has a library and a detached carriage house, is located on 3.3 acres of herb gardens and orchards. It was badly in need of repairs when they moved in, but Mr. Lewis carefully restored the property to his wife’s specifications.

“I can’t just give the house away,” he said.

“Money’s not the most important thing in the world, but I worked so hard and spent a fortune.”

Nevertheless, “99.9% of people” who toured the house had no intention of buying it, he said. “It was something to do on a Saturday.”

The first prime minister born after Confederation, Meighen had only two brief stints in high office — 15 months in 1920-21 and three months in 1926. He attempted a comeback by running as a Conservative in Toronto in 1942, but was handily beaten by a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate.

Although dubbed one of the greatest debaters to serve in the House of Commons, Meighen’s slim political, record has afforded him few of the usual accolades given to former prime ministers. Books and essays on him are comparatively sparse.

In 1968, federally commissioned sculptors crafted a highly stylized statue of Meighen, but it was ultimately stashed in an Ottawa warehouse out of fear its grotesque appearance would be seen as a criticism of the Conservative leader. In the 1980s, the sculpture was quietly moved to a small park in St. Mary’s.

Meighen’s official House of Commons portrait was scheduled for an official unveiling in the late 1940s, but was cancelled when then-prime Minister Louis St. Laurent called in sick.

National Post
thopper@nationalpost.com

Want to buy a House? Start a RRSP today !

My friends at Dominion Lending Services offer this information on how you could start a RRSP today and withdraw that money after 90 days to assist in purcahsing a home within the next 5 months.
Read on:
Should you use your RRSP’s to purchase a new home?
This type of question goes through the minds of many Canadians who are buying a home. The Home Buyer’s Plan allows qualified home buyers to use up to $25,000 in each of their RRSP’s to purchase a home. In order to qualify for the Home Buyers’ Plan you must be considered a First-Time Home Buyer.

An overview of the Home Buyers’ Plan
You and your spouse/partner can each borrow up to $25,000 each from your RRSPs to purchase a home, as long as the funds are accessible. For example, if you have a "locked-in" RRSP, or if your funds are in a Guaranteed Investment Certificate that does not mature for three years, you may not be able to access your funds. Furthermore, RRSP contributions must remain in the RSP for at least 90 days.
If you are withdrawing funds from your RRSP to purchase a home, you must be registered as one of the owners of the property. Once the funds are withdrawn you must complete your purchase of the home by October 1 <sup>of year following the withdrawal. The home must also be used as your principal residence within one year after buying or building it.
RSP Home Buyers Plan
If you have decided to purchase a home but don’t have a downpayment or perhaps you do have a downpayment but would like to increase your downpayment, or maybe you need to buy furniture and appliances, but you don’t have the cash, then consider using the RSP Homebuyers Plan (HBP). The HBP allows you to withdraw up to $25,000 from your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP’s) to buy a home for yourself, without having to pay income tax.

But I don’t have $25,000 in my RSP!
Take out a homebuyers RRSP Loan!

How does it work?

Your financial institution will lend you $25,000, if you have the contribution room, for 90 days and deposit the $25,000 into an RSP. Under the new rules of the HBP, you can borrow your unused RSP contribution limits to obtain an income tax refund for use as a downpayment on a home. After the 90 days, the bank is repaid by your collapsing the RSP (so your cost is basically 3 months interest).

What good is that? I won’t have a loan, an RSP or money for a downpayment?
True, but you will have an Income Tax Receipt for $25,000 to deduct from your taxable income when you file your tax return this year and depending on your marginal tax rate, this should generate an income tax refund anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 which can help to purchase a home!!

That sounds too good to be true! What’s the catch?
The Government requires you to put this $25,000 back into your RSP but they give you 15 years to do it! If your minimum repayment is not made, then the payment is taxed as income for the year it is due. The repayment of 1/15th of the amount withdrawn must be made by the RRSP contribution deadline of a given year. You must contribute the minimum repayment back to your RRSP each year, but you can also repay the entire amount at any given time. Your repayment period starts the 2nd year following the year the withdrawals were made. However, the repayments are not tax deductible like the original RRSP contributions; and they do not use up the RRSP contribution room.
Deciding whether to use the Home Buyers’ Plan becomes a lifestyle choice. If you are certain that it is the right time to purchase a home, and you have the opportunity to utilize the Home Buyer’s Plan, then it’s perfect.

The good new is, at the end of 15 years, you will have increased your Net Worth and you have a home possibly for less money and at less cost than you would have had by waiting!! This is a great window of opportunity open from now until the RSP deadline for contributions in March!

Further information can be found by visiting the Revenue Canada Website at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-e.html

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us !

Rita Nicholson, 519-636-2946
Leanne Schonberger, 519-532-7084</sup>

Should Prime Location Be Residential?

Battle in GTA for prime locations for condo apartment structures or office towers?
By Susan Pigg | Toronto Star
When Iain Dobson sees another condo or condo-hotel springing up on prime downtown land just steps from the subway, he becomes more convinced than ever that Toronto is risking its own future by trading off jobs for people.
Toronto is reaching a tipping point — a shortage of development-ready land for new office towers at the same time thousands of new financial services jobs are projected for downtown and more companies are looking to return to the city core from the suburbs, says Dobson.
The former commercial brokerage executive and co-author of a report for the Canadian Urban Institute warns that Toronto has allowed construction of so many condo towers on what were meant to be office building sites, there is only enough development-ready land for about 4 million square feet of new office space left in the downtown.
Even the old converted "brick-and-beam" buildings to the west and east of the core, now home to some 18 million square feet of commercial development, are close to being full, says Dobson.
"The area within 500 metres of the subway is prime get yourself to work and back again space and when it gets eaten up by a lot of residential development, you have to wonder where will the new offices go?," says Dobson.
He points to buildings like the 70-storey Trump Tower and 65-storey Shangri-La Hotel, both hotel and condo developments on land once slated for offices. They are among twelve new highrise condos, with 5,707 new units, under construction in the downtown core right now.
One-third of all jobs in the GTA are office jobs, notes the report, The New Geography of Office Location and the Consequences of Business as Usual in the GTA.Thirty years ago, 63 per cent of office space was located in the downtown financial district or directly along subway lines. But so many businesses have flocked to the suburbs, as of 2010, 54 per cent of office space was located in the road-dependent 905 regions.
That dramatic shift, thanks to plentiful land and cheap taxes, not only clogged major roads, it turned the core into a one-horse town dominated by the financial services sector.
"The 416 region has become the bedroom community for the 905 regions," says Dobson.
There is some evidence that’s starting to shift as environmentally conscious companies such as Coke and Telus consolidate suburban operations in the core to ease long commutes and be close to where employees live.
But governments need to do more to ease commercial taxes, integrate transit to growth areas and review land use policies for any developable land within a five-minute walk of subways with a focus on office rather than more condo development.
Commercial Realtors say they are managing to find sufficient office space for companies that are looking. Colliers International says, in fact, a number of financial district tenants are moving into new offices on the Railways Lands, which is freeing up hundreds of thousands of feet of prime space in the financial district.
Realtor Cushman & Wakefield notes that almost 4 million square feet of office space has come on stream downtown since 2009 and 5.2 million more is planned. It estimates that’s enough, given current demand, for about nine more years of growth.

October Newsletter

October Newsletter

Mark Schadenberg

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

Email:

mschadenberg@rogers.com

Site:

www.marksells.ca

www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com

www.royallepagetriland.com www.wesellwoodstock.com

Home Office: (519) 539-4319 Office: 539-2070 Fax: 539-4859
Office On The Go: (519) 537-1553 Or text: 537-1553
You may also find me on
Royal LePage Triland: 757 Dundas St, WoodstockFacebook Twitter (MarkRoyalLePage)
Topics- Local sales numbers depict interesting picture.
- Tale of numbers is same in London
- Want to own a Prime Minister homestead?
- Too many residential condos in some areas of GTA?
- Consider talking to Leanne, a local mortgage expert
- Cami is a productive & busy car plant
- Lots of resources on Internet for home owners/buyers


September Sales Overlook
 Sales numbers for September of 2011 show a small increase over the past 2 years: 116 in 2011, 111 in 2010, and 102 in 2009, in the Woodstock-Ingersoll District real estate board area (WIDREB). Year-to-date numbers for the first 9 months of 2011 are 932 sales, versus 981 in 2010 and only 823 in 2009. Needless to say, a graph of these stats would show that the first half of 2010 was terrific, but numbers are lagging since. It is commonly blamed on the introduction of the HST into real estate fees (lawyers fees, inspections, etc) that drove the market up in early 2010 as consumers wanted to buy before this implementation.
As for September sales over the past 8 years, there is actually quite a show of consistency: 124 in '08, 105 in '07, 102 in '06, 107 in '05, and 111 in '04.
If you're curious why the 2005 total seems somewhat modest as it was the year the Toyota plant was announced, it can be noted that sales in April of 2005 were 175, then way up to 195 in May, and 182 in June of that year
To summarize, year-end sales totals for the past 8 years are as follows:
2010: 1215 2009: 1080
2008: 1176 2007: 1359
2006: 1278 2005: 1473 (correct)
2004: 1366 2003: 1153
The last 3 years have all ended up with final numbers (Avg of 1157 per year) lower than the average of the past 8 years (1263). Is there a built-in demand ready to appear based on those stats -- in all price ranges? You can spin numbers anyway you want, but houses properly priced based on current market conditions are usually the ones selling. These numbers are depicted to dispell rumours that Woodstock and Oxford in general has been thriving since the Toyota announcement to build here in May of 2005. On the flip side, attractive interest rates will keep consumers moving up in the residential world even though the federal government did tighten up rules for mortgages -- including amortization periods and the necessity for a down payment.
As for neighbouring markets, here's a story from the London Free Press last week, which indicates the market to our immediate west is seeing identical trends. Real estate sales surgeBy HANK DANISZEWSKI, October 4
　
After a slow start, the London-St. Thomas real estate market has rebounded this year, with year-to-date sales almost catching up to 2010.
The London-St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) said 702 homes sold in September, up 19.2% over the same month last year. The sales included 589 detached homes and 113 condos.
So far this year, 6,512 homes have sold, slightly below the 6,567 sold in the same period last year.
"We had a bit of a slow start in 2011, but we're definitely on the right track now - and we expect this positive trend to continue," said LSTAR president Jack Lane.
The number of active listings was also up 9% in September.
"We're absolutely in a balanced market these days," said Lane, "which means a level playing field for both buyers and sellers."
The average sale price for a detached home year-to-date now stands at $244,307, 5.3% up from January 2011, while the average price for a condo was $182,758, down 3.4% up from January 2011. Year-to-date, the average price for a home (including condo sales) is $232,511, up 4% from January 2011.
House Of Former PM 'For Sale'

PM's home on auction block By Mike Beitz, Stratford Beacon-Herald
ST. MARYS - Location, location, location may be the mantra for real estate agents, but when it comes to auctions, history and uniqueness fit in there somewhere.
At least they do with the upcoming sale of a 170-year-old house in Anderson, just west of St. Marys.
The birthplace and homestead of Arthur Meighen will be sold by auction Oct. 29.
Auctioneer Brent Shackleton said he expects interest in the painstakingly restored and heritage-designated property, where Canada's ninth prime minister was born and spent his childhood years, will be high.
"It's just a gorgeous property," he said Monday.
Besides the outward charm of the country estate and surrounding three acres, the "Meighen factor" can't be discounted, said Shackleton.
Meighen, who was born in 1874 and grew up on the farm near Anderson, which is about 10 km west of St. Marys, served as prime minister from 1920-21 and again in 1926.
The 1840 fieldstone house has a heritage plaque recognizing its historical significance.
The current owner, Fred Lewis, has owned the property for more than 25 years, and has "spared no expense" in maintaining it and restoring it to its original form.
"He's been a real good steward of the property," said Shackleton, noting that the house was in such a state of disrepair that it was in danger of being demolished.
Lewis decided to sell it after his wife died in 2009.
Shackleton said in a case like this, where the property is unique and interest is expected to be strong, an auction makes sense.
"It gives everyone a fair opportunity to buy it. They all show up at the same time, they all have a chance to buy it, and it's a level playing field as far as the buyers go," he said. "From a seller's perspective, what better way to find out what a property is worth than to have a bunch of people show up on your front lawn bidding."
The sale will be held Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. on site at the property, #2274 Road 151 in Perth South.
Stratford Beacon Herald



Condo boom eating up office spaceBy Susan Pigg | Toronto Star
When Iain Dobson sees another condo or condo-hotel springing up on prime downtown land just steps from the subway, he becomes more convinced than ever that Toronto is risking its own future by trading off jobs for people.
Toronto is reaching a tipping point — a shortage of development-ready land for new office towers at the same time thousands of new financial services jobs are projected for downtown and more companies are looking to return to the city core from the suburbs, says Dobson.
The former commercial brokerage executive and co-author of a report for the Canadian Urban Institute warns that Toronto has allowed construction of so many condo towers on what were meant to be office building sites, there is only enough development-ready land for about 4 million square feet of new office space left in the downtown.
Even the old converted "brick-and-beam" buildings to the west and east of the core, now home to some 18 million square feet of commercial development, are close to being full, says Dobson.
"The area within 500 metres of the subway is prime get yourself to work and back again space and when it gets eaten up by a lot of residential development, you have to wonder where will the new offices go?," says Dobson.
He points to buildings like the 70-storey Trump Tower and 65-storey Shangri-La Hotel, both hotel and condo developments on land once slated for offices. They are among twelve new highrise condos, with 5,707 new units, under construction in the downtown core right now.
One-third of all jobs in the GTA are office jobs, notes the report, The New Geography of Office Location and the Consequences of Business as Usual in the GTA.Thirty years ago, 63 per cent of office space was located in the downtown financial district or directly along subway lines. But so many businesses have flocked to the suburbs, as of 2010, 54 per cent of office space was located in the road-dependent 905 regions.
That dramatic shift, thanks to plentiful land and cheap taxes, not only clogged major roads, it turned the core into a one-horse town dominated by the financial services sector.
"The 416 region has become the bedroom community for the 905 regions," says Dobson.
There is some evidence that’s starting to shift as environmentally conscious companies such as Coke and Telus consolidate suburban operations in the core to ease long commutes and be close to where employees live.
But governments need to do more to ease commercial taxes, integrate transit to growth areas and review land use policies for any developable land within a five-minute walk of subways with a focus on office rather than more condo development.
Commercial realtors say they are managing to find sufficient office space for companies that are looking. Colliers International says, in fact, a number of financial district tenants are moving into new offices on the Railways Lands, which is freeing up hundreds of thousands of feet of prime space in the financial district.
Realtor Cushman & Wakefield notes that almost 4 million square feet of office space has come on stream downtown since 2009 and 5.2 million more is planned. It estimates that’s enough, given current demand, for about nine more years of growth.
Dominion Lending Centres
Now that the hockey season is underway, you may recognize the name Dominion Lending Centres from the TV ads starring Don Cherry. At Royal LePage Triland Realty, we recognize Dominion Lending Centres -- Great Lakes as part of our office. You could say it's a crew of inhouse mortgage experts. From time to time, I've listed in my newsletter mortgage reps that I would recommend, here's one that grew up in Woodstock and is working full-time in financing of homes.
Leanne Schonberger
Cell: (519) 532-7084
Email: lschonberger@dominionlending.ca
From the company website:
+ Canada’s largest and fastest-growing mortgage brokerage!
+ Have more than 2,000 Mortgage Professionals from more than 350 locations across the country!
+ Mortgage Professionals are Experts in their field and many are ranked among the best nationally.
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+ Have more than 100 mortgage programs, making it easy to choose the best fit for your unique situation.
+ Close loans in all 10 provinces and 3 territories.
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Dominion Lending Centres’ Mortgage Professionals are available anytime, anywhere, evenings and weekends – and they’ll even come to you!　
Good News Drives Oxford Economy
Crossovers push Cami to maxAUTO SECTOR: Ingersoll automaker can't keep up with demand for Equinox and Terrain, company set to hire 100 more workers
By NORMAN DE BONO, The London Free Press / October 4
　
INGERSOLL -- The hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox and Terrain are, again, boosting hiring and production at Cami Automotive in Ingersoll.
The automaker plans to hire another 100 workers by year-end to keep pace with growing demand for the crossover utility vehicles.
"It is great news. The products are selling well and we need to hire more people," Faye Roberts, communications director for GM Canada, said Tuesday. "We are increasing production to get as many units as we can. They are very popular."Cami will employ about 2,800 in totalThe plant is preparing to speed up its production line, so it will start to assemble 1,150 vehicles a day early in 2012, added sources close to the plant.
It's the fifth time GM has increased production of the crossovers since 2009.
The new hires will boost total employment among hourly and salaried workers at Cami to about 2,800, Roberts said.
"There is still a recession on in the U.S. and these vehicles keep selling, they are popular and that is great news for the plant," said Mike Van Boekel, chairperson of Canadian Auto Workers Local 88. "We can't keep up."
Three shifts operate at the plant and unionized workers have worked overtime on Saturdays for two years.
Equinox sales are up 33% from September 2010 and 145,035 units have moved this year. Terrain sales totalled 6,910 last month, up 45%, according to figures released by the Automotive News.
GM had a 33-day supply of the Equinox and a 42-day supply of the Terrain - two of the thinnest stocks among GM's high-volume vehicles, the automotive publication says.
GM Canada is also shipping about 300 Equinox bodies to its plant in Oshawa for final assembly.










Offices Vs Condos In GTA  (I can always use more friends) &