Just Listed: 335 Springdale Blvd $449,900

Open House Saturday and Sunday 2 pm until 4 pm

This lovely detached 3 bedroom home located in Danforth Village East is the perfect combination of warm original wood character and fresh renovations. With a bright modern kitchen, entertain or relax with an easy walk out to a new deck and green yard. Just move in and enjoy the convenient main floor laundry, updated bathrooms and tasteful colour pallet complimented by sunny newer windows throughout.

Extras: Fridge, Stove, Stove Hood, B/I Washer And Dryer In Kitchen, All Electric Light Fixtures, Mirrored Closet Wardrobes In Master Bedroom, A/C Unit In Master Bedroom. New Siding on the upper level and on the front of the house. Enclosed front porch, Gas Hook-Up for BBQ, New Furnace (2009), 100 Amp service and breakers.

Toronto Real Estate: July Real Estate Stats

Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,922 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in July 2011, representing a 23 per cent increase over July 2010. Total sales through the first seven months of this year amounted to 55,863 – down by 1.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. After adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, the July figure continued to point to an annual sales result close to 90,000 – in line with results from the previous six months.


"Strong home sales continued in July, with a substantial rebound over last summer’s slow-down brought about by higher mortgage rates, new lending guidelines and misconceptions about the HST. The greatest rebound was seen in the condominium apartment segment in the City of Toronto," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. "If the current pace of sales holds up, we could see the second best year on record under the current TREB market area."

The average selling price in July was $459,122 – up by almost ten per cent compared to the July 2010 average of $418,675.
 

"Tight market conditions have boosted the annual rate of price growth this year. However, the listings situation is starting to improve. A better supplied market later this year and into 2012 would lead to a more sustainable rate of price growth," said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

Toronto Taste of the Danforth

 
The Taste of the Danforth is one of the largest street festivals in North America - and for good reason! It's all about the food!

Our hands down favourite is Messinis. They make the best Gyros on a pita. The secret? Fries are one of the toppings! If you want to try a Messinis, the line up will be around the block so best to try their famous Greek Fries (Silver dollar fries topped with Feta and Oregano, toasted golden brown) any other time of the year.

For Souvlaki on a Pita, Detroit Eatery is the spot. This Greek family business has been a fixture for over 20 years and they know how to make souvlaki!

New to the Danforth this year is the Combine eatery - we look forward to checking that out as well as Dolce Gelato.

Word of caution - take the subway! Parking is nuts. Exit at Broadview, Chester or Pape. The festival stretches from Broadview to Jones.

This year's festival begins on Friday, August 5th at 6:00pm and runs through to Sunday, August 7th at 8:00pm.

A Decima Research poll indicated that 90% of respondents identified "The Taste" as their favourite GTA festival event -- beating out such iconic events as the Toronto International Film Festival, Caribana and Pride Week. The Pilaros Taste of the Danforth won two Toronto Sun Reader's Choice Awards: a Gold for Favourite Community Festival and a Silver for Favourite Summer Festival.

For more information check out http://www.tasteofthedanforth.com/tasteofthedanforth.php

Toronto Home Energy Retrofit Grants

Under the ecoEnergy Retrofit – Homes Program, the federal government provides grants, up to $5,000, to homeowners who undertake renovations that improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

To be eligible, renovations and a post-retrofit evaluation must be conducted between June 6, 2011 and March 31, 2012. The provincial government no longer provides grants for energy efficiency renovations but it does pay 50 per cent of the cost of a home energy audit, up to $150.

Details

Before undertaking any renovations homeowners must first have an energy audit of their home performed by a licensed service organization (list of auditors provided at government web site address provided below). The evaluation report provides customized recommendations for renovations to improve the energy efficiency of the home. Once the homeowner has completed the renovations, a second audit must be undertaken by March 31, 2012 to determine the change in the home’s energy efficiency.

Homeowners participating in the program must register directly with the program BEFORE booking their pre retrofit evaluation.

Homeowners are required to provide receipts, for products and services purchased for the retrofits, to
their energy advisor at the time of the postretrofit evaluation.

Homeowners who participated in earlier versions of the program before April 31, 2011, and who did not receive the maximum amount of $5,000 can submit another application for improvements purchased and installed AFTER June 6, 2011.

For more information on the federal government’s ecoEnergy Program visit:
 

http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoenergy-ecoenergie/retrofithomesrenovationmaisons-eng.cfm

For more information on the provincial government’s Home Energy Audit grant visit:

http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/conservation/ohesp/