Our newest listing is a FREEHOLD (NO CONDO FEES!) Townhome in Oakville's North West neighbourhood of Bronte Creek. This three-storey home boasts a ton of natural sunlight and newer hardwood floors with a kitchen breakfast bar that overlooks the open concept living and dining rooms. Beautifully decorated, freshly painted in modern colours and move in ready! Can you imagine yourself sipping a coffee or glass of wine on your new balcony while you watch the sun set behind the Escarpment? All stainless steel appliances and AC are new since 2018. Walking distance to elementary school and Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Nearby shopping, dentist, doctors, church, community center, the new Oakville Hospital and a short drive to the Bronte GO Station. High...

Look at how long you expect to live in your next residence, your ability to handle all the monthly payments associated with owning, and locations that might offer better value.

The answer to that question is, perhaps unsurprisingly, that it depends on your circumstances. The decision to move is often equally a lifestyle and financial decision, and it varies for each one of us based on our needs and preferences. Here are the key considerations to keep in mind as you navigate your own decision to buy or rent, along with some concrete examples on how to approximate and compare your financial costs in each scenario.

1. What’s your time horizon?

As you plan your move, it’s important to ask yourself how long you intend to live in your new...

Not all dens are created equal. Get inspired by these 9 brilliant condo den design ideas to get the most out of your  condo.

1. CONVERT YOUR SMALL CONDO DEN INTO A LIBRARY

Prospective homeowners sometimes use the subject of condo fees to justify their preference of a house over a condo.  The argument is:  “If I buy a house, I can save the condo fees.”  This reasoning is not entirely accurate, since it assumes that house-ownership is complete without cost.

Water, Home Insurance, and Heating Costs

1. Water:  The majority of condo fees include water and hot water
2. Home insurance:  This will always be substantially more in a house, since the condo building is already insured, and the condo-buyer only has to purchase condo or content insurance
3. Heating costs for an apartment or townhouse style unit are also going to be substantially less than the heating costs for an average sized detached...

We are encouraging everyone to download this app as another tool that we can all use to help with the spread of Covid-19.

How it works

The app uses Bluetooth to exchange random codes with nearby phones.

Every day, it checks a list of random codes from people who tell the app they tested positive.

If you've been near one of those codes in the past 14 days, you'll get a notification.

More about how COVID Alert works

The app runs in the background and will not interrupt your ...

A variety of government organizations and NGOs, including the Government of Canada, have published articles and guidelines for sustaining air quality indoors.

There are many effective steps you can take to significantly improve your indoor environment.

1. Consider installing a recovery ventilator: Many contaminants found in indoor air are generated inside the home. These can be lowered by replacing your indoor air with air from outside. Therefore, the best way to improve your indoor air quality is to improve your ventilation and provide more clean outside air to your living space. Consider adding a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or energy recovery ventilator (ERV) to not only supply clean, fresh air, but recover the energy and humidity from the...

The novel coronavirus has upended all of our lives, and lockdown measures have made healthy habits harder than ever to maintain thanks to reduced access to many of the pillars of wellbeing: fresh food, the gym, and spending time with family and friends.

Social distancing can be especially tough on older adults, but there are steps you can take to stay healthy and reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.  Older adults are particularly prone to the detrimental health effects of being housebound. Because your body loses function as you age, a poor diet, lack of exercise, and loneliness can hit you harder than younger, more resilient folks. 

The good news? By making some creative shifts to everyday routines, you can thrive while holed up at...

A bit of a different topic, but quite relevant these days if you're like me and trying to live a life that is a little more sustainable.  How to check the freshness of your eggs!  Especially, if you've gone ahead and stocked up on a bunch at once to limit the number of times you visit the grocery store (smart!).

The Best Method for Uncracked Eggs: The Float Test

Just fill a bowl with cold water and place your eggs in the bowl. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on their sides, they're very fresh. If they're a few weeks old but still good to eat, they'll stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl. If they float to the surface, they're no longer fresh enough to eat.

While you could fry or scramble an egg that's on its side or standing...

Spring is such an exciting time; it's an excuse to start fresh. Why not make good use of this time and start to expertly prepare your garden for spring?

Here are a few tips for getting the best jump start on spring gardening.

1. Clear your garden of dead leaves and weeds

Flowers and other plants prefer a tidy place to grow in, so make sure you have a tidy plot of soil for them. If you have perennial plants, cut back the dead growth. Dig up around 2.5 to 3 inches of organic matter (i.e. compost, etc.) and dispose.

2. Plan ahead for summer-flowering plants

To make sure you get beautiful, blooming plants and a colorful display in the summertime, start planting them in early spring.

3. Scrub down your greenhouse or Urban Cultivator

If you grow your...

It seems that there is a bit of confusion regarding the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) amongst Canadians so I have done a bit of research and put together the main points here for anyone to reference.   A lot of it is copied directly from our Canadian Government's site so you can trust that this is this information is correct.

**Important**if you haven't aready done so, you should apply for the direct deposit option as this will speed up your first payment by around 7 full days!  The direct deposit guarantees the first payment within 3 business days vs 10 business days.

The CERB supports Canadians by providing urgently needed financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who have been directly affected by...

I came across this really great checklist that gives us a breakdown of how to make sure we do not bring the virus back into our homes when we've had to go out to the grocery store, etc.

You can also download or print this handy guide in a PDF format by clicking here: 

By Scottie Andrew, CNN

Note: Recommendations for Covid-19 may change as officials learn more, so monitor your local health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updates.

Make a game plan

• Designate one person to be your errand-runner to limit your outside exposures
• Set up a disinfecting station — an area outside your home or in a room with low foot traffic where you can disinfect packaged food

When you’re out

• Avoid coming within less than...

Learn about the temporary changes to residential rental rules and processes, and where landlords and tenants can get more help.

Evictions

How the eviction process works

The typical evictions process is explained below. Changes due to COVID-19 have been highlighted.

If the landlord gives a tenant notice to end the tenancy, the tenant does not have to move out. The landlord must apply for an eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (also known as the Board). The tenant...

These Kitchen Trends Reign Supreme in 2020!  While following trends may feel like fleeting pursuit, when it comes to kitchen design they often outlast their time in the spotlight. From millwork to backsplashes, color palettes and design styles, we asked top designers to weigh in on what trends are most popular on the home front this year.  Read on for the designer-approved kitchen trends for 2020.

Navy Millwork

Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriot

“We love a classic white kitchen, but lately we've seen requests for navy millwork, like what we did in the Goop offices in NY. It blends beautifully with marble and brass.” — Ariel Okin of Ariel Okin Interiors

Slab Backsplash

Laurey Glenn Photography

“A slab backsplash...

With COVID-19 forcing many businesses to quickly implement remote work, you may suddenly find yourself working from home and wonder how to get started. Here are six tips to help you effectively manage yourself.

So it's no surprise that more and more companies are beginning to recommend or require employees to work remotely or work from home. The growth of remote work is nothing new, but the urgency brought on by the COVID-19 coronavirus means many of us may suddenly need to work from home, sometimes for the first time, with a lack of formal policies or training.

I've been working at home for years now. I've found it gives me higher productivity, creativity and workplace satisfaction and research shows that many remote workers feel the same. A...