Canada’s housing market among world’s best

December 28, 2010 — Jennifer

Australia’s market red hot, while Ireland hits the skids

Canada’s housing market was among only six in advanced nations that posted growth in 2010, according to the latest Global Real Estate Trends report issued by Scotia Economics.

But while the Canadian home market was among the best performing, it was also one of the most volatile, the report notes.

Home sales were unusually active during the winter and spring, but dropped off substantially during the summer, according to the report. It says that over the fall, sales returned to a more typical level.

“We are neither overtly optimistic nor pessimistic regarding the outlook for 2011,” said Adrienne Warren, a senior economist with Scotia Economics.

She expects interest rates to remain low well into 2011, providing an inducement for first-time and move-up buyers, which will keep sales at a decent level.

However modest employment and income growth is expected to restrain the market somewhat.

“Overall, we anticipate a fairly lacklustre year for residential housing, with modestly higher sales volumes and flat inflation-adjusted prices,” Warren said. “The bigger risk likely awaits in 2012, when more significant interest rate increases, combined with record-high home prices, will notably strain affordability.”

Australia had the hottest real estate market in 2010, according to the report, with home prices rising nearly 10 per cent over the year…

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Published by: CBC News
Date: December 23, 2010

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Housing Forecase in 2011

December 21, 2010 — Jennifer

Now that 2010 is coming to an end, many people are starting to look for trends that will paint a picture for the housing market in 2011. British Columbia Real Estate Association released a housing forecast report which it predicts that we can expect a moderate increase in housing demand next year. The report goes into detail for each of the regions in British Columbia. If you are interested in reading the report, please click here.

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Home sales rise 4.8 per cent in November

December 21, 2010 — Jennifer

OTTAWA — Home resales rose in November for the fourth straight month as “housing activity continues its return to normal levels,” the Canadian Real Estate Association said Wednesday.

Seasonally adjusted sales increased 4.8 per cent to 37,658 during the month, up from 35,936 in October, with increases recorded in eight of Canada’s 10 most active markets, CREA said.

In particular, Great Vancouver posted gains of 11.3 per cent, while Montreal was up 8.2 per cent, Edmonton rose 6.9 per cent and Toronto increased six per cent. Ottawa saw gains of 4.2 per cent and Calgary advanced by 2.6 per cent.

Still, sales were down 9.3 per from levels in November 2009, the industry group said.

“Although this is well short of record level activity for the month of November posted a year ago, seasonally adjusted sales now stand 19.5 per cent above levels recorded in July 2010, when it reached this year’s low point,” CREA said…

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Published by: The Vancouver Sun
Date: December 15, 2010

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B.C. residential sales down 21 per cent from last year, survey says

December 20, 2010 — Jennifer

Average price of a home rose nine per cent over the same period

Residential sales in B.C. dropped 21 per cent in November compared to the same month a year ago to 5,647 units, according to a survey released Tuesday by the B.C. Real Estate Association.

However, sales climbed 20 per cent in November from October on a seasonally adjusted basis, and the average price of a home is up nine per cent to $523,394 in November compared to November 2009.

BCREA chief economist Cameron Muir noted that sales are on an overall upward trend.

“Improved economic conditions and low mortgage interest rates have contributed to a 46-per-cent increase in home sales since July,” Muir said in a statement, adding that the unemployment rate in B.C. dipped to 6.9 per cent, the lowest since January 2009.

“The inventory of homes for sale has trended lower since last spring, improving market conditions in many areas of the province,” added Muir.

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Written by: Brian Morton
Date: December 14, 2010

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Tips for an Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree

December 20, 2010 — Jennifer

How you can set up your Christmas tree to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s now time to find a good tree for the family.

In case you missed it, “Pick of the Crop: Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree” by Half Moon Bay Patch contributor Katy Katzenberger will give you a detailed rundown of where you can get your tree (and chop it down yourself!) in Half Moon Bay, in addition to a farms in La Honda, Pescadero and Portola Valley.

There is no clear cut answer as to which Christmas tree to choose. This choice is based on one’s own tastes and desires. Included are a few general tips regarding the maintenance of your tree, what type of lights to use and where to get them, and how and where to dispose of your tree. Also, I wouldn’t be a very good environmental columnist if I didn’t present to you a reasonable argument supporting real Christmas trees as opposed to those plastic, synthetic trees...

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Written by: Benjamin Rothfeder
Date: December 16, 2010

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Dreaming of a green Christmas? Tips for a more environmentally friendly season

December 16, 2010 — Jennifer

Most wonderful time of the year? Maybe.

Trashiest time of the year? Absolutely.

Boxes, Styrofoam, packaging, wrapping paper, disposable plates, cups and utensils, bottles, cans and food waste — our trash bins overfloweth.

But there are a zillion ways to raise your green IQ.

Reducing what we buy and consume will have the greatest impact on the environment, notes Jennifer Berry, a spokeswoman for Earth911.com, a national recycling directory. That includes the number and type of gifts we purchase and how we acquire them, as well as careful menu-planning pegged to the number of actual guests expected.

“Look at your trash from a fresh perspective,” said Berry. “Think about what you’re planning to do and how to make it better,”she said.

Greening up often entails time. A meal served on china surrounded by silverware, glasses and cloth napkins will take longer to clean up than disposable dishes and plastic ware (which require your labor to earn money to buy them, and time and fuel to drive to the store). But china and glass are classier, and you can enlist guests to pitch in after dinner to a soundtrack of holiday music, Berry said.

She advises that paper plates and cups advertised as biodegradable are made to degrade in a commercial composting facility (read the fine print on the package). Added to a small, home compost pile, they take many months to degrade…

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Written by: Tahree Lane
Date: December 11 2010

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Can Good Design Make You Healthier?

December 14, 2010 — Jennifer

What if hospitals and schools were designed like boutique hotels? Copenhagen County Hospital in Herlev, Denmark, was onto something in 1962 when they let painter and sculptor Poul Gernes transform the hospital into a multi-color art space. Gernes used color as medicine and transformed his public spaces with strong colors—bright yellows, greens, blues, pinks. He felt the colors of the rainbow had an important influence on our state of well being.

Today Omhu (Danish for “with great care) is trying to carry on Gerne’s work. Omhu, who call themselves an activist agency, creates products that help. The curate a range of designers who make a category of products called Aids for Daily Living which sells things like Fresh Bath Transfer Board and an adult tricycle. Their Omhu cane is made of baltic birth, shaped like an elegant question market and come in Gernes’s rainbow of colors.

Omhu Co-Founder Susan Towers:

New products coming to market next year include a bedside table, a walker, a shower chair and a cane dock, among others. All are intended to look like they belong in a home, not a hospital.Whether someone has a chronic illness, or a temporary disability (i.e.a hip replacement), we all need things that help us with the everyday activities of life. Why do they have to look so awful (as they mostly do now)? Why can you only buy them in pharmacies or medical supply stores – which people often don’t know where to find (and the prices are high and in general, the shopping experience is pretty depressing)…

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Written by: Ann Marie Gardner
Date: December 13, 2010

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Keep your gift wrapping eco-friendly

December 13, 2010 — Jennifer

They may be one of our favorite things, but at Christmas we want more. We want sparkly, bright colors and beautiful ribbons and bows. The Christmas portrait isn’t complete without pretty packages under the tree.

But what’s that uncomfortable feeling you’re getting while flipping through tubes of shiny, new foil gift wrap at the store? Ah, yes, it’s the guilt of Mother Earth. We want to respect and preserve the planet and continue our eco-friendly habits at the holidays, but …

No “buts.” According to the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, December and January record the most trash of the year thanks to the holidays. While the recession has lightened the load a bit (fewer gifts, less garbage), recycling and re-using is still vital.

Plenty of Earth-friendly changes or additions can be made to the holidays. From saving electricity to choosing the right cards to buying alternative, environmentally conscious gifts, everyone can find a way to lessen the negative impact of the season…

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Published by: NorthJersey.com
Date: December 11, 2010

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Which is more eco friendly — real or artificial Christmas trees?

December 13, 2010 — Jennifer

Question: What’s better for our environment: buying a real tree each year or using a “fake” tree? Asked by Michael Thurman, South Pasadena, Calif.

Answer: If you’re dreaming of a green Christmas, the tree is a great place to start. And the best option is pretty clear: buy a living tree and then replant it after the season.

“Bah Humbug,” you say? Don’t have a plot of land to call your own, or a climate that will support a spruce or pine? Perhaps it’s just as well—too much time at room temperature can make even the hardiest tree unfit for outdoor conditions. Anything more than oh, say about 12 days, and you’d be planting a ghost of Christmas trees past. If you want a tree that will last from Black Friday’s post-Thanksgiving shopping spree until the New Year, we’ll have to survey the landscape of Christmas trees a little more closely.

Checking the list twice, both farmed and artificial trees may seem to be more naughty than nice to the environment. The problems with artificial trees are pretty obvious, from the steel trunk and needles made of either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) to the energy needed to put them together and ship them, usually from the other side of the world. Live Christmas trees may look harmless, but they generally require pesticides, irrigation and fertilizer during the six to 10 years it takes them to grow…

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Written by: Micki Ream
Date: December 08, 2010

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