How to Be a Good Neighbour While Social Distancing
As Covid-19 sweeps its way through our cities and neighbourhoods, we’ve also seen acts of kindness emerge in its wake. From cities and countries pulling together to weather the economic storms ahead, to online communities offering support for individuals, families, students, homeowners, renters, business owners, employees, those looking for work, and those trying to manage their day to day in this new environment. Staying connected to your community while respecting the rules of social distancing is totally possible. Here are some ideas for being a good neighbour while social distancing.
Check in. This could be especially impactful for your elderly or otherwise vulnerable neighbours. They may not be able to run important errands such as getting groceries and medications, or they may be emotionally fragile and might benefit from a friendly check-in from time to time. Reach out to your soon-to-be “next-ies” by leaving a note that includes your phone number, email address and an offer to drop some groceries off on their porch steps.
Join an online group. Apps like Facebook, Slack, WhatsApp and Zoom are simple to use and can help fill the void left by social distancing. Join an online community of neighbours, a local parents’ group, or like-minded hobbyists. Meet at regularly scheduled days/times, much like you might in person, to connect and “chat” with folks who are facing similar worries and wins.
Don’t hoard. Social distancing dictates that people should only leave home for essential errands. While out on your limited outings, stock up on enough groceries that you won’t have to go shopping again in a couple of days, but be mindful of other people’s needs. Canada is not currently experiencing a shortage of toilet paper, canned good or anti-bacterial hand soap – aside from the scarcities caused by hoarders.
Shop online, shop local. Many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. When ordering your groceries, food delivery or other items online, consider buying from a local business.
Give what you can. Many local homeless shelters, food banks, animal shelters and other non-profits are still operating, so consider donating extra supplies or money if you can spare it. If you’ve already paid in advance for piano lessons, dance classes or a child’s school excursion, rather than requesting a refund, consider leaving that money with the organization/service provider as a donation instead.
Stay informed. Don’t get swallowed up by all the doom and gloom, and ensure you’re getting your news from credible sources.
Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer. Cough and sneeze into your sleeve. Tissues are a single-use item. And for the love of Pete, don’t touch your face! This is all fairly basic stuff that we’ve all heard from Mom every time cold and flu season rolls around. Furthermore, clean frequently touches surfaces and of course, maintain a safe distance if you must be in contact with anyone.
And last but certainly not least…
Stay home! In order to flatten the curve, government and public health agencies are strongly urging the public to stay home. Have a hankering to go shoot some hoops at the park? Stay home. Feel like stopping by a friend’s place, just to say “hi”? Stay home. Need to quickly drop off a gift for Grandma’s birthday? Stay home. Not feeling well or have you recently travelled? Stay home. Have you been in close contact with someone who has recently travelled or isn’t feeling well? Stay home. The longer we ignore the rules of social distancing, the longer we’ll have to do it.
It’s possible to be a good neighbour while social distancing. In fact, staying away from your neighbours is the best thing you can do right now. Technology has come a long way, allowing us to stay connected with those near and far without ever leaving the safety of home.
Source: blog.remax.ca
What will the 2021 real estate market look like?
Curious about the 2021 real estate market? During our RE/MAX Hallmark Virtual AGM last week, we had the pleasure of listening to this discussion between Steve Tabrizi – Chief Operating Officer/Owner at RE/MAX Hallmark and Benjamin Tal – Chief Deputy Economist of CIBC. There’s so much great information here provided by two of the most knowledgeable leaders in the industry. Enjoy!
If you have any other questions about the market or if you’re thinking about making a move, reach out! We’re here and happy to help!
Ford Thurston & Chris Olsen
Brokers
Thurston Olsen Real Estate Group
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage
416.465.7850 info@rosswebpro.com
Toronto house price crash unlikely
If you’ve been waiting to buy a home, hoping for a Toronto house price crash, you could be waiting forever. We’re here to help navigate this tricky market, reach out! Here’s what a recent Huffington Post article has to say:
A recent poll found that half of Torontonians are hoping for house prices to fall, but a new report from Royal Bank of Canada basically says “don’t hold your breath.”
The modest price gains seen in Toronto and Vancouver in August are a “sign of things to come,” RBC senior economist Robert Hogue wrote in a client note.
After year-on-year declines for much of 2018, home sales in Toronto started rising again this summer. They were up 8.5 per cent in August, compared to the same month a year earlier, according to statistics released last week by the Toronto Real Estate Board.
After some downward pressure, prices appear to have stabilized. The average selling price for all housing types in Greater Toronto sat at $765,270 in August, up 4.7 per cent in a year.
“Area buyers hoping that last year’s Fair Housing Plan and this year’s stress test would bring about big price breaks will be disappointed,” Hogue wrote.
“In fact, several of them came to that realization earlier this summer (in light of steady month-to-month increases over the spring) and jumped back into the market.”
While that may be welcome news to homeowners worrying that the growth in the value of their homes has come to a standstill, it’s a disappointment to the half of Toronto residents who — in a recent Angus Reid poll — said they’d like to see house prices fall.
More than a quarter said they’d like to see an outright price crash, of 30 per cent or more. A majority of renters said they are considering leaving the citybecause of housing costs. That’s a sign of the frustration potential homebuyers are feeling in a market where house prices have long grown faster than incomes.
But though they hope for a correction, few poll respondents hold out hope it will actually happen. Sixty-two per cent agreed that government policy will not be able to make Toronto housing affordable “no matter what.”
Construction slowdown
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported a surprise decline in the number of new homes starting construction in August. The annualized rate of construction fell to just under 201,000 housing units, down from nearly 206,000 in July, according to data released Tuesday. Economists had been predicting a pick-up to around 210,000.
The largest pull-back was in Ontario, while British Columbia has seen a mild rebound, though construction is still below the frenzied pace of 2016 or 2017.
Economists expressed mixed views on the construction slowdown, with some saying the pace of construction is just returning to more sustainable levels from excessive heights.
“Despite two monthly declines, robust levels of residential construction continue in Canada, with a 27-year high for population growth supporting the strength,” Bank of Montreal senior economist Robert Kavcic wrote in a client note.
“While not all regions of the country have experienced the same price pressures as Toronto and Vancouver, many are seeing heightened building activity.”
But CIBC economist Royce Mendes suggested we can expect to see a somewhat slower housing market ahead.
“A more sluggish pace to homebuilding is in line with our expectation that higher interest rates and tighter lending standards turn this former stalwart of growth into a drag on the economy,” Mendes wrote in a client note Tuesday.
keep reading: toronto housing market has stabilized
source: huffington post
Toronto housing market has stabilized
The 2018 Toronto housing market has been an exciting one, with ups and downs, we have stabilized through August. Here’s what the London Free Press has to say:
Toronto’s housing market kept its footing August as sales gained while prices were little changed, continuing to stabilize after a turbulent year.
Sales jumped 8.5 per cent to 6,839 in August from the same period a year ago, the Toronto Real Estate Board reported Thursday and were up 2 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis from July. Average prices rose 4.7 per cent from a year earlier to $765,270 but benchmark prices, which measure the value of a typical home, fell 0.5 per cent from July to $764,800.
The housing market in Canada’s biggest city has been stabilizing over the past few months, following a sharp plummet earlier in the year after various government regulations were implemented to rein in prices. The market began to crack in April last year after a foreign buyers tax was put in place but has recovered much of the decline over the past few months.
“Many home buyers who had initially moved to the sidelines due to the Ontario Fair Housing Plan and new mortgage lending guidelines have renewed their search for a home and are getting deals done much more so than last year,” Garry Bhaura, president at the housing board, said in a statement.
Detached homes lagged other housing segments in August, with the benchmark price dropping 1.9 per cent from a year ago to $914,900. Meanwhile, condo apartments led the price gains, jumping 9.9 per cent from last August to $505,500.
“Despite the fact the sales remain off the record highs from 2016 and 2017, many GTA neighbourhoods continue to suffer from a lack of inventory,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s director of market analysis. “This could present a problem if demand continues to accelerate over the next year, which is expected.”
New listings were up 6 per cent from a year ago to 12,166. Active listings rose 8.8 per cent to 17,864, from 16,419 last year.
source: london free press
lead image: Ford Thurston
