Tuesday, March 29, 2011
HST and Resale Housing
TORONTO – March 21, 2011 - Revenue Minister Sophia Aggelonitis and Toronto Real
Estate Board President, Bill Johnston, today released a video explaining to prospective
buyers the facts about the HST and the housing market.
The video highlights the fact that there is no HST on the purchase price of resale homes.
Sales tax did not apply to the purchase price of resale homes under the previous PST, and
it does not apply under the HST.
For new housing, additional tax only applies to the portion of the price above $400,000.
The Ontario Enhanced New Housing Rebate means that buyers of new homes receive a
rebate of up to $24,000 regardless of the price of the new home. Buyers of new homes
priced up to $400,000 (about three-quarters of new homes built in Ontario) on average
pay no more – and possibly even less – tax than under the previous PST, where sales tax
was hidden in the price.
“Buying a home is one of the most important investments a person will make in their
lifetime. That's why I'm pleased to be working with TREB to provide information about
purchasing a home in Ontario."
— Minister of Revenue Sophia Aggelonitis
“REALTORS® are happy to help inform the public about the HST. It is important that
the public understands that HST does not apply to the purchase price of a resale home.”
— Bill Johnston, President, Toronto Real Estate Board
QUICK FACTS
The HST does not apply to the purchase price of resale homes.
Sales tax did not apply to the purchase price of resale homes under the previous PST.
In addition to not having HST on resale homes, a refund of Land Transfer Tax of up
to $2,000 is available to first-time home buyers of resale homes.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Music From Far and Wide
MusiCounts is reaching out to the community during JUNO Week at 9 March 21st to March 25th subway stations to help raise awareness about MusiCounts. Volunteers(including me) will be collecting donations from the community during rush hour, and in return donators will receive a MusiCounts pin or pen. Please have extra change in hand and be part of it. Your favourite artists will be wearing these special pins and we believe that they will become a collectors favourite...I bet the Beiber will pay special attention to all fans who are wearing these pins. ; )
I am really excited that I get the priviledge of Volunteering for the Junos. Canadian Music Week was absolutely amazing. Special thanks to my friends at League of Rock and to Zack Werner, Shania Twain, Gordon Deppe, Jim Cuddy and Tal Bachman. Thanks for making the music that deeply moves and inspires us all.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Pump up your homes Curb Appeal
5 Smart Spring Projects for Your Front Yard
Pump up your home's curb appeal and welcome a new season with these easy, low-cost projects! Home improvement expert Tom Kraeutler shares five ways to stage your home's exterior for spring.
Pump up your home's curb appeal and welcome a new season with these easy, low-cost projects! Home improvement expert Tom Kraeutler shares five ways to stage your home's exterior for spring.
Illuminate the approach to your abode with an easy-to-install path lighting kit. If porch lighting looks tired, replace fixtures with modern classics that have the wattage to enhance safety and highlight facade features.
Add Seasonal Color
Strategic plantings add interest, create new focal points in landscaping and contribute to curb appeal. Shop for species that are native to your climate zone and are drought-resistant. If deer and other creatures dwell nearby, ask your local nurseryman about plants that woodland neighbors won't devour at first bloom.
Keep the Lawn Lush
For green throughout the season, reseed your lawn's rough patches and fertilize with a timed-release formula. An irrigation system driven by a digital timer helps create a water-wise routine, and slightly reducing your turf's footprint can make maintenance easier if you're faced with drought conditions.
Pump up your home's curb appeal and welcome a new season with these easy, low-cost projects! Home improvement expert Tom Kraeutler shares five ways to stage your home's exterior for spring.
Your front door is the main focal point for curb appeal, so make sure it sparkles with welcome. Repaint or refinish the surface, polish hardware and touch up surrounding trim. You can also update your front door by installing a new handle and locks.
Start at the Door
Pump up your home's curb appeal and welcome a new season with these easy, low-cost projects! Home improvement expert Tom Kraeutler shares five ways to stage your home's exterior for spring.
Strategic plantings add interest, create new focal points in landscaping and contribute to curb appeal. Shop for species that are native to your climate zone and are drought-resistant. If deer and other creatures dwell nearby, ask your local nurseryman about plants that woodland neighbors won't devour at first bloom.
For green throughout the season, reseed your lawn's rough patches and fertilize with a timed-release formula. An irrigation system driven by a digital timer helps create a water-wise routine, and slightly reducing your turf's footprint can make maintenance easier if you're faced with drought conditions.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Habitat for Humanity is calling on families-There’s good news for low-income Brampton families.
Habitat for Humanity is calling on families
There’s good news for low-income Brampton families.
Habitat for Humanity Brampton (HFH), a community-based, non-profit organization, is calling on Brampton families–struggling to make ends meet – to contact the organization to see if they qualify for a Habitat home.
The organization is planning to build some 36 homes within the next eight to 10 years with the construction of a single home starting this spring. The four-bedroom home to accommodate parents and up to five children is available for a deserving family that needs a hand up, said Thomas Fischer, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Brampton.
He said almost 11,000 households in Peel spend more than 70 per cent of their income on housing and an estimated 14,000 residents in Peel live in housing that is not affordable, over-crowded, substandard or a combination of the three. In fact, the wait to acquire subsidized rental housing in the Region of Peel is approximately 21 years, Fischer said.
Criteria to qualify include: Low-income families must go through an application process, have lived in Brampton for at least two years and should prove they’re unable to qualify for a traditional bank mortgage. Families will be selected on the basis of need, ability to pay a zero-interest mortgage and be willing to partner with Habitat Brampton.
Interested families should contact, Habitat for Humanity Brampton at 905-455-0883 ext. 231 or visit habitatbrampton.com.
Family Selection Orientation meetings—for potential Habitat families— will be held at the HFH Restore, 268 Rutherford Rd. S, Unit 3 on the following dates: Saturday, March 12 between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday March 20, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There’s good news for low-income Brampton families.
Habitat for Humanity Brampton (HFH), a community-based, non-profit organization, is calling on Brampton families–struggling to make ends meet – to contact the organization to see if they qualify for a Habitat home.
The organization is planning to build some 36 homes within the next eight to 10 years with the construction of a single home starting this spring. The four-bedroom home to accommodate parents and up to five children is available for a deserving family that needs a hand up, said Thomas Fischer, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Brampton.
He said almost 11,000 households in Peel spend more than 70 per cent of their income on housing and an estimated 14,000 residents in Peel live in housing that is not affordable, over-crowded, substandard or a combination of the three. In fact, the wait to acquire subsidized rental housing in the Region of Peel is approximately 21 years, Fischer said.
Criteria to qualify include: Low-income families must go through an application process, have lived in Brampton for at least two years and should prove they’re unable to qualify for a traditional bank mortgage. Families will be selected on the basis of need, ability to pay a zero-interest mortgage and be willing to partner with Habitat Brampton.
Interested families should contact, Habitat for Humanity Brampton at 905-455-0883 ext. 231 or visit habitatbrampton.com.
Family Selection Orientation meetings—for potential Habitat families— will be held at the HFH Restore, 268 Rutherford Rd. S, Unit 3 on the following dates: Saturday, March 12 between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday March 20, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Homer Simpson loved his green beer .....
Blue Lagoon Bar and Grill
3180 Lakeshore Road West Etobicoke, ON M8V1L7
Come and have a wee bit of fun and a lot of laughs as we celebrate Saint Patty's Day 2011 there will be Karaoke, a Limerick contest, free munchies and much, much more.
NO COVER.
Homer Simpson loved his green beer just as Peter Griffin loved to relax at his neighborhood bar with Cleveland and Quagmire. You aren’t one for bar hopping, but you enjoy a chill place where you lounge back with friends while sipping on a nice cold beer.
Blue Lagoon Bar and Grill caters to comfort food lovers across the GTA. In a relaxed and laid-back environment you and your friends can enjoy a round of ice cold ice tea or dive into the deep end with something a little stronger such as a classic blue lagoon.
Instead of reaching for that sad old peanut mix, you can order up some sizzling side dishes from the grill to keep your belly tided over. Whether it’s low tide or high tide, Blue Lagoon makes sure your visit is memorable and worth making a return.
Take a dive into Blue Lagoon this Saint Patty's Day.
3180 Lakeshore Road West Etobicoke, ON M8V1L7
Come and have a wee bit of fun and a lot of laughs as we celebrate Saint Patty's Day 2011 there will be Karaoke, a Limerick contest, free munchies and much, much more.
NO COVER.
Homer Simpson loved his green beer just as Peter Griffin loved to relax at his neighborhood bar with Cleveland and Quagmire. You aren’t one for bar hopping, but you enjoy a chill place where you lounge back with friends while sipping on a nice cold beer.
Blue Lagoon Bar and Grill caters to comfort food lovers across the GTA. In a relaxed and laid-back environment you and your friends can enjoy a round of ice cold ice tea or dive into the deep end with something a little stronger such as a classic blue lagoon.
Instead of reaching for that sad old peanut mix, you can order up some sizzling side dishes from the grill to keep your belly tided over. Whether it’s low tide or high tide, Blue Lagoon makes sure your visit is memorable and worth making a return.
Take a dive into Blue Lagoon this Saint Patty's Day.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Mortgage Scam
A disgraced Mississauga lawyer was charged with fraud Wednesday in connection with a a mortgage scheme that allegedly resulted in losses of at least $12 million.
Mariano “Mario” Mazzucco, was disbarred three months ago over the scheme.
Peel Regional Police arrested Mazzucco, 61, of Kuhl Ave., Toronto, on Wednesday, accusing him of using his heritage to develop the trust of more than 40 mostly Italian seniors — plus 10 banks — allegedly sharing their investments with shady partners.
Det. Mike MacDougall alleged Mazzucco arranged mortgage loans and bank refinancing after “organized crime” members recruited him to launder money. He is charged with fraud over $5,000, defrauding the public, possessing crime proceeds, laundering crime proceeds, plus criminal breach of trust.
The investigation into other suspects continues, with police not revealing any known crime group.
MacDougall alleged Mazzucco developed a “Ponzi scheme” around 1989, preparing but not registering mortgage documents shown to clients now aged 55 to 85, who then received cheques based on other victim’s investments. The money stopped coming after his law office was shut down.
“Some of them have been left destitute,” the detective said, predicting none — if any — funds are expected to be recovered.
“The majority are senior citizens who have lost most of their life savings,” MacDougall said. “They worked hard all their lives, paid off mortgages and wanted to have something to leave their children and grandchildren.”
He and a partner began working on the case two years ago, after victims contacted police.
The former Mazzucco law office on Dundas St. E. now houses an insurance office.
Some victims have been offered up to $50,000 in compensation, said MacDougall, who added others are “too upset and have withdrawn, wanting nothing to do with it any more ... and one man in his 80s has died.”
MacDougall said the law society did not alert police 11 years ago, when it suspended Mazzucco’s licence to practice law for 30 months after ruling him guilty of misappropriating client trust funds.
“They handled the matter internally,” the detective said.
Mazzucco makes his first court appearance Thursday morning, when the Crown will seek to have him remanded in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call 905-453-2121, Ext. 3335.
Mariano “Mario” Mazzucco, was disbarred three months ago over the scheme.
Peel Regional Police arrested Mazzucco, 61, of Kuhl Ave., Toronto, on Wednesday, accusing him of using his heritage to develop the trust of more than 40 mostly Italian seniors — plus 10 banks — allegedly sharing their investments with shady partners.
Det. Mike MacDougall alleged Mazzucco arranged mortgage loans and bank refinancing after “organized crime” members recruited him to launder money. He is charged with fraud over $5,000, defrauding the public, possessing crime proceeds, laundering crime proceeds, plus criminal breach of trust.
The investigation into other suspects continues, with police not revealing any known crime group.
MacDougall alleged Mazzucco developed a “Ponzi scheme” around 1989, preparing but not registering mortgage documents shown to clients now aged 55 to 85, who then received cheques based on other victim’s investments. The money stopped coming after his law office was shut down.
“Some of them have been left destitute,” the detective said, predicting none — if any — funds are expected to be recovered.
“The majority are senior citizens who have lost most of their life savings,” MacDougall said. “They worked hard all their lives, paid off mortgages and wanted to have something to leave their children and grandchildren.”
He and a partner began working on the case two years ago, after victims contacted police.
The former Mazzucco law office on Dundas St. E. now houses an insurance office.
Some victims have been offered up to $50,000 in compensation, said MacDougall, who added others are “too upset and have withdrawn, wanting nothing to do with it any more ... and one man in his 80s has died.”
MacDougall said the law society did not alert police 11 years ago, when it suspended Mazzucco’s licence to practice law for 30 months after ruling him guilty of misappropriating client trust funds.
“They handled the matter internally,” the detective said.
Mazzucco makes his first court appearance Thursday morning, when the Crown will seek to have him remanded in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call 905-453-2121, Ext. 3335.
Friday, March 4, 2011
"Mister, ya' got change?"
MusiCounts is Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS, which helps to keep music alive in schools across Canada. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances and cultural background, have access to a comprehensive music program through their school. MusiCounts’ projects include Band Aid musical instrument grants, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, Scholarships, and other music education initiatives.
MusiCounts is reaching out to the community during JUNO Week at 9 March 21st to March 25th subway stations to help raise awareness about MusiCounts. Volunteers(including me) will be collecting donations from the community during rush hour, and in return donators will receive a MusiCounts pin or pen.
I am really excited that I get the priviledge of Volunteering for both the Junos and Canadian Music Week this year-it is my way of saying Thank you to all my Musician friends for everything that they do that makes the world a better place.
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