Home reno program filling up

RAFAEL BRUSILOW, FOR METRO CANADA

January 13, 2009 01:00

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to renovate a house, a new program at Humber might be for you.

Hoping to capitalize on the home renovation industry, the Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning will offer a Home Renovation Technician diploma program at its Toronto and Orangeville campuses starting in September. 

The intensive one-year program will run a full 12 months through the summer of 2010, letting students complete the equivalent of four semesters of study in three semesters — essentially doing a two-year diploma in one year.

“It’s for people who want to build things — it’s designed to provide them an opportunity to get their hands dirty,” said Joe Andrews, director of Humber’s Orangeville campus. 

Guy Morrison, co-ordinator of the program at Humber, says students will get to put their renovation skills to the test in a real-world setting as Humber is building two houses in a special warehouse near campus. 

“When students will install a kitchen or a bathroom, they’ll actually do it in a real house, so it’s a lot more realistic,” Morrison said.

With decades of renovation experience himself as a carpenter and electrician, Morrison says the thrill he still gets out of doing a renovation work boils down to the knowledge that you’ve done a good day’s work.

“The satisfaction of seeing the finished product and knowing that you did it — that’s something I still don’t know how to describe, but it’s a good feeling,” Morrison said.

Humber is taking 20 students for the program at the Orangeville campus and 20 at its Rexdale campus in Toronto in September and 40 more Toronto students in the spring of 2010. 

Spots are filling up quickly, so Morrison suggests getting in touch with Humber before the end of January if you’re interested. 

You can find out more about the program at www.humber.ca or contact Guy Morrison directly at guy.morrison@humber.ca.

Joe Switalski's lessons in renovation

December 26, 2008

Lessons in renovation

Joe Switalski learned a lot from his renovation. Here are some of his tips: Think vertically in a small space. He reclaimed lost space over the old cabinets by replacing them with 42-inch-tall, honey birch cabinets that reach the ceiling.  Make windows look taller to give an illusion of height. He hung silk panels near the crown molding above the dining room windows. Celebrate original details. Rather than sanding the original knockdown plaster walls, Switalski embraced them. He painted the inside of the house a light tan, except for the back wall of the dining room/kitchen, which he painted deep, rich brown.

keep the lighting soft. He installed dimmers on every light in the house.  Save money with minor changes.Switalski saved the charm (and money) in the bathroom by keeping the original ceramic, aqua blue tile framed with a black, bullnose edge. The aqua-toned mosaic floor and white bathtub are also original. When he added a white pedestal sink, he moved the medicine cabinet to the side wall and replaced it with a large mirror that reaches the ceiling. Don't forget curb appeal. He paved the driveway, carport and curved path that leads to the front porch with Old Chicago brick-style pavers. Four-inch tumbled marble, similar in color to the pavers, cover the formerly cement porch. A bronze bistro table with two matching chairs and a pineapple porch light welcome visitors. 

The Reno Coach

Canadian Institute Construction Superconference

Knowing what your policy covers ‘imperative,’ insurer says

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

While insurance is indispensable for construction projects, just having coverage isn’t enough, says a leading provider of insurance services.

With the numerous risks that are inherent in construction, it is imperative owners, contractors, designers and other industry professionals be thoroughly familiar with what their insurance covers, said Barry Smith, senior vice-president, Marsh Canada Limited.

The first step in that process is identifying those risks such as potential damage to adjacent property, losses causes by both excusable and inexcusable delays and damage to contractors’ equipment, especially for not-easily replaced machinery.

“Some equipment can be very expensive. If a large piece of equipment is damaged and the contractor can’t purchase another one, what will happen to the project?”

Barry Smith

Transit and marine cargo insurance is also important when the project requires the long-distance transport of expensive equipment from the manufacturer to the job site. An example might be the three-month ship transport of a chiller. “What happens if the ship sinks or is attacked by pirates?”

Smith was one of the speakers at the Canadian Institute’s Construction Superconference held recently in Toronto.

He also advised people to obtain transit insurance when materials and/or equipment can’t be stored at the building site.

A thorough review of both car and truck insurance, especially how it pertains to vehicles on and off site, is always a good idea. “There are a lot of heavy trucks driving around.”

Automobile insurance covers physical damage to vehicles, as well as third-party bodily injury and property damage, said Smith. “It should cover all vehicles, owned, leased or licensed and should be provided by all parties to the construction project.”

Touching on the diverse nature of building construction, Smith advised the audience to thoroughly understand the different insurance requirements for new construction versus renovations work.

In renovation projects, contractors are usually responsible for damage to the structure. They may be covered under builders’ risk policies. But insurance often becomes expensive if the building’s value is more than that of the renovation, said Smith.

Contractors “need to deal with a broker that specializes in construction insurance.”

Rundown cabin is not just for anyone

REAL ESTATE: TORONTO ISLANDS

You have to be on a special purchasers list even to be in the running for this small house on Ward's Island

MARINA JIMÉNEZ

December 8, 2008

While housing prices have taken a recent tumble, an old wooden cabin going for $22,900 on the Toronto Island on Lake Ontario still seems like an absolute steal.

The chocolate-brown house on Ward's Island is one of just 262 in North America's largest car-free community, just a 10-minute ferry ride away from the heart of downtown, with a stunning view of the skyline.

But No. 12 Second Street isn't on any real estate listings, and not just anyone can put in an offer. The price is fixed (and doesn't include $48,825 for the lease), and you have to be on a special "purchasers list" to qualify as a potential buyer.

Even still, the cabin is a definite teardown, with a rodent-sized hole chewed through a front-facing log, piles of dead leaves on the deck, cobwebs around the window screens and a contented community of raccoons living at the back. 

"It's totally unrealistic to think you can get a livable house for $22,900," said Pam Mazza, a long-time Island resident. "What you're really buying is an opportunity to live on the Island, to live on a land trust and to be serviced by a boat."

The Island offers a unique blend of urban and country living. Blustery in the winter, it is an idyllic spot in summer with clean beaches and bike trails that run its entire length. It maintains a rare sense of neighbourliness, and is at once safe, tranquil and spirited, attracting artists, writers, professors and teachers.

The Island, which used to be municipal land, was transferred to the province through a land swap in 1993 to resolve a long-standing dispute between Island residents and Metropolitan Toronto, which wanted to turn their homes into parkland. The Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation was created.

Whenever a house comes up for sale, it is offered to the first 100 people on a list of 500 potential purchasers. Openings on the list are filled through a lottery system.

The Trust board, composed of two island residents and four provincial bureaucrats, acts as the intermediary between buyer and seller. Once the sale offers go out, potential buyers are given several weeks to respond, and the sale is awarded to the person who holds the lowest number on the list.

There is no negotiation about the price, which is based on the replacement cost, and determined by a set formula. "When you have a trust, you don't participate in market real estate forces and there are no windfall profits," Trust chairwoman Ellen Allen said.

Yesterday, a man who is No. 64 on the list came by to look at the most recent listing, which sits on a 40-foot-by-50-foot lot. "He's been on the list for 14 years," said Ruth Howard, who lives across the street.

Even though renovation costs are 30 to 40 per cent higher than in the city, because of the logistical difficulties of bringing in construction materials, turnover of residents is very low. "Living here isn't necessarily a good financial deal," Ms. Howard said. "It is the lifestyle."

A retail-free zone, there are no shops, dry cleaners or grocery stores here, although there is a primary school. Residents get around by bike and haul their groceries in wagons from the city.

Originally, the Island was a sandy, marshy peninsula. However, in 1858 a major storm cut through the narrow eastern neck and created an island. It was first populated by fishermen, but soon cottages were built and by the turn of the century the summer population had reached between 1,000 and 3,000, and included prominent Toronto families such as the Masseys and the Gooderhams, according toThe Essential Toronto Island Guide, by long-time residents Linda Rosenbaum and Peter Dean.

In the 1950s, the Metro government wanted to turn the entire island into a park, and bulldozed 750 homes at Hanlan's Point. The remaining islanders put up a fight to save their community, a battle that wasn't settled until the land swap in 1993. The Island remains a very popular place to live.

"We can't guarantee there will even be a house sold every year," said Ms. Mazza. "If you're in the first 100 on the list, you'll likely get a chance to put in an offer. But you won't get the house unless the other 99 people ahead of you don't want it."

Dead man gets mortgage worth whopping $533G

BY WILLIAM SHERMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, December 3rd 2008, 1:37 AM

HMPeterson

Willie Thomas

Related News

ARTICLES

• It took 90 minutes to 'steal' the Empire State Building

Eugene Thomas had been dead 19 years as of Sept. 13, 2007.

On that day, "Thomas" showed up to sell his Jamaica, Queens, house to a man named Tolessi Enyonam - and lawyers, a mortgage broker and a title company representative at the closing found nothing wrong.

They didn't care much about ID, either: The buyer and seller presented green cards as identification.

At the closing, Enyonam also took out a $533,000 mortgage fromWells Fargo bank on the Union Hall St. house.

The deed transfer and the mortgage were duly recorded by the office of the city register.

The transactions have since blown up.

"Thomas" was con man Willie Thomas, who was paid about $1,000 for his brief acting stint, according to Queens Assistant District Attorney Kristen Kane.

While Tolessi Enyonam does exist - and Enyonam is a woman, not a man - she's not the person who bought the house and took out the mortgage.

"We don't know who that person is," said Kane, explaining that the male mastermind of the scheme stole the real Enyonam's identity for use in the transactions.

The scam chief replicated the real Enyonam's green card so it had his photo on it.

"Then, he disappeared with the mortgage money," Kane said.

Willie Thomas has been charged with grand larceny.

Prosecutors say they have since learned that others were involved in the scam, including an accountant, a city clerk and a disbarred lawyer.

Authorities say the ring stole another house in Queens and a third house inBrooklyn for a total mortgage takedown of $1.4 million.

In the aftermath, the real Tolessi Enyonam's credit has been ruined, and the bank is foreclosing against Eugene Thomas' widow, Dorothy, 74, who has lived at the Jamaica house for more than 30 years.

"I don't know any of those people, never met them, never heard of them," Dorothy Thomas said. "It's unbelievable what happened." 

www.the-reno-coach.com

Ontario builders seek relief in budget

Ontario builders seek relief in budget

TORONTO STAR GRAPHIC

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TONY WONG 
BUSINESREPORTER

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's top priorities in the upcoming 2009 budget should be job creation and infrastructure projects in an effort to stave off a devastating slowdown in the economy, according to the province's property developers.

A survey by the Ontario Home Builders' Association found more than a third of builders expect to lay off staff for 2009.

"People will continue to work and we can ensure adequate roads, transit and residential services are upgraded and expanded," OHBA president Frank Giannone said.

Job creation, infrastructure spending and personal and corporate tax reductions were the top three priorities identified by home builders. A balanced budget was in fourth place. Financing in tight credit markets was another issue.

About 47 per cent of home builders surveyed said availability of financing was down. A third also said they had difficulty financing new home and renovation projects.

Meanwhile, separate reports released yesterday show the housing market hasn't hit bottom yet.

"Issues affecting the overall economy are impacting housing markets across the country and the situation is not expected to be remedied until consumer confidence is restored," ReMax Ontario Atlantic Canada executive vice-president Michael Polzler stated in a report.

ReMax is forecasting average prices across Canada will fall 3 per cent this year and 2 per cent next year to $293,000.

Other forecasters however, are taking a gloomier view.

Carl Gomez, vice-president of research for real estate consultants Bentall Investment Management, said prices have to fall nationally by at least 10 per cent from their peak to return to normal valuations. In Alberta and British Columbia, where prices have gone up a lot quicker than the national average, values may have to fall by as much as 30 per cent. However, prices may fall further than that as the market seeks to correct itself, Gomez stated in a report released this week.

"All markets in Canada are facing deteriorating economic conditions that are likely to either accelerate or cause a larger than required cumulative decline in house prices."

Prices in Ontario are about 10 per cent overvalued, but could fall further depending on economic conditions, Gomez stated.

"The recent deterioration of macro economic conditions and the potential for deflation to affect all asset prices in the current environment could potentially result in Ontario home prices falling by even more than the expected 10 per cent," Gomez stated.

Globally, Canada is in better shape than other industrialized countries because home prices increased far more moderately, by about 80 per cent between 1997 and 2008, according to the report.

By contrast, Britain and Spain saw increases of 200 per cent in the same period. United States house prices jumped 190 per cent between 1997 and 2006 before crashing in 2007.

Another, tough-minded report yesterday by the Center for Economic Policy and Research in Washington says U.S. house prices must fall further to stabilize the market.

"Prices in many markets are still hugely out of line with trend levels," it said.

"As long as house price remains inflated there is no way that the market can stabilize since there will continue to be a large excess supply."

The best way to stabilize house prices is to deflate the bubbles by allowing government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refuse to buy mortgages in markets in which house prices are out of line, said the U.S. report. ."

Ontario homeowners are showing more enthusiasm for home renovations, according to a new RBC survey

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- RY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Ontario homeowners are showing more enthusiasm for home renovations, according to a new RBC survey. The poll, conducted by Ipsos Reid, found that 71 per cent of Ontarians surveyed plan to renovate within the next two years, just above the national average of 70 per cent and up five percentage points from 2007. Of those polled, 75 per cent said that if their homes were in need of major renovations, they would still rather assume the work themselves, than sell and move.
"Despite the current economic uncertainty, we can expect to see a moderate increase in renovation activity in Ontario over the next couple years," says Catherine Adams, vice-president, Home Equity Financing. "For those making renovation plans, it's important to carefully consider all the potential costs involved, obtain quotes, look for the best financing options and set a realistic budget that you'll be able to stick to."

Among homeowners who have completed renovation projects in the last two years, the poll found that 67 per cent of respondents in Ontario had a budget for their renovations. Of those, 46 per cent said they went over budget, by an average of 25 per cent. In fact, Ontarians were more likely than homeowners in other regions to say going over budget was their biggest renovation mistake or disaster (28 per cent). Despite budget overages, the majority of Ontarians (72 per cent) are likely to pay for most or all of their renovations with cash or savings.

The average amount that Ontario homeowners plan to spend on their renovations is also up over last year from $10,489 to $12,306 - well above the national average of $10,853 and just shy of Alberta ($12,420) which has the largest average budget spend in the country.

The most popular choices for renovations and home improvements among Ontarians include new floors (42 per cent), bathrooms (40 per cent), and exterior landscaping (36 per cent). Kitchen counter tops (30 per cent) and decks and patios (26 per cent) were also among the most likely makeover choices.

Eco-friendly renovations

More than three-quarters of Ontario homeowners (78 per cent) would choose an environmentally-friendly approach if it would save money in the long run, even if it costs more now. Of those polled, 56 per cent would consider "living off the grid" - living in a self sufficient manner without reliance on public utilities, while 67 per cent of Ontario homeowners would consider becoming 'net zero' household, enabling their homes to produce at least as much energy as they use. The majority of Ontarians (78 per cent) believe that 'green' improvements would increase the value of their home.

<< Intentions among Regions Average Spend ------------------------ ------------- Ontario 71% $12,306 BC 69% $10,064 Alberta 74% $12,422 Sask/Man 71% $ 9,743 Quebec 67% $ 8,463 Atlantic Canada 73% $10,042 Renovate or Sell/Move --------------------- Region Renovate Sell Ontario 75% 19% BC 75% 19% Alberta 71% 23% Sask/Man 75% 17% Quebec 74% 17% Atlantic Canada 78% 15% >>

These are some of the findings of an RBC poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between August 13 and August 18, 2008. The online survey is based on a randomly selected representative sample of 3,733 adult Canadian homeowners, including 1,423 Ontario residents. With a representative sample of this size for Ontario, the results are considered accurate to within 2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Ontario been polled. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2006 census data.