Sunday, December 30, 2018

Preparing for Emergencies



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 Are you and your family ready to face an emergency such as a flood, wildfire, earthquake or power outage? Do you have an emergency plan and an emergency kit to survive the first 72 hours following a disaster? Here are essentials tips to be better prepared and to recover from emergencies.
Identify Possible Emergency Disaster HazardsCheck with your local disaster management office to determine what potential risks exist in your area. Emergency risks include natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes as well as man-caused disasters such as chemical spills, nuclear waste problems, and radiation leakage. Each of these circumstances will require specific actions to reduce risk, prepare for disaster, and recover from an emergency situation.
Evaluate Your Property for Emergency Disaster Risk
Even if you don’t live in a disaster-prone area, certain features about your property can place you at risk for an emergency. Dry wood and underbrush near your home can put you at risk for fire; a nearby river or stream can overflow and cause flooding, especially for homes with basements; and living in mountainous areas can place you at risk for landslides. Stay in tune with the potential hazards around your home, including seasonal hazards such as snowstorms in winter and fires after a hot, dry summer.
Prepare an Emergency Plan
By definition, emergencies happen when we don't expect them, and often when families are not together. Suddenly, you need to think about your kids at school or elderly parents across town. If phones don’t work, or some neighbourhoods aren’t accessible, what will you do?
Having a family emergency plan will save time and make real situations less stressful. The Canadian government has published a small guide to help with this task. You can download a copy at the following link: https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/yprprdnssgd-eng.pdf
Keep an Emergency Kit
In case of a major event, you will need some basic supplies set aside. Many emergency kit items may already be in your home. It's just a question of taking the time to put your emergency kit together. Your emergency kit should contain basic survival items such as water, dried food, flashlight and batteries, radio, first aid kit, and cash in smaller bills. 
Stay Informed During an emergency, it is important to stay informed and listen to the local authorities for instructions.
The Red Cross has detailed information on disaster preparedness on its website at www.redcross.ca/disasterpreparedness. It also provides educational programs for children and youth at www.redcross.ca/educatorsresources.
Don’t be caught unprepared. Know the risks and take steps to plan for them. Make sure to stock up on emergency food and water as well as first aid supplies and lighting and heating. You can never be too prepared to save your family.

Friday, December 7, 2018

Novermber Average Home Prices and Sales Stats for K-W. How does your home compare?




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Last month a total of 483 residential properties sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area through the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR). Home sales were up 14.2 per cent in November compared to the same month last year, and up 19 per cent compared to the previous 10-year November average of 406 sales, making it the second-best November on record.

November’s sales included 265 detached (up 9.5 per cent compared to November 2017), and 152 condominium units (up 52 per cent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 27 semi-detached homes (down 46 per cent) and 31 freehold townhouses (up 14.8 per cent).

"For the second straight month we are reporting stronger than average sales," said KWAR President Brian Santos. "The prospect of further interest rate increases that were indicated last month could be responsible for the current surge in home sales."

The average sale price of all residential properties sold in November increased 7.6 per cent to $477,526 compared to the same month a year ago. Detached homes sold for an average price of $580,551 an increase of 12.8 per cent compared to November of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $305,334 an increase of 10 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $361,177 (down 2 per cent) and $416,878 (up 10.7 per cent) respectively.

The median price of all residential properties sold last month was up 6.3 per cent compared to November of last year at $443,800 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 9.5 per cent to $520,000.
"Waterloo region continues to be a very desirable place for purchasing a home," says Santos. "Affordability is a concern in Waterloo Region as we continue to see prices increase, especially for detached homes. While we believe this is more a reflection of our region being "discovered" by buyers from the GTA, it is resulting in more entry-level clients pursuing condominiums and townhomes. Combined with an ongoing tight supply of listings buyers are facing continued upward pressure on sale prices in the region."

REALTORS® listed 597 residential properties in K-W and area in last month, a 1.1 per cent decrease compared to November of last year, but 18.2 per cent above the historical ten-year average of 505. However, the number of active residential listings on the KWAR’s MLS® System to the end of November totalled 888, which is 12.8 per cent lower than November of last year and 449 units fewer than the previous ten-year average of 1,337 listings for November.