?Garden City Realty Inc., Brokerage Call me to sell your home! MARGARET VAIL SALES REP 63922687 905.641.1110 www.margaretvail.com A WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FEATURE ? friday, november 27, 2009 View online at www.stcatharinesstandard.ca, click on the real estate tab North end family home upgraded with taste by MOLLY HARDING advertising features writer design & layout by EMILY SMYTH Feature Home presented by Steve Vanvelzen, Sales Representative, Re/Max Garden City Realty Inc. Brokerage Feature Home continues on pages 8 & 9 63916395 Call Sarah Digweed Sales Rep. Claude Corriveau Sales Rep. Sarah & Claude And Make It Your Best Move Yet! Sally McGarr Realty Corp. Brokerage 905-687-9229 63885739 ...

ASK A REALTOR ® ... E2 St. Catharines Homes WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP THE HST! REALTORS ® have sent more than 14,000 emails to members of Provincial Parliament opposing sales tax harmonization (HST) On November 16th the Government of Ontario formally launched its formal assault on home owners, purchasers and sellers with the introduction of Bill 218 - the Ontario Tax Plan for More Jobs and Growth Act, 2009 Home buyers and sellers will pay 8% more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspections and moving costs - even the new home energy audit! Homeowners will also have to pay an additional 8% on many services required to maintain their homes. These services were previously exempt from PST and include utilities, home renovation labour, landscaping, and snow removal and many others. Ontario Real Estate Association estimates HST on these services will add $480 in annual tax to the home owner (based on a family that budgets $500 per month for such costs). Every MPP has ...

Buying your first home NEWS CANADA There?s nothing quite like owning your own home ? getting to know your neighbours, decorating your home and creating a place that you can call your own. But owning a home is not quite as simple as finding the right home in the right neighbourhood; your financial situation can be an important factor in the type of home you can afford. For example, you will need to determine how much you have available for a down payment, and, based on your budget, what mortgage payment you can comfortably carry. By answering these questions, you will be able to make a smart and informed decision before you buy the home that is right for you. One of the most common first-time home buyer questions is affordability. Here are four ways to help make your home buying experience smooth and straightforward: 1. Understand Your Financial Situation: Your financial needs will change and evolve throughout your life. Working with a trained professional to understand your current fin ...

SAT 2-4 PM 20 MERRITT STREET, FONTHILL Little Bit Country! Bungalow w/1600 sq.ft. on mn lvl. Open concept kitchen w/oak cabinets & center island, DR, great rm, 3 bdrms, 2 baths & laundry on mn lvl. Rec rm, kitchen, 3 bdrms & bath lower level. C/A, C/V, 3-tiered deck w/hot tub. 2 car garage w/ entrance to basement. Call ROSEMARY BARFOOT* to view 905-736-0271. $199,900 SUN 2-4 PM 264 LINWELL RD. Immaculate north end bungalow. Updates include: remodeled kit/bths, windows, refin. Hdwd flrs, newer rec rm 2009, furnace/central air 2008, 100 amp breakers, ceramic flrs, newer front door, pressure treated deck 2009. 2+1 bdrms. All located on a lrg lot w/triple driveway. Close to all amenities. Just move in! Near Geneva St. STAN MCLEOD* 905-708-9684 direct. $255,900 SUN 2-4 PM 10 ELDERWOOD DR. UNIT 20 Updated 3 bedroom end unit BUNGALOW WITH LOFT CONDO offers: garage entry, main floor laundry, master & ensuite, fireplace, dining rm & finished basement. LINDA LANDRY* 905-937-6000. Photos: www.lin ...

LEED Canada for Homes: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design CELEBRATING OUR TOP PRODUCER JULY 2009 INDIVIDUALS RUNNER UP OFFICE Bob Fast* Christopher Balogh* Maywood Alison Scott* TEAMS John Snowiling* Lakeport Jonathan Fast* Barbara/Brian Sukkau** Maywood AUGUST 2009 INDIVIDUALS Vince Marsico** Judi Megarity* Maywood Elizabeth Barr* Carol Lotz* Lakeport TEAMS Brian/Barbara Sukkau** Mark/Pat Bolton* Maywood SEPTEMBER 2009 INDIVIDUALS Vince Marsico** Pearl Paul* Maywood Tim Salisbury** TEAMS Jake Warkentin* Lakeport Jo-Ann/Allan Gilbert* Barbara/Brian Sukkau** Maywood *Sales Representative **Broker 33 Maywood Ave. 905.688.4561 101 Lakeport Rd. 905.937.6000 OPEN SUNDAY 2-4 7 GALE CRES UNIT 1208 ? $214,900 1400 sq ft condo apartment. 2 BR 2 Baths. Kitchen w dinette. LR/ DR open concept. Gorgeous views. Indoor Pool. Sauna. Multiple gathering rms. Workshop. Phyllis Lottridge in attendance. Phyllis Lottridge Sales Representative 905-708-8050 Direct NEWS CANADA Until very recently, L ...

CHERYLL GILLESPIE Special to Sun Media Tis the season that family and friends arrive to visit. We can hardly wait to have them spend a few days with us in our home, to catch up, to have some laughs, reminisce about the good old days and to make new memories. We love these folks and we want to make them feel as comfortable and as welcome in our home as possible, so let?s tweak the guest room before they arrive. If your guest room needs a major overhaul, good thing I got you rolling with a few weeks to spare. Start from the top and work your way down: does the ceiling need paint? If it?s a flat ceiling, how about painting it a metallic silver or gold, or how List and Sell your Home for *Not intended to solicit properties already listed, minimum $1,500, $295 Marketing Program. 301 Louth Street ? St. Catharines, Ontario ? L2S 3V6 ? www.bossrealty.ca ? T 905.688.6242 ? F 905.688.9920 E6 St. Catharines Homes about a wall tattoo? Or hanging patterned wallpaper or tin panels to create visual d ...

Don?t worry, this is not a giant or outrageously expensive project. Depending on the current state of the room and your budget, you?re looking at between $200 and $1,500. So, depending on what you did on the ceiling, next step is taking care of your walls and windows. In a bedroom, it?s generally best to keep all four walls the same colour, texture or pattern. Incorporate luxurious linens, velvets and satins in soothing neutral shades give the room a sense of refined opulence. Hang some drapery panels, which always make a space feel cozy and warm. And don?t scrimp. Many folks are afraid to expand the window by 63906703 Feng shui Feeling extra stressed? Then be sure to leave out patterns such as diamonds and bold geometrics which according to Feng Shui practitioners can elevate your stress level. hanging the drapery past the window frame; I often go wall to wall with my bedroom drapery. ?Finally, we get to the bed, the main feature and focal point of the room.? Make sure you have a head ...

By MOLLY HARDING Advertising features writer E8 St. Catharines Homes Steve Vanvelzen Sales Representative With 2,500 square feet of living space, an oversized heated pool and completely finished interior, 3 St. Louis Pl. in the city?s north end is a very desirable property. It?s a family-sized backsplit, well landscaped in front but the functional backyard has been given over to pleasure rather than work. For not a blade of grass shows its head in the patio or pool surround, so the only effort needed here is to climb out of the pool. Within walking distance of the lake and with two parks and walking trails close by, it?s an ideal area for someone who enjoys nature but also wants the municipal services and cultural entertainment of the city. From the double driveway, which can accommodate four cars, you enter the front door from a covered porch. In the front hall, there are a couple of things to notice: fi rst the niche in the wall that offers lots of opportunity to display artwork or f ...

Take the last set of stairs from the hallway to the top level and you?ll fi nd three bedrooms and a four-piece bathroom with whirlpool tub. The current homeowners have taken great care to maintain this attractive home, and have done a great deal of upgrading, with newer carpeting, ceramic floors through kitchen, bathrooms and the high traffi c areas and hardwood in living and dining rooms. Interior doors, light fi xtures and paint were all new in 2008, and most of the windows have also been replaced. The house has newer central air conditioning as well as a central vacuum system. Feature Home photos by photographer JULIE JOCSAK OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT TO RIGHT living room, dining room, kitchen THIS PAGE LEFT TO RIGHT den, rec room, bathroom, living room, bedroom, porch, pool, offi ce Take a Tour of the Property Friday, November, 27, 2009 E9 ...

63927412 The Standard Homes Friday November 27, 2009 For Advertising Information Call 905-684-7251 NORTH $114,900 36-2 WEIDEN ST. - 3 bedroom condo townhome. New flooring, furnace ?08, A/C ?06, new light fixtures, newer roof and windows, fully finished basement. No rear neighbours! Call the ANSAR TEAM today. Sarah Danial & Anthony Stehouwer Sales Representatives NORTH $619,900 701 Geneva St. #2603 - Are you looking for luxurious condo living? This 2700 sqft penthouse features 2 bdrms & den, 2 bths, pool, workout rm, hot tub, 2 skylights, underground parking. Call Nicole to view. NICOLE FLOWERS- DAVIS Sales Representative HOMELIFE ACTION REALTY INC., BROKERAGE 905-984-6111 Niagara Realty Ltd., Brokerage 905-356-9600 SOUTH $149,900 75 WILEY ST. - PACKED WITH POTENTIAL. Priced for quick sale! Charming home w/lots of character. Updated lrg mn bth. Mn flr laundry. Mn flr bdrm + 2 more up. Natural wood trim. Hdwd flrs w/decorative inlay. Det?d garage w/hydro & workbench. Great location. Avai ...