Today's Homes and Condos, Oct. 20, 2016 by Today’s Homes & Condos

INSIDE: CONDOS, TOWNS & SEMIS

homes&C CoNDos T O D AY ’ S

NEW HOME BUYER’S GUIDE SErviNg TOrONTO & YOrk rEgiON OCTOBER 20 - NOvEmBER 2 2016

disTRiBuTiON: 225,500

Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 2

Families find what they’re looking for at Marlin Spring’s new community

amily buyers looking designs, expansive terraces for the perfect place and brick pergolas for the to build a vibrant, perfect blend of indoor balanced life for their loved and outdoor living. The ones have made The Mack a Vaughan-based, awardhuge hit — Vaughan’s most winning architectural firm compelling new community RN Design brings a timeless is now 85 per cent sold and esthetic and their own just recently broke ground. reputation for excellence to Developer Marlin Spring’s this exciting community. The Mack has all the green spaces, excellent schools and recreational options required for a happy, healthy life while also offering quick, easy access to highways 400, 407 and 427. “The City Above Toronto” has a well-earned reputation as one of Ontario’s best family-oriented locations. With so much to offer, Shoppers flock to more than settling down doesn’t have 165 stores at Vaughan Mills, while kids will love the to mean settling! Put your Legloland Discovery Centre. family first and come home The Kortright Centre for to life at The Mack. Conservation, five area golf (Pictured L to R: Zev Mandelbaum, Elliot Kazarnovsky & Benjamin Bakst (Marlin Spring); Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua & Councillor Rosanna Marlin Spring has built DeFrancesca (City of Vaughan); Elvira Caria & Sam Audia (Vellore Woods Ratepayers Association) courses and the Magnotta a reputation as one of the winery are among the many GTA’s leading residential from it all right in their own homes. Spa- stunning, three-bedroom layouts starting options for recreation. developers, with about a million square At The Mack, clean contemporary style and like baths, smart built-ins and cozy fireplace at more than 1,600 up to nearly 2,400 sq. ft. tons of natural light highlight each spacious options bring a high-end urban feel to these Stunning style doesn’t mean compromising feet currently under development. Find out townhome. The award-winning designers dramatic spaces. Modern lighting, neutral on day-to-day functionality, with tons of why The Mack is hitting home for so many at U31 have created open concept interiors pallets, sleek stone and wood finishes are the storage, breakfast nooks and conveniently families — a great selection of townhomes located laundry rooms. Complementing still remains, starting from $799,900. Visit that help bring families closer, and master perfect foundation for designer dreams. bedroom oases that let residents get away No detail was overlooked in a variety of the elegant interiors are charming rear-lane www.marlinspring.com/themack today!

‘The Mack, Vaughan’s most compelling new community’

news from BILD

Lack of shoveL-ready Land impacting new home prices

hile the growing challenge of housing affordability in the GTA is complicated, no one should say that the Ontario government’s growth policies are not contributing to the problem. Housing supply, development and land use all have a direct bearing on the price of housing and decisions about them should be based on facts and evidence. Commentary by the organization whose work informed the development of the Province’s growth policies is not helping inform an evidence based discussion. The Neptis Foundation has been in the news recently saying that the GTA has plenty of land available for home building and therefore lack of land isn’t causing prices to rise. Neptis is focusing on the wrong things. Home prices are increasing mostly because there are not enough new low-rise homes being built to meet demand and that is due to government intensification policies, ever growing amounts of red tape and a lack of serviced land. The overall amount of land earmarked for development is not the issue limiting our supply of housing, rather it is how little of that land has the critical infrastructure in place to make developing it possible. Due to

decades of underinvestment, the GTA has an acute infrastructure shortage and most land designated for development has water and waste water servicing in place. Planning and building such infrastructure takes decades. The Neptis says that 45 per cent of the land developed in the GTA in the past 10 years was in Brampton, Vaughan and Milton. Not surprising since those municipalities had the necessary water and waste water

Bryan Tuckey President of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)

infrastructure that has made developing them to date possible. East Gwillimbury, Seaton, Oakville and Whitby are municipalities that Neptis identified as having used little of their land supply. There has been little development in East Gwillimbury and Seaton due to a lack of water and waste water servicing. Major home building in East Gwillimbury is contingent upon the completion of a major waste water

project which was approved in 2002 and expected to be complete in 2018. However the project is delayed and it won’t be ready until 2024 at the earliest and more likely 2028. In Seaton, construction of water and waste water infrastructure to service designated lands is similarly far behind schedule. Complex and lengthy land planning approvals are also negatively impacting home building. Regulatory approval timelines and municipal phasing policies make much of the land that Neptis identifies as designated and available, undevelopable anytime soon. That is the case for land in both Whitby and Oakville. So while land might be out there, it is not available for use. No developer or builder is sitting on land when they could be building and selling homes so that GTA families can fulfill their dreams of home ownership. Bryan Tuckey is President and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and is a land-use planner who has worked for municipal, regional and provincial governments. He can be found on Twitter (twitter.com/bildgta), Facebook (facebook.com/bildgta) and BILD’s official online blog (bildblogs.ca).

3 • Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016

Vaughan loVes the mack

Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 4

cover story

FIND YOUR IDEAL NEW TOWNHOME DURING AVERTON’S “MY KIND OF TOWN” EVENT

rom Kleinburg to Peterborough, from Etobicoke to Niagara on the Lake, Averton Homes offers homes around the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Averton Homes is holding a “My Kind of Town” event where you will discover an irresistible collection of townhomes in a variety of places people love to call home. In York Region, Village Green is coming soon to the Village of Mount Albert. Live in GTA’s most charming location where the countryside frames the area’s residential communities with rolling hills, regional forests and conservation areas. Residents will live minutes to comprehensive urban amenities, making Averton’s community ideal for families. Village Green will offer two-, three- and four-bedroom homes ranging from 1,108 up to 1,791 square feet, with prices starting from the high $500,000s. The different designs offer gourmet-style eat-in kitchens, recreation rooms, and relaxing master bedrooms that lead to spa-inspired ensuites. Register now for special incentives and for your Preview Opening Invitation at Averton.ca If Mount Albert sounds perfect, but you are looking for a detached home, check out Averton’s Victoria Highlands. Priced from the mid $800,000, these homes won’t last long. For more information, please call 416-924-0110. Also in York Region, Averton Common in prestigious Kleinburg features Condominium Villas from the high-$600,000s to over $1 million. Model suites are open, and ravine suites are available with 30-day closings. Call 416-646-9898. In Durham Region, Averton offers Beacon Hill in beautiful Bowmanville. These spacious townhomes range from two-

to four-bedrooms with luxurious finishes. Live minutes to parks, conservation areas, schools, shopping, recreation complexes, the Waterfront Trail, and less than an hour from Toronto. Prices begin from the mid $400,000s. Call 905-674-6166. You will find superb heritage-inspired brownstone townhomes priced from the mid $400,000s and surrounded by lush greenery at Main Street Seaton in Pickering. Select from back-to-back garden towns, conventional coach towns and contemporary urban towns. Main Street Seaton represents the GTA’s best new home value. Call 289-545-0022. A little farther east, Averton will soon open its newest estate community, The Estates at Riverbend - detached bungalows and twostorey homes on 70-foot lots in Peterborough. These residences feature spectacular river views, plus garages for up to four vehicles. Register now to get yourself onto the Preview Opening Event list. Visit Averton.ca. Maybe you have your sights set on Toronto? In the hot residential destination of Etobicoke, Evolution is Averton’s condominium where suites begin from just the low $300,000s. Discover downtown cool in this modern glassand-steel tower at Dundas and Islington. Call 416-746-1234. Rounding out Averton’s collection of communities is Averton Square on gorgeous Niagara-on-the-Lake. Here you TO bOOK YOur AD, CAll YOur TODAY’s hOMes & CONDOs sAles TeAM: :

homes&C CoNDos

Shelley Thompson

T O D AY ’ S

YOUR NEW HOME BUYER’S GUIDE

sthompson@yrmg.com 416-500-5982

Publisher:

GeNerAl MANAGer:

905-853-8888 dana.robbins@metroland.com

905-853-8888 ssauve@metroland.com

Dana Robbins

Shaun Sauve

Monika Madden

mmadden@yrmg.com 905-717-0382

will find townhomes of up to four bedrooms priced from the mid $500,000s, as well as bungalows with lofts priced from the $700,000s. Imagine living a short stroll to the theatres, restaurants, galleries and the Heritage District that make this town so popular! Call 905-378-2500. More than 50 years of experience forms the foundation of Averton Homes’ reputation for excellence in residential design and construction quality. The company’s principles of design and innovation have made Averton an industry leader. Visit Averton.ca. Members of B.I.L.D. BUILDING A GREATER GTA

ADVerTisiNG PubliCATiON/ sAles MANAGer: sPeCiAl FeATures eDiTOr:

Amanda Smug

Dorothea Helms

905-853-8888 asmug@metroland.com

905-852-9294 writer@wsws.ca

Building Industry and Land Development Association

Visit their website at: www.bildgta.ca

Today’s Homes & Condos and its advertisers are not responsible for errors made in advertisements or editorial. All prices are correct at press time, however, due to the lead time required to publish Today’s Homes & Condos, prices and other conditions may have changed. Please note prices and conditions are subject to change without notice.

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5 • Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016

design is everything.

Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 6

EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS IN NEW HOME CHOICES

ngoing media reports focus on the high price of new homes in Canada, especially in the Greater Toronto Area. When I started in the industry in 1993, I never dreamed I’d see the average price of a low-rise home in the GTA exceed $900,000, which it did in August. Many potential home-buyers, especially first-time buyers, feel shut out of the market. The silver lining in this financial cloud is twofold: one, our mortgage interest rates are still unbelievably low; and two, detached lowrise homes represent only one option in our thriving new home marketplace. Owning a detached low-rise home used to be the popular residential goal of traditional families. Today, families come in a variety of configurations, and detached singles are far

When I started in the industry in 1993, I never dreamed I’d see the average price of a low-rise home in the GTA exceed $900,000, which it did in August. from the only solution to their evolving housing needs. As the saying goes, “We’ve come a long way, baby” from the home designs of thirty years ago. Today’s layouts live much larger than their square feet. Take condominiums. Even the most compact condo suites are designed to take advantage of every

Today, families come in a variety of configurations, and detached singles are far from the only solution to their evolving housing needs. square foot, with open-concept areas, floorto-ceiling windows that bring in natural light, linear kitchens and the like. Remember, too, that condominium buildings include amenities areas for the use of all residents. This means that suite owners don’t need space for gym equipment, large home theatre areas, billiards tables, hot tubs or even the ability to seat 12 for dinner. Today’s party rooms, rooftop barbecue areas,

Dorothea Helms Connects people and ideas, and can be reached at writer@wsws.ca

Today’s layouts live much larger than their square feet.

games rooms, theatres, fitness centres and pools are beautifully designed and are essentially extensions of suite owners’ living spaces.

In a condominium building, the interiors of suites or units are individually owned, while the common elements such as amenities and the connecting areas (hallways, lobbies) of the building are owned communally by all residents. Owners are members of the condominium corporation, an elected board of directors who make decisions about and arrange for maintenance, upkeep and repair of everything from the landscaping to the rooftop. Suite owners pay maintenance fees to help cover these shared expenses. Moving up a bit toward detached is the townhome, a popular choice for those who want a driveway and/ or backyard. Townhomes are more than two homes connected by common party walls and foundations. You may have seen stacked towns advertised, and these are selling well in York Region. Two or three townhomes are stacked vertically, yet feature ground-level entries. Some have a garage, backyard and often a private roof terrace. There are also back-to-back towns, and innovative design is even making way for two-storey and bungalow layouts. Townhomes may be freehold or include condominium components in terms of ownership.

If you cannot afford a detached home, consider the alternatives, which are varied and exciting!

Ah, then we come to the semidetached home, which is just what it sounds like. Semis are two homes that share a party wall, including the foundation. Usually they are mirror images of each other. A semi offers you the benefits of a detached home, such as front, back and side yards (on one side, of course), which may be fenced off or shared with the other side. Each side of the semi has a private basement. Many new home shoppers find they can buy a larger semi for a similar price of a small detached home. Talk about something for everyone. If you cannot afford a detached home, consider the alternatives, which are varied and exciting!

7 • Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016

OPEN-CONCEPT

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One-Bedroom Suites Now Available. One-Bedrooms from the low-$300’s Two-Bedrooms from the low-$400’s Due to the overwhelming success of INDIGO’S ﬁrst release, a new collection of spacious one-bedroom, one-bedroom + den and two-bedroom suites are now available. Don’t miss out! Visit the presentation centre today.

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Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 8

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Dorothea Helms

Connects people and ideas, and can be reached at writer@wsws.ca

ctober is one of the busiest times of the year, with school well underway, fall chores to be done and preparation for the holidays upon us. Halloween is one of them, and a little creativity can help you decorate your home for the occasion with next to no fuss and little expense.

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For example, pumpkins are available everywhere for a song right now. Pick up a few, paint them in unexpected colours such as pink and purple and mass them around your fireplace or on your front porch. You can even do a cool arrangement inside of an unused fireplace. Have some fun with last year’s costumes and dress up pumpkins as wacky characters. The ideas keep coming. Paint a couple pumpkins white and wrap black lace around them for a spooky effect. Paint a pumpkin black, add eyes, ears and twigs for whiskers and voila – black cats. Pumpkins can become temporary vases as well. Poke some holes in them and add autumn berry-laden twigs. Hollow out a pumpkin and use it as an organic punchbowl for apple cider. Cut a pumpkin in half width-wise, hollow out the bottom, line it with a towel, fill it with goodies and use it to hand out treats. Remember that nowadays, parents are vigilant about going through their children’s treat bags to ensure that nothing harmful is there. For younger kids, I like to give out packages of stickers, tiny notebooks and Halloween pencils, etc. Whatever you decide on, kids love Halloween. Make some special garland to go across the tops of their bedroom doors. It’s easy enough – cut out black paper bats, letters to spell out Happy Halloween, lollipops with white tissue tied around them to look like ghosts, and string them. Let the kids help you gather stones and pain monster faces on them. Having an adult Halloween party? Here’s a fun idea: drape your living room/great room furniture with white sheets and hang white sheets for curtains. Get creative with cheesecloth to make spider webs you can drape across mirrors and pictures. Add a few vases with dead twigs in them, place black candles into holders, and make a centerpiece of dark coloured fruit (plums, blueberries, blackberries) and nuts. Purchase some clear glass candleholders and use candy corn to situate orange candles within them. To welcome your guests in the spirit of the season, take strips of burlap, glue on coloured fall leaves and wrap them around the columns and railings on your front porch, and drape torn cheesecloth from the porch ceiling in front of the door. If you’re still struggling for ideas, check out Pinterest. You’ll find more pictures of Halloween décor than you can imagine. Have a safe, fun Halloween!

Autumn is a beautiful time of year, with leaves turning a multitude of colours from yellow to red and a refreshing crispness invigorating the air. This is also the time to be thinking ahead to winter, when our homes need a little extra pampering to carry them through to spring. Here are a few tips. Outdoors • Take a walk around your home and examine it for needed repairs and maintenance. Clean your eaves, and consider having screening installed on them to avoid leaves clogging them up.

Dorothea Helms Connects people and ideas, and can be reached at writer@wsws.ca

your door, look to the walls. How about some hooks, which provide a great way to handle jackets and backpacks? • Now’s the time to change over your wardrobe from sun dresses, shorts and sandals to wool socks, blazers and long-sleeved shirts. Place your summer stuﬀ into containers with lids to prevent them from collecting dust. These are just a few tips for fall organizing. Again, check your new homeowner manual. Remember, take care of your home, and it will take care of you!

• Store and/or cover your patio furniture so it weathers the frigid cold well and is ready to pull out when springtime rolls around. If you store items in your garage, maximize your space by putting things like cushions on top of these items. • Clean oﬀ your deck and if it’s part of your new home, check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to keep it looking its best. • Take some time to clean out your garage and organize it so there’s room for … well … your vehicle(s). • Disconnect your house before the first frost and turn oﬀ the tap that feeds it inside the house. Coil it up neatly and store it in the garage you just organized.

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• Clean oﬀ and store your gardening tools. • If your builder installed sod this summer, check as to how to keep it healthy during the winter. Fertilizer may be the key.

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• Wash your windows or have them washed. The same goes for your carpeting. Indoors • Get into the habit of having your furnace cleaned and checked every year. • Do a kitchen switcheroo. Put away plastic plates and cups, barbecue tools and condiment caddy, and get out your stock pot, turkey roaster and electric kettle to be ready for the holidays. • Soon we’ll be into heavy coats, and if you are lacking for closet space close to

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• Cover your barbecue, but don’t stow it away – many people barbecue all year long.

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• Get out your snow blower and determine whether it is working OK. If not, get it serviced before the first big snowfall.

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• Trim, prune and mulch the plant material in your garden/landscaping, and plant bulbs or any perennials you can split so you can enjoy them next year.

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9 • Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016

’TIS THE SEASON TO GET READY FOR WINTER

Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 10

COMMUNITIES

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Dorothea Helms Connects people and ideas, and can be reached at writer@wsws.ca

id you know that we can experience more pollution inside our homes than we do outdoors? We don’t have smog, it’s true, but we do get a variety of pollutants coming in via our shoes and pets, in our cleaners and paint, and even on new furniture items we introduce. From dust mites, which are a major cause of allergies, to mould, pet dander and gases, pollutants can surround us. These irritants are more than irritants – elderly people, children and those who have asthma can suffer greatly from them, and others might have deteriorating health because of them after years of exposure. Add on the fact that we tend to spend more time indoors than ever before, and it’s a recipe for health problems.

Keep it clean! • Check all of the filters you have in your home (furnace, air conditioner, air purifier, vacuum) and clean or change them according to the manufacturers’ instructions, or those in your homeowner manual. • If you have a new home that came with wood or laminate flooring, you will have an easier time keeping your floors clean. If you do have carpeting, vacuum at least once a week – and include your upholstered furniture when you do. Many people use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to reduce toxins and allergens. • Purchase machine-washable bedding, draperies, etc. and wash them often. If you have to dry clean them, you’re likely to let them go long periods of time in between. • Ask family and friends to remove their shoes at your door so less dirt is tracked in. Invest in a good doormat for each of your entryways. You will find a variety of sizes, materials and designs in today’s doormats. We recently purchased one that says, “Oh no – not you again!” Our friends love it. • Use non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners or make your own. Remember that some cleaners have synthetic fragrances that give off chemicals into your air. Do a little research online and find out how to use things like lemon juice, baking and vinegar to do the job. • Never underestimate the power of water. A mop dampened with water will pick up a lot of residue even after you vacuum. Today’s microfiber mops are particularly good at eliminating dust and dirt.

introduce some greenery that can actually improve your air quality by filtering out toxins.

The picture isn’t all gloomy, however. There are simple steps we can take to improve the air quality in our homes.

From dust mites, which are a major cause of allergies, to mould, pet dander and gases, pollutants can surround us. Avoid the problem! The best way to solve any problem is preventing it from occurring. We can’t keep out every dust mite and toxin, but we can use common sense to keep them at a minimum. • Don’t smoke inside your home. In addition to being bad for you, it produces second-hand smoke, which is extremely detrimental to those around you. Remember that cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals and has been shown through research to increase the risk of children developing numerous serious health issues. • In addition, limit your use of candles or purchase non-toxic ones made of all-natural soy or beeswax, which will not emit harmful chemicals. • If you have a wood-burning fireplace, use dried or cured wood rather than pressure-treated wood. • If you paint, use low- or no-VOC paint, and look at the labels on adhesives and finishes so you can select those that are non toxic. • Take a look at your hobbies and determine whether they should be engaged in outdoors rather than indoors. Some examples include soldering and paint stripping. • If your garage is attached to your home (and even if it isn’t), avoid idling vehicles and lawnmowers inside of it.

The best way to solve any problem is preventing it from occurring.

Minimize moisture! • Efforts to reduce dust mites and mould are less effective if your humidity levels get too high, as these pesky allergens thrive in humid spaces. Most experts suggest keeping your humidity level between 30 and 50 per cent, but always check your homeowner manual for what your builder advises. You can also buy a humidity gauge at the hardware store. • Purchase a dehumidifier to help and clean it regularly. During the summer months, an air conditioner does the job. • When the weather permits, open your doors and windows and let some fresh air in. During the winter, run ceiling fans or other fans to keep air circulation going. Ventilation is critical to your indoor air quality. It helps to remove pollutants and keep your home dry. • Use your exhaust fan when you cook to send smoke, grease and other vapors outside. Use the bathroom fan while bathing and showering. • If you discover an air leak, repair it as soon as possible. • Should you have water damage, get the affected areas dry a.s.a.p. as well. If mould grows on any of your surfaces, get rid of them and replace them. • Believe it or not, overwatering house plants can be a problem, as this might cause the growth of mould. Keep it simple! • Speaking of plants, introduce some greenery that can actually improve your air quality by filtering out toxins. Examples are rubber plants and spider plants, both of which can add a striking touch of nature to your décor. • Avoid synthetic commercial air fresheners. Look online and you will find numerous ways to make your indoor air smell fresh and even yummy. Just think of the last time you walked into a home where someone was baking cookies or bread. You can also make a “simmer pot” in which you combine items such as lemon and rosemary to freshen the air. • Groom your pets regularly to keep fur and dander to a minimum.

11 • Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016

HOW’S YOUR INDOOR AIR QUALITY?

Today’s Homes York • Thursday October 20 to Wednesday November 2 2016 • 12

FEATURING A COLLECTION OF

45'• 38' SINGLES & SEMIS Located just north of Newmarket in beautiful Holland Landing, Anchor Woods is a dream destination you will be proud to call home. Nestled in lush green space and only minutes from Highway 404, Anchor Woods is the perfect harmony of serenity and convenience. Brought to you by two of Ontario’s most trusted builders, there are 45’ and 38’ singles and 27’ semis starting at 2,000 square feet, with a variety of layouts to fit your lifestyle. The time is now to turn this dream into your reality. Welcome to Anchor Woods.

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