Comments on: The new normal

By: linda

linda — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:27:15 +0000

Bill, I liked your ideas on different types of shelter and living arrangements. A man in my county-David Masters- is ‘living off the grid in a ‘yurt’. A timber-framed, canvas-covered dome. He teaches it also through The Luna Project, at lunaticadventures.ca. I just read an excellent article about him then read your comments. Top of the day to ya!

By: Bill-Muskoka (N.A.M.)

Bill-Muskoka (N.A.M.) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:24:10 +0000

So, while Obama admits 'I screwed up' (A phrase that would result in death for Bush or Harper, Dim Jim, or most MP's, if they even tried to get it out), we find that Steve has gotten coverage for a photo-op he will undoubtedly despise Iceland elects Gay PM...How many can the world take? Well, according to the Colbert report we have Numero Duece. LMAO!

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:09:42 +0000

Dear Garth, are there no sensible real estate buys out there right now? A friend of mine is involved in a residential development project in Victoria right now, building 700 – 800 sq/ft ‘no frills’ one and two bedroom condos (ie no balcony, no elevator etc etc) with a targeted price at the bottom of the range (~$160K). In todays and yesterdays day and age of ridiculously priced shoe box condos, this doesn’t these don’t sound too bad. Could this be a good real estate investment in today’s bear market?

By: East of Eden

East of Eden — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:17:27 +0000

HK Kid – wow, that’s an obscene increase in the price. I remember being shocked last summer when I visited a friend’s church in Westboro. There were some new townhomes going up (ruining the look of the area, BTW) and the price started at 400k for an 18-foot wide home. I was stunned. That ugly tower that went up a couple of years ago – overlooks the triansitway – started around a half-million for one of the lower floor condos. It is nothing but robbery if a home costs 50k to build but the builder can get away with 200k and gets it. I wish there were caps on the mark-up. I purchased my own townhome when it was a hole in the ground. The price of my model increased by over 100 per week – as the home neared completion, the market value increased. I have an end unit and I paid 148k for it in 1999. One of my neighbours bought an inside unit for almost 200k because he bought it at the end of May. It’s nothing short of highway robbery. MPAC now values my home at 259k which is a total crock. I love my home but it’s not worth that much in reality.

Nonplused – you’re most likely correct. I find it very odd that Minto seems to have left the building, so to speak. At one time, that’s all you saw – Minto homes going up all over the place (mine is a Minto). Kanata used to be Tamarack, Minto and one other name which escapes me. Now, it’s all Mattamy everywhere. And they have no shortage of buyers. My friends’ younger daughter and son in-law just moved into that new area in Barr Haven – Bridgestone – into a half-million “starter bungalow”. They’re both under 25 but he can afford the home easily. A starter bungalow at a half-million dollars!!!!!

My own mother is sitting on a half-million dollars in real estate – her 1,300 square foot bungalow in Burlington is worth that – and we’re in a recession????? This is total insanity and it appears to me that the market is being manipulated. Believe it or not, realtors come to her and her neighbours’ doors almost monthly asking them if they’d like to put their homes up for sale because they have waiting lists of buyers. The market has gone insane.