Facing public opposition from consumers and the real estate industry, it appears the Province of Ontario is going to backdown on its plan to require mandatory home energy audits on the sale of homes. As I blogged earlier, while this facet of the Act was well intentioned, the Energuide rating syst
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04/28/2009
McGuinty and the Liberals are rushing "Bill 150, Green Energy and Green Economy Act" through the legislature this past week. (Introduced on Monday, with Second Reading immediately following on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, ...) A notable component of the bill is a mandatory home energy audit pri
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02/27/2009
Here in the GTA and other parts of Ontario, water consumption is a metered utility. The occupant or owner may be billed quarterly by the city, regional municipality, or the local utility company. Like other utilities (e.g., natural gas & electricity), the seller is responsible for any consumpti
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02/06/2009
Start saving and earning your EcoBroker designation today! Enroll / Sign up here: EcoBroker - Get Started Enter my EcoBroker number: EBC13654 into the promotional code box. Refer a colleague (or more) and earn a referral fee. BTW the online version of NAR's GREEN designation core course has sl
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01/15/2009
I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable New Year. My wife and I "rang" in 2009 with a pair of matching iPhone 3G's. Techno-geekie-romantic, sort of. ;) I'd like to thank again all my clients and partners for working with me in 2008. And as we step into 2009, may our patience, hard work, and d
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01/08/2009
The Bank of Canada surprised some today by sharply cutting its key benchmark rate by 75 basis points (3/4 of a percent), at the high end of analyst predictions. This matches a 50 year low, last seen in 1958! Ok, the central bank says Canada is entering a recession. On the other hand, this is po
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12/09/2008
This is an entertaining (and educational) online game from the folks at Quebec's Agence de l'efficaté énergétique ("Agency of Energy Efficiency"). Grab Energuy's hand, lead him around rooms, and point out the energy savings. You'll play it over and over until you find every one (20 in all), or
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11/18/2008
The Residential elective course for NAR's Green designation has been launched at Realtor University. Check out the Featured Product link. Enter the Discount Code "GREENRE08" (that's zero-eight for the last 2 characters) on this screen (not at checkout) to get the promotional pricing, i.e., 10% o
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11/14/2008
Does this sound familiar? I just submitted a sealed bid on a tax sale property, and I think I bid too much. Is it too late to back out? Sounds similar to buyer's remorse. Here's the scoop when bidding on a property being sold by public tender for tax arrears (i.e., municipal property taxes, int
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11/13/2008
Yes, it's that time of year again. NAR would like to remind all of us of the value of professional development, and in particular, a NAR recognized/approved designation (or certification). According to Realtor University, the "At Home with Diversity" online course is currently half-price ($24.50
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11/01/2008