Courtesy of Chuck Farrauto

YOUR HOME GUIDE

Chuck Farrauto Sales Representative Office: 905-389-3737 chuckfarrauto@realtynetwork.biz Taking Care of Business

431 Concession St Hamilton, ON L9A 1C1

2026 | ISSUE 3

A SIMPLE GUIDE TO BATHROOM WALLPAPER

Wallpaper is a wonderful way to quickly change the look and feel of a room. Bathrooms are a popular space for wallpaper because they are smaller, making it easier and more affordable to try out this design trend. When choosing wallpaper, look for a vinyl option that is easy to clean and can withstand moisture from the shower or bath. Bold, colourful patterns are especially popular in bathrooms, where one statement wall is covered and the remaining walls are painted a complementary colour. Be sure to prime the walls with a mould-proof primer to help the wallpaper adhere properly. Once the walls are clean and dry, apply the wallpaper using a high quality, mould-resistant adhesive. You may need to use extra adhesive around the edges of the room, particularly near showers, due to humidity. With the right materials and proper preparation, wallpaper can add lasting style and personality to even the smallest bathroom spaces.

Strawberry SPOON CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooking spray (for the cake pan) • 10 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 2 cups) • 1 lemon, zested and juiced* • 1 stick (113g) salted butter, melted • ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar, divided

• ⅓ cup buttermilk • 1 cup all-purpose flour • ½ teaspoon baking powder • ¼ teaspoon baking soda • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set oven rack in center. Grease an 8” cake pan with spray. 2.Combine strawberries, lemon zest, juice and 1 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. 3.In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter and remaining ½ cup sugar. Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir until combined. 4.Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Spoon strawberries (and juices) evenly on top of batter. Don’t push the strawberries down. 5.Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top and edges are golden brown. The strawberry juices in the center of the cake will be bubbling. They will thicken while cooling. 6.Cool for about 5 minutes. Spoon warm cake into bowls, serve with vanilla ice cream. *Exact quantities of zest and juice will vary. Zest the lemon first, then extract the juice.

START WHERE YOU ARE. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. DO WHAT YOU CAN.”

ARTHUR ASHE

HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT FLICKERING LIGHTS AT HOME

When the lightbulbs in your home start flickering, you might be tempted to call an electrician. However, there are a few things you can check first to save time, energy and money. Start by replacing the light bulb. Most flickering issues are caused by faulty or loose bulbs. Make sure the bulb is screwed in securely and that it is compatible with the switch. Dimmer switches only work with certain types of bulbs, so using the wrong one can cause flickering. If that doesn’t solve the problem, inspect the light switch itself. An older or worn out switch may simply need to be replaced. Other potential causes include corrosion or loose connections within the light fixture. In some cases, replacing the fixture may resolve the issue and this is often a project you can handle yourself. Be sure to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions and always shut off the breaker before doing any electrical work.

WORD SUDOKU

Fill in the grid with the letters S, U, N, F, L, O, W, E and R, making sure no letter is repeated in every row, every column and within each mini grid.

There is a lot more to showing your home than decluttering. Aside from cleaning, removing personal items, staging and turning on all the lights, scents can make or break your home’s atmosphere. A warm apple pie scent may sound enticing, but you might want to reconsider. Overpowering scents can distract buyers, making them focus on the smell instead of your home’s key selling points. They also associate smells with cleanliness, comfort and freshness, which can influence perception of the home’s value. Lingering cooking odours, pet odors, smoke, garbage and artificial air fresheners can immediately turn buyers off of your home. Instead, remove odours whenever possible by opening windows, removing the source of the scent, deep cleaning and vacuuming. Using an air purifier can also be beneficial. The best scent is no scent because the goal is to let buyers focus on your home and not the smells. THE SURPRISING ROLE OF SCENTS IN SELLING YOUR HOME

SOLUTION

How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

What goes through cities and fields, but never moves? A road.

A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why doesn’t the man have wet hair? He’s bald.

It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it? A keyboard.

HAMILTON-BURLINGTON AREA HOME SALES MARKED BY WEAKENED DEMAND IN 2025 GET YOUR HOME READY FOR SPRING When the snow starts to melt and the sun starts shining, it’s time to do some outdoor home maintenance. Even if you live in an apartment or condominium, there are a few things you can do to get your home in tip-top shape. • Ensure gutters are in good repair and clean and that downspouts are aimed into a water barrel or where runoff won’t go into your home. • Inspect windows to ensure caulk hasn’t been damaged over the winter, screens are not torn and are installed correctly. • Turn on and test outdoor faucets to inspect for any leaks freezing might have caused. • Test, repair and clean outdoor light fixtures. • Inspect decks and fences for loose boards or nails and repair if necessary. A proactive spring checkup helps protect your home, extend its lifespan and avoid unexpected repairs down the road. AVERAGE SALE PRICES $825,779 detached DOWN 12.9% year-to-year $573,326 apartment UP 5.9% year-to-year $640,527 rowhouse 446

SOLD LISTINGS

DOWN 10.0% year-to-year

550 NEW LISTINGS

detached 315

117 77 rowhouse apartment

81% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

54 DAYS ON MARKET

5.5 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

2,464 ACTIVE LISTINGS

Hamilton, ON, January 2026 – In December, home sales reported through the MLS ® System of the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS ® (Cornerstone) slowed across Hamilton, Burlington, Haldimand County, and Niagara North. This led to a 12 per cent drop for the year. There were 8,996 sales in total across the region, making it the slowest year since 2010 and more than 30 per cent below long-term averages. “At the end of 2025, fewer new listings came online, and with more homes staying on the market because of slower sales, buyers had more options,” says Nicolas von Bredow, Cornerstone spokesperson for the Hamilton-Burlington market area. “2025 was a year marked by global uncertainty, which affected the Canadian economy and our local real estate market, with fewer buyers entering the market due to concerns about job security and higher interest rates.” “With 2025 behind us, we are hopeful for more balanced market conditions to emerge in 2026 with lower interest rates than at the start of last year and new government incentives available. Both the provincial and federal governments have announced they will remove HST on new homes up to $1 million for first-time buyers. While this should make homes more affordable and help the economy by supporting the labour market, we are calling on both levels of government to expand this initiative to all home buyers for a much greater impact,” says von Bredow. Statistics reflect market activity in December 2025 | Source: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS ® | Market values stated are of the average of Hamilton and surrounding region. Hamilton includes: Hamilton West, Hamilton East, Hamilton Centre, Hamilton Mountain, Flamborough, Dundas, Ancaster, Waterdown, Stoney Creek and Glanbrook. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home.

COMPLIMENTARY MARKET EVALUATION

We now have access to 22 Real Estate Boards in Ontario including Toronto, the largest Real Estate Board on the planet. It only takes a few minutes to do a computer generated ballpark value of your property, or to research valuations in all of these areas. Further, I’m working with associates in the East Coast and British Columbia. If you would like to get an idea of what your property would fetch in this market, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Office: 905-389-3737

Chuck Farrauto Sales Representative chuckfarrauto@realtynetwork.biz

Samantha Lefebvre Sales Representative info@samanthalefebvre.com

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