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

2025 | ISSUE 3

Even if you’re not an artist, you can still create a wall mural in your home with the help of a little technology and a lot of patience. Using a projector hooked up to your laptop, you can easily project a pattern, design or image onto your wall to trace it and then paint. Using a free design program or app, create a document with the same dimensions of the wall you’re wanting to paint. For example, if the wall is 8 feet tall by 12 feet wide, create a document that is 8” x 12”. Then either draw an image or import one that you want to incorporate into your decor. Remember, simple shapes and colour palettes are best if you’re a beginner and this is your first attempt at painting a mural. Once you have a design you like, use the projector to enlarge the image onto the wall. From there, use chalk or a pencil to trace the design onto the wall. Chalk works well on dark walls whereas pencil may be best for lighter walls. The best part is if you make a mistake, both are easy to remove and start over. Once you’re satisfied with the outline, go ahead and paint on the wall. You can refer to the image you created so you remember which colour goes where or you can leave the image projected to help. When the paint has dried, you can wash the chalk or pencil off and no one will be the wiser. CREATE A WALL MURAL LIKE A PRO

Daffodil Cake

INGREDIENTS: • 10 egg whites • 1 tsp cream of tartar • ½ tsp salt

• 1 ¼ cups white sugar, divided • ¾ cup sifted cake flour • 6 egg yolks

• ½ tsp orange extract • ½ cup sifted cake flour • 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash the pan in hot soapy water (ensures it’s grease-free). • In a large dry glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt, and continue to whip. When the whites can form soft peaks, gradually sprinkle in 1 cup sugar, while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. • In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until thick and lemon-coloured. Blend in ¾ cup cake flour and orange extract. Fold half of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture. • Fold the remaining ½ cup of cake flour into the egg whites, along with the vanilla. Spoon about 1 cup of batter at a time, alternating colours, into the prepared pan. • Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 325°F, continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when pressed. • Without removing cake from pan, invert pan onto a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, remove cake from the pan and frost with your choice of frosting. Lemon cream cheese frosting works quite well.

DESPITE THE FORECAST, LIVE LIKE IT’S SPRING”

LILLY PULITZER (NOVEMBER 10, 1931 – APRIL 7, 2013) AN AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR, FASHION DESIGNER, AND SOCIALITE.

STAPLES FOR YOUR VEHICLE With the seasons changing, what you keep in your vehicle for emergency purposes will also change slightly as you might not need that extra warm sleeping bag or spare set of winter clothes stored in your trunk over the spring and into the summer. However, to keep yourself safe and ready for anything, you should still stock some essentials in your vehicle such as the following: • First aid kit with non-expired medicines, bandages, hot and cold packs, etc. for all emergencies. • Solar charger for your phone as well as charging cables in case you get stranded with a low battery. • Flashlight with fresh batteries (and perhaps a spare set) or a hand crank version to help illuminate your way. • Tire repair kit as well as instructions on how to change a flat (if you aren’t in an area with cell service). • Bottled water (stored in a small cooler if possible) and snacks such as dried fruits, nuts, protein bars to keep you energized if you need.

JOKING AROUND

What’s Forrest Gump’s email password? 1forrest1

Knock knock. (Who’s there?) Déja. (Déja who?) Knock knock.

Can a kangaroo jump higher than a house? Of course. A house doesn’t jump at all!

Why did the car get a flat tire? Because there was a fork in the road!

Have you heard about the guy who stole the calendar? Well, he got 12 months!

WORD SEARCH

IMPROVE YOUR CURB APPEAL

The first thing a prospective buyer will notice is the outside of your home and that will quickly help them decide if they want to look further. Even if searching online the majority of homes listed on the MLS ® System offer the exterior of the home as the first photo and if they don’t, you can rest assured buyers are clicking through to see what the outside looks like. With that in mind, if you’re listing or even thinking about it, you’ll want to ensure your property has curb appeal. Those first few moments can be crucial to a buyer, so do your best to highlight your home. If you live in a condominium and have limited options, make sure your door is clean and the hardware is shiny and doesn’t stick, if nothing else. If you live in a detached home, the lawn should be mowed (or sidewalks shovelled if it’s the season), the front door, windows, siding, etc. should all be in good repair and clean. Smaller details like lighting, landscaping materials and plants and bushes will also help pique a buyer’s interest. If the exterior of the property is visually appealing and well taken care of, they will generally assume the interior is as well and that will help guide them into your home (literally and figuratively) as they determine if it meets their needs.

breeze budding flower melting planting

pollen season spring

sunshine warming

SOLUTION

SALES AND LISTINGS CONTINUE TO STABILIZE ACROSS ALL AREAS OF HAMILTON

$397,241 apartment DOWN 15.3% year-to-year

$838,645 detached DOWN 3.6% year-to-year

AVERAGE SALE PRICES

$658,805 rowhouse DOWN 8.0% year-to-year

388

SOLD LISTINGS

909 NEW LISTINGS

detached 578

153 137 rowhouse apartment

42.7% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

37 DAYS ON MARKET

4.3 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

1,671 ACTIVE LISTINGS

Inventory levels reached 2,599 units—the highest February inventory total since 2013. This boost in inventory also led to an increase in months of supply, which reached 4.5 months. This is nearly double the supply seen at this time last year, and it’s also the second-highest February total on record. Increased options and the sharp decline in sales put downward pressure on pricing. The regional benchmark price dropped by 3 per cent to $812,600. Statistics reflect market activity in February 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.

Hamilton, ON (March 4, 2025) – Sales decreased 35 per cent year-over-year, reaching the lowest total for the month of February since 2009. However, new listings showed a more modest decline of nine per cent, which aligns with the month’s long-term averages. Despite these fluctuations, the market is showing signs of stabilizing and adjusting to long-term trends. “Although the market looks different than what we have experienced the past few years, inventory and benchmark prices reflect a more stable market that is in alignment with long-term trends,” says Nicolas von Bredow, Cornerstone spokesperson for the Hamilton-Burlington market area. “Buyers and sellers are able to make more thoughtful decisions, which presents a real opportunity to find a great property.”

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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