Courtesy of Mauricio Gomez

www.GomezRealty.ca

mauricio@gomezrealty.ca Direct: 416 564 7901 | Office: 866 530 7737

eXp Realty Of Canada, Inc. Brokerage Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. 4711 Yonge St 10th FLR Toronto, ON M2N 6K8

Volume 15 | Number 6

THE PROS AND CONS OF BUYING A HOME IN A SMALL TOWN

If you’re one of the many people who have started working remotely over the past couple of years, you’ve likely realized that living close to the office is further down your priority list. But is moving to a smaller city or town the right choice for you? Here are three pros and three cons to help you make the decision. • Pro: More affordable housing is one of the biggest reasons people move out of the city.

• Con: House prices are on the rise even in smaller towns, so you may not find as big of a deal as you’re hoping for. Pro: Smaller municipalities have much less traffic congestion. Con: There may be less traffic, but the option to take public transit will likely also be gone – meaning you’ll probably need to own a vehicle. Pro: Living in a small town often means the great wide open is only a hop, skip and jump away. In fact, you may need to only drive a few minutes before you’re out in the country. • Con: Smaller cities and towns won’t have the same amenities and entertainment options as a big city. But they often have smaller community events that can be just as enjoyable! • • •

EASY TO MAKE CHIA PUDDING Courtesy of www.ehow.com

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

2-1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cup chia seeds

3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, honey, or agave

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour the almond milk into a jar, or sealable container, followed by the chia seeds, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt.

2. Secure the lid firmly on the jar and shake well until the contents are well combined.

3. Refrigerate the pudding overnight, or until very thick, at least 4 hours. If possible, stir once or twice throughout the chilling process. 4. Once the pudding is thick, taste it for flavor and add sweetener to taste. Serve with your choice of fresh fruit, nuts, and/or granola.

" ONE BENEFIT OF

An American author and journalist, Jeannette Walls was born in 1960 and is widely known as a former gossip columnist and author of the memoir The Glass Castle . Published in 2005, The Glass Castle was on the New York Times’ Best Seller List for 421 weeks and details her nomadic childhood, which included several periods of homelessness, but also her ability to work her way through university and eventually graduate with honours. Her first novel, Half Broke Horses, is based on the life of her grandmother.

SUMMER WAS THAT EACH DAY WE HAD MORE LIGHT TO READ BY. --Jeannette Walls

WHAT’S MY HARDINESS ZONE? If you’re new to gardening and have never heard of hardiness zones, you’re going to want to learn about them before getting started. Growing plants that don’t thrive in your specific climate can lead to disappointment. Knowing your hardiness zone is the best way to set yourself up for success. In Canada there are ten zones, which are further split into A or B. For example, the coldest zones are 0a and 0b and can be found across the northern part of most of the provinces – excluding the Maritimes, as well as across all three territories. Meanwhile, the highest numbered zone is the southern tip of Vancouver Island at 9a. These numbers coordinate with the information you can find on plant labels and seed packages.

If you find a plant you’d like to add to your yard or garden, you’ll need to ensure it can survive in your zone. Of course, these numbers mostly apply to shrubs, trees and perennials because they need to survive through the winter. You can still plant something rated for a much higher zone if you only want to enjoy it for the summer season. However, if you’re someone who feels sad when something you’ve planted and cared for doesn’t come back in the spring, sticking to your zone number is the best choice for you. Another way to incorporate plants that prefer higher zone numbers is to create a microclimate in your outdoor space. Microclimates are made by using other plants and forms of shelter to replicate a warmer zone. Also, greenhouses are always an option!

HAVE HOME RENOVATIONS GONE TO THE DOGS?

Ask nearly anyone who has a pet, and they’ll tell you pets are more than just an animal we live with. Pets – especially cats and dogs – are our family members. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that more and more homebuyers are looking for a pet-friendly space. If you also have a pet and are thinking of renovating before listing, consider these three pet-friendly upgrades. They’re sure to woo any buyer who considers the needs of their furry companion to be just as important as their own.

1. A well-designed mudroom. Pets – much like children – are known to bring the outside world indoors on a regular basis. A mudroom with tiled floors, perhaps even partially tiled walls, is easy to clean when it comes to muddy paw prints. If you have space in your mudroom for a sink or doggy shower – even better! 2. A pet nook. You’ve heard of a reading nook, but how about a pet nook? If there’s a small area of your home such as under the stairs or in an unused corner, consider creating a mini pet retreat.

Place their bed in the nook as well as their food and a basket of toys. It will keep the rest of your home looking neater if you have all your pet stuff in one area. 3. A “catio.” Let ’s not forget about our feline companions. Indoor cats deserve to have some fresh air too, of course you wouldn’t want them wandering away. A cat patio, or “catio,” is an enclosed space in your yard where a cat can wander and bask in the sun safely.

RIVER RIDDLE Courtesy of www.briddles.com Four people need to cross a dark river at night. They have only one torch and the river is too risky to cross without the torch. If all people cross simultaneously, the torch light won’t be sufficient.

The speed of each person of crossing the river is different. The cross time for each person is 1 minute, 2 minutes, 7 minutes and 10 minutes. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the river?

across, 2 comes back. 7 and 10 go across, 1 comes back. 1 and 2 go across.)

Answers: 17 minutes (1 and 2 go

WORD SEARCH Try to find all of the hidden

Word List

• Bloom • Butterfly • Cloudy • Farmer • Garden • Grow • Petals • Rainbow • Storm • Umbrella • Vacation • Warm

words inside the puzzle. (Words can be spelled forwards, backwards, diagonally, up or down.)

Courtesy of www.bigactivities.com

Answers:

Toronto June Market Report

$793,124 condo/apartment UP 10.6% year-to-year

$1,914,890 detached UP 11.6% year-to-year

AVERAGE SALE PRICES

6,877 NEW LISTINGS 2,679 SOLD LISTINGS

$928,464 condo/townhouse UP 15.9% year-to-year

detached 2,036

462 condo/town.

63.2% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

13 DAYS ON MARKET

1.2 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

ACTIVE LISTINGS (residential inventory) 5,970

GTA REALTORS® Release, June 3, 2022 – Greater Toronto Area (GTA) housing market conditions continued to evolve in response to higher borrowing costs. Similar to April results, May 2022 sales were down on a monthly and annual basis. Conversely, active listings at the end of May were up on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis. More balanced market conditions have provided buyers with more negotiating power. As a result, while benchmark and average home prices were up substantially compared to last year, selling prices trended lower on a month over-month basis. ‘’Bank of Canada rate hikes, including the 50-basis point hike on June 1, are impacting home buyers in the short term. There is now a psychological aspect where potential buyers are waiting for a bottom in price. This will likely continue through the

summer. However, as home buyers adjust to higher borrowing costs, housing demand will be supported by extremely low unemployment, high job vacancies, rising incomes and record immigration,’’ said TRREB President Kevin Crigger. GTA REALTORS reported 7,283 sales through TRREB’s MLS System in May 2022 - down 38.8 per cent compared to May 2021 and down nine per cent compared to April 2022. The number of new May listings was similar to last year’s level and edged up on a month-over-month basis. With sales down and new listings trend flat to slightly up, the number of active listings was up on a year over-year basis by 26 per cent. Statistics reflect market activity in May 2022 | Source: TRREB ® Toronto Regional Real Estate Board | Market values stated are average prices. 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.

www.GomezRealty.ca

mauricio@gomezrealty.ca Direct: 416 564 7901 | Office: 866 530 7737

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