New Homes
New Homes
City new-home starts enjoying growth
A recent study by the Conference Board of Canada looked at 28 municipalities across Canada with regards to housing starts. It charted these cities in terms of both short- and long-term growth potential.
Each of the 28 municipalities was then placed on a quadrant indicating short- versus long-term timelines and growth in new-home starts versus a decline in new home starts.
The study looked at four cities in Atlantic Canada, five in Quebec, 11 in Ontario and six in the west. Of particular interest to us were Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and, of course, Winnipeg.
The results showed that 17 of the 28 municipalities were projecting short-term growth. Long-term growth was projected for 10 of the 28 municipalities.
There were five cities (Trois-Rivières, Kingston, Sudbury, St. Catherines-Niagara and Kitchener-Waterloo) for which they were calling for both short- and long-term declines. Conversely, there were four cities (Winnipeg, Toronto, London and Victoria) for which they were projecting both short- and long-term growth.
In other good news, it appears as though the export of Canadian building products is starting to turn around. With the United States historically being the largest export market for our building products, its economic situation has hit hard north of the border.
However, in 2011, Canadian exports of building products were up two per cent from the previous year. For the first six months of 2012, building product exports were up a further seven per cent. Petrochemical and asphalt products, tools and machinery and paint products saw the biggest growth, whereas wood and electrical products grew at a below average pace.
Meanwhile, although building product exports to China and the United States continue to grow, our dependence on imports from both these countries grows at an even faster pace.
Finally, renovation spending in Canada remains strong in almost all regions. The exceptions were Saskatchewan and British Columbia. B.C. is relatively easy to explain in that the selling market has been extremely quiet and therefore renovations that preclude sales have also been dormant.
Renovation spending for the first six months of the year in Manitoba is up almost 10 per cent over the same period last year, well ahead of the five per cent Canadian average.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Parade show homes open year-round
Although the 2012 Fall Parade of Homes has formally ended, you still have plenty of opportunity to revisit those fantastic show homes that you saw during the three weeks of Parade.
Once again, tremendous crowds enjoyed the fabulous weather and came out interested in visiting the 126 new show homes. It was a whirlwind tour for many and one couldn't be expected to visit every home, no matter how hard they tried. I know I certainly did.
Many people have the mistaken notion that show homes are only open during the Spring and Fall Parade of Homes. Therefore, they try to get in as much viewing time as possible during the three weeks of each Parade and bemoan the fact that they missed others.
In fact, they are open year-round and, although the hours may not be the same as during Parade, they are able to accommodate all interested clients.
So, now that your interest in a new home has been piqued by the Fall Parade, the timing is perfect to follow up with another visit.
The crowds are always huge for the three weeks of Parade. Although you received an excellent welcome and introduction to each new home, it was undoubtedly busy and it may have been difficult for you to have a private conversation with the sales representative regarding the more intricate details of the new home.
The purchase of a new home is an important decision and, now that you have visited the best new homes in Manitoba, you undoubtedly have a number of questions that you would like to ask.
You can see the entire Parade of Homes magazine with all 126 of the wonderful houses on the Manitoba Home Builders' Association website at www.homebuilders.mb.ca or the Winnipeg Free Press website at www.winnipegfreepress.com. The magazine has a listing of all of the homes, where they are located, a brief description of each and the base and selling prices.
Whether it was the neighbourhood or the builder or the particular home that interested you, it's all in the Parade magazine.
The important thing to remember is that almost all of the fabulous show homes that you saw during the Fall Parade of Homes are still available for viewing. The Parade may be over but the opportunity to purchase your new dream home has just begun.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Fall Parade of Homes continues to amaze
The official portion of the 2012 Fall Parade of Homes ends today at 6 p.m. but, not to worry, most of the show homes that have been part of the Parade will remain open for viewing well after it ends.
The weather has been outstanding this year and terrific crowds came to see what these 126 new homes had to offer. No one was disappointed as this year's entrants were an amazing collection of design, style, quality, craftsmanship and choice.
The Fall and Spring Parades of Homes are two showcase events hosted by the Manitoba Home Builders' Association to demonstrate the best that the new-home building industry has to offer. Whether one is in the market for a new home or just looking for ideas for their current home, nowhere else is there such a collection of unique concepts.
What many people fail to realize is that these show homes are open year-round for viewing. The hours may be slightly different than during the Parade, but the sales representatives are still available to help you with your search for the perfect home.
So, if you need to take another look at a couple of homes before making your decision, they are open and ready to welcome you.
If you recall visiting a neighbourhood or series of homes that especially interested you, but you have lost your Parade magazine, don't worry. All of the pertinent information is still available at www.homebuilders.mb.ca and the entire Fall Parade magazine will remain posted there until next year's Spring Parade. You can also access it at www.winnipegfreepress.com.
As a special feature again this year, the MHBA and the Free Press teamed up to create a Parade Facebook and Twitter site. By going to either website, you can read a review and comments about the Parade homes by a variety of different visitors.
This site has proved popular with tens of thousands of readers who have looked at the insights of others when searching for their home. The social media has definitely proved effective in getting the word out about the Fall Parade of Homes.
Thank you to all of the many partners who worked together to create a fantastic Fall Parade of Homes. This event gets better every year with the best new homes in all of Canada being showcased at one time.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Fall Parade of Homes draws intense interest
If the trend of the first two weeks continue, the 2012 Fall Parade of Homes will surpass all previous years' attendance numbers. Sales agents were reporting people were lined up in anticipation of visiting their home.
Sales representatives showing the 126 new homes have been bombarded with questions in the first two weeks. Financial items are front and centre. Interested buyers are particularly enamoured with the low mortgage rates currently available.
Given that most people visit a variety of new homes in the Parade, it's inevitable comparison shopping and the addition of different features arise.
For instance, sales representatives have been asked the cost of changing flooring to something seen elsewhere. Kitchen countertop and cabinets also stimulate discussions for changes. Bathrooms are always popular design topics.
Social media serve countless purposes, one of which includes event marketing and promoting.
In saying this, it made perfect sense to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to build excitement, awareness and interaction for and throughout the Parade of Homes.
We wanted to create a place where we could share what the Parade of Homes is about, who is involved and where and when the Parade takes place.
We felt social media was the perfect way of achieving this.
So for the last three Parades (four, if you count this fall's), we have been utilizing Facebook and Twitter (www.twitter.com/paradeofhomesmb) to share with Manitoba the variety of homes our exceptional members have to offer as well as the areas in which you can choose to build your dream home.
You can find pictures of all the entries for this fall's Parade, organized by builder and by development area, on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ParadeOfHomesManitoba), and while there, feel free to leave your comments on which homes are your favourites and why.
Also, you can follow us on Twitter - @ParadeOfHomesMB. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #FallParadeOfHomes.
If you don't know something, don't be afraid to ask. The staff on site are a wealth of information and, if they don't immediately know the answer, they can find out and get back to you.
Remember, the 2012 Fall Parade of Homes continues through Saturday, Oct. 6. Show homes are open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
