New Homes
New Homes
Builders honoured at Spring Parade gala
Last night, before a sold-out crowd at The Met, the awards ceremony for the recent Spring Parade of Homes took place.
It was an evening of excitement as 36 different builders took part in the Parade with 122 homes in 36 unique neighbourhoods. The timing was perfect as this past week has seen the first signs of spring weather this year.
The individual category winners are pictured in today's Free Press and, for the first time ever, there are individual homes that were multiple category winners. That's due to a new wrinkle to the judging introduced especially for the 2014 Parade.
In the past, five judges visited up to five homes in a specific category based on price-point and judged each home on 19 different criteria. This year, the number of judges and evaluations were unlimited as every person visiting the show homes was able to rate each home on a five-point scale in four different categories: Functionality, Traffic Flow and Room Proportion; Overall Value and Quality of Home; Interior Visual Appeal; and Special Design Features: Windows, Lighting, Trim, Built-Ins, Fireplaces.
The overall results were tabulated and the winners are listed today and can be found on the Manitoba Home Builders Association web site (www.homebuilders.mb.ca).
It was interesting to note that the number of ratings per home fluctuated throughout the City of Winnipeg and beyond. The distribution and frequency was widespread, thereby substantiating the premise that the Parade truly has something of interest for everyone and everywhere.
For those who did not get out to the various show homes during the Parade in March, fear not -- most of the 122 new homes are still available for viewing.
You can find the Spring Parade of Homes magazine on the Manitoba Home Builders Association website or at www.homes.winnipegfreepress.com
Mike Moore is the president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Tackling Canada's skills shortage proves challenging
I had the pleasure of attending a Skills Manitoba event on April 10 and came away feeling good about the quality of young people being trained to lead the next generation of skilled labour in this province.
However, after reading some commentary from across the country and looking at our numbers here, I'm still concerned about the quantity of skilled labour for the future.
There is tremendous debate about jobs data. We see monthly and quarterly reports locally, provincially and nationally that tell us how many new jobs were created.
We constantly hear of mass migrations from the east to Alberta and an interprovincial net migration deficit in Manitoba. However, we also know that our population is growing.
Throughout Canada, there is a projected shortfall of skilled trades in the construction industry. Merely replacing retirements is enough of a challenge, let alone allowing for growth.
Some contend that the number of jobs and population trends are not the problem, that it's due to a skills mismatch. The education and skills that many young people bring to the table do not necessarily match up with the job openings that currently exist.
A team of researchers supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada recently looked at skills and labour markets and came to some interesting conclusions. They said that although specific fields may vary with cyclical trends, Canada is not likely to face a general shortage of skilled labour. This is due to longer work lives and the assumption that currently under-utilized groups (youth, aboriginals, disabled, immigrants) will become a greater part of the work force.
Employer-sponsored training programs result in a three- to five-per-cent increase in productivity. Family-owned businesses make up 45 per cent of Canada's GDP and half of the work force. However, they also tend to face greater professional management skills challenges.
So, as you can see, the problems may be very real, but the solutions are never easy. However, if we as a country and a province are to grow and develop, it is extremely important that we continue to pursue the answers.
Mike Moore is the president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
New home represents a fresh lifestyle start
When we say in this column that a new home is a good investment, it's often only taken in one way: money.
We invest in stocks, bonds or precious metals to make money, so naturally, many people think that an investment in a new home has a goal of making money.
Our local market in recent years has proven that to be true, but also limited in scope. Real-estate reports indicate that in eight of the last 10 years, values in the resale-home market have increased by double digits-- in other words, house prices have increased by 10 per cent a year or more. Add to this that Winnipeg has fewer than half the listings per capita than either Calgary or Saskatoon and, again, one could not be faulted for buying a new home for the express purpose of seeing it appreciate in value before selling it in a local market that has tremendous demand.
However, most of us are also investors in lifestyle and our own personal well-being. A new home is more than just money -- it's where we want to live, where we want to develop life-long friendships with our neighbours, where we want our children to go to school, where we want to shop and where we want to raise our families.
A new home can be a new beginning. Many people grow up in one particular neighbourhood and then, when it comes time to buy their own new home, they look in that old, familiar neighbourhood because it brings a sense of comfort. However, although that neighbourhood was a tremendous place for them and their peers to be raised, it might not offer the same amenities a generation later.
The excitement of a new beginning in a new home allows you the opportunity to choose your future. Schools are just one factor. Living within a reasonable distance of where you like to shop is a consideration. Some people are influenced by the proximity of green space, both for visual aesthetics and for exercise. Others look for community clubs and recreational and social contacts.
A new home allows you to shape your future and the future of your family. Whether yours is the first house built on the street or the last piece of the puzzle, you're part of a new and thriving neighbourhood that is going to grow and establish its own identity.
Mike Moore is the president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
It's your last weekend for Spring Parade of Homes
The formal portion of the 2014 Spring Parade of Homes ends tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. and, with the weather being so unpredictable this year, you may have not had ample time to see what these 122 new homes had to offer.
Not to worry, though: Almost all of the show homes that have been part of the Parade will remain open for viewing well after the official Parade ends.
Both the Spring and Fall Parades of Homes are showcase events hosted by the Manitoba Home Builders Association to demonstrate the best that the new-home building industry has to offer. Whether you're in the market for a new home, considering a change or just looking for ideas for your current home, nowhere else is there such a collection of concepts.
What many people often forget is that these show homes are open year-round for viewing. So, if you need to take another look at a couple of homes before making your decision, they're 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. Just go to the Manitoba Home Builders Association web site at www.homebuilders.mb.ca and the entire Spring Parade magazine will remain posted there right up until the Fall Parade.
You can also access the Parade magazine via the Winnipeg Free Press web site at www.winnipegfreepress.com.
As a special feature this year, the Manitoba Home Builders Association and the Winnipeg Free Press teamed up to create a Parade blog, Facebook page and a home ranking site. This years' awards will be determined by Parade visitors. Simply click on the QR code in each home and rank it from one to five stars in each of four categories. You be the judge. So, try to visit the various show homes today and tomorrow between noon and 6 p.m. But if you're unable to get there during the official Parade, it's easy to make your own arrangements to see them later.
And Manitoba's next exciting home-improvement event is just around the corner. The 40th annual Home Expressions Home and Garden Show takes place from April 4-66 at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg. This year's show also features the Hockey Fan Cave. Look for more details at www.homeexpressions.ca.
Mike Moore is the president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
