Resale Homes
Resale Homes
Is your 'hood making you fat?
“Stylish 1,078 square foot townhouse, three bed, two bath, radiant heated floors, Energy Star appliances, large windows overlook landscaped yard with patio. Perfect home for entertaining. Walk score: 82.”
While a "walk score" has yet to appear on a Canadian MLS listing, judging by its rapidly growing popularity among real estate agents and websites, it is likely only a matter of time.
Although many people appreciate the presence of shops and services a short walk from their front door, until Walkscore.com launched its calculation tool in 2007 there was no way to quickly measure walkability for a property.
The website's algorithm, which calculates walkability by awarding points for amenities within one mile of an address, helps translate a previously subjective assessment, such as "close to shopping," into a quantified ranking people can use to inform their decision-making processes. Amenities range from restaurants to libraries.
According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, walkability has become the new buzzword in the American real estate industry. U.S.-focused sites such as Zillow.com, ZipRealty.com and Postlets.com are now providing prospective buyers with a "walk score" for each listed property. Some realtors are reporting that, in this difficult market, houses with high walkability scores are proving easier to sell -- owners can save money by walking to mass transit and by using less gas when running errands.
On walkscore.com, people can type in an address, watch the program find services located nearby, and then generate a Walk Score from one to 100. A score below 50 is "car-dependent." A score of 90 to 100 is a "walker's paradise."
However, the listings are neither comprehensive nor indicative of the quality of the services. When I typed in my address, the program completely missed the three small (and beloved) community grocery/cafes located just few blocks away. (My score was 80.)
Further, the program cannot reflect how nice (or unpleasant) the walk to nearby shops and services might be. It can't answer whether there are sidewalks or not, for example. Still, for those wondering if a neighbourhood has good bones -- "pedestrian-oriented" density -- the Walk Score does offer a good place to start.
Healthy 'hoods
Could your neighbourhood be making you fat? A growing body of research indicates there is a significant relationship between the built environment, physical activity and health.
Not only does residency in a walkable neighbourhood help people save money, reduce their carbon footprint and improve their connection to community, it encourages walking and, therefore, can contribute to physical fitness.
That's from Smart Growth BC which, with Lawrence Frank of the University of B.C.'s Active Transportation Collaboratory, just released the findings of one of the first comprehensive Canadian studies on the relationship between physical activity and objective measures of the built environment.
According to the report, some components of the physical environment within a kilometre of a person's residence are significantly associated with a lower likelihood of being overweight. Residents of neighbourhoods with the highest proportion of street retail, for example, were found half as likely to be overweight as residents of neighbourhoods that are but islands in a sea of parking lots.
If urban form can have such a significant (positive or negative) influence on health and health-related behaviours, in the near future health advocates (e.g. public health officials, recreation professionals, educators and others) could play an invaluable role in the community and regional planning process. From preparing a community plan and designing major real estate developments to outlining future transportation plans.
-- Canwest News Service
Resale Homes
Offered At
JameswoodAddress: 68 Leicester Square
Asking Price: $239,900
Taxes: $3,059
Square Footage: 1,250
Bedrooms: 3 + 1
Bathrooms: 2
Lot Size: 93 x 331
Listing Agent: Jennifer Gulay, Royal Lepage Alliance, 885-5500
River Park South
Address: 84 Julia Road
Asking Price: $299,900
Taxes: $3,857.98
Square Footage: 1,260
Bedrooms: 3 + 1
Bathrooms: 3
Lot Size: 38 x 103
Listing Agent: Bob Goodfellow, Goodfellow & Goodfellow Real Estate Ltd., 224 2551
Resale Homes
Don't stick your neck out when buying a new home
Unless you're a turtle, you don't want your home to be a big weight on your back.
But for many people, the thought of buying a home is just that, a weight. Where to look? What to look for? How much to pay? The considerations go on and on.
You can take much of the anxiety out of the process by doing some homework first. A great place to start is figuring out just how much you can afford. After all, answering that question will help you focus on your realistic options.
First, get a fix on your net worth. That's the difference between your assets (what you own -- things such as savings accounts and bank deposits, stocks, bonds, vehicles) and your liabilities (what you owe, such as loans, credit card balances, unpaid bills, existing mortgage and so on.)
You'll need this information when visiting your financial institution to discuss a mortgage, and to help you assess how much you have available for your down payment and initial costs.
When you look at what you can afford, don't just consider the purchase price. There are all sorts of extras including the inspection fee, appraisal fee, legal fees, closing costs, property insurance, and moving costs.
It all adds up, perhaps tacking on two per cent or more to the price of the home.
Then there are the financial obligations that you must be prepared to assume on an ongoing basis: monthly mortgage payment; property/school taxes; utilities and ongoing maintenance. With a new home, you may also have landscaping costs including new fencing and decks as well as driveway repairs, etc.
However, when buying a new home, many builders provide assistance for the legal costs of registering the mortgage.
They can also have the appraisal fee paid for and can include some of your extras, such as driveways, fencing and decks. All this could save you much of those closing costs.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer only. Any rates or amounts cited were correct at the time of submission. Bill McFarlane is senior sales manager, builders markets For RBC Royal Bank.
Resale Homes
Tours will give you a taste of downtown living
Did you know that over 13,000 people live in downtown Winnipeg? And more than 700 new residential units are completed or underway in the downtown area?
You'll have a chance to find out all about living in the heart of the city at the Downtown Living Tour & Exhibition, which takes place next Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9. Presented by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and CentreVenture Development Corporation, the Downtown Living Tour showcases just what Winnipeg's downtown area has to offer as a neighbourhood. You'll get a taste for urban living and see just what's going on in downtown Winnipeg.
It starts with the brand new Manitoba Hydro Building. The Downtown Living Tour & Exhibition is based in the main floor atrium of the new Hydro building on Portage. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, the free event will feature over 20 exhibitors and 10 tour locations, which range from new condominiums and apartment blocks to a renovated hotel and hostel.
On Friday, the event is geared towards people working downtown. If you're looking for something to do to get you out of the office, you can take a short, "lunch-break friendly" tour. Forty-five minute bus tours to the Strand condo and Residences on York executive apartments will leave the Hydro building on the hour at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Space will be limited, so call ahead and book your spot at 958-4631.
On Saturday, 10 different locations will be hosting public open houses from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Downtown Living shuttle bus will run every 15 minutes, so you can hop on and hop off at each site or you can get there on your own. There are a whole host of tours taking place on Saturday, including everything from a luxurious condo at The Excelsior on Waterfront Drive to the Kiwanis Chateau, a 55-plus life lease building.
For more information about the Downtown Living Tour & Exhibition, visit:
www.myplaceisdowntown.com.
