When a parent moves in with you

There are many practicalities to parse


By Helen Morris, National Post
 
 

 
While it can be a great joy, taking in an elderly parent will have emotional, physical and financial ramifications for a family.


It is a tough time no matter what the circumstances when an elderly relative, perhaps a parent, is no longer able to live independently in their own home.

One option may be for your parent to move into your family home. If parents, kids and grandparents can all live together, then there are a number of financial, tax and estate issues to consider.

"It may provide a source of comfort to your parent and be a very positive thing to do, but we do recommend that you look at the practicalities," says Christine Van Cauwenberghe, an estate-planning specialist with Investors Group. "If the parent is moving in with you due to a deteriorating health situation, is your home properly outfitted with ramps and things like that? Is it really going to be a financial saving for them to move in with you versus moving into some sort of assisted living?"

There are a number of medical expense credits and deductions available for construction, renovation or alteration of a building, Ms. Van Cauwenberghe says, to enable access or easier living, but there are many terms and conditions for eligibility. Canada Revenue Agency has details at cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4064/README.html.Unless you are an only child, it is key to discuss financial and other arrangements with siblings.

"Sometimes people enter into caregiving agreements ... and there's a verbal understanding that they will then either receive a larger portion of the estate or receive certain money as compensation," says Ms. Van Cauwenberghe. Then, "the parent dies and there's nothing written down and the person who has been providing all the caregiving is extremely resentful."

For the sake of the family, all agreements must be openly discussed and in writing.

Occasionally, a parent might be able to contribute to his or her own upkeep. If a parent is paying rent, you can set off a number of expenses.

"Some caution has to be drawn, though, when claiming rental income on your personal residence," says Dean Paley, tax, estate and financial planning at Edward Jones. "If you claim a type of depreciation expense called capital cost allowance against your rental income, you may incur a partial capital gain when you ultimately sell." In Canada, when you sell your principal residence there is no tax on the gain, but claiming depreciation on rent changes the situation, so Mr. Paley suggests seeking advice on the best option for your particular circumstances.

Your parent's former home also comes into the financial mix.

"If they were to sell it, they should sell when they move out so there is no tax on the capital gain," says Mr. Paley, referring to the fact that the parent may decide to keep their home as an investment property, which would become taxable on sale.

Another often overlooked wrinkle in dealing with family property is whose name is on the title.

"A rash decision that sometimes people make is that they move into a child's home and ... the parent will add the children on as joint owners (of the parent's home) ... thinking that it will facilitate transfer of ownership," says Ms. Van Cauwenberghe. "I cannot emphasize enough the dangers of adding on a child or another individual as a joint owner of your home. It can make things extremely messy. We know that sometimes people do it because they think they are saving probate but in some cases they don't even save probate and it just causes a lot of headaches."

Speak to a lawyer before contemplating this route as joint ownership brings a number of risks and unintended consequences, such as, "If the child is married and gets divorced -- because they are joint owner of that property , that property would be subject to the division of assets for the divorce," says Mr. Paley.

And one other possibility you may not have planned for:

"If your parents are living with you and you pass away, how are they going to survive?" Mr. Paley points out. He says insurance can help to ease the financial stress and keep a roof over their heads if you die before your parents and children, so update your policies when a parent moves in.

© Copyright (c) National Post
 
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July 14th Ottawa Real Estate Daily Market Update

Your Ottawa Real Estate Daily Market Update


New listings for Today: 89

Back on the Market: 12

Conditional Sales: 29

Sold Listings: 49

Are you looking to buy? We can get your dream home with the Dayton Davis Home Selling System and ensure your protected with the HomeLife Home Warranty System.

Are you looking to sell? We can get your home sold fast and for top dollar. Call today 613.608.5272 to find out how! or online at http://www.daytondavis.com/

From parking lot to paradise

By Ailsa Francis, The Ottawa Citizen

Dedicated gardener Adrienne Clarkson shares tales of how Rideau Hall inspired the transformation of her compact garden.


Adrienne Clarkson is no wallflower. Maybe a dark purple hellebore or a highly coveted handkerchief tree, but the dedicated gardener is certainly not an orange or golden wallflower.

To make the colour point, Clarkson tells how a prankster neighbour, aware of her anti-orange rule, surreptitiously planted a tiger lily in the woodland garden in front of her Toronto home. It goes without saying that upon blooming, Clarkson pulled the offending bulb out of the ground.

Since the end of her term in 2005 as the 26th governor general of Canada, Clarkson is being lured back to the capital by the the Ottawa Botanical Garden Society. On April 26, she will describe her private gardening challenges, which in scope (but not in affection) are a far cry from the redevelopment of the public gardens at Rideau Hall.

Clarkson will chronicle the origins of her Toronto backyard that began as a parking lot for a Victorian rooming house and this year will enter its fourth growing season as a sunny, perennial sanctuary.

We spoke on the telephone in anticipation of her talk, but this day, the former representative of the Queen is excited about the summer flowering bulbs she ordered from Gardeimport.com (a Canadian mail-order plant and bulb company; www.gardenimport.com), especially Acidanthera and Eucomis. The former (now known as Gladiolus callianthus or the peacock orchid), can be easily incorporated into a perennial garden because of its elegant presence and graceful white blooms, says Clarkson. Or it can be planted in a pot for a drop-dead gorgeous (and fragrant) late summer display.

Ever since childhood when her mother (a keen and talented gardener) used her and her brother as "slaves," doing everything from slug picking to weeding, Clarkson has been entranced by growing things. The long-time friend of Marjorie Harris (her previous Toronto garden appeared in Harris' 1993 book The Canadian Gardener's Guide to Foliage and Garden Design) and admirer of gardener Frank Cabot, is an unstoppable creative spirit and multitasker. It's not surprising that she was thoroughly involved in the revamping of the gardens at Rideau Hall.

"They were a mass of red and white geraniums, with a sprinkling of white impatiens and red salvia," she says incredulously, describing the patriotic, yet uninspired gardens she found when she and her husband, John Ralston Saul, arrived at Rideau Hall in the autumn of 1999.

With the help of a legion of talented gardeners and arborists, the grounds were transformed back to a more natural style that had been evident under the direction of Lady Evelyn Byng in the 1920s and with Norah Michener in the late 1960s.

Clarkson is proud of the woodland garden at Rideau Hall, the walkways where she developed a love affair with Tricyrtis, otherwise known as toad lily. (As we talk, the correct Latin names for perennials and shrubs easily roll off her tongue, making it sometimes hard to keep up). This shady garden was the inspiration for her front garden in Toronto, which boasts a prized variegated pagoda dogwood tree, and numerous woodland perennial jewels, including Asarum, (both the European and Canadian species of ginger), Actinidia (kiwi vine), Arisaema (jack-in-the-pulpit), Epimedium (barrenwort), Veratrum (European white hellebore), and Helleborus (both Christmas and Lenten Rose), among others.

But it is in the rear garden that Clarkson and Ralston Saul have found solitude and privacy. After the parking area was reclaimed, the couple must have thought that the hardest work was over. But it was not to be. Clarkson remembers digging down four feet to correct the hard-pan soil, and being shocked to find the remains of a large swimming pool. Surprised, but undaunted, they had heard stories of the previous owners filling in the pool with junkyard waste, from prams to tricycles. After the debris was taken away, jackhammers were brought into break up the concrete.

The area was finally ready for design and planting after truckloads of compost was mixed with soil. John Thompson laid out the garden's plan and constructed yellow cedar fencing (charred to provide interest), as well as the gravel pathways and seating areas. Then Clarkson and Ralston Saul began the fun of planting. Her favourite nursery northwest of Toronto, Lost Horizons (www.losthorizons.ca) got the lion's share of her plant buying business and a regular give-and-take with Marjorie Harris helped to provide inspiration. The two women sometimes disagreed, once on the benefits of Midwinter Fire dogwood. Clarkson is a fan, but Harris encouraged her to "pull it out."

Don't miss what may be your only chance to see this veteran plant lover's private outdoor refuge and hear the story of its development. Asked if there was a book or garden tour in the works, Clarkson said: "No, neither. I leave the garden books to the professionals."

SEEING ADRIENNE CLARKSON

What: From Parking Lot to Paradise: The Making of an Urban Garden

When: April 26, 7 p.m.

Where: The Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. (Parking is available in the large lot east of the Archives)

Cost: $20 Ottawa Botanical Garden Society individual members; $23 OBGS group members; $25 general public

Tickets: Send a cheque with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Ottawa Botanical Garden Society, P.O. Box 74009, 5 Beechwood Ave., Ottawa, K1M 2H9

Online: www.ottawagarden.ca

Information: Call 613-747-0600 or e-mail eventcoordinator@ottawagarden.ca

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
 
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Investing in the great outdoors remains a priority

Arbors, water features among popular features


By Amy Hoak, McClatchy News Service
 
 

 
Homeowners love their yards. They plant gardens, create cosy areas for entertaining and install decorative elements that they're as happy to look at from the kitchen window as from their chaise longue.


And despite a weak economy, North Americans are expected to continue this love affair with the world outside their door -- and perhaps spend a little more time in it as they plan to spend their summer vacations at home.

About 94 per cent of residential landscape architects polled by the American Society of Landscape Architects earlier this year said that outdoor living spaces, including cooking and entertaining areas, would be popular in 2010.

That said, improvements are expected to have few frills as homeowners stick to the basics in this cool economy.

"Homeowners want to create a sense of place for their family, friends and neighbours to enjoy outside, but an uncertain economy means many will dial back some of the extra features we've seen in past years," said Nancy Somerville, executive vice-president for the group, in a news release.

Some of the most popular features this year: outdoor seating and dining areas, including benches and seat-walls or weatherized outdoor furniture, as well as fire pits and fireplaces, the classic outdoor grill and outdoor counter space, according to the survey results.

More lavish outdoor kitchen appliances, including refrigerators and sinks, are expected to be less popular, as are stereo systems and outdoor heaters.

Survey results found a growing interest in low-maintenance landscapes and native plants. There's also a continued resurgence of the home garden.

At Home Depot, sales of seed packets for vegetable gardens were up more than 50 per cent in 2009, compared with 2008, said Jean Niemi, spokeswoman for the company. Last year's popularity has prompted the company to increase the types of edible seed packets offered at the stores by 25 per cent this year, she said.

The stores are also planning to offer workshops on how to plant and maintain a garden.

While consumers may be planting more as a way to have fresher produce or so they can know where their food is coming from, there's also an economic driver: According to the National Gardening Association, a well-maintained food garden yields an average $500 return, considering a typical investment and the market price of produce.

A growing market

The interest in spending time outside is likely to beget more products designed for indoor/outdoor use in the near future, according to Rob Tannen and Mathieu Turpault, of Bresslergroup, a product-development firm.

One of the products they imagined: a tray container system that people could take into the garden to collect fruits and vegetables, adapt to fit the sink for cleaning the produce and slide into a refrigerator as you would a crisper drawer. Another concept was a grill with seating built around it, allowing cooks to entertain friends as they work.

Technology will likely play a larger role outdoors, too, Tannen said. It's not far-fetched to imagine a shed with solar roofing panels that allow you to charge pieces of large lawn equipment, as easily as you might dock your Dustbuster inside the house. Or using iPod apps in the garden to learn how to best take care of a plant, he said.

Already, technology has entered some gardens. EasyBloom, a product that hit the market in 2008, is a sensor that you stick in the ground to collect information about the soil. You then connect it to a computer via a USB port, where collected information is analyzed to help determine what plants will thrive in that area. The tool also can diagnose problems with an existing plant. It costs about $40, and is sold online.

"People get bummed out when a plant is not doing well," said Matt Glenn, chief executive of PlantSense, the company that sells EasyBloom. "If you have a rose bush, ... put the sensor next to the rose bush and the sensor will look at the world the way the rose does."

You'll quickly learn, for example, if it isn't getting enough sunlight or has been over-watered -- which can be useful for the growing ranks of novice gardeners, he said.

Adding appeal

When designing any outdoor area, it's important to create a series of places that you can inhabit, whether it's a covered space to entertain in or a vegetable bed to attend to, said Sarah Susanka, an architect and author of The Not So Big House series of books. Don't forget your garden's view from the inside either, she added.

"When I was designing my garden, I designed a view from my kitchen window" so it could be enjoyed while standing at the kitchen sink, she said.

"If you can see something that you find attractive day after day, you're much more likely to sit out there," she said.

And while many homeowners are making these outdoor improvements to their homes so they can enjoy them -- especially in a real-estate market where moving to another home is financially difficult for some families -- a well-planned and maintained garden and outdoor area will serve an owner at the time of resale, too, she said.

"When you have a beautiful garden, someone will fall in love with it," Susanka said. "In fact, it's what they're purchasing -- more than the house even."

Arbors, water features such as fountains, pergolas and decks are expected to be the most popular outdoor structures for homeowners this year, according to the architects group.

And making an investment in a deck, for example, might set an existing home apart from a newly constructed one, said Edie Kello, director of marketing for Fiberon, a company that manufactures composite decking material.

"Fifteen to 20 years ago, most builders were putting on decks. A lot of construction builders these days aren't building decks," Kello said. "I think it's a cost factor," she said, adding that when builders were mass-producing during the boom years -- building as quickly and cost-effectively as possible -- homebuyers would often get only a stoop outside their door.

© Copyright (c) McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
 
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Less is more when decorating your backyard or garden

By Susan Semenak, Canwest News Service

Spring cleaning isn't just for shoe closets and windows. Most people's backyards and gardens could use a good decluttering, too.


The same basic design principles that lead to striking interiors make for beautiful gardens.

Allan Becker, a garden designer from Montreal, says the style and proportion of so-called "hard objects," including ornaments, furniture and containers, need to fit the mood and scale of the garden.

Pergolas, fountains and sculptures add architectural dimension to flower beds. They serve as visual exclamation points, or act as buffers. A bird bath, for instance, is a perfect element for filling the empty visual space between flowers and fence.

But, like too many tchotchkes in the living room, they can stifle a garden's style and spirit when overused. In their zeal to beautify their gardens, many gardeners make the mistake of overstuffing.

In her list of no-nos, Margaret Roach, a former editor at Martha Stewart magazine, includes gnomes, wishing wells and lions, "especially in plastic." Her garden blog, awaytogarden.com,also discourages white plastic furniture, red-dyed mulch and gravel or decorative lava rock.

Becker, who writes his own blog (allanbecker-gardenguru. square-space.com),says decorating a garden is a matter of personal taste. Some people think garden gnomes are cute. Others like "found art" -- recycled objects such as old kettles or kiddie wagons -- tucked in among their nasturtiums.

But Becker says too much stuff just ends up looking like junk. "You shouldn't have too much out there," he says. "Before you buy any ornamental object for the garden, study its style and spirit." Joe Swift, the British garden designer and author, says the crispest, most stylish gardens stick to a restrained palette. They rely on simple geometry and carefully edited plant selections and materials. The number of colours in the flowers and the decor are kept to a minimum to avoid looking "fussy."

"A common mistake is to try to make the most of the space by cramming it with 'features' such as pots and water fountains," Swift writes in his book, Joe's Urban Garden Handbook. Be "ruthless and picky" about garden decoration, he warns. Don't haul things out from the attic or the garage and plunk them into the garden. Don't make impulsive purchases. Here are a few design basics for planning, or rethinking, the "hardware" in the garden:

- Don't use more than one ornamental object as a focal point in each garden area. That means a single bird bath in a flower bed, or a sculpture. But not both. Two identical objects, such as flower-planted urns, flanking a path or entrance, would also work.

- Choose a style and stick to it. A rustic garden can handle recycled objects, Becker says, but a manicured garden can't. Neither can a minimalist garden.

- Limit the colour palette. Choose containers and ornaments in tones that blend with the surroundings, including the house's brick, paving stones and windows, shutters and doors.

- Place ornaments off-centre. To create visual interest, keep things asymmetrical.

- Camouflage. Use temporary screening, such as rolls or panels of willow, hazel or bamboo, to block off unsightly views or divert the eye from "major negatives," such as the neighbour's peeling garage wall. It's inexpensive and easy to install.

- Repeat yourself. Repetition and simplicity in the choice of materials and plants create a powerful and tranquil mood, Swift says. Suspend a row of three lanterns from the balcony.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
 
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Come on over

Cocktails are chilled, the barbecue is heating up for company


By Paula McCooey, Ottawa Citizen
 
 

 
The days of small picnic tables and folding aluminum chairs seem to have gone the way of the ice cream truck. It’s no secret outdoor furniture trends have been on the rise. Now there are more options than ever. And because of this, people are willing to spend a little more money for bigger pieces, which translates into bigger gatherings and outdoor dinner and cocktail parties. Case in point is a beautiful outdoor dining display at Ottawa’s The Fireplace Center & Patio Shop. The large (60-inch) square chocolate faux wicker table by ActiWin is elegantly set for a party of eight, with a Lazy Susan in the middle to make reaching for that savory dish of grilled vegetables or sirloin a breeze. "Outdoor wicker is really powerful right now," says owner Andy Cotnam, who says the set, including dining chairs and cushions, retails for around $4,000. "I think it’s a drastic departure from what we are used to looking at in a backyard. Here you’ve got a completely wicker- wrapped framework. A lot of cubist designs, nice wide arms, modular sectionals that you can custom make to suit your living space. And all of these enjoying thick deep cushions." The Sunbrella fabric is a durable foam that drains and dries quickly. Originally used in the marine industry, and later for awnings and umbrellas, it has evolved into a fashionable and comfortable option for garden furniture. "No longer does it feel like an outdoor fabric," says Cotnam, who says most cushions come with a five-year warranty. It’s so comfortable and supple. You are bringing the comfort level that you are used to indoors to the backyard." For those who enjoy the modular look, but are looking for a lower price tag, check out IKEA’s Ammero lounge collection. Sold separately, the plastic rattan lounger, $199, and one-section chair, $150, come in dark brown with beige cushions. These pieces are not only stylish and sturdy, they are versatile and can be configured to suit each backyard, deck and balcony. They can be personalized with accent pillows and throws to create a nautical or Moroccan theme. Tamara Robbins Griffith of IKEA Canada says as much as Canadians love their winters, when the tulips bloom, they come to really appreciate the warm air, longer days of summer, which has driven the trend toward decorating outdoor spaces. Not to mention staycationers can justify investing in sleek outdoor pieces if they opt to scratch a summer trip to Cape Cod. "Canadians have always enjoyed spending a lot of time outdoors in the summer, but we have seen a shift in the attention paid to decorating," says Robbins Griffith. "The consumer is reading decorating magazines and watching shows on television that feature beautifully decorated outdoor rooms. "The average person also has a much better understanding of how a carefully planned home translates in the real estate market. People want good value for their money, but they also want to reflect their own personal style." Good value can be found almost everywhere. Loblaws’ PC Estate Conversation set includes a two-seater faux rattan love seat, two matching lounge chairs with stylish mildew-resistant cushions, plus four flowered accent pillow and a coffee table with glass for $599.99. And if that deal isn’t good enough, a shopper can check out the PC Towne Chat Set, with a love seat, two lounge chairs, cushions, a table with a glass top and umbrella for $399.99. Martha Stewart has introduced an outdoor living line at Home Depot. The Logan four-piece faux wicker set is $599; a chic cardinal red umbrella is $99 and vibrant throw pillows are $14.99. For a more organic route, Ottawa’s Delusions of Grandeur supply all things teak. Owner Ross Hamilton says he goes straight to the source in Indonesia to get the best quality outdoor sets. Like Cotnam, he has noticed a shift to larger outdoor tables, which include extension tables, and tables with hideaway drop leaves in the middle to gain space to squeeze in an extra guest. "Historically, most of our tables were (for) four to six people. Now I would say half of our sales, when it comes to table and chairs, it’s six to eight, eight to 10 people, says Hamilton who says a longer teak table will sell for around $1,295. And if you’re craving that chic L.A. vibe, look no further than The Bay. Their new Sung Outdoor Capri set is sure to wow friends and family. The four-piece conversation set, which sells for $1,099, is crisp white with metal legs, with deep seating that will make your guests want to hang out for hours. "As we invest in our backyards and improve in their functionality, we want to share that with our friends and neighbours," says Cotnam.


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Outdoor kitchen expands the home

Sink, fridge, counter and cabinets have joined the built-in grill for al fresco living


By Jean Patteson, McClatchy News Service
 
 

 
The outdoor kitchen is rapidly becoming the social hub of the home, much as the indoor kitchen is the favourite gathering place for family and friends. The trend is especially strong in areas where the climate favours outdoor living almost year-round.


"It's a hot item," said Scott Redmon, owner of Alfresco Living in Maitland, Fla. "And the outdoor kitchen is becoming a lot more than a grill and a sink in the corner of the porch. It's a whole entertainment system. People have a higher expectation for their exterior spaces since HGTV came around."

Outdoor kitchens are popular because they are fun to live with, said Russ Faulk, vice-president of product development at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet in Kalamazoo, Mich. "They add to the quality of life for the homeowner. Preparing a meal outdoors is not a chore, it's an occasion, a reason to have friends over and enjoy the process."

In addition, an outdoor kitchen expands a home's living space and adds to its value, he said. "The return on your investment is comparable to an indoor kitchen redo."

Since the economic downturn, "People have been unable to sell their homes, so they are starting to upgrade with better landscaping and outdoor kitchens, spending more time at home," said Sue Fern, manager of the Florida chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The built-in grill was the start of the outdoor-kitchen trend, said Faulk. "Then came the sink, the refrigerator, a counter for food prep, cabinets for storage -- pretty much what you'd have in an indoor kitchen."

As more equipment is added, outdoor "rooms" are becoming larger and more covered, he said. Seating areas are added, along with outdoor TV sets, fire pits and water features.

The grill -- fired by gas, wood or charcoal -- is still the heart of the outdoor kitchen. Especially popular are hybrid grills, which can be switched from gas to wood or charcoal, depending on what is being cooked, said Faulk. "There's nothing like grilling fish over an oak fire."

Pizza ovens are starting to threaten the grill's reign as king of the outdoor kitchen. Oven designs range from large, wood-fired brick and clay ovens that take several hours to heat up, to compact countertop models fired by gas that are ready for baking pizzas in 20 minutes.

Also gaining popularity in outdoor kitchens are keg-tappers, wine chillers, ice makers and warming cabinets.

When designing an outdoor kitchen, be sure to look for low-maintenance equipment, said Faulk, "or you defeat the purpose of carefree outdoor cooking."

Also, make sure any cabinetry is designed to keep the contents clean and dry in inclement weather; install good task and ambient lighting; and choose counter-top material that is stain- and grease-resistant and stays cool in direct sunlight.

"Get counter-top samples, leave them in the sun and see how hot they get," advised Faulk. "Heat-retention is not always related to colour. Some light colours get hotter than some dark colours."

He also offers these cost-cutting tips. "Design the outdoor kitchen against the house to reduce the cost of getting utilities to the space. And buy the best grill you can afford."

When designing an outdoor kitchen, "Consider how the space will be used: as a personal refuge or a place to entertain and be social; as a place to cook and eat, or to drink and socialize," said Eduardo Xol, exterior designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and celebrity designer for hayneedle.com.

And remember, he said, "Indoor-outdoor living helps balance the soul. It keeps you connected with nature and helps you become more aware of living green."

© Copyright (c) McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
 
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Easing the angst of downsizing

Don't put the rush job on your parents


By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen
 
 

 
Downsizing: a word that summons terrifying images of yellowed college essays, Grandma’s cracked tea service, and the mountains of other stuff that we all accumulate. But it gets worse. Where to go when it is time to downsize? Or what about Mum: how are we ever going to convince her to trade the sprawling family home for a berth in a nursing facility?


Doug and Judy Robinson don’t have all the answers. But they have gathered some very good suggestions into their just-released book The Best of the Rest: Downsizing for Boomers and Seniors ($19.95 from General Store Publishing House; online at www.chapters.indigo.ca and www.amazon.com).

The husband and wife team wrote the how-to book from experience. Owners of Ottawa-based Senior Moves (613-832-0053, www.seniormoves.ca), the retired teachers have helped over 1,800 seniors downsize since 1996.

The Robinsons recently launched their book at the Westboro location of Amica, a high-end retirement home chain. As nattily dressed residence staff prepared the adjacent dining room for the evening meal, friends, family and business associates thronged around the Robinsons in Amica’s lounge. Clearly, the couple has struck a chord with their downsizing expertise.

"The focus of the book is, ’Here are some options for your change in lifestyle,’ " Judy said in an interview. The chatty chapters deal with topics like knowing when it’s time to move, aging in place, and choosing a nursing home or residence. They also cover such potentially fraught issues as helping ease Alzheimer’s sufferers into new surroundings and the minefield of intergenerational households (think, elderly parents with a move-in, divorced daughter and her boisterous little boy). As well, there’s an entire chapter on discarding a lifetime’s accumulation of stuff.

The Best of the Rest is an easy read thanks to its tips, checklists, questions to help in decision-making, and telling anecdotes from the couple’s business and personal experience.

Even if you’re not downsizing yet or helping aging parents do it, there are good reasons to take the book’s advice seriously. "It used be that we just moved 80- or 90-year-olds, but that’s changed," says Judy, adding that many empty-nest baby boomers are now looking to downsize. "With all the boomers coming along, if you’re 45 to 60 and haven’t put something in place for your old age, you’re going to be in trouble." Pointing to the limited availability of housing for low-income seniors, she said that Canadians are "treading water now" when it comes to having sufficient retirement facilities.

Their advice on getting rid of stuff when the time finally comes to downsize? "You just have to make concessions," says Judy.

The Robinsons have arranged for clients to donate tools to a trade school and clothing to go to victims of fires or women who have fled abusive homes. "It’s easier if you can see it’s going where it will help someone get a leg up on life," said Doug.

Services and books like the Robinsons’ can be a boon for seniors, says Marisa Rainer, general manager of Amica at Westboro Park, during the launch. "Many seniors don’t want to make the commitment to downsizing because they don’t want to put pressure on their families — they know they’re busy."

And if you are a family member helping Mum or Dad make that transition?

"Don’t put the rush job on your parents," says Doug. "Older people already feel they are losing control. If they feel it’s their decision, they’re going to be far happier and settle in far faster."

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
 
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Condo board lords

Each condo has one, and you know what they say: If you can't beat them, join them


By Daniela Andrews, National Post
 
 

 
Canada's borders span thousands of kilo-metres from coast to coast. The country is known for its vast expanse and abundance of space. In its urban centres, however, it has experienced steady increases in population density, creating the opportunity, and necessity, for an entire industry of condominium development. I should know. In my zeal to move from the north end of the city to the downtown King West neighbourhood, I became a condo owner, finding it the most convenient (and affordable) way to live downtown. It's a decision that hasn't disappointed. My "commute" to work is a five-minute walk. Everything I need, from a dry cleaner to my favourite yoga studio, is just outside my door. And I no longer have to deal with summers of grass-cutting or winters of driveway-shovelling. But I do have to deal with the condo board.


Oh, the condo board. The focus of a love-hate relationship for many owners. Here's a little background on the way a condo runs.

Where the owner of a detached freehold house may act as the king of their kingdom, the owner of a condominium is more like a citizen in a democratic land. Owners (considered the members of the official-sounding Condominium Corporation, a.k. a the condo) elect a board of directors (also known as the condo board) whose main responsibility is to make decisions about the building, its rules and its maintenance, on behalf of the owners. The board, in turn, hires a property management company, which runs the day-to-day activities of the building, including arranging for maintenance, cleaning and superintendant services.

Members of the board are typically elected on staggered one-, two-or three-year terms, so that the composition of the board is constantly changing to reflect a broad range of expertise and experience. Boards are usually made up of three to seven members (the actual number will be listed in the condo rules and regulations) who are all owners, and new members are elected at the annual general meeting as terms expire. The main responsibilities of the board are to ensure that the building runs smoothly, that owners' best interests are represented and that the value of the condo and its units is maintained. In practical terms, that means the board makes decisions on everything from the condo bylaws, to repairs of common elements. They also set the annual budget, which may include deciding whether there should be a change in maintenance fees paid by owners. With all their power, it may sound like the condo board has the final word on all things condo-related, but board members have their own set of rules to follow; they are governed by the provincial Condominium Property Act, which outlines how they must administer condo rules, how funds are accounted for and how the corporation must save for large expenses.

With condo boards representing such a large and diverse group of owners, all with different ideas, interests and beliefs, it's not surprising that there is often dissent among some owners and the board. While one group may agree with a board decision wholeheartedly, there will no doubt be others that oppose the decision with a vehemence rivalling Lady Gaga's opposition to pants. In my condo, tensions between the board and some owners once rose to a level necessitating lawyers' letters and Internet rants, creating an uncomfortably tense atmosphere that has thankfully subsided. It's understandable how tensions can arise, however, since there seems to be a central belief that, as a homeowner, I can do whatever I want with my property. In a condo, this freedom is significantly limited. Renovations, outdoor decor, even the colour of my blinds, are all governed by the rules of my building and administered by the condo board. As we all learned in the sandboxes of our youth, when you share space with others, you have to learn to share and play nice.

One way to ensure your ideas are heard is to become a member of the board. It's not for everyone. Sitting on the board requires a significant investment of time and effort, but board members have the power to vote on decisions that directly affect their home. On the other hand, they're also on the receiving end of owners' questions, comments and complaints on what can feel like a daily basis. So before volunteering to run for any board position, weigh the pros and cons, and figure out if you're the right person for the job. Board members should have the time and energy necessary to serve their position well and become educated about the inner workings of the Condo Corp.; the condo board at my building meets monthly, but communicates informally with owners on a day-to-day basis. They need to have excellent listening skills, great teamwork skills and a sense of diplomacy that will come in handy during disagreements with owners, or even the other board members. They need to be patient, hardworking, flexible and, above all, they must keep the owners' best interests as the central focus for every decision.

Love them or hate them, condo boards are a fact of life for condo owners. The best way to handle them is to become well-versed in the condo's rules and regulations, to maintain a sense of humour and grace and, if you're up for some hard work, run for a position on the board and become a key player in running your building.

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The price of luxury

From heated swimming pools and tennis courts to state-of-the-art gyms, condo fees cover the extras


By Paula McCooey, The Ottawa Citizen
 
 

 
You'd think owning a 6,000-square-foot home would be the ultimate luxury, but it wasn't until Line Gravel and Michael Zigayer downsized to an 1,800-square-foot condominium that they started living the high life.


Last September, the couple sold their sprawling Hunt Club home to buy a condo on the 15th floor of the Riviera Towers on Riverside Drive.

It's all new territory for these suburbanites, as is the $686 condo fee they now pay every month. But they don't mind the extra expense because of the lifestyle that comes with it -- squash, racquetball and badminton courts, four tennis courts, a gym, party room, three saunas and two pools.

"It's almost a resort," gushes Gravel, 56, who hired Bernacki & Beaudry Design to renovate the two-bedroom-plus-den unit before moving in. "We have an inside and outside swimming pool. It's almost (like) hotel life where you have your own apartment in the hotel."

She admits there's something romantic about their new condo lifestyle. "It's like in the Agatha Christie books (where) people were living in hotels in those years," says Gravel of the time when Christie lived in Istanbul's famed Pera Palace Hotel where she wrote Murder on the Orient Express.

She points out that when she moved to Ottawa in the 1980s from the Northwest Territories where her husband worked with the Department of Justice, renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh was living at Ottawa's Fairmont Château Laurier with his wife Estrellita.

But what separates romantic hotel living from condo life is that condo owners are responsible for the building. If something breaks or needs replacing, it's the condo owners who foot the bill. Hotel guests can simply check out.

Depending on the building's amenities, monthly condo fees in Ottawa highrises range anywhere from about $200 to $1,300.

Town and garden homes usually have cheaper fees -- around eight cents a foot -- because they only need to cover the cost of snow removal and grass cutting.

Due to the large number of expensive amenities at the Riviera, Gravel and Zigayer's monthly condo fees work out to 38 cents a foot. They also include water, cable and parking.

There are approximately 850 condos in Ottawa with an average of 80 units per building. With so much variety available, it's impossible to calculate monthly condo fees based on an average cost per square foot, says Debbie Bellinger, real estate and condo lawyer and president of the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Condominium Institute.

"A condo, like the Riviera, has a running track, rec centre, large banks of elevators, underground parking," says Bellinger. "A garden home community in Craig Henry has some landscaped space, some parking areas, but no amenities whatsoever. So you couldn't possibly compare."

What is important to know when buying a condo, she says, is what your monthly fees cover.

There are two components to condo fees: the operating budget used to pay monthly bills such as heat, hydro and maintenance of the building, and the reserve fund, kept for repair or replacement of major elements, like the roof, windows and doors.

Under the Condominium Act, condo corporations have always been required to create a reserve fund for unforeseen repairs. But by the 1980s and '90s, many condominiums built in the 1960s were showing their wear and owners were hit with big bills when they found out there wasn't enough money in their reserve fund to cover repairs.

To prevent these unwanted surprises, the law on reserve fund planning was revised 10 years ago to protect the owners because "there was no regulation of how much is enough," says Bellinger.

That amendment ultimately drove up condo fees.

"(The province) amended the condo act in 2000 and said condos must get studies done by engineers, architects or other qualified professionals," says Bellinger. "And they have to determine how much is enough for their reserve fund contribution. How much do they need to put away today to meet their obligations going forward over the next 30 years? And they have to follow those studies. And if they don't follow the studies, they have to tell everyone why they are not."

Karen Watts of Domicile says condo fees at the new One 3 One development at 131 Holland Ave. will cost 40 cents per square foot, with 30 per cent of that money allocated to the building's reserve fund. She says before the change in the law, that allocation may have been closer to 10 per cent.

Better safe than sorry, Watts says.

Gravel expects her condo fees will likely increase, not only because of the new 13-per-cent Harmonized Sales Tax that came into effect July 1, but because her building is 22 years old.

While dealing with her agent, Dominique Laframboise of Prudential Town Centre Realty Inc., Gravel discovered she needed to get a status certificate before buying. This certificate protects the consumer and reveals the state of the building and whether the reserve fund is adequate to cover repairs.

Marilyn Lincoln, a condo owner and author of the Condominium Self-Management Guide (available by e-mailing Lincoln at marilyncondoguide@hotmail.com) says the status certificate is paramount.

"It will tell you all the financial information that's very important," says Lincoln. "Like if there is any arrears on that unit; if the fees are set out according to the yearly budget and the reserve fund study. It will tell you what the fees are and if they expect any increases. They will tell you if there is a special assessment in the works."

For example, if the condo roof needs to be fixed, an assessment will be made to determine how much each unit will have to pay to fix it. Costs are based on the square footage of each unit.

In Gravel's case, the status certificate showed the Riveria needs new windows, and that was going to cost her $25,000 since there wasn't enough money in the reserve fund to cover the work. To avoid paying the hefty bill after moving in, Gravel and Zigayer reduced their offer, in the end, paying $390,000 for their new home.

"After that, (our condo board) will make sure they will have enough money in the reserve fund so probably they will have to increase the condo fees," says Gravel.

But she says the recreational conveniences of condo living is worth the added expense.

"My (16-year-old) daughter is doing competitive badminton, so all her friends are coming to our place to play badminton," says Gravel. "They go to the swimming pool after that, inside or outside, they go in the hot tub. They love coming to our place."

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July 13th Ottawa Real Estate Daily Market Update

Your Ottawa Real Estate Daily Market Update


New listings for Today: 125

Back on the Market: 18

Conditional Sales: 59

Sold Listings: 59

Are you looking to buy? We can get your dream home with the Dayton Davis Home Selling System and ensure your protected with the HomeLife Home Warranty System.

Are you looking to sell? We can get your home sold fast and for top dollar. Call today 613.608.5272 to find out how! or online at http://www.daytondavis.com/

High marks for Canada’s real estate market

National Post

Canada may no longer be the most transparent housing market in the world, but it’s close, according to a biannual survey of 81 countries.


Canada came in second behind Australia in the 2010 Jones Lang LaSalle Global Transparency index, which measures countries’ legal and regulatory environments, market strength and real estate debt transparency, among other metrics. Canada ranked first in 2008.

“Canada differentiates itself on having a combination of a sound banking system, well-developed commercial real estate lending standards and stable property markets with relatively low vacancy and rental volatility,” the report states.

The country’s large, conservative financial institutions contributed to its high ranking, as did its relatively stringent protections for investors. Canada’s largest investment banks are housed within its chartered banks, which have strong deposit bases and high capital reserve ratios, making bank runs and wholesale failures unlikely.

In addition, Jones Lang LaSalle notes that cashflow and collateral value of real estate loans are adequately monitored in Canada.

Canada and the United States (sixth place) were the only two countries in the Americas to score in the “highly transparent” category. The next closest, Chile, placed 34th (“semi-transparent”).

“The global recession which started in the United States has kept transparency levels stagnant as the flow of information, business and capital has declined,” the report says.

Also in this third-tier category with Chile were Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and Brazil, the only major economy to register notable progress.

Fully one-third of the world markets surveyed showed no change or declined from the 2008 index. Among the countries that showed improvement were Turkey, China, India, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Greece and Hungary.

Algeria came in last place, one of three countries labeled “opaque.” (The other two were Syria and Sudan.) Pakistan showed the largest decline from the 2008 survey.

To view the full report, visit www.joneslanglasalle.com/transparency.

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Big, green and contemporary

Not everyone wants to live small. Tyler Jones is a success story with spectacular Net-Zero homes in the Nevada desert.


By Sheila Brady, The Ottawa Citizen
 
 

 
Tyler Jones likes to be different. When the majority of American builders are looking for the ideal money-smart, small house to score sales, this Las Vegas builder is going big, impressive and green in the Nevada desert.

"I have been a custom builder all my life. My dad (Stephen Jones) is a custom builder," the lanky, blond entrepreneur and owner of Blue Heron says in a telephone interview.

"I like to take the opposite approach and build absolutely amazing homes filled with smart technologies."

The elder Jones was the green building smarts behind the 2004 New American Home when more than 150,000 builders descended on Las Vegas for the International Home Builders' Show and his son designed and built the 2009 New American Home close to the Vegas strip. Six years ago, the elder Jones built a home that used 51-per-cent less energy to heat and cool than a similar home in the Nevada desert.

The 2009 home is a top green performer, built with insulated concrete and featuring 56 solar panels, making it a Net-Zero home, which returns power to Nevada's energy grid.

"There is no doubt in my mind that we are unique and successful because of the green technology," says the younger Jones.

Last year, the contemporary 9,000-square-foot home sold before the mammoth show even opened to an investor who spends time in Vegas, says Jones, who declines to name the selling price, but says similar homes in the exclusive community sell for $3.5 million. Jones has 14 half-acre lots in the neighbourhood where Clark Gable and the Sultan of Brunei once lived. The 2009 New American home is across the street from the 51-acre ranch owned by entertainer Wayne Newton.

He is doing something right because 11 of his lots have sold, even though the average home in Las Vegas is about 1,800 square feet and sells for $140,000.

His average home at Marquis weighs in at 6,500 square feet and costs about $2 million, including the obligatory infinity swimming pool and outdoor kitchen for desert dining.

Despite the economy, the homes are a hit because of the contemporary designs that intimately connect inside and outdoor living spaces.

"They have a unique look," says Jones, who two years ago tried to go smaller with a series of 379 affordable condos in the desert.

"The economy tanked and it did not make sense," he says. The condos, ranging from 950 to 1,400 square feet, would have had an average price tag of $200,000.

But Las Vegas was hard hit by the sub-prime mortgage fiasco and homes priced at $200,000 are now priced at less than $100,000, he says. He put the plans back on the shelf, and is waiting for buyers to clear through the housing inventory of bank-owned properties.

"The inventory has suppressed prices, so I will concentrate on my nice high-end homes for now."

For the first time in its 27-year-history, Nevada's economy ravaged plans for the 2010 New American Home, with the builder losing his financing and then going bankrupt when the home was 75-per-cent complete.

This year, participants at the four-day show had to be content with doing a virtual tour of the 2010 home.

Organizers are already building the 2011 New American Home when the show returns to Orlando, Florida, next January. It will be big and filled with new technologies from the sponsors. There are reports it has already been sold.

Find out more about Tyler Jones and Blue Heron at blueheronliving.com. Visit the 2010 New American Home at www.buildershow.com.

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Deep shade of green

How a technology entrepreneur scoured the Internet for four years before building a modern, very smart home deep in Cumberland


By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen
 
 

 
Goutam Shaw and Geeta Chowdhury really need to stop feeling guilty.


Despite having designed and built a remarkable eco-friendly home in Cumberland, Ont., the couple are still troubled by cutting down a corner of poplars and maples on their heavily treed property of four hectares.

"You can’t build a house without cutting some trees, right?" asks Shaw, sounding a tad defensive. "I’d like to plant some evergreens there," adds his wife, while pointing to their backyard that is also crowded with aspen and oak trees.

For a moment the pair seem to have forgotten about the recent story in SAB Homes, Sustainable Architecture & Building in Canada that details the eco features of their home, located just east of Ottawa. The magazine took pains to point out that the couple cut down trees that would have sucked 3,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year out of the atmosphere.

Yet their 4,000-square-foot home, which also includes a 3,200-square-foot basement, has zero emissions, meaning it is a good eco citizen. You only have to consider that heating a conventional house of the same size with natural gas would produce 13,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.

It’s time to jettison the guilt. You can see the article, Build it Right, at sabmagazine.com. The detailed calculations scored their home a deep shade of green.

The couple’s design flair added a Mediterranean theme over the impressive technologies. It was Shaw, a technology entrepreneur who trained as an engineer, but knew nothing about homes besides paying the mortgage, who carefully mapped out the underpinnings of the house. From 2003 to 2007, he spent about three hours a night at the computer researching everything from construction methods to heating and cooling systems. "I investigated the life cycle of every material that’s in this house," he says. "I knew the house had to be eco-friendly and energy-efficient. That was the bottom line."

Together, the couple (Chowdhury is a patent examiner with the federal government) took architectural ideas from magazines, the Internet, wherever something caught their attention. Their design was so precise they didn’t have to make a single change during construction. Not that changes would have produced a designer-builder battle as sometimes happens: the couple acted as the general contractor.

The home’s airtight envelope employs ICF (insulated concrete form) technology with a twist. Because the production of regular concrete consumes large amounts of energy, Shaw used specialty concrete blocks from Durisol (www.durisolbuild.com) in Hamilton. The blocks are 80 per cent recycled wood chips and 20 per cent concrete with integrated rock wool insulation, and boasts an R-value of 21 below grade and 28 above.

Concrete has extraordinary thermal mass properties, meaning it holds heat for long periods in the winter. As a result, says Shaw, the blocks have an effective above-grade R-value of 36 when the thermal mass is added.

As well, unlike conventional stick frame construction where studs interrupt the insulation, there is no thermal bridging in concrete. That helps the material, when it is "charged" with heat, to hold the indoor temperature at about 20 C for extended periods. Heat is also distributed evenly through concrete’s thermal mass, virtually eliminating the islands of hot and cold that often plague conventionally constructed homes. As a bonus, in the summer the concrete will remain relatively cool, minimizing the need for air conditioning.

High-efficiency windows and doors round out the envelope. Even the fibreglass garage doors have an R-value of 16, more than the walls of many homes.

A geothermal system heats and cools the home, distributing warmed or cooled air through a radiant floor system. Fifteen temperature monitors throughout the home provide constant feedback to the system, keeping the indoor temperature remarkably constant.

Firing up his laptop, from which he can control the house’s heating and cooling system from anywhere in the world, Shaw projects his home’s energy performance on a big screen television. There, in a series of graphs and diagrams, is a real time and historical summary of temperature, energy use and more.

He frowns as he notices that the electrically powered auxiliary heater kicked in between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. when the geothermal system alone wasn’t enough in the -25 C weather. That little problem should be resolved when he tacks on a supplementary solar heating system in the near future.

Shaw calculates that it will cost $1,900 a year in electricity to power his geothermal system. "We were spending $2,600 on natural gas for our (previous home). That house was only 15 years old and it was 2,800 square feet (with the basement)."

Seven hundred dollars less a year to heat and cool a place that’s almost three times larger — not a bad deal. He figures that even with the $60,000 cost of the geothermal system, including engineering and monitoring devices, he’ll recoup the cost in 10 years.

Shaw is no eco-saint.

He gets as big a bang out of engineering his energy-efficient home and helping to save the planet. He admits to driving an SUV, although his wife has a Prius. "Next time, I’ll look at something else, maybe an electric car."

Sinner or not, he’s built a slew of eco-friendly features into the cleanly designed, clutter-free family home.

The biofilter septic system produces 99 per cent pure residual wastewater. South-facing windows mean solar gain in the winter, heat which is soaked up by the concrete walls and handsome, tan-stained concrete floor. The generous kitchen (Chowdhury loves to entertain) features cabinetry custom made from reclaimed pine from an old barn and fast-growing bamboo.

Stairs to the second level are also bamboo, the absence of any dust on them evidence of the home’s high indoor air quality, rather than obsessive house-cleaning.

For the most part, materials in the home came from a 500-mile radius, reducing pollution associated with long-range transportation. As well, the vast majority of construction waste was recycled by the manufacturer or waste management company.

"We wanted something we were proud of," says Chowdhury of their home-building process. "It’s a good feeling that you’re doing something for the future."

All this cost the couple about $250 a square foot, including site preparation. That’s roughly 10 to 15 per cent more than conventional construction costs, Shaw says. He figures that, between energy savings and a growing environmental awareness, it’s a model that can be replicated in either single family homes or small apartment blocks, an opportunity he’s actively exploring.

If it all seems like a lot of work and effort for a place, albeit a handsome one, to hang your hat, maybe, like Shaw and Chowdhury, we need to start putting our decisions into a long-term context.

"I’ll be dead and buried by the time climate change gets bad," says Shaw. "I tell my daughter, ’It’s your generation and the one after that will be in trouble if we don’t change.’"

Ottawa Citizen

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Green flooring tips

Be careful with creating an ‘open-concept’ layout


By Marc Atiyolil , Canwest News Service
 
 

 
Dear Marc,


My New Year’s resolution was to have an eco-friendly home. I am redoing one room at a time and turning it into an eco-friendly design. I am tackling my first room and am in search of eco-friendly flooring. Are there any that you can suggest? — Michelle

Dear Michelle,

Congratulations on taking a “green” initiative in your new design project. Every bit will help make our planet a better place to live in for the generations to come. There are a few different eco-friendly floors on the market today.

First, you can get traditional carpet made of eco-friendly materials but if you want something really unique, I would suggest you take a look at the leather flooring. It is made entirely of recycled leather and has a very unique look from anything else on the market. It easily assembles with a snap together system so you can put it together yourself. The final look is clean and modern and looks great in almost any space.

Dear Marc,

I bought an older one-and-a-half storey home. I want to change around the layout of the main floor by tearing down a few walls. Is there anything I need to know before I start? — Jenna

Dear Jenna,

Welcome to the world of renovation! Open concept spaces offer a modern touch to any home but beware of hidden structural elements. Homes have what we call, “load bearing walls” which are walls that keep the house from collapsing. These walls should never be torn down without a consultation from an engineer or contractor. This does not mean it cannot be done. Your contractor might be able to find an alternative to this open-concept design by adding structural beams or pillars to replace the wall. Therefore, always consult a professional before making any major renovations such as the removal of a wall.

Marc Atiyolil, celebrity designer and home trend expert is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends — Canada’s Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine, and regular contributor to numerous TV, radio and print media.

To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit CanadianHomeTrends.ca

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Eco-cheats for your home

By Jocelyn Jacobson, McClatchy News Service

Sometimes it feels like we're going gaga for the green movement, but there are easy, practical steps you can take at home, on your own.


More than 70 ideas are waiting in This Green House: Home Improvements for the Eco-Smart, the Thrifty, and the Do-It-Yourselfer by Joshua Piven, author of The Worst-Case Scenario survival handbooks (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $18.96).

The 192-page guide is divided into each area of your living space, including the garage, roof and yard. "Green bits" and "eco-cheat" tips throughout offer ways to smoothly get a job done and save time. A carbon counter can show you how even little steps make a difference. Here's a sampling of suggestions.

The kitchen: Learn how to reuse your sink's grey water and make coffee-ground charcoal (fewer chemicals than store-bought briquettes).

The family room: Build a conversation-piece coffee can table and discover how to consume less energy with audio/video equipment (green power strips; turn off monitors and modems; install a ceiling fan.)

The bedroom: Invest in an eco-friendly latex bed.

The bathroom: A 10-step method for shaving with less water includes using a jug of water rather than allowing the water to continuously run.

The laundry room: A lint-filled exhaust tube is a fire hazard, and the dryer is almost as expensive as a refrigerator to operate. You can hire someone to clean the tube or see the DIY steps in the book.

The basement: Construct a root cellar and make environmentally sound kitty litter (from baking soda and sawdust or wood chips).

The yard: Rather than reaching for pesticides, turn to natural remedies such as boric acid powder to deter ants, roaches, ticks and mould.

Who'll like this book: Those wanting to save money and the Earth.

Who won't: Ultra-convenience seekers.

Best piece of advice: "Test the draftiness of your windows by taping long, thin strands of tissue paper to the frames. If the paper flaps, your windows and/or frames need improvements."

Style in a nutshell: Planet-loving projects.

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Smart approach to power use

By Mary Teresa Bitti, National Post

Imagine a day in your life that is inspired by technology.


At 7:30 a.m., you throw a load of laundry in to wash, grab your car keys and cell and head out the door. Your electric car is charged and ready to go. As you close the garage the front door locks automatically, the security system is enabled, thermostat adjusts to the "away" setting and lights and other unnecessary equipment shuts off.

At 11 a.m., a text message from your local utility reminds you that it is now the mid-peak (lower) price period so you remotely start the laundry machine so clothes will be clean when you get home. While you're heading home at 5 p.m. the thermostat adjusts, so your house is warm when you return. As you enter, lights automatically turn on and you check your in-home display to see how much electricity you are using and if you need to conserve to stay on-budget. When you go to bed at 10 p.m. the display confirms that your dishwasher is set to run now to take advantage of off-peak prices and reminds you that in 30 minutes it will arm the security system, shut off the lights and turn the thermostat down three degrees.

Sound like 2020? Thanks to the smart grid, this sort of interaction is not that far off.

A smart grid combines advanced information, communications and electronics to optimize the electric infrastructure, enhance the customer experience, and promote environmental sustainability.

It refers to a network of intelligence, through smart systems, smart processes, and smart people. At the heart of the smart grid is customer empowerment to meet conservation and green energy objectives, and manage electricity costs.

As the local distributor, the utility has a trusted relationship with the customer and is in a position suitable for offering such services.

"In recent years Ontario's electricity industry has thrived in deploying strong and effective conservation and demand management programs to our customers," explains Catherine Parry, director of marketing and communications at Toronto Hydro.

The next step will be to leverage the information capabilities of the smart grid to empower customers with more options to manage their electricity use and carbon footprint.

"We will be offering new services like energy and carbon management systems, as well as in-home displays," she says.

In-home displays are devices that reflect energy consumption and associated costs. The in-home display will communicate with the smart meter to show customers how much electricity they are using in kWhs, and in dollars and cents.

"There are all sorts of ways we think we can help the customer maintain comfort and convenience and control their usage," Ms. Parry says. "You have to know how much you are using and when you are using it to best manage your consumption. The smart grid will help customers do that."

In addition to helping customers take control of their energy usage, the smart grid enables behavioural change that will assist the utility in meeting its peak demand needs. On a broader scale, it will also help the province reduce its dependency on coal and supports a clean, renewable supply of power.

In fact, Steve MacDonald, manager of meter technologies at Toronto Hydro says, the smart grid is an enabler for renewable technology.

"Our smart grid strategy includes a significant amount of renewable generation, customer generation from residential and commercial customers. Smart meters are able to measure customer generation separately from what we deliver. The system will recognize where it needs extra capacity or has more than it needs, and move load around accordingly."

"It's a paradigm shift in the way we look at our business and what it means for customers," Mr. MacDonald says. "Traditionally, electricity is a high-involvement/low-interest category, but not anymore. The way people are using electricity is changing."

Utilities such as Toronto Hydro can provide the infrastructure, technology and tools to provide convenience, comfort and control.

"The smart grid is an opportunity to have smart technology help them manage their electricity usage better and to make conservation intuitive. The time is right. People are expecting more," Mr. MacDonald says.

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Everybody can learn self-sufficiency

By Kim Davis, Canwest News Service

I grew up raising chickens and rabbits, tending large vegetable patches and living in homes built by my father. Neither frugality nor the pursuit of self-sufficiency motivated my parents: they did what they did because they had a bit of land, my father was a builder and we lived in a small town. Ours was not a "back-to-the-land" household of people who wanted to cut ties with the establishment and live independent of the system.


For many people, that household is the household that comes to mind, of course, when talk comes 'round to self-sufficient living: rural acreage, hand-hewn homes, Mason jars of sprouting seeds, home-schooled kids, maybe a clunker of a vehicle on its last wheels.

But what really is self-sufficiency in the 21st century? And what does it mean when half the world's population now lives in cities?

In the recently released The Complete Idiot's Guide to Self-Sufficient Living, author Jerome Belanger argues that while complete self-sufficiency is impossible on a personal level, it is a planetary imperative.

He says that, "the basic concept of self-sufficiency is simple enough: it means providing for your own needs. The main drawback is that it's impossible. Nobody can be truly self-sufficient and live anything remotely resembling a civilized life."

Using the earth spaceship analogy -- a populated craft with no knowledge of how long it has been gone, or when it will arrive, if ever, at its destination -- Belanger says that, as a planet, "we must be totally self-sufficient, or we won't survive. It's that simple."

Self-Sufficient Living contains many of the chapters and topics you would expect to see in a how-to book on living self-sufficiently: from the everyday, like gardening fundamentals, to the adventurous, like intentional bug consumption. "Red, orange, yellow, forget this fellow; black, green, brown, wolf it down."

In the first chapter, though, Belanger emphasizes that many of the things once considered cornerstones of self-sufficiency, and the hallmarks of subsistence farming, are now "a much smaller part of being self-sufficient in a world teetering on the brink of self-destruction."

Although long associated with land and livestock, as Belanger, and many others, point out, self-sufficiency can just as easily, and perhaps even more importantly, include the urban-dweller who consumes conservatively and conscientiously and grows organic herbs and a few veggies on a balcony 22 storeys above the street.

From backyard chickens to 100-mile diets, from rainwater harvesting to solar heating, self-sufficient living today comes in a variety of forms, and translates to different things for different people: a healthier life, a way to help protect the earth, or a way to save money. For one friend, it means leaving his West End digs, and a busy web development business, for ecological garden studies and a quiet spot on Cortes Island.

For another, it means learning to make yogurt in order to reduce her expose to hormone-disrupting plastic packaging.

While The Complete Idiot's Guide to Self-Sufficient Living is arguably most useful to those with, or aspiring to have, a bit of extra space and access to land, in chapters such as "Bloom Where You're Planted," Belanger reaches out to all the urban dwelling "landless peasants."

"Television mogul Ted Turner, the . . . largest private landowner (in the U.S.) with some two million acres, doesn't have any advantage over the studio dweller when it comes to recycling and conservation," he argues.

"It's important to be self-sufficient no matter where you live because where you live right now is the place to start."

You can make yogurt and cheese, grow sprouts, and conserve energy and water regardless of where or what size your homestead may be.

Looking at everything from carbon and water footprints to compound interest and Frank Lloyd Wright, Belanger entertainingly weaves the history and basics of "how to" with discussions about why self-sufficient living is important despite being nearly impossible to do.

He explores the topic not as a quaint lifestyle patterned after pioneer homesteaders, but as an essential, and satisfying, way to cope with many of the challenges facing society and the planet.

The book is the first in a series about self-sufficient living under the Complete Idiot's Guide rubric, with forthcoming topics to include how to raise chickens, compost, keep bees, raise goats, and even make natural soaps.

While the topics are hardly new, they do reflect the general public's growing interest in being more active participants in the production of the food and products they consume.

As Belanger writes, self-sufficiency is no longer just about providing for one's own needs. More and more people understand that it is about creating "sufficiency" on a planetary scale. The core of self-sufficiency is the survival for us all. Not to mention, a couple of barnyard birds can be fun too.

redkimwrites@gmail.com.

(Vancouver Sun)

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Demystifying solar energy

Homeowners thrilled to see their system feed the power grid


By Jane Marshall, Freelance
 
 

 
Solar arrays, photovoltaic, solar thermal and passive solar. Combine these terms with the swanky look of solar panels and their accompanying high technology, and the average person is left reeling, overwhelmed by information.


But solar doesn't have to be intimidating. In fact, the concept is simple. And it's something the world is catching on to -- with many developing countries already using simple solar technology. So why are we so afraid?

The Eco-Solar Home Tour in early June included five demonstration sites in Edmonton in an effort to raise awareness of solar and to dispel the myth that it's too complicated.

Jon Bakker, project manager at Duxton Windows, met visitors at the Belgravia NetZero house to describe the nature of passive solar.

"Windows on the south side have a high solar heat gain," he explains. "The higher the better when it comes to the solar heat-gain coefficient. The windows on the north side have a lower solar heat gain but a higher R-(insulation)value.

"So it's always a compromise between R-value and solar heat gain. The biggest thing is getting the appropriate location for each window."

Bakker notes that to gain the best solar heat-gain coefficient, windows should be placed on the south or southeast sides of the home. "You wouldn't want too many windows on the west side because you would literally cook the house with late afternoon sun."

Transforming energy from the sun into electricity that powers a home seems almost revolutionary. But Peter Amerongen of Habitat Studio and Workshop helped to break down the details of solar PV (photovoltaic) energy for visitors to the Belgravia project.

"It's really very simple. These boxes turn the sun's rays into ordinary household current. The solar arrays are tied into a breaker, and then the energy goes into the grid. The electricity has no choice -- it's like putting water in a hose; it's got to go somewhere.

"So it gets used either at the house or at the neighbours' -- wherever. Electricity flow is measured, and the homeowner either gets credit for the energy or they can pull energy from the grid. In the winter, when you are using more electricity than you can take from the sun, you just pull it from the grid. It's that simple."

Amerongen point outs that using a solar array to generate electricity doesn't make sense unless conservation (ultra-insulating the walls and windows) is done first.

"It's much cheaper to conserve energy. This (referring to the solar PV system) is what you do when you've done everything else," he says. "Saving is just as valuable, in fact more valuable, than generating energy."

Initial startup costs for the Belgravia home's solar PV system were about $40,000. "It's the single greatest component of extra cost in the house," Amerongen says.

Another net-zero home on the tour, located in Mill Creek, uses solar energy not only to generate electricity, but to also heat the water.

"Water goes into a 1,200-litre tank and it picks up heat along the way through coils," says Ken Hemmerling, a friend of the homeowners who also uses a solar thermal system in his home.

"There is a sensor on roof and a sensor in tank. So the system brings hot water into the tank if needed," says Hemmerling. "And if the sun isn't providing enough heat, there is a water heater -- it's really just a backup."

We are standing in the basement, looking at the panels that read how much electricity is being generated. "It's kind of complicated looking, but conceptually, it's quite simple," he says.

The Mill Creek home also has a solar electric system with fixed collectors on the roof, and new movable awnings with arrays will be installed in the near future.

"The movable awnings will maximize efficiency; by turning a crank, the homeowners will be able to angle the awnings to take advantage of the sun. And the awnings also serve as window shades," he says.

Hemmerling paid off the mortgage of his 1964 home and wanted to see how solar might fit in with his lifestyle. So he invested in a solar thermal system.

"I bought solar thermal collectors and am in the process of getting those up on my house. I know my house is - -an energy pig, so it made sense to do the thermal collector. It's not - - it's common sense. You can go so far on - -to net zero without buying all this fancy stuff," he says.

Andy Smith of the Solar Energy Society shows people milling through the Mill Creek home a photo of what the future movable solar array will look like once it's installed.

"Seasonally, the arrays will change their orientation," Smith explains. "This system will increase efficiency by about 16 per cent from what model tells us." He notes that the homeowners will move the arrays three or four times a year.

He feels that solar is the way of the future. "Our arrays are lasting 30 years plus, and the cost of photovoltaics continues to drop. Gas is going nowhere but up. So we think that energy from the sun -- and wind, also -- is the way to go."

Rechel Amores, the homeowner, and her husband, Conrad Nobert, are happy to be building green.

"When this property came up for sale, we got in contact with Peter Amerongen. The solar has been good and it's neat seeing the meter go backwards when it's feeding into the grid. It's great for children (ages six and four) to see. When the sun shines you can hear the solar thermal gurgling."

"The kids are very environmentally savvy. They've been here from the get-go, and they even remind us to turn off lights."
- - -
SOLAR STUFF

- To learn more about solar energy in Alberta, go to solaralberta.ca

- To review the Eco Solar Homes tour: ecosolar.ca/index.html

- To learn more about NetZero and Habitat Studios: habitat-studio.com

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Forget market timing, buying a house is about life timing

Homes are a long-term investment


By Garry Marr, Financial Post
 
'You know, you're making the biggest mistake of your life. The housing market is going to fall."


I got this great piece of advice from another journalist at the Financial Post, who has since left the newspaper, after buying my first home. Not exactly the type of thing you want to hear after taking on huge debt and making the biggest financial decision of your life.

Lucky for me, I didn't heed that advice about Toronto's red-hot real estate market -- in 1998. I'm not going to say I made a shrewd business decision 12 years ago, or even six years later when I bought a larger house.

For me, it wasn't a case of not following what turned out to be bad advice from a fellow business journalist. Nor was it about trying to time the market.

I was simply following the same pattern as most Canadians: I got married and decided to stop renting and buy something. Later came the need for a bigger home when the second kid was on the way.

Which brings us to today. The supply of housing is rising fast as people try to list their homes for sale before the market "crashes." This is happening at the same time that demand is starting to wane. Economists and even the real estate industry, are all predicting a correction -- the only argument being how severe it will be.

So, the question for anyone buying is: should you wait?

Don Lawby, chief executive of Century 21 Canada, thinks the strategy of waiting for a crash is not going to work during this economic cycle. "For a market to crash, you have to have people who are desperate to sell," says Mr. Lawby. "People will [only sell] if they can't afford their mortgage or they don't have a job." He doesn't see a decline in prices, "unless you are predicting that mortgages will renew at a hefty premium -- which is not the case -- or a whole bunch of people are going to lose their jobs." Mr. Lawby believes neither will happen.

And, he adds, you are really into a risky game if you are timing the market. "A house is a home. If all you are doing is looking at it as an investment -- that's what happened the last 15 years -- it's not just that. It's a place to live and a place to raise a family," says Mr. Lawby. Even Benjamin Tal, a senior economist with CIBC World Markets, who, last month, said in a report that Canadian housing is 14% overvalued, has doubts about playing the market. But he suspects that's exactly what some Canadians will do.

"Is there a sense that prices will go down and people will wait? I think it might be an issue," says Mr. Tal. "It won't be the main reason [people don't buy], but it will happen at the margins. The fact that people sell at the peak and wait to buy is a normally functioning market."

But even if you do make the right call on housing prices, it could end up backfiring on you in other ways. For example, if interest rates rise fast enough, any gains you make on price could be erased by interest charges, says Mr. Tal. Edmonton certified financial planner Al Nagy says you need to think of your house the way you think about any long-term investment. "Whether it's an investment for use in your retirement or a house to live in, it's a long-term thing. The timing becomes less critical than it would be if it is a speculative [investment]."

And he says making a call on the housing market is as tricky as any other investment call. "It's very rare you catch the bottom. You can't let the market dictate when it's time to buy. The time to buy is when you can afford it," says Mr. Nagy.

I'm not sure that philosophy would fly with my former colleague, but the problem with timing the market is: what if your timing is off ?

gmarr@nationalpost.com

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