mark tesolin: The Back Door to 100% Mortgages - 11/20/08 09:53 PM
The Canadian mortgage market has been free of the drama characterizing the US stage due its more conservative lending practices.   To save Canadians from the traps of no money down mortgages, the government banned both 100 percentage mortgages and 40 year terms "to reduce the risk of as US-style housing bubble in Canada."
Mortgage brokers, however, claim that the rules can easily be sidestepped. According to Innis mortgage broker Paula Siemens, borrowers have several ways around the new rules.
•·         They can use a non-Canadian bank. US Bank Wells Fargo makes 100% loans available to Canadians.
•·         They can borrow the … (2 comments)

mark tesolin: Condo Trends - Cooling But Not Cold - 11/18/08 08:45 PM
Headlines in several Canadian newspapers report that consumers are nervous buying a condo out of fear that what they contracted for will not be built.  A more substantial fear is that due to current oversupply, condominiums are getting harder to sell.  In Toronto, 22,654 condos were sold in 2007, but only 16,000 are expected to be sold this year.  While the long term outlook for the condo market is good, building starts are expected to decline by 6% as prices decline.  For current owners in Ontario, this news should be only mildly upsetting as prices will actually increase by 3-5%.  Western … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Negotiating Tips for Eager Buyers - 11/13/08 10:57 PM
Everyone loves a bargain, especially in housing where a few percent off adds up to thousands of dollars.  In a buyers' market, where some sellers who need to move their homes are facing the prospect so of having their time in the market longer and ultimately selling for less, it's tempting for buyers to overestimate how far down sellers will go.
So, as a buyer, what's the best way to get the best price?
Dream a little but be reasonable.  Even in a buyers' market, it's unlikely that you will get a $500,000 home for $250,000.  Doing a little neighborhood research … (3 comments)

mark tesolin: Discounts at Disney - 11/11/08 03:33 PM
If the economy makes you want to run to Fantasyland, now you can at discounted prices. With stock prices dropping 6.1%, income off 13%, and hotel bookings down, Disney amusement parks announced discounts on vacation packages to any of its parks.  For vacations booked by December 20, a 7 day vacation is available for the price of a 4 day vacation - a 34% discount.  Vacationers who visit between January - March, 2009 will also get a free $200 gift card redeemable for food and souvenirs.  (All trips must be taken in 2009, with blackout periods around Easter vacation and part … (5 comments)

mark tesolin: Detroit's Problems Challenge Windsor's Promise - 11/09/08 11:15 PM
Recent good news reported here about the thriving Canadian auto industry is threatened by bad news from Detroit: the US auto is in such bad shape that the big three automakers are lobbying  for a $25 billion low interest loan from the government.  Without aid, predicts the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, MI, the US economy would lose over 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs plus $100-150 billion in taxes.
Over the past few years, the Canadian auto industry has regrouped through job cuts and increased efficiency  measures.  The cost reduction efforts are expected to result s in a … (2 comments)

mark tesolin: Coming Soon - Enhanced Border Security - 11/06/08 10:41 PM
For the 92,999 cars and 22,300 trucks that cross the US-Canadian border each day, crossing the border will be more difficult once the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative takes effect in June, 2009.  A response to homeland security concerns, the US is installing scanners and radio frequency identification cards at each customs lane at the 39 ports of entry. These units will be operational by December, 2008 at most ports and by April at Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie.
Those travelers who have NEXUS cards or enhanced driver's licenses embedded with a radio-frequency chip will present the card for scanning and the … (2 comments)

mark tesolin: Ten Thousand Villages - 11/04/08 11:48 AM

Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit organization that offers  handmade items from artisan co-operatives in developing countries, has a great store in Windsor, right at 3225 Sandwich Street.  In addition to handicrafts, the selection also includes Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, dried fruit, and sugar, and have recently added jams and preserves from Swaziland in South Africa.
The concept behind the project developed in 1946 when a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) worker Edna Ruth Byler brought home some beautiful embroidery from Puerto Rica.  The pieces were made in sewing classes by women who helped to learn a trade to bring their … (3 comments)

mark tesolin: Overvalued Homes Flood Market - 11/02/08 11:39 PM
The housing inflation that has characterized the housing market in the United States has drifted northward, it seems, according to a report by Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.  In a study of nine Canadian cities, seven of them have housing stock that is overvalued by $32,000-87,000.  Housing prices were compared to what they would be in a market where home prices and rents would be in balance.   Other factors taken into account include mortgage rates, costs of home ownership, and long term price appreciation.
While Toronto prices are in balance and those in Edmonton below by … (1 comments)

mark tesolin: A Secure Future for Windsor Assembly Jobs - 10/31/08 12:37 AM
While it is not official yet, all signs are pointing toward Windsor as the location for Nissan's next improvement.  Nissan and Chrysler have recently announced an assembly partnership that involves each company doing what they do best. Nissan will be building the Dodge Hornet for Chrysler and Chrysler has agreed to build the 2011 Titan pickup truck for Nissan. This expansion seems to pave the way for Chrysler to build the 2010 Nissan Quest or its replacement at the Windsor Assembly Plant.
This would be a win-win situation for all involved, especially the 4,600 members of the CAW Local 444 at … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Coutler's - Quality North American Furniture - 10/29/08 12:17 AM
 
Windsor is home to Coulter's, "Ontario's largest furniture store" which boasts 80,000 square feet of showroom, a quality stock of North America's best furniture manufacturers, and a colorful history.
Coulter's started as a family business in Essex in1863, when James Coulter started a lumber business and then, after relocating to Windsor, a coal business in hopes of supplying entrepreneurs in Detroit. Later generations of Coulters replaced coal sales with fuel deliveries to business and residential customers in the 1950's when the demand for coal dropped.  Always ahead of marketing trends, Coulter used its location on Windsor Avenue, a block east … (1 comments)

mark tesolin: A Snapshot of the Windsor Real Estate Market - 10/26/08 11:50 PM
Thinking of buying or selling your home?  Here's some interesting data from August, 2008 from  the Windsor-Essex Board of Realtors.
Compared to a year ago....
Market Activity is down 3.44% YTD and 11.94% in August. 7880 homes have been listed this year vs. 8161 last year.
Sales are down 6.58% YTD and 18.18% in August. 3404 home have been sold this year vs. 3181 last year.
For the 389 homes sold, the average price is down 1.35% YTD and 5.10%.  Average selling price YTD was $164,280 vs. $165,068 last year, while the average selling price in August was $166,099 vs. $170,018 … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Give Kindness a Ghost of a Chance This Halloween - 10/23/08 11:35 PM
It's a week before Halloween, a popular holiday that in modern times means donning costumes, decorating your home in orange and black, carving a pumpkin, and trick or treating - maybe for UNICEF or maybe for a stock of candy that children hoard and parents raid for their favorite chocolate bar.
Though it's generally considered a fun time, it's also a great time to start a new tradition in your household or in your life.  Take a look at this link to blog posted by Ann Arbor, MI realtor Kathy Toth: http://activerain.com/blogsview/750995/Ghosting-It-Forward-Pay-It-Forward-for-Ann-Arbor-NeighborsFriends-before-Halloween
In the spirit of the movie Pay It Forward, … (1 comments)

mark tesolin: Canada's Favorite Tiger - 10/23/08 10:26 PM
Giant Tiger is Canada's favorite discount store. Founded in Ottawa in 1961 with a $15,000, investment, it has grown to over 184 locations across Canada, with 106 locations in Ontario alone. Some stores are company owned, but the majority are franchised operations, a reflection of company philosophy that customers are better served by local owners.
Giant Tiger carries fashions, home accessories, toys, specialty foods, and housewares.  Just as Oprah Winfrey boosted Target's fashion appeal by softening the "t" at the end so it sounds French ("Tar-gay"), Giant Tiger fashion customers refer to the store as "GT Boutique."  The company responded by … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: High Tech Patient Care in the Home - 10/22/08 11:48 PM
Home Health Care in Windsor has taken a high-tech turn. Nurses and patients will both benefit from a pilot project by Saint Elizabeth Health Care. The company has chosen Windsor's 200 frontline staff to test the C5 Tablet Computer. The technology will eliminate much of a nurse's paperwork and free up more of his or her time to care for patients. It allows them to access a client's chart and history, fill out forms online, take photographs of the patient or any sores or wounds they may have, and communicate with doctors and specialists in their offices. It will hopefully increase … (1 comments)

mark tesolin: Treasures for Your New Home - 10/22/08 12:20 AM
Windsor's Holland Consignment Shoppe & Auction House is the perfect place for finding treasures for your new home or selling items that you prefer not to take to your next home. They have a showroom that is over 11,000 square feet filled with an assortment of unique, antique, and nearly new items.  As Southern Ontario's largest personal property liquidation company, they not only have retail consignment sales, they also provide auction services, eBay sales, and appraisals by an accredited appraiser.
Visit Holland Consignment Shoppe & Auction House on the web and then head over to their showroom at 1407 Ottawa St, … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Via Italia - Windsor's "Little Italy" - 10/20/08 11:54 PM
Over 60 years ago, Erie Street and the St. Angela Merici Church was a haven for Windsor's Italian immigrants.  An assortment of Italian family-run restaurants and shops sprang up around the church, and Erie Street became the center for Windsor's Italian culture. 
Nowadays, this one-mile strip of Erie Street is known as Via Italia and it attracts visitors from across Canada, the U.S., and around the world.  Via Italia draws on its Italian roots and provides over 100 small, family-run businesses with an Italian flair.  You will find Italian-style clothing boutiques, shoe stores, kitchenware shops, linen stores, grocery stores, and more.  … (2 comments)

mark tesolin: Hybrid Minivans on Our Horizon - 10/20/08 12:21 AM
Hybrid and diesel-powered minivans are hot items on the market now.  Although there has been a recent shift to smaller cars, there will always be a demand for vehicles that seat five to seven people and are capable of lugging baby gear.  With gas price at recent all time highs, space  AND 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway  are a desirable combination.
The Dodge Grand Caravan, built in Windsor since 2007, could be the first hybrid minivan to make it to market.  It certainly won't be the last, though.  Toyota plans to offer a hybrid Sienna by 2010.  And Volkswagen and … (4 comments)

mark tesolin: Market Square - 09/16/08 08:12 AM
Market Square2109 Ottawa St. at Walker Rd.Windsor, ON   N8Y 1R8Telephone: (519) 253-7374
The Market Square has more than 100 years of unmatched service and shopping. You can talk to almost 40 friendly vendors who offer unparalleled selection and great advice.  You can buy directly from growers, often within hours of harvesting.  You can browse through the selection of quality meats and cheeses, farm fresh produce, poultry, organics, pasta, pastry, and seafood. There are also several restaurants, specialty shops, a coffee bar, and much more - all under one roof.   The Market Square is open Tuesday through Friday 8am-6pm; Saturday 7am-4pm; and … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Olde Sandwich Towne - 09/05/08 07:46 AM
Olde Sandwich Towne is an area very rich in history.   It is the oldest continuous European settlement in Ontario, as evidenced by its 31 historical sites from 1798 to the early 1900s as well as numerous historical murals throughout the community.  For hundreds of years "Neutral Nations"-aboriginals including Ottawa, Potawotamis, Wyandots and Chippewas--inhabited the Sandwich area prior to the arrival of Europeans.  In addition, Canada's Anti-Slavery Law in 1793 and the Emancipation Act in 1833 resulted in many black refugees crossing the Detroit River into the Sandwich area. Thus, it became an important terminal on the famous Underground Railroad.Learn more about … (0 comments)

mark tesolin: Downtown Windsor BIA - 09/04/08 08:01 AM
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) strives to ensure that downtown Windsor is the preferred place to work, visit and live.  All DWBIA membership programs and services follow the association's mandates to improve, beautify and maintain public lands and buildings within the DWBIA boundary.  To meet their objectives for downtown Windsor, the BIA offers many programs and services in the areas of marketing, education and advocacy, communications, environmental concerns, and more.
The Downtown Mosaic's five distinctive districts offer prime settings for relaxation, entertainment, shopping, exercising, art appreciation, and fine dining.  Downtown Windsor hosts a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and … (0 comments)

 

Mark Tesolin

Complete Source for Windsor Real Estate

Windsor, ON

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Remax Preferred Realty Ltd.

Address: 3065 Dougall Ave, Windsor, Ontario, N9E 1S3

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