Realtax's Soap Box

Is Your Hydro Supplier Switching To Time Of Use Charges? - Will It Cost You More Or Less?

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:44:01 -0600

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

Is Your Hydro Supplier Switching To Time Of Use Charges? - Will It Cost You More Or Less?

Over the last year we have used on average 40 kWh per day. On a 30 day month that is 1,200 kWh. Our service provider, Hydro One, charges us .058 per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh and .067 for the balance making our current average hydro "usage" bill $71.40 or about $2.38 a day. This does not include the other charges on our Hydro bill.

With Hydro One switching to time of use meters that will soon change. Under time of use billing there are three rates, peak at .093, mid range at .08 and off peak at .044 per kWh.

If we were able to regulate our consumption to a set amount per hour all day long our bill would go down from $71.40 to $67.12.

Under time of use billing With This Scenario
Our savings would be $4.28 a month

What Is More Likely To Happen is our cost will increase as we consume more hydro per hour during the peak times than the off peak times.

While we do not yet know what our consumption will be during the different times we can work out a sample using some assumptions. If we assume that 50% of our hydro consumption is during peek times and 25% is during our off peak and mid range times equally then our bill will rise to $83.24 from the current $71.40

Under time of use billing With This Scenario
Our additional cost would be $11.76 a month

It would rise even more except for the fact that at lease 8 days of the month will be at the off peak rate as weekends and statutory holidays are considered off peak times.

This Leaves us with the question ... How hard will you work to keep your Hydro Bill from going up?

The Living Nativity - Experience the Joy of that First Christmas

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:40:12 -0600

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

Experience the Joy of that First Christmas

I invite you to join me as we witness the wonder of that very first Christmas.

We will be sitting on the bleachers surrounding the park, but we could just as easily be overlooking the town of Bethlehem. Peeking in, we follow Joseph leading the donkey into the village carrying Mary on its back. The horses come galloping in as the soldiers round up the townspeople to pay their taxes ... the children escape, playing tag as they run around the bonfires.

As quiet descends on the set you may be able to hear the lambs baa, as the first cry of baby Jesus breaks the spell. The townspeople gather round to see this wondrous thing that has come to pass ......

The Living Nativity,

The live dramatic presentation of the Christmas story is returning to Uxbridge.

Once again this year the story of the simple birth of Christ will come alive in Uxbridge with a cast of over 125. This live production portrays the events leading up to the moment when the Baby Jesus was born in the humble stable, then follows the travels of the shepherds and the wisemen's entourage as they come to pay homage to the newborn King.

The village of Bethlehem is re-created, to form the backdrop for an exciting and colourful depiction of the very first Christmas. Everyone enjoys the pageantry of the Roman Soldiers on horseback, the live animals, the colourful costumes and the majestic Christmas music and narration. Your crèche will take on a whole new meaning as you watch the story unfold before your very eyes.

The LIVING NATIVITY is sponsored by the Uxbridge Baptist church, as a gift to the community. It all began in 1974 with annual productions on the main street of Uxbridge for several years. After a number of years off the Living Nativity returned in 1985, and has been produced alternate years by Co-producers, Joan Wideman, and Brian Evans, working with a strong team of over 25 preparation and behind the scene volunteers. It was last produced in 2007 and drew crowds of over 4000 to Centennial Park.

**** You are invited to view Caro the Fotogal's photo albumof the 2007: LIVING NATIVITY ****

Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar.
Invite your family and friends for an evening in Uxbridge that is unforgettable.

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- One Alternative

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:08:17 -0600

In an earlier post You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Current Value Assessment (CVA) A Better Way? I looked at our current assessment system and the unfairness of it for many taxpayers.

Today's example looks at the Durham Region Portion of Your Tax Bill from the point of view taken by some who feel a head tax is more appropriate than property tax for raising taxes locally.

THE BACKGROUND

It is interesting to note that while the three northern communities paid the smallest portion of the overall region tax bite they also have the smallest populations. Meanwhile Oshawa which has the largest population also pays the highest portion of the overall tax bite.

In looking at the two charts above you will notice very little movement in the location on the chart or the size of their piece of the pie for each contributing community.

HEAD TAX EXAMPLE

This changes dramatically if you look at the taxes paid on a per capita basis Uxbridge suddenly jumps to the top with over 131% of the average per capita while Oshawa drops to the bottom with almost 88% of the average per capita.

If you agreed with the supporters of a head tax being a better way than our current system it would appear that Uxbridge pays far more than it's fair share to the Region.

THE QUESTION:

DO YOU THINK A HEAD TAX IS A MORE APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR RAISING TAXES LOCALLY THAN PROPERTY TAXES BASED ON MARKET VALUES?

Some disadvantages to a head tax

While both systems have inherit flaws It is not as easy to quantify the number of people living in a home as it is the value of the home
How would you make up for the 8% to 20% of the taxes currently paid for by local business

Taxes paid and the 2006 census figures are from the article:
North Durham: Drain or Gain by Jeff Hayward in the Uxbridge Times Journal November 12th 2009
Jeff was looking at the northern communities to see if they were a drain or a gain for the Region.
In looking at the figures he uses it would seem that Uxbridge taxpayers may be carrying more than their share.

Stay Tuned --- .

Earlier posts in the series

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief
You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Assessment Errors Can Be Costly
Understanding Residential Property Assessment in Ontario - #7 in a series on property taxes
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Your Assessment Fair and Equitable
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- OUCH!!!!!
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Your Assessment Notice Is In The Mail
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Mill Rate Idiosyncrasy's
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Current Value Assessment (CVA) A Better Way?
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Who Takes The Biggest Bite?

It will be interesting to watch what happens to

"Your" Property Tax Bill

With province wide re-assessment affecting
your 2009 property tax bill.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town .... With $10,000.00 In Givaways

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:51:09 -0600

Santa visits two local communities on Saturday November 28th

Uxbridge @11am and Port Perry @ 5pm

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town ...

The Annual Santa Clause Parade takes place Saturday November 29th 11:00 am Downtown Uxbridge

The BIA (Uxbridge Business Improvement Area) will be handing out coupons for a free photo with Santa who will be found in his "house" located in the parking lot between CIBC and King Henry Arms.

After the parade - 12:30 till 4:00pm
Dec 3rd - 6pm to 8pm
Dec 11th - 6pm to 8pm

.... With $10,000.00 In Giveaways

Santa will be handing out 5,000 envelopes containing coupons from participating BIA members with some envelopes containing BIA bucks. The coupons are redeemable at BIA Member Businesses.

Santa will be taking his bag of envelopes and wandering the downtown area from 12 to 4pm on Saturday Dec. 5th, 12th, and 19th. He will spend Sunday Dec 6th, 12th, and 19th in the hwy47 south business area from 12 to 4 pm

Take advantage of this opportunity to show support for the local business people, the people you rely on to provide support to the various groups you or your children belong to throughout the year, by doing your Christmas shopping while you are in town for the parade.

Winter Driving

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:17:51 -0600

Winter Driving

In her post Dress For The Ditch earlier today Kathy addressed some of the things that should be in your emergency kit in your car.

Now I would like to show the silly and the serious side of winter driving.

Are you ready for it?

Some Folks Just Don't Get It

Have you ever driven down the road behind some one who is obviously not prepared for winter driving. They poke along because they do not have good tires or they are constantly scraping the inside of the widow because their defroster does not work. Some drivers are just not prepared for winter driving and then there are some who just should not drive in the winter.

A Bus Drivers Tale

Picture this - On a trip through northern New York State with snow blowing across the road at just high enough off the ground to obscure the vision of the cars on the road.

Your driving down the Interstate with the wind blowing the snow across the road, at times limiting visibility to a few feet, you have just passed a bus on the inside because he is traveling in the outer lane which is fairly clear. After passing you pull back out into the outer lane and proceed merrily along on your way.

Every once in a while you see the road ahead obscured by the blowing snow and in the rear view mirror you can see the top of the bus over the snow blowing across the road. He can see over the blowing snow but you can't. You round a corner and suddenly you hit a wall of white so thick you can't see a thing in front of you, what do you do?

If you have been paying attention you know there is only the bus close to you and he is traveling in the same lane you are. If you slow down and pull over to the right the bus will likely pass you safely. If you slow down and the bus does not there is a good chance you will be through the white out before he catches up to you. What would you do?

This particular driver panicked slammed on the brakes and sat, stopped dead, in the middle of the lane waiting for the snow to stop blowing.

As the bus rounded the corner the driver could see the snow blowing out between two patches of trees, but not the stopped car in the blowing snow between them. He started to slow down. He could see over the snow and the road was clear ahead of the blowing snow. The car had been far enough ahead that he should have been gone and around the next corner out of sight. Still he slowed down but would it be enough.

At the very last minute the driver saw the roof of the car through the blowing snow. Automatically he applied just the right amount of pressure on the brake peddle to avoid a skid as he swerved and narrowly missed the car. Only the driver and the passenger directly behind him knew how close they had come to mayhem on the highway that day. The rest of the passengers, had to be told why the bus had swerved so abruptly. The people in the car were lucky, This Time!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved friend, Common Sense

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:34:29 -0600

Via Tina Parker, UpStage Home ReDesign(.ca) (UpStage Home ReDesign):

An obituary printed in the London Times:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common, Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair; and Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn)
and reliable strategies (adults,
not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly
when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations
were set in place: Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a
classmate; Teens suspended from school for
using mouthwash after lunch; A teacher fired
for reprimanding an unruly student, which only
worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked
teachers for doing the job that they themselves
had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required
to get parental consent to administer sunscreen
or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform
parents when a student became pregnant and
wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches
became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims. Common Sense took
a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from
a burglar in your own home and the burglar could
sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after
a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of
coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and
was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents,
Truth and Trust; by his wife, Discretion; by his daughter,
Responsibility and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights
I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I am a Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized
he was gone.

In breaking news, we have just learned of the sudden
passing of Common Sense's twin sister Common Courtesy
who died earlier today. We've also just learned that
"It's All about Me" has been charged with criminal negligence
in her death. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Tina Parker, CSP
UpStage Home ReDesign (.ca)
902-229-5799

Canada's Debt Clock

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:28:14 -0600

Via Scott Leaf Real Estate Marketing & Associates (Keller Williams Elite Realty, Port Coquitlam, BC):

This option will not work correctly. Unfortunately, your browser does not support inline frames.
Its enough to make you sick, but what is even grosser is that the US Debt is $39,000 per person and spiraling out of control.

Matthew House - A Place At The End Of The Refugee Highway

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:38:20 -0600

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

Matthew House - A Place At The End Of The Refugee Highway

Come and enjoy stories, photos, and music that captures the heartbeat of Matthew House including former resident Josiane Aboungono 2008 and 2009 Canada Running Series Champion.

Silent Auction -Fundraiser
Novotel Hotel - Gibson Ballroom
7:00 pm - November 26th 2009

Space is limited so please register today to attend

Phone 416.364.8287

Matthew House is a small shelter in central Toronto that welcomes and assists newly arrived refugee claimants who have come to the end of a long journey on the refugee highway. Matthew House believes that God's call to "welcome the stranger" includes refugee claimants from all nations, irrespective of ethnicity.

Since opening as a permanent home in August 1998, Matthew House has provided shelter and assistance for hundreds of newly arrived refugees who would otherwise have been homeless in Toronto. They have come from more than 75 different countries including: Albania, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Angola, Burundi, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, Rwanda, Somalia, Turkey and Zimbabwe.

Without ever advertising its existence, Matthew House continually must turn away more than four times the number of refugees it welcomes due to lack of space. As a result, one of Matthew House's vision is that of encouraging, inspiring and assisting other groups in establishing their own shelters and ministries to refugees. To date, shelters in Fr. Erie, Windsor, Hamilton, Cambridge and Vancouver have been opened based on the Matthew House model. Currently other groups in places such as Ottawa and Montreal are also exploring the prospect of opening shelters for refugees.

As the vision is spreading, and the need for appropriate shelter continues, Matthew House Toronto has recently opened a second more long term, "transitional home" nearby and hopes to expand its current space even more to effectively carry out its programs.

Please Remember
Space is limited so please register today to attend

Phone 416.364.8287

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:42:06 -0600

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief

By now you should have paid your final tax bill for the year and it likely hurt because it was up substantially from last year.

The question is - did you pay more than your fair share or less?

I felt I was going to be paying more than my fair share. The big red flag for me was that my assessment jumped 34.33%, more than double the average increase, while the average home's assessed value went up just over 14% .

While it is unlikely anyone who felt their home was under assessed would appeal their assessments many who felt they were over assessed took the time to do a little research and fought for some fairness in their assessment and the resulting tax bill.

For me it was a matter of going to the assessment open house to see if my Assessment Was Fair and Equitable. I was not surprised to find that there was no information available and that it really was only an opportunity to talk with an assessor to explain why I thought my assessed value was incorrect.

Luckily I went prepared and the assessor was willing to listen. She took my information as presented and told me she would review my assessment back in the office to verify my points.

Including several phone calls over the next little while I spent about 3 hours of my time before I agreed to the new assessment that she offered by way of minutes of settlement, this avoided the necessity of filing and going through the time consuming process of an appeal.

THE BOTTOM LINE

My total assessment was reduced by $38,000
My Savings the first year $129.34
My savings over the four years $1,293.37
My time was worth over $400.00 an hour.

My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate does not go up.

Wait For It - It Gets Better

If we assume a mill rate increase of 3.5% annually that savings gets better.
My Savings the first year $129.34
My savings over the four years $1,386.31
My time was now worth over $462.00 an hour.

My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate goes up 3.5% a year.

The Real Bottom Line

I won't really know for another three years until all the mill rates are set.

Stay Tuned --- .

It will be interesting to watch what happens to

"Your" Property Tax Bill

With the phasing in of the province wide
re-assessment affecting your 2010 property tax bill.

Subject: Our Young Soldiers. If you won't stand behind them feel free to stand in front of them.

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:07:33 -0600

How sad but how true

In an odd twist, day in and day out,far from home,
He defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather,
He is paying the price for our freedom.
Beardless or not, he is not a boy.
He is the Canadian Fighting Man
That has kept this country free
For over 100 years.

Via Al and Peggy Cunningham Voted Best Real Estate People- Brampton (RE/MAX Realty Services Inc.):

Received this email this morning, thought it was worth sharing. We are sure the American Soldiers are the same...

Subject: Our Young Soldiers

If you won't stand behind them feel free to stand in front of them.

The average age of the Canadian military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate;
He was probably an average student,
Pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy,

And has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left,
Or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm howizzitor.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home
Because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.

He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him,

But he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds
And reassemble it in less time in the dark.

He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation,

But he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues:

He washes one and wears the other.
He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.

He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you

In the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons

And weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay

And still find ironic humour in it all.

He has seen more suffering
And death then he should have in his short lifetime.

He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies,
And helped to create them.

He has wept in public and in private,

For friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body

While at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand,
Remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out,far from home,

He defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather,

He is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the Canadian Fighting Man

That has kept this country free

For over 100 years.

He has asked nothing in return,

Except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot..

A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets

Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it. Please send this on after a short prayer.

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

Prayer :

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer
for our ground troops in Afghanistan, sailors on ships,

and airmen in the air, and for our neighbours in Iraq.

There is nothing attached....

This can be very powerful.......

Of all the gifts you could give a Canadian Soldier, Sailor,
or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

I can't break this one, sorry
This is a ribbon for soldiers fighting everywhere.

Pass it on to everyone and pray.
Al and Peggy Cunningham, Brokers

RE/MAX Realty Services Inc.,
391 Main St., N.
Brampton, ON L6X1N7
905-456-1000
getsold@rogers.com

http://www.TheHousePeople.com

http://www.AlandPeggysCorner.com

The Eleventh Hour Of the Eleventh Day

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:51:43 -0600

The Eleventh Hour Of the Eleventh Day - Remembrance Day

In remembrance of all who put themselves in Harms way so that we could,
and continue too, be able to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

"Two minutes on November 11th"

As you watch the video watch the man at the cash register. Our children learn much by example and it saddens me that the actions of the man at the counter is typical of the example some set.

Terrys anger towards this man for trying to get the clerk to wait on him and the bad example he was setting for his daughter was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time.

"Terry Kelly recorded the song A Pittance in Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream"

."..... I feel her awakening to what was, I feel the private hell of our fallen heroes and their families, and of our soldiers who are living and dying overseas, today. I remember my own father, a veteran. I remember! " ... from an article by Matthew Clulow after viewing the video

DAY IS DONE

H1N1 Vaccinations

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:26:26 -0500

It was just reported on the radio that the demand is outstripping the supply.

Starting Monday if you do not fit the criteria for those most at risk you will be turned away until those most at risk have been vaccinated.

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

H1N1 Vaccinations

With clinics across the country opening up for the H1N1 flu shot Durham Region Health Department has opened 5 locations across the region where you can go to receive the H1N1 Vaccine.

Be prepared to wait

This is what the lineup was like at about 5:30 pm today (it was much longer around 2:30pm) in Uxbridge.

The Uxbridge Clinic is Located at 2 Douglas Rd., Uxbridge
(formerly Williamson's)

With the vaccine shipments being delivered over time a priority list is being followed for those wishing to recieve the shots.

People with chronic medical conditions

Pregnant women with chronic medical conditions or who are over 20 weeks

Healthy children ages 6 months to 5 years

Persons living in remote or isolated communities

Health care workers, and houshold contacts or care providers of persons of high risk who cannot be immunized.

After the targeted groups have been immunized the clinics will be open to all Durham residents

Clinic hours are Oct 28th to November 28th Monday to Friday from 2 pm to 8 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm.

The following clinics are wheelchair accessible and are open for walk-ins as appointments are not necessary.

2849 Hwy. 2 Bowmanville
(formerly Veridian Connections Inc.)

850 King St. W, Unit 26, Oshawa
(King and Thornton-lower entrance at back)
(formerly social services)

3050 Garden St. Whitby
(Garden and Rossland) (formerly TruestarFitness)

Pickering Town Centre, Unit 14, 1355 Kingston Rd. Pickering
(formerly Fabricland)

2 Douglas Rd., Uxbridge
(Toronto and Douglas) (formerly Williamson's Auto)

You are asked to to bring your OHIP card or drivers licence for identification purposes.

UPDATE

Picture taken at 1:25pm today October 29th

Day 2 - And The Line Grows Longer

For Information About The Communities of
Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog
Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae,
Georgina and Brock.

Check Out
myuxbridge.info
or
My Uxbridge Information Blog

To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge
has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes,
in town or rural communities,
country homes, estates or farms just give me a call

THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME

I will respond ASAP
However I do not answer when driving
or when with Clients

Burned At The Door

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:21:27 -0500

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

Burned At The Door -

Your sitting at home relaxing on the couch or perhaps watching TV when the door bell rings. Your not expecting someone and your doorbell seldom rings. You get up and go to the door to see if it is one of the neighbourhood children participating in a fund raiser selling cookies, raffle tickets or some other item.

We all try to help our neighbours children if we can but not everyone at the door has a sweet deal for you

Don't Get Burned at The Door

No matter how good or how time restrictive the offer seems to be it's your door and your decision.

Ontarians have learned, often to late, that the deal contains long term commitments or hidden penalties for early termination. One recent example here in Durham was some unscrupulous operators who stung homeowners who agreed to have their driveways paved by firms they had never heard of who seemed to be offering a very good deal.

A recent email forwarded by a family member contained a warning about how some door to door salemen operate.

While the Message was informative and appeard to be one of genuine concern.
I could not help but wonder who dreamed up this viral marketing scheme,
and how effective it could be.

Here is a copy of the email

Dear friends and family,

I've never been one for sending work-related emails to my friends and family, but I've just finished working on something that you might be interested in.

As you probably know, I work for xxxxxxxxx Home Comfort, which is one of Canada's largest home comfort and rental water heating companies. Over the past few months we've been getting calls from customers about door-to-door sales people trying to get them to switch out their rental water heaters. The problem is the deceptive approach we're hearing these doorknockers are using:

posing as the utility, the government or their own current rental water heating provider

telling them that the replacement is mandatory

misleading them with the promise of huge energy savings

telling them that their current provider has gone out of business

Many of these customers don't understand that they're being switched. By the time the tank has been changed out, some of these customers are now locked in for up to 15 years, with huge penalties for early exit. And if the customers get upset about being misled and they switch back, they get charged hundreds of dollars. I even saw one bill for $1,300! The problem is that customers don't know what's going on in this industry, they're not asking many (or any) questions, they don't know their rights and they're not warning each other.

Enough is enough. We've just launched a new website called burnedatthedoor.com. We've created this online community so that people can get educated, learn about their rights and about their water heaters, post their own stories about doorknocking, register for email alerts, and warn family and friends (like I'm doing with you).

If you've had these doorknockers at your door, or have heard about people who have, can I ask you to do 2 things?

First, check out the website, and if you want to, go ahead and register for alerts and see if they've been spotted in your community. And second, can you forward this email to everyone you think should know about this issue? Our company has been doing a lot the past few months to warn people, and we're now finding that people are starting to ask the right questions of these companies! This website is just one more way people can get information, because some customers are finding that ignorance can be expensive.

Hope all is well with you...drop us a line and tell us what's new!

Thanks,

National Waste Reduction Week October 19th to the 25th

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:36:19 -0500

National Waste Reduction Week October 19th to the 25th

Visit www.wrwcanada.com for suggestions on wastes reduction for your home.

There is a frequently asked questions section "What Should I do with?" and links to a few other informative sites such as GreenerChoices.org The site has many links that will take you to information on waste reduction information, activities and more all across Canada.

National Waste Reduction Week - October 19th to the 25th

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:00:03 -0500

Via Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage):

National Waste Reduction Week

October 19th to the 25th

Lets all Pitch in, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse ... no longer are these just catchy phrases Homeowners are getting the message as demonstrated by the graph below.

Durham Region home owners are to be commended on their efforts to Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

They have successfully reduced the percentage amount of garbage going into land fill by 17% since 2005 while increasing the amount of food waste that is being recycled by 11%.

In addition they have increased the percentage of waste no longer going to land fill with their blue box contributions by 3%

Fire Prevention Week Oct 4th - 10th

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:53:01 -0500

Fire Prevention Week Oct 4th - 10th

The Fire that Sparked a Tradition ... Chicago, 1871

Did you know that the Great Chicago Fire led to the establishment of fire Prevention Week.

Did you know the great Chicago fire lasted 2 days October 8th and 9th in 1871 and killed more than 250 people, left thousands homeless and burned more than 2,000 acres was the catalyst for fire prevention week.

This fire forever changed the way public officials viewed fire safety. To commemorate the event on its fortieth anniversary fire officials felt the most appropriate way was to inform and educate the public and since 1922 Fire Prevention week has been observed on the Sunday through to the Saturday that October 8th and 9th falls on.

To learn more about the history visit. The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory, a virtual exhibition

Thank You

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:08:29 -0500

Thank You for supporting Kathy Clulow
and Team Matthew House
in the Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto

The race day was fantastic and they all had a great time. In fact, one of the team members, a former resident, Aynadis Bedado (originally from Ethiopia) actually finished in FIRST place among women in the 5K race! They are getting closer and closer to reaching their fundraising goal. While the race day may have ended the pledge lines are still open so it is not too late to make a pledge! By raising support for the team you are helping to bring hope at the end of the refugee highway by offering shelter and food, help with completing confusing refugee application papers, medical and counseling referrals, orientation to life in Canada, assistance in finding apartments, offering monthly drop-ins, and summer camp.

United Nations - Habitat For Humanity Day - Monday, October 5, 2009

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:51:29 -0500

According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.

Worldwide, more than 2 million housing units per year are needed for the next 50 years to solve the present worldwide housing crisis. With our global population expanding, however, at the end of those 50 years, there would still be a need for another 1 billion houses. (UN-HABITAT: 2005)

This year on Oct. 5, please join Habitat for Humanity in support of this global observance as we come together and declare that the lack of decent, affordable housing is unacceptable.

Raising awareness and advocating for change are the first steps toward transforming systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing. World Habitat Day serves as an important reminder that everyone must unite to ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to call home.

The U.N. further states that both developed and developing countries, cities and towns are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity, population growth and economic instability.

Rapid rates of urbanization cause serious negative consequences - overcrowding, poverty, slums with many poorly equipped to meet the service demands of ever growing urban populations.

With over half of the world’s population currently living in urban areas the U.N. believes there is no doubt that the "urban agenda" will increasingly become a priority for governments, local authorities and their non-governmental partners everywhere.

Kathy Clulow - Matthew House - Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:26:15 -0500

This weekend Kathy along with one of our young Grandsons is participating in the Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto.

Matthew House is her favorite charity, it is a small shelter for refugees in down town Toronto, that welcomes refugees who arrive with nothing but the shirt on their backs and no where to turn. It has been Kathy's pleasure to be on the board of directors of this unique charity for several years now. You may have heard her talking about it, sharing some of the amazing stories. We have met many wonderful people from many different countries since She became involved with Matthew House.

The core value of Matthew House is to offer hope at the end of the refugee highway by offering shelter and food, help with completing confusing refugee application papers, medical and counseling referrals, orientation to life in Canada, assistance in finding apartments, offering monthly drop-ins, and summer camp.

Could you kindly take a moment and sponsor Kathy as She walks? Just follow this link. You will find it easy to go on line, safely give your donation and you will receive an email tax receipt right away. You too can make a difference in the life of a refugee.

Thank you so much.

Barrie Clulow

Sponsor Kathy as She Walks @ http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=762885&LangPref=en-CA
Learn More About Matthew House @ http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/charity/matthewhouse.htm

Is FSBO Firms Marketing Loosing Steam?

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:22:59 -0500

A FSBO Operator is offering Flat Fee MLS to augment his FSBO services.

You have to ask yourself why if his services are so good does he have to offer any MLS® options.

I suppose he finally realizes that MLS® still provides one of the best ways to get the most exposure for your home. Unfortunately his offer does not tell you that you may have to pay additional amounts such as a selling commission if the propeerrty is sold by someone other than the agent providing the flat fee service.

As I have said before

Everyone has the right to buy or sell in the manner they choose but for the widest possible exposure you need more than a sign on the lawn and a post on a blog or add in the newspaper.

While I do not doubt that at times there is a very good chance you may well be able to sell your home yourself. Just a couple of the things you need to consider before going this route are how much time and effort you are willing to put into it and your level of expertise in negotiations. You can always take your offer to a lawyer for legal advice and as this same poster states in another post you might even get some pricing advice from your local real estate professional.

But do you need a FSBO company to help you?

Not if you are knowledgeable enough to handle the sale by yourself in the first place. You can place your add on the Internet and in the paper just as easily as they can. You can post your add to most of the sites they use yourself along with many others they do not use. You can buy professional signs from the same sign company they use heck your local real estate professional may even tell you where they get their signs while they are giving you free Comparative Market Analysis information. You can pick up offer forms from your lawyer and the list goes on.

Or you can pay them their fee throw their sign on your lawn and sit back and wait as you watch most of the buyers look at and buy your competition through their Friendly Neighbourhood Real Estate Professional .

You need the exposure that only the combined membership of your local real estate board can give You through their various networks and interrelated web sites in addition to a co-operative listing system.

MLS is a Registered tradmark of The Canadian Real Estate Assocation

Advertising - Which is Better Print or Web Based Video?

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:57:21 -0500

A while Ago we received a little humorous story by email and it made us stop and think about how we communicate.

There is an old axiom that states that the pen is mightier than the sword. Assuming we accept that as fact and realizing that we are not all born equal when it comes to describing something in words, how much better are pictures or web based video in helping us to visualize the product being sold.

Is the message the medium or is the medium the message or can it be both? Provided we know the background the message can be abundantly clear but if we have no foreknowledge it can be very confusing.

The following humorous illustration might help explain what I am saying.

With only two people aware of the background and the medium being the message it is highly unlikely that anyone else will get the message.

Background

For several years, a man was having an affair with an Italian woman. One night, she confided in him that she was pregnant. Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his marriage, he said he would pay her a large sum of money if she would go to Italy to secretly have the child. If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also provide child support until the child turned 18.

The medium and the message

She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born. To keep it discreet, he told her to simply mail him a post card, and write "Spaghetti" on the back. He would then arrange for the child support payments to begin.

Without the background the message is confusing

One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused wife. "Honey," she said, "you received a very strange post card today."

"Oh, just give it to me and I'll explain it later," he said. The wife obeyed and watched as her husband read the card, turned white, and fainted.

The message is very clear when we know the background

On the card was written: "Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Three with meatballs, two without. Send extra sauce."

In this case the sender, or advertiser, used creativity to send a new message, advertisement or call to action,to another who had background information. It was a one way communication to one specific person that was able to get a very explicit message across because of a shared background of knowledge.

Are you reaching your target market or are you sending confusing messages that only a few might understand?

We sometimes use creative language or words to communicate or advertise a product. While we understand the message, because we created it and a few others might get it because of a shared knowledge, does it really do what we want. Does it accurately describe what we are trying to market and have we reached our target market if only a few who read it know what we are advertising?

When advertising in print we tend to use acronyms, shorten words or even leave words out to conserve space and reduce cost but are we really getting our message across? If you place a short add for a house, but do not add the price, does your reader know if it is for sale or is it for rent?

So I ask You What Do You Think Is Better Print Adds Or Web Video??

From One Survivor To Another

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:50:15 -0500

I was cleaning out my inbox and came acroos this and thought it was worth repeating

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants &children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because,

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms.......

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good .

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

From Our House To Yours

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:51:40 -0600

Never has there been such a quest for Truth, such a yearning for Peace, such a longing for Love

Never such a striving to understand and to be Understood

Never has there been such a need for the Spirit that is Christmas

At this beautiful season let us all remember that the greatest gift of all is love.
My you have a loving Christmas surrounded by family and friends.
From our House to Yours
We wish You all the Blessings of Christmas
and
A Super New Year

Kathy and Barrie

You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Property Assessment Open House Sessions

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:20:06 -0600

The Town of Georgina has arranged with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) to have public open house sessions for property owners to meet with Assessors to discuss any property assessment issues.

When

Tuesday, Dec 9th from 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday, December 10th from 12:00 noon - 8:00pm

Where

At the civic centre in the first floor council chambers.

Take Your Assessment Notice

Taking your assessment notice with you will make it easier for the assessor to find the information on your property. While you are going to get answers about your assessment they will also ask you questions about your property to ensure the information they have is accurate.

My past experiences with this process is they offer very little information in answer to your questions but that may just be my experience because of the type of detail I seek. I am sure they will provide general information and if there are any glaring errors they will direct you in the process of having them rectified and your assessment adjusted either up or down as the case may be. You may have to follow up with a request for reconsideration and even an appeal.

With the average assessed home in Georgina going up 14.5% you should be looking very closely at what they say your home went up. If you are unhappy then make sure no errors were made in the calculation of your assessment. When checking for errors do not just answer questions about your property ask questions about how the assessment was calculated and what factors were used and the effect they had in determining your assessment

Stay Tuned --- .

Earlier posts in the series

You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Assessment Errors Can Be Costly
Understanding Residential Property Assessment in Ontario - #7 in a series on property taxes
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Your Assessment Fair and Equitable
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- OUCH!!!!!
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Your Assessment Notice Is In The Mail
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Mill Rate Idiosyncrasy's
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Current Value Assessment (CVA) A Better Way?
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Who Takes The Biggest Bite?

It will be interesting to watch what happens to

"Your" Property Tax Bill

With province wide re-assessment affecting
your 2009 property tax bill.

You and "YOUR" Uxbridge Property Tax Bill -- OUCH!!!!!

Barrie Clulow (My Time Is My Own) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:28:56 -0600

OUCH IS RIGHT!!!

Have you ever noticed when a public official is talking about your money they always break it down to the smallest common denominator they can. Well your new assessment notice is no different if you look down the right hand side of the notice you will see that the average residential assessment will go up by 4.68% in Uxbridge for your 2009 tax bill calculation.

But what does that really tell you and what would you do if you took a fast glance. 3.64% thats not bad right --- what they are not putting into words is that the average assessed home in Uxbridge went up from about $300,000* to about $356,160 or a little better than 18.72% with a four year phase in.

*average assessed home value supplied by Uxbridge township

But again what does that really tell you. It does not tell you how much your taxes will go up because the mill rate will not be set until after the time comes and goes that you could file an appeal. Since the only way you can ensure that you only pay your fair share of taxes is to ensure your property is assessed properly and that the value is relative to comparable properties not to what you think your home is worth.

How Much More taxes will I have to pay?

The Formula to calculate your taxes is Mill Rate x The Assessed Value = Your Property Tax Bill which makes it very difficult in fact almost impossible to determine at this time because the mill rate is not set yet. But to give you and idea if the mill rate remained the same as last year a home assessed at $300,000 prior to the reassessment would pay roughly $3,886. After reassessment the taxes on that home would be approximately $4,614 if that reassessment was applied all at once.

Because of the phase in provision the taxes on an average home, assuming the mill rate remains the same as it was in 2008, will increase by just under $182 a year every year so that during the phase in you would pay an additional $1,819.04 with out the mill rate going up.

Click on the chart to view full size

THE BOTTOM LINE

Most Uxbridge Residents will be paying more property taxes this year, some a lot more.

Stay Tuned --- .

Earlier posts in the series

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Your Assessment Notice Is In The Mail
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Mill Rate Idiosyncrasy's
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Current Value Assessment (CVA) A Better Way?
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Who Takes The Biggest Bite?

It will be interesting to watch what happens to

"Your" Property Tax Bill

With province wide re-assessment taking place
for your 2009 property tax bill.

Realtax's Soap Box

Is Your Hydro Supplier Switching To Time Of Use Charges? - Will It Cost You More Or Less?

The Living Nativity - Experience the Joy of that First Christmas

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- One Alternative

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town .... With $10,000.00 In Givaways

Winter Driving

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved friend, Common Sense

Canada's Debt Clock

Matthew House - A Place At The End Of The Refugee Highway

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief

Subject: Our Young Soldiers. If you won't stand behind them feel free to stand in front of them.

The Eleventh Hour Of the Eleventh Day

H1N1 Vaccinations

Burned At The Door

National Waste Reduction Week October 19th to the 25th

National Waste Reduction Week - October 19th to the 25th

Fire Prevention Week Oct 4th - 10th

Thank You

Thank You for supporting Kathy Clulowand Team Matthew Housein the Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto

United Nations - Habitat For Humanity Day - Monday, October 5, 2009

Kathy Clulow - Matthew House - Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto

Is FSBO Firms Marketing Loosing Steam?

Advertising - Which is Better Print or Web Based Video?

From One Survivor To Another

From Our House To Yours

You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Property Assessment Open House Sessions

You and "YOUR" Uxbridge Property Tax Bill -- OUCH!!!!!

Thank You for supporting Kathy Clulow
and Team Matthew House
in the Scotia Bank Charity Run in downtown Toronto