Monday, December 3, 2018 / by Alayne Keates Administration To Geoff Appleton & Associates
Home'Ward Bound December 2018
The Season of Magic
The month of December is filled with our favourite things – the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Christmas! We’ve included a host of events and things to do this holiday season, and our hope is that you will build some unique traditions of your own this year and make some fabulous memories while doing so. The Canadian fruits and vegetables for the month of December are squash, turnip, mandarins and tangerines, but we believe homemade shortbread and hot cocoa may trump that list! ‘Tis the season!
Surely there is no other time of year when the human heart is more open, grateful, generous and humbled by the interaction of others, nor is there a better time to acknowledge that impact that others have had on us. So with that, we simply say, Thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It is our life’s purpose and sole ambition.
Thank you for gifting us with your trust. It is the greatest endorsement we will ever receive.
Thank you for your loyalty. We hope to earn it fresh every day.
Most of all...
Thank you for allowing us to become part of your story.
Whatever you do, and wherever you go, we are sending you our heartfelt wish for the happiest and healthiest of holidays and a prosperous and wonderful 2019!
21 Great Ideas for Holiday Memory Making
- Bake up a batch of gingerbread men cookies
- Drive around and look at Christmas lights
- Volunteer at a local church or soup kitchen to serve the needy
- Do an Advent calendar
- Go tobogganing
- Plan an epic New Year’s Eve
- Make popcorn garlands
- Do an outdoor winter photo shoot
- See a Christmas play or musical
- Cut down a fresh Christmas tree
- Make a handmade gift
- Build a snowman
- Take a walk in a forest
- Do a bake swap
- Make snow angels
- Adopt a family for Christmas
- Go ice skating
- Take a day and go visiting friends and family
- Go through old family photo albums
- Host an ugly Christmas sweater party
- Gather the kids and have a classic Christmas movie marathon in your pjs
To All the Families out there…
Right now, there are moms and dads out there struggling for their kids, wondering how to bring joy back into their lives as they fight debilitating illnesses. These families aren’t concerned with tree trimming and holiday parties, they are simply being there, doing what loving families do.
This is where you can help…
As you probably know Make A Wish Canada does great work in helping Kids fight through and survive nasty diseases and cancers. And as you know Make A Wish® depends on sponsorships and donations to provide top care while keeping family costs to a minimum.
We are on a mission to raise $25,000 for Make A Wish Canada.work in helping kids fight thru and survive nasty debilitating diseases like cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia is second to none! Make A Wish Canada isfor profit and survives onand donations.are committed to donating a portion of our income from home sales to this very worthy cause.
So, YOUR REFERRALS REALLY DO HELP THE KIDS…
Who do you know considering buying or selling a home you could refer to my real estate sales team?
Not only will they benefit from our award-winning service, you can rest assured a very worthy cause benefits as well!
I want to make it easy to refer your friends, neighbors, associates or family members considering making a move, so here are your options:
- You can go to www.ReferAFriend.info and enter their contact info on line or forward the link to who you know considering a move.
- Of course you can always call me direct as well at 905-728-1600.
Remember our promises to buyers and sellers!
Home Sellers Receive this guarantee: Your Home Sold at Your Price or We’ll Buy It!*
Home Buyers Receive this guarantee: Guaranteed 100% Satisfaction With Your Home Purchase or We’ll Buy It Back!*
Life moves fast for some and we are eager to make the Home Selling and Buying experience a smooth rewarding one. Over the years of helping families sell their home and/or buy another, we have met some wonderful, loving, caring people. People like you! So your referrals, those you know considering a move, that we help – you can rest assured that not only will they get the award winning service we are known for, but that a portion of the income we receive will go toward a very worthy cause.
December Dates to Remember
December 1
World AIDS Awareness Day
December 5
International Volunteer Day
December 9
International Children’s Day
December 10
Human Rights Day
December 21
Winter Solstice
December 25
Christmas Day
December 26
Boxing Day
December 31
New Year’s Eve
The Highs, Lows and Oohhs of the Market
In October, the Durham Region Association of REALTORS reported 798 residential sales in the Durham Region, representing an increase of 3.2%, or 25 units, from the 773 sold in September, but down 5.6% from October 2017 when the volume of reported sales was 845 units.
The amount of new listing inventory between September 2018 and October 2018 fell by 9.8% in the Durham Region, finishing at 1,644 new listings compared to1,823 the previous month.
The average selling price in Durham for the month of October was $588,968., a nominal increase of $1,959. from September, when the average was $587,009, and an increase of 2.3% over October 2017 when the average price in Durham Region was $575,602. Homes continue to sell well in an average of 24 days.
Year-To-Date (as of the October stats) the average price for 2018 is $594,585, down 6% from the previous year to date number of $635,664. With 7,774 reported residential sales thus far in the Durham Region, 2018 is set to finish somewhere under 9,000 sales. In 2017, the year finished with 11,136 sales, the 3rd highest year in volume, following 11,848 in 2015 and the all time high of 12,654 set in 2016. (Source: DRAR)
As always, we have included below a snapshot of performance of the overall market in the Durham Region. For a more specific look at your community, your neighbourhood and your housing style, just call us. We are always available to update you personally on current statistics and inventory, and how they are affecting your home’s value.
Here’s how the average housing prices looked per style in October.
- The average detached dwelling sold for $644,947 and sold for 98% of list price in 25 days. 552 units were sold.
- The average semi-detached dwelling sold for $464,919 and sold for 100% of list price in 17 days. 53 units were sold.
- The average link dwelling sold for $504,658 and sold for 99% of list price in 22 days. 24 units were sold.
- The average freehold townhouse sold for $529,438 and sold for 99% of list price in 23 days. 80 units were sold.
- The average condominium apartment sold for $377,549 and sold for 99% of list price in 23 days. 43 units were sold.
- The average condominium townhouse sold for $405,304 and sold for 98% of list price in 26 days. 46 units were sold.
Source: DRAR
INDUSTRY STATS
Average Selling Prices for October 2018:
Durham Region: $588,968
Oshawa: $499,149
Clarington: $540,952
Whitby: $655,296
Scugog: $644,450
Ajax: $612,990
Pickering: $675,916
Uxbridge: $841,094
Source: DRAR
The History of the Christmas Tree
Along with the Nativity scene, the Christmas tree is the most prominent physical symbol of Christmas across Canada, displayed in homes, businesses and public spaces from coast to coast. The tree is an ancient symbol of evergreen, of life, of magical powers in deepest winter. Varieties of evergreen boughs adorned homes and temples during the solstice festivals in the Roman Empire. Pagan German tribes also set up fir trees in their homes to welcome the domestic goddess of home and hearth. Coniferous trees -- as a strong symbol of eternal life and longevity -- acquired a parallel symbolism with the feast of Christmas, with historical evidence for the decoration of trees at Christmas dating back to the 1500’s.
Descriptions of German Christmas trees date to 1531, where the firs were adorned with paper roses, apples, candy and pretzels. Gifts for children were placed among the branches. In the mid 1800’s the custom gained wide popularity in Britain after an illustration of the royal family celebrating around a decorated Christmas tree was published in a newspaper. Over the next almost 200 years, the Christmas tree became a firmly established tradition worldwide.
In Canada, Christmas tree production is a profitable enterprise, estimated at $65 million annually in both domestic and foreign sales. About 1.8 million trees are exported every year, mostly to the United States.
Source:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Remember Our Promises to Buyers and Sellers!
Home Sellers Receive this Guarantee: Your Home Sold at Your Price or We’ll Buy It!*
Home Buyers Receive this Guarantee: Guaranteed 100% Satisfaction With Your Home Purchase or We’ll Buy It Back!*
Life moves fast for some and we are eager to make the Home Selling and Buying experience a smooth and rewarding one. Over the years of helping families to sell their homes and/or buy another, we have met some wonderful, loving, caring people. People like you!
So your referrals, those you know considering a move, that we help – you can rest assured that not only will they get the award winning service we are known for, but that a portion of the income we receive will go towards a very worthy cause.
New Year Traditions from Around the World !
Many New Year traditions that we take for granted got their beginnings in ancient times. This year, ring out the old and ring in the new with these fun facts!
Make Some Noise! Making a lot of noise -- from fireworks and gun shots to drums and church bells – is grounded in history. Today, North Americans are among the loudest to celebrate, using sirens and party horns to usher in the New Year.
Eat Lucky Food! Many New Year traditions surround food. Here’s just a sampling: In Spain, revelers stuff 12 grapes into their mouths just before the stroke of midnight, one for each chime of the clock while in the Southern U.S., eating black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune. The Irish eat pastries called bannocks on New Year’s and apples dipped in honey are a Jewish tradition. Eating any ring shaped treat – like a donut—symbolizes “coming full circle” and leads to good fortune, so in Dutch homes fritters called olie bollen are served. In India and Pakistan, eating rice promises prosperity and in Swiss homes, dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floor – and left there!
Have a Drink! While champagne is acknowledged as the beverage of celebration around the world, some cultures have other beverage-based traditions: Wassail is a punch-like drink named after the Gaelic term for “good health” and is served in some parts of England. Spiced “hot pint” is the Scottish version of Wassail, and is used to toast to each other’s prosperity.
Turn Over a New Leaf! The dawn of a new year has long been an opportune time to take stock of your life, and throughout the world, cultures have carried on these traditions of doing that. The practice of making New Year resolutions is widely held to have begun with the Babylonians early as 2600 B.C!
Why I Support
I grew up right here in Oshawa. Born in Oshawa General Hospital. I remember when I first heard about a young person close to our family suffering from a nasty disease that was granted A Wish from Children's Wish Foundation . This was the turning point in this persons recovery. It was then that I began to pay closer attention to the work they do. Since then, I have learned that it is a collection of hard working professionals all coming together for a common cause. That cause is to help young people over come unfortunate health issues that life sometimes throws our way. I take pride in supporting in a way that I can, the good work these people do at Make A Wish . My team rally’s around our annual goal of raising money and donating portions of our income to help Make A Wish in their quest to heal young people when they need healing. My team and I are committed to providing outstanding results for buyers and sellers referred to us by our past clients. I have discovered that Make A Wish shares similar commitments to their patients. And since their services survive on sponsorships and donations we are happy to contribute and proud to support them.
Sincerely,
Geoff Appleton
Over the years of helping families sell their home and/or buy another, we have met some wonderful, loving, caring people. People like you! So your referrals, those you know considering a move, that we help - you can rest assured that not only will they get the award winning service we are known for and the guarantee to back it up, but that a solid portion of the income we receive from the transaction will go toward a very worthy cause.
Not only will they benefit from our award winning service, you can rest assured we are also donating to a very worthy cause.
Again, it’s easy to refer your friends, neighbours, associates or family members considering making a move:
1. You can go to www.ReferAFriend.info and enter their contact info on line or forward the link to who you know considering a move.
2. Of course you can always call me direct as well at 905-728-1600.
With all my appreciation.
Geoff Appleton sales representative Remax Jazz Inc Brokerage
P.S. The story of this young person below may cause you to look at your loved ones differently. It did me. Check it out.
AROUND DURHAM
Santa’s Workshop: December 1 & 2, 9:30am-4:30pm Courtice Flea Market — Write letters to Santa, create your own Christmas decorations, listen to Christmas stories and get your picture taken with him too!
Bakersville Animated Gingerbread Village: December 1 - January 2, Scugog Public Memorial Library — Now in its 23rd year, this spectacular indoor village is made with fresh gingerbread creations supplied by the community, complete with miniature villagers, moving snowboarders, skaters and a train!
Christmas Moonlight Magic: December 7, 6pm, Bowmanville Town Square — Christmas tree lighting ceremony, free wagon rides and a visit from Santa with his live reindeer!
Edwardian Christmas Open House: December 7, 7pm, Waverly House – 62 Temperance St., Bowmanville — Live music, crafts, treats and tours at this beautiful Edwardian home glittering with traditional yuletide décor.
11th Annual Uxbridge Optimist Fantasy of Lights: December 8 - January 5, Elgin Park, Uxbridge
Oshawa Celebrates 2018: December 31 @ 6pm, Legends Centre, Oshawa — Free family friendly event featuring swimming, skating, hot chocolate and crafts with a countdown at 9pm.
New Year’s Eve Skate & Swim: December 31 @ 7pm, Pickering Recreation Complex, Pickering — Free family skate and swim with games, prizes and a New Year countdown.
WHITBY SANTA CLAUSE PARADE December 1, 10am
SCUGOG SANTA CLAUS PARADE December 1, 5pm
COURTICE SANTA PARADE December 2, 12pm
THEE (Tyrone, Haydon, Enniskillen, Enfield) FARMERS PARADE OF LIGHTS December 5, 6pm in Enniskillen and Tyrone
SUNDERLAND SANTA CLAUS PARADE December 9, 6:30pm
Brayden's Wish Inspires His Community
Brayden’s medical condition causes progressive muscle weakness. He is able to walk, but tires easily from the physical exertion. Despite this, Brayden is a very active child who loves the outdoors. He is fascinated by ATVs, ambulances, and like many kids his age, he loves firetrucks.
“YouTube videos of firefighters and firetrucks are his life,” say Brayden’s parents. Brayden’s family has close relationships with people who work in Fire and Rescue Services and he has always been fascinated by their work. It was no surprise that he wished to become a firefighter.
Make-A-Wish staff contacted the Grunthal Fire Department in Manitoba and enlisted the help of RM Hanover Fire and Rescue Services to plan Brayden’s big day.
On the day of his wish, Brayden and his family started his adventure by getting outfitted with their own personalized fire turnout gear and riding in a firetruck to the fire hall. Brayden spent his afternoon training with the Grunthal fire team.
His training came in handy, as he received a special call to help put out a training fire. His parents say, “Brayden’s favourite part of the day was putting out the fire.”
After completing his fire reports (with the help of his uncles), he was the guest of honour in his very own Fire Truck Parade down the main street of his home town.
The next stop was a community barbeque at the fire hall. The Grunthal community was thrilled to be involved in Brayden’s wish day.
Brayden’s wish day was ended with a very touching ceremony, where he was inducted into the fire hall as honourary firefighter for life.
After saying his farewells, Brayden arrived at home and discovered that his community had built him an accessible Fire Truck Play Structure, guaranteed to suit his changing physical needs. 
