Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES®

Uxbridge Is Having A Street Party

Strawberry Threads and the Tin Cup are throwing a street party as part of their grand opening. A good portion of the downtown area was the subject of "The Big Dig" this past summer with the main street closed off for a good portion of that time. Now with the Big Dig almost completed the local merchants are throwing a street party on Saturday the 17th. There will be a fashion show 3:15 a cocktail reception at 4:00 and Lukas Rossi will perform from 5:30 to 6:30.

Lack of Common Sense = $490 Fine and 3 demerit points

Why is it we need to legislate what should be common sense. Why was it necessary to legislate that when approaching any emergency vehicle on the roadside with lights flashing, you must enter the left lane to pass. As a child drivers always drew over to the opposite lane when passing a stopped vehicle let alone an emergency vehicle. they would pull over to the curb and stop when they were approaching from behind or ahead unless on a divided highway. Out of respect you even pulled over to the side to let a funeral pass from the opposite direction and never tried to pass one going the same direction.

Fast forward to today and the right now generation and we need legislation to enforce what should be a common courtesy.

When taking a road trip or even out for a drive about town remember the hard lesson in common courtesy the fellow below was taught.

Here is an email I received showing that going halfway is not good enough

While driving on the 427 South at Burnamthorpe in broad daylight at 2 p.m., when I came upon two police cruisers who had pulled over a third vehicle. I slowed down to be cautious, and was surprised when the second cruiser pulled out and pulled me over. Approaching on the passenger side, the officer asked if I knew why I had been pulled over.. I honestly expressed that I had no idea. He informed me that Ontario law now states that when approaching any emergency vehicle on the roadside with lights flashing, you must enter the left lane. He then proceeded to ticket me, taking three demerits and issuing a fine of, wait for it...$490! (Yes, I'm choking as I type that.) I realize I did not change lanes, but I do believe I was cautious.

My message is, be careful. He said that they are cracking down hard on this because of injured officers. I did not realize this was the law. Neither did any of my recently-licensed children. Or evidently not the 47 drivers pulled over.

Hefty fine if you don't change lanes!!!!!!! 3 demerit points on top of cash.

Is Your Well Water Safe

When Buying a rural property you will need to have the water tested, preferably with a history of good samples over a period of time but tested at least once prior to closing . Unlike properties serviced with treated city supplied water you are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep, it is up to you to ensure you continue to have a safe source of water.

"As of 2006, waterborne diseases are estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths each year while about 1.1 billion people lack proper drinking water" wikipedia

Some of the things you should look for to ensure your well is not being contaminated

• any septic system is properly functioning
• ensure no leaking fuel or oil storage tanks (leaks from a vehicle could also be harmful)
• ensure pesticides and fertilizers are properly stored and used
• livestock and other animal feces/manure is well away from your well
• ensure that any run off from the above

Have It Tested Regularly

help to ensure the quality of the water you consume

• a minimum of three times a year
• more often if you suspect or know of potential problems
• more often if your well is vulnerable to outside influnces (see above) or if your well is a dug well
• after any major plumbing work

Understanding the water cycle Water for kids with activity pages

Are Mortgage Rates On The Rise?

Less than a week ago I mentioned a report in which 2 TD economists felt that Mortgage rates could rise soon. Tomorrow TD is increasing some Mortgage rates. With rising rates now may well be a very good time to examine your mortgage options and the effect of Floating Rate VS Fixed Rate Mortgages on your mortgage payments. Examine the effect rising rates may have on your comfort level or your ability to pay.

According to an article put out today by Canwest News Service (October 12, 2009) they just might well be. While rates remain unchanged for some mortgages effective tomorrow Wed Oct 14th TD is raising rates on fixed mortgages with the 5 year posted rate increasing 0.29% to 5.84%.

Property Taxes - Are Yours Fair and Equitable

By now you have paid your final tax bill on your property here in Ontario for 2009.

Understanding how your assessment is calculated and the effect it has on your property tax bill begins with a very simple formula.

assessment x mill rate equal your tax bill

That is where the simplicity ends.

Due to the reassessment carried out for your 2009 tax bill yours may have gone down, but more than likely they went up even if your assessment did not go up more than the average. This was due to the increase in spending by your local city or municipal politicians and is reflected in the mill rate.

The assessment folks use complicated formulas that are based on information that includes personal subjective opinion. This information is then massaged and manipulated by the formulas created by the assessment folks so that it resembles their version of the current value of your home. It is this current value or assessed value that is used in the calculation above.

Without making any changes to your home you may find that your assessment changed dramatically from what it had been relative to comparable properties in your area. Simple things like moving of a boundary line used in the calculation can have an effect. Other things that may affect it could be, environmental issues, proximity issues, wetlands, right of ways and the list goes on and on. If the assesor or the formula fails to reflect all the issues that also affect the value of your home the assessment will not be accurate and you may be paying more than your fair share.

Here are some links to a series of posts on assessment and mill rates that you may find informative.

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