E.B.Dungey Realty Ltd. Brokerage

Toronto Real Estate Board Looks Forward to Working with New City of Toronto Budget Chief on Phase-Out of Land Transfer Tax

TORONTO, February 12, 2013 – On behalf of its over 36,000 REALTOR® Members, the Toronto Real Estate
Board (TREB) congratulates Councillor Frank Di Giorgio on his appointment as
Chair of the City of Toronto’s Budget Committee.  TREB looks forward to working with Councillor
Di Giorgio in this critical position as he moves the City’s agenda forward,
especially with regard to fulfilling Mayor Ford’s strong commitment to begin
phasing out the Land Transfer Tax.

“We applaud Councillor Di
Giorgio for his commitment to the City.   The role of Budget Chief is critical to the success of our City.  We look forward to working with Councillor Di
Giorgio, in his new role, as he works to address the many important budget
issues facing our City, especially the negative impacts of the Toronto Land
Transfer Tax,” said Ms. Hannah.

TREB recently released the
results of public opinion polling, conducted by Ipsos Reid, which found:

·        

Nearly seven in ten
Torontonians, 68 per cent, support plans to eliminate the Toronto Land Transfer
Tax.   This is up from 65 per cent one
year ago.

·        

77 per cent of GTA
residents planning to purchase a home in the next two years are more likely to
purchase outside Toronto specifically to avoid paying the Toronto Land Transfer
Tax.

·        

72 per cent oppose
municipal land transfer taxes even if this tax was dedicated for spending on
transit and infrastructure.

·        

76 per cent of
Torontonians who recently paid the LTT feel that they have received little or
no added value in municipal services for the amount of LTT that they paid.

“For the buyer of an
average detached home in Toronto, the municipal land transfer tax costs about
$10,000. It is unfair to expect people like down-sizing seniors, or young
growing families who need more space, to pay so much more than their fair
share,” said Ms. Hannah.

Research has proven that
municipal land transfer taxes have a negative impact on home sales. The C.D.
Howe Institute recently released an analysis of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax,
which shows that this tax has hurt Toronto’s economy by dampening home sales by
16 per cent.  In addition, the Ipsos Reid
poll found that 25 per cent of the people who recently purchased a home in
Toronto would have spent their land transfer tax money on furnishings or
appliances, if they had not had to give it to the City, and 21 per cent would
have spent it on renovations.  

“Housing sales create jobs
because when people move they spend money on things like renovations, movers,
appliances, and furnishings.  In fact,
studies have shown that every resale housing transaction results in over
$40,000 of spin-off spending. Every housing sale that is lost as a result of
the Toronto land transfer tax risks Toronto jobs,” said Ms. Hannah.

The noted
poll results are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between
November 24^th and 29^th, 2012, on behalf of the Toronto
Real Estate Board. For this survey a sample of 1,112 residents of the GTA from
Ipsos’ Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was
then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s
composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and
to provide results approximate the sample universe.  The precision of
Ipsos online polls are measured using a credibility interval.  In this
case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points of all residents
in the GTA region.  The credibility interval will be larger for
sub-groupings of this population.  All sample surveys and polls may be
subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage
error, and measurement error.

For information about Buyer Representation Agreements
(BRA) visit www.BRAFirst.ca

For Media/Public Inquiries: Mary Gallagher, Senior
Manager Media Relations.

Toronto
Real Estate Board 1400 Don Mills Road Toronto, ON M3B 3N1, Office: (416)
443-8158, Email:maryg@trebnet.com

Greater Toronto REALTORS are passionate about their work.
They adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple
Listing Service. Serving over 36,000 Members in the Greater Toronto Area,
the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canadas largest real estate board. Greater
Toronto Area open house listings are available on www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com

Article source: http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/market_news/release_market_updates/news2013/nr_new_TO_budget_chief_0213.htm

TREB President’s Column as it appears every Friday in the Toronto Sun’s Resale Homes and Condos section.

February 8, 2013 –
It’s a rite of spring: each year as the snow recedes, an abundance of For Sale signs pop-up on front lawns throughout the Greater Toronto Area like spring flowers. Last month alone, 4,375 homes changed hands in the GTA, and as we move closer to spring, that number will likely increase.

If you’re one of the thousands of Torontonians who aims to find a home in the coming months that is more suited to your needs, you’ve probably set the wheels in motion: cleaning, packing, and planning all of the administrative details that go into a successful move.

To lighten the load with one of those details, Toronto Hydro recently announced the launch of My TorontoHydro™, a new online tool to help you manage your accounts. It offers secure access to bills, payment history, and account details anytime and from anywhere. Through My TorontoHydro™ you can move your account to your new address, arrange for automatic payments, and review your energy consumption history (a particularly useful feature for landlords, as well, offering access to information on individual rental units). This new tool also offers Toronto Hydro an opportunity for greater efficiency; in 2011, it received more than 200,000 move requests primarily by phone, fax and mail.

My TorontoHydro™ is one of several useful services you can learn about in a new Homeowners Kit available on TREB’s public website www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com. The Kit is the result of a partnership effort between Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Real Estate Board. The new Homeowners Kit supplies a wealth of information that can put money in your wallet. From annual coupons, to heating and cooling incentives, to details on the fridge and freezer pick-up program, this kit is packed with bonuses that will save you money and help you do your part for the environment.

As an association that serves the needs of REALTORS® throughout the GTA, the Toronto Real Estate Board works to continuously identify opportunities that help Greater Toronto REALTORS® offer you, the consumer, the very best service. Our cooperative effort with Toronto Hydro represents one of TREB’s many innovative approaches to fostering a valuable relationship between you and your REALTOR®.

Whether you’re planning a move this spring, or if you’re just interested in running your household more efficiently, I encourage you to take a look at the Homeowners Kit. It’s a convenient, cost-saving resource that can help us all be a little more environmentally conscious as well. To take advantage of all that it has to offer visit www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com or www.torontohydro.com

Ann Hannah is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board,
a professional association that represents 36,000 REALTORS®
in the Greater Toronto Area.

Follow TREB on www.twitter.com/TREBhome, www.Facebook.com/TorontoRealEstateBoard and www.youtube.com/TREBChannel

Article source: http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/market_news/president_columns/pres_sun_col/index.htm

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Article source: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=274619

Pack Your Bags Toronto Hydro and TREB Make Moving a Little Easier

New tool offers online services 24 hours a day

TORONTO, February 5, 2013 – According to the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), over 4,375 homes sold within
the GTA in the month of January 2013 which means, in the not so distant future,
buyers in the city will be closing their deals and moving into their newly
purchased homes. In an effort to make the moving process a little easier
for the thousands of Torontonians moving each month, Toronto Hydro-Electric
System Limited (Toronto Hydro) has launched My
TorontoHydro^TM – a new online tool to help customers manage
their accounts.

My TorontoHydro gives customers fast and secure access to bills, payment history, account details and more. Customers can
perform account moves online, 24 hours-a-day from the comfort of their homes.

To better serve new and existing homeowners, Toronto Hydro
has teamed up with TREB to create a new Homeowners
Kit, which will provide REALTORS® and their clients with information about
key programs and services available through Toronto Hydro. From annual coupons
and heating and cooling incentives to the fridge and freezer pick-up program,
the Homeowners Kit will be a go-to
resource for REALTORS® and their clients.

My TorontoHydro online tool is available at www.torontohydro.com and the Homeowners Kit is also
available through TorontoMLS® System
and TREB’s public website www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com under “Hot Consumer Topics/Homeownership.” To view a copy of this kit
immediately, click here.

In 2011, Toronto Hydro received over 200,000 move requests.
The majority of these requests were processed by phone (107,295) or by mail/fax
(81,700). With My TorontoHydro,
customers can now complete their move in minutes at their leisure – no forms to
mail, no phone calls to make.

In addition to performing moves online, customers that
register for My TorontoHydro can:

·        

Manage accounts wherever they are;

·        

Get account details immediately;

·        

See bills at a glance;

·        

Arrange for ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ payments; and

·        

Complete landlord requests for unit consumption records.

QUOTES

“We are excited about the launch of this new tool that will
provide customers the choice and convenience they expect.”

“Working with TREB for the launch of My TorontoHydro is a great opportunity for
us to reach customers in an entirely new way and we look forward to a long and
successful relationship.”

–Chris Tyrrell, Vice President, Customer Care and Chief
Conservation Officer, Toronto Hydro.

“As the primary professional resource for Greater Toronto Area REALTORS®, TREB strives to find new and innovative ways to provide
added value to our members.”

“This program with Toronto Hydro will help our REALTORS® continue to provide the cutting-edge service
their clients expect.”

- Ann Hannah, TREB President.

About Toronto Hydro 
The principal business of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is the
distribution of electricity by Toronto Hydro-Electric System
Limited. Toronto Hydro-Electric System owns and operates an
electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately
712,000 customers located in the City of Toronto. It is the largest
municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes
approximately 18% of the electricity consumed in the Province of Ontario.

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About the Toronto Real Estate Board

Greater Toronto REALTORS®
are passionate about their work. They adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and
share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service. Serving over 36,000 Members
in the Greater Toronto Area, the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canada’s largest
real estate board. Greater Toronto Area open house listings are available on www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com

For more information:
Tanya Bruckmueller, Toronto Hydro-Electric System
Tbruckmueller@torontohydro.com

W: 416-542-2621
C: 416-903-0440

Mary Gallagher, Toronto
Real Estate Board

maryg@trebnet.com

W: 416-443-8158

For information about Buyer Representation Agreements
(BRA) visit www.BRAFirst.ca

For Media/Public Inquiries: Mary Gallagher, Senior
Manager Media Relations.

Toronto
Real Estate Board 1400 Don Mills Road Toronto, ON M3B 3N1, Office: (416)
443-8158, Email:maryg@trebnet.com

Greater Toronto REALTORS are passionate about their work.
They adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple
Listing Service. Serving over 36,000 Members in the Greater Toronto Area,
the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canadas largest real estate board. Greater
Toronto Area open house listings are available on www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com

Article source: http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/market_news/release_market_updates/news2013/nr_mytorontohydro_0113.htm