Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Happy Holidays

With Christmas just a few days away with people doing their last minute shopping I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holidays.
Jo Hardy
oakvilleproperty.com

Monday, November 28, 2011

St. Andrew's Christmas House Tour

St. Andrew's Christmas House Tour will be held Friday December 2nd & Saturday December 3rd, 2011

St. Andrew's Christmas House Tour has been a holiday tradition in Oakville since 1981. This year's tour presents an eclectic mix of historical, waterfront and architecturally unique homes. Each of the eight homes is decorated for the Christmas season by incredibly talented local designers, offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to soak up the holiday spirit, as well as inspire them to decorate their own homes for the festive season.
The event is Saturday, December 3rd from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets are $35 each and may be ordered online (below) or through one of the retail locations listed to the right. 

For full event details click here to visit the event site.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Community Support Day to benefit the Oakville Milton Humane Society

Join us today and support the Oakville Milton Humane Society, 5% of the day’s total sales will be donated to our local shelter.To read more visit the Stores event calendar at http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/oakville/store-calendar/

No Your Average JO.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Town of Oakville sets budget talks


Before Oakville tables its proposed 2012 budget in January, the Budget Committee wants to know how satisfied residents are with town programs and services and how important those services and programs are to taxpayers.
“This pre-budget consultation exercise was designed to engage the public at the onset of the budget process,” said Ward 6 Town and Regional Councillor and Budget Chair Tom Adams.
Read more....

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Maintaining Your Oakville Home in Winter

Maintaining your Oakville home is very important in the winter months, not only to keep it looking good but also to avoid costly repairs in the spring time. It is essential to pay attention to items both inside and outside your home and should begin in the fall to do outside maintenance such as touching up peeling paint on the house, fences and trim. If you have a deck it should be waterproofed and sealed to be able to withstand harsh winter conditions. For energy efficiency all doors and windows should be checked for heat loss and weather stripping and caulking should be applied were needed. The roof should also be checked making sure that there are no damaged or missing shingles and that flashing and downspouts are in good working order. Make sure that all paved areas are inspected and that all cracks to paving are fixed as the winter will create farther damage. To read more click here

Not Your average JO.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Keeping Your Home Show Ready

Most people understand the importance of showing their home to its best advantage when it’s up for sale. This means that a real estate professional may show clients around a prospective home that has undergone proper staging techniques and consequently looks and smells great.

Of course, the reality of the situation is that the current homeowners are still living in the home. That means that the home will occasionally be cluttered, appear to actually be lived-in, and may not always smell the best – particularly if animals are in residence. Such things can make an unfavourable impression on buyers, but fortunately there are a few handy techniques that can make staging your home look as if it has just been cleaned by a professional. Read more by clicking here.


Not Your Average JO.
 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Oakville Milton housing Market On Track

Article from OMDREB
The Oakville Milton housing market is on track for a strong finale to 2011, according to figures released today by the Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board.
October sales of existing homes totalled 754 – a 12.3 percent increase over October 2010, and year-to-date sales showed a 9 percent gain over 2010. Once again, sales in Milton registered the largest increase, jumping 32 percent from 120 in October 2010 to 158 in October 2011.
The dollar volume of sales processed through the OMDREB MLS® system was up significantly in October, increasing 25.3 percent year over year and 15.5 percent year to date. This reflected an increase in the average sale price in October for both Milton and Oakville. In Milton the average price of a home increased by 11 percent over October 2010 to $423,152. In Oakville, it rose 18.5 percent to $641,909.
New listings in the area were up by more than 10 percent in October 2011. This follows a 7.5 percent increase in September 2011 and points to a continuing strong response from sellers to the positive price gains over the past several months. to read more click here

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Santa Clause is Coming to Town


It's that time of year again, when all the little kiddies will be out on the town for Toronto's Santa Clause parade.  I used to love watching my kids go by in the floats during the parade and there is just a touch of nostalgia when I think that we'll be watching from the sidelines this year.  Great weather and great occasion.  I am also looking forward to our own Santa Clause parade here in Downtown Oakville on Saturday November 19th.  Be sure to check out the colouring contest click here for details

Ho Ho Ho.  Not Your Average JO.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

De-cluttering and De-Stressing

It's amazing what de-cluttering a room can do to a room and to your stress level.

Is the stress of a cluttered life style taking a toll on you? Excessive clutter can be a problem and interferes with your life. If you are caught in a similar situation then its the right time to take control over your stuff before it takes control of you. Plain and simple, get rid of all the items that are no longer in use. Simply donate them to a needy person or organization that can use these items.
Read more at http://www.housesforsaleoakville.com/4a_custpage_58689.html

If you have any questions please post your questions and comments below and I will be glad to help out.

"Not Your Average JO"

Friday, October 7, 2011

How to keep your home show ready.

Most people understand the importance of showing their home to its best advantage when it’s up for sale. This means that a real estate professional may show clients around a prospective home that has undergone proper staging techniques and consequently looks and smells great.

Of course, the reality of the situation is that the current homeowners are still living in the home. That means that the home will occasionally be cluttered, appear to actually be lived-in, and may not always smell the best – particularly if animals are in residence. Such things can make an unfavourable impression on buyers, but fortunately there are a few handy techniques that can make staging your home look as if it has just been cleaned by a professional.
For the full story click here

Monday, September 12, 2011

Contest helps raise awareness about affordable housing

Story source is halton.ca
2011 marks the 5th anniversary of the Be a Hero. Be a Voice for Affordable Housing contest for high school students.

Since its pilot in 2007 more than 200 students representing high schools from across Halton Region have participated in the Be a Hero contest, and more than $5000 in cash prizes has been awarded.

Created to help bring awareness to the need for more affordable housing in Halton; the Be a Hero. Be a Voice for Affordable Housing contest has been recognized as being a model for youth engagement and recognized by the U.S. based PRNEWS Non-Profit Awards and the Toronto chapter, IABC for Corporate Social Responsibility.
To read all the details click here

"Not Your Average JO"

Thursday, August 25, 2011

I have moved!

Hi everyone! I’ve moved! Advantage Plus Realty is my new home.
I will be providing the same great service, but in a more intimate
setting. I’m really excited about this change and looking forward to
providing you with service that helps your transition be as smooth
as mine was. Please feel free to contact me for an evaluation of
your home and tips on staging your backyard! Wishing all of you a
happy, healthy summer. JO (Not Your Average)

Visit me at housesforsaleoakville.com

Thursday, August 4, 2011

2011 DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL

Experience a Taste of Bourbon Street…in Downtown Oakville! 
2011 is the 19th year of the Oakville Jazz Festival. A highly successful event, attracting thousands of residents and tourists, this is one Jazz festival that historically has stuck close to its name and presents a wide variety of jazz music. Where many so-called jazz festivals have gone astray in their programming, the Oakville Jazz Festival still presents a line-up primarily focused on the jazz genre.

For event details and to read more visit, http://www.oakvillejazz.ca/ or http://www.oakvillejazz.com/

Friday, July 22, 2011

Oakville's Art in the Square Kerr Village

Arts in the Square – Arts, Music, Culture & Community Festival & Market

Come out and support the arts in all their variation and glory! Invite your friends and family too!
Saturdays from June 18 – October 1, 2011
Up to 30 vendors: artists, sculptors, artisans, crafters, jewellers, re-purposers and makers of super cool and creative stuff to sell their merchandise
-LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
-DELICIOUS FOOD
For more information visit the Arts in the Square Facebook page by clicking here. Or you can email: artsinthesquare@gmail.com

Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather Oakville.

Not Your Average Jo.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Downtown Oakville Midnight Madness 2011


Story courtesy of Oakville.com
Celebrating over 30 years of madness, this is Downtown Oakville’s largest retail event of the year! Midnight Madness 2011 draws a crowd of over 50,000 to enjoy a variety of community performers, bands and of course, great food!
Join the retailers of Oakville's Downtown and take in the amazing shopping deals while you stroll the streets during this incredible evening of entertainment.

For the full story visit Oakville.com

Thursday, July 7, 2011

FREE REAL ESTATE E-Books

To receive information, follow Oakville homes for sale free real estate e-books. and select the e-book you wish to receive. After your clicking on SUBMIT button, the e-book of your choice will be instantly sent to you by e-mail.

To receive all three e-books, you will need to select each book individually and click the submit button.
You will then receive 3 seperate emails with one book in each email.

I ONLY collect personal information necessary to effectively market and to sell the property of sellers, to locate, assess and qualify properties for buyers and to otherwise provide professional services to clients and customers.
I do not sell, trade, transfer, rent or exchange your personal information with anyone.

Joanne Hardy
OakvilleProperty.com 

Friday, June 24, 2011

What do you love in Oakville?

Oakville Realtors know there is no better place to raise a family, run a business, or to grow old and retire than Oakville, Ontario. In Oakville, you have the convenience of city living in a small town atmosphere where parklands flow freely and life is practiced daily with leisurely walks, hiking, biking, and yoga on green lawns. Oakville realtors also have the advantage over other realtors in the Greater Toronto Area as they have some of the best-kept homes for sale where people flock to look from the bigger cities surrounding it. Because Oakville has access to all the major highways in the area, as well as a zippy go-train system, getting to and from Oakville to anywhere is a snap.  For an example of the best-kept homes I am referring to, take a look at my new listing! http://www.housesforsaleoakville.com/14a_read.php?ltl=759176

"Not Your Average JO"

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Public gets a say on energy plan starting next month

Source:  John Spears Business Reporter
Starting next month, Ontario residents will get their chance to comment on the province’s $87 billion long term energy plan. Colin Andersen, chief executive of the Ontario Power Authority said in an interview Monday that the authority will be inviting comment in a variety of forums. “In March we’re anticipating we’ll be out there: In person, Webinars, opportunities for people to send in written comments,” he said.
The power authority will be putting out more information of its own to guide citizens through the complex plan, Andersen said. The broad plan, released in November, confirms that Ontario’s remaining coal burning plants will be scrapped by 2014.
To read more click here 

Joanne hardy
"Not your average Jo"

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Feedback needed on Town of Oakville tax increase

Town of Oakville tax increase, January 11th, 2011 by Richard Douglas
Staff recommended a 3.32 per cent total tax bill increase to the Budget Committee to protect existing program and service levels at a budget meeting held at Town Hall yesterday. The proposed increase includes previous financial commitments such as road pavement improvements, renovations to Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre, annualization of costs associated with Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, and the completion of a new transit facility.
Click here to read more.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Polar Bear Dip raises $150,000 for Wolrd Vision

The weather was anything but frightful and it paid off for the 26th annual Courage Brothers’ Polar Bear Dip for World Vision.
Canada's largest charitable polar dip held annually on New Year’s Day at Oakville’s Coronation Park raised $150,000 to provide fresh water for communities in Tanzania.
The dip far surpassed its goal — first set for $60,000 and hiked to $100,000 in late December — for the second consecutive year.
To read the full article from InsideHalton.com click here