Realtors® urge candidates to strenthen home ownership The dream of home ownership in the province of Ontario is alive and well. A recent poll conducted by market research firm Ipsos Reid found that 70 per cent of provincial renters have plans to buy a home. They know that investing in home ownership makes sense for their financial future and their families. The same poll, unfortunately, revealed that an alarming 86 per cent of Ontarians believe that home ownership will be more difficult to attain for future generations. Moreover, 81 per cent report that owning a home now is more difficult than it was in their parent's generation. As REALTORS®, we know from firsthand experience how important home ownership is to the people we work for, the communities we live in and the province we call home. That's why we're urging all local candidates running in the October 6, 2011 Ontario Election to commit to strengthening the affordability of home ownership. But what can the provincial government do to support home ownership in Ontario? REALTORS® are recommending three initiatives. First, make it more affordable for first time home buyers to buy a home. REALTORS® propose that the provincial government improve the Land Transfer Tax rebate for firsttime home buyers so that it effectively exempts them from paying any tax on their first home purchase. Second, make home repairs and maintenance more affordable. REALTORS® propose that the provincial government introduce a permanent Ontario Home Renovation Tax Rebate. A home renovation rebate would create jobs and give home owners an added incentive to use a professional contractor who pays taxes and maintains liability insurance. Third, help home owners cope with rising energy costs. REALTORS® propose that the provincial government reintroduce the Ontario Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit program which provided home owners with rebates against the cost of energy efficient upgrades and renovations. Together these policies will make buying, maintaining and owning a home more affordable. When you consider how much home ownership matters they make good sense. Winner of the Name That Realtor® Contest 7 Real Estate, Tuesday, August 16, 2011 Chris Luxemburger, President BRAMPTON Real Estate Board/ Association Peter Zarins, salesperson with Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty, Brokerage, offers congratulations to Kay d'Entremont of Georgetown. Kay took the time to fill out our contest form, matching the pictures of 30 of our local realtors with their names and brokerages. Kay won Four Tickets to Canada's Wonderland for her efforts. Kay has eleven grandchildren to sort through to see who will be off to Wonderland for the day. (See contest answers this page.) Name That Realtor® Answers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 lt B Brokerage k PETERZ PETER ZARINS* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty, 27 5 SUSAN LOUGHEED** Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage _____ 27 THE MCKEOWN TEAM* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 6 LYNN* & JOHN** DREWRY Remax Realty Specialists,Inc.,Brokerage _____ 26 JACQUELINE GUAGLIARDI* Royal LePage RCR Realty, Brokerage ______ 7 JACKIE EAGLES* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 25 MONICA DABAROS* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 13 GLENN SPROULE* iPro Realty Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 21 LISA HARTSINK** Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage _____ 9 RYAN GREEN* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 20 SUSAN DEVENISH* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage ________ 28 29 30 The winner of the four tickets to Canada's Wonderland is Kay d'Entremont of Georgetown *Sales Represenatative ** Broker ***Broker of Record 11 ____ 16 KATI NUTTALL* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage _____ 8 TAMMY SAMUELS* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 17 ANNE SAINT- AMOUR* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 1 MARC BASKIN* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 10 CHRISTINE MONCKTON* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage _____ 3 THE HEY RAY TEAM* Your Home Today Realty,Brokerage _____ 15 RENEE HERRERA* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage _____ 28 BRITNEY HACK* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 29 SCOTT LANNAN* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty,Brokerage ________ eRealty Realty, Brokerage 23 PETER GUZZO* Royal LePage Meadowtowne ______ 12 STEVE FONTANNA* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 18 PETER ZAVITZ* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 14 ILDA LUCERI* Royal LePage Credit Valley Real Estate Brokerage ______ 22 JIM LEGERE* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 2 JACQUIE SULLIVAN* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 24 ALLAN ALLS* Remax Real Estate Centre Inc.,Brokerage _____ 4 ELAINE TURKINGTON* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 30 CATHY GRAHAM-SMITH* Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd.,Brokerage _____ 19 VALERIE KESLICK & BARRY CORDINGLEY* _____ Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage