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O W ® a 3e se se ofe oo xo oie oi xo ue oc oc ofe oc ie oc c xc kc 3A You‘ve decided you want a new kitchen and ensuite bathroom. Friends and neighbors who have had The dark side of the $ P o P o Po Po Po o P o PoPo o o o dode P o Pb P REMECE REALY CoRP VIC YATES VIC*S CORNER Saies Rep 338â€"9000 [T‘S GOT CURB APPEAL! CHARM & CHARACTER VIC YATES 338â€"2000 gorage. VIC &TES 338â€"2000 mMake your move no :ollwaYA!ES 338â€"2000 338â€"9000 OLDOAKVILLE se e oo oo se oo oo oo oo oo oo e oo ohe se oc nhe e se e similar renovations done lately suggest a way you can save a few dollars on vour renovation. $367,000. One level living with complete lakefront view. 1,823 sq. ft of luxurous upgrades. 2 bdrms., 2 baths, den, sep. din. rm. JEANNETTE SANDERSON®* $45. 4267 , 825â€"3980. Hooe Maich # gmvm JEANNETTE SANDERSON®* 54267 , 825â€".3980, Home Match # IMRY $232,900. 2 bdrms., den, lounge off master bdrm., natural fireplace, eatâ€"in kitchen. 2 bath, inâ€"suite laundry. KIM KENNEDY* 845â€"4267, 842. 207 5. $245,000. Excellent views of lake. 3 bdrms., 2 baths, master with ensuite & sunken den. Upgraded kitchen & baths Immediate $274,900. Ennisclare I1, 1,615 sq. ft balcony, superiative amenites. Th ur doorstep. Walk to sh m-:NNl-I)Y' gcsan. wm? $76,900 â€" $100,900. 1 or 3 bdrms. recently painted & broadloomed. 3â€"bdrms. has formal fireplace in liv. rm. Close to all amenities. ANGELA _ WILLIAMSON* _ 845â€"4267 253.2141. Home Match #93007Â¥2 & 9300729 $157,000. Panoramic view of Bronte Creek. Excellent 7th floor condo, 2 bdrms., 2 baths, well maintained bldg. Must be sold. JEANNETTE SANDERSON* 845â€"4267, 825â€"3980. Home Match # IN06KS $199,000. From this penthouse floor condo. Watch the geese fly by. 2 bdrms. + sunroom. Over 1,300 sq. ft Many upgrades. WILLEKE SIMS* 845â€"4267, 847 â€".3804, Home Matt # OOR3 ftenced gorder & all amenities. MARIA TURTON* 45â€" 4267, 847â€"0143. $110,900. This is a lovely condo on the main floor of a super bldg. Walk to "GO" station 326 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville Chilkdrens Muracle Net work so Eh |||||| 1|11 1111111 Ee ||||||| 1|11 111111111111 ROYAL LEPAGE §45â€"4267 Houme Matcts # INOOR7 1 Home Maich # 9 NNOOR7 Home Match # 00977 . ft. with 18‘ The lake at ons. KIM REME CARMEN CARMEN‘S CHOICE 338â€"9000 #a=s Beware! The renovation business has a dark side â€" one that annoys and frusâ€" trates everyone â€" especially the many professionals in the field, such as those belonging to the Greater Toronto Home Builders‘ Association (GTHBA) Renovation & Redevelopment Council. According to the Winter 1992/93 Pulse Survey conducted by the Canadian Home Builders‘ Association, builders in Ontario believe that since the introduction of the GST in Canada in January 1991, the amount of renovaâ€" tion work undertaken on the black marâ€" ket is roughly 45% â€" nearly half of all renovation activity. In 1990, it was believed that 25% of renovation work was performed using cashâ€"type transacâ€" tions. ers," said Terry Mills, a member of the GTH Renovation Council. "On the surface while cashâ€"type transactions might appear to offer big savings to the homeowner, there is typiâ€" cally no contract and no warranty between the customer and the renovator. renovation business ‘"Not only is the federal government losing vast amounts of both GST sales and income tax revenue to black market activity, black market activity also presents many problems for homeownâ€" 338â€"9000 825 â€" 1171 VIC HOLMES** 825â€"1171/845â€" 872 Royal LePage Real Estate Services Lid.. Broker ROYAL LEPAGE GOVERNMENT LOSING HORE RD CARMEN MONTIMINY 338â€"2000 Relax + enjoy life inâ€" this fabulous 3â€"bedroom condo â€" walk to marina, shops + CARMEN MONTIMINY 338â€"2000 f creek and garden ARMEN MOO&%MNV 338â€"2000 BEAUTIFUL LAKEVIEW CONDO nOOs GRACIOUS "EAST" GEORGIAN HOME SPACIOUS CONDO! far JDieé complex jel features m â€" super locafior transportation Childrens Muracle Network Jkel Lovely 4â€" ffice _ Cathedral nlly/FP ~mature NC )AKVILLE J ow stef This leaves the customer wide open to problems if the renovator does not perâ€" form properly or, worse, takes off with the money," said Mills, a partner in Torontoâ€"based Chizen & Mills, a renoâ€" vation company. GTHBA members must also live up to a strict Code of Ethics administered by their peers. You can be sure that they will deal honestly and fairly with their customers.For helpful information on home renovations or to obtain a list of our renovator members, call the GTHBA Housing Information Line 391â€"HOME. The GTHBA has also developed a standard renovation contract that disâ€" closes work to be done, permits to be obtained, a description of warranty obliâ€" gations, contractor‘s insurance and liaâ€" bility statement, starting and completion dates, and price and payment terms. Let‘s take an example: You‘ve conâ€" tacted several recommended renovators to obtain quotes on the job. You‘ve now come down to a short list of two renoâ€" vators. Renovator A... offers you a savings of a "few" dollars if you pay him in cash. He‘ll forget the permits, just pay him half now â€" in cash â€" and he will start tomorrow. Renovator B... comes to you with complete references and gives you a written quote and contract including all permits, taxes, and payment schedule. Renovator B‘s prices are a "little" higher than Renovator A‘s. But do you want to choose Renovator A and find yourself in the following predicament? You hire an unlicensed renovator who is not a member of the GTHBA. You contract him to do an addition on the back of your home. Upon receiving a sizeable cash deposit from you, the renovator begins to rip out the back wall of the house, then disappears, never to return to complete the job. You not only lose your money, you must now begin the process of hiring another renovator to fix up the mess. Why trust an enormous investment of your hardâ€"earned dollars to someone who will break rules to save a few dolâ€" lars. At face value, the dollar difference entices a lot of people to do something their better judgement would tell them to avoid. Be honest, would you hire a doctor this way? A lawyer? An investâ€" ment counsellor? Of course not. By becoming a member of the GTHBA, a renovator has shown a desire to improve his skills as a renovaâ€" tor through GTHBAâ€"sponsored educaâ€" tion and training. They are committed to doing the job right. cnovations this year. You can drive down almost any street and see some work in progress on homes. Small renoâ€" vation companies and moonlight tradesâ€" men comprise the vast majority of this underground activity. The report found that for a $10,000 black market renovation before the introduction of the GST, the governâ€" ment would lose $2,400 in income tax revenue. With the GST, the governâ€" ment‘s $2,820. A Clayton Research report, The Effect of the GST on Black Market Renovations, concluded that "the GST makes it potentially even more profâ€" itable to undertake renovation work on the black market." In the meantime, hiring a renovator is a case of buyer beware. That‘s why it‘s so important that consumers do their homework before hiring anyone. Consumers in the Greater Toronto Area will spend almost $4â€"billion on tax revenue loss climbs to BREAKING RULES