Wow! We are super stoked to see an article on Martell Home Builders in this edition of Profit$ Magazine- Especially, with our own Pierre Martell gracing the cover! Great job Pierre.
The article talks about building your online strategy and highlights some of Martell Home Builders’ accomplishments in this space. You can read the PDF version of the article on page 6: http://www.bdc.ca/en/about/publications/profits/Pages/default.aspx.
Thanks to BDC for this fantastic coverage!
2011 has been an interesting year for new housing in Moncton. Depending on who you ask, and what segment you are looking at, the market has seemed either good or bad.
When looking for housing data, we frequently turn to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). CMHC is Canada’s national housing agency. While they are perhaps best known for providing mortgage loan insurance, they also are a leading source of housing data, and one of the first places market researchers turn to when looking at trend in the real estate market.
Each quarter they release a quarterly ‘Housing Now’ report for various cities across Canada. The report provides insightful analysis of local housing markets and a summary of housing statistics, including starts, completions, dwellings under construction, absorptions, real estate sales and home prices, as well as key economic indicators.
Here are some of the CMHC highlights about the real estate market in Moncton:
New multiple starts (i.e. apartments, condos and row houses) recorded a substantial decline of 29.5 per cent a year-over-year decline during the second quarter of 2011. New rental starts were particularly week, with just 24 new apartments breaking ground in the Moncton region. This compares to 151 apartment starts in the region during the same period in 2010
Semi-deatched starts did significantly better. After a slow winter, they rebounded during the second quarter, with 184 new duplexes getting underway—a 19.4% year-over-year increase. While semi-detached homes remain the starter home of choice in Greater Moncton, a growing number of these new units are being built with increased amenities and commanding higher prices.
Single-family home starts were a mixed story during the second quarter, While parts of the region—notably Moncton and Riverview saw notable increases, they were more than offset by fewer starts in the rest of region. As a result, single family starts were down 7.6% during the period. Despite the fewer starts, however, the average price of a single-detached house was up 5.2 per cent to $265,634 over 2010.
You can download the full report from the CMHC Publications and Reports page.
Photograph by formatted_dad on Flickr
Halloween is just around the corner. If you don’t already have your costume put together here are 15 ideas to inspire you (and a bonus 5 ideas for your home). If you want to be really creative, be sure to refer back to last years post on homemade Halloween costumes.
Being a home-builder site, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer some ideas for dressing up your home:
Photograph by Pedro J. Ferreira on Flickr
Now that you have your Halloween costume chosen, and your house decorated, it’s time to decide how you are going to celebrate the holiday (besides trick-or-treating of course!). Here are a few haunted Halloween events and activities for people of all ages.
Saturday October 29 at 11am
Little ghosts and goblins ages 2 and up are invited to come to the Moncton Public Library in their Halloween costumes for some spooky (but not too spooky) stories, a craft and a costume parade around the library. Families are welcome.
Registration begins October 22
Oct 22, 23, 29 & 30, 2011, 11am-5pm (the zoo is open from 9am-6pm)
The Magnetic Hill Zoo has decided to discontinue their night time Boo at the Zoo events, and instead focus on a daytime Scaredy Cats event. There will be lots of fun activities and games for the little ones while visiting the zoo animals. For older children there will be some “moderately scary” Halloween venues. Be sure to come dressed up!
Tickets are only on sale at the door.
October 29, 2011, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The Moncton Museum is organizing a Halloween event for families at the Thomas Williams House (103 Park Street, Moncton). Come enjoy an afternoon of Halloween inspired events, including games, crafts, a costume contest and much more! Admission is free!
For more information contact Barb Muir at the Moncton Museum, 506-856-4325.
Saturday, October 29 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
For the adults, Casino New Brunswick is hosting a Halloween Spooktacular. This event is billed as “the biggest Halloween event ever in Moncton.” The party features performances by DJ Adam Analog and The Awesome Imposters. There will be a Midnight Costume Contest with over $2,000 in cash prizes. Due to security precautions faces must be free of makeup or masks to enter Casino New Brunswick.
Tickets are $20.
Last year we brought you a list of the best overall blogs in New Brunswick. Here’s our selection of blog that focus on business issues from a New Brunswick or Canadaian. Where possible we’ve included links to their RSS, Twitter Facebook and LinkedIn sites so you can follow then with your preferred tools:
Your Turn
Who’s your favourite New Brunswick business blogger? We’re always on the hunt for great blogs to follow. Leave a comment letting us know who we should add to our blog roll!
Last year, we gave you an article about cheap homemade Halloween costumes that were creative, unique and easy to make. This year, let’s take a look at some of the best homemade Halloween decorations you can make that are also super-creative and easy on the wallet.
This owl might be more cute than scary, but it’s still an awesome-looking decoration worthy of making our list. For this project, all you need is a paper lantern (found at most party supply or craft stores for cheap), some paper, twine and glue dots. Visit Disney Family Fun for full instructions.
Made from paper bags and cardboard, these tombstone lawn decorations will make a great addition to your Halloween décor – just as long as the forecast doesn’t call for rain! For a full list of what you need, complete instructions and tombstone/epitaph templates, visit the Martha Stewart website.
These little lollipop vampires are working double-duty; they’re fantastic Halloween decorations, and also the treats to hand out to either trick-or-treaters or your party guests. In addition to the lollies, all you need is some cellophane and a few other super-cheap supplies that you probably already have lying around the house. Full instructions can be found at the Kaboose website.
These glow-in-the-dark bats look great in both the daylight and in the dark. Some of the supplies needed to make this DIY decoration can probably be found in your own backyard; the rest of the materials can be purchased at your local craft store. Full instructions can be found at the HGTV website.
This can be a real creepy display, especially when the photos are of your friends and family. In addition to needing photo frames (which you probably already have), the supplies needed include black craft paint, a sponge, cardstock, glue and red LED Christmas lights. You’ll also need a printer and the ability to convert digital images to black and white (there are several free photo editing programs that can do this for you). Visit the Country Living website for full instructions.
A list of homemade Halloween decorations wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some cool pumpkin carving ideas! If you want to step away from the boring jack-o’-lanterns that everyone’s carving, consider making this porcupine pumpkin – it’s super creative and looks incredible when lit up. The Martha Stewart website will show you how to make this project, as well as other unique pumpkin critters.
Rather than carving a pumpkin, you could consider decorating miniature gourds this Halloween. The project calls for three to five small bowls and lidded dishes and, if they aren’t already black and white, it’s suggested that you use spray primer to paint them. If you aren’t keen on the idea of painting your own dishes, sneak into your neighbour’s house at night to see what they’ve got. No, I’m kidding. What you can do, however, is visit your local thrift shop to see what’s available there. You can pick up used dishes for pennies, and remember, you’ll be painting them, so it doesn’t matter if they have tacky grandma-ish designs on them. The HGTV website has a complete list of supplies and instructions.
More? You Want More?!
These cheap homemade Halloween decorations not enough for you? If you check out any of the websites linked to above, each has a plethora of other ideas in addition to what’s mentioned here. So go ahead, check ‘em out, and when you find something really cool, make sure to leave a comment to let us know what you’ve found!
Oh, and happy Halloween!
[Image credits: screenshots have been captured from the respective websites]
Photo credit: WishUponACupcake on Flickr
In the Maritimes, the changing of the leaves is almost synonymous with Canadian Thanksgiving. The holiday is linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia—or horn—representing the “Horn of Plenty,” a symbol of bounty and plenty that dates back to ancient Greece.
While few household boast an actual horn these days, many families host a large dinner for friends and family featuring the the bounty of the fall. If you are hosting a dinner this weekend and are looking for some tips to keep it low stress, here are a few tips:
Do you have any thoughts or ideas on how to host a low stress Thanksgiving dinner? Let us know in the comments