This Strike is hurting the local small business owner’s that are the backbone of communities like Bloor West Village; The Danforth, Kensington Market, Lake Shore Humber Bay.

Someone needs to stand up and ask these children [politicians] to solve the issues in a business like fashion and let the youth of Toronto have their Parks and Recreation Centers opened. With the warmer weather approaching there will be no wading pools open at all to escape the summer heat.

The world is watching our City thru the CNN Newscasts that talk about Toronto not being a great place to visit and the lack of Ferry Service and other City worker related issues that have an impact on the enjoyment and visitation on vacation for evens like Caribana.

People worked very hard to get these events promoted and attended only to have the garbage strike take the focus away.

We cannot make up for lost tourist dollars in October and November.

http://eleganthomesinwesttoronto.blogspot.com/2009/07/garbage-strike-continues-to-hurt-local.html

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC Canadian Funding Corp CEO

Around the globe there is a tremendous amount of prime real estate simply not being used for any real purpose whatsoever. Many, if not most, property owners do not realize that if they have a large, flat roof there are some really fun and interesting options for what they can do with this space. In fact, these options can even enhance their lives by giving them not just more space, but a different space than what they currently enjoy. The Hut puts a spotlight on this idea quite nicely.

Hut is a rather clever idea developed by architect Scotty Batty and designer Morag Myerscogh. Myerscough wanted a private space for her kitchen in London and decided that she would build a mini-space right on top of the third floor of her 1890’s home. The end result was the hut.

The Hut is reached by climbing up a simple staircase and while it is only a few feet away from Myerscough’s existing home it feels literally like she is at a retreat home every time she uses it. Due to the fact that the Hut has such a different design aesthetic, the Hut has become something of an escape.

Myerscough notes that the Hut gives her different light than in her 1890s home as well as a different feel. Much of this “different light” comes from the fact that the Hut has a large skylight and doors that can be opened to create a very free and flowing space. The design of the Hut is such that it creates a great deal of quite and even privacy as the addition is not visible from street level.

The Hut is constructed entirely out of timber with an eye toward sustainability. Solar panels also provide for much of the Hut’s power in keeping with this sustainable and green theme.

Part of the Hut’s considerable charm is that the design showcases how much existing space is currently not being properly utilized all over the world. No doubt it is rather sad that there is so much great rooftop space not being enjoyed in some fashion or another and the Hut, with its fresh design, truly underscores this fact.

http://www.comingunmoored.com/2009/07/hutonaroof/

interesting review brought by Moishe Alexander, CFC Canadian Funding Corp CEO

Global Demographics 2009: Shaping Real Estate’s Future explores how demographic trends are affecting real estate investment and development decisions worldwide. The publication, the second in an annual series from the Urban Land Institute, examines major factors that affect land use, namely population growth, urbanization, aging and migration.

Some of the book’s highlights include:

* The greatest population increases worldwide in the next 40 years will occur in China, India and the United States.
* The population of Europe will decline between now and 2030.
* Mature but still growing economies, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, will offer attractive real estate investment and development prospects once the recession subsides.
* The developed world’s large workforce is aging rapidly while the young labor pools in the Middle East, Africa and South Africa are expanding.
* Fertility rates have dropped globally, even in developing countries.

The report states that demographics are the foundation of real estate decision-making. Population, household and income characteristics, along with the direction of future trends, determine whether demand will exist for new housing or retail space. Growth in the labor force and its composition strongly influence the success of office and industrial properties.

http://www.realestateindustrywatch.com/book-describes-impact-of-global-demographics-on-real-estate%E2%80%99s-future/

brought by Moishe Alexander, CFC Canadian Funding Corp CEO