Courtesy of Laurie Fearon & Shapoor Hoghooghi

Laurie & Shapoor's Newsletter

LAURIE FEARON & SHAPOOR HOGHOOGHI REAL ESTATE BROKERS

Laurie: 514.575.7984 | brokers@lauriefearon.com Shapoor: 514.295.8787 | brokers@shapoorhoghooghi.com

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

111 - 4030 boul. de la Côte-Ver tu Saint-Laurent, QC H4R 1V4

Office: 514.944.BLVD Fax: 1.888.204.5175

Volume 14 Number 2

3 LAUNDRY ROOM DESIGN IDEAS Gone are the days when a laundry room in a dark corner of the basement was a thing. Homeowners now want a space that is just as beautiful as it is functional. But say that your laundry room is indeed in a dark corner of the basement, how can you liven it up without spending a fortune? Start with making it feel cozy; if your basement is unfinished and you have concrete floors, add a large neutral rug in front of the washer and dryer. Just make sure not to choose something that can’t get wet – because overflows do happen. Next,

add some shelving and line it with woven baskets; not only will this give you tons of storage space, the baskets will add style and warmth. Lastly, put up a cool light fixture. Just because it ’s a laundry room doesn’t mean it should have plain old pot lights or a bare bulb. Pick a fixture that hangs down a bit so it catches the eye. Choose something woven

to play off the baskets or a matte black fixture to give your laundry room more of an industrial style.

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP RECIPE

Courtesy of www.ehow.com

INGREDIENTS : 1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed 1 small white onion, diced 2 bell peppers, deseeded and diced (any color) 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic (or 3 fresh cloves, minced) 28 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained

28 ounces crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce) 4 to 6 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 3 tablespoons fresh parsley Oil

DIRECTIONS: 1. If you’re using extra-lean ground beef, chicken or turkey, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil to a large pot. Warm over medium heat. Add the ground meat and sausage until brown, breaking it apart with a spatula. 2. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, mixing frequently to evenly cook the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 3. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes, along with the broth. Mix well, bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bell peppers are tender. 4. Add the cooked rice and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes. 5. Spoon into bowls, top with fresh parsley and serve with toasted bread.

CHOOSING A KITCHEN SINK Whether you’re renovating your kitchen for yourself or for resale, something you’ll need to consider is your sink. Size, material, location – there’s a lot to decide. First off, where you put the sink is a big decision and one that hinges on several factors. If your kitchen reno is more cosmetic and isn’t going to involve any plumbing changes, then the sink will have to stay in its original location. However, if you’re installing new countertops then you can play with the size a bit. If you’re gutting your kitchen then you have a lot more options. Some homeowners love to have their sink in the kitchen island. Others prefer to have it under a window so they can look outside while they do dishes. Whichever you choose, make sure you consider the pros and cons thoroughly first as it isn’t something you can easily change later. Next up – size. While it’s still most common to install a double sink, some homeowners are opting for a single bowl. Proponents of this option say it gives them more room to wash large pots and pans. It also may be an aesthetic choice as a single bowl sink has more of a farmhouse or industrial feel to it. And last of all, but certainly just as important, is the material you choose. Of course, stainless steel is classic and extremely low maintenance, but homeowners are opting for everything from ceramic to copper to granite to cast iron. Again, make sure you research all the pros and cons of each material before choosing your sink. It takes a bit of up front work, but it’s more than worth it in the long run.

CARING FOR HOUSEPLANTS IN WINTER

Low light, dry air, and plain old forgetfulness are three common causes of a houseplant not making it through winter. Sometimes it feels easier to care for your indoor plant babies when the sun is shining and the weather is warm because they’re just an extension of your outdoor plants. But it’s during the winter that indoor plants need a little extra love and care. Here are four tips for doing just that. • Know which plants go dormant in the winter. If you have a plant that’s typically meant to be outside, it may go dormant when the weather turns. Meanwhile, tropical indoor plants tend to not go into dormancy as long as the conditions they were used to in the summer continue. If you do have plants that go to sleep during the winter, make sure to ease back on the watering. And don’t panic if they stop growing or even lose a few leaves. That’s just nature doing its thing. • Give your plants a shower. Yup – plants need showers too. Especially those with large leaves that collect a lot of dust. Too much dust buildup can actually hamper the plants ability to take in light. If you have plants that are too heavy to move to your tub, periodically wipe their leaves down with a damp cloth. • Move them to a sunnier location. How the sun comes into your home will change during the winter months. Some of your plants may need to be relocated to a sunnier, warmer spot. Be wary of windowsills though. Depending how well your windows keep out the cold, a sunny sill may look welcoming, but if there’s a draft your plant may not like it there. • Keep them away from radiators and air vents. You may think that plants would like it near a nice warm heater, but most of them don’t. The extra air circulation dries them out quicker and the warmth can be too intense for their roots and leaves.

PUZZLE - COLOUR BY NUMBERS

Courtesy of www.printactivities.com

SOLUTION :

It’s a sun and a tree.

Montreal Real Estate Market: Strong Start to the Year With

MEDIAN SALE PRICES

$434,000 single family UP 23% year-over-year

$322,000 condo UP 17% year-over-year

New Sales and Price Records, Propelled by Condominiums and Plexes

L’Île-des-Sœurs, February 2, 2021– The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) has just released its residential real estate market statistics for the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) for the month of January, based on the real estate brokers’ Centris provincial database. “Despite more severe health restrictions, January continued in the footsteps of 2020. Condominiums and plexes registered record sales, including on the Island of Montreal, with the highest number of transactions ever recorded since the early 2000s,” said Charles Brant, director of market analysis at the QPAREB. “This has resulted in a drop in the inventory of properties available for sale in the areas peripheral to the Island. The slowdown in sales growth for the single-family home category is clearly attributable to a lack of active listings,” he added. Source: Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB)

5,042 11,176

NEW LISTINGS

ACTIVE LISTINGS (residential inventory)

1,980

MONTHS OF INVENTORY

2.8

1,541

Stats are Reflective of January 2021 Source: Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) Market values stated are of the average of Edmonton and surrounding region. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to- date evaluation of your home.

single family detached SOLD LISTINGS condo

BUYING OR SELLING? CALL US, WE CAN HELP.

LAURIE FEARON & SHAPOOR HOGHOOGHI REAL ESTATE BROKERS

Laurie: 514.575.7984 | brokers@lauriefearon.com Shapoor: 514.295.8787 | brokers@shapoorhoghooghi.com

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