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re2 ecqnoipjs auntrevw ariv 2 w5 houghton top agent again for the fifth year in a row markham real estate agent sylvia houghton has been honored as the top producing cen tury 21 agent in canada and the markham century 21 armour real estate office was a winner of the 1986 centurion award which recognizes the top selling franchise offices in canada the united states and japan the awards were presented at a recent ceremony in san francisco the mar kham firm placed third overall in cana da and two local agents won individual honors at the award ceremony april 8 individual winners were sylvia houghton and jennie cook i think its great that i had the oppor tunity to win the centurion award doug meharg president of century 21 armour told the economist and sun weve got a good team of highprofile hardworking agents a winner for five years mrs hought on was named the number one century 21 agent in canada mrs cook a second time winner was 12th in the country its the fifth year in a row that the mar- khambased firm has won a centurion award check carefully before buying swimming pool unless they are really in the market for backyard swimming holes consumers should choose pool builders carefully unfortunate families have lived with ugly and hazardous holes on their poperties for months while battling to get contractors to fin ish the pools some people have had holes dug during the spring of one year but the pool hasnt been finished until midsummer the next says roberta allan of the ontario ministry of consumer and com mercial relations mccr the builders just keep making ex cuses sometimes its more than a matter of procrastination some unethical contractors start up dozens of jobs at the beginning of the season grab as much money as they can from customers then go out of business the only way to avoid this prob lem is to be sure of the builders integrity by getting recommenda tions from past customers people who already own pools cannot only point you to a good contractor they may offer some insight into what the purchase will mean to your lifestyle there is a certain amount of work and expense involved in maintaining a swimming pool pools may raise property values but generally the increase doesnt cover the initial investment also should you decide to sell the house the market will be limited to people who want a swimming pool in the backyard after weighing all these fac tors if you still want to go ahead visit your local municipal office to find out what bylaws may affect the project ms allan says you should alsoask how and when to apply for any necessary building permits then get at least three contrac tors to quote on the job and pick a company if you havent already done so get references from the chosen firm and check them out before signing once satisified the contractor is reliable examine the contract carefully it should set out all costs for materials labor and optional equipment to protect yourself get sizes brands and qualities of materials listed in sist that the contract also includes a completion date if the contrac tor refuses to commit to a specific date find one who will although a written completion date may help motivate the com- pany to get your pool done on time some firms might still proc rastinate consider asking a lawyer to include a clause in the contract penalizing the company a certain amount of money for each day completion is delayed the contract should also state who is responsible for repairing any property damaged during pool construction keep deposits to about 10 per cent of the total cost of the job ms allan advises construction costs are normal ly paid in installments called progress payments as each 5 phase of work is finished details must be set out in the contract under the construction lien act buyers must hold back 10 per cent of each progress payment until 45 days following substantial completion of the project this en sures you cannot be held liable if the contractor fails to pay sup pliers or subcontractors get details about all warranties offered on equipment and work manship included in the contract if the pool has a liner insist it is purchase from a manufacturer with local service facilities lin ers can be damaged and it can be expensive to ship them to the un ited state or another province for repairs pool construction contracts signed in your home can be can celled by sending a registered let ter to the company within two clear working days of the signing date for more information about home renovation contracts and other consumer issues contact the consumer information centre at 555 yonge st toronto m7a 2h6 416 9631111 or toll free at 18002681142 ontario residents with an 807 area code may call the toronto number collect the canadian spa and pool associationontario swimming pool association is also an excel lent resourse for information on pools contact the association at suite 305 6303 airport rd missis- sauga ont l4v 1r8 416 671- 1990 consumers who feel they have been unfairly treated by a con tractor should contact the nearest consumer advisory bureau of the ministry buslders home 2 storey 4 bedroom double car gar age many extras quick closing date priced to sell 152900 call 18987408 jennie cook sylvia houghton real estate guaranteed investment certificates 1 0 3 4 and 5 year terms 30 days to 3 year rates available on request 2941372 ext 299 rates subject to change adriana davie darcy warner manager of royal lepage markhamunionville is pleased to announce the transfer of adriana davie to our office adriana has enjoyed a very suc- cessful6 year career and achieved top salesperson of her past office for 1985 welcome 4714800 3 bedroom backsplit inground pool central air quiet street uxbridge town services 125900 call after 6 pm 8523672 no agents please jane mcgivern ltd real estate broker for sale jane mcgivern ltd 4857766 residential industrial commercial and investment real estate services for information in your area call 4857766 tfustnffr family trust corporation announcement joan harrison linda killackey manager is pleased to welcome joan harrison to the un- ionville sales team joan brings to family trust fifteen years of profes sional experience in the communica tions field having worked as a radio station news producer and as a col lege professor teaching public speaking and broadcasting she is enthusiastic about her new career enjoys working with people and would be happy to hear from you about any of your real estate needs joan can be reached at the office 4771270 or at home 8875388