Dan Cooper's Real Estate Blog - Dan Cooper Real Estate, Broker - Oakville, ON

Gabrielle’s Ride raises money for Sick Kids

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 by Dan Cooper

Featured in the photo is Dan Cooper with Nikki Ide

There are stories in our community that touch your heart – especially those that involve children. One such story is about a young girl named Gabrielle Ide Cinanni who died far too young from complications related to congenital heart disease. She was only 5.

On July 22, Gabrielle’s Ride will be Oakville’s first and largest family cycling event and I’m proud to be the presenting sponsor for this worthwhile cause.

Money raised will go to support Cardiac Kids and the Pediatric Stroke Fund at The Sick Kids Foundation. Fundraising dollars will be used for life saving research, the development of social programs and the support of families affected by congenital heart disease and pediatric stroke. Gabrielle’s Ride will share her story of passion and hope through our commitment to the children who share her challenges every day.

When she was two months old, Gabrielle was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. She had a unique form of coarctation of her aorta with no known treatment or cure and she struggled with the symptoms of heart failure. Just an infant, Gabrielle was already fighting for her life.
Before her first birthday, she had undergone numerous invasive tests, hospital stays, frequent clinic appointments with several different specialists, therapy and three angioplasties that the family hoped would save her life.

Within weeks of being diagnosed with heart disease, an MRI of her brain showed that Gabrielle had also suffered a stroke. She was too young to know exactly how this stroke would impact her life but it was clear that Gabrielle’s body was vulnerable and her future was uncertain. Surrounded by love and support and with her own will to live, Gabrielle’s health improved. For five and a half years, her passion for life and her gigantic laugh filled the family’s home with joy and inspired everyone’s hearts.

She was a special little girl and her story has an effect on everyone I talk to about the Ride. I have to admire her mother, Nikki, and the whole family for being such an inspiration and keeping Gabrielle’s story alive so that she can continue to bring awareness to the challenges of other children at Sick Kids.

“My beliefs,” Nikki says, “combined with Gabrielle’s passion for life have inspired the creation of Gabrielle’s Ride – a way for me to actively include Gabrielle and her wisdom in my everyday life and a way for her community to remember her too.”

“Dan Cooper has been a great friend to Gabrielle’s Ride since its inception in 2011. He is a philanthropic pillar of the Oakville community and has graciously shared his experience with our team over these months of preparation,” Nikki says.

Building a stronger community means supporting great causes such as Gabrielle’s Ride. My team and I support a number of organizations, everything from minor sports teams to major campaigns that will have a significant impact on the quality of life we enjoy here in the Oakville and Burlington areas.

A giving and caring spirit makes our community stronger – a place in which we can all be proud to live and raise a family. How we treat those in need, how we support charities and organizations that are making a difference, shape our community’s character and reputation. Today we enjoy one of the most desirable locations in Canada in which to live – because we have built a safe and caring community.

I encourage all of you to give back to the community in any way you can; whether it is with money or time or both. Your efforts and contributions help make our community stronger and a better place in which to live.

There are different levels of participation in Gabrielle’s Ride on July 22 – 100km, 50km, 15km family adventure and 2km tyke ride. Start and finish is Appleby College.

The Dan Cooper Team and I will be out in full force. Call us if you would like to join our team. Or organize your own team. Just make sure to be part of this outstanding fundraiser. It is Oakville’s first and largest family cycling event, it promises to be a great time for the whole family and the money goes to a great cause. For more information, to register or to pledge a donation visit www.gabriellesride.com.

Come train with us at Quad West on Speers Road and visit us at Gears Oakville grand opening on April 14 on Trafalgar Road.

Dan Cooper is an award-winning broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009, 2007, 2005, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call The Dan Cooper Team.

Posted in Gabrielle's Ride | No Comments »

Comic Vision Oakville raising money for a serious cause

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 by Dan Cooper

There are so many worthwhile causes in this world that it is often difficult to decide which charity or organization to support. The bottom line, however, is to get behind at least one cause and make that your mission. A helping hand to those in need makes us a stronger community.

I’m proud to be able to give my time and money to a number of local organizations as well as some national causes such as Comic Vision, which does some serious fundraising for the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), an organization that is helping people with serious eye diseases. Many of us take our sight for granted, but the prospect of losing it can be terrifying for any of us.

And so, again this year I am immensely proud, along with Royal LePage, to be the venue sponsor for Comic Vision Oakville on April 25th. We selected Le Dome on North Service Road East in 2010 to be the venue for this show, and according to Comic Vision Oakville, Le Dome has been an outstanding location that has been highly successful as a fundraiser.

This is Canada’s most successful night of stand-up comedy and fundraising for FFB. The cross-country tour of high profile, stand-up comedy always promises to provide a memorable night of entertainment and this year’s show will not disappoint.

Comic Vision is held each year in five cities across Canada, including London, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. The tour raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year with all proceeds going directly to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which funds vision research at hospitals and universities across Canada. The FFB has played a pivotal role in bringing researchers closer than ever to potential treatments and cures that can one day reverse genetic forms of blindness.
This year’s show in Oakville includes Steve Patterson, Frank Spadone, Meg Soper and Pete Zedlacher.

For our part, The Dan Cooper Team and Royal LePage are proud to provide ongoing support for local organizations, services and programs. It is our commitment to give back to the community in which we work and live. We are not simply in the business of selling properties and helping buyers find homes. We are an integral part of this terrific community. We are your neighbour, our children go to school here and we shop in the same grocery stores. This is our community and The Dan Cooper Team is proud to play a part in shaping its character and its success.

For more information about the Foundation Fighting Blindness, please visit www.ffb.ca or to purchase tickets for this year’s event visit www.comicvision.ca/events/oakville.html

Posted in Comic Vision, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Frank Spadone, Meg Soper, Pete Zedlacher, Steve Patterson | No Comments »

Five winning ideas to get your home ready for sale

Monday, March 26th, 2012 by Dan Cooper

Spring is officially here, signaling the beginning of house hunting season. If you have decided to sell your home, the last thing you want is for it to sit on the market for a long time. Taking some home improvement steps before listing can make your house more attractive to potential buyers and put you in a better position to sell quickly.

So what do you need to do to ensure that listing your house floods our office with showing requests?

1. Spruce up the entranceway

Every interested buyer will enter through your front door. Have you looked at your entranceway with a critical eye lately? Consider replacing old or sagging screens. If your front door is dirty or scratched, clean it up or add a fresh coat of paint. Sweep away dirt and grime and set out a new entrance mat. Oil any squeaky hinges. If you have plants or shrubbery leading up to your home, make sure that they are trimmed appropriately. A manicured landscape leading up to a welcoming front door will portray the positive experience of living there. An ugly or dirty entranceway can turn away buyers before they enter your house, meaning even if your home has the most amazing interior, their minds may already be made up.

2. Create an outdoor oasis by detailing your deck

Today’s buyer isn’t just interested in the inside of a home, but the outdoor space as well. Taking your deck or patio from drab to fab may only require adding a couple of stylistic extras. Start by adding beautiful deck and fence post caps to create a polished, upscale look for your outdoor space. Next, add unique decorative fascia corners that stylishly adorn deck skirting and cover unsightly corner joints. These decorative fascia corners often install quickly with screws.

3. Add outdoor extras for safety and style

Additions that are both beautiful and useful get noticed by potential buyers. Railings can add style to your deck, porch, patio or stairs, plus they add a safety element to your home. Another addition to consider is LED lighting that makes a home stand out at dusk and provides just the right amount of light so outdoor space can safely be enjoyed any time of day.

4. Add modern colours to interior walls

Cracked paint or dated wall colours are sure to turn off buyers. For a small price, you can purchase plaster and several cans of paint to refresh dated looking rooms for a clean, modern feel. Not sure what paint coloursare on-trend? Visit your local paint or hardware store for insight. Remember, it’s best to avoid anything too bold, so even if you love fire truck red, pick a shade a little more demure so you attract the most potential buyers.

5. Reduce clutter for clean, minimalist rooms

If you’ve ever visited a house that’s been staged, you know that it helps buyers envision what they might do with the room. To follow this example, you’ll want to make sure that you eliminate all clutter, clean up drawers and closets, stow away extra items like pillows and blankets and reduce the amount of personal photography you display. Remember, you want buyers to visualize themselves in your home, not see your last family portrait and feel out of place. We offer free staging advice and have a professional stager on our Team who can provide winning advice.

Always keep in mind that you want to paint a picture for buyers of the wonderful life they can have if they purchase your home. If they have a good first impression and can envision their family enjoying each room in the house, they are going to want to submit a bid fast.

Posted in Selling, Spring, Staging | No Comments »

Increase the value of your home with a small-scale renovation

Monday, March 5th, 2012 by Dan Cooper

Whether you are selling your home or staying put, a renovation, even on a small scale, can improve the value of your home.

When it comes to home renovations, it is important to be smart about how you spend your money. If you are planning to sell your home in the near future, a large-scale home improvement may not have the desired payback in the short term.

And when you choose to remodel, pay attention to some of the trends taking place in new home construction, which signal what the competition will look like down the road. Choose the right improvements today, and you may be better positioned to sell your home when the economy picks up.

Keep the following tips in mind if you’re thinking of investing in an addition or a significant remodel:

Choose your remodeler with care: Select a professional contractor with experience, knowledge of local codes and a good reputation for quality work.

Focus on tried-and-true performance: Remodel to your needs, of course. But before you finalize your decisions, research the improvements that will likely bring you the highest return on your investment. A minor kitchen remodel should return more than 70 percent according to recent reports. Adding a bathroom pays back more than 53 percent.

Practicality makes perfect: During the latest housing boom, remodels were all about big and bold. Now there is less emphasis on luxury and appearances-for-appearances-sake. Take advantage of that trend with a focus on practicality in your remodeling project. You’ll make your home more competitive at resale, and your dollars will stretch a lot further.

Multi-function = broader appeal: For today’s busy families, efficiency is essential. Can you repurpose an existing room to make life easier? Add a laundry room to save going downstairs? Increase the size of your kitchen, so you can convert the dining room to a guest suite? If you’re thinking of creating a family room in the basement, complete the project with a convenient bathroom addition.

Never enough baths: If you’ve ever waited in frustration for your turn in the bathroom, you know that just about every home could use a spare bath. Even in rooms where there is no easy plumbing solution, a macerating toilet system might be the answer. Macerating, or up-flush, plumbing gives you unlimited flexibility, because there is no need to break through the floors to install drainage piping, which adds substantial cost to the project.

For more ideas on how to prepare your home for sale, call The Dan Cooper Team. We have the professionals and complimentary staging advice to help you get the most for your investment.

Posted in Renovating, Renovation | No Comments »

Napa Valley’s youngest winemaker makes a visit to Oakville

Monday, March 5th, 2012 by Dan Cooper

Featured in the photo: Dan Cooper and Ryan Waugh of Napa Valley Crush Co-op

One of the best aspects of my career is meeting some fascinating and talented people who live in Oakville or visit our great community. Just last month, I had the pleasure of tipping a glass of wine with an extraordinary young man – the youngest winemaker in Napa Valley, California.

Ryan Waugh was in Oakville as the feature guest at an exclusive wine tasting at Budd’s BMW dealership.

Ryan, who has his own Waugh Cellars, has been chosen to be the director of winemaking for Napa Valley Crush Co-op, the first wine consumption co-operative to be formed in Canada. We featured this very unique venture in the fall issue of Lakeshore Living, the magazine I publish that celebrates fabulous homes, interesting people and unique stories such as the Napa Valley proposition.

Just to recap what we featured in Lakeshore Living, this co-operative is quite different from a “wine club.” Unlike a wine club, the wine co-op has its own winemaker – Ryan – and actually produces the wine that is made available to its members. The wine will be crafted in a new cave winery now being constructed called the Caves of Soda Canyon. The creation of this facility is an amazing story in itself. It is the only custom crush winery in the Napa Valley that is wholly contained within underground caves. When completed later this year, the winery will be housed in 20,000 square feet of caves that have been excavated into a mountainside, 900 feet above the floor of the Napa Valley.

The purpose of Ryan’s Oakville visit last month was to talk to interested wine lovers about the co-operative, how it works and how it can provide significant savings to the co-op members. What makes the co-op so attractive is that members have access to premium Napa Valley wines at “winery cost,” with savings of up to 90 percent over the retail price of comparable Napa wines.

If you love Napa wines, you will appreciate that the co-op plans to use only the highest quality grapes sourced from some of the finest vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Best of all, these wines will be available exclusively for members of the wine co-op. They will not be available to the public in any retail outlet either in the United States or Canada.

Of course, we have some excellent wines made right here in Ontario, and there are local wine merchants who are accessing some excellent wines from around the world. But any respectable wine cellar will have some varietals from Napa Valley – especially when you can get your hands on some premium wines at significant savings.
The Napa Valley Crush Co-op is making available a limited number of co-op memberships that, for a one-time payment, provides five cases of exclusive Napa wine each year for 25 years. You can learn more about this offer at www.napawinecoop.com.

I’m not advocating for the co-op – I just find this an interesting story; the chance to save on Napa wine is intriguing; and Ryan Waugh is one of those fascinating people I have the pleasure of getting to know on a regular basis.

Posted in The Napa Valley Crush Co-op, Wine | No Comments »