**SOLD**Fraser and Stephen Winters just listed an extremely well looked after property located in Pleasantville, in the east end  St. John’s.  Three bedrooms, 1 and a half bathrooms. Hardwood floors throughout most of the home.  Property is heated with an electric hot water radiation system providing very low monthly heating bills.  Located within walking distance to Quidi Vidi Lake (walking trails) and downtown St. John’s.  The Metro Bus passes right in front of the property. Front and rear garden well maintained.  Ideal home as an investment property or for a first time buyer.  Asking price is $169,900.

An interesting article on the CBC website today titled: Community within a community: Housing plan pitched for Pleasantville discussing a proposal for a new subdivision with a mix of condo’s and houses.  Even more interesting are the comments left by residents of St. John’s.  Most seem dead-set against the idea.  Here’s the article below.  What are your thoughts?

A Crown corporation hopes to see a mix of houses, condos and apartments built on the site of a former U.S. military base in St. John’s, on one of the prime undeveloped areas of the city.

Canada Lands Corp. is showcasing its plans for redeveloping Pleasantville and on Wednesday night will make a formal presentation on how it hopes the site — north of Quidi Vidi Lake, and within walking distance of downtown St. John’s — can be transformed.

Project manager John Dalton said the idea behind the mixed development is to create a community within a community.

“If you get that mix, you get what you call aging in place, where someone can move in as a young couple. If they need a bigger place, they could buy a home [and] they could have children,” Dalton said.

“Then, as they become empty-nesters, they could potentially move to an apartment or a condominium, and finally, at that stage of life which we’re all heading, as you’re getting to be … needing some assistance, we’re even providing an opportunity of assisted living.”

The U.S. military developed much of the land as Fort Pepperrell, which was built during the Second World War.

Years later, the site was turned over to the Canadian government, which used part of it as Canadian Forces Station St. John’s and other parts as offices for government departments. The former Janeway children’s hospital was built there in the 1960s, but was demolished earlier this year.

Canada Lands Corp.’s plan of divesting the lands, now considered surplus, will see about 960 residential units built, including single-family and multi-unit homes and hundreds of condominiums. The plan also includes two 10-storey towers that would be built along Logy Bay Road.

Housing advocates and social agencies have long called for a greater mix of housing in the central part of St. John’s, particularly for affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners.

The plan will come under a lot of scrutiny from residents of neighbouring streets, including Alister Eaton, who lives on Ross Road.

“That’s probably the best site left in metropolitan St. John’s. I mean, I grew up here,” said Eaton, adding that the Pleasantville site has had historic attachments, including a training site for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in 1914.

“It’s always been a sort of historic place and I think done properly it will be great.”

The plan incorporates a $101-million upgrade planned for Canadian Forces Station St. John’s, which is relocating to one corner of the land it currently occupies.

Canada Lands Corp. will make a formal presentation to area residents on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion on The Boulevard.

Check out the St. John’s Farmers Market Saturday at the Lions Club Chalet.  Located right behind the Remax Centre (Curling Club).  9am to 2pm.  Lots of locally grown veggies, fruits, Newfoundland arts and crafts and paintings.  They even have a Facebook Group “I support a weekly farmer’s market in downtown St. John’s”

Every summer in St. John’s at Signal Hill, military drills and music from the 1800s is featured. The Signal Hill Tattoo is now up and running.  Check out the re-enactment of 18th Century military exercises with period costumes, guns and cannon fire this Saturday at the Signal Hill National Historic Site.

The Royal St. John’s Regatta is only a few weeks away.  This Saturday on Quidi Vidi Pond the Time Trials will be taking place starting at 8am.  The purpose of these Time Trials is to determine the makeup of each Regatta Day race based upon the times rowed by the crews participating in the Time Trial heats. Drop down and check out the local rowing crews and see all the hype.

The caplin are rolling! The caplin are rolling around the Avalon bringing hundreds of people to Logy Bay, Middle Cove, Outer Cove beaches.  The presence of the caplin brings with them lots of whales! Check out this quick YouTube clip titled “Caplin in Newfoundland“. If you haven’t seen this phenomenon I highly encourage it.  But hurry….they will not be around for much longer.

And of course….with this beautiful weather you can always enjoy a couple of hours chasing after a little white ball on a golf course.  Newfoundland has a lot of terrific golf courses. My personal favorite is Clovelly Golf Course in East End St. John’s, (in the Clovelly Trails Sub division). Of course you can enjoy a scenic view of St. John’s from Admirals Green in Pippy Park.   For a complete list of Newfoundland golf courses visit golfnewfoundland.ca or the Newfoundland and Labrador Golf Association.

Close to downtown St. John’s

4 bedroom home on deep mature lot close to downtown. Hardwood throughout most of the main floor. Kitchen with attached pantry and exterior door leading to patio deck. Formal dining room and separate living room. Three fireplaces in property (no liners). Most of the original character still remaining in the property.  Rear access to backyard.  Asking price is $149,900.  Call Fraser or Stephen Winters for more information.

So, just what is knob and tube wiring?

Knob and tube wiring is found in older homes dating back to the 1940′s. It was the electrical wiring choice at the time due to being inexpensive and practical. Knob and tube is a two wire system consisting of a ‘hot’ and a ‘neutral’ wire – no ground wire. When the wiring was run through floor joists it was placed in a ceramic tube to prevent the wires from chafing.

If you happen to notice knob and tube in a home you are purchasing (hopefully you have a Home Inspector) asks lots of questions.

In the “older days”, this method was quite adequate for the electrical loads being produced in a house hold. However as computers, plasma TV’s and microwaves became the new way of life, the increase is amperage (electrical current) to run these devices posed a problem for knob and tube wiring. It became subject to repeatedly blowing 15mp amp fuses. Quick fixes allowed homeowners to over-fuse circuits (changing the 15amp fuse to a 20 or 30amp fuse) which in turn caused heat damage to the wiring due to higher levels of current.

Some insurance companies in St. John’s will still insure knob and tube wiring but they require an electrician to inspect the house to make sure that there are no circuits over-fused. Of course there are some insurance companies in St. John’s that refuse to insure knob and tube wiring. No insurance = no mortgage.