Your average buyer is not informed enough on the cost benefit tradeoffs of these technologies to be able to perform a thorough analysis of the improvement, and so they won't perform it, and therefore the demand simply does not exist.  

Forced equity is equity built through improvements, rather than by simply paying down a mortgage. 

(3) The business climate only seems to improve here. 

In great state of NJ, they have excluded new construction from CFA; home Improvement is covered but new construction is not!  

The bank isn't going to review the HELOC for 10 years so I think we'll have access to the same amount for the whole time.

Join in my humble opinion I think it depends on the area and the access to jobs in a downturn.

Here’s what it says: “Loans Secured by Real Property or Used to Purchase, Build, or Improve Real Property: If properly originated and negotiated, such loans are typically exempt when made or arranged by a licensed real estate broker.”Was your loan to your friend properly originated and negotiated by a licensed real estate broker?

I know we have access to public prices for residential real estate, does anyone have a site for commercial in Ontario specifically??

There is definitely room for improvement there.

However, one of the worst real estate decisions you can make involving a single family home is to over improve it.