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Mission, BC Real Estate News

By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
                                I don't buy conspiracy theories, and, I've read hundreds of them since that tragic event took place. My background prior to re-entering real estate was structural steel engineering, so one thing bothered me. (Actually, a couple of things bothered me).      These buildings were actually designed to           absorb airline strikes, (several strikes in fact),               so I don't understand the total collapse of these buildings. Not just one tower, but two! And the really big puzzle that I just can't seem to wrap my head around is this. Structural steel does not  react in this manner. It does not fall into it's own footprint from an impact such as occured on that fatal day on 9/11. Once would be an anomoly; but with both towers- an impossibility. I gues...
Comments 22
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
 "VICTOR'S SECRET" The fall catalogue of Victor's Secret has just hit the news-stands and is the new line-up is really special. Critics are "simply beside themselves" with new fall offerings.   Casual, cool and comfy best describes this snappy ensemble. And perfectly priced. Mix and match to expand your wardrobe.                                         Wow them at your next office party with our new selection of colourful prints. Heart patterns are all the rage this year.      FOR ALL YOU "BEACH BOYS" out there! Fun, fun, fun-in-the-sun! And, at 40% off select styles, you can't go wrong here. For the more adventurous of you, our selection of thongs would be a welcome addition to your winter holiday wardrobe.          Ah, the ubiquitous baseball cap. The ladies just love these. All NFL a...
Comments 10
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
The destruction of 9/11 is etched in my mind forever. It's one of those world shaking events that will remain with me until the day I die. I remember exactly what I was doing when this happened, as well as where I was when JFK and Robert Kennedy were gunned down. As well as with the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King; all these events etched forever on my brain. I remember watching the endless loop of television pictures of the chaos, the confusion, the heroism, the coming together of two nations in a time of tradegy. This happened just before I returned to real estate, and on the day it happened, one of my senior employees came into my office and told me. And I said "Osama Bin Laden". He said who? I said, "It had to be Osama Bin Laden". I'm a news junkie, and it's the fir...
Comments 4
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
WAKY NEWS is a weekly feature from THE BLOGGING GUY. A boy allegedly abducted 2 years previously, turned up after a search of his grandmother's house. Apparently the kid hadn't seen the light of day for these two years. He had been sequested in a small space about 60 sq. feet. The mother and grandmother both, have been charged with various offences. The lengths some people will go to in custody battles.     This is a true story from THE BLOGGING GUY.
Comments 14
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Like them or loathe them, the Kennedys left their collective footprint on the American landscape. The last standard bearer, Ted, lost his final battle to a brain tumor. With 47 years on Capitol Hill, he was an effective politician able to effect change and do deals on both sides of the floor. Sister Jean is the last surviving sibling.
Comments 6
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Last night Bob ad I went on a listing appointment. This was an entry-level townhouse that the owners bought at the "peak" of the market. Our market evaluation told them that whatever equity they had was gone. They also had a $14,000 line of credit that they applied to a recent assessment to the complex. We could have listed this property, but that would have been the wrong thing to do. Instead, we advised them to contact us after talking it over, and we would refer them to a very good mortgage broker to restructure their payments. We put this down to sowing the seeds for future business when the market recovers. It isn't always about instant gratification.
Comments 10
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
No more! It's a mine field out there. Time was, a man's bond was as good as his word-no more. Today, when I do business, I diarize everthing, especially if I get the "tinglies". That's the feeling you get when things don't seem quite right and you get the "gut feeling" that something is going to bite you in the ass somewhere down the line. Your gut hasn't evolved to the point to form doubt or dissuade you, like  your brain tends to do. Listen to your gut first; it's NEVER wrong. Deepak Chopra explains this in his tapes and CD's it's a good listen-check it out. It's a sad state of affairs, but now I put EVERYTHING in a diary. WE DON'T WANT THIS-DO WE?
Comments 13
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
It's been a bad day-no horrific! My brother and his wife are devastated. Today, they were sitting on their back deck having breakfast and their dog, (a small breed), was playing about 3 feet away. The following events  happened in a matter of seconds. A large coyote jumped the fence, grabbed the dog and re-scaled the fence. We searched for some time, but there was no sign of it. I've heard of eagles doing this, with cats and small dogs, but never a coyote, in broad daylight, with humans in close proximity. It's too bad; they really loved that dog. I don't know what else my brother and his wife could have done; hell, they were sitting 3 feet away. What can I say? Watch your animals...sad.
Comments 27
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
 This is pilot Joseph Balzer a former pilot with Northwest Airlines. In 1990, he made history when he and the entire cockpit crew were fired for flying drunk. He has since clawed his way back and hasn't had a drink in years. In 1999, American Airlines hired him and he has since written a best selling book titled "Flying Drunk". It's an eye-opener. According to him, flying under the influence is not all that isolated an event. In 2008, 13 cases of pilots were suspended for alcohol abuse, but this number appears low as over 4,000 pilots have reportedly undergone treatment for substance abuse. I for one, am already a nervous flyer. Now when I board a plane, I'm looking a little more intently at the crew.
Comments 14
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
I recently went away for 10 DAYS! No internet, and to make matters worse, I dropped my phone in the lake. No communications! I know, I know. The points aren't important! But I kept thinking, I can't respond to 10 other posts, so there's 250 Pts lost, (while I'm fishing). I can't do my posts, so I'm falling behind every day. It's aggrevating. Thank you A/R for creating an addict.
Comments 24
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
YES! While financial institutions all over the world are still reeling over the melt-down, the Royal Bank of Canada has posted record 3rd quarter earnings of $1.56 Billion! Market watchers have taken this as a sign that the bank has come through the worst of the recession and is set to benefit from improving conditions. RBC has now cemented itself as the leader of the Canadian big-six banks. Indicators are, that the worst is over and consumer confidence is back.
Comments 6
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
 I was cleaning out a basement the other day and I found a small box of books. Inside were several editions of Readers Digest and a few copies of Argosy dated 1948. Some of the ads inside are hilarious. "Zippo" lighters for $3.95; (an extra dollar to have it engraved). Anybody remember "Wildroot Hair Cream"? How about a pair of leather Oxfords for $9.95? I sat there "flipping" through these books and before I realized it, several hours had passed. Anyone else out there remember these books?
Comments 6
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
This is Kandovan in Iran. The villagers here live in caves carved out of volcanic rock Situated in the north-east section of Iran at the base of Mount Sahand.         Some of the apartments have balconies with a view...  ...not sure whether these stairs are to code though....       ...I KNOW that balcony railing isn't. All the comforts of home. Even here, there's a place for knick-knacks... ...most of these dwellings are 700 years old and are probably mortgage free. Historians have quoted geographical references in the book of Genesis as evidence that link the area surrounding Kandovan with the Garden of Eden. It follows that the village of Noqdi, to the east, must be the biblical land of Nod. That's the theory at any rate.
Comments 12
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Day 6. We're having a dinner party at Arne's place. He informs me that we're going fishing on Saturday. Fishing to him is flying in to a remote lake in the Pre-Cambrian shield, totally isolated. The guide had flown boats up there previously, but that was the only sign of trespassers. Very pristine, and lots of fish. So, I phoned my partner, and he said, "You gotta' go for this!" I extended my holiday by two days.  So Saturday, we all load into this plane and take off for a fishing adventure. We took enough food for an army for a month. Turned out we didn't need it. Everybody limited out. I caught a really big pike, that took 30 minutes to bring in. We spent about an hour filleting fish and had a shore lunch of fried fish in butter. Very enjoyable. This was a memorable trip, which I will...
Comments 19
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Elk Ridge Golf Resort. What a place! 27 championship holes of unsurpassed golf. Six of us went up there and rented carts, (mandatory), green fees, ($125 each), plus rental clubs, (all top of the line clubs), everything in place. Go to the clubhouse to pay. On the house. The owner who I had made friends with, had phoned ahead and made it happen. What a nice guy. Arne Peterson, gracious host and just a really nice guy. Now here's something I've never seen before. The golf carts came equipped with a GPS that told you where you are on the course, how far to the hole, AND recommended club selection. They've thought of everything! The course has a new $15 million dollar hotel, a condo development, new housing development, and plans for expansion. The down-side? Mosquitoes! Bug spray doesn't ...
Comments 4
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Emma Lake-Cottage country. Some cottages. A few of these things are selling for $2 million and one is listed at a whopping $4.2 million. Most, however, are modest. $300-$400 thousand. My sister-in-law is an avid gardener and artistic and has her place fixed up nice.                                    Every nook and cranny of her garden is filled with whimsical pieces. Every place they've ever been on a holiday has a reminder.      
Comments 2
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Day 3 of the trip, I stopped in at Saskatoon and picked up my brother-in-law and we proceeded north to cottage country at Emma Lake. For those of you that haven't been there, it's the mosquito capital of the planet. It should actually be their Provincial bird. I was out of the car exactly 3 seconds and they were all over me. Nothing works on these little  BIG suckers, but I had come prepared. I had the foresight to purchase a large sheet of netting before I left.
Comments 3
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Day one, I drove straight through to Drayton Valley Alberta. 11.5 hours non-stop, except for gas and pit stops. This is oil country and where else in the world do you see this in your back yard? Had a great BBQ of Italian sausages and corn on the cob. I'm impressed with the job my daughter and her husband are doing with the kids. They all say grace at meals, are all into sports and activities, all jog, motorcycle together-a real balanced family with very few issues. Next day, daughter is up at the crack of dawn jogging. She's the marathon runner and this is her daily routine. I'm standing on the deck and this thing whizzes past my head, then another and another! It was hail, almost the size of golf balls. I imagined my Mercedes with a million pock marks. Nothing. Thank God for German st...
Comments 3
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
Finally managed to get away on August 20th. This was a trip planned for some time now, and fortunately, I have an excellent partner who looked after everything in my absence. Day one of the trip, I was up at 5 AM and out the door. I like to get an early start and I stop for gas only. What is it with R.V. owners? I encountered one in the mountains. This thing was about 80 feet long and was towing a small car and boat. The driver was obviously nervous and was driving v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-ly. There were mountain goats on the side of the road and had I had goat kibble with me, I could have fed these things while driving. This guy was completely oblivious to the fact that there were about 300 cars following him. There were "pull-outs" occasionally, but the driver wasn't having that. Occasionall...
Comments 5
By Terry Chenier
(Homelife Glenayre Realty)
My son-in-law has a friend in the States who recently completed his tax return and found out he actually had money coming back. What he got a few weeks later was a letter from the tax department saying he would be getting his refund about the end of the year. Basically, what he got was an I.O.U. from the government. I wonder what would happen if you or I sent an I.O.U. to the government for monies owing and explained that things are a teeny-tad tight right now and will have to wait. Do you think they would be understanding?
Comments 14
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