I am tired of hearing how bad the market is. I am tired of hearing how bad it is going to get. I am tired of hearing that there is going to be a huge 'fall out' of agents over the next year. I am tired of hearing that there is going to be a huge 'fall out' of home inspectors over the next year. I am tired of reading in the Toronto Star and the Sub Standard that we are headed down the economic toilet. I am tired. You know Goebels ( Hitler's P.R. flack) taught us one lesson. If you say something long enough and loud enough people will believe you. And now, true or not, that is all we hear on the TV news, in the papers even in meetings and lunches. This is just making a bad situation worse. It's called a self fulfilling prophesy and all that is happening is that the people who are already ... 01/07/2009

Kingston Ontario has an anti-idling bylaw. The aim of this bylaw is to prevent vehicles from excessive idling. So, when you are waiting for your Wife to emerge from the grocery store on a cold winter night, you may idle your car for three minutes to maintain the heat. After that start piling on the blankets or a cat or two, because you have to wait an hour before you can start up that heater again! It seems that the 'city fathers' have decided that even in the dead of winter it is more important to fight 'global warming' ( a dubious theory at best and despite the last ten years of planetary cooling) than it is to survive winter in Eastern Ontairo. This brave stand by the 'P.C.Police' has armed the local parking authority with the ability to ticket you if they feel that you have idled fo... 12/29/2008

BODY PARTS GO MISSING GANANOQUE, ONTARIO:  Organ Thieves "You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.  Well.... My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine?  "You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.  Well.... My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine?    ... 10/15/2008

TOUR GUIDE OR REALTOR?? There are days when I feel the public just doesn't understand what we do or why we do it.  From the people who just want to tour Open Houses to the ones that can't grasp the concept of a Buyer's Representation Agreement.      Of course we love nothing more than to spend hours showing people through listing after listing to have them decide they're just not ready or worse, go back to their brother-in-law or Auntie to prepare an offer for them.   NOT!  If I never hear the words "we want to sleep on it" again, I'll die a happy woman!  You know exactly what will happen the next morning when you call . . .   "Congratulate us, we just put in an offer on that ranch you showed us yesterday!  Isn't that exciting!!!??!!"  Why yes, "exciting" is exactly the word I was think... 10/15/2008

The ABC's of Real Estate Marketing Do you     Does someone you know :0)  operate their Real Estate business like this: a)  Advertise themselves (usually with their facial photo where someone can sit on it) b)  Bang a For Sale sign into the ground (on that special angle that makes others cringe) c)  Create an ad for the paper (maybe run it if they had a deal close that week)  d)  Download the listing onto the local MLS (no other sites of course, that would take too much time) e)  Encourage their office to show it ("come on, I showed your mobile home last week") f)  Figure an Open House couldn't hurt (haven't met Nosy Nora next door yet) g)  Get on their knees and pray that it will sell !  (not that this would hurt in any way!)                                                              ... 10/15/2008

THE 3 R's of Real Estate The 3 R's of Real Estate are not Reading, Riting and Rithmetic.  For me they stand for: RELAX RELATE REPLACE The first one is all to do with emotion, ours!   In real estate, like in life, we can feel we have been mistreated, disrespected and used.   Some days more than others!  And maybe rightfully so!!  However, as professionals, we need to get over it quickly and put some steps in place to prevent it happening again.  As the old saying goes;  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me!   The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So the ability to RELAX is all important.   We have an emotional cycle and we have to go thru each stage but we are in control over how long it takes for each cycle. ... 10/15/2008

AND HAVE THEM LOVE YOUR CAREER!                                                               Sadly the rate of divorce is ever climbing and in the Real Estate business it is horrifying!  We are near the top of professions where divorce is highest.   But really, it isn't surprising when a Realtor is just starting out.  You live and breathe real estate.  It is all you think about and unfortunately, all you speak about too!  If you've been in the business awhile, you can most likely share your own story about what maks and breaks a relationship in this business!                                                                                                            (I will apologize upfront as this is written from a female's perspective!) It is often said, "A woman who has her husband b... 10/15/2008

Don't be Insulted with the Offer I subscribe to StarPower's Daily Script by email and today's was especially meaningful and helpful to me as I've had a week of clients who can only be hormonal . . .  it is the only excuse I can come up with that isn't too insulting!  I've had 4 deals come apart when the clients are only a few thousand apart.  Both with heels dug in and refusing to budge.   I've told my Sellers that they must REALLY LOVE THEIR HOME because they just bought it back from the Buyers.  Explaining to them that it isn't an auction and they really want to try and stop outbidding the Buyer hasn't worked either! This morning's script was about stopping the hissy fits I've been having to endure BEFORE they begin.  Hopefully, this next script will save the day for me.  I have used ... 10/15/2008

CLASSES FOR MEN AVAILABLE WINTER CLASSES FOR MEN AT THE  ADULT LEARNING CENTER REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY  1st December 2008 NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM Class 1 How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM. Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours. Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours. Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures ... 10/15/2008

Who I Am Makes a Difference "One Person can make a difference - and every person must try"  ~ John F. Kennedy "When two or more people come together in the spirit of harmony ...it's like putting LIGHTNING in a Bottle!  The Teddy Stallard story and the Blue Ribbon story have the capacity to reach out to people to make a huge difference in all humanity. We must be the difference we want to make." ~ Mary Robinson Reynolds 1000 Islands, Gananoque, Canada This October 25th, on "Make a Difference Day"  I am incorporating the "Who I am Makes a Difference" Blue Ribbon  ceremony into, what will hopefully become, an annual event in my community.  We have too many people not realizing their full potentional.  Not taking pride in who and what they are.   We also have nighbours who are living their ... 10/15/2008

"The tongue is like a razor;   you can do good or cut someone with your words"  ~Author unknown.    Contrary to the esteemed Dr Freud's theory that the primary human drives are to seek pleasure and to avoid pain,  I believe what we want most is to find happiness and to find meaning or purpose.  We want to know that we have lived fully and experienced joy with a deep feeling of contentment.  Country singer, Tim McGraw's song comes to mind:  "To Live Like You are Dying".    Happiness is about the moments in our lives and the meaning or purpose is about our sense of connection. In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy writes that "happy families are all alike; but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way".    That seems to ring true when you speak with happy people - they each have certain things i... 10/15/2008

Real Estate Brokers will tell you - Selling an empty home is harder and it takes longer. Strategic placement of a few pieces and accessories may be all that it takes to create a warm and welcoming feeling. It allows potential buyers to imagine what their furnishings may look like.  It gives them a baseline for scale, proportions and layout, and is actually a better way to see the size of a room. Staging a vacant also gives life to MLS photos, and buyers are less likely to give a lowball offer .Lifestyle selling attracts a greater number of potential buyers leading to the best return on your investment. A basic 4-bedroom vacant home will cost approximately $450.00 to stage, plus the cost of furniture rental.Isn't it better to be Dressed For Success from the start?www.dressedforsuccess.ca... 04/08/2007

Whether you're seeking adventure, culture or some needed R&R Kingston Ontario and surrounding area should be your destination.  Kingston is surrounded by water -it is a city located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake runs into the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands begin, there are literally hundreds of locations to choose from for your home away from home.  Situated just 2 hours from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa or Syracuse; Kingston is the perfect place to get away to, without having to drive forever.  Kingston is a well-known destination for fresh-water wreck diving. Some of Kingston's wrecks can be classed among the best in the world. Kingston's wrecks are well preserved by its cool fresh water.Prefer to stay on top of the water?  Kingston is listed by a panel ... 03/28/2007

 Love to Travel?  Kingston is your centrally located home with fabulous destinations only 2 hours away in every direction!  The City of Kingston is located halfway between Montreal and Toronto, along the busiest corridor in the country, Highway 401.  Kingston is also situated along the shores of Lake Ontario and at the gateway to the Thousand Islands via the St. Lawrence River.  Kingston is also only 45 minutes to the US Border at Watertown, NY, and only 2 hours to Syracuse NY.  Kingston is renowned as the Fresh Water Sailing Capital of North America.  It prides itself as being the oldest City in Ontario and one of the Oldest in Canada, with buildings dating back over 300 years.  Kingston was also the first capital of Canada in 1841, before it was relocated to Ottawa.  Kingston was the ... 03/28/2007

You're moving. Do you really want to pack, schlep and unpack everything in your house?  Are there things you can part with now?  Your home will look more organized, more spacious and more inviting if you remove the unwanted items. Buyers want to imagine that their new home will be organized, that every item they own will have its own spot in the house.  Asking the Difficult Questions:When was the last time you used it?When will you need it again? Why would you need it again?Who might ask for it?What would you need it for?Is it easily replaceable?What's the worst thing that would happen if you got rid of it?Is it beautiful, useful, or loved?Is there some other way you can remember it - Take a picture of it, frame it, scrapbook it Not sure what to part with?  Here is an exercise for you: ... 03/23/2007