tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171978292024-03-19T07:09:27.179-04:00THE Destination for Canadian Real Estate Information that MATTERS!You begged and pleaded with me to create a blog for the Canadian Real Estate Professional. So I have! Return here on a daily basis to be kept up to date on news relating to real estate, mortgages, and other interesting STUFF about our wonderful and confusing industry.
(This BLOG is maintained by Karim Kanji of www.RealCashCanada.com.)Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-51668111835638926672008-12-17T11:43:00.003-05:002008-12-17T11:47:43.576-05:00We're moving!To make my life a little more effective I will now be exclusively using http://INSPIRationByKarim.blogspot.com.<br /><br />I have exported all my postings from here to there so you will not miss out on anything. Any real estate thoughts you can find on my del.icio.us. Follow me there at karimkanji.<br /><br />Use Twitter? So do I - @karimkanji! @RealCash is also available for following!<br /><br />Talk to you later!<br /><br />http://INSPIRationByKarim.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-79998542500956910412008-12-05T12:28:00.007-05:002008-12-05T12:57:24.020-05:00What to do when business is slow.Lots.<br /><br />There are lots of things you <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">can </span>do when business is slow.<br /><br />However, there are probably things you <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">should </span>do when business is slow. Today, I'm going to share with you just a few things you should be doing. So, let's get started, shall we?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxg4FlTDDwEPOcpbHOXW5533bNbtpjcdpAbzvJQqn7k9uUf4SUrYRloiJXbdLIqjaGal5KbNDphbNtm0LFcHlSsoFkKk3lOHiGLXGscpKKf_JuvcbPRCGL_xThZH4xYVH5YdN/s1600-h/success.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxg4FlTDDwEPOcpbHOXW5533bNbtpjcdpAbzvJQqn7k9uUf4SUrYRloiJXbdLIqjaGal5KbNDphbNtm0LFcHlSsoFkKk3lOHiGLXGscpKKf_JuvcbPRCGL_xThZH4xYVH5YdN/s200/success.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276365713523039442" border="0" /></a><br /><ol><li>READ. And I don't mean the daily newspaper. It's news that is over a day old and probably with nothing good to say anyways. Start reading books, articles, magazines, and even blogs about success, marketing, business and, of course, real estate. (If you're reading this and you're not in the r.e. business, then read up on stuff pertinant to your industry/profession) Why? Ideas. There may be little things these folks will suggest or present that you may not be doing right now, that maybe you should. For example, if you're thinking about having your own blog but don't know what to do then reading <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/40-ways-to-deliver-killer-blog-content/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Brogan</span></a> would be a brilliant start. </li><li>GIVE. Your time, resources, and especially expertise. My friends, <a href="http://sanderssays.typepad.com/sanders_says/2008/12/he-will-be-blessed-for-this-1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Sanders</span></a> and <a href="http://itellstories.org/2008/12/05/give-list/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sameer Vasta</span></a> have recently talked about giving. Remember, what goes around comes around. Give and it shall be given unto you.</li><li>COMMUNITY. Or you can say, associate. Whatever term you use, it is more important now to seek the counsel of your manager, associate, <a href="http://www.naphill.org/points/scrolls/scroll02.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">mastermind group</span></a> and/or mentor. Thousands of successful entrepreneurs have already survived and thrived through a recession. Find out what they did. Inquire about there thought process on what it takes to succeed in today's marketplace. There is strength in numbers!</li><li>WORK. But you knew that already, didn't you? Then why aren't you? Continue to market yourself. Continue to make phone calls. Continue to plant seeds so that you will have something to grow and harvest. Hundreds of people are leaving your industry today. There will be less competition tomorrow. It's up to you if you want to win.</li></ol>Please don't consider this the extent of what you should be doing. It is far from that. However, I believe that if you follow my suggestions you will have a brighter tomorrow.<br /><br />To your success!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >(picture courtesy of www.musicforchange.com)</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-38612471485455600462008-12-02T11:48:00.004-05:002008-12-02T11:54:03.336-05:00Guest Column - Stan Albert - Yellow Pages canvassimg and other wacky ideasYears ago in the mid ’60s, I became involved in a partnership to buy up properties in my home territory in the Belleville/Trenton area. I had the task of finding tenants for a nearly vacant commercial building in downtown Belleville, without a clue as to how to do it! My partners gave me the area phone books, the Yellow Pages, a desk, a phone and lots of coffee, and told me to canvass the surrounding area from Cobourg to Kingston to Peterborough. Within two months of solid canvassing the firms listed in the Yellow Pages, we found enough tenants to completely fill our building.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajxHN1aphliepBGBz-LcBQzt1zyrMVa9IGzOC2LXoQZmNSmDdncETuxoIqL8svtHjsPWqG19LFfZ4sZi80H9BrJBPEdOrj7_uNVt7eWaoRbOv7usw5gmt6aSRqMGerP_o4Ult/s1600-h/coldcall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajxHN1aphliepBGBz-LcBQzt1zyrMVa9IGzOC2LXoQZmNSmDdncETuxoIqL8svtHjsPWqG19LFfZ4sZi80H9BrJBPEdOrj7_uNVt7eWaoRbOv7usw5gmt6aSRqMGerP_o4Ult/s200/coldcall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275236534993538674" border="0" /></a><br />This memory of marketing/canvassing came to the fore during the first recession that I faced in the mid-’70s, after I’d received my broker’s licence and opened my first brokerage. If you think things are bad now, you should have been around then!<br /><p><br />Anyway, here’s what I taught my agents then and am practising now in the 2000s.<br /></p> <p>I called the largest advertisers in the Yellow Pages and asked a series of questions, not unlike what we would normally do when seeking listings on the residential side. When phoning, always ask if it’s a good time to call or if there’s a more convenient time for the discussion.<br /><br />“Hello (great opening!), this is Mark Sales from Bigreal Estate, is this the owner? Great, I just wanted to take a few minutes of your time to let you know that I’ve decided to add your name to my list of investors.”<br /><br />Wait for answer – usually it will be, “Really, what do you have in mind?”<br /><br />“Well, although we all know the marketplace is down, there are still opportunities for investors like yourself perhaps, who will take the time to view some of the properties that may interest you.”<br /><br />If the answer is positive: “Great, when would be a good time to drop by to visit with you, or could you come to my office for a coffee so that we could chat informally and get to know each other?”<br /><br />If the answer is negative: “If investing in real estate at this time is not in your plans, do you need a CMA for the future?”<br /><br />Some other questions you can ask:<br /><br />Do you need re-financing?<br /><br />May I send you a list of some real estate opportunities that may be of interest to you?<br />Would you like me to send this by email or should I drop it off?<br />Are you interested in meeting with other professional and/or business-minded people like yourself?<br /><br />Would you be interested in attending a real estate investment seminar with noted business people in our market area?<br /><br />Not all of these questions will lead to a positive result, but sometimes they turn into a success story, like this one that recently happened in my office. One of these calls went out to a business person who by chance had just sold his business and building. He had a substantial amount of money to invest. A meeting took place and the new client paid for lunch and <em>presto</em>, my agent had a new client. It doesn’t all come together at once, but most marketing of any kind is a numbers game.<br /><br />Once you establish a rapport with a new client, you can proceed to develop your relationship. If it is a rental property, commercial/residential, you can offer your services to the client to manage the property for five per cent of the monthly rental. (Note that after three years of doing this, I had 14 properties that I was managing and supplementing my income by several thousand dollars annually).<br /><br />So, start at the As for Accountants and work your way through until you get so busy, you will never have to pick up the phone again. The successful people you meet through the Yellow Pages system usually have equally successful people as their friends. Some of them may have relatives out of town that may use your services as well. As stated so many times before, “Do a good job and your actions speak volumes!”<br /><br />Another example of the success of this system repeated itself in the ’90s, when I first came to the Re/Max organization. A new agent came to my office and she knew virtually no one in Toronto, because she and her husband had immigrated to Canada the year before. So, I set her on the task of the Yellow Pages system. The first call she made was to a glass company specializing in auto and home repairs.<br /><br />The conversation went as stated above. She asked if the owner needed any additional space or was interested in buying another location. The owner said no, but his sister, who was his bookkeeper, was interested in a condo in North Toronto. She sold her the condo and to my knowledge, she is still using the system today.<br /><br />Even in a recession, there are still people who need to buy and those who need to sell. Forget what the media hype has to say. Be like the late and great Prime Munster of England, Sir Winston Churchill: “Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead!”<br /><br />As P.S. to my last column, <em>How to market yourself successfully in the recession</em>, you may also want to try this out: Many home owners have received their new tax assessments. So, why not offer your services to appeal them? In Ontario it only costs 75 bucks. Say you will do it for them for free (you have to ask them to appoint you as their agent to do so. Who better to know the property values than us?) So you appeal and the worst-case scenario is that you lose, but you win the respect of the owner, who may just be interested in selling or buying real estate or giving you a referral or two along the way.<br /><br />I know a broker who canvasses the condos in his area and has offered this service for years. Many units are out of the country owners and obviously not knowledgeable about property values. So, you do your “good deed,” and guess what, you may be listing the property eventually, or starting your own property management income flow!<br /><br />The newest Brian Buffini <em>100 days to greatness</em> course offers an eight-week program that addresses this idea in full. However, I’ve been teaching it for years.<br /><br />I sincerely hope that this system will help the many agents who have written to me over the past 60 days, to put something down on paper.<br /><br />This system is only as good as your follow-thoughs with emails, information about real estate, and business meetings with other future investors and eventually, “thank you parties” at the end of the year. </p><p>With good wishes for a great holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year.<br /><br /><em>For more info, contact Stan Albert for a one-on-one coaching session. Fees to be discussed when you call.</em> <em>Stan Albert is celebrating his 39<sup>th</sup> year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at <a href="mailto:salbert@trebnet.com">salbert@trebnet.com</a></em><em>.<br /></em></p><p><br /><em></em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of www.salescareertraining.com)</span></span><br /></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-15667835069945337442008-11-24T16:01:00.001-05:002008-11-24T16:03:46.656-05:00Guest Column - Stan Albert - The tough get going<p>Are we recession proof? I don’t think so. As I mentioned about two months ago, beware of the big ‘R’ word.<br /> <br />The cycle has returned – no surprise! Let me see, the last time was in the late ’80s into the early ’90s. It was bad and a lot of agents left the industry to go and sell Amway or whatever. But it wasn’t as bad as 1981 to 1985, where we saw interest rates as high as 28 per cent. Can you believe that? Some of us old-timers can and we survived to tell the tale.<br /> <br />Yes, it was even fun to work the market then, with Vendor Take Backs (you newer agents remember taking this in your mortgage courses, but I bet you’ve never done one).<br /> <br />So, the USA debacle has finally caught up with the staid, stable Canadian marketplace. Is it any surprise that we are not bullet-proof? What happens south of the border usually takes longer to hit us here in Canada. But not this time.<br /> <br />I just returned from a holiday in the Baja Peninsula in Mexico and visited several Realtors and developments. Tourism has been badly hit as well as investment in homes and condos in Mexico.<br /> <br />Some of the Yanks I met were worried about their investments, as we all are. Many were thinking of investing, but shied away due to the Wall Street debacle. However, some of the time share presentations were well received and people were still buying – just not at the rate that they did in years past. This is no surprise.<br /> <br />Is this article all about doom and gloom? No. There’s an old adage: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Yes, it’s a little on the schmaltzy side, but it’s true.<br /> <br />I’ve always been mystified when the market does a downturn, that there are still people who have cash reserves they haven’t invested in the stock market, and they come out of the woodwork to buy and sell properties.<br /> <br />Do any of you think that we’ll have the landslide of foreclosures that we see south of us? Let me know and tell me why.<br /> <br />Who will survive in our industry? Here’s who will:<br /> <br />Those who diligently have been in touch with their sphere of influence.<br /> <br />Those who hold seminars for first-time buyers. Yes, they still want to buy!<br /> <br />Those who read about the recession and how the agents who lived through it managed to maintain their sales. I recently talked to a manager of a large market niche office, and their sales are the same as last year.<br /> <br />Those who investigate the new Accredited Seniors Course – yes, seniors still need to sell and buy.<br /> <br />Those who look into recession-proof prospects (you can reach me on email for these – don’t have room here!).<br /> <br />Those who continue to run open houses on a regular basis.<br /> <br />Those who tighten their belts on spending and resist the urge to splurge.<br /> <br />Those who seek the advice of their manager, not their coaches, because most coaches are too young to give advice on this type of market.<br /> <br />Those who attend mind-building seminars, not the rah-rah type.<br /> <br />Those who take time to read REM, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.<br /> <br />My late dad, Jake Albert, always said to me, “Hard work never killed anyone, only those who were idle usually died poor and miserable.”<br /> <br /><em>Stan Albert is celebrating his 39<sup>th</sup> year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and on the MLS Rules and Communication committees at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at <a href="mailto:salbert@trebnet.com">salbert@trebnet.com</a></em><em>. </em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-88887288427011931652008-11-13T10:26:00.000-05:002008-11-13T10:27:17.794-05:00Known dangerous defects must be disclosed by vendor<h2><!-- #### --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <h2> <!-- ## Add Article Sub Title ## --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> Does the doctrine of "buyer beware" allow a seller to conceal the mere possibility that there is a potentially dangerous condition in a house? That was the issue in a case heard earlier this year in Edmonton. <p>In April 2005, George and Lisa Gibb bought a house in Leduc County, Alta., from Earl and Sherry Sprague. Prior to signing the purchase agreement, the buyers inspected the house three times, and found nothing wrong except some issues with the electrical panel.</p> <p>Upon taking possession after closing, the purchasers discovered that there was an infestation of carpenter ants in the ceiling of a bedroom and in the roof of the house. As a result, they had to remove the entire roof of the house and replace it with a metal roof.</p> <p>In the fall of 2005, the owners' son became ill with a headache and cold-like symptoms. The family pediatrician suggested that the symptoms might be due to mould in his basement bedroom. </p> <p>On inspecting the basement drywall, the owners discovered mould to a height of three feet on the exterior walls, and rust on the bottom of the metal basement support posts. </p> <p>At about the same time, the Gibbs found that the basement wiring did not comply with the building code, and that the circuits were overloaded.</p> <p>Unhappy with the condition of the home, the Gibbs sued the Spragues for repair costs alleging that the sellers knew about the defects and fraudulently misrepresented their existence. </p> <p>In law, whether or not a vendor is responsible for repairing defects in a home depends, to some extent, on whether the defects are found in law to be patent – or obvious, or latent – meaning hidden. </p> <p>The case was tried before Justice Donald Manderscheid in Edmonton last April. </p> <p>In his written decision, the judge ruled that the electrical defects were patent defects, and the doctrine of <em>caveat emptor</em> – buyer beware – applied. </p> <p>The judge ruled that the buyers failed to take reasonable steps to determine the full extent of the electrical problems. As a result, they had to bear the cost of the repairs. </p> <p>Based on the evidence at trial, the judge was satisfied that the basement leaks and roof infestation were hidden defects because it was unlikely that they could have been discovered on a simple visual inspection of the house without removing portions of the roof and basement drywall.</p> <p>"I believe," wrote the judge, "that the (sellers) were neither subjectively aware as to the existence of the roof defect, nor did they act in a reckless manner in regards to the roof defect." As a result, he dismissed the buyers' claim for replacement of the roof. </p> <p>On the issue of the mould in the basement, the judge ruled that the active concealment by the vendors of the mould and a false statement by Sherry Sprague about previous water in the basement amounted to the making of a fraudulent misrepresentation. </p> <p>The judge wrote that when sellers have experienced a flood in their basement, "it is ... reasonable to expect (them) to advise potential purchasers of the property as to the circumstances (of the flood) ... The Defendants' failure to fulfill this expectation and to advise the Plaintiffs as to the existence of the basement defect amounts to a reckless disregard for the safety of the Plaintiffs and their family."</p> <p>As a result, the Spragues were found responsible for their "reckless behaviour" relating to the history of flooding in the basement and the resulting possibility of the presence of mould. They owed a duty to the buyers to disclose the defect and they did not. Despite the caveat emptor doctrine, the sellers were ordered to pay the buyers damages of $12,186.45 for repairing the drywall. </p> <p>It's clear from the ruling in Gibb v. Sprague that there is a duty on a vendor to disclose a known but hidden defect which makes a home dangerous, and to disclose any known circumstances which are likely to result in danger.</p> <!-- ###### END ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <hr width="100%"> <span style="font-family:Times, Times New Roman, Serif, MS Serif;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> <i><b>Bob Aaron </b>is a Toronto real estate lawyer. He can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>, phone 416-364-9366 or fax 416-364-3818. <b>Visit the column archives at <span style="color:#000000;"> <a href="http://www.aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm"> http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm</a> for articles on this and other topics. </span></b></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-81873873427590510732008-10-21T09:45:00.002-04:002008-11-13T10:27:43.167-05:00Guest Column - Stan Albert - We need our ombudsman“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with bricks, so that others may throw at him or her.” -- David Brinkley, NBC News.<br /><br />From <em>Wikipedia</em>: “An ombudsman is an official, usually, but not always, appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. An ombudsman need not be appointed by a legislature; they may be appointed by a corporation, a newspaper, an NGO, as an organizational ombudsman, or for the general public in a city, appointed by a mayor, like the executive ombudsman. In some countries, an inspector general may have similar duties as or have overlapping duties with an ombudsman appointed by the legislature.”<br /><br />Okay, so now that we have a firm grasp on the meaning of the word, why on earth would I think that we Realtors need one?<br /><br />Sure, in each province/territory we have regulatory authorities, who dole out discipline and fines whenever necessary and relevant. But who protects us from dishonest sellers and buyers? When either the provincial or federal courts dole out the required verdicts and/or disciplines, they usually satisfy the unhappy buyers or sellers and sometimes the Realtor is vindicated (but not often enough). This is one of the most common complaints we receive as broker/owners and/or broker/managers.<br /><br />I guess that to illustrate my point, over the years I’ve come across some tremendously unlawful sellers and buyers, who seem to stake out the Realtors in hopes of obtaining financial gain, and their claims are totally without merit. How many of you readers have received complaints from your provincial authority or your local board in respect to unsubstantiated claims against you? The authorities have to hear the claims, unless they deem them “no jurisdiction.” In the meantime, we have to answer the claims and await a decision of whether the claim will be heard or not.<br /><br />Most of us go through an unnecessary period of angst waiting for the decision(s) and waste a great deal of energy coping with the claim, which may result in “no jurisdiction”. I know that some of the members of our board and regulators will say that we are given fair and just reviews and decisions, and that the various rules and regulations protect us from being sued, fined, disciplined, suspended or even lose our licences. With these elements in place, should we be able to rest easy?<br /><br />It is my belief that certain fundamentals of client and agency relationships are taken for granted by the public. Otherwise, why would boards and provincial authorities be saddled with frivolous claims and allegations of Realtors being dishonest?<br /><br />Here are some of the ridiculous claims from over the years that Realtors have had to deal with – of course, many never went to any authority, but as Realtors, we have to answer them.<br /><br />1. You should have known there were cockroaches in the home. (So we are expected to be exterminators?)<br /><br />2. The seller won’t give me back my deposit (maybe you shouldn’t have lied about your finances!)<br /><br />3. The agent misled me on mortgage financing (but I got a letter that approved me, and then bought higher priced home.)<br /><br />4. The agent should have told me that there were raccoons in the adjacent parkland. (We’re supposed to be Forest Rangers?)<br /><br />5. The tenant you gave me went bankrupt in the third month. You should give me the commission back! (We’re supposed to be forensic auditors for our clients?)<br /><br />6. You looked at all my sensitive documents (in a tenanted property. This actually went to the Rental Tribunal.)<br /><br />7. My new neighbour cut down my fence without asking! (Are we supposed to investigate the neighbour’s ongoing disputes?)<br /><br />8. There was mould under the kitchen sink area and you should have known. (Even a diligent home inspector would not have discovered this, only a certified inspector who specializes in mould.)<br /><br />9. As my listing agent, you should have known that the cheque from the other agency would not clear. (Yeah, sure.)<br /><br />And Number 10 on my all time “hit parade,”<br /><br />10. How is it that if your brokerage sells more homes in our area, that ours hasn’t sold? (Well, whose price was it anyway?)<br /><br />Now, as stated, many of these silly claims or allegations never go anywhere. But for those that do, what happens to the Realtor who really was an innocent bystander in some of the claims/allegations that do result in fines or penalties?<br /><br />Usually the Realtor, if he has been unjustly penalized, has two options. He can sue in the courts or just walk away shaking his head and wonder why he’s paying fees. My advice to all Realtors: make yourself “judgment proof,” by seeking advice from a good litigation solicitor and a C.A. or C.G.A.! This action may save his investments and holdings from being seized by the courts in the event of an adverse decision by the courts.<br /><br />I’d like to hear from you if you feel that Realtors across Canada need a provincially appointed ombudsman – one who could answer with impartiality to the public and Realtors alike to resolve specific claims without a great deal of costs involved.<br />What do you think?<br /><br /><em>Stan Albert is celebrating his 39<sup>th</sup> year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at salbert@trebnet.com. </em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-4964683330860851522008-10-14T12:46:00.001-04:002008-10-14T12:48:15.816-04:00Guest Column - Bob Aaron - Health card acceptable for voting but not for mortgage<span style="text-transform: capitalize;">Oct 11, 2008<br /></span><div style="margin: 20px 0px;"> </div> <!-- ARTICLE CONTENT --> <p><di3>W</di3>hy is an Ontario photo health card not a valid form of identification for purposes of a real estate transaction, but it's perfectly acceptable for the federal election next week? </p> <p>Whenever clients sign mortgage documents with their real estate lawyers, virtually all lenders require the lawyer to confirm the client's identity by making a photocopy of the ID documents and signing a form certifying that the lawyer has personally examined those documents.</p> <p>Most lenders even provide a list of eligible, and ineligible, documents. Lawyers can choose two documents from the list in column A (photo ID documents), or one document from column A and one from those in column B.</p> <p>Eligible documents include a passport, citizenship card, credit card, driver's licence and identity cards from "well-known" employers.</p> <p>Those mortgage lenders who provide lists of eligible documents uniformly exclude the Ontario health card, but never explain why it cannot be used. </p> <p>In my practice, I have had a number of borrower clients who have no driver's licence, passport or photo ID other than the health card. This inevitably creates a problem complying with the bank's identification requirements, since the health card is unacceptable.</p> <p>In light of the long-standing prohibition on using health cards, I was surprised when a brochure from Elections Canada arrived at the house recently advising voters that they must prove their identity and address before being allowed to vote next week. </p> <p>The Ontario health card was listed right there on the Elections Canada form in the lists of acceptable identification documents. Thinking there must be some mistake, I resolved to find out why I cannot use a health card to identify myself when signing a mortgage, but it would be perfectly acceptable when voting for my Member of Parliament. </p> <p>I had always thought that a health card was unacceptable since there were more of them in circulation than there are citizens of Ontario, but that may well be an urban (and suburban) legend. </p> <p>After some research, I eventually discovered Section 34 of the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (online at <a href="http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/" target="_blank">www.e-laws.gov.on.ca</a>). </p> <p>The stated purpose of the legislation, among other things, is to establish rules to protect the confidentiality and privacy of personal health information. </p> <p>In Section 34, the legislation says that a health information custodian (in other words, a health-care practitioner) or his or her agent shall not collect or use another person's health number except for the purposes of providing provincially-funded health resources to that other person. </p> <p>Otherwise, it's against the law to require a person to produce his or her health card. Even if they produce it voluntarily, however, it's illegal for a lawyer to "collect or use" the health card number for the purposes of proving the client's identity in a real estate transaction. </p> <p>So, on Election Day, it seems that a voter may identity him or herself to an election officer by voluntarily producing an Ontario health card as long as the official does not write down the number. </p> <p>For Ontario residents without driver's licences or passports, it's clearly easier to vote than it is to sign mortgage documents. </p> <p>Also on the issue of identification, new Law Society rules come into force at the end of this month requiring lawyers to verify client identity in every matter, not just real estate purchases and mortgages. </p> <p>The rules have been made at the urging of the federal government to deter money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. </p> <p>The Law Society of Upper Canada has issued a 28-page "guideline" to assist lawyers in complying with the new rules.</p> <p>Similar identification requirements are already in place for clients of real estate agents. </p> <p><em>Bob Aaron is a Toronto real estate lawyer whose column appears Saturdays. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>. Visit his website at aaron.ca.</em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-17527935210593170512008-10-08T13:20:00.001-04:002008-10-08T13:23:26.405-04:00Starting - The First Step Toward Success<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><strong>2009 is fast </strong><strong>approaching. Today's economic unrest has many people running like chickens with their heads cut off (not that I've seen this happen...). Hope the article below helps all of you.</strong></span><br /></h2> <h2><span style="font-size:100%;">Starting - The First Step Toward Success</span></h2> <h3 class="byline"><span style="font-size:100%;">By John C. Maxwell</span></h3> <p>Salespersons are coached in the power of a first impression. Orators devote hours to opening statements. Journalists are admonished never to bury the lead. Sprinters practice racing out of the starting blocks. Interviewees are taught the importance of their initial handshake with a potential employer.</p> <p>In leadership, as in many other areas of life, the beginning often determines the end. False starts and weak foundations can be ruinous. Here are five insights to help you start successfully.</p> <p><strong>HOW TO START SUCCESSFULLY</strong></p> <p><strong>1. Start With Yourself</strong></p> <p>As Gandhi famously said, "Be the change you want to be in the world." By starting with yourself, you build the self-confidence needed to attract and inspire others. Leading yourself well is a precursor to accomplishment, and accomplishment earns respect. In order to make deposits in the lives of followers, you have to have a beginning balance in your leadership account. Start leading by proving your mettle - to yourself and to prospective followers.</p> <p><strong>2. Start early</strong></p> <p>Sadly, many leaders squander their early years and spend the rest of their careers trying to make up for lost time. In leadership, as with finances, decisions made early in life accrue the most interest. When we choose poorly or establish bad habits, we put ourselves in debt. Then, we must not only repay our loans, but the interest on them as well. On the flip side, when we invest our time and talent wisely from a young age, we reap the benefits of compounding interest on our leadership.</p> <p>Specifically, where should leaders start? What areas should take precedence at the beginning? From my experience there are 10 things you should do as a leader prior to reaching age 40:</p> <ol><li>Know yourself<br /></li><li>Settle your family life</li><li>Determine your priorities<br /></li><li>Develop your philosophy of life</li><li>Get physically fit<br /></li><li>Learn your trade<br /></li><li>Pay the price<br /></li><li>Develop solid relationships<br /></li><li>Prepare for the future</li><li>Find purpose for your life</li></ol> <p>If you're over 40, it's never to late to make improvements. Unfortunately, an old dog doesn't easily learn new tricks. Undoing years of misplaced priorities and poor self-management will take extra effort.</p> <p><strong>3. Start Small</strong></p> <p>Don't expect to understand what it takes to get to the top, just take the next step.<br />Think big, but start small. Doing so encourages you to get started, and keeps you from being frozen by the magnitude of the vision in front of you. When you accomplish a small step, you gain confidence that you can accomplish the next step.</p> <p>The success found in starting small comes when you diligently apply the lessons you learn. As my friend, Dick Biggs, has said, "The greatest gap is between knowing and doing." Commit to mastering the details under your control, and follow through when experience has given you instruction.</p> <p><strong>4. Start with the end in view</strong></p> <p><em>"Most people spend more time planning their grocery shopping than designing their future."</em><br />~ Tom James, Personal Development Coach<br /><br />To start with the end in view, you need energy and direction. Let your passion pull you forward, and let your planning give you guidance. In order for passion to be a driving force in your life, you must identify a purpose for you life. To locate your purpose, consider your strengths, interests, and past successes. What roles do you find most enjoyable? What brings you the greatest sense of satisfaction? Examine the areas that make you feel strong and angle your career toward them. Also, find people who have been successful in the area of your interest. Listen to them and watch their lives.</p> <p>For planning to give you direction, you need to write down goals. Goals lend structure to your purpose, and they keep you leading "within the lines." They focus your action and move you toward your overall vision.</p> <p><strong>5. Start Now</strong></p> <p>We exaggerate yesterday, overestimate tomorrow, and underestimate today. Embrace action daily. Don't wait until it's too late before you begin to pursue the visions implanted in your heart. Make each day your masterpiece; you'll be surprised where you end up after stringing together a few months of superb days.</p> <p>I'll leave you with one final thought:</p> <p><em>"How wonderful it is that we need not wait a single minute before starting to improve ourselves and our world."</em> ~ Anne Frank</p> <p><strong>Review - Five Steps to Starting Successfully</strong></p> <ol><li>Start Early</li><li>Start with Yourself</li><li>Start Small</li><li>Start with the End in View</li><li>Start Now</li></ol> <h4 class="authorbio">About the Author</h4> <p>John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A <em>New York Times</em>, <em>Wall Street Journal</em>, and <em>Business Week</em> best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, <em>The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership</em>, <em>Developing the Leader Within You</em>, and <em>The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader</em> have each sold over a million copies.</p> <blockquote><span><span><em>"This article is used by permission from Leadershp Wired, Mi's premiere leadership newsletter, available for free subscription at www.maximumimpact.com."</em></span></span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-45715541008200470742008-09-17T10:41:00.001-04:002008-09-17T10:43:41.877-04:00Guest Column - Stan Albert - Change is in the wind“They’ll be some changes made.” Some loyal readers will remember that great tune by the Barlow Sisters from the late ‘40s! (My goodness am I dating myself or what?)<br /><br />So, here we are again looking at the big R word in 2008 and Realtors from all over are reeling from the economic news in the USA, which is having a profound effect on our economy.<br />We’ve been here before several times since the ‘70s and through the ‘80s and ‘90s, and some of us actually survived to continue our profession and make money. Others dropped like flies.<br /><br />Here in Ontario as I ponder this article, it’s sunny and warm. We just returned from a friend’s cottage in Georgian Bay and on the way up, my wife and I remarked at the numbers of cars, SUVs, trailer homes and trucks on the road. It was bumper to bumper, and the same way on the way home on the multi-lane highway.<br /><br />So, how is it that with the price of gas, people aren’t staying put? Canadian average gasoline prices have risen from 60 cents in 1998 to the current price here of $1.30 a litre. The automobile industry is in the pits and yet we still love our cars and SUVs. What would we do without them? <br /><br />What exactly are most Canadians who still have a job doing without? For starters, the food and beverage industry is suffering as people are not using their expendable income to go out as much. They’re also not spending on boats, trailer homes and luxury cars as much as they were in the past.<br /><br />But, as Realtors, we’re still in the right profession. Canadians still want to own their own homes.<br /><br />Yes, the “times they are a-changing” and those of you who take the necessary steps to keep abreast of how to deal with these changes, will survive. More stress coming, keep reading.<br /><br />Most of you don’t remember the awful ‘80s, with interest rates hitting 28 per cent, and how great it was to put people into homes with vendor take-back mortgages. But look at the interest rates now. I paid six per cent in 1961 when I bought my first property. What are rates now?<br /><br />Bill Johnson’s multi-part columns in REM about relationships are worth a close look (they are available at www.remonline.com). Johnson’s well-written articles on building relationships are most timely in light of the recent federal FINTRAC regulations, and the coming Do Not Call list regulations. Bill, put your recent articles into a CEU course if you haven’t done so already. Realtors are ready for this course! I’ve been expounding this forever in my columns as well, but Johnson really has it down to the “nth degree.”<br /><br />This week, Toronto Star columnist Michael Geist (www.michaelgeist.ca) wrote about the Do Not Call list. He tells us who can call and who can’t call those who are registered on the list. He also goes on to tell readers that they can go on to HIS OWN website at ioPTOut.ca to imbed their names on the list. Over a cup of chamomile tea this afternoon, (to calm my nerves), I read and re-read the parameters of this newest legislation to hit our industry.<br /><br />Geist’s column says, “The National DNC contains a wide range of exemptions that will require Canadians to individually opt out from hundreds of organizations if they want to completely stop unwanted calls. Political parties, registered charities, newspapers and businesses with prior consumer relationships, all enjoy exemptions.”<br /><br />I recently asked my sales training group if they would opt into the DNC. One hundred per cent said yes. So, what is the general public going to do?<br /><br />At the bottom of the newspaper page is the Star’s Business Calendar for those who may wish to sit in on a lunch for business development or with a professional real estate investor. Talk about an inexpensive method of expanding your spheres of influence!<br /><br />Realtors, wake up! You will soon realize that with all of these regulations facing us, the options are limited. If you persist in flaunting the government’s rules and regulations, you will be eventually caught and fined/and or even worse – imprisoned!<br /><br />To survive – no, excel in the later part of this year and for the next several years, expand your network now! This is how the top achievers in our industry continue to succeed every year. It’s not rocket science.<br /><br />You can be happy doing what you’re doing or you can be right in doing something else that is more positive. But you can’t be both!<br /><br />Thought for the month: “The more committed you are, the more credible you become.” – G. Cohen, Brixton Real Estate.<br /><br />Stan Albert is celebrating his 39th year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at salbert@trebnet.com.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-66951202037403511972008-09-15T11:23:00.001-04:002008-09-15T11:24:49.502-04:00Guest Column - Bob Aaron - Oil storage tank leak a cautionary tale<h2>September 13, 2008 <!-- #### --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <h1> <!-- ## Add Article Title ## --> Oil storage tank leak a cautionary tale <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h1> <h2> <!-- ## Add Article Sub Title ## --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <!-- ## End article title ## --> <!-- ###### BEGIN ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <p>A scary tale of an oil leak in an Ottawa-area home provides a valuable lesson for homeowners whose homes are heated by oil. </p> <p>In early 2006, an exterior oil storage tank next to the residence released approximately 900 litres of fuel oil onto the ground. </p> <p>The owner's insurance company called in Ottawa-based Canadian Disaster Restoration Group to respond to the environmental contamination.</p> <p>Not only was the site of the house contaminated, but the leak posed significant immediate risk of contamination to neighbouring properties. The potential liability was a matter of great concern to the owner's insurer. </p> <p>The lot size was 450 square metres and there were nearby neighbours in all directions. The property was near the top of a downward-sloping street of residential properties. The Ottawa River lies at the bottom of the hill. </p> <p>A shallow aquifer beneath the property was comprised primarily of sand and so the potential for rapid flow of contamination in the flowing water was very high. The leak occurred in cold weather and the downhill flow of oil through the site was sure to accelerate as the spring temperatures began to rise over the weeks after the leak. </p> <p>A speedy reaction to the leak was essential. Concentric Associates, a part of the disaster restoration team, analyzed the situation and decided that the owner's young family had to leave the property immediately for their own safety and to allow faster remediation of the damage. </p> <p>From a practical viewpoint, everyone involved agreed that demolition of the house was the best option and the insurer purchased the house from the owner. This allowed the family to relocate to a new home without delay. </p> <p>In March 2006, a demolition permit was obtained and the house was demolished. Eastern Building Restoration began remedial excavation the same day. </p> <p>On the surface, the oil had spread out to cover an estimated 50 square metres or about 538 square feet. Underneath this area, a plume of fuel oil had leaked into the aquifer which was underneath and around the residence and all of it had to be removed. </p> <p>Over the next two weeks, almost 2,000 metric tonnes (4.4 million pounds) of contaminated soil were removed. </p> <p>By mid-April 2006, the site had been fully backfilled and a post-remedial groundwater sampling program was undertaken during the following months. </p> <p>Eventually, the site was approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and it was resold for construction of a new home. </p> <p>Total cost for the remediation came to about $500,000 –plus the cost of buying the house. </p> <p>Fortunately, the disaster recovery team kicked into high gear fast enough so that the neighbouring houses were not affected by the flow of oil underground. </p> <p>The insurer's decision to purchase the property relieved the homeowners of a tremendous burden while allowing the restoration crew to get at the contamination quickly. </p> <p>This protected the surrounding neighbourhood from contamination and the insurer from liability to the neighbours. </p> <p>Had the house not been demolished, or if the cleanup hadn't occurred so quickly, the costs could have been exponentially higher. </p> <p>The scary part of the whole tale is that the cause of the oil spill was due to a corroded oil tank. The hole in the tank was about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. </p> <p>Jean-François Raymond is the marketing director of the Canadian Disaster Recovery Group. For homeowners with oil tanks – interior or exterior – he recommends checking oil tanks and lines yearly, or even more frequently, especially if they are old. </p> <p>Strict requirements govern the use of residential oil tanks. Information is available from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, <a href="http://www.tssa.org/" target="_blank">www.tssa.org</a>, or phone 1-877-682-8772 or 416-734-3300.</p> <!-- ###### END ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <hr width="100%"> <span style="font-family:Times, Times New Roman, Serif, MS Serif;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> <i><b>Bob Aaron </b>is a Toronto real estate lawyer. He can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>, phone 416-364-9366 or fax 416-364-3818. <b>Visit the column archives at <span style="color:#000000;"> <a href="http://www.aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm"> http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm</a> for articles on this and other topics. </span></b></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-82278996192530977432008-09-15T10:43:00.003-04:002008-09-15T10:58:51.394-04:00The truthI don't consider myself an expert in things financial. That said, things are very weird today. <br /><br />Massive financial companies are teetering on <a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/499388"><span style="font-weight: bold;">extinction</span></a>. Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, <span lang="EN-US">Merrill Lynch and AIG. What is going on? All of this apparently brought on by irresponsible lending and greed.<br /><br />And yet, today's PROFIT magazine highlights <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/hot50/2008/Default.aspx?sc1=0&d1=a&sp2=1&eh=ch">Canada's Hot 50</a>. The #1 company with a two-year growth of almost 4,000%? www.MortgageBrokers.com. <br /><br />What does all this mean for regular citizens like you and me?<br /><br />What are the implications for homeowners, new and old?<br /><br />The truth? Maybe we can't handle the truth?<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-25723740372363844102008-09-08T11:09:00.000-04:002008-09-08T11:10:27.964-04:00Guest Column - Bob Aaron - Bylaw sinks pirate ship playhouse<h2>September 6, 2008 <!-- #### --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <h1> <!-- ## Add Article Title ## --> Bylaw sinks pirate ship playhouse <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h1><p>After architect Andrew Dewberry and author Jayne Seagrave bought their house in Vancouver three years ago, they decided to build a tree fort for their two young sons. </p> <p>In September 2006, the fort was constructed in a tree located a few feet inside the property line of their front yard. It was built in the shape of a large pirate ship, complete with plastic tubes resembling cannons for launching chestnut "cannonballs" and a fire pole for a quick exit in the event of a hostile attack.</p> <p>The "ship" measures about three metres by two metres, and one end is curved like a prow of a boat. Total cost was about $2,500. </p> <p>Shortly after construction began, the next-door neighbour asked Dewberry whether he had obtained a permit for the project. Not long afterward, the city received a complaint about the tree fort. </p> <p>After meeting with city officials, Dewberry was told that he would have to apply for a development permit for the structure. Under the city bylaw, the fort was classified as an "accessory building," and as a result it would need a permit. </p> <p>In early January 2007, the owners' application for a development permit was refused, and their appeal was denied the following month. The city then issued an order requiring removal of the structure, and when the couple refused to comply, charges were laid for breach of the order. </p> <p>The trial of the charges took place before provincial court judge Conni Bagnall over the course of five days in April, May and June of this year. It was probably the longest trial over a pirate ship – or tree house – in Canadian history. </p> <p>Dewberry and Seagrave anchored their argument by saying that the pirate ship was neither a building nor a development within the meaning of the relevant legislation, but that position was shot down in the judge's ruling when it was released in July. </p> <p>They were also unsuccessful in arguing that the city had engaged in "selective prosecution" and that it had never before required permits for "play equipment."</p> <p>The couple also claimed that the bylaw discriminated against children and encouraged adult-only pursuits, such as gardening, in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bagnall tossed out this argument, as well. </p> <p>Finally, Dewberry and Seagrave came up with the creative argument that the attack against the pirate ship was a breach of their freedom of expression guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bagnall sank this argument, writing: "The defendants argue that the meaning conveyed by the tree fort is, in essence, an invitation to play. I do not agree with this proposition. The fort has, in itself, no meaning, no content of expression. It is not play in itself, it is a plaything."</p> <p>In the end, Bagnall found the couple guilty as charged and fined them $500 each. The family is removing and donating the pirate ship this month, to an auction to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver. </p> <p>The court ruling in Vancouver v. Dewberry and Seagrave contains some valuable lessons for anyone planning to build a gazebo or garden shed and more: </p> <ul><li>Check with the local municipality for size and height restrictions.</li><li>Permits may be required if the structure exceeds a maximum size.</li><li>Verify setback requirements from property lines.</li><li>Don't build it in the front yard.</li><li>Be sensitive to the neighbours' privacy if the structure overlooks their yard.</li></ul> <h2> <!-- ## Add Article Sub Title ## --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <!-- ## End article title ## --> <!-- ###### BEGIN ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <!-- ###### END ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <hr width="100%"> <span style="font-family:Times, Times New Roman, Serif, MS Serif;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> <i><b>Bob Aaron </b>is a Toronto real estate lawyer. He can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>, phone 416-364-9366 or fax 416-364-3818. <b>Visit the column archives at <span style="color:#000000;"> <a href="http://www.aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm"> http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm</a> for articles on this and other topics. </span></b></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-39456012309007388682008-09-04T11:54:00.001-04:002008-09-04T12:47:07.791-04:00Guest Column - Bob Aaron - Foreclosure tale is coyote ugly<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">Bob Aaron</span></span><i><span style="font-size:85%;color:#0000ff;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> </span> <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a></span></i></h2> <h2> <!-- ###### DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS MARKER! ###### --> <!-- ## Edit Date ## --> August 30, 2008 <!-- #### --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <h1> <!-- ## Add Article Title ## --> Foreclosure tale is coyote ugly <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h1> <h2> <!-- ## Add Article Sub Title ## --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <!-- ## End article title ## --> <!-- ###### BEGIN ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <p>Ronald and Ann Bonnar owned a house in Cape Breton, N.S. The house had two mortgages registered against it – a first to Royal Bank of Canada, and a second in favour of Canada Trust Company as trustees for the owners of various registered retirement savings plans. </p> <p>The Bonnars fell into arrears on their mortgages, and the Royal Bank sued them for foreclosure and possession of the property. Last October, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia calculated the mortgage debt at just under $125,000 and ordered the local sheriff to conduct an auction sale of the house on Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. </p> <p>Counsel for the Royal Bank in Dartmouth hired Elliott Fraser, a local lawyer in Baddeck, to attend at the sheriff's sale and buy the house back for the bank, so it could resell it and recover its debt. </p> <p>Fraser was instructed to be at the sheriff's sale and bid up to $135,000 on the house. </p> <p>On the morning of the auction sale, no one showed up representing the Royal Bank. The sheriff tried to reach the Royal Bank's lawyer in Dartmouth to say that the bank would be unrepresented at the sale, but ended up with the lawyer's voice mail. </p> <p>The reason no one showed up to bid on behalf of the Royal Bank became clear in a later court hearing. It turned out that Fraser saw a coyote inside his backyard shortly after 11 a.m. on the morning of the sale. He was quite concerned because he has small children and pets and the coyote was inside the fenced-off area. </p> <p>Fraser contacted the Department of Natural Resources and waited for two of their representatives to arrive and investigate how the coyote got into that restricted area. Shortly before noon, Fraser returned to the office portion of his residence and received a phone call from the sheriff advising him that the house had been sold without anyone being present to represent the Royal Bank. </p> <p>At the sale, a representative of the Canada Trust RRSP holders bought the house for what appears to have been a bargain price of $70,000. </p> <p>Not to be muzzled, the Royal Bank was back in court three weeks later asking to have the foreclosure sale set aside. The bank set the fur flying when it argued that the court should not put the bite on the bank just because its lawyer was held up by a coyote. </p> <p>It said the sale price was too low, the sheriff knew the bank had hired a lawyer to be at the sale and Fraser's failure to attend was reasonable and understandable. The bank also argued that the successful bidder would make an unconscionable profit at the expense of the bank and the borrowers. </p> <p>In December, Nova Scotia Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy decided that Royal Bank's arguments were toothless. He could find no fault with the actions of the sheriff. It was not unreasonable, he reasoned, for the sheriff to proceed with the sale. </p> <p>In his ruling, the judge hinted that the former owners would probably not be required to pay for the bank's losses on the mortgage. The implication is that because of his failure to attend the auction, Fraser's insurers might make good the shortfall on the Royal Bank's mortgage.</p> <p>In Ontario, foreclosures and judicial sales are rarely used. They can be cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming. </p> <p>The preferred method for handling mortgage defaults here is a power of sale, where the lender sends out notices of sale by registered mail, evicts the occupants and sells the property through a regular real estate listing. Without coyotes. </p> <!-- ###### END ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <hr width="100%"> <span style="font-family:Times, Times New Roman, Serif, MS Serif;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> <i><b>Bob Aaron </b>is a Toronto real estate lawyer. He can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>, phone 416-364-9366 or fax 416-364-3818. <b>Visit the column archives at <span style="color:#000000;"> <a href="http://www.aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm"> http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm</a> for articles on this and other topics. </span></b></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-30190486561101750592008-09-04T11:54:00.000-04:002008-09-04T12:46:44.214-04:00Guest Column - Bob Aaron -<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">Bob Aaron</span></span><i><span style="font-size:85%;color:#0000ff;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> </span> <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a></span></i></h2> <h2> <!-- ###### DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS MARKER! ###### --> <!-- ## Edit Date ## --> August 30, 2008 <!-- #### --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <h1> <!-- ## Add Article Title ## --> Foreclosure tale is coyote ugly <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h1> <h2> <!-- ## Add Article Sub Title ## --> <!-- ###### ################# ###### --> </h2> <!-- ## End article title ## --> <!-- ###### BEGIN ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <p>Ronald and Ann Bonnar owned a house in Cape Breton, N.S. The house had two mortgages registered against it – a first to Royal Bank of Canada, and a second in favour of Canada Trust Company as trustees for the owners of various registered retirement savings plans. </p> <p>The Bonnars fell into arrears on their mortgages, and the Royal Bank sued them for foreclosure and possession of the property. Last October, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia calculated the mortgage debt at just under $125,000 and ordered the local sheriff to conduct an auction sale of the house on Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. </p> <p>Counsel for the Royal Bank in Dartmouth hired Elliott Fraser, a local lawyer in Baddeck, to attend at the sheriff's sale and buy the house back for the bank, so it could resell it and recover its debt. </p> <p>Fraser was instructed to be at the sheriff's sale and bid up to $135,000 on the house. </p> <p>On the morning of the auction sale, no one showed up representing the Royal Bank. The sheriff tried to reach the Royal Bank's lawyer in Dartmouth to say that the bank would be unrepresented at the sale, but ended up with the lawyer's voice mail. </p> <p>The reason no one showed up to bid on behalf of the Royal Bank became clear in a later court hearing. It turned out that Fraser saw a coyote inside his backyard shortly after 11 a.m. on the morning of the sale. He was quite concerned because he has small children and pets and the coyote was inside the fenced-off area. </p> <p>Fraser contacted the Department of Natural Resources and waited for two of their representatives to arrive and investigate how the coyote got into that restricted area. Shortly before noon, Fraser returned to the office portion of his residence and received a phone call from the sheriff advising him that the house had been sold without anyone being present to represent the Royal Bank. </p> <p>At the sale, a representative of the Canada Trust RRSP holders bought the house for what appears to have been a bargain price of $70,000. </p> <p>Not to be muzzled, the Royal Bank was back in court three weeks later asking to have the foreclosure sale set aside. The bank set the fur flying when it argued that the court should not put the bite on the bank just because its lawyer was held up by a coyote. </p> <p>It said the sale price was too low, the sheriff knew the bank had hired a lawyer to be at the sale and Fraser's failure to attend was reasonable and understandable. The bank also argued that the successful bidder would make an unconscionable profit at the expense of the bank and the borrowers. </p> <p>In December, Nova Scotia Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy decided that Royal Bank's arguments were toothless. He could find no fault with the actions of the sheriff. It was not unreasonable, he reasoned, for the sheriff to proceed with the sale. </p> <p>In his ruling, the judge hinted that the former owners would probably not be required to pay for the bank's losses on the mortgage. The implication is that because of his failure to attend the auction, Fraser's insurers might make good the shortfall on the Royal Bank's mortgage.</p> <p>In Ontario, foreclosures and judicial sales are rarely used. They can be cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming. </p> <p>The preferred method for handling mortgage defaults here is a power of sale, where the lender sends out notices of sale by registered mail, evicts the occupants and sells the property through a regular real estate listing. Without coyotes. </p> <!-- ###### END ARTICLE CONTENT HERE ###### --> <hr width="100%"> <span style="font-family:Times, Times New Roman, Serif, MS Serif;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> <i><b>Bob Aaron </b>is a Toronto real estate lawyer. He can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:bob@aaron.ca">bob@aaron.ca</a>, phone 416-364-9366 or fax 416-364-3818. <b>Visit the column archives at <span style="color:#000000;"> <a href="http://www.aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm"> http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm</a> for articles on this and other topics. </span></b></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-87182311415704477322008-08-20T10:07:00.004-04:002008-09-04T11:53:23.905-04:00Forget the NFL. Toronto has Monopoly!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.boardgamecentral.com/news/img/MonopolyHereNow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.boardgamecentral.com/news/img/MonopolyHereNow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/monopoly-here-and-now-game-board.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/monopoly-here-and-now-game-board.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>And so it continues. Or maybe it has ended.<br /><br />Toronto has always had this big city - small city syndrome. Are we world class or not? Do they love us or hate us?<br /><br />Well, it seems that Toronto doesn't need the NFL. The CFL and the NLL (lacrosse) will do just fine for the folks at Hasbro. Toronto, as well as Montreal and Vancouver will be featured on the new Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition.<br /><br />Just don't tell Torontonians that Montreal has the prestigious "Boardwalk" location...<br /><br />Read the <a href="http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6ldHw912OrTIvmx9PB-TDRsJ52w">PRESS RELEASE HERE</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-4119881882114072752008-08-13T15:50:00.002-04:002008-08-13T15:55:12.151-04:00Guest Column - Stan Albert - Respect is a two way street<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/rodneydangerfield.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/rodneydangerfield.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />“I don’t get no respect. Last week my tie caught on fire. Some guy tried to put it out with an ax!” – Rodney Dangerfield<br /><p><br /><br />Why is there so much profanity in our business? It’s not professional, and certainly doesn’t show any respect for your clients, fellow sales reps and support staff. The only thing it does is to increase your blood pressure and injure your heart, according to psychologists and psychiatrists.<br /><br />The late comedian George Carlin used the f-word word some 29 times in one dialogue, so much that it really didn’t make much sense. At the time he was gaining popularity; hardly anyone was using harsh language in film, on stage or in public. Now, it seems that word is the best and only way to embellish one’s anger. Psychiatrists will say that such verbiage is intended to make the recipient feel like mush and the one spewing the language feel superior.<br /><br />I’ve seen the more than gradual deterioration of good business ethics and the treatment of others in our business and it bothers me. My late mother, Lil, had many great expressions, most of which she claimed to be hers. One of the best nuggets: “You can get more flies with honey, than with vinegar.” Surely your own parents would have passed on to you: “It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.”<br /><br />Recently, our support desk made an error. It was innocent enough and should not have happened, but it caused the agent to really go overboard on chastising the poor young lady to the point of tears and almost leaving our employ. When things quieted down, it turned out that the error did not have all the ramifications that the agent deemed that it would have. Within hours of this happening, I received a call from the agent. In addition to perhaps flogging the admin person, we should have her fired, he said. Fired, for being human? With about 100 agents, we handle about 1,000 calls per day and administrate close to 1,500 transactions per year. Our error rate is less than two per cent on all business that comes into our office. I challenge our agents to tell me what their error rate is per calendar year.<br /><br />The use of profanity from agent to agent has increased so dramatically, that it astounds the writer to think that they’ve never visited a <em>Roget’s Thesaurus</em> for other usage of the English language. This is being a professional?<br /><br />Come on guys and gals. Are we only supposed to be nice when it’s convenient or do we just shoot from the hip/lip whenever it’s appropriate to justify the ends to satisfying our anger? I know these articles are intended to be geared to coaching you on to bigger and better things in the wonderful world of real estate. Let’s not forget those guys and gals who toil for you behind the admin desks weekly, year in and year out. Most managers/brokers hear this common diatribe: “Well, if you paid them more, we’d have more professional staff and fewer turnovers and mistakes.”<br /><br />Hey! How many of you have run offices? Run them efficiently and effectively so that the work you hand in gets done in a timely fashion – that is of course, provided you hand in all the paperwork that goes into a file so that you can receive your commissions. Efficiency is not a one-way street. And how many of you culprits ever stop to think what damage you do to the psyche of the admin person with your trucker’s mouth? Many of you are unappreciative of the mountains of paperwork they must deal with.<br /><br />I can’t remember the book this quote came from, but it is appropriate: “Catch someone doing well and praise them for it, rather than always looking for the bad.”<br /><br />Your brokers invest heavily in your offices in money, time, energy and resources. Running an efficient and effective office is not an easy task. Having had the opportunity to work with two large offices, I can attest to the support given to me and I constantly show my appreciation to my support team with lunches, movie tickets, quarterly awards for efficiency and Tims and Timbits on a regular basis.<br /><br />In short, always treat your support team as though they were a member of your family.<br />Quote of the month: “Your friends are God’s way of apologizing for your relatives.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer (from his book <em>Power of Intention</em>)<br /><br /><em>Stan Albert is celebrating his 39<sup>th</sup> year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at <a href="mailto:salbert@trebnet.com">salbert@trebnet.com</a></em><em>. </em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-32412450052763753002008-08-06T09:50:00.002-04:002008-08-06T09:54:38.750-04:00Social Media in Real Estate.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.getentrepreneurial.com/images/leverage-social-media.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.getentrepreneurial.com/images/leverage-social-media.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 9"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 9"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Karim/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Social Media</b>.<span style=""> </span>No matter our knowledge or personal feelings social media continues to play a vital role in our professional and personal lives.<span style=""> </span>Simply put, social media is the marriage of online tools and technology to social interaction.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Social media includes, but is not limited to, discussion groups, podcasts, blogs, email, text messaging, and social networking sites. If we wanted, we could have a discussion that would fill up the pages of this publication.<span style=""> </span>Today, let’s take a look at a few “old” examples and then some new tools that today’s Realtors need to embrace in order to<span style=""> </span>compete within today’s dynamic market.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>
<br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Email</b> and <b>text messaging</b>.<span style=""> </span>Yes, email is a tool that real estate professionals have just recently (in the past 7 years) started to use to keep in touch with associates, clients and leads.<span style=""> </span>The power of email and text messaging has shortened the time and space between people like no other technology before.<span style=""> </span>Today, with these two simple tools, you can communicate with someone across the world from the comfort of your home.<span style=""> </span>In fact, with wireless access, you can be “in touch” virtually anywhere you are using your laptop, cell phone, Blackberry and iPhone.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You already know the positive impact this has had on your business.<span style=""> </span>Let’s take a look at some new tools.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>
<br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>REMonline</b>.<span style=""> </span>Seriously!<span style=""> </span>Have you taken a look at REM’s online presence?<span style=""> </span>There are plenty of opportunities to network with fellow Realtors and other professionals from across, Canada, and the world.<span style=""> </span>Take a look at the various discussions going on and participate.<span style=""> </span>Your expertise and brand will become recognizable the more you respond and create discussions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>
<br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Blog</b> – both a noun and a verb!<span style=""> </span>Create a blog and blog – on your blog and other’s as well.<span style=""> </span>What can a personal blog do for you?<span style=""> </span>With the right type of content can make you the expert in your industry.<span style=""> </span>Social media expert, Chris Brogan (<a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">www.chrisbrogan.com</a>) suggests, “Create a videoblog of interviews of people in the community…Build an events page or community site where people can gather, share their stories, post events, and express themselves.”<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Answer this:<span style=""> </span>as a consumer, when we are looking for something, what is one of the first things we do?<span style=""> </span>We google it!<span style=""> </span>So, if someone is checking you out, what will they find?<span style=""> </span>A website with no character or stickiness?<span style=""> </span>Stickiness refers to the fact that visitors are very likely to re-visit the site, time and time again.<span style=""> </span>So it’s important to continually update your blog.<span style=""> </span>And don’t forget to post on other blogs as well.<span style=""> </span>This will help in creating your online identity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.activerain.com/">
<br /></a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.activerain.com/">www.ActiveRain.com</a> </b>and<b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">www.Facebook.com</a>.<span style=""> </span></b>Interested in Real Estate in Fraser Valley?<span style=""> </span>What about Realtors who hate the Leafs?<span style=""> </span>You’ll probably find it on Active Rain.<span style=""> </span>Guess what?<span style=""> </span>You’ll also find a cornucopia of sites devoted to specific real estate topics on Facebook as well.<span style=""> </span>Both sites are great and I highly suggest you develop a presence on both.<span style=""> </span>To find interesting groups on both sites, just utilize their easy-to-use search functions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why is this important to you?<span style=""> </span>If you are an agent in the Calgary area you understand that people are moving in (and out of) your area from around the world.<span style=""> </span>A satisfied client from Toronto will ask her agent to help her.<span style=""> </span>If you’ve properly developed relationships through Active Rain and Facebook you will have a plethora of agents to refer her to!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/">
<br /></a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/">www.Twitter.com</a> </b>and<b> <a href="http://www.summize.com/">www.Summize.com</a>.<span style=""> </span></b>Twitter asks the question, “What are you doing?”<span style=""> </span>Your question might be, “What the heck is Twitter and why should I care about it?”<span style=""> </span>The answer to the second part of the question is that real estate is not really a business regarding properties and buildings.<span style=""> </span>Real Estate is a people business.<span style=""> </span>You might be selling homes, but your client is not 123 Main Street.<span style=""> </span>Your clients are people like you, me and the person who is looking for a Realtor.<span style=""> </span>That’s why you should care.<span style=""> </span>What is Twitter?<span style=""> </span>According to Wikipedia, “Twitter allows users to send updates which are text-based posts…and are displayed on the user’s profile page and instantly delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.” <span style=""> </span>Have or need a listing?<span style=""> </span>How about answering, “123 Bridle Path for sale at reduced price.<span style=""> </span>Message me.”<span style=""> </span>Or, “Looking for 3-bed in Oakville.”<span style=""> </span>If you’ve created a community on Twitter comprised of realtors as well as family and friends, your message will be read instantaneously.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even if have not created a considerable following on Twitter, you can follow other conversations on Summize.<span style=""> </span>Summize follows “tweets” so that you don’t have to!<span style=""> </span>For example, search for Moncton home on Summize and you’ll see potential customers you can converse with.<span style=""> </span>Do these tools work?<span style=""> </span>Just ask James Buck.<span style=""> </span>This journalism student was detained in Egypt for photographing a protest.<span style=""> </span>On his way to jail he used his cell phone to post the message, “Arrested” to his followers on Twitter.<span style=""> </span>As a result of the efforts of his Twitter friends, he was released the next day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Overwhelmed?<span style=""> </span>I was too.<span style=""> </span>Take one step at a time.<span style=""> </span>The point is that there are technologies and online tools available for you to use for your business.<span style=""> </span>Learn about how these can help you.<span style=""> </span>Search out an expert who can help you adapt.<span style=""> </span>New and young agents are entering your industry.<span style=""> </span>They are already using these technologies.<span style=""> </span>Their potential clients are also using these tools.<span style=""> </span>It’s time you did as well.<span style=""> </span>Like the cell phone, social media is a vital tool for your business.<span style=""> </span>Like your cell phone, don’t leave home without it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>
<br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>
<br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Karim Kanji continues to discover the many uses of social media as the Business Development and Client Services Officer for RealCash Bancorp Inc.<span style=""> </span>You can find Karim at <a href="http://www.realcashcanada.com/">www.RealCashCanada.com</a>, Facebook, Twitter, Active Rain….<o:p></o:p></i></b></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-45411287193159944372008-07-16T15:17:00.003-04:002008-07-16T15:27:30.577-04:00The WeakeningI think we can all agree that the Canadian real estate market is weak(ening). It's not that I have an agenda to push or a service to sell as a result of this recent phenomenon. Facts are facts: There are more listings on the MLS, closing times are being increased, and listing prices are coming down.<br /><br />What does this all mean? In my opinion, it means that if you just bought, you better hold on for the long haul and hope 1) you have a secure job to continue your payments, 2) you have a VRM and 3) that you don't end up with negative equity. If you're looking to buy, RELAX. Wait a while. I guess it depends on your local community but prices are coming down. Your deal is soon to be had.<br /><br />Are you interested in following some cool articles on real estate? Then follow me on <span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://del.icio.us/karimkanji">del.icio.us</a></span>. I'll post articles there instead of links here.<br /><br />Have fun and stay profitable!<br /><br />Karim Kanji<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-49936641654230647782008-07-10T15:25:00.003-04:002008-07-10T15:31:13.057-04:00Retwitteral Estate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/media/blogs/frontline/twitter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/media/blogs/frontline/twitter.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Are you on Twitter? One of the most popular micro-blogging sites has taken the social media world by storm. And people are participating on conversations here.<br /><br />People are your business. If people are talking on Twitter, maybe you should be listening.<br /><br />Are you on Twitter? How are you using it to promote yourself and your business?<br /><br />@karimkanji<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-38691290072788356092008-06-12T14:58:00.002-04:002008-06-17T11:52:53.333-04:00A Poppourri of Items from Stan Alberts Desk<div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em><strong>(The following article has been reproduced here by the permission of the author.)</strong></em></span></div><br /><br /><br />A potpourri of items from Stan Albert’s desk<br /><br /><br />It was about the beginning of March when REM Editor Jim Adair and I had a chat about the March article on taxation and I blurted out to Jim: “I’ve got writers block!” I flippantly said that maybe I would write about why I feel that women in our industry make better agents, but not necessarily better and bigger producers. Jim laughed and said I should get a lot of email about that.<br /><br /><br /><br />Then I thought of an article in the Toronto Star by David Olive, where he highlights Frank Baum’s well-known Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy is held out as a role model for business leaders. We thought that may hit a few home runs with our readers. I said to Jim, “Well, maybe I’ll just let the brain tell the keyboard what to write and see what comes out in the end!”<br /><br /><br /><br />As I was about to embark on my latest attempt I was interrupted by my dear wife, Audrey. She asked if I’d seen the morning edition of the National Post – the obituary section. An old school friend of mine called her to see if it was true. What was true? I asked. The friend said that my death notice was in the Post and wanted to know if it was true and where the Shiva (a week of mourning usually held in the Jewish faith) would be. Audrey assured him, as did I later, that as Mark Twain once said, “No one has informed me of my untimely death!”<br /><br /><br /><br />It was another Stanley Albert, but not the guy writing this article. It took several emails, one to the real estate board, one to the condo corporation, and others, to tell people I was not that guy. The Toronto board was good enough to publish on their web pages that it wasn’t the Stan Albert – Realtor who had passed on. In responding to my next door neighbour at the condo, Audrey assured her that I was alive and well and had been at the office since 8:30 am.<br /><br /><br /><br />Was the month of March brutal or what? My senses, as yours must have been, were really spiked by all the news of the world and in our own country, spinning doom and gloom. Beware the Ides of March!<br /><br /><br /><br />I don’t know if Al Gore and some of his warnings about global warming are true or not, but we did have record snow falls here in Ontario, including a massive storm in early March. Headlines to the south were screaming RECESSION! The sub-prime fiasco hitting the real estate industry is somewhat being felt in some sectors in Canada now. Remember that whatever happens in the U.S. usually will come to haunt us in the next five or so years. CMHC, bless them, have come up with 40-year amortization, zero down mortgages for marginal borrowers and a whole new host of goodies for first-time buyers. Can this be a harbinger for things to come? I don’t think so.<br /><br /><br /><br />We have been through, what, three or four recessions, including the one in 1988-99, which we didn’t come out of until 1995. It’s a long accepted fact that when the market weakens, the strong agents and brokerages get stronger because they know how to survive and prosper.<br /><br /><br /><br />Those of you old enough to remember the early 1980s when the mortgage interest rates hit 25 to 28 per cent will recognize that regardless of rates, economy and world issues, that fact remains: people need to sell and people need to buy. These coming months may not be easy for newcomers to this business, but if they have strong coaching and a passion for meeting people, they will not only survive, they will thrive.<br /><br /><br /><br />I promised a potpourri, didn’t I? So back to the Wizard of Oz, and the view by Carol Stephenson, dean of business at the Ivey School of Business, who identified Dorothy as an ideal role model for contemporary business leaders. Stephenson says Dorothy displays all the necessary elements of great leaders. Writing in the Financial Times (U.K.), she says Dorothy is “inquisitive, compassionate, consultative and courageous.”<br /><br /><br /><br />Now guys, don’t get your Irish up yet. I’m not saying we don’t have those qualities. But the main reason to why I feel women make better salespeople than guys, is that they, for the most part, exemplify Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Most women that I’ve managed or coached respond better than their male counterparts in caring for and counseling of their clients. I don’t expect that will impress the men reading this column, but hey, I’m not here always to appease and please! I must close off this article with some comments about Bob Aaron’s recent shot at Seller Property Information Statements (SPIS) in the May issue of REM.<br /><br /><br /><br />He wrote: “If your agent insists on an SPIS, then get another agent or hire a good litigation lawyer.”<br /><br /><br /><br />It’s interesting that a lawyer who does a ton of real estate continues to flog this issue of SPIS and the dangers it’s fraught with. I don’t know why he continues to bash the real estate industry’s attempts to make the seller accountable, without providing an alternative. What protects us, the agents, from being sued, without the SPIS? For years, the brokerages that have come under my supervision have never had a solitary case go to litigation – and that may include some 15,000 transactions!<br /><br /><br /><br />As mentioned before, when Mr. Aaron and I exchanged a few literary barbs, I don’t dispute for one moment that many cases do go to litigation. Many are handled quite well by individual provinces’ E &O insurers, so my investigation showed. If the agent in the case described in Aaron’s story last month was truly diligent, the case would never have been in court. He erred in his directive to the sellers. We should always disclose all the facts that are known to us without restriction, unless otherwise directed by the seller’s solicitor. Since I am aware that Mr. Aaron is an avid reader of this paper, I am sure we’ll hear from him soon.<br /><br /><br /><br />Last but not least, when attending our annual awards gala recently, I was truly flattered by all the agents who read my column in REM. But what is more important, is that they read this wonderful publication across Canada.<br /><br /><br /><br />Oh, how I digress! So much for writer’s block.<br /><br /><br /><br />Quote of the month: “Hell, there are no rules here...we’re trying to accomplish something.” – Thomas Edison.<br /><br /><br /><br />Stan Albert is celebrating his 39th year in active real estate, and is with Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge, Ont. He serves on committees at RECO and at the Toronto Real Estate Board. He is an established trainer and business consultant and can be reached at <a href="mailto:salbert@trebnet.com">salbert@trebnet.com</a>,<div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-85093648550192835432008-06-12T12:18:00.003-04:002008-06-12T12:43:50.504-04:00Commission Advances - U.S. Open Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MT5H3ybyV3Mqqh3E-gjoBZa66jFshMgQinVKnVuVzBlUP4j3DmKXtCa3y7HDj4PHONROMFhQXbPqYex9Z-HGJJGq2CjAgvq6rvJj4P0rozxZYzN_NGZe2KgO7C5NXj6nnIUv/s1600-h/53a83d314ad1a721a0f024280f57.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211036268877613906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MT5H3ybyV3Mqqh3E-gjoBZa66jFshMgQinVKnVuVzBlUP4j3DmKXtCa3y7HDj4PHONROMFhQXbPqYex9Z-HGJJGq2CjAgvq6rvJj4P0rozxZYzN_NGZe2KgO7C5NXj6nnIUv/s320/53a83d314ad1a721a0f024280f57.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>So, <strong><a href="http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Golf/article/440881">Tiger Woods is favoured to win this year's U.S. Open</a></strong>. As I write this, he is already on the course with the world's best golfers. </div><br /><div></div><div>Hold the mustard! Did I just say Tiger is favoured to win the Open? Yes I did. Even with his knee that just got 'scoped? Yup. That's the power of the Tiger Package.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>You see, Tiger is not just a one dimensional golfer. Like you didn't know. Tiger is the total package. So when his putting is suffering (which is not often) he makes it up with his long game. I think you get the picture. This is why he is favoured and the others are just long shots.</div><div></div><br /><div>And this is why commission advances are so important to your "game" as well. Think of advances as a club in your bag. You might not need it today or even tomorrow. However, you might need it next week or next month. </div><br /><div></div><div>As a self-employed business person there will be months where things are just cooking! Appointments fill your calendar and closings fill your bank account. Then there are those months when the roof leaks, your daughter gets married and your husband and you want to travel to a nice quiet place somewhere across the ocean. It just so happens that there are no closings and your bank account is drying up. Do you quit?</div><br /><div></div><div>Never! You still have closings in 2 months! So what do you do? Postpone your life? Or attack it and live it to it's fullest? This is where <a href="http://beta.blogger.com/www.realcashcanada.com"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">RealCash</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bancorp</span> </a>can help you live your life. Don't wait for your paycheck to decide to have fun or pay those important expenses.</div><br /><div></div><div>Contact <a href="http://beta.blogger.com/www.realcashcanada.com"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">RealCash</span></a> and experience why thousands of Canadian <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Realtors</span> are happy they did.</div><div> </div><div>Fore!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-54559433982009786152008-06-10T15:33:00.003-04:002008-06-10T15:57:52.201-04:00Latest news on Canadian Real Estate"The general economic slowdown and declining consumer confidence in Ontario is starting to be felt by home builders, who are reporting slower traffic." To find out who said this and to read more on Ontario's housing situation <strong><a href="http://www.thestar.com/article/440060">READ HERE</a></strong>.<br /><br />Guess who else is victim to high gas prices? Cottage Prices. Tony Wong of the Toronto Star weighs in <strong><a href="http://www.thestar.com/article/440543">HERE</a></strong>.<br /><br />Did you hear that the <strong><a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/440378">Bank of Canada</a></strong> has left the prime at 3%? What does this mean for consumers? Well, it seems the Bank is more concerned with inflation (hello, gas prices) than consumer confidence. This means (in this humble observer's opinion) that increased rates are on the horizon. How far out though is anyone's guess. All I know is that the costs of carrying a mortgage is going to go up. Start locking in your variable and if you HAVE to buy a house then follow the same advice. Also, stay away from reading Garth Turner. Your welcome.<br /><br /><br />Karim Kanji<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realcashcanada.com/">www.RealCashCanada.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-35422936664323996382008-06-09T10:19:00.003-04:002008-06-09T10:54:29.897-04:00On With The Show, This Is It!Just spoke to a good friend of mine who is a landlord of a few properties around the GTA. He says the market is softening and it's giving him a headache.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And now our FEATURE PRESENTATION.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There's a Social Networking event happening tonight for interested Realtors in GTA and Durham (Ontario). No, it's not on Facebook. At <a href="http://eventnow.ca/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=511">THIS </a>event, you actually have to show your face.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Most affordable "Metro" home? Not Calgary. Duh! The great metropolis of....<strong><a href="http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/front/article/316282">Moncton</a></strong>!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">The median cost of housing in the Moncton region was $8,323 a year -- or $693 a month -- in 2006, Statistics Canada reported yesterday in a new report on shelter costs across the country.</span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="center">John Pasalis chimes in on the "Buy One, Get One FREE" Houses <a href="http://www.movesmartly.com/2008/06/buy-1-get-1-fre.html">HERE</a>.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209889028677442274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cyXTFRjVEOXND0fo8LytgwKNUHQL8vs-QYN-HcXzk2Fa-3Ravx15xYLzIsG_ynnspnJaKa3SeZS4tQX-eXeFFFEP1RivlSL0sJvOXUsPLk8fNUUrB-pHJS6U8puOnCbLrepy/s320/buy1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="left"></div>Housing's 10 year boom sees prices double. <strong><a href="http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080603.whousing0103/BNStory/Business/home">Report on Business</a></strong>.<br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"></div><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">An unprecedented 10-year boom in the market, which ended earlier this year, saw the price of a two-storey detached home rise by an average of 129 per cent in urban centres to $522,999, according to a study released today by Royal LePage Real Estate Services.<br />In the 10-year period ended March, 2008, the price of a similar property in the suburbs has appreciated by 110 per cent to $334,380.<br /></span></p></em></strong><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2008/06/05/5775646-sun.html">London Free Press</a></strong> finally heard about <strong><a href="http://www.greaterfool.ca/feed/">Garth Turner's book</a></strong>. Geez. Who hit the snooze button a few times too many?<br /><br />Speaking of Turner, here's his <strong><a href="http://www.greaterfool.ca/2008/06/07/a-litre-of-gas-for-a-litre-of-milk/">latest</a></strong>...<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><a href="http://homeandgarden.canoe.ca/Forbes/2008/06/03/5758856.html">Dream, Dream, Dream. Whenever I want to, all I have to do, is Dream. </a></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong> </div><div align="left">Toronto Home Sales <a href="http://yourhome.ca/homes/article/437201"><strong>fall</strong> </a>for 5th straight month. Ssshhhhhh!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Toronto Condo market <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080530.wcondos30/BNStory/National/"><strong>cools</strong> </a>off. So, no more ridculous line-ups?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-71708087621420762222008-05-30T12:48:00.003-04:002008-05-30T13:02:53.724-04:00Hello June. I thought you'd never make it....5 months have gone (ok, in a day!) and do you know where your 2008 went?<br /><br />It seems that the 5 months have brought to Canada a little of the doom and gloom and initiated in the States. High gas pump prices, higher costs at the Chinesse restaurant and higher housing costs with lower home values. But hey, what goes up, must come down! So here we go...<br /><br />Work for CIBC? Own CIBC stock? Have a CIBC t-shirt? <a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/433783">So sorry</a>.<br /><br />Running away to England? Maybe you'll get a <a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/433795">DEAL on a house</a>. Yeah, prices are coming down across the pond as well.<br /><br />Lose a few bucks on the lottery? So did <a href="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/433800">U.S. Banks....$37 BILLION</a>! Ouch.<br /><br />Here's some good news....<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080523.re-market-0523/BNStory/RealEstate/">Prices up in early May</a>. Shoot! Sales fall though. Oh well.<br /><br />Chris Chelios knows a thing or two about winning Stanley Cups. He's on the verge of winning another one with the Detroit Red Wings (sorry Pens). <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080526.wsptchel26/BNStory/GlobeSportsHockey/">But Chelios also knows real estate</a>. Kinda.<br /><br />Karim Kanji<br /><a href="http://www.realcashcanada.com/">www.RealCashCanada.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17197829.post-58531142020833858342008-05-23T11:27:00.002-04:002008-05-23T11:46:55.985-04:00Indy 500 Weekend Edition:<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080516.RTICKERMAIN16/TPStory/?query=real+estate">Scotiabank</a> suggests that a "big drop" in housing prices is "very low". My question is what defines a "big drop" and "very low"? I know Scotiabank has a number in mind. But guess what? They won't tell you because a low chance of a big drop keeps you in a positive mindset. Therefore, you spend more money on renovations (via a loan from Scotiabank) and maybe even sell your house and get a new one (with help from a Scotiabank mortgage product).<br /><br />Why won't the Canadian housing market follow what has happened in the States? No one says why. Except <a href="http://beta.blogger.com/www.greaterfool.ca">Garth Turner</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080516.RBELL16/TPStory/?query=real+estate">Housing slump continues in the States</a>, by the way. Oh, Happy Memorial Day to my American neighbours!<br /><br />And if things weren't bad enough, a Realtor in the...wait for it now....Scarborough area (shudder) was <a href="http://www.thestar.com/article/425999">robbed</a> last week. That sucks. <br /><br />Does anyone know why <a href="http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/428644">mortgage rates are dropping</a>? At present they are lower than a pregnant ant. That's low.<br /><br />And finally, this weekend is <a href="http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/">Doors Open Toronto</a>. If you happen to be in the area check it out. You'll have lots of fun and get a new appreciation for culture and architecture in the Greatest City in the World!<br /><br />Karim Kanji<br /><a href="http://www.realcashcanada.com/">www.RealCashCanada.com</a><br /><a href="http://inspirationbykarim.blogspot.com/">http://InspirationByKarim.blogspot.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com
MoneyNow@RealCashCanada.com
1.800.265.2694 and 1.416.444.7790</div>Karim Kanjihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732989176450404137noreply@blogger.com0