From My Desk to Yours

Another Year Has Come & Gone...Bon Voyage 2011

Donna Bacher — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:21:00 GMT

2011. It's hard to believe how fast these years are starting to go by. Back in 1975, I was 21, the same age as my youngest child is right now. Life didn't seem to go by so fast back then. I lived in a little apartment, attended classes at McMaster University and just landed a plum job at the CIBC. We lived in a world where technology was starting to emerge, but none of us had a clue what our lives in 2011 would look like. We really couldn't see past our coloured TV's or expensive Texas Instruments calculators. Schools still taught us how to use slide rules. We were the tail end of the baby boomers, the group that fought for social justice, peace and love. The world was full of poverty that we couldn't understand and the world was full of wars..and rumours of wars that we couldn't understand.

So, here I am, 36 years later, and I'm typing away on the latest MacBook, sending a message deep into cyberspace, to anyone who cares to read it. I carry a phone around with me everywhere I go, and I'm doing things that I could never have even imagined ever doing when I was 21.

I can take a picture, edit it, insert it in an e-card, attach a gift card, pay for it and send it...all within a span of 10 minutes and never get out of my chair. I am connected with everything and anything my heart desires. My mind stays active because I have to learn something new everyday. But aside for all of this technological advancement that our society has made, I've began to question our abilities as a society to ever address the main concerns I had back in 1975. Poverty, Peace & Love.

My wish for 2012 is the same as way back when I was 21. It's not for more technology. It's not for more money. It's not for more trinkets. It's for a world without war. It's a world that no longer sees anything right about "killing in the name of war" or in the "name of God". For 36 years, I've been hearing that we need to stop world hunger...so my wish for 2012, again, is to finally put an end to World Hunger. In a world where I can send a customized e-card from Canada to Australia in a minute...where I can view satellite images of our galaxy on my computer screen...it just doesn't make sense that we can't have a world free of poverty and war. Peace, love & prosperity to all in 2012!

Canadian Realtors® Pay for the Banks Legal Costs

Donna Bacher — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:17:00 GMT

Ever experience one of those "light bulb" moments?

It's the moment that you get the perfect storm happening in your head, creating a surge of electricity, ultimately resulting in the "Wait a minute" verbiage pulsating between your ears. "Wait a Minute" is right!

Lenders, Lawyers and Foreclosures

I just experienced a light bulb moment. There was a time, when the Banks had their own foreclosure departments and their own legal professionals. Upon default, the file would be transferred to the Banks collection department and the whole process would start. If it was a High Ratio Mortgage, insured by CMHC, the bank would be paid out and CMHC would put the property on the market through their own Real Estate division, and pay the Selling Agent a healthy "6" percent to sell it. Needless to say, there was always a line up of Agents ready to sell these listings.

CMHC Gets Smart

Then, CMHC (Canada Mortgage & Housing), which was the main default insurance player, got smart to the Banks, because the Banks weren't really taking on too much responsibility in the matter, so they told the Banks that they would be responsible for selling the default properties before they could collect on the default insurance.

Banks get Smart

So, the Banks set up special departments, specifically for foreclosures and start dealing with Realtors directly. But, they didn't want to pay 6% anymore, they wanted to reduce costs a bit, so they offer Realtors® 5.5%. This still wasn't a lot of fun for the Banks and certainly was a costly venture. CMHC actually thought that it would tighten up the Banks underwriting department. That perhaps they would start to be more careful in lending once they had to take some financial responsibility in the sale of defaults. But, the Banks aligned with a couple major Law firms and figured it all out. The Banks would immediately assign the defaulted property to the Lawyers, thereby not having to have their own "Foreclosure" personnel, and instead of paying their lawyers out of their pocket, they would pay the Lawyers out of the Real Estate Commission they would normally be paying. It was a win/win for the Banks and selected Law Firms.

Realtors® take the Hit

Fast forward to 2011. The Power of Sales continue. The majority are horrific. Remnants of illegal multi-residential units that you wouldn't want your dog to live in, busted grow-ops, dilapidated rentals and properties that are so full of patent defects that it's hard to believe that anyone would ever have bought it in the first place. A clear indication that the Banks are still having an issue with underwriting. They get distributed to hungry Agents at a net commission of 5.5% with the condition that the Real Estate Agent pays the Law firm a 1% referral fee for the listing.

Light Bulb Moment

"Wait a Minute!!!".....Canadian Realtors® are now paying for the banks legal fee's. Smart Banks...time to buy some Bank stock!

Real Estate: Welcome to the Danger Zone

Donna Bacher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:36:00 GMT

It Doesn't Matter

You may be a Realtor showing homes or a person selling their home privately. Statistics show that selling Real Estate is one of the most dangerous jobs in North America. The key word here is "selling" Real Estate. It doesn't matter if you're a professional Realtor or a homeowner. The problem starts when there is a desire and need for someone to interact with complete strangers in a confined and private setting combined with the need for someone to commit a crime.

Realty Safety & Security

It's not difficult to become a target.

Deciding to sell a home privately with the assistance of a Virtual Real Estate office or Realtor, simply charging a fee to list the property on the MLS system produces an online marketing campaign that could attract more into your life than a Buyer. There are no statistics on the subject, but crimes against property owners selling their own homes is just as rampant as crimes against the Realtors who sell them.

Did you know

As soon as a Private For Sale gets listed on the local MLS system , the owner has authorized the "legal" distribution of their name and phone number, complete with numerous pictures of the inside of their home to the entire world. Words that are targeted at Buyers are also prime for crime and are indexed as soon as your listing goes "live". "Luxury, vacant, must sell, open to offers" A Realtor representing your property doesn't disclose your information. They disclose their own.

Security Tips for Selling Your Home

Why Realtors are targeted

They're targeted because they're visible and are very easy to contact. They also portray an element of success which makes them prime candidates for robbery. They are use to dealing with strangers and make themselves available at all hours of the day to show properties. They can't let paranoia about the dangers that haunt the business hurt the chance of making their next sale and the strangers that a Realtor deals with everyday, are the same strangers a person selling their home privately, greets at their front door with open arms.

AgBeat "2011 Realtor Safety Report" Examining a year of attacks on Realtors

Crimes against Realtors

They're senseless, they're heinous and they're unpredictable. According to AbBeat's "2011 Realtor Safety Report; Examining a Year of Attacks on Realtors", there is very little rhyme or reason behind these attacks and murders.

· November 2011: Respected,friendly and,successful Toronto Realtor murdered in upscale Caledon subdivision. The victim knows one of the murderers.

· January 2011: Prominant Toronto Realtor dies from heart attack after being kidnapped

· 48 year old Realtor found dead in his home. Murder suspects met victim on Craigslist and killed him during a botched robbery attempt.

· 27 year old BC Realtor found dead in vacant home; was last seen leaving to show property to a couple, after receiving a showing request from a female. (still unsolved)

· 51 year old Realtor found shot to death in vacant home.

· 57 year old Realtor found stabbed to death by potential buyer, after she questions his ability to buy house.

· Two real-estate agents were killed in vacant homes for sale and another was robbed, all within a week, prompting frightened agents in northeastern Ohio to cancel open houses and avoid meeting prospective buyers alone.

· 71-year-old was robbed, strangled and beaten with a fireplace poker in 2008 while showing a home to a man she believed was a prospective home buyer.

· 40 year old Sara Walker was hosting an open house at a model home in McKinney, Texas, when she was stabbed 27 times by a felon out on parole. Her alleged killer was later arrested

Realtor robbed: Realtor attacked: It doesn't always end in murder

· Toronto police are looking for two suspects after a Century 21 real estate agent was robbed in a house he was showing.

· February 2011: Iowa-- An Ottumwa realtor got the scare of her life Friday when police said she was brutally beaten, tied up and robbed while showing a home.

· Police said 53-year-old Kathy Sorak was lured to 1120 North Court Street by two men who pretended to be interested in buying the home.

· Mid-South Realtor Attacked While Showing HouseJACKSON, TN--Jackson investigators are searching for a man they say attacked a local realtor while she was showing a house Wednesday afternoon.

· San Antonio - A real estate agent says she owes her life to five students who helped her escape a client who brutally attacked her.

· Janice Tisdale says she had just finished showing the man the upscale northwest side home and was reaching for the front door's lock when he struck her head with a pole from inside the house.

.· An Orange County real estate agent was raped and bludgeoned by a man masquerading as a prospective home buyer. The man raped the agent after finding her photo online. The agent was able to survive the brutal attack by alleged assailant after pretending to be dead.

The internet has made Real Estate marketing vibrant and fast, but it has also made things easy for a segment of the population that are looking to seek revenge, rob, rape, murder or fulfil some sick psychological disorder. Be alert, use your intuition and stay safe when you're selling Real Estate, Realtor and Private Seller alike.

Social Media...A Relationship Revolution

Donna Bacher — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:41:00 GMT

The Social Media Revolution is upon us! Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube & Flicker are more than places on the Net...they're places where we go to match up with our Family, Friends, Colleagues and Clients. Social Media is connecting the world.

View the Video Here

View Video
Format: ???
Duration: --:--

Networked Society Shaping Ideas

Donna Bacher — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:54:00 GMT

The Social Media Revolution explained by the experts

">
">View Video
Format: ???
Duration: --:--

The RCMP's Marihuana Grow Operations Initiative

Donna Bacher — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:58:00 GMT

It seems like every week we're hearing of another Marihuana Grow Op being discovered and getting shut down. This is bad news for the entrepreneurs who were tending their indoor fields, but it's also one of those things that can pose problems to innocent and unsuspecting home buyers years down the road. Grow Op's are definitely the stigma to avoid this decade. Aside for going hand and hand with organized crime, perhaps a gun or two and even a secondary meth or crack factory, Grow Op's pose a huge risk to a homeowner down the road due to the amount of moisture necessary for indoor farm operations and the creative wiring and piping techniques necessary to power megawatts of high intensity lighting along with powering fans for ventilation. The major concern are health hazards associated with the mold that can be hiding behind the walls and floating in the air, the insure-ability of a home that has been a grow op and the integrity of the structure and it's components.

Since most houses are built to keep the elements out, they're not really conducive to being used as a green house. Without the aid of large roof vents, just like the ones you see in a green house, it's almost impossible to vent all the moisture and when that happens, mold becomes a happy camper. The usual life cycle of a Grow Op goes something like this..".buy a house...detour the wiring, detour the plumbing, grow...grow...grow...get busted....owner goes to jail...house goes into foreclosure...renovator buys it...renovations are done....new owner moves in". In a perfect Real Estate World, we get some form of disclosure indicating that the house was, or could have been a Grow Op and proper air quality tests can be done before someone buys it. But what if the house changes hands privately? What if someone inherits it or is selling it as part of an estate? Up until now, we haven't had a dependable way to check to see if the house we're selling today was the house that they pulled 500 plants out of 5 years ago.

On September 21, 2011, the RCMP announced its' Marihuana Grow Initiative which includes a database of properties that have contained a Marihuana Grow Operation or clandestine lab that was dismantled by the RCMP under the authority of a search warrant. With any luck at all, Municipal Police Departments and the OPP will add to this list as they make their own busts, creating a wonderful, quick and easy way for Real Estate professionals and consumers to check.

They're Out There...and Visiting an Income Property Near You!

Donna Bacher — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:09:00 GMT

We've all heard the hoopla surrounding "Urban Intensification" and the City of Hamilton's initiatives to accommodate more people in the lower City. It sounds fantastic and it conjures up visions of people waiting at the Light Rail Transit stops or riding their bicycles to the farmers market and Bay Front Park. It goes a long way in combating expensive urban sprawl and breaths life back into the heart of the City. It's good for everyone.

However, my vision is severely interrupted by a reality that was created around the City of Hamilton Council table a year or so ago. Project Compliance was the brainchild of our local Politicians with a primary purpose to solve the "Ainslie Wood residents who hate McMaster University Student Rentals" dilemma. Now, let me say that I in no way, shape or form condone slum landlords and I don't believe that anyone should have their property values negatively impacted because of their neighbors unkempt property. But with that being said, the Ainslie Wood issue is much more complex. It's been going on for years and is a case of people who want to live close to McMaster University and the quaint little Westdale Village, but would prefer that all of the students live somewhere else...perhaps Mars. This isn't going to happen, and since the City's own by-law permits 4 unrelated people to live under one roof with a simple single family residential zoning, It is not against the law. End of story.

Pressured from the Ainslie Wood residents, Council decided that the best thing that they could do was try to nail landlords on property standards and zoning bylaws and Project Compliance was born.

They hired and trained 6 new part time by-law officers (all having some form of law enforcement background), got three new cars for them to drive around in and gave them carte blanche to enforce the Zoning and Property Standards by-laws in Wards 1-8. The catch was that the City didn't have any money to fund this program, so it went over to the Parking division where it would operate with a "Revenue Neutral" mandate, meaning this: Project Compliance would have to generate enough revenue in ways of fines and permits to cover the salaries and benefits of the 6 officers, plus the administrative staff...plus the cost of the cars, making it a "Proactive By-law Enforcement Team" instead of the old "complaints" based system.

So, how does the "Proactive By-law Enforcement Team" work? I guess as a tax payer I should be ecstatic to say that they work like a fine tuned machine. Blitzing neighborhoods and hunting down everyone and anyone who is not using their home according to archaic zoning by-laws, collecting tens of thousands of dollars in fines and work orders along their way. They're looking for the tell tale signs. The number of mail boxes, the number of electrical services, and the MLS listing information. They have access to zoning maps and there is absolutely nothing that a person can do if they are caught with an illegal unit, except pay the fine and evict the tenant out of the culprit unit. Project Compliance MUST collect enough money to pay for project.

A very interesting aspect of their enforcement policy is the "Work Order" to remove kitchens. If the house is a duplex but happens to be in a "C" zone, you better be able to prove that it's Legal Non-conforming...or completely legal, otherwise, Project Compliance will slap a work order against your property, forcing you to remove one of the kitchens.

Seeing that Hamilton is a very multi-cultural City with many European families having summer kitchens in the basements, I don't know how they're allowed to do this! I have never heard of a "Kitchen" bylaw before and as far as I'm aware, you can put in as many kitchens in a house as you want! There is no way to challenge Project Compliance because they work with a brief case full of Warrants and Tickets. They are definitely marching to their own drum.

Now, as the City preaches the virtues of "Intensification", they will be faced with the remnants of their ingenious "Project Compliance Team": A City with a huge "C" zone, which only permits single family living is in fact filled with large single family homes that are not affordable for single families to live in. Many of them have been used as duplexes for decades and the cost to return them back to a single family home can be thousands. The City does have some "D" zoning, but there's very few properties in that zone having the frontage and parking requirements to permit a legal duplex or triplex use. Present property owners who need the income from their two or three units to make the mortgage payment and pay the property taxes may have no choice but to sell or default. Over the last few years the lower City has had a resurgence of Real Estate activity, but it certainly hasn't been a result of planning or zoning! People have been buying these properties as modest return investments, never thinking that the City would take such vicious action against them. In actuality, the zoning in Hamilton is an absolute mess and the zoning bylaws do not support intensification at all. Minimum lot frontages, parking and minimum size of units are severely outdated and finding a property that would meet the lofty requirements is almost impossible.

In an effort to appease a group of people from Hamilton's McMaster University area, the entire lower City has been put under siege by Project Compliance...and it continues. The wisest thing for the City would have been to offer a 6 month amnesty period whereby all income property owners could have received legal status for their rental units by providing City Hall with a Fire Inspection Certificate (retrofitted) and an Electrical Safety Authority Certificate. This would have gone a long way in establishing safe and affordable housing while improving property values.

If you are a Realtor in the City of Hamilton selling multi-residential units...get the facts on Project Compliance. If you are an owner of an investment property, get on the phone to your Councillor and maybe even your lawyer today. Make sure you know your rights and the rights of your tenants. If you're looking for a property where you can rent out all or part of your house to help with the mortgage, make sure that you do your "Due Diligence" and that it's totally legal. Chances are, it isn't!

Very few people have heard about Project Compliance, but I think that anytime a City takes on a "Proactive" type of campaign such as this that it subjects it's residents to a quasi Police State and there should be some type of public communication from City Hall. How could Council support this when Hamilton needs more affordable residential rental units? Hamilton needs safe units and Council needs to respect and assist the individual small investor who is willing to supply them.

The McMaster Student Rental issue? University=STUDENTS=Need for housing=Student rentals. The only time you're going to stop this is when there are no longer Students at Mac....or when the complainer is no longer an Ainslie Wood resident.

City of Hamilton Councillors? What can I say? Project Compliance is a clear example of what happens when you authorize a "Revenue Neutral" enforcement program without recognizing that you are really part of the problem. The inability to address zoning issues in the City have now cost hundreds of investment property owners thousands of dollars along with an insurmountable amount of stress. In doing so Council has actually promoted de-intensification and tossed an unknown number of tenants onto the street in search for shelter.

The answer? Correct the zoning, legalize all safe units in the City and scrap the proactive "Project Compliance"!

Fair Trade Organic Coffee, Tea, Cocoa and Sugar!

Donna Bacher — Fri, 27 May 2011 10:48:00 GMT

Over the last couple of years, I've developed a real desire to do my best to make sure that the consumables I bring into my home are not only environmentally friendly, that they are also as people friendly as possible. Grocery stores are starting to carry more "fair trade" products however, I was thrilled to find out from one of my clients that their Church, Case United on Whitechurch Road, Mount Hope, was active in selling a full line of Fair Trade products as a permanent fund raiser! Not only can I support Fair Trade farmers around the world and a local Church, I'm also able to support the Canadian Company, "Just Us! Coffee Roasters Cooperative", in Nova Scotia, that prepares it and/or distributes it. Talk about good value!

Yes, the price of organic, fair trade products are more expensive, but there's something really nice about drinking my morning coffee and knowing that the farmers producing it are actually able to earn a living rather than be an out of sight, out of mind modern day slave. The other benefit is that it tastes so good and is free of chemicals and fillers. Because of the taste difference between my home brewed coffee and the Tim Horton's Coffee that I have drank for years, I now pack a travel mug instead of venturing through the local drive thru.

For information on the products supplied by Case United Church, contact George Fletcher at (905) 692-3198. Here's the list of the products they sell :)

FAIR TRADE PRODUCT PRICES

Retail Price Case Mount Hope Price

COFFEE $10.99 12OZ $ 9.50

(beans or ground) $26.20 32OZ $22.00

DECAF COFFEE ($11.99) 12 OZ $10.50

($31.40) 32OZ $25.00

TEA- Earl Grey, ($3.25) (25 bags) $ 3.00

Green, & Ceylon

TEA- Citrus Infusion, ($4.35) (25 bags) $ 3.25

Lemon Honey, Indian Chai,

Chamomile, & Peppermint

HOT CHOCOLATE ($6.99) (336g) $ 6.50

& COCOA (6.99) (244g) CHOLATE BARS ($4.00) (100g) $ 3.25

SUGAR special order 6 bags @ (1KG Bag) $ 5.00

special order (1-4KG Bag) $18.00

ZATOUN OLIVE OIL $18.00

The America's...a Land Founded on Great Wisdom

Donna Bacher — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:31:00 GMT

Sometimes we forget that modern society is not the author of the rules that we value....but a sound Code of Ethics, if followed...make ourselves better people and the world we live in a better place :)

Native American Code Of Ethics

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often.
The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
~
Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path.
Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem
from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.
~
Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others
to make your path for you. It is your road, and
yours alone. Others may walk it with you,
but no one can walk it for you.
~
Treat the guests in your home with much consideration.
Serve them the best food, give them the best
bed and treat them with respect and honor.
~
Do not take what is not yours whether from
a person, a community,the wilderness or from a
culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.
~
Respect all things that are placed upon
this earth – whether it be people or plant.
~
Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words.
Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them.
Allow each person the right to personal expression.
~
Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative
energy that you put out into the universe
will multiply when it returns to you.
~
All persons make mistakes.
And all mistakes can be forgiven.
~
Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind,
body and spirit. Practice optimism.
~
Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us.
They are part of your worldly family.
~
Children are the seeds of our future. Plant
love in their hearts and water them with
wisdom and life’s lessons. When they
are grown, give them space to grow.
~
Avoid hurting the hearts of others.
The poison of your pain will return to you.
~
Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the
test of one’s will within this universe.
~
Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual
self, Emotional self, and Physical self – all need
to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out
the body to strengthen the mind. Grow
rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.
~
Make conscious decisions as to who
you will be and how you will react. Be
responsible for your own actions.
~
Respect the privacy and personal space of
others. Do not touch the personal property of
others – especially sacred and religious
objects. This is forbidden.
~
Be true to yourself first. You cannot
nurture and help others if you cannot
nurture and help yourself first.
~
Respect others religious beliefs.
Do not force your belief on others.
~
Share your good fortune with others.
Participate in charity.

Day 42 of Winter...only 48 More Sleeps to Spring!!

Donna Bacher — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:31:00 GMT

Winter. On Day 42 of Winter, I started to ask myself, exactly what is Winter all about? Big questions...like "If we're actually moving closer to the sun...why is it getting colder???" "Why do people in San Diego wear fur coats?" "How much does a snow flake weigh?" "How much does a Realtor in the Caribbean make??" Nestled on the southern shores of Lake Ontario, Hamilton never seems to experience Winter quite as bad as everyone around us, but none the less..every year, without fail, we experience crazy temperature fluctuations, a wide selection of precipitation, salt covered cars and pot hole infested roadways camouflaged with a slushy mess.

If we're lucky, we don't really see the wrath of the "Winter Season" until the end of January or beginning of February, and very seldom does the season pass without a good old blizzard or a week or two of "Lake Effect" snow. So, we get by December...praying for snow on Christmas, skate through January with a little bit of snow and a dipping thermometer, and in February we get pummeled and the beautiful boots we've been babying for a couple of months get traumatized by a simple walk across the parking lot.

Yes, today is day 42 of Winter and we only have another 48 sleeps before Spring is officially here, a time when we can all share in the wonders of seeing fat little robins hunting on our lifeless lawns. If Mother Nature was manic-depressant, Winter would be a time that she'd be under close medical supervision. Yes...in the summer she can light up the sky with lightening...toss a bit of heavy rain or hail and throw in some crazy winds, but you'll never get "everything" in the summer. It's like she's de-cluttering in the Winter or something. Well, maybe it's more a case of "Cosmic weather" accounting, where she only has so many days to use it or she stands to loose it: permanently removed from her arsenal. Wind, heavy snow, light snow, heavy rain, light rain, drizzle, sleet, lightening, thunder, light winds, gale force winds, 0 degree celsius at noon...and -25 by 6 the next morning!! (That's the true definition of "plummeting") ...it's the full meal deal.

So, regardless if you need it or not, if you're experiencing Winter the same way I am...I'm going to do my good vibrational thing and giving you a few tips to help you get by the next 48 days....

Leather Boots...put the can of toxins away and grab the hard crisco, lard or olive oil and start rubbing it into and all over your leather boots in a circular fashion (please don't do this on suede). Rub those salt stains and let set for 5 or 10 minutes. Add a bit more oil, rub the stains a bit more and then wipe with a paper towel. Your boots will be clean and will have absorbed a good amount of oil to repel that wet stuff.

Cars....only wash them in the morning...unless you want to ice pick your way in the next morning!

Driving...make sure if you pull over to the side of the road into the snow...there's no possibility of it being a snow filled ditch.

Icicles....even though they're beautiful hanging off of your eaves...please don't stand under them and knock them down before they spear your dog, the neighbors cat...or worse yet, pull the eaves right off of your house!

Furnaces...if you have a high efficiency furnace, you have vent pipes protruding from the side of your house...make sure they're not covered with snow drifts!

Cook up some comfort food! Before I sign off, I want to praise the great vibrations of whipping up some good home cooked comfort food! A pot of chili, a tray of cabbage rolls, some homemade bread, maybe a dish of rice pudding? Cook it up and eat it up while you ride the wild ride of Winter...and save those diet plans for Spring...after all, it's only 48 days away!

5 Tips to Analyze a Snowstorm Warning!

Donna Bacher — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:05:00 GMT

Somethings in life are much better experienced as a surprise. I don't think Mother Nature ever intended to cause us any undue stress by worrying days in advance of her seasonal mood swings. In the "Old'n Days"...when I was a little grasshopper, my farmer parents would have an inkling that there was bad weather on the horizon because Grandmas' corns would start to act up, but very seldom did we worry about winter weather, because we somehow knew it was winter and dealt with storms on an "as needed" basis.

Not knowing what was coming created special adventures in our lives. The days we were snowed in at school...or stuck on school buses caught in those nasty snow drifts or deep ditches. Now..50 years or so later, we've effectively wiped all of the surprise out of the whole snow experience. Worse yet, sometimes the snow never does come, leaving us with nothing more than a shiny new snow blower, 5 gallons of gas and foot marks on our back because we were trampled at the local grocery store getting provisions for tiding us over!

I've decided that "Snow Storm Warnings" are worse than the actual storms they predict...and I'm going to share with you the 5 simple indicators I use to predict if the Environment Canada predictions are correct. When there's a storm warning I automatically give it a "Level 5"...being the worse possible winter storm.

Then I.....

1) Check to see if any parts of my body hurt. If nothing hurts, I downgrade the storm by 1 level.

2) Check to see if I already have food and toilet paper in the house. If I have enough for a week..especially toilet paper, I downgrade the storm another point.

3) Check to see if I have anything really important scheduled for the predicted storm day..like picking up lottery winnings or something..if I don't, I downgrade the storm again.

4) Check to see if I have a few bottles of wine. If I have wine in the house (sometimes I check to make sure the neighbor has wine as well) I downgrade the storm one more notch.

5) Check to see if I have any Clients closing their house purchases...and therefore moving. Deals closing and clients moving on the day a storm is predicted is almost a 100% guarantee that one wild snow fest is headed our way...without a doubt! If I don't..I simply downgrade the storm. :)

But...over the years, I've discovered a direct connection between my snow tires and winter storms. If for some reason the winter has been mild and I just haven't bothered putting on my snow tires...I know that the "Winter Storm Warning" banner flashing across Environment Canada's website is a very bad omen indeed. Previous experiences have proven to me that when this happens, it doesn't matter about the other indicators! There will be a storm of magnificent proportions...arriving 12 hours before expected and.... I'll be sliding all the way to Queenston Tire to stand in line with all of my fellow snow tire procrastinators!

For the record....my snow tires were on in November!

Hamilton....It's a Beautiful City!!!!

Donna Bacher — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:34:00 GMT

My Grandma always told me never to worry about what anyone said about me...she taught me that a person was only the sum of the thoughts they had about themselves, and I'm here to say the same to the great city I live in! "Hamilton...you are beautiful! and don't listen to those who say you're not!" Yes, Hamilton is an absolutely gorgeous City and I'm proud to be a Hamiltonian.

A month or so before his election victory, I had an opportunity to speak with our new Mayor, Bob Bratina about Hamilton's image. Back then, mayoral candidate Bratina was quick to enlighten me as to various exciting developments in the City. There were Companies that had their shovels in the ground, fantastic projects on the table and lots of people and corporations looking to make Hamilton a place to call home.

How I'd love to turn on the radio one morning to hear about all of the proactive, positive things that are happening.: new developments, the expanding art community, our incredible theatre, our very active Real Estate market. We're also home to some pretty incredible people. The volunteers of Partners in Nutrition, The Elizabeth Fry Society, The Good Sheppard Centre....the Snow Angels...all the Big Brothers and Big Sisters, everyone who goes the extra mile to make this City wonderful and caring place. We've got miles of breathtaking trails, and hundreds of gorgeous waterfalls, the biosphere and people like Brian Nason who have a vision for the Chedoke Winter Park. There's so much more than aging infrastructure and the boggled business dealings at City Hall. I'm sure if we looked around us, we'd find many City's with the same types of issues, so why do we allow ourselves to get beaten up all the time!

Hamilton was a City built on dreams...just like any other City in North America. The Founding Fathers of our great City, George Hamilton, James Durand and Nathaniel Hughson were driven by vision and perseverance. They overcame obstacles and saw opportunities, shaping the City of Hamilton into a productive and thriving City. Now, almost 200 years after George Hamilton purchased the Durand Farm with a vision of Hamilton in his mind, we sit here and belly ache about how bad of a City we live in. Shame on us!

It's time that we start to appreciate what we inherited and the best way to beat the negativity game is to trump it with the positive card. Lets start cheering on Hamilton and embrace every new brick that gets stacked or polished! Let's be happy to be a Hamiltonian!

Easy Holiday Fudge

Donna Bacher — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:46:00 GMT

I know that this certainly isn't Real Estate related, but every year I get asked for my fudge recipe...it's easy, tastes great and I got it years ago the local schools fundraiser cookbook! I think you'll love it too!

Make sure that you have the pan ready when you start making the fudge...otherwise, you'll have a pot full of fudge! (I learned the hard way!!!) Enjoy!!

Easy Holiday Fudge

1 small can undiluted evaporated milk (2/3 cup)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups (16 medium marshmallows) >>>I use the miniature ones

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat to boiling, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir 1 to 2 minutes, until marshmallows melt. Pour into buttered 9 inch pan. Let cool... Cut into squares!

How Can Things Be So Different???

Donna Bacher — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:53:00 GMT

I think it's amazing that two countries attached to each other by a 5,525 mile line can be so different. Canada and the United States: with Canada being the largest nation in the world sharing a border with only one country and it's also the longest un-militarized border in the world.

In October, 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis in the US, the World Economic Forum proclaimed that Canada had the soundest banking system in the world. As caring neighbors to the North (and Canada is always caring! lol) we watched in horror as the US financial and housing market collapsed. In Canada, we were complaining about high income taxes, loss of jobs, our involvement in the war and a rising national deficit, but our concerns paled in comparison to the concerns of our neighboring Americans.

Our Country fell into the same recession as everyone else. Jobs were lost in all sectors. People lost their life savings as the stock market crashed. However, at the end of the financial tsunami, the majority of Canadians found that it was life as usual. Yes, our Real Estate prices had taken a bit of a hit, and lending criteria had tightened, but we didn't have the massive foreclosure rate that our counterparts south of the border were experiencing.

The internet has a tendency to blend our two countries together. homogenizing us into one North American market; it's apparent when I shop for an hour online, get to the check out and discover that wherever I've been shopping doesn't ship to Canada.

In the land of Real Estate, things are very different. Dean Baker from the Washington based Centre for Economic and Policy Research recently stated that he see's no reason why Canada's housing prices are 50% higher than those in the US...and a collapse of our housing market is predictable. He also predicts that we can see a drop in housing prices by 25 to 30% if the interest rate climbs by 2 points. Now, Mr. Baker is a highly acclaimed and respected Economist and I certainly can't be a match to his expertise with my a handful of University Economic courses, but after 35 years of finance and real estate experience, I beg to differ with him on this one.

Lets look at some facts about Canada. Did you know.....

•· That the population of New York City in 2005 was 8,391.197 more than the entire population of the Province of Quebec...which was 7,856,881?

•· New York City in 2006 equaled the sum of the 2006 population of the top 8 Cities in Canada, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Mississauga, Winnepeg and Vancouver.

•· According to Statistics Canada, in 2006, 99% of the population of Canada lived on 5% of Canada's soil.

•· Canada's entire population is equivalent to the population of the top 23 cities in the USA or the State of California.

Now lets look at how much cheaper housing in Canada really is! I live in Hamilton, Ontario, an urban centre with a population of approximately half a million people. We are about 20 miles to the south of Toronto, Canada's largest city. A 2010 report by the Hamilton Community Foundation gives a clearer picture of the demographics.

· Hamilton's average house price is about three-and-a-half times average family income, lower than provincial and national averages.

· Almost 60 percent of Hamilton adults are overweight or obese - an increase of almost 10 percentage points since 2001 and currently almost 10 percentage points higher than the provincial average.

· Library use in Hamilton increased 28 percent between 2007 and 2009, and is higher than the average for large municipal libraries in Ontario. More Hamiltonians also owned a library card last year than their counterparts across the province.

· Hamiltonians aged 25-64 are less likely to have completed post-secondary education than the provincial average.

· Voter turnout in Hamilton is low, particularly in municipal elections, where only 38 percent voted in 2006, three percentage points below the provincial average. Turnout also varies dramatically by neighbourhood, ranging from above 75 percent in some to below 25 percent in others in the 2008 federal election.

So, to sum it up, Hamilton is home to a lot of overweight, low educated people who don't even exercise their rear ends to get out and vote! But, we sure like getting library cards!

The average household income in Hamilton in 2007 was $64,600. and the average home price was $166,783. 2009 Average rents in Hamilton show $831 for a 2 bedroom and $1022 for a 3 bedroom apartment/townhome/house and there was a healthy 4% vacancy rate. One difference between a city the size of Hamilton and a US counterpart with similar population, such as Kansas is the average household income. In 2009 Hamilton was $64,900 and in Kansas it was 47,817, thus people in Kansas simply can't pay as much for a house...therefore, lower average prices.

In 2010, Kansas increased it's minimum wage to 7.25 an hour. In Ontario, Canada, the minimum wage went up to 10.25 an hour, and students minimum wage is 9.60 an hour.

I always refer to the "rental factor" to home prices. That is that no one will pay more for a house if their monthly interest payments and taxes are more than what it would cost to rent it. Why would they? With that being said, an increase of 2 % in prime interest rates that Mr. Baker warns of, would mean that the payments on the average $166,000 Hamilton house, with a 95% loan to value mortgage of $157,700, would increase the 25 year amortized payments from $746.00 a month to $917.00, approximately $150.00 a month; still well below what they could rent the house for! Plus after 5 years, the homeowners will have paid their mortgage down by $18,000.00. Two people working at 2 minimum wage jobs in Ontario will earn approximately $42,000 a year. They would be qualified to spend $12,600 a year on housing, which would allow them to buy a home for approximately $160,000, with a 4 %, 5 year termed, 25 year amortized mortgage. It would be cheaper than rent.

So Mr. Baker, I do not believe you are going to win an award for this prediction. Why? Because we have higher minimum wages in Canada, it costs much more to build a house here. Also, we only live on 5 % of our land...even though we have more land...it's much more habitable in the South, so the raw land values near our urban centres will continue to rise. We also have very strict building codes...the majority of our homes have full basements and lots of insulation, plus central heating and cooling systems. This adds a lot of cost to the price of a regular home.

As a Canadian, we pay up front by way of taxes for our social assistance and health care, and the lowest minimum wage in the whole Country is $8.00 an hour. Even though our Health Care system has it's issues, Canadians can rest assured that they never have to worry about spending their mortgage payment in the hospital emergency room. As a Canadian we have a strict Bank Act and lending criteria that secures affordability for homeowners. The market may go up and down 10 or 20 percent, but it will stay stable.

Canada is a very special and unique Country. We may be viewed as socialist...but when I hear about the woes of property owners south of the border, my heart aches. When I witnessed my Grandparents from California spend their entire life savings for cancer treatments and "end of life" care, my heart ached. Perhaps, the USA could learn a few things from Canada. In our real estate market, we race to sell Bank Foreclosures and we always get paid. They fly off the market like hotcakes. So, it's hard to understand the "short sale" market, people living in their homes for a year or two without making a mortgage payment and everything else that you're experiencing.

We are simple...and our banks are simple. Miss the first month, get a reminder, miss the second payment get a demand letter, and miss the 3^rd, get notice to be out in 45 days. Day 45, the Sheriff comes to secure the house. 45 days later, the house is on the market by the bank. If it was a high ratio mortgage, Canada Mortgage and Housing, Genworth, or AIG gives the bank the full value of the mortgage. If it was less than 80% to value, there was no insurance, and the bank takes its portion plus all their expenses and any surplus goes back to the owner. The whole system works like a charm.

Mr. Baker, you forget how different Canada really is.

The Price We Pay

Donna Bacher — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:33:00 GMT

Do you have any memory of what life was like BG? Before Google? I have a hard time remembering or perhaps I don't care to remember. Things are so much easier now! Yet, the concept of Google is slightly more than a decade old...and the Googlelization of life only became really popular 6 years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Google (I'm trusting that wikipedia would only publish correct info about Google..lol) None the less, we now live in a Google world, with very little memory of what our existences were like prior to Google being crowned "King of ALL Search Engines". But Google is more than the search engine we are all addicted to. They are information/technology masterminds: Giants! The most amazing star that shines in the internet sky and every business person knows that things are much better in their world if they have that coveted front page planet spot in the Google Universe.

Google: They are growing and expanding every minute of every day..and we can even thank them for keeping us abreast of Santa's progress at Christmas since they also have the contract for "NORAD Tracks Santa" , a holiday necessity. Google...how can something so good...be so free? Or, are we simply enjoying the perks with blinders on, opting not to look in the "You've Got Mail from Google" envelope to see exactly how much we pay for all of this? It's simple...we pay with pieces of information about ourselves. But, it's relatively painless...perhaps a conditioning of the modern society we live in, where we seem to value money more than our privacy.

During her speech at the ARMA International Annual Information Symposium, Chantal Bernier, Assistant Privacy Commissioner of Canada highlighted the huge privacy challenges we all face in the new era of "Big Data". As an everyday person, we relish the thought of acquiring a computer with 500 gigabytes, but "Big Data" is much more than that.

In this speech, Ms. Bernier states "According to the Economist, for example, one million customer transactions per hour feed into the Wal-Mart's databases, which in turn are estimated to hold more than 2.5 petabytes of data.

How much is that? Take all the books catalogued in America's Library of Congress, and multiply by 167."

She also goes onto say that as individuals, we are only responsible for 10% of all of the information that is out there about us. That would include online transactions, pictures, blogs, social networks etc. The other 90%? Ms. Bernier goes onto say:

"The other 90 percent coalesces behind them in a contrail of credit records, surveillance images, analytics on behaviour, web-use histories and so on. We are coming to a world where ambient technology picks up personal information as an "emanation" so to speak, gathering perhaps independently trivial information, but aggregated, forming disturbingly complete profile of an individual."

On November 15th, 2010, our Privacy Commission gave the following speech http://www.priv.gc.ca/speech/2010/sp-d_20101115_e.cfm and it's the contents of this speech that really instigated this blog. I listen to the news all the time...and until I read this speech online, straight off of the Privacy website, I had heard nothing about the Privacy Commissioner of Canada vs. Google in concern to the Google Street View Cars and the information they collected on Canadians.

Isn't it amazing that we are helpless little creatures when it comes to technology. To think that Google hands us something for free...like Google Earth..an incredible technology that lets us go to anyones' house and look up and down the street was also using extremely sophisticated technologies to pick up WiFi signals...and record all the information off of unsecured networks??? If you want a good shock, check out the Commissioners findings released on October 19th, 2010... http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_101019_e.cfm

The funny part of this whole situation is that apparently, Google wasn't even aware that they were collecting this information....????

We are very fortunate as Canadians to have a Privacy Commissioner as astute and brilliant as Jennifer Stoddard. I think that any visitor to the Office of Privacy website will be as impressed as I am, with her efforts to protect our rights in this ever growing "Big Data" age.

Spend some time checking the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's website...know your rights and find out what the Commissioner is doing to protect them!

And, as the Canadian Privacy Commissioner tackles the giant, I'm going to write to Santa...with only one thing on my Christmas list...."The name of the next little guy....trading in the $10.00 per share range...on Googles menu! " Oh what a very merry present that would be!!!