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There are many ways all of us can give back to our fellow man and our community. I joined our city running club about 20 years ago and now participate in a few races from the 5k to the ultra marathon each year. All the races are usually donating to some worthy cause and it feels good, especially after the race is over, to know that a great deal of the monies are going to a charity who needs help.

Yesterday, I participated in a little 5k race locally and was very pleased to be part of the 285 other race/walkers helping to raise funds for the IWK. We all know it is heart lefting to see the amazing things the folks at IWK can do to make these little children recover.

So when you see the next race in your community advertised, think of joining the fun. Think of the good you can do for your friend, neighbour and community. Also, as you prepare for any given race you will be pleasantly surprised as to how will you eat and how good you feel after a little 5 mile run to get in shape. I know when I train for a marathon, I never feel more alive than when I complete a 10 or 20 mile training run. No, I don't expect you to do this but you could start by walking a half mile for a week, then 1 mile for a couple weeks, then walk/run the mile for a couple weeks, then run the 1 mile all the way. Then after a week of running the mile once a week add a half mile each week until your up to 5 miles. Then enter your first 5k race and run it easy. No one says you have to run to win. Just take it easy until you have run a few 5k and 10k races then you are ready to run what ever you want up to a marathon or even an ultra marathon.

Now you see I just gave you a free training schedule which would be very do-able for just about anyone. Obviously, if you are older or much over weight it would be prudent to get a check up with your doctor before doing any real strenuous excercise.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm that old guy coming into the finish line in 25.54 minutes. Wow, how you do slow down when you get over 65+++. But the real important thing to note is if an old guy like myself can do it, I can only hope I can inspire you to at least give it a try. The worst thing that can happen is you will become healthy and maybe even be like me who almost never gets sick and has never been injured in 20 years of running. I know it is hard to believe but as my fellow runners who I am sure will confirm. Anyway, check out our running website; www.anb.ca.

It's been a pleasure running this race and a joy sharing with you a way to become inexpensively healthy, happy and most of all a wonderful feeling of self-gratification in sharing your time and money to so worth while causes from building gymnasiums for your school, soccer fields, ball diamonds, playgrounds, hospital equipment, serving at your blood bank, heart and stroke, diabetes fun drives, lung association, to cancer research, etc. etc. The list just goes on and on. So Folks the next time you give don't just give $20 but get personally involved. You will be so happy you did. Giving is always better than receiving!!!

Wow! what a fantastic year we are having in the City of Fredericton. Listings are up in March 17% over last year @ 663 in total. Year over year listings are up 13% @ 1544. Again it looks very much like this growth is going to continue even in the face of substancial interest rate hikes. The market here in Fredericton is so strong that it is the #1 commodity that everyone wants to aquire. So vendors get your home on the market now and take advantage of this super active boom time.

If we think listings are strong so far this year, wow, look at sales. This month sales have jumped 47% over last year for the month of March. Year over year sales are up a whopping 45%. This represents a total dollar volume of $36,666,334 for March sales and a year over year volume until March 31,2010 to $73,661,770. If this trend just holds to June 30, which I think it will, we will do even better than we did last year.

So Buyers and Sellers we are definitely in a Prosperity Market, which means that both buyers and sellers, are in a win-win situation. Even with this last interest rate hike, interest rates are still @ around the 4% range. A far cry from the 18%-24% rates through the 80's. Now is the time for serious soul searching People. Make that quantum leap now and lock your rate in for 5 to 10 years and the next surge in interest rates won't even affect you. The sun is out so take advantage and enjoy your home shopping today. Wait not ! Act today, for tomorrow is a long way off!!!

Phil Booker, Booker Realty, Real Estate Fredericton Oromocto CFB Gagetown Tweet,tweet; Oh, but it was so beautiful early this morning. There is something surreal about running in the last snowfall of the year---so refreshing! Don't you think?

Phil Booker, Booker Realty, Real Estate Fredericton Oromocto CFB Gagetown

Tweet, tweet; Oh, but it was so beautiful early this morning. There is something surreal about running in the last snow of the year---so refreshing! Don't you think?

When a seller lists their home on the market it is natural for them to list for the highest possible price they can expect. Of course in the beginning of the listing the vendor and the real estate salesperson are quite optimistic of their expectation of receiving the list price. Now, in a perfect, world one can only hope that this listing price is attainable.

However, as time goes on and the market changes ever so slightly, maybe everyones expectations are remaining rather over confident in still trying to obtain the original listing price. As an example, say the property was listed on May1,2010 but 2 months goes by and the vendor finds himself missing selling his home in the hot Spring season and now he is facing the very busy summer season when most families go to the cottage or on a long holiday, and just are not around to buy their home. What do they do?

The home is in excellent shape, staged very well and in a good location. So what is the problem? Both the vendor and the agent know but neither are necessarily prepared to admit it. Well Folks, this is where tough love comes in. It is the agents responsibility to suggest to the vendor that maybe we really were too optimistic in our expectations as to what your home would sell for. Thus, Mr. Vendor, I dislike saying this but as the market has cooled of late, we would be smart to reduce the price to see if we can attract some buyers in say the next lower category; i.e. if the home was listed for $325,000 it is likely one would have to reduce the asking price to at least $314,500. After 60 days on the market one really should have received at least one offer. Otherwise, the hand writing is on the wall. The property has to be overpriced and to delay any longer would only result in reducing the price even more at a later date when the market is even much slower. Of course, there is another option, if the vendor is not in a hurry, he could always wait until next Spring and try again. The danger with this school of thought is that the market could take a substancial downturn a year later.

Well folks, it is really not a perfect world so we must adjust as we experience the hard knocks of reality by seeing the results of our own decision process in the making. If we are unable to own up to making a mistake sooner then later, we could end up " reaping what we sow".