Jo-Anne Smith- Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga Region Real Estate, Ont

Global warming is the most serious issue facing every single living being on the planet today and as awareness increases, more and more communities are taking action to combat the continuing degradation of our planet's atmosphere.

Sydney, Australia demonstrated just how much of a difference one hour and one city can make last year when the residents turned off all of their lights for just 60 minutes.
How much of a difference? The amount is staggering when you consider how many cities there are on earth and how many hours in a day, month, year.
By turning off their lights for just 60 minutes, Sydney was able to stop 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the earth's atmosphere.

What began in Sydney, Australia, has now spread around the globe as more and more cities and communities join the 'EARTH HOUR' initiative in an effort to increase awareness of the tragic consequence mankind and it's advances have had upon the earth.

Earth Hour is scheduled for 8pm on March 29th and if your community has not pledged to take part yet, please ask yourselves and your mayor and news media 'Why not?'.
Helping your community to become part of this very important event is within your power and there are guidelines you can follow to ensure that your efforts will be successful.

This initiative speaks very loudly to governments worldwide that the time to wake up and take SERIOUS action is now. Tomorrow will be too late.
Many scientists believe we have already gone beyond the 'tipping' point and may not be able to stop the process we have so neglectfully begun.

Belleville and Quinte West, Ontario have commited to being a part of EARTH HOUR 2008 and on March 29th at 8pm, all residents and businesses will be turning off their lights for 60 minutes.
This initiative has now reached over 22 Canadian cities and hopefully, before March 29th arrives, all of Canada will have made the commitment.

What can we do in Ontario by committing to this challenge for one hour?
It remains to be seen and I hope that you, as a part of this earth we call home, our ONLY home, will commit to this now by recording it on your calendar and by telling all of your friends, family, acquaintances and if you have a public platform, using it to speak out.

In Ontario the demand for electricity at 8 pm on March 29th, 2007 was 18,969 megawatts. This is a very significant portion of the 27,000 megawatts of power available in Ontario, 17.8 % of which is generated by the burning of coal.
Lights are a relatively small portion of the overall demand for electricity and make up approximately 15 % of the demand.

If just over 2 million people in Sydney, Australia were able to stop 25,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere by turning out their lights for 60 minutes, how much can we as an entire globe stop?

In this urgent initiative, that will sweep the entire planet as each city turns off their lights at 8pm their local time, lays the seed that will raise awareness to a global level and possibly unite us all in our last chance to begin to take the struggling life of our only home to heart and commit to saving it.

If we each commit to effecting positive change now, I believe that anything is possible and we just may be able to return this planet to the clean, ecologically diverse and healthy garden it once was.

Changes You Can Implement:

• Calculate Your Carbon and Cash Savings
  
  
• Ten Things You Can Do To Help Curb Global Warming
  
  
• Calculate Your Impact on Global Warming
  
  
• Reduce Your Impact At Home
  
  
• Travel the Globe to See What's Going On
  
  
• 51 Things We Can Do to Save the Environment
  
  
• Ontario EARTH HOUR updates and global news items, tips, and more
  
  
• Take Action! What Things Can You Do First?

©2008JoSmith

Jo-Anne Smith, B.Sc.
Sales Representative
Royal Lepage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
613-922-5978 Direct
613-966-6060 Office

After reading janeAnne's post yesterday about the 'Green is red hot' contest, I thought to myself how fitting her words for a title depicting a contest about what is happening in the world today.
Not specifically THE world, but more specifically the developed world.

Then on further thought, I realized those words could be shifted to read 'NOT Green is RED HOT', meaning the longer we neglect shifting more and more over to green power and green practices in our daily lives, the hotter and hotter the earth will become.

Ironically, we're having one of the snowiest winters on record here in Southern Ontario. Does this mean global warming is hoopla (as I've recently seen some mis-informed people stating, even right here in the RAIN)?
Of course NOT! Global warming is real.

If you've read the predictions, part of what is happening with global warming will cause the northern half of north america to become something that looks akin to another ice age.

The gulf stream, that which keeps us warm here in the north, is shifting and with it comes "always winter and never Christmas" just like in Narnia, that imaginary land of C.S. Lewis fame.
Just how imaginary is yet to be discovered and the closer we come to living in a true life 'Narnia', the more effort it takes to bury your head in denial.

I'm a relentless Pollyanna and I admit it's gotten me into plenty of trouble over the years. I always look at the bright side and am generally a very happy, bubbly sort of person.
Am I fooling myself? Not really.
The way I look at it, we're here, we might as well make the best of it and along with making the best of it, we have an obligation to make the best of it for those around us and those coming after us.

Yesterday I wrote a post called MORE MORE MORE.
It seems this post brought some un-comfortableness to a few readers, and when I thought about it, I realized that when we write with passion about things that matter, this is our ultimate goal; to inspire feeling in our readers.

It's not always pleasant feelings that are inspired, particularly when the subject matter is not pleasant.
Someone else found the title and the picture amusing and got a chuckle out of it. When they told me, I ended up laughing at their rendition too. I guess we all have our own perceptions of things.

MORE MORE MORE is a disease that has eaten away at this planet for the better part of the past 200 years and it's causing us all to come up with LESS LESS LESS.

• less fresh water
• less food
• less resources
• less species variety
• less peace
• less time
• less health
• and ultimately, less happiness.

What are we each doing in our daily lives to stop the MORE MORE MORE disease from spreading or to cure ourselves?
This is a question we need to be asking ourselves daily; if we care about the quality of life that our offspring will lead, if we care about the future of mankind and all other sentient species on this fragile green planet, if we have empathy and heart and soul. IF WE HAVE A CONSCIENCE.

The green revolution has been spreading in a viral like manner in recent years, and this time it's not a fad. This time, it's a matter of life and death and more and more people are realizing it. Heck, even our governments are finally starting to catch on.
Albeit a little too late, but hey, they're listening to the voice of the people, which ultimately leads to the vote of the people.

There is no longer any excuse not to be leading a greener life. Each and every community MUST take measures and do them now to start to take better care of their little corner of the world and each government MUST join forces in a co-operative manner to see to it that the energy we do have is not being squandered and that alternative energy sources, clean and low cost sources, are researched and begun to be used in a massive way.

This all takes time. Time we may not have. Many amongst us say that they're not worried. They believe that mankind in all of his ingenuity always rises to the task and saves the day in the end. If this is the case then tell me:

1. Why are our world food stores at their lowest level since 1980?
   
   
2. Why have the majority of our fresh water stores around the globe been depleted and the remaining ones so badly polluted that they have to be heavily treated in order to be somewhat safely (if you can call drinking a glass of carcinogenic chemicals safe)consumed by humans?
   
   
3. Why are we currently losing plant and animal species at a rate 1000-10,000 times higher than the natural background rate and said to be in a time of 'mass extinction' ?
   
   
4. Why are levels of diseases in mankind and in the animal world increasing exponentially?

I could go on with WHYS infinitum, but what would be the point?
How many WHYS does a person need before they finally GET IT?

What can you, as a person in the housing industry do?
Get certified now.

Take the courses on energy efficiency and green building practices that will lead you to a designation in NAGAB or as an ECOBROKER/AGENT.

Don't just take the courses, USE them!

Help and guide homeowners to bring their homes to Greenrealestate™ standards and show them that homes with this designation get significantly higher sale prices(usually selling over list price) and sell significantly faster. Buyers want these homes!

People today are educated and green savvy and want to do their part. The majority of people are willing to pay more for a home that is 'green' and energy efficient at the point of purchase.
Not only is there a significant cost savings to them in ensuing years with reduced energy costs, but these homes also leave them with a better feeling knowing that they are doing all they can to help the energy crisis we are now undergoing.

Green can spread and you as an agent/broker/person in the housing industry can be the agent for change.

Take the courses!
Right now in Canada, Royal Lepage is offering the Home Energy Efficiency course put out by NAGAB FREE to all of it's sales representatives and brokers and along with the course comes a year's membership in NAGAB.
What's stopping you? This course also qualifies for continuing education credits which we all require on a regular basis.

What can you as a homeowner do?

As a homeowner you can begin by taking the initial steps to get your home certified as a Greenrealestate™ home. Consult your local NAGAB real estate sales representative and have them guide you through the process of having your home inspected and remedied for deficiencies in energy efficiency.

There are numerous federal government grants available in Canada to assist you in home energy efficiency and each province offers additional grants to help the homeowner .
Doing this now will bring you a more comfortable home to live in, save you money over the remaining years you live there AND net you a significantly higher amount at the point of sale when you you decide to sell.
It will also set your house apart and help it to sell quicker.

These programs are available throughout the USA as well and each state has it's own grants that assist homeowners. Consult your local green agent for assistance or guidance as to the steps you need to take to undergo the transition today.

There's no longer any room for excuses not to go green and believing that mankind will save the day in the nick of time can only be realistic if you put yourself into the equation. It all starts with YOU.

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

©2008JoSmith

Jo-Anne Smith, B.Sc.
Sales Representative
Royal Lepage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
613-922-5978 Direct
613-966-6060 Office

You've made the decision to sell your house or perhaps you are in charge of selling a house for an estate or via power of attorney. A successful sale in a short time period, with a maximum sale price, is an achievable goal if you take the time to properly prepare the property in advance.

There are various things you can do to prepare a property for sale and I'll take you through each step as though we were looking at things through a prospective buyer's eyes. With this in mind, I ask you to grab a clipboard with paper and pen now and let's take a walk around the property.

Starting just beyond the property line at the front of the house, face the property and determine what catches your eye first.

Are there unkempt garden areas and overgrown shrubs and weeds?

Is the front entrance area/landing cluttered with items that perhaps could be stored away in the basement or a garden shed?

Is the siding clean and bright and is the wood trim tidy and not peeling or damaged?
Is the garage door clean and in good condition without any peeling paint or scuffs, dents and scrapes?

How's about the drive and walkways? Are they weed-free and have any glaring cracks or heaved areas been repaired?

Are the driveway and walkway's clean and clutter free?

Remember as we walk around, observing things from a buyer's eyes, that first impressions are extremely important and can set the tone for the rest of the viewing and the subsequent decision on whether or not to make an offer on the property and how much that offer will be.

As a buyer observes your property, they notice all things that need repair or replacement and they keep a running mental list of the costs that may be involved.
The amount of money that they determine the house is going to need will impact greatly on what amount they decide to offer you for the property and most will make deductions from the list price according to how much the house needs to bring it up to par.

With these things in mind, make a copy of the following checklist and lets take a walk around your property to see what passes and where a bit of time invested now will bring the greatest price and quickest sale for your property.

1.Lawn area:

2.Driveway:

• Crack-free__
• Relatively Spot-free__
• Clutter and weed-free__
• Crisp borders with lawn and garden areas__

3.Walkways:

• Weed free__
• Clean and freshly delineated from garden and lawn areas__
• Attractive__
• Safe__
• Clutter and litter-free__
• If winter, are walkways and front stoop neatly shoveled, salted and all ice removed?__

4.Landscaping:

• Are trees and shrubs neatly trimmed and attractive?__
• Does the choice of shrubs/plants suit the architecture of the house?__
• Are there colourful points of interest such as brightly coloured flowers and planters?__
• Is any of the landscaping causing damage to the foundation or siding of the house?__
• Is there proper grading that leads water down and away from the foundation of the house?__
• Excessive vines trimmed away or removed, particularly from sides of house__
• Clutter and litter free back and side yards?__
• All garden tools, toys, etc neatly stored in shed or other storage area?__
• Gardens neatly weeded and attractive?__
• All pet areas clean and scent free?__
• Dead trees/branches removed?_
• Outdoor ornaments/furniture attactive, clean and in good repair?__

5.Outside appearance of house structure:

• Eavestroughs firmly attached, clean, in good condition and freshly painted__
• Soffits and fascia clean and in good repair__
• Proper downspouts that lead away from the foundation of the house__
• Clean exterior siding/brick__
• Exterior siding/brick is in good repair__
• Windows clean and sparkling__
• All ripped/broken window/door screens and glass repaired/replaced__
• Window trim in good condition and freshly painted__
• Window sills in good condition, clean and/or freshly painted__
• Doors in good state of repair, clean and/or freshly painted/stained with all hardware functioning properly__
• Foundation clean and in good repair with no cracks__
• Roof clean and in good repair with no damage or clear signs of wear__
• Tree branches not rubbing on roof shingles/roof__
• Chimneys clean and in good repair with no signs of damage__
• Central air conditioning unit easily accessible, clean and in good repair__
• All hornet/bee/bird nests removed from house structure and any entrances into attic from outside patched and repaired__
• Deck clean, in good state of repair and freshly stained__
• Stairs clean, in good repair and freshly stained__
• Proper railings on all stair/deck areas__
• Fences in good state of repair, attractive, clean and/or freshly painted stained__
• Remove any unseasonal decor such as Christmas lights, wreaths, etc.__
• Attractive window treatments/blinds can help a house to look more attractive from the outside. Consider white or neutral tone lace curtains or drapes__
• Door mats are in good repair and are clean and attractive__
• Mailbox is attractive and in good state of repair__
• Exterior lighting all works (replace any burnt out bulbs or non-functioning fixtures) and is clean__
  

Remember~

1. A gallon of paint will pay for itself many times over.
   
   
2. You only have one chance to make a positive first impression.
   
   
3. Buyers do not want to buy a property that is dirty, unkempt, unsightly or in need of many repairs.
   
   
4. If you do not have a green thumb and do not want to hire a landscaping company/gardener, consider planting some geraniums in flower beds or planters. Red flowers attract the eye and make a property appear more cheerful and inviting.
   
   
5. The time and effort you expend on the exterior of your property prior to listing it, will lead to many buyers coming in to take a look with a quick sale netting you a maximum sale price.
   
   
6. Renting or borrowing a pressure washer to use on the exterior of your house, driveway, walkway and deck, will greatly enhance the appearance of your property and help buyers to feel a sense of confidence that the property has been taken care of and is a wise purchase choice.

If you are considering selling your property and would like a professional opinion of the most important things that you should do to prepare your property for sale, I would be happy to come over and give you my advice.

There is no cost or obligation for this service and having an outside party who will look at your property through the eyes of a buyer, will help you to focus your time and efforts on the areas where it will be the most beneficial to a successful and smooth sale of your property.

Jo-Anne Smith, B.Sc.
Sales Representative
Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage
613-922-5978 Direct
613-966-6060 Office

There comes a certain time of the year, when the light shifts and seems lower and paler in the sky, and when the crows can be seen busily flying from tree top to tree top with the great announcements they are spreading over the land, that I begin to be flooded with memories of the awakening earth.

I sense the deep roots of the tall maples opening up their pores once more and beginning to drink deeply of the thawing earth sending sweet maple sap up through their great trunks to feed the tender tips of their branches.

My mind goes back to childhood days spent in maple woods peering deeply into metal sap buckets where they hung on the trees and I recall dipping my finger into the dripping sap and tasting the clear, fresh liquid.

The memory of the awakening earth beneath my feet as evidenced by soft snow and mud patches here and there, reminds me that once again maple syrup time is upon us in southern Ontario, Canada.

Some of my fondest memories are standing in the sugar shack and smelling the sweet steam of the boiling sap mixed with the woodsmoke scent of the burning logs being fed into the old woodstove that heated the syrup pan. There's really nothing like it.
During those times, I felt one with the earth and the glory of Mother nature and all the bounty and beauty she offers up to us as part of her kingdom.

The collecting of maple sap is a late winter tradition that is over a thousand years old. Our Indigenous forefathers (for those of us who are partly descended from Native Americans) used maple sap for a special late winter drink and had developed ways to cook with it and also store it by boiling it down into crystallized sugar.

As Europeans began to colonize North America, the history of maple syrup took many turns as the white man adapted their own inventions and technology to the collecting and boiling down of maple sap.

Maple syrup time in the Quinte-Prince Edward County-Northumberland areas generally runs, depending on the weather, from late February to late March. The sap begins to run when the daytime temperatures are above freezing.

The best 'runs' are when the nights are frosty and the days are warmer and sunny.

40 Litres of maple sap are needed to make 1 Litre of maple syrup and there are mainly two types of maple trees which give sap that is suitable for making into maple syrup.
One of them, the Sugar Maple, is only found in North America. The other maple suitable for syrup production is the Black Maple.

A maple tree needs to be approximately 40 years old or at least 10 inches in diametre before it can be tapped for maple sap. (Watercolour Painting 'Maple Leaves' by Joyce Empey Smith of Belleville)

There are numerous festivals throughout Ontario during maple syrup time and two of the very best can be found right here in the Quinte region.
Warkworth, in the Trent Hills is holding it's annual Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival this weekend, March 8th and 9th.

Don't miss this memorable family event that draws thousands of visitors from near and far every year.
When visiting the festival this weekend, make sure to take in:

• Art Show and Sales
  
  
• Antiques Show and Sale
  
  
• Mini Golf (indoors)
  
  
• Pony Rides and Petting Farm
  
  
• Craft Show and Sales
  
  
• Great food served at numerous locations
  
  
• Fine village shopping~Warkworth, Ontario
  
  
• Free Shuttle Bus to the Sandy Flat Sugar Bush (admission to the Sugar Bush is $4 for adults, children are free)
  
  
• Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides through the sugar bush
  
  
• Taffy on Snow tasting
  
  
• Sap making Demonstrations and museum
  
  
• Nature Trails
  
  
• Contests~ Log sawing, three person plank race, snowshoe competition
  
  
• Entertainment with The Potter Band, Heartland Band, Step Dancers, Percy Swingers Square Dancers, Quinte Bay Cloggers, Touch of Class Cloggers
  
  
• A delicious traditional home cooked meal of piled high Pancakes, Sausages and Pure Ontario award winning maple syrup~ Adults $7, Children $3.

If you're unable to make the festival in Warkworth this weekend, at the end of March the award winning Maple in the County will be taking place in Prince Edward County.
For an awesome list of events that you can attend, make sure and check out this schedule of venues and what each is offering.

Some sites that may interest you:

OntarioMaple.com

OntarioMapleSyrup.com

Maple Syrup Recipes

Nothing can compare to pure maple syrup and Ontario is one of the best places in north america to visit during this annual event.
I hope you get to visit one of our local festivals and take home some maple syrup and other delectable maple delights to savour until maple syrup time arrives again next year!

©2008JoSmith

International Women's Day week (March 2nd-March 8th) is now upon us and the week long series of events, remembrances and re-newed commitments to bettering the lives of girls and women the world over, has begun.

What does it mean to me to be a woman in Canada today? It means that I have the opportunity to earn a living that enables me to support myself and therefore not depend on a husband or partner. This enables me to be in a relationship of my choice because I choose to be, not because I have to be.

It means that I was brought up to believe that I could be anything I wanted to be, and so I chose science and then real estate, because my Father believed that women were just as intelligent and had just as many abilities to progress in life as men.

I live in a free society where, although there are still many injustices committed against women daily behind closed doors, we now have the ability and the ways and means to make our choices for ourselves and our children, particularly when we find we are living in a situation that is destructive to our spirit(s) or worse.
It means that support systems have been put in place and laws have been formulated to help women to live more peaceful and empowered lives.

The United Nations General Assembly asked all of it's members to proclaim a day for the rights of women and international peace in 1977. Canada chose March 8th and in each subsequent year, on this date, has celebrated the inroads that society has made to further empower women and has brought to light areas where still more needs to be done.

Throughout communities across Canada this week, events will take place to honour and recognize women as people, as humans with rights who are deserving of dignity and respect and as valuable members of society.

In Canada, this years theme for International Women's Week is 'Strong Women, Strong World" and in my heart I know this to be true.

I come from a long line of strong women. Women who stood up for themselves as best they could in a world that was not always conducive to independent and strong women.

I'm proud of my Mother and Stepmother and Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers and all they have accomplished as women during difficult times.

• They have paved a road for me that has given me far more choices than they ever had.
  
  
• They have taught me to value dignity and being respected for who I am.
  
  
• They have taught me that a woman can be kind and gentle and loving and at the same time stand up for what is right in the face of adversity.
  
  
• They have taught me that a woman and all people are deserving of respect and to be treated with kindness and tolerance and compassion.
  
  
• They have taught me to value my gifts and to do my best for the children and the elderly and for those who are less strong or perhaps cannot see the way.

With International Women's Week upon us, I ask you to all take time to consider the lives of the women who came before you, what they did for you and what you have learned from them.
Take time to thank them in silent prayer, for those who are no longer here, and in person for those who still are.
Let them know that their strength has made you stronger, that the way they led their lives was an example to you in being the best person you could be for yourself and your family and those who you come into contact with.

Take time to consider how society is raising young girls today and whether or not we are teaching them to be strong and have high self-esteem.

• Are we teaching them about relationships and what is right and what is not right?
  
  
• Are we guiding them to see things that may be bad signs in relationships so that they may learn while they are young and not lead the same difficult paths of so many women who have gone before them?
  
  
• Are we empowering them with skills and knowledge and encouragement to be all that they wish to be and teaching them that they have this power within their very being?
  
  
• Are we setting a good example by choosing to be in healthy relationships, ourselves? Relationships where we are respected, cherished and adored?
  
  
• Do we speak up when we see wrong doing taking place and do we step in to help a woman or child in need?

Our actions today will affect the lives of all of those women and men who will come after us well into the future. Someday our own grandchildren may be looking back and thanking us for how we lived our lives today, the choices that we made and how we taught them what is right and what is wrong in the society of man.

To celebrate and honour the women in your life this week, bring them flowers, take them for dinner, give them a hug and a note telling them how you honour who they are and what they have done for you, thank them with a smile and a word of appreciation, attend an International Women's Week/Day event or silently acknowledge all of those who have come before you and give thanks to them in your own way.

In Belleville this week:

Shawn Susan Doyle will be speaking at the Belleville Public Library on March 5th. Her presentation, called "Healing Our Spirits and Re-creating Our Lives" will include cover women's spirituality, women's rights and violence against women.
Shawn believes that "if violence is going to stop anywhere in the world, it has to stop within ourselves first". This event is free and you can reserve a seat by calling 613-962-1212 or by email at info@unac-quinte.ca.

©2008JoSmith