The long arm of the Ontario government taxman is desperately trying to reach even deeper into consumers' pockets, this time with his eye squarely on home buyers in this province. I just received the following press release from our local board. Please read on:
(Toronto, March 26, 2009) Ontario’s REALTORS® say the McGuinty government's plan to harmonize the GST and PST will add over $2,000 to the cost of a real estate transaction, hurting the resale home market and prolonging the housing industry’s recovery from the current economic downturn.
“Now is not the time to be erecting barriers to homeownership,” said Pauline Aunger, President of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). “We need consumers to invest in housing to help get our economy going again.”
According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home sales in the province of Ontario were down 29 per cent in February, compared to 2008.
Under a harmonized sales tax (HST), home buyers and sellers will have to pay extra tax on a range of services associated with real estate transactions such as legal fees, moving costs, real estate commissions and home inspection fees. Currently, consumers only pay the 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on these services.
“These additional taxes could price some homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers, right out of the market,” explained Mrs. Aunger. “Harmonizing will not help homebuyers in any way. I urge the Government of Ontario to avoid sales tax harmonization and work with REALTORS® to promote homeownership as a safe and secure investment.”
For a resale house priced at $360,000, a HST could add over $2,000 in new taxes to closing costs. In total, a HST will add $313 million annually in new taxes to resale home transactions.
“In the last decade, Ontario’s homeowners have faced a barrage of new costs,” said Aunger. “From municipal land transfer taxes to sky rocketing property taxes, homeowners are being pushed to the brink to accommodate increasing demands from government. A harmonized sales tax is yet another cash grab on Ontario’s already overtaxed homeowners.”
With respect to new housing, a study conducted by the world’s largest real estate advisory group, Altus Clayton, indicated that a new HST would cause tax increases for new single detached homes ranging from $8,957 (Windsor) to $17,049 (Ottawa) outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and from $24,566 (Mississauga) to a whopping $46,676 (Toronto) within the GTA. According to the Building Industry Development Association (BILD), a HST on new homes would cost Ontario home buyers $2.4 billion annually. Altogether, a HST on new and resale homes could cost consumers $2.7 billion annually in new taxes.
OREA urges the Government of Ontario to avoid harmonizing the PST with the federal GST. Such an alteration to Ontario’s tax policy would costs consumers, particularly homebuyers, millions, ensuring that housing sector’s recovery from this economic downturn is unnecessary prolonged. REALTORS® are eager to work with the Government of Ontario to keep the costs associated with homeownership at affordable levels, encouraging homeownership as a safe and secure investment.
Ontario’s real estate industry is essential to the provincial economy. In 2008, real estate in Ontario accounted for $56.6 billion in sales, $6.01 billion in ancillary economic spending and $1.35 billion in land transfer tax revenue to the provincial government. In addition, real estate employs 110,000 Ontarians directly and indirectly. The Ontario Real Estate Association represents 47,000 brokers and salespeople who are members of the 42 real estate boards throughout the province.
QUICK FACTS
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Table 1: HST and Resale Homes |
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Taxable Service |
Current Tax Payable |
New Taxes |
HST Tax Payable |
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Mortgage Insurance Premiums |
$752.40 |
$470.25 |
$1222.65 |
|
Legal Costs |
$50.00 |
$80.00 |
$130.00 |
|
Real Estate Fee/Commission |
$720.00-$1,080.00 |
$1,152.00-$1,728.00 |
$1,872.00 - $2,808.00 |
|
Home Inspection |
$20.00 |
$32.00 |
$52.00 |
|
Title Insurance |
$24.00 |
$15.00 |
$39.00 |
|
Total New Tax: |
$1,749.25 - $2,325.25 |
Contact: Jim Flood Director of Government Relations, Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) 416-442-3408
1 CMHC premium of 2.75% for mortgage with a 5% down payment on a $300,000+ home.
2 Consumers currently pay the 8% PST on mortgage insurance premiums.
3 Real estate commissions are negotiable or may be a flat fee. Estimated range of 4% to 6% used.
4 Ministry of Finance, Public Accounts, 2007/2008.
5 Altus Group, “Economic Impact of MLS® Home Sales,” June 12, 2007.
The Ontario government, in hopes of converting the province from an auto-industry driven economy to a green-energy driven economy with its groundbreaking Green Energy Act ( http://www.greenenergyact.ca/ ), may soon rival California as North America's "greenest" area.
"With this initiative, Ontario is on track to become a leader in the global shift to clean energy and in preventing dangerous climate change," said Mark Lutes, climate change and energy policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation.
However, an interesting tidbit tucked neatly into the legislation aims to make energy audits a mandatory step before someone can sell their home. And this has caused quite a stir in the real estate circles.
In a press release sent out by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), Bob McLean, director of communications, stated: "Ontario REALTORS® agree with the principle of energy efficiency for homes expressed in the Government of Ontario's proposed mandatory home energy audit, but they say that the additional costs will hurt homeowners, especially in these economic times.
"This mandatory government regulation will impose a significant cost on home sellers. As with most Canadians, we don't believe in green at any cost," said Gerry Weir, President of OREA "It's not the initial cost of these audits that concerns us," he said. "Rather, the results of these audits will be used by home buyers as bargaining chips to significantly reduce the final selling price.
"Today's economic downturn is a terrible time to introduce this measure. Home sellers are already worried about lost equity in their homes. A move like this, which will reduce their value even further, will not help them in any way," Mr. Weir said.
REALTORS® favour government encouragement of energy efficiency in homes through expanded tax breaks and other measures.
In addition, REALTORS® point out that there is no one standard for energy audits. Different firms arrive at different assessments of the same house. "EnerGuide ratings of an existing home can and do vary between energy auditors, depending on the assumptions they make and the extent of data they collect on the building's actual construction," Mr. Weir said.
Furthermore, since there is no regulation of energy auditors, a conflict of interest can arise if a contractor conducts the audit. There is a natural inclination for that contractor to find problems that he can offer to repair for the homeowner.
Many details of the energy audit proposal have not been released. For instance, the government has not said if an energy audit will be required if a property is transferred between family members. Nor have they said how long an energy audit will be recognized as valid. For example, if a homeowner sells within one year of buying a property, will the previous energy audit be recognized?"
--Interesting points, but I think we've got to start leading the way toward more energy efficient homes and this seems to be a step in the right direction. I welcome the opportunity to help guide my buyer clients through the maze of greenwashed homes by having a "window sticker" to look at in the form of an energy audit.
And I look forward to assisting my sellers in finding a reputable energy auditor, by helping explain what changes they can make to their home in order to make it more energy efficient and therefore attractive to a potential buyer. Bring on the Green Energy Act!
~Bruce
"People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" ~Peter M. Senge~
A rather sensationalistic article just came out in Maclean's (a leading Canadian weekly magazine) stating that the Canadian housing market has the potential to fall off the cliff like our U.S. neighbours. Judging by the number of errors in the article being reported by Teranet and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) who say they weren't even contacted for the article, I wonder about the motivation behind the story. This is their headline: "The shocking truth about the value of your home."
In 1997, while traveling through the U.S. on a three-month journey with my family, I was shocked by the daily dose of negative press about the U.S. economy, housing values, etc. It was as if they were willing themselves to a lemming-like plunge off the money ledge. And predictably, not to be outdone, the Canadian media now seem hyper-inspired to spoon feed us from the same bottle using the same spoon.
As a realtor (and former journalist), I'm not asking the media to mislead us by printing stories about sunshine, puppies and roses but I do feel they have a responsibility to not yell fire every time they're in a crowded movie theatre. Most editors will tell you that good news doesn't sell but a little good news can go a long way when people need a lift. And people need a lift right now.
Below is a letter sent to the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) members from Teranet pointing out the "erroneous information and misleading statements" in the article. Also, here's the link to the Maclean's article: (http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/23/the-shocking-truth-about-the-value-of-your-home/)
"Subject: Maclean's magazine MLS® attack
By Chris Butler, Account Manager, Real Estate (Teranet Inc.)
Teranet would like to take this opportunity to correct some erroneous information and misleading statements that have been made in a Maclean's article and on a BNN news segment, regarding Teranet's role in the Teranet - National Bank House Price Index (HPI). Off the top there are a couple of key points to make clear to you as you hear or read information from these news sources.
The first point is to clarify our exact role with the HPI - Teranet operates the Index as a co-venture with National Bank. Teranet, as part of other service offerings for the financial services industries, acquires property sales data from across Canada. Six metropolitan areas: Greater Toronto, Calgary, Greater Vancouver, Ottawa, Greater Montreal and Greater Halifax are used to compute the HPI. Of note is that Teranet uses historical property sales data collected from various provincial land registry systems and service providers.
As operators of the HPI, Teranet does not in any way make predictions as to the future trending of housing markets. The predictions cited by these news sources are those of various economists and investors.
A very advanced and proven methodology is used to compute the HPI that can be reviewed at the following link http://housepriceindex.ca and I encourage you to visit the site to become aware of the methodology and the sample reports.
Several sections of the Maclean's article provide inaccurate information:
The reality is that Teranet has every interest in seeing the real estate markets show positive growth, as our revenue on transactional services is directly linked to the housing markets, so we would not participate in a business that would work at odds with our strategic objectives.
You may also see a BNN news clip that was aired yesterday around 4:30pm that shows a table indicating that the "Teranet futures market" is predicting an 18% drop and no recovery for 5 years. Again, the predictions are not those of Teranet, nor are they computed through the HPI - the opinions are those of various economists and investors. The HPI generates the index values based on historical information of registered home sales.
Two further notes: Maclean's did not contact Teranet to validate the article. Also, the HPI has been referenced in the federal 2009 budget alongside Statistics Canada which is a good indicator that the methodologies used to facilitate the HPI are sound.
I hope this provides some insight into the Teranet - National Bank House Price Index and assists in correcting some inaccurate information that you and your board members, OREA and CREA may have read. Should you have any further questions, please review the information at http://housepriceindex.ca ."
Wow, has that become a cliché over the years. But I hope that it's not a tired cliché as these gentle Leviathans roaming our oceans need our help more than ever. Ever wonder where it all started? Read on.
I have an amazing friend who for years has put her young life on the line to literally do battle with the many whaling nations of our planet. Emily is once again sacrificing her holiday season to be in the Antarctic aboard the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin, away from family and friends, while fighting sea sickness and extreme cold. I'd be proud if either of my two young daughters were to follow in Emily's footsteps someday. Here's a note I received today from her:
"Hello friends and colleagues from the Antarctic waters. I left cold Toronto on the 4th of December to begin my voyage bound for an even colder place - Antarctica - on the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling campaign 2008-2009. After 48 hours of plane travel, five different cities, three countries and waiting in airports, I arrived on the 7th in Hobart, Australia, a small port city in Tasmania.
Sea Shepherd's ship finally arrived on the 10th in the morning and I settled into my new home for the next several months - a big black menacing-looking 180-foot patrol vessel originally bought from Scotland, the land of my ancestors. With a million dollars in upgrades, including a helicopter hanger, this ship had the air of professional eco-warrior. No longer is this a rag-tag ship with water leaking in and bolts busting off.
Instead, the ship was upgraded and made ready for war. The crew too is different: more professional and even more militant than amateurs. There is a professional helicopter pilot, a doctor, engineers, welders and former navy and police officers. Without a skilled trade in one's back pocket one almost feels useless (for me, the written word is my tool, so please visit the blog section of www.THISmagazine.ca where you can read my campaign blog Polarized).
The crew of 45 volunteers from around the world includes, for the first time ever, a crewmember from Japan. They all have a fierceness, conviction and focus I haven't seen before in the Sea Shepherd crews. Oh, and don't forget: environmentalism has gone Reality TV as Animal Planet is shooting their second season of ‘Whale Wars' during this campaign.
This is my fourth campaign abroad: I did a Galapagos conservation campaign in 2004 and three (including this one) with Sea Shepherd to the Antarctic opposing whaling. In all my sea campaigns, I have always been seasick at the beginning and this time was no exception. I've spent the last five days out of seven feeling like I was dancing with death - unable to eat, only able to be sick. Unable to work, only able to hug my mattress for dear life. It's been miserable but life has returned to me and it's a small price to pay to be aboard these important campaigns.
Today, I was able to steer the ship through a pack of ice as I work as quartermaster when I am not documenting the campaign (quartermasters work on the bridge of a ship). I stood at the helm this morning, imagining what it was like 35 years ago when my parents set in motion the first whale-saving campaign in the world with Greenpeace.
My father, Robert Hunter (co-founder and the first president of Greenpeace), listened to the ideas of Paul Spong and directed the group from stopping nuclear-testing to its next set of campaigns: saving whales. These were the campaigns that stopped Russian whaling in the Pacific Ocean. My mother Roberta (Bobbi) Hunter, Greenpeace's first treasurer, found the funding for the first campaigns and ships of Greenpeace. She once put herself directly between a harpoon and a whale, thus becoming the first woman in the world to save a whale.
They and the other Greenpeace co-founders set in motion the whale saving battle which is very much a planet-earth battle today. I stand here on the bridge of the Steve Irwin, steering the vessel in the southern oceans into an ultimate interception with whalers today, proud of my parents and happy to be a second-generation whale-saver. It's not banners and peace signs and the warmth of the south Pacific. It's very cold here and very dangerous. It truly is a war out here today. But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
~ For life and justice, Emily Hunter"
There is no part of a whale that is deemed essential to humans. Period. Most nations consider whales a special group of animals that should not be killed under any circumstances, even for "scientific" purposes, which is the cloak the Japanese use to justify their brutal whaling practices in the Antarctic.
Having just received the GREEN designation from NAR in November (and being "green" for as long as I can remember) I feel more and more like the planet just keeps slipping away from us so I'm thankful that we have people out there doing the "heavy lifting" for us.
Thank you Emily. Be safe and come home soon!
For further info and to donate, please visit this website: http://www.seashepherd.org/ and for the story of the Sea Shepherd: http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/sea-shepherd-history.html
Emily's brave actions have made me entertain the idea of joining a three-month Sea Shepherd crusade to protect the Galapagos Islands, a place close to my heart. I'll keep you posted on that one!
Happy Holidays to all...
Bruce
My nightmare of contact management is finally coming to an end. After using AgentOffice for the past 12 years (and outgrowing it about six years ago!) I felt it was finally time to investigate what's out there so I headed south in November to the 2008 NAR convention in Orlando to see firsthand. When Top Producer went internet a few years back I was envious yet reluctant to jump ship, knowing that AgentOffice would soon counter with their own version of an internet-based contact management system. Good thing I didn't hold my breath! Talk about a company dropping the ball on a loyal following...
So for the past few years I've been tucking contacts into:
1) AgentOffice (and doing back-ups and syncs and inventing new cuss words every time something went haywire and I had to sign up for their ridiculously expensive support services)
2) Outlook (my main email center) which never synced with my AgentOffice without great struggle
3) MobileMe (a handy though weak contact and email program from those wonderful Mac folks) which gave me the ability to access my contact info, emails and data from anywhere
I've now surrendered to the universe and, after a solid month of testing my top picks I decided (drum roll...), that I'm still torn between an internet-based system and a database system. Did I want to access my info from anywhere via web 2.0 enabled programs or maintain control over my data and have a beautifully clean sync between my emails and my database? A huge thank you to all who have posted on this topic (and there are many posts in the Rain about this topic) and thank you to Gary David Hall for your patience with my questions. It's down to two for my needs: RealFuture CRM for the internet or Mark-it Advantage Xi for the database.
I have a PC at my office, two PCs at home (one for me and one for my wife who is also my client services manager), a Mac desktop for photo and video editing (trust me, once you've done any kind of graphics work on a Mac after a lifetime of using PCs there is no going back!) and a MacBook laptop. Sounds like too many computers, I know, but there are still many MLS-related programs in my area that aren't Mac friendly yet. If I had my druthers, there'd be nothing on our desks but a Mac desktop but the real estate community isn't there yet in my opinion (though I will be giving Parallels 4.0 a try which will allow Windows XP -- no VISTA in my world -- to operate on my Mac).
I need my phone (Treo 700) to sync easily to my data, I need my email (Outlook) to flawlessly integrate with my CRM, I need a good referral tree and the ability to set up drip marketing campaigns. I want a company behind the product constantly updating the system and listening to its clients' needs. And I want to have complete control over my data and the ability to move it somewhere else should the need arise.
So, I am leaning heavily toward Mark-it Advantage Xi based on my above needs and also by the fact that this is the program of choice for Gary David Hall (aforementioned Guru of all things CRM-related) to use for his day-to-day business. Consider this: Gary has studied CRMs for years and is assembling a matrix right now using hundreds of questions to determine which CRM will be right for your needs (go here for a sneak peek: http://garydavidhall.com/CRMMatrixSample.htm ). Good enough for Gary, good enough for me. And during my test of Mark-it Advantage Xi, I easily pulled far more data from my old AgentOffice database than any of the other companies told me I'd be able to... and it only took a minute or two.
This has been a steady progression of scouring the internet for CRM comparisons and comparing them to my list of needs. The only thing I'll be giving up will be the ability to easily access my data from anywhere, anytime via the internet but realistically, with my Smartphone, I'm never far from my data anyway. Good luck to those of you still searching for the perfect CRM. If anyone knows of a more complete solution, please let me know so I can see how it stacks up against Mark-it Advantage Xi.
Happy Holidays!
Bruce
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Proudly serving Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Town of the Blue Mountains and Tiny Beaches for all of your real estate needs. Contact Bruce for "A Moving Experience."
I like to think that I'm not a typical real estate sales representative and I think my clients would certainly agree. With a background as a professional journalist and photographer, I travelled the world for years by foot, kayak, bicycle and motorcycle, gaining valuable insights into what makes people tick. I believe this gives me an inside edge when negotiating for my clients.
I work with my partner and best friend, my wife Mary, and together we provide a complete marketing experience for home sellers and the most comprehensive client care I've ever seen. With Mary's background as a professional home stager and feng shui consultant, our sellers receive free home staging prior to listing so that their homes make a dramatic impact in the market from Day One. Couple that with my years as a professional photographer and we think our listings stand apart from the crowd.
Simply put, our goal is to WOW our clients with helpful information and diligent service. We want them to be so thrilled with the outcome that they'll happily refer friends and family to us. Most importantly, we aim to build strong, lasting relationships--one client at a time.
- Bruce is a founding member of the National Association of Realtor's newest GREEN designation.
- Bruce is a founding member of the Accredited Buyer Representative designation (ABR) from the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) for Canada.
- Bruce holds the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation from NAR.
- Bruce holds the e-PRO designation from NAR.
- Mary holds the Certified Canadian Staging Professional designation and recently returned from China where she studied feng shui prinicples.
- Bruce and Mary hold the Feng Shui for Real Estate designation from the Toronto School of Feng Shui.
- Bruce is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.
- Bruce is a member of CREA, OREA and the NAR (National Association of Realtors, the largest group of real estate professionals in the world).
- Bruce is a consistent multi-million dollar producer in Georgian Triangle real estate sales.
- Bruce and Mary are fluent in Spanish and Mary is fluent in French as well.
_________________________________________
FUN FACT ABOUT BRUCE AND MARY:
- Bruce and Mary are co-holders of the World Record for the longest north-south bicycle journey on public roads in the world: 3 years and 24,000 km, from the Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of Argentina.
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Bruce's family has lived in Wasaga Beach since 1982 so he has an extensive knowledge of the local surroundings. Real estate is the family business (his grandfather was a broker outside Toronto in the 1950s and his sister is the broker/owner of RE/MAX of Wasaga Beach).
He sells beachfront properties, riverfronts, residential and recreational properties, farms and vacant land. For all of your real estate needs, contact Bruce today and allow him to be your REALTOR for life.
"Bruce Johnson is an excellent realtor. He puts a great deal of time and attention into every aspect of real estate. He listened to our wants and our needs and made them a reality with the sale and purchase of our homes. With Bruce we didn't just feel like clients we felt like family. Bruce Johnson truly cares. We would not use anyone else!"
~ Jayson & Michelle Millson
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"I first met Bruce six years ago when I needed a real estate agent to purchase my first home in Wasaga Beach. Bruce proved to be an agent who took the time to get to know his clients and choose houses that would suit their needs to view. Every house that Bruce showed me, it was if he was looking at the house for him and his family as he pointed out the pro's and con's of the houses and wasn't there just for the sale.
Since my first purchase I have made a few more with Bruce always by my side. A trait of Bruce's that I admire and deeply respect is his sincerity which created a trust factor critical for each and every step made purchasing a home. I could not imagine working with a better agent then Bruce, and reccommend him to everyone who needs a real estate agent. I know myself and probably everyone who has ever dealt with Bruce would definitely put him at the top of the "Most Preferred Agent" List.
In closing, I can say I truly found my Real Estate Agent for Life!!!"
~ Sheryl Bilton
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"Jennifer and I bought and sold our first house with Bruce Johnson. Bruce made our realtor experience a great one! He gave us great information on how the housing market works and found an excellent first home for us. Bruce is a top notch realtor and a good friend, we never hesitated about calling him to sell our home. I would recommend Bruce to anyone, and I have!"
~ Joe and Jennifer Deline
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"We were so lucky to have Bruce when we bought our first home. He worked hard to find us the perfect one and fought even harder on our behalf to clinch the deal. We can truly say he will not only be our realtor for life, but a dear friend as well. We gave Bruce's name to my parents as well and now they love him too (my mother a little too much....)! Thanks Bruce!"
~ Heather and Chris Coulson
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"As first time home buyers it was very comforting to have Bruce as our realtor. He was caring, honest and helped us make an informed decision. He worked around our schedule and there was never any pressure to commit. We are very happy in our new home and would highly recommend Bruce to anyone looking for a dedicated realtor.
~ Sara Gardner and Dave Gerrior
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"Hi Bruce:
I hope this note finds you well! We want to express how pleased we are with our new acquisition. We could not have done it without you're commitment to our dream and your positive attitude that you would find just the right property for us. It has been a pleasure working with you. You listened to our needs and desires. Your integrity and principles found us the right match. You were always available and worked within our time constraints. The moment we stepped foot on the property we knew you had found it for us. Thank you for all your efforts, it truly made us feel wonderful and very lucky we met you.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention how special we felt when you and your family showed up at the property to give us the key. It made us feel like family. Again thank you for such a rewarding experience."
~ Roland MacDonald and Shelley Martino
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"In the past 10 years my wife and I have been assisted by Bruce in the buying and selling of 3 homes for a total of six transactions with him. In each instance he caused the stress level to be significantly lower than it should have been. He is incredibly intelligent with regards to the real estate business in general, and phenomenally knowledgeable about the Georgian Bay areas properties. He was always available to us, and provided needed insight and feedback throughout each process. He even offers follow-up care.
The only problem in dealing with Bruce is that he will ruin your experience with other agents. Recently my mother moved from Niagara to Barrie utilizing two agents, one there and one here. My expectations of what they could do were so high (due to my dealings with Bruce) that I was very disappointed. Oh, they did the usual stuff like put ads in the paper and arranged showings, but that was it. They didn't offer meaningful input, and most noticeably missing was following up after the transaction to make sure she was happy.
It is the small things that make differences in one' s life. Bruce, you look after ALL the small things that your clients shouldn't worry about. That is what makes you our agent for life. Cheers!"
~ Michael and Tammy
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"I think you have a very wonderful way of expressing yourself and you are in the RIGHT BUSINESS! I feel you and your lovely wife Mary make a great team."
~ Edith McDonald
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"Bruce became my agent quite by chance--the poor sucker who happened to be on call one Sunday afternoon--when I decided that I could not possibly wait another minute to own a property at The Beach. Always the voice of reason, Bruce convinced me, this unknown crazy woman on the other end of the phone, that I did not need to hop in the car and drive the two hours right that very second. From that moment on, Bruce had an easy way of making me feel more like an old friend than an eccentric client. Although that did not keep him from reminding me on occasion that by the time we managed to find a place, in what turned out to be more than a year later, I would have driven him sufficiently over the edge that I would owe him a case of Gibson's finest! Through it all though he was always a com panion to my rambling late night email requests for MLS numbers. The one person I could count on to reply with a quick wit even at 2 a.m. A willing participant in discussions as to why The Cottage Gods seemed to be displeased with me, as my dream cottage remained elusive.
He was a co-conspirator in the name game for various properties we saw: "The Swiss Chalet, The Shacks of La Playa Nuevo and the infamous Ugly Mushroom House," which is a story unto itself. Ask him about it one day, if you want to see just how far around his head can spin! He even managed to win over my somewhat sceptical husband by refusing to conform to the usual more formal agent attire, choosing instead to wear shorts and sandals to show us properties.
I will never forget the day we found the What-a-Saga Beach House. He was so excited to have sealed the deal for us, practically hopping from one foot to another as we talked strategy. His strategy worked, as finally the Cottage Gods were smiling on us.
It was a short-lived feeling though, as eight days later it became apparent that any favour bestowed on us was to help protect us from the tragedy that the universe was about to deliver. It was after my husband's sudden passing when Bruce proved without doubt that he was not only an agent beyond compare but also a true friend. He handled the details of the closing seamlessly with the utmost of respect and professionalism, working to ensure nothing would stand in the way of what was to become a much needed escape to my own little slice of Paradise. He even kept his promise to my late husband and made sure that our beach house had a fire pit, a gift we will enjoy for years to come.
Bruce became my agent by chance, but it is by choice that I now call him my friend. If he would agree to change real estate Boards every once in a while I would never have another agent! (Seriously Bruce, just try Kitchener-Waterloo for a few months... please?!) I would recommend him without hesitation."
~ Susan Wong
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“We found Bruce to be very professional, friendly and patient. We were first-time homebuyers, so Bruce had his work cut out. He never pressured us, and he always followed up with us on all our requests & questions.”
~ Jennifer Page & Paul Curran
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“Bruce is very professional and helpful, not high-pressured. His service is excellent—he does more than sell a home.”
~ Ron & Donna Gosselin
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“I think Bruce’s greatest ability is to make his customers comfortable enough with him to be brutally honest. That’s important when it’s a money matter. Bruce is very friendly, and he takes the time to listen to your needs and tastes. He has a lot of energy!!”
~ Dave & Carolyn Harris
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Dear Bruce,
Our experience with you was much better than many agents we have dealt with. You showed us exactly what we wanted to see instead of what you felt we could afford. Keep up the great attitude and wonderful service!”
~ Malcolm & Wendy McFarlane
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“Bruce is extremely friendly and easy to talk to and shows genuine concern for all his clients’ needs regarding real estate. He cared about what we wanted, protected our interests, and we are very happy in our new home.”
~ Andy & Dorothy Traill
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Dear Bruce,
A great big thank-you for all your time and patience with us. Your dedication and genuine friendship helped us find just what we were looking for. Very early on you were not only our “Agent” but became our friend. Thank you for welcoming us to Wasaga Beach with the lovely baskets and an original Johnson birdhouse!
~ The Vivona Family
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“Bruce is very accommodating as far as meeting at special times and places. I appreciated his efforts & extra time spent with us since we were from out of town. Service was always excellent and all information was complete and explained efficiently. Bruce’s personality is unsurpassed!”
~ Michael & Natalie Padden
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