About Frontenac County, ON

We have all been plagued from time to time by telephone sales calls. "Do you want a great deal on carpet cleaning?,or " Do you want a great deal on window cleaning?" or " Do you want a great deal on curtain cleaning?" or "woolen rugs" or , or, or, ( why is it that nobody ever calls and offers to clean the kitty litter?).

At any rate, I, over the years, had worked out a fool proof plan that deflected the calls without insulting or hurting anyone's feelings ( well this is Canada and we must be polite) So over the years, I had convinced all sales agents that my Wife and I lived in a house with no carpets, no windows, no curtains, no woolen rugs, etc, etc, etc. In fact we lived in a cardboard box with a telephone. It was a perfect cover!

But then technology changed and the calls became automated. You know the ones. The phone rings, there is a two second silence and the prerecorded message starts. There was no protection against the computerized caller. Every time the phone rang, we waited for the dreaded two second delay and whammo-blammo we were caught again.

Well in Canada we now have our own "do not call" list. Works pretty well at keeping those Canadian call centres from bugging us, except . . . . . . . . Except that apparently Americans can access the list so now we are receiving calls from American call centres. And don't think that at least we still have that two second delay to forewarn us of an impending sales pitch.

No, the latest development in the technologic war to invade every crevice of our private lives has been developed by a Cruise line. Yes, sometime over the last year, in a smoke filled room, packed with Captains, stewards, members of the 'black gang' ( engine room technicians), board room 'yes men' and at least three entertainers singing "Ain't we got fun!" came up with the most insidious idea. The A-bomb of sales call techniques; the prerecorded FOG HORN BLAAAAAAAAAT! which precedes the sales pitch so that you can no longer enjoy the two second warning.

So here is what you can expect - RING RING RING - "HELLO?" - BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAT! If you are on a roof - BLAAAAAAAAAT! If you are in a crawl space - BLAAAAAAAAAAT! You are never safe from the dreaded FOG HORN. It is supposed to make you want to take a cruise on one of their boats. It makes me want to sink one!

The problem with home inspections is that it is too easy to chase a purchaser away over even minor discoveries.

The wrong word. The wrong phrase. A misinterpreted glance. The tone of voice.

A purchaser is like a deer. In the woods a snap of a twig, the crunch of leaves, anything can spook him. And so it is with the home inspection. I have heard stories of purchasers spooked out of a perfectly good home over a dripping tap or a non-functional G.F.C.I. outlet. And it was all because of the way the information was presented by the inspector. It is called perspective. Perspective allows the inspector to present his findings in a manner that informs the purchaser without alarming him.

Asbestos, poly-b pipe, eureaformaldihide insulation, vermiculite and so many more can legitimately kill a home purchase even when found in minor amounts. But even major 'infestations' when presented in perspective and with reasonable solutions do not have to doom a purchase.

The problem with home inspections is that it is too easy to chase a purchaser away over even minor discoveries. And completely unnecessary.

"The world economy is going down the drain because of some repossessed, boarded up, unsellable homes in Cleveland."

But how does that bring down a 60 or 70 trillion dollar world economy is a whole other story!

I thought you might be interested in the following article that was in our REALTOR^® EDGE newsletter this morning . . .

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If you believe a lot of what you hear and read in the financial media, that's what you'd think, according Jeff Rubin, Chief Economist, Chief Strategist and Managing Director CIBC World Markets, speaking at the Real Estate Forum in Toronto in December.

"We all understand how those mortgages were securitized" said Rubin, "and we all understand that when people send in the keys instead of a mortgage cheque those (mortgage-backed securities) couldn't make the coupon payments that they said they were going to make. The value of those instruments fell. There were massive write offs in the financial sector. That is very clear.... But how does that bring down a 60 or 70 trillion dollar world economy is a whole other story."

Rubin blames the global recession on the skyrocketing oil prices earlier in the year.

"Four of the last five recessions were caused by huge increases in oil prices," said Rubin, precipitated in 1973 by the War in the Middle East, in 1979 by the Iranian Revolution, in 1991 by the first Iraqi War and today.

"In fact the 1998 Asian Meltdown is the only real global recession that didn't have oil's fingerprint all over it."

First the good news
Rubin says the real oil story out there is supply destruction. Even before prices collapsed, oil supply had not grown from 2005 to 2008, he said.

"We may have a one- or two- or three-quarter decline in oil demand but in any economic recovery what we are really going to see is the supply destruction and that's why I think oil prices are going to come back rapidly with any pick up in economic activity. We are looking to oil prices going back to $100 per barrel range within 12 months."

And rising oil prices, says Rubin, is a good news story for Canada in the long run.

Now the bad news
Rubin expects the US housing crisis to moderate with housing prices there to stabilize by the end of the first quarter of 2009.

Where the US economy will have to deal with recession in 2009 is in vehicle sales, which will fall to 1982 sales levels, he predicts. Ninety per cent of all automobile sales have been financed and that financing has become increasingly problematic.

"The problem facing GM, Chrysler, Ford isn't so much whether they are competitive with Honda or Toyota; the more fundamental problem is that the industry can build 15 to 20 million vehicle units a year in a market that will only be buying eight to 10 million units. And that is not a cyclical change. That is going to be a secular change, and one that is going to leave a huge imprint on the North American economy - on both sides of the border."

The economic stimulus
Future taxpayers, says Rubin, will wish that we bit the bullet for two to three quarters, instead of "mortgaging their futures." Rubin believes that Washington's plan to stimulate the economy with an injection of hundreds of billions of dollars is an over-reaction, but added:

"Up here in Canada, that kind of response provides a unique opportunity for us to be freeloaders, because you cannot stimulate the US economy to that extent without that stimulus leaking into Canada," particularly if that stimulus is going to be directed to integrated industries, like for example the auto industry, he said.

"If we were smart we would do nothing and let Washington do all the heavy lifting, and let US taxpayers pay for the stimulus in the future."

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Thanks to Joan Bailey, Editor, REALTOR^® EDGE Newsletter, for sharing the above article.

It was an unbelievably gorgeous day today: freezing cold but sunny and bright. I was thankful that there was not a winter storm warning in effect as I had to travel a fair bit to show a farm today to a couple who was travelling 3.5 hours one way to view it.

I knew there were plenty of outbuildings/barns etc including a turkey coop (I have never seen one of these) and that there would be cows and horses. 'The driveway was more than 2 miles long and when I finally got to the house it was so disappointing; it was more of a tear-down than anything else. The sellers must have invested in the animals quarters more so than their own.

The funny part was that a small brown dog who looked part cocker spaniel and part terrier, just kept underfoot, and wouldn't leave us alone. He was old and sad looking. When we opened the door to the house, the dog just entered with us and went straight to a big bowl of water and had a few laps and then proceeded to this oversized dog bed in front of the wood stove, curled up into a tiny ball and went to sleep.

As we were getting ready to leave, it was quite obvious that this dog had no intention of leaving to go back out into the cold. Fine - I didn't blame him, I didn't want to go back outside either! I left him alone figuring he shouldn't have been left out in the cold by himself in the first place. (well below zero, maybe -18)

When I arrived home, the listing agent called looking for feedback on the home, which I provided. I then asked him to pass on my apology to the Sellers for not putting the wee dog back outside and he asks sounding surprised, "The Rottweiler?" I laughed and said "no, the wee brown one." He says, "What brown one?", sounding very confused. He then said they didn't have a little dog, only the Rottweiler!

Well, they have one now and he seemed quite content to stay!!! And how was your day?

We find as people age today, they chase their children and grandchildren around the country. Not too long ago, families lived in the same place from birth to death. Today, this is an unusual phenomenon. When children leave the nest today, they don't move to the next twig or branch anymore, they move to a whole new tree and more often a whole forest away.

Every holiday is a travelling exercise or a non-event because the kids are too far apart. Your son has set you up with an internet account and a computer and another account on some website so you can see pictures of your grandchildren and keep up to date on the changes in your family's life. It is cool, but foreign to what you know as "family experience". You see online photos and online movies of your grandchildren growing up without their grandparents. You are happy to see your children doing well in the far off places they have chosen to live, but sad you are unable to be with them.

Often it takes a spouse to die before there is a lasting family reunion and the remaining spouse (most often mom) moves nearby to be with whichever child they are closest with or who has the most and youngest grandchildren or who is likely to be the best care giver in an aging environment as the family comes to terms with an aging parent or parents. (By the way, this is usually a daughter).

If we had advice to give as a company that serves seniors downsizing and sees and experiences a lot of situations, it would be this: If you are going to chase your children, do it while you are still a couple and do it together. You'll enjoy it more together. You will be "used" by your children to take care of the kids and you'll enjoy it. Moving is always a bit scary and an emotional time regardless of your life stage, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming or complicated if you have professional help that makes it easy.

Don't wait until it is too late to be with your family, do it when you can enjoy the experience together as a couple of grandparents. 1,000's of grandparents in Canada (and around the world) chase their children every year and although it is a new and foreign concept, it is a good trend that serves all of the family well.

Don't procrastinate your family life away. We can help you sell your home while dealing with and taking charge of all the seemingly overwhelming transition and moving details in flash. Really!

Happy child chasing!