About York, ON

A New Meaning for "Affordable Housing"

The City of Toronto is trying to get rid of these "Occupy Toronto" Yurts but a court battle will determine whether or not they can stay in St. James Park. My brother Larry recently took these photos of the yurts being erected and is a supporter of the movement (as am I) and is a member of Zeitgeist as well. We care about our planet and the implications of having a political system that privatizes profits and socializes loss. Our government should serve us all, not just the rich and powerful.

A YURT is an insulated felt hut most often seen in the high mountain pastures of central Asia. They were purchased from Groovy Yurts and donated by several Canadian Unions at a cost of around $20,000 each. You can buy a plush snow white one from Nieman Marcus for $75,000 for the banker who has everything :-)

This one looks like it could keep you toasty warm all winter!

A yurt with St. James Cathedral in the background.

UPDATE from my bother Larry: 11/24/2011

City workers dismantle a yurt after a standoff between police and protesters. This was the library yurt. Negotiations removed all books before the cops moved in. Three people chained themselves inside. Five were arrested at this yurt in total and given a $75 trespass ticket. My brother helped to erect this one.

We are the 99%

Life is just better in Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach!

Homes for Sale

Have some Fun in the Sun!

Contact me to learn how you can start enjoying the good life here in Brevard County on the Space Coast. Talk to the BEACH EXPERT!

These photos are copyright (c), all rights reserved and may not be used or reproduced without permission from John or Larry Mayer. Permission can granted with a link back to my website and / or blog, providing the site is appropriate for everyone. Photographs are a great way to share the world. Thank you for viewing.

My brother Larry sent me these photos of the 2011 Canadian National Exhibition Air Show in Toronto. It's been an ongoing treat for years and signals the coming end of summer. These were taken with his Nikon D7000 and they're crystal clear. Nice job Bro!

This looks like an A10 "Warthog"

Now is the time to think about buying your Piece of Paradise in Florida!

Life is better in Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach!

Homes for Sale

Have some Fun in the Sun!

Contact me to learn how you can start enjoying the good life here in Brevard County on the Space Coast. Talk to the BEACH EXPERT!

These photos are copyright (c), all rights reserved and may not be used or reproduced without permission from John Mayer. Permission can granted with a link back to my website and / or blog, providing the site is appropriate for everyone. Photographs are a great way to share the world. Thank you for viewing.

Wishy Washy Site Content

One of the biggest turnoffs for a real estate website is having a generalist slant to your content. This makes your website just a face in the crowd of many other competitors’ websites. Have specific content only on the specific geographic areas you service. Your site will thereby be more interesting to people interested in those areas and search engines will rank you higher for those areas as well. One way you can know if your site is wishy washy is looking at your home page’s bounce rate amongst your website stats. The bounce rate tells you how many people leave your site within a few seconds after first seeing your home page. If your bounce rate is high then it means you’re not engaging your target audience and providing them with interesting, useful information.

As seen in the March 31st issue of the Era Banner.

Newmarket Real Estate

Create a beautiful focal point while marketing your home in Toronto, ON.

Focal point is the first thing eye notices while entering the room. In some rooms it can be a beautiful architectural feature such as a fireplace, built-in cabinet or a gorgeous window, which you just need to accentuate. But if you don’t have any of the above, focal point can be easily created. Here are some things to keep in mind, while creating a focal point for each room in your home:

- Think of the purpose of the room. For example, in bedroom the focal point would be the bed, which you can accentuate with a beautiful headboard, rows of pillows and some artwork above it. In bathroom it can be a sink nicely decorated with knick-knacks and fluffy towels. In living or family rooms which lack an obvious focal point you can easily create a designated conversation area by hanging a large picture over the couch and decorating that couch with colorful pillows.

- Make it big. Remember the focal point should be the first thing an eye notices when entering the room. So put away those small photo-frame size pictures, and invest in couple of big pieces of art.

- Accentuate with the color. Bright colors naturally attract the eye, so go with bold fresh colors but mostly in accessories. This way if you are tired of an existing decor of your focal point you can easily change the way it looks and feels without breaking the bank.

- Emphasize your focal point by facing furniture towards it. This trick works mostly in living or family rooms. Couches, loveseats and club chairs – face them towards a fireplace or make a U-shaped composition.

- And another trick: opt for tall pieces, they command our attention and visually elevate ceilings.

For more decorating tricks and redesign ideas please call Studio 74, a Home Staging and Redesign Company in Toronto Area.