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About Montreal, QC

Performance Anxiety OR Eco-responsibility?

John B. Joseph: Real Estate Agent in Westmount, QC

Performance Anxiety OR Eco-responsibility?

I am warming up to the fact that I shall choose one over the other soon.

 

2011 Green Ecoped Scooter Available in Montreal

A new version of the Ecoped electric scooter is selling in Montreal at Walmart. I've often thought of putting my car up on blocks and running around town on my scooter.

Since becoming a real estate broker my road mileage has decreased from 40,000-60,000 kilometers to 12,000-15,000 per year!

In my last career posting as Director, Strategic Services Eastern Canada, I drove frequently all over Montreal and East to Rimouski, West to Ottawa.

I have now scaled that down to 3 or 4 close neighbourhoods here on Montreal island.

My only hesitation is showing up at a client's home on my scooter while I feel most brokers STILL believe they have to cruise around in a Volvo, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, etc. luxury boat to demonstrate their real estate acumen.

 

A teenager talking about his new Ecoped

 

It's Pothole Season in Montreal!

John B. Joseph: Real Estate Agent in Westmount, QC

It's Pothole Season in Montreal!

Yesterday, on my way back home, the light turned green, I accelerated past the intersection and then as my car reached the speed limit, BANG!!!!! I hit a pothole deep enough to crush my tire and slap the wheel rim!

Potholes are returning to us from their long winter hibernation.

Oh, no problem, I did not suffer whiplash, I did call my dentist as I'm sure my fillings were loosened. And get mad? Nah, those cute little black holes in the road are back with us once again. Oh, how I missed them. Life in the snow and ice was getting all too familiar and serene.

The heralded and long-awaited pothole season is upon us here in Montreal.

Just how is a pothole brought out of hibernation?

Pothole Creation Montreal

In Montreal, this season runs from the first thaw when roads are cleared of snow until they freeze up again and the snow and ice fills the potholes back in for winter.

Sound familiar?

Yes, our potholes hibernate! They don't go away, they are not repaired, rather, at best they are maintained with the loving care of our public workers who care for them while in season.

Montreal pothole caretakers

As Montrealers, we too come to cherish our little road treasures

Pothole play in Montreal

Some Montrealers become one with the dark creatures

some learn to co-exist

some find creative ways to build better work methods with their quiet cooperation!

Given the early spring thaw and surely rains and freeze ups to follow, I will take this opportunity to wish my fellow Montrealers what is looking to be one of the better pothole seasons.

Visual Analogy To Buying And Selling Real Estate, Almost?

John B. Joseph: Real Estate Agent in Westmount, QC

Visual Analogy To Buying And Selling Real Estate, Almost?

It's been some time since I've gone in the woods and hills to cross country ski. This weekend we found the moment to get back to fun in the woods.

After looking at a video I recorded to show friends what they're missing I thought how clients might feel when buying or selling their first home. Going through the necessary twists and turns, while trying to stay upright managing finances and regular life might make it seem to look like this at times.

Keeping your head up, paying attention to detail and your goals will keep you on the path and out of the trees!

Enjoy!

 

 

Killer or Killed Agents

John B. Joseph: Real Estate Agent in Westmount, QC

Killers Or Killed Agents

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Name: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Born: est. CE April 26, 121
Location: Rome, Italy
Died: est. CE March 17, 180
Location: Battle Camp, Northern Frontier

Nationality: Roman
Father: Annius Verus
Mother: Domitia Calvilla
Brother(s): L. Ceionius Commodus, a.k.a. L. Verus
Sister(s): Annia Cornificia Faustina
Wife: Faustina
Son(s): Gemellus Lucillae, Titus Aelius Antoninus, Titus Aelius Aurelius, Hadrianus, Titus Aurelius Fulvus, Antoninus, Commodus, Marcus Annius Verus Caesar
Daughter(s): Annia Aurelia Galeria Faustina, Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla, Domitia Faustina, Fadilla, Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor, Vibia Aurelia Sabina

Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself !!!
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

My Recent Musing:

When working with clients, are we working for our commission or for the needs of our clients?

One test that came to mind is while in negotiation on an offer one could wonder if fighting for those last few dollars will lose the deal or if working it harder will win a few more dollars for our clients.

Certainly, clients wonder if we are fighting for them to the best of our ability.

A client phone call this week made me consider the above. While searching for a home for a buyer, it was asked of me to accept an incentive based on my negotiation performance once we entered an offer on a home.

I explained that as a buyer agent, I am working for my client's interests to pay the least possible amount for the home purchased. The client thought a commission incentive might improve results. We spoke of a number of points on how he could be sure I am working for him and except for my integrity, nothing I could think of could guarantee he would get the lowest possible price from a negotiation.

At what point do we lose our integrity towards our clients?

What McDonald's Chicken McNuggets Really Contain OR What Will Get You More Money Selling Your Home

John B. Joseph: Real Estate Agent in Westmount, QC

What McDonald's Chicken McNuggets Really Contain OR What Will Get You More Money Selling Your Home

An excerpt of the article published in The Montreal Gazette - Fri, 14 Jan 2011

It seems Melodi Dushane of Toledo, Ohio, wasn't concerned about dimethyl polysiloxane or tertiary butylhydroquinone in her Chicken McNuggets, or about the allegation that they were made of 56 per cent corn. Even though it was 6:30 a.m., she had to have them. When told the nuggets were not available at that time of the morning, Dushane went into a frenzy and began to pummel the drive-thru employee before smashing a window with a beer bottle and driving off.

Andrew knew he had a drainage issue in his roof pipe drain when there were flood rains. When the drains backed up there would be small water leaks in to the bathroom from the ceiling. He asked me how to cover it all up. I suggested if he does not want to repair it then to get an estimate of the work to be done and include the repair in the listing description and to reference the estimate in the sellers declaration removing it as a negotiating point by potential buyer.

When setting a home price, the buyer sets the price based on recent area home sales and current inventory and not "seller's math" whereby the price is set using the home' market value plus renovations, upgrades and the owner's emotional attachment. Noting a repair allows you to remove it as a negotiation tool by potential buyers.

Latreasa Goodman of Florida took a different approach when told that her McDonald's had run out of Chicken McNuggets. When the server offered a hamburger instead, she became so enraged that she proceeded to dial 911 to report a fast food "emergency."

Simon, when reviewing a first offer that was 30% below his asking price, decided the buyer would never raise his offer close enough to the asking price and so he refused to counter and yelled at his agent to not bother presenting low offers again.

Different buyers have different perspectives on how to negotiate. Some like to know a seller's tolerance to negotiate and truely enjoy the negotiation. These buyers will at times pay more to a seller who plays the game! Never refuse to counter an offer AND always set up a listing knowing that you will be asked to give away something.

Although these two ladies needed their nugget fix, others may be horrified by the thought of eating a concoction that is more corn than chicken, is tainted with lighter fluid, has an ingredient in common with Silly Putty and is full of chemicals with unpronounceable names. These accusations circulate widely, promoted by the usual array of Internet fear-mongers such as Joseph Mercola, but also by people who really should know better, such as Michael Pollan, author of the bestselling Omnivore's Dilemma.

Whether it is the price or conditions of an offer that upsets clients, sellers and buyers should be more aware of how setting up a negotiation can be as important if not more relevant to lowering frustration and ending up with more money once accepted.


Before we go any farther, let me make clear that I am no fan of processed foods. The number of times I've eaten chicken nuggets can be counted on the toes of one chicken. But that's not because of any fear of multi-syllabic ingredients; it is the high fat and salt content that turns me off.

Likewise, it is the hard-line agent or client who thinks more empty talk or intimidation will get clients more money and a win in negotiations over a strategic agent who understands how to manage barriers and increase negotiation tools to effect wins for clients in their transactions.


Excerpts above are from an article written by: Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society

Oh! And here are the goods on what's in your McNuggets:

Chicken McNugget ingredients (from McDonald's Canada list): Chicken meat, water, modified corn starch, salt, chicken broth powder (chicken broth, salt and natural chicken flavouring), seasoning [(vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), extracts of rosemary, mono, di and triglycerides (from sunflower oil) and soy lecithin)]. Breaded with: water, wheat flour, yellow corn flour, modified corn starch, salt, baking powder, spices (white and black pepper, celery seed), wheat starch, whey powder, sodium aluminum phosphate, corn starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (manufacturing aid). Cooked in 100% vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with THBQ, citric acid and dimethypolysiloxane).

NOTE: Please read the rest of the article here to understand the facts presented for effect at top which were only part of the article.