Blog

Hysterically Awful MLS Pictures

June 30, 2010 | Real Estate, Worthy Websites

Sometimes we don’t appreciate enough how much Toronto Realtors know about marketing a home. When I search for listings, I come across properties with no photos, leaving me to assume that if the listings are not tenanted or do not say "as-is", they are in most likelihood too garish to…
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Quintessential Stylegarage

June 28, 2010 | Furnishings, Retail, Style Enhancement Staging

I've always been a fan of Stylegarage, the purveyor of crisp clean-lined furnishings. Over the years I've come to depend on them for stainless steel mirrors and smart ambient lighting. They even did a custom stair railing for me...all items I'll post in future blogs. But those items have to…
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The Heat Is On

June 25, 2010 | News, Real Estate

Mix one part obsessed World Cup Soccer fans driving around town honking and waving flags from their cars, with one part traffic gridlock exacerbated by wrapping our financial core in concrete and barbed wire for the G20 summit, and then bake it under this week's hot humid weather system! Voila,…
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Happy Father’s Day!

June 20, 2010 | Arts, EntertainmentLeisure

My father always dreamed of being an artist, but despite getting a scholarship to Art School his mother felt it wasn't appropriate. Getting a real job to help with the household was deemed right course of action, so my father shelved his dream and got work spray painting cars in an auto body shop.…
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Would You Like It On The Rocks Or Neat?

June 18, 2010 | Design, EntertainmentLeisure

In the 70's when I was a kid growing up in Victoria we lived across the street from the Murray's. The Murray's had four daughters, one a little later in life who happened to also be ten years old like me. In fact, on the first day we moved into…
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Canstruction Food Raiser

June 15, 2010 | Shows

Canstruction® is the one of the most clever food charity programs globally! The 12th annual Toronto event is hosted at the Toronto Dominion Centre, and has raised almost 500,000 lbs of food for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Entries are being taken now for this year's event. Check it out at the Canstruction®…
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The ‘Can’t Touch This’ Market

June 14, 2010 | Buying, Real Estate, Selling

Lately it's been a challenge bringing buyers and sellers together to create a meeting of the minds when negotiating a real estate transaction. As the bidding wars diminish buyers are wanting to negotiate with sellers yet, after years of increasing property values, sellers are reluctant to let go of their properties for anything less…
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Reaching The Finish Line

June 09, 2010 | Renovation, Style Enhancement Staging, Trades

Back in February, I began a conquest to get my residence organized. After years of haphazard searching for a particular sweater, book or tool ("I know it's in this closet somewhere!"), I finally decided it was time to organize my life through and through. Not surprisingly it's been a long ordeal,…
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Summer Time Beef

June 07, 2010 | Buying, Real Estate, Selling

As summer rolls in with another warm breezy weekend (including a lashing night time thunder storm), by end of day Sunday my neighbourhood was filled with the sound of chatter, clinking glasses and the scent of steak grilling on the barbecue. Everyone is embracing their 'summer rooms', whether that be their patio, garden, deck…
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Don’t Be Too Revealing

June 02, 2010 | Architecture, Design, Furnishings, Renovation, Style Enhancement Staging, Trades

When it comes to real estate, first impressions count. That's why the expression "Curb Appeal" has merit. In the freehold property market, as house hunters pull up in their car they're already assessing the dwelling, the property environment, and the surrounding streetscape. In the condominium market, purchasers instantly gauge how the lobby and common…
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