MONTREAL - Just when Montrealers thought their construction nightmare couldn't get any worse, Transport Quebec has announced that yet more traffic cones are set to dot local streets this weekend.
Repairs on the decaying Turcot Interchange will shut down parts of the Ville Marie and Décarie expressways and the Trans-Canada Highway starting Friday night, including a stretch expected to be closed for the next three weeks.
The ramp connecting westbound Highway 720 to southbound Highway 15 will probably be out of service until Aug. 8, Transport Quebec says.
These latest closings arrive on the heels of Tuesday's surprise announcement of roadwork on the Ville Marie Tunnel. The snap announcement surprised even the city's executive committee and the provincial government's new road construction task force.
"The list of works was given to the committee but there were no dates," explained Martine Painchaud, a press aide for members of Montreal's executive committee.
"The Quebec Transport Deparement recognized that improvements were necessary and has vowed to better communicate."
This time, though, Transport Quebec says all parties were properly briefed.
"Wednesday, the committee had a meeting and the project was presented and approved," said Réal Grégoire, a spokesperson for Transport Quebec.
"What we want from now on is better communication between all the organizations."
Caroline Larose, another Transport Quebec spokesperson, said Tuesday that better notice couldn't be given for the Ville Marie Tunnel repairs because the agency finds out only at the last minute when contractors are ready to begin construction. But her colleague, Grégoire, says that's not true.
"While last-minute hitches can sometimes occur, contractors don't decide when they'll start work. We do," Grégoire said. "With 53 work sites on the island, including the Turcot Interchange, if the contractors were the ones deciding when they start working, it would be impossible to manage."
As gridlock continues to clog the city and orange signs have motorists seeing red, why close off yet another major road? Grégoire insists this is the perfect time.
"In summer, there's less traffic and during the construction holiday, there's even less," he said, noting that road workers are not on vacation during this period. Aside from the ramp linking westbound Ville Marie to southbound Highway 15, Transport Quebec plans to shut down three more arteries this weekend to perform maintenance work on the Turcot Interchange.
The ramp connecting northbound Décarie to westbound Highway 20 will be closed at night on Friday and Saturday. The ramp bridging eastbound Highway 20 and southbound Décarie will be shut to motorists Friday night, and the ramp connecting northbound Décarie to eastbound Ville Marie will be closed off Saturday night.
For detailed information on detours and roadworks, Transport Quebec asks motorists to visit quebec511.gouv.qc.ca
klalancette@montrealgazette.com
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Montreal home sales grow by five percent. First rise in 14 months.
MONTREAL - Sales of homes in the Greater Montreal Area grew by five per cent last month, the first rise in 14 months, the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board said Wednesday.
The June rise, compared with the same month in 2010, was driven by a 17-per-cent increase in Montreal Island condo sales, Multiple Listing Service data show. Sales continued to drop in Laval and on the South Shore.
But the rise in sales is not necessary indicative of a new trend. Rather, these latest results appear stronger because of especially weak sales in June 2010, the board said.
“The increase in sales in June is encouraging news but it must be interpreted with caution as we are comparing June 2011 results with those of June 2010, when sales had decreased by 20 per cent,” said Diane Ménard, vice-president of the GMREB’s board of directors. “With this increase, sales in the Montreal area are approaching the levels that were seen in June 2007 and 2008, two prosperous years for the real estate market.”
Indeed, the drop in housing resales for the last 14 months suggests a correction has already begun taking place in Montreal’s heated housing market, a report published Wednesday by TD Economics says. While median prices were still up in the Montreal area last month – rising six per cent for single-family homes and plexes and five per cent for condos – home values should soften next year.
“Prices are typically lagged to sales and thus, we anticipate that 2012 will bear much of the brunt of the decrease,” the TD report by deputy chief economist Derek Burleton and economist Sonya Gulati said. “Still, the early move on the sales correction should give Montreal a slight edge when compared to the national forecast.”
Nationally, the report said the Canadian housing market is set to undergo a “modest” correction, with resale activity poised to drop 15.2 per cent and average prices likely to fall 10.2 per cent over the next two calendar years.
“A combination of more subdued job and household income growth, rising interest rates, the recent tightening in borrowing rules for insured mortgages and fewer first-time home buyers are expected to be the chief culprits behind the slowdown,” the economists said.
In Montreal, Gulati and Burleton raised a question – but not alarm – over the record-breaking amount of condo building in the city. “The condo supply and the degree, if any, of overbuilding is something to keep an eye on for this region,” they wrote.
In the Montreal area, the median price for a single-family resale home rose to $275,000 last month, while plexes rose to $409,000. The median price of a condominium grew by five per cent to $223,750.
Postmedia News contributed to this report
alampert@montrealgazette.com
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Montreal+home+sales+grow+five+cent/5098840/story.html#ixzz1S5mT1Qk0
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
In Retreat, Murdoch Drops TV Takeover
The New York Times
By JOHN F. BURNS, DON VAN NATTA Jr. and ALAN COWELL
Published: July 13, 2011
LONDON — In a stunning reversal after days of building scandal surrounding its British newspaper operations, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing a $12 billion bid to take over the shares it does not already own in Britain’s main satellite television broadcaster.
The withdrawal from the bid for complete control of British Sky Broadcasting, also known as BSkyB, represented the most severe damage inflicted so far on Mr. Murdoch’s ambitions by a crisis which erupted only 10 days ago with reports that The News of the World tabloid ordered the hacking of the voice mail of a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002.
Since then, virtually every day brought dizzying new disclosure and developments, culminating in News Corporation’s announcement on Wednesday.
A company statement quoted Chase Carey, News Corporation’s Deputy Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer, as saying “We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate.”
“News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it,” the statement said.
The development also seemed to end what, for years, had been a close, cozy and influential relationship with the British establishment.
Only hours before the announcement, Prime Minister David Cameron had sought to distance himself from Mr. Murdoch and had urged him to drop the bid for BSkyB. The announcement came just before Parliament was set to approve a cross-party call for Mr. Murdoch to abandon his long-cherished desire to take full control of the lucrative satellite broadcaster.
The scandal has also convulsed the British politicians, press and police, forcing them to contemplate unheard-of scrutiny of their ties with each other.
On Wednesday, Mr. Cameron offered details for the first time of a broad inquiry into those relationships to be led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Leveson. Mr. Cameron told Parliament that it would have the power to summon witnesses to testify under oath. The announcement came as Mr. Cameron fought to recover the initiative in a scandal that has turned into potentially the most damaging crisis of his time in office.
He said the inquiry would examine the ethics and culture of the British media as well as the accusations of phone hacking at The News of the World underlying the scandal. It would also investigate why an initial police inquiry failed to uncover the extent of the scandal and allegations that journalists paid corrupt police officers.
He said he wanted the inquiry to be “as robust as possible, one that can get to the truth fastest and get to work the quickest, and one that commands the full confidence of the public.”
Mr. Cameron said it should complete a report on the future regulation of the press within a year, but he acknowledged that inquiries into allegations of criminal wrongdoing — which the police are also investigating — would take longer.
Mr. Cameron’s Conservative Party took power in May 2010, supported by some of the newspapers in Mr. Murdoch’s British stable, and his critics said that he, like some of his predecessors in 10 Downing Street, sought to maintain that support even as the phone hacking scandal smoldered before erupting into a crisis
Only a week ago, Mr. Cameron said it was not for politicians to interfere in the workings of private companies. But on Wednesday, he urged Mr. Murdoch to abandon his $12 billion bid for more than 60 percent of the shares in British Sky Broadcasting which he does not already own, saying Murdoch executives should “stop the business of mergers and get on with cleaning the stables.”
Later Mr. Cameron met the parents of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002. The phone hacking scandal exploded last week with reports that The News of the World had tried to hack into her voice mail after she went missing. Up until then the phone hacking had seemed to be restricted to the voice mails of prominent people.
By JOHN F. BURNS, DON VAN NATTA Jr. and ALAN COWELL
Published: July 13, 2011
LONDON — In a stunning reversal after days of building scandal surrounding its British newspaper operations, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing a $12 billion bid to take over the shares it does not already own in Britain’s main satellite television broadcaster.
The withdrawal from the bid for complete control of British Sky Broadcasting, also known as BSkyB, represented the most severe damage inflicted so far on Mr. Murdoch’s ambitions by a crisis which erupted only 10 days ago with reports that The News of the World tabloid ordered the hacking of the voice mail of a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002.
Since then, virtually every day brought dizzying new disclosure and developments, culminating in News Corporation’s announcement on Wednesday.
A company statement quoted Chase Carey, News Corporation’s Deputy Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer, as saying “We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate.”
“News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it,” the statement said.
The development also seemed to end what, for years, had been a close, cozy and influential relationship with the British establishment.
Only hours before the announcement, Prime Minister David Cameron had sought to distance himself from Mr. Murdoch and had urged him to drop the bid for BSkyB. The announcement came just before Parliament was set to approve a cross-party call for Mr. Murdoch to abandon his long-cherished desire to take full control of the lucrative satellite broadcaster.
The scandal has also convulsed the British politicians, press and police, forcing them to contemplate unheard-of scrutiny of their ties with each other.
On Wednesday, Mr. Cameron offered details for the first time of a broad inquiry into those relationships to be led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Leveson. Mr. Cameron told Parliament that it would have the power to summon witnesses to testify under oath. The announcement came as Mr. Cameron fought to recover the initiative in a scandal that has turned into potentially the most damaging crisis of his time in office.
He said the inquiry would examine the ethics and culture of the British media as well as the accusations of phone hacking at The News of the World underlying the scandal. It would also investigate why an initial police inquiry failed to uncover the extent of the scandal and allegations that journalists paid corrupt police officers.
He said he wanted the inquiry to be “as robust as possible, one that can get to the truth fastest and get to work the quickest, and one that commands the full confidence of the public.”
Mr. Cameron said it should complete a report on the future regulation of the press within a year, but he acknowledged that inquiries into allegations of criminal wrongdoing — which the police are also investigating — would take longer.
Mr. Cameron’s Conservative Party took power in May 2010, supported by some of the newspapers in Mr. Murdoch’s British stable, and his critics said that he, like some of his predecessors in 10 Downing Street, sought to maintain that support even as the phone hacking scandal smoldered before erupting into a crisis
Only a week ago, Mr. Cameron said it was not for politicians to interfere in the workings of private companies. But on Wednesday, he urged Mr. Murdoch to abandon his $12 billion bid for more than 60 percent of the shares in British Sky Broadcasting which he does not already own, saying Murdoch executives should “stop the business of mergers and get on with cleaning the stables.”
Later Mr. Cameron met the parents of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002. The phone hacking scandal exploded last week with reports that The News of the World had tried to hack into her voice mail after she went missing. Up until then the phone hacking had seemed to be restricted to the voice mails of prominent people.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Hudson luxury home sells for $3.4 million
MONTREAL - A posh Hudson estate initially priced at $6.9 million in 2008 was purchased for less than half that amount Tuesday during Quebec’s first absolute auction.
The sale of the eight-bedroom, 17,000 square foot waterfront estate for $3.4 million includes a 10 per cent commission for the U.S.-based Grand Estates Auction Co. which organized the event.
A spokesperson for Great Estates said the Montreal-area mansion, which features an indoor pool, separate guest house and even a secret passage, attracted 23 bidders, while generating more than 500 inquiries and 200 showings.
Auctions, while popular in the United States and Australia, are a rarety in Canada. An absolute auction - where there is no reserve bid - involving a luxury estate is believed to be unprecedented.
The auction comes at a time when Canadians are increasingly considering alternatives to real estate brokers when selling their homes.
Last week, Propertyguys.com Inc., which helps people sell their own homes, joined forces with flat-fee brokerage Realty sellers Real Estate Inc. The merger will help owners outside of Quebec pay a flat fee and list their properties on realtor.ca, which generates the listings for the vast majority of home sales in Canada, the companies say.
But market alternatives like auctions and sell-it-yourself websites are unlikely to replace traditional sales by brokers, said Don Campbell, president of the Vancouver-based Real Estate Investment Network.
“It’s not going to catch fire here,” Campbell said of luxury estate auctions. “It’s too much of a risk to the vendor. In our country it doesn’t make sense for a vendor to go to auction.”
While Campbell’s heard of cases of B.C. farmlands and foreclosed homes being purchased in Canada through auctions, he wasn’t aware of any previous example of a luxury estate being sold to the highest bidder.
And unlike the case in Hudson, most auctions in Canada have a reserve bid, or a minimum selling price.
“I’m really and truly trying to figure out why you would want to sell it in an auction,” he said of the Oakleigh Estate in Hudson.
Initially listed with Profusion Realty Inc. for $6.9 million in 2008, the home was reduced to $5.4 million after it failed to sell. Louise Rémillard, president of Profusion, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate for the Greater Montreal area, said the sellers wouldn’t lower their price at the time, even though the home had a municipal evaluation of under $3.5 million.
“There’s really nothing in real estate that price can’t fix,” Rémillard said. “When is listing is priced correctly it sells.”
The owners of the mansion, John Hooper, 70 and Diane Bradshaw, 65, said they decided to auction off the home they built in 2000 after it failed to sell for more than two years through traditional means.
With a limited pool of local buyers with the means to buy such an estate, luxury homes often languish for more than a year in Montreal before being sold, brokers acknowledge. An even greater challenge for sellers like Hooper is that sales of luxury homes in Hudson, like other off-island suburbs, have been slow this year, largely because of increased congestion on Montreal-area roads, brokers say.
This year, the highest priced home for sale in Hudson was purchased for $825,000, Multiple Listing Service data show.
Hooper, an entrepreneur and scientist, who helped build the now defunct company Phoenix International Life Sciences Inc., could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
But in an interview last week, Hooper said he was eager to sell the estate so he and Bradshaw could travel the world.
Rémillard, who specializes in high-end real estate, said she believes the couple sold the home below market value, especially considering that the latest school and property taxes on the estate amount to $41,000 a year.
The current municipal evaluation of the estate is more than $4.3 million.
“Had he sold before he wouldn’t have had two years of headaches,” she said. “Forty-one thousand dollars a year will give you a lot of opportunities to travel.”
alampert@montrealgazette.com
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Hudson+luxury+home+sells+million/5090756/story.html#ixzz1RwVqSWzA
The sale of the eight-bedroom, 17,000 square foot waterfront estate for $3.4 million includes a 10 per cent commission for the U.S.-based Grand Estates Auction Co. which organized the event.
A spokesperson for Great Estates said the Montreal-area mansion, which features an indoor pool, separate guest house and even a secret passage, attracted 23 bidders, while generating more than 500 inquiries and 200 showings.
Auctions, while popular in the United States and Australia, are a rarety in Canada. An absolute auction - where there is no reserve bid - involving a luxury estate is believed to be unprecedented.
The auction comes at a time when Canadians are increasingly considering alternatives to real estate brokers when selling their homes.
Last week, Propertyguys.com Inc., which helps people sell their own homes, joined forces with flat-fee brokerage Realty sellers Real Estate Inc. The merger will help owners outside of Quebec pay a flat fee and list their properties on realtor.ca, which generates the listings for the vast majority of home sales in Canada, the companies say.
But market alternatives like auctions and sell-it-yourself websites are unlikely to replace traditional sales by brokers, said Don Campbell, president of the Vancouver-based Real Estate Investment Network.
“It’s not going to catch fire here,” Campbell said of luxury estate auctions. “It’s too much of a risk to the vendor. In our country it doesn’t make sense for a vendor to go to auction.”
While Campbell’s heard of cases of B.C. farmlands and foreclosed homes being purchased in Canada through auctions, he wasn’t aware of any previous example of a luxury estate being sold to the highest bidder.
And unlike the case in Hudson, most auctions in Canada have a reserve bid, or a minimum selling price.
“I’m really and truly trying to figure out why you would want to sell it in an auction,” he said of the Oakleigh Estate in Hudson.
Initially listed with Profusion Realty Inc. for $6.9 million in 2008, the home was reduced to $5.4 million after it failed to sell. Louise Rémillard, president of Profusion, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate for the Greater Montreal area, said the sellers wouldn’t lower their price at the time, even though the home had a municipal evaluation of under $3.5 million.
“There’s really nothing in real estate that price can’t fix,” Rémillard said. “When is listing is priced correctly it sells.”
The owners of the mansion, John Hooper, 70 and Diane Bradshaw, 65, said they decided to auction off the home they built in 2000 after it failed to sell for more than two years through traditional means.
With a limited pool of local buyers with the means to buy such an estate, luxury homes often languish for more than a year in Montreal before being sold, brokers acknowledge. An even greater challenge for sellers like Hooper is that sales of luxury homes in Hudson, like other off-island suburbs, have been slow this year, largely because of increased congestion on Montreal-area roads, brokers say.
This year, the highest priced home for sale in Hudson was purchased for $825,000, Multiple Listing Service data show.
Hooper, an entrepreneur and scientist, who helped build the now defunct company Phoenix International Life Sciences Inc., could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
But in an interview last week, Hooper said he was eager to sell the estate so he and Bradshaw could travel the world.
Rémillard, who specializes in high-end real estate, said she believes the couple sold the home below market value, especially considering that the latest school and property taxes on the estate amount to $41,000 a year.
The current municipal evaluation of the estate is more than $4.3 million.
“Had he sold before he wouldn’t have had two years of headaches,” she said. “Forty-one thousand dollars a year will give you a lot of opportunities to travel.”
alampert@montrealgazette.com
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Hudson+luxury+home+sells+million/5090756/story.html#ixzz1RwVqSWzA
Rupert Murdoch UK Phone Tapping Scandal Leads to More Arrests
As predicted by the Morton Minute two weeks ago, there have been more arrests in the long-running phone tapping saga that has embroiled the British media.
The latest journalist to be questioned and arrested is Laura Elston, the former royal correspondent for the Press Association news agency. This follows the questioning of Terenia Taras, a freelance journalist from Leeds in the north of England who was a former girlfriend of Greg Miskiw, a senior executive at the News of the World tabloid, the newspaper at the centre of the investigation by a 45 strong team from Scotland Yard.
In a separate development, a judge has ruled that Scotland Yard must hand over the notes and other documents seized from convicted private investigator Glen Mulcaire to public figures including actors Steve Coogan and Jude Law who are suing News International, the owner of the Sunday tabloid.
With so many police officers on the case and so much information being uncovered, this case will run and run.
"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."
Isaac Asimov
The latest journalist to be questioned and arrested is Laura Elston, the former royal correspondent for the Press Association news agency. This follows the questioning of Terenia Taras, a freelance journalist from Leeds in the north of England who was a former girlfriend of Greg Miskiw, a senior executive at the News of the World tabloid, the newspaper at the centre of the investigation by a 45 strong team from Scotland Yard.
In a separate development, a judge has ruled that Scotland Yard must hand over the notes and other documents seized from convicted private investigator Glen Mulcaire to public figures including actors Steve Coogan and Jude Law who are suing News International, the owner of the Sunday tabloid.
With so many police officers on the case and so much information being uncovered, this case will run and run.
"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."
Isaac Asimov
Monday, July 11, 2011
Canadian Market Better Than Most
While the Real Estate Market is relatively healthy in Canada, the same cannot be said for the rest of the world. According to the latest Real Estate trends report from Scotia Economics, many of the encouraging signs of recovery in various global markets over the past months seem to be faltering- and in some cases, even reversing direction.
"Increasing nervousness over global economic prospects alongside rising food and gas prices and persistently high unemployment are keeping potential buyers on the sidelines despite highly accommodative monetary policy," said Adrienne Warren, Senior Economist and Real Estate Specialist, Scotia Economics. "A lingering oversupply of housing and/or still tight credit conditions are reinforcing the downward pressure on sales and prices in a number of markets globally."
"A marked improvement in housing affordability, particularly in those regions suffering large valuation declines in recent years, will eventually put a firmer floor under prices and underpin a gradual turnaround for the sector," added Ms. Warren. "For the time being, however, the process of repairing bloated public and household balance sheets points to a protracted period of subpar economic growth among debt-heavy developed nations that will restrain household borrowing and spending. A generally more cautious lending environment also will hold back the pace of recovery."
In Canada, price appreciation has been a slow and steady race, with average inflation-adjusted home prices for Q1 up a respectable 5%, year-over year. Analysts warn too, that the national home prices do not necessarily reflect the nation region to region; prices have been inflated nationally due to surging prices in some pockets- namely from the wave of foreign investors flooding the Vancouver market.
Take Vancouver out of the equation, and prices have only appreciated a more realistic 1% year-over-year.
"Housing sales in Canada, while below the record-setting pace seen at the height of the boom in 2005-2007, are being supported by steady job creation and still attractive borrowing costs," stated Ms. Warren. "Relatively tight supply is adding to price pressures in several cities. Nonetheless, high home prices, the further tightening in mortgage insurance rules effective mid-March, and the upward drift in fixed mortgage rates this year appear to have slowed demand somewhat, most notably among first-time buyers. We anticipate relatively flat sales volumes and average prices through the latter half of the year."
Australia’s housing boom has faltered, partly due to the siege of natural disasters the region has been host to over the last year. Coupled with the fact that rising property prices are pushing boundaries of affordability, the housing market there is quickly running out of steam.
In Europe, troubled economies in various centres are causing some localized housing markets to sputter. In the UK, prices for Q1 were down 4%; in Spain, three years of a slow market seems to be continuing, with prices having fallen by 8%. Analysts warn that there is more of the same to come too.
Not all European markets were headed downwards in Q1. France and Switzerland saw price increases of 7% and 4% respectively.
In the U.S., the market is beginning to soften after some apparent momentum last year.
“The modest pickup in sales in the U.S. over the past six months has been primarily of investor-driven foreclosed properties, with little evidence of broader home buyer activity since the expiry of purchase incentives in early 2010," commented Ms. Warren. "Despite gradually improving job markets and near record housing affordability, the expected addition of at least another one million foreclosed properties to the market this year suggests more downside price risk in 2011."
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"Increasing nervousness over global economic prospects alongside rising food and gas prices and persistently high unemployment are keeping potential buyers on the sidelines despite highly accommodative monetary policy," said Adrienne Warren, Senior Economist and Real Estate Specialist, Scotia Economics. "A lingering oversupply of housing and/or still tight credit conditions are reinforcing the downward pressure on sales and prices in a number of markets globally."
"A marked improvement in housing affordability, particularly in those regions suffering large valuation declines in recent years, will eventually put a firmer floor under prices and underpin a gradual turnaround for the sector," added Ms. Warren. "For the time being, however, the process of repairing bloated public and household balance sheets points to a protracted period of subpar economic growth among debt-heavy developed nations that will restrain household borrowing and spending. A generally more cautious lending environment also will hold back the pace of recovery."
In Canada, price appreciation has been a slow and steady race, with average inflation-adjusted home prices for Q1 up a respectable 5%, year-over year. Analysts warn too, that the national home prices do not necessarily reflect the nation region to region; prices have been inflated nationally due to surging prices in some pockets- namely from the wave of foreign investors flooding the Vancouver market.
Take Vancouver out of the equation, and prices have only appreciated a more realistic 1% year-over-year.
"Housing sales in Canada, while below the record-setting pace seen at the height of the boom in 2005-2007, are being supported by steady job creation and still attractive borrowing costs," stated Ms. Warren. "Relatively tight supply is adding to price pressures in several cities. Nonetheless, high home prices, the further tightening in mortgage insurance rules effective mid-March, and the upward drift in fixed mortgage rates this year appear to have slowed demand somewhat, most notably among first-time buyers. We anticipate relatively flat sales volumes and average prices through the latter half of the year."
Australia’s housing boom has faltered, partly due to the siege of natural disasters the region has been host to over the last year. Coupled with the fact that rising property prices are pushing boundaries of affordability, the housing market there is quickly running out of steam.
In Europe, troubled economies in various centres are causing some localized housing markets to sputter. In the UK, prices for Q1 were down 4%; in Spain, three years of a slow market seems to be continuing, with prices having fallen by 8%. Analysts warn that there is more of the same to come too.
Not all European markets were headed downwards in Q1. France and Switzerland saw price increases of 7% and 4% respectively.
In the U.S., the market is beginning to soften after some apparent momentum last year.
“The modest pickup in sales in the U.S. over the past six months has been primarily of investor-driven foreclosed properties, with little evidence of broader home buyer activity since the expiry of purchase incentives in early 2010," commented Ms. Warren. "Despite gradually improving job markets and near record housing affordability, the expected addition of at least another one million foreclosed properties to the market this year suggests more downside price risk in 2011."
Related Articles
Inflation slowdown brings hope interests rates will hold
Consumer Debt on the Rise in Canada
Friday, July 8, 2011
www.sendoutcards.com/dianelaflamme
Check this out.
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1936300421534&oid=63982605873&comments
SEND OUT CARDS
Send Out Cards is a concept and service that is changing people’s lives. You can send a printed greeting card with your message in less than 60 seconds. You choose your card, write your message and click send. Send Out Cards prints the card and envelope, stuffs it and mails it – all for less than a greeting card at the store. There are over 16,000 cards to choose from. Sending cards with this system helps businesses keep in touch with their clients for a fraction of the cost of any other system. The cards can be personalized and campaigns at holiday season can be sent out. All contacts are entered into a Contact Manager System and can be sorted by groups. A wide selection of gifts can be sent with each card. Each gift is professionally packaged and mailed at a reasonable cost. With the help of the Picture Plus program, photos or graphics can be used to create individual or personal cards. The company has a customer service department which is very efficient.
In the first 5 years of business this company has generated over 150 million dollars in sales. It has sent over 50 million greeting cards and over 1 million gifts. Send Out Cards is privately held, is debt free and has virtually no competition.
Send Out Cards is a perfect solution for companies to remain in contact with their clients. When was the last time you thanked your client for their business? Do you think it would make a difference? Do you remember people’s birthdays and other special occasions? Do you think it matters to them?
The Value of Volunteering.......“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give. “....Winston Churchill
There is something compelling about an individual who chooses to make a statement by civic action- by sharing the most valuable commodity of all- their time. While volunteering is ultimately about giving back, it also presents a rare opportunity to visibly translate words into action. Building social capital in client-centric business lends context to integrity in a way that no marketing plan can.
Sukh Sidhu, President of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, with over 28 years experience as a Realtor- as well as many years of volunteer service as a member on various industry related boards- and as a prominent member of the Indo-Canadian community, is well aware of the mesh between volunteering, visibility and client-centric business.
“Realtors care about bettering their community. They live where they work, and work where they live... It is about setting the stage for future business. Real Estate is people business, built on trust. Buyers and sellers trust you to help with the biggest purchase of their lives. In my experience, volunteer work builds that trust. People already know you, they trust you. They call who they already trust.”
There is no denying the far reaching impact of volunteering- both in acts of corporate citizenship, and in smaller, private acts, underscoring that making a difference is not about size or scale, but about commitment and directed action. Volunteer Canada lists in their mission statement, “Every action counts and people should be able to contribute in ways that work for them... voluntary organizations play a fundamental role in community health and vitality and are essential agents in building social capital.”
Volunteering Works
In the U.S., the National Realtors Association has recently awarded the third annual Volunteering Works awards. These awards identify Realtors who have made an impact in their individual communities in truly grass roots style.
True to the entrepreneurial spirit of Real Estate, these Realtors have assessed the communities in which they reside and/or work, and have identified need- and have taken it upon themselves to create solutions to the problems. This underscores another point- impact and social change does not necessarily have to reside in large-scale efforts. Big or small, it is about passion and action combining to make a difference.
For example, this year’s award recipients made their contributions relevant to social requirement. Causes included assisting parents with care giving for children with special needs, issues of abuse for women and their families, childhood literacy, substance abuse, support for divorced fathers to foster and maintain relationships with their children and providing real-life support in the way of repairs and home maintenance to allow seniors to stay in their own homes.
"Realtors play a significant role in building communities," says National Association of Realtors President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. "Volunteering Works highlights NAR members who are volunteering their time to answer a need in their community. We're proud to help them grow their efforts so they can serve even more people.”
While awards may seem contrarian to the concept of altruism, they help legitimize good works- as well as encouraging others to get involved. These awards seem less about identifying people and organizations, and more about getting the word out that people are making differences in their own communities- and is also about creating momentum in the volunteer movement.
Benefits: Personal and Otherwise
While volunteering your time is meant to benefit the organization that you are supporting, there are definite benefits to be reaped individually, and as part of a team.
Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, says that the positive results from volunteering are numerous: “There are a range of benefits. There is an opportunity to meet with diverse people, connect with the community, and build skills and career experience. People often welcome this break from routine- and see volunteering as a fun and creative experience- it is emotionally and intellectually rewarding. There is the chance to pursue new interests and/or hobbies...of course, the best reward is that it feels good to help others.”
In terms of team building, there is much to be reaped from the experience of volunteering as a group. Camaraderie, working towards a common goal- in this case helping others, can be both immensely appealing, and productive- particularly in industries where business for self is the operational situation.
The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s recent “National Garage Sale for Shelter” that raised over $400,000 in support of women’s shelters and ending violence against women and children, exemplified the concept of Realtors throwing down roots- and throwing their collective backs into a cause- with real, measurable results.
Says Spencer- Brown: “In terms of team building and volunteering, coming together for a cause that resonates with your entire office is a great way to forge strong relationships with your colleagues, and to learn from one another. Volunteering as a team also gives you greater capacity to help -- more people coming together to volunteer in support of a cause means greater potential to effect meaningful change; in addition, it means greater potential to raise awareness for the cause which can lead to an even greater number of volunteers.”
There is no question too, that volunteering represents an excellent opportunity for networking. You have a chance to meet and connect with large groups of people in a different context. And in a “people business “, face time is great time.
Branding
One of the challenges facing Mortgage and Real Estate Professionals is translating concepts like commitment, hard work, trust and accountability into real life situations to enhance brand. If your marketing plan is the theory behind your branding, volunteering provides a unique opportunity to visibly demonstrate these qualities.
Says Spencer- Brown: “Volunteering demonstrates commitment to giving back. It is about demonstrating that you are connected to the community.”
While you should devote your time to a cause that matters to you personally, there are definite benefits to participating in an established event, because these events often receive more media coverage- which can assist further in the expression of brand.
Spencer-Brown agrees: “Of course, there are additional benefits to being connected to a large, established event (like the Garage Sale for Shelter) because of extensive media coverage. There are benefits for offices too for branding, in aligning with a high profile event.”
Play it Cool
Never, ever, confuse a volunteer event with the boardroom. Being a volunteer is first and foremost about caring and connecting with the community. If, in the process of donating your time, you happen to cross paths with potential business- then great. If not, this is one of those times that asking for business may have the opposite effect.
Also, this underscores the point, that to be true to the spirit of volunteerism, motivations must be altruistic. Generating business is a pleasant by-product.
Sidhu comments: “Don’t promote business/listings (when volunteering). Do your work. When people need you, they will find you. Don’t push your agenda. Realtors are professional, and as part of the process, business will come in.”
Pick a Cause that Fits
While it often makes sense to align yourself with a cause that is employer-backed, it is often most productive to choose a cause that matters to you as an individual- although it is worth pointing out that the two are not mutually exclusive either.
What personal involvement in a cause does essentially is raise the level of personal investment, says Spencer- Brown: “The experience will be more rewarding and more meaningful if you have personal experience. You are better equipped, and are better able to speak to the cause- and you likely will show more empathy. Also, you are more likely to be more committed to the outcome, and will likely derive more personal satisfaction.”
In fact, the potential impact of choosing a cause that fits is so important, Volunteer Canada has now released a digital tool to help prospective volunteers understand and verbalize their volunteer needs.
“Creating an opportunity to address a disconnect between what Canadians look for in volunteer experiences and what organizations offer, ” Volunteer Canada has created the Volunteer Quiz ( VQ, ) which allows prospective volunteers to be classified under one of six personality types : Rookie, Roving Consultant, Type ‘A’, Groupie, Juggler, and Cameo.
The intent here is to match volunteers with organizations and types of volunteer work that they are likely to stick with in the long term, trying to move episodic volunteerism into an ongoing commitment.
“All Canadians have a role to play along a broad spectrum of engagement – everything from quick bursts of volunteering on mobile handsets to front-line volunteer aid in war-torn regions of the world,” said Ruth MacKenzie, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada. “The VQ can help boost volunteer engagement, but it’s essential to maintain a balance between episodic and long-term volunteering.”
To give an example of these volunteer personality types, the Groupie- much as it sounds, enjoys the group aspect of volunteering with a team, and the bonding and camaraderie that ensues from that experience. The VQ then recommends for this personality type to seek out opportunities with large organizations with short-term or one-day volunteer activities. The Roving Consultant, meanwhile, seeks work on specific short-term projects with real need for a specialized skill set.
As they say, charity begins at home- but for Real Estate and Mortgage professionals, that adage should be extended to include the entire community in which they work and live, because of the myriad of personal and professional benefits in supporting the community by being a volunteer.
And as Winston Churchill said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give. “
Thursday, July 7, 2011
William and Kate spent night at secluded Skoki Lodge
CALGARY — Prince William and Kate Middleton spent Wednesday night at the secluded Skoki Lodge, a historic backcountry cabin 11 kilometres from the Lake Louise Ski Area, it was confirmed Thursday.
"It was all under the radar, incredibly cloaked from the top down," said Kurt Schroder, a spokesman for the Banff-Lake Louise Tourism Bureau, which issued a news release touting the royal visit as "a new royal legacy" for the historic lodge.
Although the tourism bureau still had no official confirmation from the royal tour about Skoki, Schroder said they pieced the information together from several sources, including "our partners in the tourism industry."
The lodge, built in 1931 and a designated national historic site, is owned and operated by Charlie Locke's Lake Louise Ski Area under a lease from Parks Canada.
"We just connected the dots through umpteem channels, like squirrels on the ground," said Schroder. "Like everyone else, we were following their movements yesterday from Slave Lake and from one tarmac to another. We knew they were not coming to Banff, so we suspected everywhere, from the Chateau Lake Louise to Lake O'Hara Lodge. We thought they might dip into B.C., but we're just glad they chose a place within Banff National Park."
Skoki Lodge was the first facility built specifically to cater to ski tourists on a commercial basis in Canada, and possibly North America, according to the tourism bureau. The log structure was built by a group of Banff residents who formed the Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies to manage the operation. Several log cabins were added between l935 and 1936 by Jim Boyce, a tour guide and outfitter.
An employee of the Chateau Lake Louise told the Calgary Herald Wednesday night that the royal couple were almost certainly staying at Skoki.
"We have friends who work there and they were busy preparing everything," she said, declining to be identified.
Skoki is normally accessible only on foot via a four-hour hike from the Lake Louise Ski Area, with seven of the 11 kilometre-route uphill.
Schroder believes William and Kate were helicoptered directly to the site.
The rustic lodge has outhouses for facilities, he said.
"It will be interesting to find out what improvements were made (for the royals)," he said.
Calgary Herald
rremington@calgaryherald.com
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/royal-visit/William+Kate+spent+night+secluded+Skoki+Lodge/5063971/story.html#ixzz1RS6uoIse
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Do We Get Better With Age?
Conventional wisdom says it’s good to be young. That, by the time you’ve been around long enough to understand how everything works, you’re too old to enjoy it.
Well, I’m going to challenge that and take on an issue that’s become a personal and professional battleground for many of you.
You see, jobs are at a premium and it’s not at all clear which generation, if any, is being discriminated against. Baby boomers tell me their jobs are going to younger and cheaper talent. But the data shows that younger people have far higher levels of unemployment.
Besides the jobs thing, there’s all that hoopla over generation gaps and generational profiling - real, imagined, or otherwise - between our aging population of baby boomers and Generation X, Y, Z, and who knows what comes next.
Here’s how I’d like to approach this big hairy issue, if I may. It’s a question for the ages if there ever was one: Do People Get Better With Age?
To start the conversation, I thought I’d list what, about you and me, gets better with age and what doesn’t. See what you think:
What gets better with age?
Experience. Now, experience may be overrated as a criteria for hiring and promoting, as we previously discussed, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever a bad thing. We gain confidence from our successes and learn real life lessons from our failures. It’s all good.
Management ability. For the vast majority, competence, functional skill, decision-making, most of the necessary ingredients for good management practice improves with age and, of course, experience.
Leadership ability. Confidence, humor, humility, empathy, virtually all leadership characteristics seem to improve with age. That’s why CEOs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became better leaders as they “grew up.”
Men. This is sure to be a controversial one, but, for the most part, men remain immature longer and tend to grow up much later than women do, at least in my experience. Simply put, I think men tend to become better people with age.
Comfort in your own skin. I guess temperament and maturity go along with that pretty well. The very act of growing up, getting experience under your belt, and getting to know yourself, people, and how the world works, tends to help most of us feel more comfortable in our own skin. At least, that’s the theory.
What gets worse with age?
Stamina. Whatever you do for a living or for fun, you can’t do it for as long as you used to, that’s for sure.
Staying in shape. On two separate occasions, in response to compliments about how good they looked, two aging, well-known silicon valley executives told me the same thing, “You have no idea how much it takes to look this good at my age.” Yup, it’s true.
Health. Allergies, eyes, hair, skin, joints, pain. I can go on and on about this, but it’s pretty straightforward that things don’t work as well as they used to, that’s for sure.
Hangovers. Yup, it’s a fact, older people just can’t party like they used to. The unfortunate result of a slowing metabolism.
Memory. I’m pretty sure this is biological fact, but I’m definitely sure you’ll let me know if I’m wrong.
Adaptability. This may be a myth; I’m not really sure. Still, I had to throw it in here and see what happens. It’s certainly age-old wisdom that we become more set in our ways, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, that sort of thing. It clearly doesn’t apply to everyone and all things, but it might be a fairly accurate generalization.
That’s where I am on the debate. On the whole, I’d say that it’s a pretty mixed bag. That said, while the body does tend to deteriorate, personal and professional growth - in terms of ability, experience, competence, emotional intelligence, all that good stuff - would seem to more than compensate.
So, I’m going to come down on the side of aging being more or less a good thing. What do you think?
Related posts:
Gen Y: Solve Your Own Damn Workplace Issues
Why Generational Profiling is Bad Management
The Gender Pay Gap is a Complete Myth
Follow Steve Tobak on Twitter or Facebook
Well, I’m going to challenge that and take on an issue that’s become a personal and professional battleground for many of you.
You see, jobs are at a premium and it’s not at all clear which generation, if any, is being discriminated against. Baby boomers tell me their jobs are going to younger and cheaper talent. But the data shows that younger people have far higher levels of unemployment.
Besides the jobs thing, there’s all that hoopla over generation gaps and generational profiling - real, imagined, or otherwise - between our aging population of baby boomers and Generation X, Y, Z, and who knows what comes next.
Here’s how I’d like to approach this big hairy issue, if I may. It’s a question for the ages if there ever was one: Do People Get Better With Age?
To start the conversation, I thought I’d list what, about you and me, gets better with age and what doesn’t. See what you think:
What gets better with age?
Experience. Now, experience may be overrated as a criteria for hiring and promoting, as we previously discussed, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever a bad thing. We gain confidence from our successes and learn real life lessons from our failures. It’s all good.
Management ability. For the vast majority, competence, functional skill, decision-making, most of the necessary ingredients for good management practice improves with age and, of course, experience.
Leadership ability. Confidence, humor, humility, empathy, virtually all leadership characteristics seem to improve with age. That’s why CEOs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became better leaders as they “grew up.”
Men. This is sure to be a controversial one, but, for the most part, men remain immature longer and tend to grow up much later than women do, at least in my experience. Simply put, I think men tend to become better people with age.
Comfort in your own skin. I guess temperament and maturity go along with that pretty well. The very act of growing up, getting experience under your belt, and getting to know yourself, people, and how the world works, tends to help most of us feel more comfortable in our own skin. At least, that’s the theory.
What gets worse with age?
Stamina. Whatever you do for a living or for fun, you can’t do it for as long as you used to, that’s for sure.
Staying in shape. On two separate occasions, in response to compliments about how good they looked, two aging, well-known silicon valley executives told me the same thing, “You have no idea how much it takes to look this good at my age.” Yup, it’s true.
Health. Allergies, eyes, hair, skin, joints, pain. I can go on and on about this, but it’s pretty straightforward that things don’t work as well as they used to, that’s for sure.
Hangovers. Yup, it’s a fact, older people just can’t party like they used to. The unfortunate result of a slowing metabolism.
Memory. I’m pretty sure this is biological fact, but I’m definitely sure you’ll let me know if I’m wrong.
Adaptability. This may be a myth; I’m not really sure. Still, I had to throw it in here and see what happens. It’s certainly age-old wisdom that we become more set in our ways, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, that sort of thing. It clearly doesn’t apply to everyone and all things, but it might be a fairly accurate generalization.
That’s where I am on the debate. On the whole, I’d say that it’s a pretty mixed bag. That said, while the body does tend to deteriorate, personal and professional growth - in terms of ability, experience, competence, emotional intelligence, all that good stuff - would seem to more than compensate.
So, I’m going to come down on the side of aging being more or less a good thing. What do you think?
Related posts:
Gen Y: Solve Your Own Damn Workplace Issues
Why Generational Profiling is Bad Management
The Gender Pay Gap is a Complete Myth
Follow Steve Tobak on Twitter or Facebook
Radiance of the Seas remodel lives up to ship's name. Royal Caribbean cruise ship leaves Victoria in tip-top shape
By Phil Reimer, for Postmedia News
My first impression after boarding Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas in Victoria was that the ship was being decommissioned.
While the outside of the ship had not changed, at that point, the inside public areas were virtually gutted.
It turned out that Radiance, the oldest in of the Radiance Class ships, was being remodelled -refurbishing is a word that does not do it justice.
Built in 2001, the 2,500-passenger ship was taking on many of the successful features you will find on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, the two biggest cruise ships in the world.
It can take months to remodel a home. However, when you have $30 million to spend and 1,000 workers at your service, you would be amazed at what can be accomplished in 21 days. When you add up the projects, there were 1,000, some lasting a few days, others lasting a few hours. With military precision, the Victoria Shipyard made it on time for the remodelled ship's first cruise to Alaska on June 10. This was also a chance for the yard to show off to the federal government, in hopes of getting a piece of the $35 billion earmarked for new and remodelled ships for the navy, and beyond, over the next few decades.
Radiance of the Seas was also being remodelled to save money. With a new special paint on the bottom of its hull and a few changes to the propulsion system, it will save 5,500 gallons of fuel a week.
This makeover is all part of the "Royal Advantage" program, which is being undertaken for older members of Royal Caribbean's fleet. Splendor of the Seas is next.
Radiance added seven new restaurants during its stay in dry dock and, yes, some have a price attached. Samba's, a Brazilian Churrasco-style restaurant -think meat -is $25 for dinner only. Giovanni's Table, for Italian dining, is $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner. Izumi, fashionably Asian Fusion, has à la carte pricing. The Park Cafe deli, the "Dog House" for those who love hotdogs, the Quill and Compass Pub, and Rita's Cantina's, a Mexican restaurant, are all part of your cruise price. Also opening will be the Chef's Table, at $95, one of the most expensive restaurants at sea and with room for only 16 guests each night. For your money, you get five courses and complimentary wine.
There's more. All staterooms will be refurbished with new flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi in the cabins and all public areas. The public areas are getting miles and miles of new carpet. The pool was in the process of getting a new deck and the movie screen was bigger: 15 feet by 30 feet. It will be used for movies at night, specials and major sports events.
When it heads south for the winter, Radiance of the Seas will have a series of itineraries that include 12-night trips from Sydney to the South Pacific, including Nouméa, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, as well as the traditional 14-night cruises to New Zealand.
Thumping Canada's chest here, all the senior managers on this project were lavish in their praise of the Canadian workers. The captain, Claus Andersen, raved especially about the quality of the work being performed. That's high praise from a crew that works with shipyards around the world.
As for what it costs to cruise on this remodelled Radiance, here's one example: Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage), seven days, Sept. 2, $739.
Visit portsandbows.com for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information.
Phil can be contacted directly at portsandbows@gmail.com.
~ Sounds wonderful............!
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