stratford real estate: Name That Photo - If You Can - 05/31/11 04:15 PM
It's been awhile since I've posted to the Name That Photo group created a couple of years ago by Liz Moras.  It is a fun group to post to, one where you submit a photo with or without a clue and let AR members guess what the subject in the photo is.
Sometimes the subject in the  photo is relatively easy to determine but more often than not, there is some pretty wild guessing going on. 
I was out an about yesterday and noticed this reflection on the water and it made me think of the Name That Photo group.  We all know … (21 comments)

stratford real estate: There's Nothing Wrong With Being Bold - Is There? - 05/21/11 04:44 PM
When you think of the word jack o'lantern what colour comes to mind?  If you're thinking orange, you are correct.  We've been living in our new house now for almost 4 months and I'm beginning to crave a little more colour on our white walls. In the past, I'd say my colour scheme has always been quite conservative.  I've always leaned towards neutrals with a touch of blue for bathrooms.  In our new house we have a high wall in the stairwell leading to the second floor.  There are two windows in this area so it is quite bright.
I had … (21 comments)

stratford real estate: Welcome Or Not - Walmart Is Coming To Stratford - 05/17/11 04:13 PM
The 10 year expensive battle is over.  Walmart is coming to Stratford, Ontario.  Not in its' desired location or original size but none the less ground will be broken in 2012 to pave the way for the mega box store to put down roots in the Stratford community.
The city has spent $1.4 million dollars on legal fees alone in their fight to keep the retail giant at bay with their efforts to preserve the downtown retail businesses.  Many downtown merchants are concerned that Walmart's arrival will put additional stress on businesses already facing challenges.
The new location, still in the City's east end is … (12 comments)

stratford real estate: Go Daddy - Go - Go - Daddy Be Gone - 05/11/11 03:24 PM
I registered 3 domain names with Go Daddy a couple of years ago and I'm kicking myself for it now.  I've puchased most of my domain names through my Point 2 Agent website and have them automatically pointed to my homepage or a separate page I create.
When I moved a couple of months ago I had to change internet service providers so I lost my email addresses.  That in itself was very frustrating and I highly advise that you use an email address that is not tied to a service provider that you may not always have permanent access to.
… (11 comments)

stratford real estate: Sweet Soft Sounds Or Heavy Noise - What Do You Wake Up To? - 05/07/11 02:09 PM
Who do you wake up to in the morning?  Who do you turn on to help you rise and shine?  Do you like soft sweet sounds whispering in your ears or loud, heavy noise?
Since we moved to our new community a few months ago I've been turning onChymfm to wake up to.  It's a lite rock station in nearby Kitchener-Waterloo.  It offers a nice  mix of music that's easy on the still sleepy ears.  By the time afternoon rolls around if I'm at home I'm listening to Adele do her shift at the station.
One of the reasons I really … (12 comments)

stratford real estate: Friday's Fotos - Avon Calling - 05/06/11 03:45 PM
The title of this blog post is probably dating me.  I don't  know if that term Avon Calling is even used anymore but it came to me as I was thinking of a title.
I think it stems back to the days when Avon products were sold door to door.  Does anyone remember the Fuller Brush Man?  These door knocking salespeople would make great REALTORS® today.
The Avon that I am referring to in this post is the Avon River.  The Avon flows through Stratford from one end to the other and mostly enjoyed in the downtown area where part of it … (17 comments)

stratford real estate: I Will Buy My Dream Home When......... - 05/05/11 04:05 PM
I saw this cute little piggy bank when I visited the Best Little Pork Shoppe down the road in Shakespeare, Ontario.  I happened to have my camera with me and thought it was worth taking a picture of because it got me thinking.
I tried to think of ways to end the sentence.  I tried to think of ways my buyers would end the sentence.  And I'm curious as to how you would all finish the sentence. 
I think most of us have an idea of what our dream home would be.  I always pictured an old stonehouse out in … (8 comments)

stratford real estate: From Fishbowl To Mudbowl - But There's No Going Back - 05/04/11 02:19 PM
I have been asked many times over the last few months what made us up and relocate to a very small town.  There are many reasons, one being the fact that I am now living close to my parents and some of my siblings.
One of the other reasons I tell people is that I saw an empty lot that "spoke to me".  It is hard to explain but when I saw Lot 13 backing onto a farmer's field with two existing mature trees on the property, it just felt right.
Never in a million years would I have ever thought … (11 comments)

stratford real estate: How's The Market? - Thank You For Asking - 05/03/11 03:05 PM
 As a REALTOR® I often get asked the following questions. "How's the market?" "Is it a good time to buy?" " When's the best time to sell?" Those are not easy ques­tions to answer with a short response. I often respond by saying " If only I had that crystal ball". But then my 22 years of working every different type of market there is, and many times over, kicks in and rather than generalizing I ask what specific information they require for their needs. I am going to try to give the Cole's Notes version of my answers to these … (8 comments)

stratford real estate: Motivational Monday - Become A Modern Day Explorer - 05/02/11 05:29 AM
First came blogging, then came photography, then came hiking.  When I first started blogging it soon became apparent that I should add photos to my posts to create some additional interest.  With all the copyright issues I knew I wasn't supposed to "borrow" photos from other sources without permission.
So I decided I'd have to create my own photos.  I had never had an interest in photography before but I purchased a half decent digital camera and went to work in my community snapping photos of anything relevant for my upcoming posts.
Who knew that being forced to supply my own work would … (8 comments)

stratford real estate: May Day - May Day - Let The Blogging Begin - 05/01/11 01:59 PM
Today is May 1st.  May Day.  The term "May Day" has a few meanings.  May Day - May Day is a well known international distress signal.
May Day is also a day of celebration in many Countries.  I remember as a child in my primary years at school we would all go outside and dance around the flagpole on May 1st.  I don't know if that happens anymore in Canada.  I don't remember my kids ever doing it at their school.
For me May 1st means my first post as part of the 31 Day Challenge for May 2011 at Active Rain.  So … (10 comments)

stratford real estate: The 31 Day Blogging Challenge For May - I think I can, I think I can - 04/28/11 07:38 AM
There have been many monthly blogging challenges and so far I've either missed the call to action or found out partway through or the timing just wasn't right for me.
While reading some other member's posts today I became aware of the 31 Day May Blogging Challenge.  I have been a tad lax with my blogging of late.  Life kind of got in the way.
I wasn't sure if I was up to the commitment of writing one blog a day for 31 days but I made an executive decision and jumped on-board.
Here are just a few reasons for my … (14 comments)

stratford real estate: Wow - Good Things Happen When You Take A Break - 04/22/11 02:43 PM
I have been away from AR more than I've been around, the last couple of months.  Just too much going on with a major move and all that comes with it.
Now that I look back though, the physical move was the easiest part of the transition.  The biggest challenge has been to update all of my social networking sites with my new contact information.
I had no idea since I jumped on the blogging and social media/networking bandwagon a couple of years ago just how much info I had out there in the Google Universe.
My first project was to build a new real … (14 comments)

stratford real estate: Las Vegas - Lots To Love - But Two Thumbs Down To Starbucks & McDonalds - 03/10/11 05:57 PM
Viva Las Vegas - what a city.  I've just spent the last 5 days here attending a RE/MAX convention at Mandalay Bay Hotel with 5000 other RE/MAX REALTORS® from 50 countries.  Canada was represented by about 500 agents who by the looks of it all had a great time.
We couldn't have asked for better weather which apparently is unseasonably warm in the mid 70's. I enjoyed listening to Joe Theismann and Gary Vaynerchuk both with their own distinct messages.   I left a few dollars in the slot machines.
I met up with a fellow AR member and will do a separate post … (17 comments)

stratford real estate: I'm Renewing My REALTOR® Vows - I Promise To......... - 01/18/11 04:56 AM
I cleaned out my desk at the office the other day.  Packed all my file boxes, photos, awards, paper clips, et al  into the back seat of the car and headed home.  (notice that I give awards and paperclips the same significance)
 They now reside in my garage where they will be transported on January 29th to a new home an hour and a half down the road. My contract at RE/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp. in Oakville will end on January 31st.  My new contract at RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd. in Stratford, Ontario will commence February 1st.
Am I excited?  Yes … (9 comments)

stratford real estate: Speechless Sunday - Triple Tree-o - 01/16/11 04:25 AM

Taken from inside my back door.  They may look cold but they don't look hungry.
From Wikipedia:
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the Western Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with up to 70 million birds shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its … (14 comments)