Each year, for the last 2 years, I have been chosen to be the Mascot for our Royal LePage Atlantic Kiosk. The Kiosk is located at the local mall here in Saint John, New Brunswick, and is located in the center aisle of the mall. At our Kiosk we have photos of existing homes for sales on moveable display cases that potential buyers and sellers love to go and flip them over. We also have a computer with a countertop so potential buyers or sellers can sit and discuss any details with the Realtor. Each year, very young kids and their parents come in around 5:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. and do their "Trick or Treating" from store vendor to store vendor... It's especially a busy place when the weather is probamatic; today being windy and rain showers.
This is a GREAT time and an effective marketing strategy for getting business cards out to potential sellers and buyer!!!
Last year I played Maleficent the "beautiful" witch from the Sleep Beauty story. This year I played "The Grinch" with a few modifications. My Grinch costume consisted of lime green tights with two pairs of socks; one with strips and the small ones with bells and finished off with elf slippers. (Had to stay comfortable!) The rest of the costume had the official Santa look with "The Grinch" written across the front, with lime green winter gloves and the official "Grinch" mask. Since the mask was warm to wear, when I had it off, I still looked like one of Santa's elves, so I could play two roles in one.
Going back to handing out business cards, this is the way I do it. I get two pieces of "Good candy" and one business card that I put in each Halloween bag. This way I feel like the possibility of getting future clients are higher, since most of the parents will check the candy, they will hopefully pull out the business card and give the candy to their kids, if they don't eat it themselves. LOL Getting the candy bags ready is time consuming, but I believe well worth it.
When I was ready to hand out the candy, it was FUN to see all of the kids & adult costumes and interact with the parents & their kids. The parents and their kids usually start out from one end and work the whole mall through. I usually stay on one side to give all the kids their treats. Today, I gave out 370 BAGS OF CANDY...
I highly recommend this to other Realtors, since it's wonderful to interact with the community on different levels, especially the "humane" and compassionate side of us. All Realtors should have fun with this day, it's a Great time to let loose and make connections with the community and at work.... especially if you've had a Halloween Barbecue at your office the day before!
Canada's national resale housing activity climbed to the highest level of any third quarter on record. MLS systems of Canadian real estate boards totalled 135,182 units in the third quarter of 2009, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). This is the highest level of activity on record for the period from July to September. The number of transactions was up 18 per cent from the third quarter of last year, representing the biggest year-over-year increase since early 2002. Climbing to $327,736, the national MLS® residential average price rose 11 per cent from the same quarter last year.
This information can be found on the CREA Stats website, dated today, October 15th, 2009.
Own a Piece of History, With this Brick 1883 Victorian Italianate Style Home In Uptown Saint John!
4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Year Built: 1883, Sq. Ft. 2500 $249,000 CDN
Live in this designed builder's home, that William N. Dewitt built for himself in 1883. in the early 1900's real estate Broker William Earl Anderson obtained the home. this fabulous architecturally designed victorian solid brick home, Italianate style with 2500sqft, walking distance for a professional family in the heart of uptown saint john. park the car and walk to irving corp offices and uptown jobs, schools, theatre, entertainment & fine city restaurants. enjoy living is a spacious victorian home with high ceilings, crown moldings, and beautiful stained glass window. other architectural elements include: irregular shaped roof-line cornice, corbel bands, sandstone sills & lintels, pressed brick, rectangular vertical sliding windows, two hexagonal bay windows, decorative entablature over the entrance with a star in the centre, large vertical transom windows above the door and a pair of wooden doors with glass panels. improvements; new private back deck w/garden, all new windows, skylights, ceramic tile & countertops, cement flooring in basement, security w/alarm system and wood stove. this price won't last!
1. Falling in love. 2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 3. A hot shower. 4. No lines at the supermarket. 5. A special glance. 6. Getting mail. 7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio. 9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry). 12. A bubble bath. 13. Giggling. 14. A good conversation. 15 The beach 16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter. 17. Laughing at yourself. 18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you 19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 20. Running through sprinklers. 21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. 22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful. 23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS 25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 29. Playing with a new puppy or kitten. 30. Having someone play with your hair. 31. Sweet dreams. 32. Hot chocolate. 33. Road trips with friends. 34. Swinging on swings. 35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 36. Making chocolate chip cookies. 37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies. 38 Holding hands with someone you care about. 39 Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you. 41. Watching the sunrise. 42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day. 43. Knowing that somebody misses you. 44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply. 45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think!!! ;>))
I don't know about the rest of the you, but since Barack Obama was elected President on Nov 4th, it seems, that I've been waiting an ETERNITY, for him to take over the Oval Office. It seemed that from Nov 4th to Jan 20th, time stood still. Nothing really got down in the White House!
I love President Barak Obama's comment: "We must pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off!" That statement alone gives our people the motivation to start over and begin a new cycle....
This country needed a president with a driven personality, who could bring our divided country back together in a cultural way and give our country and the world a sense of relief! That sense of relief was a given, due to his intellectual abilities to get things done!
Watching the historical 2 million peopleRECORD crowd in the Capital, you could see people coming together from all religious denominations, races, cultures and genders. People were talking to people next to them, without a worry in the world. It projected a sense of hope for the American people and the world watching history being made. Hopefully all the politicians in Capital Hill noticed that people are ready for a CHANGE!!
I hope the Senate and the House of Representatives work with Barack Obama and his team of experts to get our country's respect back into a positive light with the rest of the world. He will need all the help he can get and hopefully all the senators and representatives will leave partisan aside to get our country back on the right track....
Let's leave "old ways" behind and look to the future of our country's best interest!!!
Good Luck Barack!!!
Watch this short video (link below) on his Inauguration speech done today, January 20th, 2009!
When my daughter came home today and told me to look at this on YouTube I originally shrugged it off... Her English teacher showed the class at the end of the period and most of the students were amazed.
There is a very silent revolution going on. Are you aware of it? or is it passing you by??
Here's a site that really makes you think of the future of the shifting economies and education systems currently being done around the world. We as Americans, Canadians or Europeans need to think about how to keep an edge and remember there are countries that are starting to surpass our education system and our financial stabilities.
We need to answer some of these questions, so we stay "On Top" for our kid's sake, if not their kid's sake or our future grandchildren. Let's really ask our education system these questions, our federal politicians, our local politicians and make changes that are conducive to staying ahead of the global game.
With the U.S and now Canadian economy getting hit pretty hard, due to the "lack of insight" that our politicians didn't see coming, we as the citizens of these Great countries, need to pay attention to what's really going on throughout other countries and how they are becoming much more GLOBAL, then we are....
Chrysler announced this evening, that due to the CREDIT CRUNCH, the 30 plants in North American (including Canada) will shut down for 30 days beginning December 19th. Yes, THIS FRIDAY, 6 days before Christmas!
Apparently, the CREDIT CRUNCH has caused them 20-25% of their losses. My question is what about the other 75-80% of the losses? What caused that???
What happened to the CREATIVE EDGE we once had? Where are those design engineers? Are their hands tied to their backs?
Is this a way to keep costs down for the company? What about the executives? What will the unions do? Most importantly, in my book, what will the families do for 30 days without any income coming in?
Does everybody out there really believe that the CREDIT CRUNCH would cause them to close 30 plants for 30 days?
What's your reasoning behind it? I would love to know what you think? From liberals, moderates and our conservative communities...
With the OPEC indicating that they have started the ball rolling on reducing production of oil for the world market, I say challenge us!
Here's a link to a video on magnetic technology and how it would work as a car engine. My question is: WHERE WAS THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY, WHEN SOMEONE THOUGHT THIS OUT?
With all of our wonderful American & Canadian engineers who are extremely creative and highly skilled, Detroit executives should give them unlimited resources to create the next generations of Green engines and ultimately produce a solution to our energy draining cars and trucks.
I sometimes believe the auto industry was sleeping with the oil industry to keep our dependence on oil!! And here we are BAILING THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY OUT! Shouldn't the Oil Industry come to there rescue?
If we can have batteries in cars from other country's auto industry, why can't we have magnetism also???
What do you guys & gals think of this wonderful technology. What can we do to help this transition happen, so our dependence on oil just becomes a bad nightmare that will ultimately go away!
Lately, I have read many articles about Realtors and their Brokers complaining about how bad their listings are going and how the economy is getting worse. Well, since at this moment in time, if your hands are tied, make an effort and donate, either your time, your money or your service during these critical and unprecedented times.
With the holiday season around the corner, I honesty believe the best thing you can do for yourself (as a professional) and your family, is to donate your time, money or service to:
1) "Toys for Tots" program, or the also called "Marine Toys for Tots" foundation,
2) Deliver a turkey or other food items to the Salvation Army,
3) Donate blood at your local Blood Clinics,
4) Teach a child how to read,
5) Teach a child how to do math,
6) Volunteer at your local hospital,
7) Volunteer at a soup kitchen for the needy,
8) Volunteer to visit an elderly person without a family,
9) Donate money to a charity of your choice,
10) Volunteer with cancer patients in your local hospitals.
You may have have had a wonderful last few years prosporous, taking wonderful vacations, big toys for big boys and girls, etc. While many of your children's friends or their friends' friends have had hardly any toys, clothing or food.
My point is it's high time, we quit complaining and share what you can with other families during their financial crisis. Unfortunately, many of these families that need help are not just the poor and uneducated stereotypes from the past, but NOW include middle and upper class educated families that have fallen on hard times.
Yes, things are bad, but now is the time for people to come together and help each other. This is like a hurricane or tornado, except it's much more widespread! It's our duty as citizens of our countries (where ever you are on our Earth) to take care of the people who are less fortunate.
Ask yourself this question: "Do our kids or other family members really need more toys, clothes or gadgets ?" If the answer is NO, then do something different this year. Helping others, also shows the human aspects of us and most importantly & I believe the BEST thing for our children is to see the real gift of Christmas, GIVING & SHARING.... It helped both my 20 and 16 yr old daughters to understand the meaning of holiday giving and to learn to accept what we have as a family.
Here are a couple of links that you might want to view:
Today, my daughter and I took a 2-1/2 hour drive east from Saint John to Moncton, New Brunswick. We were both VERY EXCITED!!! We both took the time to go see our former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton speak in Moncton. The former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna (now a hot shot for TD Financial Bank) introduced my former president to 6,000 people by the time the Moncton Coliseum was full.
He stated a few comments that I think are note worthy. He said, "The financial crisis proves we are living in an interdependent world." That the current U.S. administration should have taken steps on the mortgage crisis at least a year ago. That the signs were there that the housing industry was in trouble, due to deregulation of the banks. That the Hedge Funds were too much in the housing industry and many "short term sellers" were betting against many U.S. companies, so the 10% richer Americans were getting even richer. That consumers were losing confidence with the U.S. economy and were starting to not buy. He believes in a capitalism society, we shouldn't have bailed out Lehman Brothers, they should have been allowed to fall.
He said that he spoke to the Wal-Mart officials and when the banks started having problems in September & October, Wal-Mart saw the largest drop in consumer spending, except for one item; home safes. Wal-Mart saw a 30% increase in home safes!! Basically, Consumer confidence had hit an all time low. People were willing to buy their own safes, even though the banks had most of their money insured.
He thinks that O'Bama did the right thing by hiring Larry Summers. He believe, Larry Summers is the smartest man on the planet, because he understands the fundamental differences between the 1930's, 1980's & the current 2008 financial crisis.
He thinks that what should be done with the incoming O'Bama administration is: 1st, a stimulus program to liquify the economy. 2nd, a tax cut for the middle class. 3rd, a public works on the infrastructure investment of our towns, cities and states. With projects in building the better water facilities, modernizing the roads and the bridges. Also, he believes that we need a train system that can get us around more effectively throughout the states and he has been told that the electrical grid is in dire need of revamping, it's extremely outdated. He's an advocate for having all the people in the U.S. to have increased broadband internet access throughtout all of the rural areas, that still don't have access to the internet.
In Health Care, he believes we need an electronic medical care, or as he called it an "intelligenct medical system" similar to Canada's or Great Britains system. He indicated that we (as a U.S. country) spend $200 BILLION more just in Administrative pay, and we need to tackle this problem, which is crippling our health care system.
For the private sector, he says they need to think short & long-term goals. He says that the automobile industry is outdated on technology. We need either a different fuel or more economically efficient on the current fuel (gasoline) or a little of both. He gave an example on the new car coming out called the "VOLT" THAT WILL GET 40-50 miles per gallon. Most people in the U.S. don't travel that far and since the technology is new, the country or private sector could coordinate a response with $10,000 credit as an incentive to buy these cars between Canada & the U.S. He also indicated that since the auto industry is having problems, that Canada would be hit with job losses in the manufacturing sector. He gave a call to the private sector, and said that "they need to lead" to bring our fianancial crisis out of its hole.
He did joke a little and actually agreed with the current President Bush on one item only! Food Aid for other countries, he thought that Congress should have passed a bill to send the knowledge on "How to farm on your own soil and give them money based on that" instead of sending them food only. He believes that we have to give Food Aid to countries, by teaching them how to successfully grow their own food and that would begin the cycle for self dependency. The money sent would go to the seeding, and knowledge base given to the local farmers within that country. Self-discipline & self dependency within your own country is a wonderful thing to pass on to your own culture.
As a country, we need to shorten the period of distress with this financial crisis. He feels we will get out of it within a year or two and it depends on how quickly the next administration & Congress moves on it. He was strong on the fact that as leaders , if we put our heads together, we will get out of this crisis stronger than before!
On another front, he said that we (U.S. and Canada) need to do our personal civic duty to our own countries, by helping our own. That seems to feed on people who give their time, money or knowledge. On this, I (myself) think Canadians in general, usually give more than other countries. Many average Canadians give money, time and knowledge. I've seen the differences between the two countries.
He thinks that Democracy should go worldwide and that by helping other countries through global trade, orderly transitions into Democracy, improving environmental standards and improving wages worldwide we can all live peacefully in tranquil. We will have less Afghanistans if we help them survive financially, economically and with less turmoils as a country. We would make more friends and less enemies if we were willing to share our wealth instead of being greedy about it.
Frank McKenna did ask him a few questions at the end about Canada's concerns. One of them was that with the financial crisis, Canadians think that the U.S. will create job protectionism and that could hurt Canada. Mckenna went on the tell him that Canadians loved his policy and embraced Clinton's philosophy on balanced budgets, which he did during his presidency years. McKenna also asked him, why it takes so long for a new elected president to take the office over. Clinton explained that before the "Great Depression" in the 1930's the transition of a new president would take over in March of the next year, but due to the "Great Depression" the inaugural dates were moved to January. I never knew this before, so I had a little history education taught to me today. I believe this is Why I majored in Math & Science...
He ended the conversation with Afghanistan, which many Canadians are fighting in the forefronts there. Clinton said that the U.S. became distraughted by Iraq and forgot Afghanistan. That we are starting to shift our military policy more towards Afghanistan and less with Iraq. He believes that Petresis is a GREAT GENERAL and will help work to do this in the next administration.
In conclusion, my daughter and I were very enlightened and had a wonderful time. Ironically, it took me to move to Canada to see an actual president in person. The whole time in the U.S. I never had the opportunity to meet one in person. I left with his one comment on my mind on learning to fix this economic crisis; "Don't be like a cat, once they sit on a hot stove, they'll never sit on a cold stove." We need to learn from our financial mistakes and not be afraid to evolve to the next level by trying something new.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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