Over the last few weeks, I've been watching the real estate market slow down. Really - it's slowing down. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You might not have heard about a market slow down in the media, and I agree. Often, I read articles in the media talking about the "hot" market etc, but they are reporting what has happened, and not what is happening. ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on November 5, 2011
Recently, many north-east coastal towns and villages in Japan were wiped out by a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, killing almost 30,000 people.
This horrible natural disaster is a global disaster too. Much of the manufacturing industry in Canada relies on parts supplied by factories in Japan. These Japanese factories are now closed as the country deals with the situation. Without ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on April 5, 2011
While skiers and winter outdoor enthusiasts may feel a sense of sadness as winter draws to an end, the thought of spring flowers brings joy to the hearts of most gardeners.
Even though there may still be snow on the ground, it’s not too early to begin planning your garden and even planting it – indoors. Indoor planting is especially beneficial for those of us living in northern climates ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on March 7, 2011
Today, one of my friends posted a little story on Facebook that has inspired this blog. My friend encountered a rather nasty woman yelling at a senior citizen in a mall parking lot. The reason for the yelling? The nasty woman thought the senior gentleman in question was driving too slowly as he approached a pedestrian crossing at which the woman was waiting ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on January 28, 2011
Yesterday morning, our team at Century 21 Millennium had the best day of the year. In sales, you ask? Nope, not even close. Instead of earning money, we gave it away - and for good reasons, too.
Every month, we donate a small amount of money to our "Christmas Families" fund. With about 100 REALTORS® giving a few dollars every month, the sum builds up a rather nicely over ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on December 17, 2010
I had an interesting experience last night. Representing buyer clients, I presented an offer on a home that they were interested in. The offer was quite decent offering slightly more than the asking price (we were in competition against another offer), with a few normal clauses that protect the buyer. The normal clauses I'm talking about included a home inspection ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on October 22, 2010
I thought a little bit about the headline of this blog, and I kind of like "From Real Estate to Life". I think it describes how a real estate transaction can be the start or end of a particular journey.
I absolutely love real estate and I really enjoy helping people take the next step in their life - whether it's buying their first home, moving up to a larger home to accommodate ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on September 21, 2010
Just a few weeks ago - the week of July 7th to be exact - REALTORS® raised over $40,500, all of which will be given back to communities across Ontario to help provide better quality housing for people in need.
This year was the 5th Annual REALTORS® Care™ Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity, and I'm really proud that I was one of the many sponsors of Lynn Martin, the Executive ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on August 20, 2010
The real estate market continues to change and we've now entered a balanced market, which means that neither sellers nor buyers have the advantage. In other words, market conditions are fair on both sides.
You might wonder if I'm a little crazy in saying this, especially when reading that the number of homes sold in July in the Greater Toronto Area dropped by 34% compared to July 2009. ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on August 6, 2010
It's a sunny Monday morning on the first day of summer in June 2010 as I write this blog, and it's interesting to see how the Greater Toronto Area real estate market is changing. About six to eight weeks ago, REALTORS® like myself started to see a shift in the market once again. Strangely, newspapers and other media haven't really caught on yet and so the general public still thinks ...
Posted by Jim Datlen
on June 21, 2010