The Duncan Fremlin Blog

Is Zoomerism the new Scientology?

When Moses Znaimer began redirecting his money making schemes to the baby boomers, I was intrigued and hopeful that he'd bring value to our lives.  After all, I am a baby boomer and even though life is good, I was hoping Moses could help make it better.  

So, I subscribed to his Zoomer magazine and quickly concluded it was a whole lot of glossy fluff about nothing.  I attended one of his trade shows (in fact I wrote about it here in this blog) and again, I zoomed through all of the exhibits in minutes.  There was nothing there of value.

Moses continues to position himself as the spokesman for all things related to my generation, the boomers.  Sadly, there are many thousands who read every word he writes and listen to every ad on his radio stations so he must be feeling pretty good about his ventures right about now.  Too bad my fellow boomers have lost their ability to think critically.

His latest venture makes me laugh.  It's his "13th Annual ideacity Conference" where "you'll  hear 50 Big, New ideas, and meet the big personalities who have them".  For the record, I have not been asked to present any of my ideas and I'm not the least bit resentful.

The first hint this conference will be a bust is their sponsor, Research In Motion, which last time I looked is tanking and laying off thousands as they try to stay afloat.  Maybe Nortel will be a sponsor next year (if there is a next year).

However, the Songstress, Jann Arden will, I'm sure, offer up at least one of the 50 Big ideas.  We all know how famous she is for her Big ideas.  I must also mention Big idea man, the Boogie Woogie Pianist, Michael Kaeshammer.  And then there is historian Thomas de Wesselow who will offer up at least one Big idea on The Shroud of Turin.  Sheesh.  What the hell is that all about?

Such nonsense.

The best part of this scam is the price.  You get a pass for the entire three day conference for only $3500.00. 

I'll offer up one Big idea for free right here and now.  TAKE A PASS!  SAVE YOUR MONEY!  Come to a Whiskey Jack show at the Cadillac Lounge sometime and we promise to give you $3500 worth of ideas and all it will cost will be a beer and a plate of great fries.

Real Estate and Television

I've often wondered how real estate TV shows have changed my industry.  I'm sure it has in some way.  These shows are every where.  Clients often mention them in passing.  Everyone it seems is a closet home decorator/stager.

At the very least, these shows have inspired consumers to think more about home ownership and all that entails.  The sellers now know more about what the buyers are going through and vice versa.  That is a good thing.  

Much of my time as a Realtor is providing relevant information to my clients so they better understand their situation, thereby helping them make informed and thoughtful decisions.  Some of these real estate TV shows contribute to this greatly.  Some do not. 

The most recent series being flogged to the masses is Reno vs Relocate (Home & Garden TV).  As a Realtor with a long list of repeat customers and a solid reputation of placing the interests of the customer first, Ive made it my business to help people decide what's best for them.  Should the buy then sell, or should they renovate?   Unlike the Realtor on the TV show, I don't "always tell them to move".  In fact, I think it's always best to completely exhaust the renovation option before signing a Listing Agreement.  

"Never relocate unless you have to" might be advice you don't often hear from a Realtor, but it is a formula you cannot go wrong with.  This implies that we all make decisions based on reason and logic which is most certainly not the case.  In my role as their skilled professional, I can at least be the objective voice of reason as they work through the issue.  

I've never taken a survey on these matters but I'm thinking that the vast majority of people I speak to eventually decide to move rather than renovate.  Here in Toronto, a relocation might take approximately 2 months out of your life.  A major renovation can take 2 years.  It's not always about the money.

How Title Insurance Companies Can Deny Coverage

Like any insurance company, Title Insurance claims are often hard to come by.  They'll find ways to avoid payout.  Some examples of how they can achieve this are:

1. Defects which are known to the homeowner but not disclosed to the insurer prior to closing;

2. Government expropriation of land because the homeowner gets compensated by the government in those cases;

3. Coverage under a title insurance policy would amount in double payment for the same loss;

4. Defects that dont cause a loss to the homeowner;

5. Lack of rights to property which aren't insured in the policy;

6. Environmental issues;

 

The first one is the big one.  They sometimes use the existence of a survey (if noted on the listing for example) as proof that the home owner knew about the problem before making the claim.  As a result, even though there may be a survey on a property, I'll ask that it not be noted on the listing.  It's not much but it's at least a bit of protection.  

Take, for example, the case of an urban subdivision house where there is no survey of the property. Here, the title insurer would be able to provide the broadest survey coverage to both the homeowner and the lender. For that same property, if the seller commissions a survey, and that up-to-date survey reveals that the front steps actually encroach onto the city street, the title insurer would no longer underwrite full coverage.  

Believe me, the Insurance Company will do all it an to deny this claim.  If the survey had not been done and the buyer received full coverage, the buyer would be entitled to compensation from the title insurer if the city ever tried to force the removal of the steps from city property, or if a subsequent buyer refused to close a transaction as a result of the existence of that minor encroachment. Because no one had any knowledge of a defect, the title insurer would be prepared to take a higher level of risk.

Title Insurance on Condos

Here's an example of how title insurance can protect a condominium owner. A special assessment, which the condominium board had prior knowledge of, but wasn't included in a status certificate, suddenly surfaces. Fortunately, there's coverage under a title insurance policy's condominium endorsement for errors and omissions on a status certificate. Another option available to the insured would be to sue the management company for misrepresentation. However, this is seldom a practical solution.

In Ontario, the cost of title insurance for houses worth less than $500,000 is an average of $250. For this price, two policies are issued, one for the consumer and one for the lender. For every additional $1,000 dollars a home is worth, an additional amount is charged.

Psychological Stigma Clause

I saw this clause in an Agreement of Purchase and Sale recently.  Apparently the buyer has some interesting concerns.  

'The seller warrants, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that the said property does not contain any hidden defects and that there have been no deaths, suicides, illegal activities, or murders on this property at any time, and that there are no neighbourhood conditions that could affect the buyer’s use, enjoyment, or perceived value of the property."

When Neighbours Share Trees and Fences

Owners have rights and obligations regarding maintenance and repair of fences and care of trees that are on their side of the property line. The Forestry Act of Ontario and similar statutes across the country indicate that if a tree trunk is on the boundary line between two adjoining properties, then it is jointly owned by both owners, and both owners have an obligation to maintain the tree.

Under the Line Fences Act and similar legislation, owners are encouraged to work together to build fences between their properties. The general rule is that each owner is responsible for half the cost to erect a simple fence between their properties. 

It's a rule, not a law.

Austerity? Bah! Humbug!

After being an active participant in the history of the planet these past 62 years, I've concluded that newspaper columnists, bloggers (me included of course), pundits and politicians know shit (synonym for nothing if English isn't your first language).  In a democracy, only the voters know the truth.

German Chancellor Merkel, the former French leader Sarkozy, The Economist and pretty much every other mouth piece for the uber rich have been telling the French and Greek people that the only way out of their economic woes is to cut the services their governments provide for their well being.

The French and Greek voters have informed these people otherwise.  The citizens of these countries, those who do not have the money to endure austerity measures for 10 years, have told these representatives of the 1% that they're wrong and have rejected their theory.

Here's the thing.  NO ONE KNOWS what the solution is!  It's a crap shoot.  The world economies have never experienced this before so it's all guess work.

It's another reason I stopped reading newspapers and most of their columnists.  Paul Krugman from the New York Times is the exception.  He seems to appreciate the uncertainties and doesn't let his personal bank account affect his views.

 

Make Yonge Street a Pedestrian Mall... AGAIN

It was maybe not the best summer job I ever had but it was easily the most entertaining.  Each night at around 11:00 pm, I was dropped at Richmond and Yonge with a broom and a dust pan and was told to spend the night sweeping the street.  

Seven and one half hours later, I would have breakfast at the Ford Drugs Store counter just south of Gerrard (see in the photo here).

In between? What a show!  The street never slept.  Lots of music and just hanging around.  I never witnessed one act of violence.  What I did witness was every imaginable character having a heck of a good time.

 

 

This idea is being suggested again for 2012 and I'm all for it.  Even though the street is being transformed quickly, particularly with the removal of historic sites like A&A Music and Sam's,  the people will still flock to this enormous mall if given the chance.

R.I.P. Goober

During our visits to the Tommy Hunter Show back in the early 1980's, we met and performed with many legends.  Billy Meek and Al Simmonds
are two greats who come to mind.  The stars who visited us on the Ol' Back Porch were mostly gracious and great fun to be with.  Ray Stevens was the exception.  He thought we were losers because we didn't know one of his loser songs.  

Perhaps the only visitor who didn't get it was George Lindsey.  
We recorded two and maybe three episodes with him one night.  His job was to come out and be funny for 2 or three minutes and our job was to book end his jokes with a song.  Instead, he came out and spent 2 or 3 minutes promoting George Lindsey.  There was nary a chuckle in his monologue

As a result, his episodes never aired.  I could never figure out if he was just dumb or was overcome with a dose of vanity.  

Too bad really.  I played brilliantly that night and 2 million loyal Tommy Hunter fans did not get to hear me. 

Oh, I forgot to mention.  George (Goober) Lindsey died May 6th.  He was 83.

Lessons Learned from The Dying!

Australian palliative care nurse (and avid blogger) Bronnie Ware recently published a new book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

The idea of dying with regrets is repugnant to begin with.  However, it's not too late for me and my readers to learn and enjoy these words of wisdom.   

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

 “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”

“I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”

 “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

“I wish that I had let myself be happier.”

Wise Words From An Old Sage

Saturday, I read this from an 81 year old actor we all know and love, Gordon Pinsent.  He was talking about the feeling he gets when he returns to Toronto after being away for awhile.  It says a lot about the energy in this great city and the drive he has to be great.

"I feel as though it's imperative that I go to work immediately.  It's so tough in this country to get things going, you just have to keep at it at all times.  I foolishly think that I can't miss a day, you know?  I've got to keep going." 

At 81, I hope I feel the need to "keep going".  Go get 'em Gord.

 

Politics of the Hockey Dressing Room

This is a subject I think I'm qualified to discuss - the goings-on in a hockey dressing room.

I've been playing this game for the better part of 57 years.  I've seen a lot of players in action, both on the ice and in the dressing room.  While I hate to stereotype generally, I have no qualms about categorizing hockey players.

There is a lot of hostility between players.  It's the nature of the game.  Most of it simply stems from accidental encounters that occur in a fast paced game on a small sheet of ice.  In spite of that, there is mostly a respect and a camaraderie that prevails.  We all kind of know "stuff happens" and we happily accept it.  No, I'll take it a step further and say we "like" it.  It's part of the charm of the game.  

However, there are certain male types who stand out from this crowd and don't really belong to the family.  They can best be described as follows:

1.  Unlike players who learned to play hockey in the rest of Canada, particularly in Quebec and Northern Ontario, West of the Rockies is not exactly a hot bed of quality hockey players.  Mostly, they might be able to score the odd goal but when it comes to the grind of a hockey game, they remain on the periphery and seldom are they seen in the corners or in front of the net.  As a result, when they do get a bump or get involved with some on ice fracas, they usually begin by whining a great deal and then opt to "sleep in" rather than drive to the rink to risk a hockey encounter.  

2.  These are the pretty boys of hockey.  They have nice hair and no scars.  They dress well, everything matches.  They wear helmets because they have to.  There's never any threat that they will hurt themselves because they're never seen in front of the net fighting for the puck.  Nor are they seen in the corners with the grinders so there's virtually no risk to their body or face. 

3.  These are precious men who only like to score goals.  They never seek the puck or fight for it.  Rather, they float around the middle part of the rink and let the real players fight for possession.  Then, much like lazy seagulls, they wait for the scraps to appear so they can scoop up the bounty and enjoy the benefits by skating in alone on the hapless goalies only to score the occasional goal.  The sad part of this stereotype is their false bravado at actually having achieved something worthwhile.  Yes they scored a goal but they didn't actually earn it.  Sort of like Jeb Bush, the son of a president and a senator and the brother of a president bragging to the world that he is a self made man.

4.  Some fellows see themselves as tough guys.. they holler obscenities and bash around smaller and older players than them and then they puff of their hairless chests and pretend they're big men.  Sad is the only description for these alleged hockey players.

 

 

There's snakes and then there's snakes

Karen and I saw some deadly snakes in Africa.  They seem to grow on trees (or at least hang out there).  But this one takes the cake.  

 

 

My Video Producer Interviews Lightfoot on Hockey

If you've received an email from me lately, you've maybe seen my new promotional video embedded in my signature.  It was produced by Tim Thompson, a young film maker who's making a mark for himself in Toronto and beyond.   His company is called Boundless Productions and he creates much of his work at Hockey Night in Canada (CBC).

He just recently sent me his latest project.  I'm not often envious but I sure wish I had been asked to come along and hold up a microphone or some other menial task that I'm barely qualified to perform.  

Check out Tim's interview with Gordon Lightfoot and his musings on hockey in Canada.

  

Letter to the Citizens of Toronto

What many of the electorate thought when Rob Ford won the election many months ago, we now ALL know.  This mayor is out of his league and is not equipped to manage the affairs of this city.  Fortunately, there are many councillors who have what it takes to take over and they are collaborating on our behalf.  We should each send them a letter and thank them.  They're saving our ass.

It is surprising that this mayor was not "outed" by some of his allies long before now.  I'm referring to the councillors who now vote against him but were siding with him months  and even years before.  They had to know that he was blowing smoke long before he was elected.  But as with most bully's, they were intimidated by him, and afraid of him.  

He isn't exactly a chameleon.  His colours have not changed.  No one can ever accuse him of sucking and blowing at the same time.  He is what he is and always has been.

Most of us have been bullied at one time or another.  It takes great courage to challenge them.  Bullies speak loudly and our mayor is one bully with a large brother standing behind him.  This is a formidable opponent.  

I salute those who are no longer afraid to speak their mind.

The Search for a Business Partner

Karen and I have been searching for a "partner" to join us in our business.  We've been looking, unsuccessfully,  for well over a year.  It's been a most edifying few months.

I learned the value of a "partner" shortly after Karen joined my solo operation 3 years ago.  My business has grown enormously since we became a real estate twosome, not simply in terms of volume of sales, but more importantly in terms of quality of service and job satisfaction.  Together we're much more knowledgeable, efficient and our customer satisfaction has soared.  The most valuable strategic byproduct of this union is that our quality of life has improved.  We have more fun, more time and each of us spends more time doing what we like to do.  

Before the search began, we knew that there were job responsibilities in our operation that neither of us particularly enjoyed.  So, we thought,  why not find a licensed Realtor who has an aptitude for these duties and bring them in to the operation?  The result would be that we'll do more of what we like to do and the new partner will work at what they like to do.  The end result?  A more efficient and happier operation.  The three of us would be better agents.  We'd learn from them and they'd learn from us.  Real estate nirvana?  

We've interviewed and considered numerous licensed Realtors this past year but have not found the right person.  We yearn for someone who shares our values... honest, ethical, painfully reliable, tireless work ethic and all that.  It's not easy to find agents (people) like this.  However, the biggest obstacle we've discovered will be finding someone who shares our vision.

Our industry is full of successful Realtors who can make a good living selling houses.  That's their focus.  They sell a house on Monday and they begin focusing on selling another the next day or the next day or whatever.   It's the linear approach to real estate (and life for that matter).

This is not, nor has it ever been my focus.  

When I began my career as a Realtor 25 years ago, my idea was to use the basic model I used in developing the Whiskey Jack brand.  Whiskey Jack was, and is, successful because they work tirelessly to provide a quality product, they're more reliable than most of their competitors and they continue to develop strong personal relationships with everyone they meet, both onstage and off.  That's the foundation of this company.

That has also my real estate model since I began in July, 1987.  

The fact is, we don't sell houses.  Our clients sell houses.  We sell our experience, our expertise and our time.  The focus is not on the next sale.  That will happen organically if our business foundation is solid.

So, when searching for a partner, we've learned that this is what we have to identify in the potential candidate before we move onto step two.  If they don't share this vision, the union won't work.

Self Employment, The Agony & The Ecstacy

I have a friend who works for the CBC.  He's been a life long employee.  He expects to lose his job soon.

Over the years I've listened to him bemoan the politics of working for someone else.  A bad office manager can make an employee's life hell and nothing can be done about it.  The unreasonable (as in dumb and stupid) office rules that he had to conform to must have tormented this intelligent man.  It felt to me like he was in jail.

As he tells his stories, my mind wanders and I enter this wonderful dream like state and feel gratitude for my perpetual state of self employment.  Of course, as I was developing and growing my business, I didn't always feed dreamy about it.  There were a lot of "nightmares" and "hellish days" to contend with.  Much of it was very painful - the failures, the rejection, the massive amount of time spent laying the ground work for what I hoped was going to be a lifetime career.

There are many other government workers who will be going through this "downsizing" in the months to come.  The  banks will also begin their own downsizing cycle soon as perhaps will other industries.  This is the way of the world, at least as we know it.  This too shall pass.  Eventually, some will be hired back.  Most will not.  But for those on the receiving end of these pink slips, the stress must be unbearable.  

They're puppets at the mercy of a greater being and there's nothing most of them can do about it.

Yes, it's like being incarcerated.  Some will break free and perhaps redefine themselves for a better future.  Many however, will not.  

 

How Lucky Was I? To Share Time With Legends.

I never did meet the great Earl Scruggs.  I did however meet and perform with many of his contemporaries thanks to my years on The Tommy Hunter Show and appearances at country and folk music festivals across the country.

Bashful Brother Oswald and Roy seen here on Porter Wagner's TV show, were two of the performers who appeared with us on the Tommy Hunter Show.  He was part of the Roy Acuff band the day they recorded with us at the Mutual Street studios back in 1982.  Charlie Collins, Roy's legendary guitarist was there that day as well.  I wish I could recall the rest of the band members but I'm sure they were very well known.

 

These old timers had two things in common.  Firstly, they were wizards at their instruments.  Pickin' was their life.

Secondly, they were humble gentlemen who were so accessible they were almost Canadian.  Hard to imagine today but there are stories abound about how anyone could knock on Earl's door with banjo in hand and be welcomed into his parlour to pick a tune or two.

How very cool is that?

My American Cousin

I have a cousin from South Carolina (originally the Soo) who called me last night.  He reads this blog from time to time and has reacted to some of my left wing rants, he being a "Tea Party Type".  

We have sparred via email a little bit but never on the phone.  I enjoy his chats and wouldn't want to discourage them by challenging him and his views, particularly when he's paying the long distance charges.

He works in the Nascar industry  for a Texas oil executive so as far as his social life and work life is concerned, we don't have a lot in common.  He likes my music and has driven very long distances with his young sons to hear me play so I'll always love this big lug regardless of his misguided views on life.

Our differences really hit home during our chat last night.  As it turns out, unbeknownst to either of us, he was 1000 feet from me when I was playing banjo with the Barenaked Ladies earlier this month.  He was working a race in Vegas and he was staying not too far from the Mandalay Bay.

On one of his days off, he went to visit a buddy of his who is in the military.  During his visit, his army buddy allowed him to drive what he called a "77 ton Muslim killer".  I figured it was some kind of tank.  

I didn't have the heart to tell him that if we were ever to square off against what he perceives to be Muslims (I question whether he's even met one), I'm afraid we'd be on opposite sides.  After all, I live in a community surrounded by thousands of Muslims and they make terrific neighbours.  They pick up after their dogs, they don't vandalize the trees in the park and I've never seen a drunk Muslim.  Many are my friends.  We share many of the same peace loving values.

So, if you're reading this dear cousin, if you bring your 77 ton Muslim killer to town, I'll have to blow it up.  I haven't figured out how yet but I have a few neighbours who might be able of offer a few suggestions. 

Woodgreen Continues to Do Good Work

Karen and I met briefly with The Pas native Susan Melnick yesterday.  Her birthplace has nothing to do with this story but it's not every day you meet a The Pas native.  If you're wondering, The Pas is a company town in northern Manitoba.  It's one of those towns where the company whistle sounds a couple of times a day to indicate a change in shifts.  

Susan's title is Manager, Resource Development.  She's playing a major role in Woodgreen's annual Golf Tournament.  This is the primary fund raiser for the organization so it is very important indeed.  A lot of families are relying on the work she is doing over the next few weeks.  

 Karen and I are on the advisory committee, helping make decisions on how to make this a memorable event for all.   It's a small role but it's fun and we enjoy working with Susan.  She helped us immensely with our Toy Drive last December (see photo).

The Primary sponsor is our own company,  RE/MAX Hallmark.  The owners, Deb and Ken always pony up when they're needed and this is a big contribution on their part.

Our meeting was to discuss how to add to the auction items.  This usually brings in many thousands of dollars so it's important that we find items and services and pretty much anything of value to offer up for the auction.  

Might you have any thing to offer?  Do you know someone?

Another Thrill of a Lifetime

Thrill of a lifetime #1:

On July 1st, 1993,  Stompin' Tom Connors performed for the first time at the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.  It was a hot evening, not a cloud in the sky and the crowd was estimated to be 100,000.  The show was broadcast coast to coast on the CBC.  This was the last year a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.  As we were playing The Hockey Song, someone from the Montreal Canadians carried the Stanley Cup onto the stage and handed it to Tom.  He almost fell over (beer will do that to you).  I played banjo for him that night.  

Thrill of  lifetime #2:

March 8, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, the Barenaked Ladies performed Fox on the Run for 3000 RE/MAX associates at their largest International Convention ever.  I played banjo for them that night.  Here's the performance.