The Bower Blog

Galen Weston Jr.-He Shoots, He Scores!

Anyone that is close to me knows that my partner has had some pretty major health problems since the fall of 2011; consequently, we have been to numerous doctors appointments.  One of his doctors happens to be next door to the new Loblaws at the old Maple Leaf Gardens.  I'm in love! 

The displays are beautiful, the food fantastic and even the staff still needs a hand-held map to find out where everything is; there is sooo much selection!  Galen Weston (yes, I have a crush) has done it again!  He is my uber-hero when it comes to marketing-I take lessons from him when promoting client's properties.  Presentation and Promotion = Profit....my mantra when it comes to helping clients sell their homes.  Weston is no different; from the vignettes of eateries in the place (I counted 4, but there could be more) to the retention of centre ice in the middle of the store, everything has been carefully executed to provide the best presentation possible.  So today, he was even there!  I went up to him and asked if he was "the Loblaws Guy?"  He said yes and I gushed that I just loved the store.  We were buying a few things at a particular counter and he even sugggested that our choice was excellent.  He also noticed our cart was full and thanked us for shopping there.  SIGH.  Galen?  I've heard you are shy; if you ever want me to stand in and promote your stores, I'm your gal!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

Happy New Year and all that stuff!

Why does a date signify change?  Not sure, but every year, people make resolutions whether they be weight, drinking, schooling, housing....you name it and it is likely our economy will benefit from it in January!

My sister Michele laughs at me every year because for 28 years, she has heard..."will I ever sell another home?"  I literally go through this and start planning in December how I can continue my job. Realtors have to constantly re-invent themselves, sometimes a couple times of year.  Our society, and in particular, technology, moves so quickly that we have to keep on top of things.  As realtors, we are madated to renew our licensing every two years by credit courses.  I used to be so on top of this but as I got busier with my job and with outside interests, I have often left these courses to the last minute.  Consequently, the next month has me taking numerous credit courses.  Actually, for the most part, the courses are really informative and interesting...not sure why I procrastinate, but so be it.

The other thing that I do is have a yearly "discussion" with various essential (in my world) services.  By essential I mean cell phones and internet providers.  The discussion is about....money and why they cannot sharpen their pencil when it comes to my billing.  I was up for contract renewal with both FIDO and Rogers in December.  When I got home from family holidays, I had animated discussions with both providers about my billing.  These companies will refer you to something called "retention".  In other words, if they perceive you are going to Bell or Wind (Bell is their big nemesis) they will pull out all the stops to retain you.  My FIDO bill is now 40$ less per month than last year and Rogers is about the same as well.  Why they can't do this for long term customers in the first place is beyond me, but it gives me something to whine about in December. 

Anyway, I hope your New Year brings you much health, prosperity and joy.  Keep on truckin'.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

How is Success Quantified?

By definition, we are more than the sum of our "parts".  Let me explain.  I have always thought of myself as firstly, a mom, secondly a wife, and thirdly a real estate agent.  I guess my thinking has been that my most important job through-out my life has been to take care of my child and family.  I strongly believe that if you have that base, coupled with a rich social and outside interest life, you will naturally succeed in your business.  I have a friend and fellow blogger, Duncan who has retained his music life (he sang and banjoed with Stompin' Tom for years) and married it with his social and real estate life, and is very successful indeed.

In reflecting on the past year, I remember making a conscious decision that I would enrich my life with two things that make my heart ker-thump.  The first is mosaic art; even though I have been practicing this medium for many years and taught it in various schools in the community, I have never done it for myself and consequently never learned to work with the elements of mosaic that represent classic applications.  I have been on a learning curve and working with tile and natural elements and the experience has enriched me to no end.  I belong to a community of contemporary mosaic artists around the world and have met other (obsessed) mosaic friends on these websites.  Some I will see in my travels in the U.S., Canada and Europe.  I grab a coffee in the morning, and visit the websites and see what other artists are doing.  There are forums for  things to see while travelling and practical "classes" on-line for techniques and challenges, plus postings of other artists work.  I LOVE IT.

The second decision this year was to bring music back into my life.  I have dabbled in singing with bands and at charity events through-out my adult life however when I saw my friend Brenda in NEWCHOIR (a rock and roll choir of about 140 people who just love to sing!) this past May, I knew I had to join.  I put myself on the wait list right away and was on pins and needles whether I would be accepted or not in September-there was a big wait list for sopranos and altos.  I was accepted and "gleefully" (pardon the pun) auditioned for solo parts.  The choir has presented challenges for me of which I am again, on a learning curve.  I do not read music nor have I ever been part of an ensemble, so it can be tricky.  I have never felt as much joy as I did last night at our concert.  I had two ensemble/solo parts and we played to a sold out crowd!  It was a blast and I've joined again for Season 14. 

As a side-shoot of the above, a few weeks ago, a group of us at RE/MAX put together 10 people, with the help of Dave Breckels and Farley Flex (of Canadian Idol fame) and submitted a DVD for Canada Sings, a charity "sing off" that pits one company against another, the winner receiving 10K toward a charity of their choice.  We had a blast!  Just waiting to hear if we are accepted for the show.......

I believe that people who have outside interests will always be successful in what they do; it keeps them alive, interesting and challenged!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

NEWCHOIR-A Premiere Rock Choir

I was never happier than to have been accepted to be part of the Newchoir Rock Choir!  We started our rehearsals in early September and the concert is December 10, 2011.  I'm lucky enough to have been chosen for two ensemble solo parts, "Son of a Preacher Man", a sexy, gospel type rendition with, gulp, choreography (which I freely admit, I am horrible with) and a duel between men and women of "Stuck in the Middle With you" (girls) and "500 Miles (guys).  It's a romping good time!  When I first saw Newchoir, it was this past May.  I cried at some of the songs, simply because I knew from my friend Brenda that rehearsals were weekly and all 140 or so people are amateurs who just love to sing.  I had to join! 

Anyone wishing tickets can either call me or go to the website:  www.Newchoir.ca and order directly.  Tickets are $20.00 and they sell out quickly.

My entire family is going!  Can't wait!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

Royal Rental Rip-Offs Exposed

In August and only coincidentally, both my son and my girlfriend's daughter were looking for apartments in the city (not together, sigh....still waiting for a grandbaby, but I digress)

Anyway, our city has been experiencing a severe shortage of good rentable spaces, of various prices.  On homes, there are rental bidding wars simply because they appeal to so many uses.  Homes can be shared or used as a single family.  The possibilities are endless. Lately I have been seeing rentals going for way over the asking price.  When my son Skyler and Emily were looking at respective apartments, being young adults, they looked in other places rather than the Toronto Star or on line at www.viewit.ca They submitted what they wanted on Facebook; scoped Craigslist, etc.  Both of these young people had their parents also pounding the pavement helping them out.

So, what happened?  In sharing our plight about our kids search for a rental, we discovered that both of them had encountered "dream" sounding apartments.  In my son's case, imagine, 1,200 square feet of open concept living, 2 car parking, gleaming hardwood floors, 5 appliances and 2 good sized bedrooms, all for $1,200.00.  They even gave a location that was ideal, close to the subway for him to go to work.

In Emily's case, the apartment owner just wanted a lovely person to rent their space as they lived in the U.K.  It was roughly around 800 square feet, close to downtown where she was going to school and the rent was really attractive.  A deposit was required prior to seeing the property (????)

My son and I drove by the address that was given for his "dream" apartment; it was supposedly above a store on Donlands Avenue.  When we arrived, we discovered that there wasn't even a 2nd storey on this place and the dream place was a sham.

The travesty of this story is that in both Emily's and Skyler's case, they had relatively savvy parents who know a scam when they hear one; but what of the young people or seniors who don't have someone looking out for them and they provide a deposit that is never seen again and don't have a place to live in?  These scams have been around forever; in my younger days, a guy or gal would actually have a rental apartment that was priced too good to be true.  There would be a line up of people providing deposits (mostly cash) and then you'd find out a day later they had taken off with all the deposits and the apartment was never theirs to rent in the first place.

I know I can't save the world from horrible people, but it's important that things like this are exposed so it won't happen to other people, especially those we love.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

I am ashamed to admit that the last few years, I have become an impatient person.  I had my eyes opened yesterday and can say that this impatience will hopefully disipate because of what happened.  Let me explain.

I was in my vehicle trying to make a left hand turn into the Sunnybrook Plaza at Bayview and Eglinton.  If you know this plaza, you will know that it is extremely busy and you play chicken with your life as you turn into it.  Cars really zip westbound along Eglinton.  Consequently, it is often a long wait to turn in. 

I have had some distressing troubles the past few weeks so while waiting for westbound cars to clear,  I missed a 20 second opportunity to turn into the plaza, with a few waiting cars behind me.  A fellow in a pick up truck started beeping and screaming at me from outside his window-it's quite obvious he wasn't having a great day and neither was I.  I had lost my wallet in the same plaza and was going to look for it (good luck!)  Anyway, I didn't say anything, turned into the parking lot and parked.  This guy zipped up beside me as I was exiting my car and started screaming.  It was my final breaking point....okay, so I started crying.  He was so alarmed by this behaviour that he got out of his vehicle (not yet parked) and apologized. 

I guess I'm telling you this story because I think of how often I have sighed behind someone in a line up at a grocery store as they were fumbling for change, or I've been mad about a car that misses a turn and I'm stuck in an intersection dodging vehicles or just in the rush of life, I've snapped at someone that perhaps was having their own bad day. 

Until we walk in someone else's shoes, we don't know what is going on in their life that may make them a little more distracted than usual.  I hope this incident makes me a little more tolerant, a little more patient and just a little kinder.....

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

Our Country, Our Province

I am compelled to write this, simply because we are fresh off a provincial election and my thoughts are stimulated as a result.  I have mentioned here on numerous occasions that I am not a political animal; far from it, don't necessarily understand any of it-but here's the thing.  Despite global unrest, politically, economically and socially, our system here in Ontario and Canada appears to work. 

Toward the end of our provincial election, I started to see ads whereby Mr. McGinty, our provincial leader (honestly, don't know what party it is) was saying things like (paraphrasing): "I am not the most popular guy around because of some hard choices we as Ontarians had to make, but...."  He then went on to describe, with supporting documentation in the right corner of the screen, the state of our hospitals (18 new openings, more nurses, less wait times), the state of our education (all day kindergarten) and our job situation (more in Ontario than all of the U.S. in June 2011). 

I bring this up because in the last year I have been privy to our health system on more occasions than I care to remember. I am in my 50s so an aging parent is part of that mix. The hard working doctors and nurses in our hospitals are really beyond belief in their capabilities, compassion and efficiency.  My gratitude to them cannot be measured.  Period.  As one nurse recently said to me, I get paid very well for what I do, but I deserve it.  She is on 12 hour shifts and the lifting alone is back breaking.  She writes charts and cracks jokes (not necessarily at the same time!) just to keep some levity to a sometime, grave situation.  She claims that the public personna of nurses/doctors is that they see so much tragedy, they are immune and numb to their patients.  I have never seen this to be true. 

The more I travel and see the rest of the world, the more I love and admire my country, my province and my city.  It's not perfect, but we're doing a heck of a lot better than everyone else.

Thank you, my country.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

A Family Lived Here....

Welcome to 23 Grafton Avenue!  In the heart of the Queen/Roncesvalles Village, this beautifully restored home has been in the family for many years.  Rich hardwood, multiple sunrooms and decks, 3 baths, and parking with garage.  The third floor retreat has a wonderful Lake Ontario view!

Minutes to downtown, Roncey Village, lake, trails and transit, this home has it all!

Priced at $599,000.00

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

This, That and The Other......

Just a few notes about Real Estate, Community, etc.

Well, our Fall Market has taken wings...certain areas are on fire, in some instances receiving offers for beyond belief prices (Example: a 3 bedroom semi-detached home in my area, Bayview/Eglinton, not too fancy, but tidy, listed at 699K, sold for a whopping $820K) Makes one think, what is going on?  Well, it appears to still be the classic case of supply and demand.  There have been shockingly few properties on the market.  Currently I am looking for a 2 bedroom, centrally located condo for around the 350K mark-a year ago, this was do-able, right now, it seems the pricing has escalated to around 370-380K.  On another note, looking for a decent semi-detached or detached, not unlike my own home, for around 750K.  Even if the properties are listed for 599-650K, they appear to escalate even beyond the 750K mark!  Frustrating for me and my buyers.

On another note, we are facing another (SIGH) election.  I am not a political gal, so please Facebook friends, do not write me and convert me, or state your case or even discuss politics with me.  My truth is as follows: I mostly do not understand the issues, the reterick appears to be the same old, same old and franky, I am bored.  My thinking is: stop wasting money on these elections, whether they be Federal, Municipal or Provincial and just go to work.  There is a lot of talk, but honestly, and again, in my opinion, no one ever seems to do anything differently than the last guy.  MOVE ON.

On a "happy hobby" note, my first choir practice with www.Newchoir.ca was held on September 6; I'm loving it.  This season, we are doing Newchoir goes to the Movies....great tunes from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Once, Shrek...the list goes on.  The last few weeks were try-outs for solos.  I am honoured to have been chosen to sing "Son of a Preacher Man" and be part of an ensemble to sing "Stuck in the Middle With You".  It will be a blast!  Tickets will be on sale soon; they are $20.00 and the show is on December 10, 2011 at the Ryerson Theatre.  Tickets sell out quickly so if you'd like to go, let me know......

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

816-1040 The Queensway

 
Welcome to Loggia!  Wonderful Development at Queensway and Islington, this one bedroom plus den features numerous upgrades including gleaming hardwood flooring, recessed lighting, custom blinds and so much more.  Situated close to transit, the highways, the airport and downtown Toronto, this opportunity cannot be missed!  Oversized terrace faces south.  Aggressively priced at $299,000.00

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com