by Shawn Lackie We have been hearing ad-nauseum, recently, about “housing affordability.” Ok folks, I get it. Times are strange for sure. When we bought our first house in Toronto it was for less than a deposit adds up to these days, and that was for the whole house. We couldn’t afford to move back to Toronto these days. The gap between the haves and have-nots has become very wide indeed. Sure, people will tell you, salaries these days are far ahead of what was being paid out

by Jonathan van Bilsen Summer gardens are glorious; vibrant flowers, freshly mowed grass, and everything lush and green. There is absolutely nothing negative about the season... except the weeding. Don't misunderstand me; I genuinely enjoy cutting the grass and general maintenance, but weeding? That's simply not my thing. It's tedious, back-breaking work which seems never-ending. For that reason, I'm always searching for new and improved ways to complete this chore as quickly

by Shawn Lackie Real Estate is a funny business. Funny ha ha and funny not so ha ha. Just ask anyone who has been at it for any length of time. As a full-time business, not some side hustle, all too prevalent these days. When things die off, like they have the last few years, it’s interesting watching all the wanabees scramble out of the madness. Speaking of madness, a lot of a sales persons reputation depends on their innate ability to satisfy a buyer (or seller’s) expectati

by Tina Y. Gerber-McCurley We all face challenges of hardship, disappointments, and setbacks. My hubby calls this, "The corner of hardship and perseverance." More seniors are experiencing some kind of profound and heartbreaking challenge, such as social isolation, physical limitations, financial barriers, mental health challenges, or addiction to name a few. Most seniors have an increased risk of falls, unmanaged chronic conditions, depression, malnutrition from skipping mea

by Geoffrey Carpentier I remember, as a kid, spending countless summer hours fishing and enjoying nature. One thing I recall encountering, with some frequency, were the dark black mussel shells which littered the lake and river bottom, once the living organism inside had died. They were simply a curiosity to me, and a hindrance at the time, as I often cut my foot on their sharp edges. Many years later, as I revisit some of my childhood memories, I now wonder how these animals

By Shawn Lackie Imagine, for a second, going into a fast food place and ordering a cheeseburger. You pay for it and they deliver it to you wrapped up. However, when you open the wrapper, there it sits, just the burger and whatever toppings you ordered. No bun. Nada. That’s kind of like what the condo market morphed into the last 20 years or so. It’s no wonder that market is in free-fall right now, and justifiably so. For years, the deck was stacked in favour of the condo deve

By Shawn Lackie That’s a question which seems pretty easy on the surface. However, once you start peeling back the layers like an onion, it might not be so straight forward. Most people start out in a simple way, renting an apartment or room, in the early stages of career advancement. There will be all sorts of exceptions to the rule, especially for those who are privileged to start out with more. I’m just talking in general terms here. I think many people never take the time

By Nick Kossovan The word "networking" makes most people's stomachs turn. It conjures images of hotel conference rooms, aggressive business card swapping, and awkward, forced conversations in which everyone is subtly looking over their shoulder, to see if there's someone more important they should be speaking to. If that's your mental picture of networking, you can't be blamed for resisting it. Undoubtedly, active networking has its place in job searching, just not to the ext

by Shawn Lackie This article could also be titled: Buyer quirks and quarks. Remember the old adage, if it’s too good to be true it probably is? That pretty much sums up some of the potential clients you meet in the wonderful wacky world of real estate. If they run in the door waving a check-book saying, “We’re buying a house today,” chances are you’ll never see them again. Any realtors reading this will be smiling and thinking, 'Ya pretty much.' That’s the nature of this busi

by Lauren Walker So what do you do when your Instagram video takes off? I posted a video on my Instagram page, @theartistwithin86, and it blew up past my wildest expectations. By the time this article gets published, I'll have almost 3 million views. It is overwhelming, to say the least. Uncharted Territory This is uncharted territory for me. I believe these moments are rare and fleeting, so I feel like I'm riding a wave, until it settles back in to the vast social media ocea

by Geoffrey Carpentier I had the good fortune to spend much of the winter in very tropical areas, with daytime temperatures often well into the high 30s. Arriving home, I was anxious for a different kind of warm though. I longed for the wonderful spring temperatures I grew up with, cool nights and lovely warm summery days. Well, it seems for 2026, at least, that didn’t happen. On May 21st, we had frost warnings, not unheard of but, certainly not anticipated nor welcome! My bi

Editorial by TODD GREEN The Standard Fathers. I've had three in my life, two of them contributed more than they know. The first father I had, brought me into this world. He was a bit of a train wreck, marriage wise, but while in their lives, he was fiercely loyal to those around him, stimulating a return in kind. One of his passions was creative writing. In part, I have reaped a blessing from that lineage, and you are experiencing it now. His other main passion was being a ca

by Lauren Walker A common misconception is, when a limb or joint is injured, you should stop moving it. Some may have chronic joint pain or an injured joint, brought on by daily activity. In this case, I encourage movement for healing but we must do so safely. Necessary for Healing Part of healing an injury is bringing blood and oxygen to the injury and surrounding area. Specific exercise helps an injury by increasing blood flow to deliver essential nutrients, rebuilding surr

by Tina Y. Gerber - McCurley I am not a genius, or even that smart; I am just an average or normal country girl who loves God and attempts to follow His word. I, like everyone else who is honest, fail daily. God knows this will happen and has accommodated for it as we grow. It needs to be understood that following God's word is different than receiving information: that is passive and/or just educational. It remains subjective, like when one is listening to their pastor's ser

by Jonathan van Bilsen As a child, I was remarkably selective about anything which ventured near my mouth. If food looked unusual, smelled unfamiliar, or possessed a texture which suggested it might still be alive, I wanted no part of it. As the years passed, however, my culinary courage grew, or perhaps deteriorated, depending on one’s perspective. Travelling tends to do that. You become curious. You convince yourself, tasting local food somehow deepens cultural understandin

by Shawn Lackie There was a recent announcement which will have a lasting impact on the Real Estate trade, for many years to come. Real and Re/Max merged, in an $888 million deal. This has deep ramifications on a number of fronts. Real has only been around for 12 years, while Re/Max has been a major player in the trade for 50 years. Expect some other mergers to follow and maybe even some to eventually fold. Why, you might ask? A number of answers could be put forth, but the m

by Tina Y. Gerber - McCurley More people are living longer, due to advances in medical science. Yet, we are still vulnerable to ailments, and increase chronic conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, ophthalmology and mental illness. Other risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, ones family history, along with daily diet and physical inactivity. They are all interconnected. Your body is a complex network and an amazing design. For those who look

By Shawn Lackie If you looked up the term Market Correction in a reference book or online, you would see: “A market correction is a short-to-medium-term decline of 10 to 20 percent in a major stock index or individual stock from its most recent peak. These are considered normal, healthy market events that reduce overinflated prices and bring valuations back in line with economic fundamentals, usually lasting weeks or months.” Here are some key factors influencing market corre

by Shawn Lackie It’s a good time to dispel a few Real Estate myths. One of the largest and most oft quoted is, Open Houses only account for 2 per cent of all houses sold. Many agents pooh pooh the idea of even holding them, claiming they “Never do anything to sell the property.” Wow, there’s a real open minded ideology. I have lived by a handful of credos over the years, one of which is, to never pre-judge a situation. Expect the unexpected. That most definitely includes host

by Jonathan van Bilsen Visions of orange jumpsuits and rusty shackles ran through my head, as I confronted the policeman writing my parking ticket. I was innocent. I had parked in a perfectly legal spot and told him so, triumphantly pointing at the post clearly marked ‘Parking.’ He agreed and I was about to ask why he was ticketing me. I froze when he silently gestured toward a fire hydrant, tucked neatly behind someone’s hedge. Mouth open, I stared at the yellow cylinder, mo