Last week, a friend of mine emailed me this article written by the Executive V.P. of BMO Financial Group detailing the huge influx of foreign capital in the Toronto real estate market.

As my friend Pete explained, “You already know all this…but….now it’s NEWS!”

But it’s no secret that foreign investors are seeking financial solitude in Canada.

They’ve been doing it for decades…

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When I hear the word “boutique,” I think of a small, overpriced dress/shoe/gift shop that can’t compete with the big-box-stores.

In real estate, however, a “boutique building” refers to small, quaint, unique building of no more than, say, 40 units.

That’s a far cry from the 500+ unit, 40-storey monsters that are being built around the city right now.

Good things often come in small packages…

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Today, I will be using my special powers for good instead of evil.

Being a Realtor means that I am in my car probably ten hours a week at the minimum.

A by-product of this is knowing where all the speed traps are in Toronto….as I have been caught in most of them…

So to help out my fellow Torontonians, here are a few locations to look out for…

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Just when I was thinking I had nothing good to feature for today, this listing at 18 Yonge Street hits the hot-sheets.

I’m not in the best mood today, and therefore I’m going to rip into this condo like I ripped into my Christmas presents from 1986 to 1993 inclusive: fast, efficiently, and with a reckless lack of concern for other people’s feelings…

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Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Lloyd Braun wants to eat the hot-dog that’s been sitting in the movie theatre snack-bar since the Silent Era?

The snack-bar attendant says, “You’d have to be insane to eat that!”

Then Kramer sticks up for Lloyd and replies, “This is a perfectly sane food to eat!  One hot dog, please!”

Fast forward a scene to Kramer throwing up on the street…

…here’s a similar story that ends the same way…

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“Comparing Apples & Oranges.”

People use this expression constantly to describe the act of distinguishing between to unlike products, or, mistakenly drawing comparisons.

It could be said that in real estate, since every product is different in at least one small respect, that an infinite variety of fruits exist.

But eventually you have to stop comparing, and just take a bite out of the apple…

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Visualization.

Picture a small child holding his hand over an electric stove, moving it towards the fiery red element.

Fast forward, and picture that child twenty seconds later.

The words, “WOW….this was a bad idea” certainly come to mind.

Take note, David Miller…

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I have a bone to pick.

I’m so frustrated as I sit here at 7:30PM dealing with a sign-back on an offer, as well as the general buying public.

Maybe I didn’t get my afternoon Tim Horton’s coffee.

Or maybe I know I’m going to miss the entire Leafs game tonight…

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Does anybody ever get bored of me ragging on pretentious, ostentatious people or phonies?

I sure don’t.

Hey, I may work in the most image-ridden, flashy industry out there, but I still LOATHE people who live for what other people think about them…

Here’s a story…

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“Unique”

Definitions:
1. “Existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics.”

2. “Having no like or equal; unparallelled; incomparable”

3. 96 Bessborough Drive

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