All Of The Above - Duncan's Blog

Regional Pride

One of the Realtors I refer business to (and receive referrals from) is Gary Cole from St. John's Newfoundland. He's a Realtor from RE/MAX Realty Specialists Ltd. I occasionally receive a photo of his fine province when something fantastic happens... Read more →

Moved Four Boxes.. I'm Exhausted

There's an element of our society that we should pay homage to each day. Child care workers make squat yet the role they play in our lives is arguably larger than high school teachers. TTC drivers have to endure mindless... Read more →

Comments and Who Gets Published

I have never commented on a comment before but I don't have much time this morning so what the heck. Yesterday's entry caused quite a stir. I had to edit out profanities in two comments and even old Ronald Reagan... Read more →

Abuse of Power

When Nixon was brought down and shamed in the 1970's, it was very good news, not just because he was a crook, but mostly because finally, a person in authority was held accountable. It doesn't happen very often. A boss... Read more →

National Coverage

This was read in various Canwest publications across the country yesterday. It will be in many other newspapers in the days to come. Double click on the article to see entire piece. Read more →

Is this remarkable? or to be expected?

Yesterday, in the core of the city between the Humber on the west and Victoria Park on the east, there were 33 "reported" sales to the Toronto Real Estate Board of freehold houses. Of those, 25 were for "over asking".... Read more →

"Be Kind to your Contractor" Day

Contractors... either you love 'em or you hate 'em. If they do what they say they will do and everything works out, they're hero's. However, it's the nature of the beast for things to go "not as planned" and when... Read more →

Alterna Savings, a different kind of lender

In my 10 years as a volunteer for ACCESS Riverdale (AR), the micro loan fund, I've been introduced to an interesting array of characters. Some have been clients. Some have been fellow volunteers. AR was invited to take part in... Read more →

Newspaper Ads not what they once were

During open houses, I make it a habit to survey the visitors to find out how they knew I was going to be there. Very rarely do they say "newspaper". I have traditionally run a large visible Open House ad... Read more →

Induces Sleep

In the 1950's, I'd often have sleep-overs at my cousin's farm. Part of the deal was rising early (5:00 a.m.) and helping my Uncle Jack Fremlin with the chores. It was a dairy farm so there was a lot of... Read more →

More than one use for a duplex

The legal and fully retrofitted duplex I have for sale has attracted a lot of attention. The ad reads well.... newer construction, hot Leslieville neighbourhood, good rents, modern amenities, 3 baths, garage with entrance from inside the house, walk to... Read more →

Impressive Business Practice

In the past, I've written about impressive businesses. There's Allen's, a restaurant on the Danforth that I frequent. John Maxwell stands behind his product and presents it in a very professional manner. His ideas are creative and the staff is... Read more →

Loogins and Longhairs

That is just one of the many suggestions I've received since asking our fans and friends to help us describe our new collaboration in a single phrase. I'm referring to the exciting concert planned between the rootsy Whiskey Jack and... Read more →

Monster Size Blue Bin

If you look down any street these days, you see rows of enormous blue bins either on front porches or in front of air conditioners or ... Never again will they grace the dead space at the side of the... Read more →

Impressive Young Men

A few months ago, a young Canadian man of Palestinian decent called and asked to speak with me about how to find a career. His name is Mehran Dawood. He was about to graduate from the University of Toronto and... Read more →

Duplex is legal, AND Retrofitted

The City of Toronto income properties generally conform to the local zoning bylaws but few are "retrofitted". That means that if they were to be inspected by the local fire and electrical officials, they wouldn't necessarily conform to the bylaws... Read more →

Economist Spin

At a company function yesterday morning, we were treated to a fine breakfast and a short talk by Craig Alexander, Vice President & Deputy Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group. He offered his expert opinion on the Toronto real estate... Read more →

Make a Plan and then do it!

My first week in real estate involved a meeting with the late Diane Gunn, my new Manager at the Darrell Kent Real Estate office in the Beach. She asked me what my goal was. I thought it a pretty dumb... Read more →

Odds and Sods

FIRST ODD AND SOD: My doctor friend, Murray Waldman has another column in today's Living Section of The Star. It's entitled, Who pulls the plug? It's a fascinating article as usual. One fact he writes about reveals a great deal... Read more →

What a weekend for real estate!

The bully offer strikes again. Karen showed 217 Geoffrey Street in High Park house last week when it was first listed. She and her client each spent at least 3 hours of their time doing this. The client also returned... Read more →