All posts by karimkanji

INSPIRed by the Toronto Marathon

On Sunday October 14th 2007 almost 10,000runners decsended on Toronto for the annual Toronto Marathon. People of all sizes and ages participated in either the Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K race or Relay.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in yesterdays event. It was both fun and inspiring for me to watch all of you from my 8km post.

Hope you enjoy the pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60483&l=f1c50&id=641170156

Karim Kanji

U.S. house prices to fall further, says Greenspan

U.S. house prices to fall further, says Greenspan

Oct 01, 2007
06:52 AM

Reuters

LONDON – House prices in the United States will continue to decline as new sales are still barely denting the supply overhang, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said today.

Greenspan said there were signs the lending crisis gripping global financial markets was possibly coming to end as demand for more risky assets grows but warned the speculative fever must be allowed to run its course to enable a full recovery.

“As in similar situations of inventory excess, I would expect home price declines to continue until the rate of inventory liquidation reaches its peak,” Greenspan told an audience at Reuters in London.

“There is little relevant American history to guide us in judging the ultimate extent of home price decline or the timing of a new price recovery, or by extension, the economic impact on the rest of our trading partners.

“All that I conclude is that the process of inventory adjustment has just started and we have a long way to go before residential housing and mortgage markets stabilize in the U.S.”

Greenspan said consumer spending and economic growth in the world’s biggest economy were also likely to remain under pressure given lower household wealth resulting from housing market weakness.

More News and Insights on 09-25-2007

So now that the Canadian Dollar is at par with the American Greenback what does this hold for the Canadian economy? More specifically, will this affect the Canadian real estate industry? If so, how? These and many more questions will be tackled inthe featured articles listed below……

July 2007 saw Canadian building permits fall sharply.

U.S. housing slump hits realty jobs.

Saskatoon and Victoria prices hitting new record highs!

Scotiabank says Canadian home prices are not sustainable. Gee Whizz! Thanks for the update BnS!

RBC – not wanting BnS steal the “duh” spotlight – states that the cost of home ownership is continuing to rise.

Condo construction boosts housing starts AND Condo market is SLOWING! Make up your minds!!!!!

Feesboo’s (FSBO) keeping pace with Canadian real estate boom.

Phantom Bids in Toronto.

Opps! Average Canadian resale home price slips $6,600 in August.

Young and Eligible turns into Young and INeligible.

House Poor growing segment of population.

ONTARIO ELECTION – Property-Tax Reform.

Canadian Dollar at Par with American “Funny Money”

Remember when Canadian Money was called Funy Money because of the different colours and the low value in relation to the American Greenback? Now the tables have turned! Here’s a smattering of news headlines and articles from the past few days…

Canadian mortgage market feeling effects of Commercial Paper Market meltdown.

U.S. Realtors feel effects of mortgage credit crunch.

Looking for a Real Estate Deal? What about south of the 49th ?

See! Scarborough ain’t all that bad!!! Guilwood Village Profile!

A truly inspiring story.

You may have heard about the following story in your local sports news. Or maybe not. But I will bet dollars to donuts that we will soon see a ‘disney-type’ movie of this story soon. A book is already in the works. Nonetheless, it is a great feel good story. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh brother, that was a record-breaker

Matthew Chung
Sports Reporter
Toronto Star

Brigham Shearon dodged bad weather in the American south and midwest, fought back the urge to run for his life in Orlando, Fla., and ran out of money between Seattle and Oakland.

But with his brother, Todd, he accomplished his potentially Guinness World Record goal of visiting all 30 major league baseball stadiums in 28 days.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Brigham, 29, said yesterday, two days after watching Game 30 at Yankee Stadium.

The brothers, from Windsor, Ont., started their journey from the Rogers Centre on Aug. 7 to take on Brigham’s severe social anxiety and panic disorders.

The record still has to be verified by Guinness, but Brigham overcame his fear of flying and fought back feelings of panic while watching games.

“I learned that living is better than not,” Brigham said.

Their trip was no hot dog-eating jaunt through the U.S. On the west coast they got by on shared garlic fries and a chocolate bar for two days after waiting for funds.On the second-last day of the trip, Brigham finally got to meet Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke, who also has a social anxiety disorder.

They plan to publish a book.

EXIT a Canadian Success Story

We all know that the Canadian Real Estate market is STILL moving along nicely. However, not many people have heard of success stories that transcend the local or national market. There is one company, however, that is making waves. And they have been for a number of years.

Introducing Steve Morris and Exit Realty.

Steve was recently named one of real estate’s most influential people in a well-known industry magazine. To read the article click HERE.

Karim

1200 to be Laid off In Oshawa from GM plant.

So, you must have heard the news that 1200 people will be out of work in Oshawa. They work and will soon be laid off from the GM plant there. That’s the place they make trucks for the US market. Seems Americans are buying less trucks these days?

What does this have to do with Real Estate in Canada?

Well, according to Thomas Walkom of The Toronto Star, A Lot!

READ HERE.

From James Ray…

“Any time I have seen someone accomplishing something magnificent, they have been a monomaniac with a mission. A single-minded individual with a passion.”

–Peter Drucker

You may recall the movie City Slickers from a while back starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. In it, we observed the story of a man (Crystal) who because of a midlife crisis decides to go out with some buddies and rustle cattle for a week.

Curly (Palance), the trail boss to whom they report, really seems to have his head together, and Crystal’s character keeps asking him what the secret is. Curly’s only reply is to hold up his index finger and say, “One thing.”

Finally in frustration, Crystal asks, “Well, what is that one thing?” To which Curly replies, “That’s what YOU have to figure out… No one can do it for you.”

This “Curly Principle” teaches us the same lesson that the renowned management consultant Peter Drucker has observed in highly successful people:

Monomania.

In other words, a single-minded focus and passion for that “one thing.” Jesus taught us in Luke 11:34, “When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light.”

What are you singularly focused on?

Frequently, I meet individuals who want to have their dreams and yet aren’t willing to give up anything to achieve them. This is self-deception. Choosing to become great in any area means choosing to not be great in another area. There will always be a price to pay. There will always be a sacrifice.

You can only ride one horse really well at any one time. Yes, you may be able to ride two, but nowhere NEAR as well as you can ride one. Nowhere near as agile, responsive or quick. Understand the difference?

“The secret to success in life is making your vocation your vacation.”
–Mark Twain

Several years ago, I was in LA with some good friends attending an Elton John concert. I was asked what seems to be a frequent question among acquaintances, “What do you do for fun and recreation?”

This is always a difficult question for me to answer, because I know there’s an unspoken expectation that I come up with a whole list of activities I’m involved in. Bottom line…

I am a monomaniac.

(And not in the clinical sense of the word either.) My work is my passion as well as my “re-creation” (notice the true meaning of the word). When asked the question, “How is work?” I can honestly answer, “Work is play.”

I absolutely love what I do, and if you can say that too, then that goes a long way towards creating Harmonic Wealth®. I can think of nothing more fulfilling and re-creating than to meditate, study, read, learn, write, create, help and coach others, talk with you and share insights.

Yes, I do hike, workout, ski from time to time, go to movies and I even played golf poorly once. But these are not the things that make life meaningful for me.

Many see their work as a “means to an end,” but for the monomaniac, their work is an end unto itself. Not just a job… a meaningful, passionate mission.
Your work is your passion and your love made manifest through action.

Is this the right approach for you? I’m not qualified to answer that question. What I am qualified to do is to check my own observations and experiences and agree with Drucker and Curly.

To accomplish anything of consequence, anything magnificent and great, you must be willing to literally trade your life for it. To be so passionately focused and committed that nothing will divert you. Nothing and no one can stop you.
My wish is that you find that “one thing” in your life:

Your white-hot passion that brings you tremendous meaning and purpose.

To your continued wealth and happiness,

James Arthur Ray

President/CEOJames Ray International