In light of the article I posted on the Fear of Success, I would like to remind people how important it is to have GOALS and to make them KNOWN. You need to put your goals in writing and put that piece of paper, cardboard, that picture – WHATEVER it is – put it in sight.

Tell people, Facebook it, blog it, tweet it, email it.  Be one of the few people that makes it known who they are and what they intend to do for themselves and for others.

I will skip the importance of having goals because we have all heard it a million times and I don’t even want to think about it again.

I KNOW WHAT MY GOALS ARE – and you should too. I know that I have to move 7.3 Million worth of Real Estate a year to net my targeted income. I know how much money I have to put aside for taxes each deal. I know how many pennies I need to save from every dollar I make to put towards my family’s well being. TO THE PENNY. And you know what? Because I know exactly what I need to do to get exactly what I want to get – I know where I stand and I know what direction I am heading in. Every action I take is a step FORWARD. In my opinion – that’s a great attitude that will lead to succeeding at my goals.

You can’t be afraid to verbalize your goals and let them be known. Not only is it important to have your goals clearly stated, but if you communicate them to someone, chances are you will feel even more obligated to achieve them. Sounds stupid, sure… but it’s true. Personally, I don’t work well if I’m not under pressure – as stupid as that sounds, it’s true. So you know what I do? I put the pressure on myself! I take on as much responsibility as I can, and that’s when the true nature of my character shines. When the going gets tough, right?  The point is – if it helps you achieve success, why aren’t YOU doing it?

Seriously. YOU!

Does your best friend, partner, mother or father know what your goals are? Any one of them?

Do YOU know what your goals are?

Write it down! Reply to this message and put it down!

What’s so scary about that?

I bet I will have over 100 views on this message and about 3 people will reply. I can almost guarantee you that those 3 people are going to have an infinitely better chance of achieving their goals because they have the confidence in themselves to take even this TINY commitment towards them.

I’ll Start.

My Goal is to build a Real Estate Business that provides for my family, myself, my community and my clients. I aim to work as hard as I can, to give as much as I can, and to enjoy as much of it as possible. 7.3 Million worth of Real Estate a year has to be moved, MINIMUM. Within 1 year I will own another property and will have started a family. I might even pick up a few Leonberger’s while Im at it.

Thats the direction I am heading in. Those are the goals I work towards every day of my life.

Your Turn.

MY GOALS ARE:

CMHC Housing Market Report for Ottawa

 Original Source: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/esub/64311/64311_2009_B01.pdf

• New Home Construction to Slow Down Toward Demographic Needs

Its nice to see some normal economic theory coming into play:

The Residential construction industry in Ottawa will remain in good health and will therefore exhibit a normal cyclical downward adjustment. This will bring the pace of new starts during 2009 and 2010 to more moderate and sustainable levels, consitent with both economic fundamentals and demographic needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Single-Detached Starts will Adjust the Most

Single detached starts will go down 28.1% from 2008 levels for a variety of reasons including increased caution among first time home buyers, a negative wealth effect caused by equity losses among baby-boomers, and reduced affordability for more expensive dwellings.

• Suburban Townhomes will Remain Popular Among First-Time Buyers

I knew this! This top selling home type that I have been dealing with is Suburban Townhomes. Townhome construction will rebound at the fastest pace among all property types due to the appeal of suburban lifestyle and recent improvements in homeownership affordability.

• Urban Apartment Construction will Lead the Way in 2009

Very Interesting!!!  This section says that due to economic conditions and changing demographics, this section will see a ‘buoyant’ demand , especially for condominium units closer to Ottawa’s core that is expected to remain well above historical averages.

 

Next: The RESALE market

 

 

 

 

 

Residential Units Sold per Month

Here you can see which months tend to be the busiest months for Buyers and Sellers.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average Residential Price by Month

Here you can see price increases year by year and month by month

 

Have a look at some of the most amazing faucets from around the world!

 

 

 

 

Original Source: http://weburbanist.com/2009/06/21/14-of-the-most-amazing-faucet-designs-ever/

Have a look at this list, and try to guess the subject before the end:

1832 Failed in Business - Bankruptcy

1832 Defeated for Legislature

1834 Failed in Business – Bankruptcy

1835 Fiancé Died

1836 Nervous Breakdown

1838 Defeated in Election

1843 Defeated for U.S. Congress

1848 Defeated for U.S. Congress

1855 Defeated for U.S. Senate

1856 Defeated for Vice President

1858 Defeated for U.S. Senate

Had you stopped there, you would have missed the final point:

1860 Elected President of the United States of America

The subject , of course, was Abraham Lincoln. What a great message: You can’t fail unless you quit. If Lincoln had quit in 1858, he would have been dismissed as a footnote in American history rather than be remembered as the honoured statesman he became. He kept trying, he didnt quit and the rest, as they say, is history.

So I had my graduation ceremony today.. WOOHOOO!

It made me think about how I am used to having about 15 things on the go, and how my new career doesnt have any work given to me – I find it and make it. My ‘old life’ went something like this for the past 7 years:

Worked at the House of Commons Full-Time and went to Algonquin College for Fitness and Lifestyle Management. I realized that many people were getting into Human Kinetics in University, and that my certificate wouldn’t mean much in the real world, so I decided to take a swing at University. Nearly two years with one to go and I switched gears.

Problem is – going to College meant I didnt have to do my OAC’s – so now I had to do them. Except for the fact there were no OAC’s because I was the last year before the double cohort and there were only 12U’s left on the table – most of which I had just DONE!

So I found 6 more ‘interesting’ classes and I took EVERY method of school I could think of – Correspondence (mail), Internet School, Summer School (St.Matts) and Night School (Immaculata). 6 courses later and 3 years deep in the House of Commons, I started applying for University.

One major shift had occured – I wasn’t that much into the whole fitness industry as a career anymore. Interestingly enough – I got a 97% in Economics and I LOVED it! So I got into business…

I took a job in Accounting at the HOC, as that was my major at the time. Then I switched gears to Finance and finally to Management. I realized the former two types of careers required professional designations for the most part, and that I was really excited by the Management Courses available because I wanted to be my own boss and start my own company.

While in my University Career, I took my Canadian Securities Course, my Successful Site Management course from the Real Estate Institute of Canada, and then finally my Realtor’s License.

On my way out of University, I was getting restless and took a new job in HR – mostly for the change of pace, and a shift of focus from numbers to people (boy was I wrong – can you say DATA ENTRY? What an unpleasant stint).

So right before I graduated University – I QUIT. It had been 7 years at the HOC and in School BOTH Full Time, and I was tired of it. I needed freedom. I remember going to Ottawa U 4 nights a week after work , often enough my 3 hour classes were from 7-10 which meant the good old OC Transpo would have me warm in bed, showered and shaved and ready for the next day by midnight. It made for LONG winter nights!

I said to myself – You live once, be happy and do what you want to do with your life. And there were all kinds of signs and signals around me. I had just heard in a class that the average standard of living of a human worldwide is LOWER than the average standard of living of the average Canadian HOMELESS person. The latter has access to employment opportunities, shelter, family and food, while the former quite often does not. My family and now wife were HUGE supporters of my ambitions. She would tell me to do what I wanted and she would work double time to make sure we would be OK if worse came to worse (She is a former graduate as well – both College and University). A good quote I heard once was ” Boats are safe in harbour. Thats not what boats are for.”

So that pushed me over the edge. I quit, I lined up a career as a Real Estate Salesperson with a long time mentor Dr.Bruce Firestone, I planned on graduating in a few months and getting married and I was going to give it all I had.

Well I now have a ring on my finger and I just had my grad ceremony today.

 

Its go time!

 

Hi Everyone,

I just received the lated Ottawa Real Estate Board Newsletter, and I am not sure if I am able to reprint the text from it, but there is something very important you should know.

There is  scam going around on online classified ads that are taking MLS Listings and posting them as rentals. They post very attractive rental rates and ask for a security deposit to be sent, after which they will courier the keys to you.

Guess what?

SCAM

Be very careful with these things!

Do your dilligence and investigate the house, especially if it seems to good to be true – because it often is.

All the best,

Marc

 

 

 

Beautiful architecture from around the world!

A good friend of mine wants to sell his condo in the beginning of the new year.

He tells me he wants to catch the ’sales wave’ to make sure he throws his condo in the market at the best possible time, when buyers are out in the masses and he can target the largest and most active market.

I point him to the Ottawa Real Estate Board Sales Statistics, and show him a Trends Analysis for the Ottawa Condo Class…

Here is the wave of activity:

I would advise him to get prepared in January and February, then make his jump in late Feb/early March.

Get it?

On the other side, if you miss the tail end of the Fall wave, you might have to wait for the next one in the Spring!

Cheers