Saturday, March 13, 2010

Our newest employee

Writing an offer ?????


Now where's that listing?


Just a minute while I check it out.




Ava taking a call
Hi everyone here we are in the middle of March and after a slow winter the real estate market is finaly starting to blossem. I sold my own listing this week for $129000 and I just got buyers approved for a $225,000 mortgage. I listed two good listings one at $299,900 and one at $329,900 so I'm starting to feel a little better. Rose sold one of Jenny's listings (Alton Road $169,900) subject to the sale of a little house in Stewiacke and Rose has an accepted offer on it. ALL CONDITIONS MET. That is great we have closings coming in. So hopefully cashflow is improving. Let's hope we all prosper this summer.
Many people ask me how I've managed to keep my daughters interested and involved in the business. Especialy other business owners. Well here's one of my secrets here's some photos of my grand daughter Ava in training.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Some People

Well we are working our way through a tougher winter than expected. My saving grace has been appraisals as sales have been unusaly slow.
Our real estate market stalled in mid october last year and has only sputtered since. The interest rates are the lowest in history but I've never seen credit this tight. The lenders have put policies in place that eliminate most purchasers that would have qualified for a mortgage only 2 years ago. That is the reality on the ground and that means this is going to be a slow recovery and a longer down turn. It took us 35 years to get to 100% financing and 40 year ammortizations. Now because some financial cowboys in the US built a house of cards that collapsed we will be paying the price for years to come. Now even if the lender wants to do the deal the high ratio insurer is getting tougher. This is an obvious reaction to more and more foreclosures and them seeing more lossess coming down the pipe. Another big impact on the market is the banks utilizing appraisal management firms instead of the local lender being able to call a local appraiser. This results in erratic and inconsistant appraisal values especialy in rural areas where accurate comparables are unavailable and an appraiser unfamiliar with the area compensates by being overly conservative. The lender has lost the ability to call a local appraiser familiar with the area and thus is farther removed from providing the customer with the service and results the customer would like. Of course we all know the banks and government operate in similiar manners. Both spend a fortune advertising how much they do for us while in reality it is the opposite. All of these changes have combined to basicly kill the goose that laid the golden egg which was the housing market. I hear the stories and watch the news about the hot housing market in Canada. That's not here not now and I don't think we are going to see a hot housing market for a while. The tight lending policies and changes in the appraisal process have combined to elimate too many buyers from the market place. Some people will have to come too their senses before things are going to get better and I don't see that happening in the short term. I hope I'm wrong but it's time to prepare for the worst. Recovery in sight ? Bah Humbug the recession is just realy beginning. We've only seen the tip of the iceburg.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Photography and Art

Hi There, Short post just to let you know my new photograpy and art site is up at

http://www.larrymatthewsphotoandart.com/ Check it out.

All the Best

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Article Writing

Well it's a new year. I wonder what 2010 has in store. I wrote a few articles last year. Here is a copy of my latest article.

Make Money Online Canada.


Canada is one country in the world where just about everybody has embraced the internet. Federal and provincial governments have recognized the importance of new technology and most provinces are on track to making high speed available to every household. This development offers a solution to the residents of this vastly rural country that is unprecedented and amazing in it's potential. Let me explain.
Only 50 years ago most Canadians were born and raised on small farms. Families were large and work was scarce in many areas. This created a huge migration from the country to the cities by the baby boomers looking for work. Many relocated from their home province to Ontario were most of the manufacturing was done. Many moved to mining towns such as Thompson Manitoba or Sudbury Ontario. As we've watched our natural resources diminish jobs in traditional industries such as fishing and now lumbering are, and have simply vanished. Recent years have seen this generation migrate to Alberta looking for work and a sustainable way of life. This growth around the cities has created demand for housing and commercial building space that has drawn trades people to meet the demand for construction labour. As rural communities declined populations around the major centres has soared. Nova Scotia is a classic example where the population has hovered around a million people for some years. The population around Halifax Regional Municipality has soared to over 400, 000 as residents move from rural to urban and city dwelling. Construction and development has boomed for 10 years to accommodate this migration of it's own provincial residents. What is the end result of all this and what has it to do with making money online?
I believe most Canadians would rather live in the country or their hometown. I believe we are genetically inclined to be country folk. Canadians are committed to family and this migration has drawn families farther apart. Cities are places where we lock our doors and we do not feel completely safe going out at night. Now no offence to those who love city life. I'm just suggesting a lot of us are only living there because we have to for work. I believe the opportunity is now here for many of us to make a change and have the life we want. This life evolves around a rural or small town lifestyle. We would like our children to be raised in that type of environment. So we could have more time to enjoy them as they grow and learn. That does not mean every one (city and rural alike) can not partake of this opportunity. Financial freedom is wonderful no matter where you live.
Financial freedom quite simply gives you the opportunity to live the life you want. Not the life imposed on you by your employer. (As good as that employer may be.) Good companies are only good because of good employees. However even good companies are utilizing the internet to reduce the number of good employees they need. For example the first industry to embrace technology was banking. One bank in my area has two branches. This bank makes billions in profit each year. Their two branches are open on a rotational basis. Even with billions in profit they are not prepared to staff both branches all week. They can do this because of online banking and ATM machines. I explain this to emphasise the impact of technology. How long before technology make so many good jobs redundant? So how secure is anybodies good job? Only time will tell as technology improves. Have no doubt we haven't seen anything yet. Now to my reason for writing this article.
Canada is the greatest country in the world to live. (In my somewhat biased opinion) We have prospered mainly because of our vast resources and marketing those resources to the world. That era is fast coming to a close as our resources are being depleted at an alarming rate. Just look at lumbering, fishing, steel and now agriculture to name a few. In the years to come those countries that imbrace technology and sell information and products online to the world will be the countries that prosper. Canada in it's wisdom has emerged as a leader by being one of the first countries to provide high speed internet to all of it's residents. Now this opens up the opportunity I've been eluding to. An opportunity for all of Canada's residents. You see the internet is fast becoming the world's market place for just about everything. The internet has no geographical boundries or restrictions. You can have a website in Pugwash Nova Scotia marketing widgets made in China. You can sell the widgets online all over the world and your supplier in China can ship the widget directly to your buyer in Denmark. You can build a business at home and make a good living or a fortune depending on what you want out of life. Now is the time for Canadians to become experts at internet marketing. Now is the time. You have the opportunity. All you lack is the knowledge. That knowledge and training support is readily available. Take control of your future now and have the life you want!! Living where you want!! Canada opportunity is knocking!! All you have to do is open the door.
Larry Matthews
Larry Matthews is a successful entrepreneur and has operated various successful business ventures for the past 30 years.Over his life time has risen from poverty to being a successful business person. He and his wife Peggy have been together since teenagers and his two grown daughters are active in his business along with his wife's sister and her son. Larry has been awarded a certificate of recognition by the local municipal government for 25 years of quality service to the public and a resolution was passed by the government of Nova Scotia recognizing Larry and Peggy for their perseverance and hard work. To learn more about making money online please visit http://makemoneyonlinecanada.info
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Matthews

Monday, December 14, 2009

Website Traffic

Are you looking for one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website ? Here's how

http://www.linkreferral.com/adwel.pl?oldrefid=271227

Friday, December 11, 2009

Social Networking



Merry Christmas . I just posted this photo to get your attention and yes those are $100 bills. Running any business is all about the money. No different than running your household. A lack of money no matter the reason with a business it could be a recession with your household it could be a lay off. No matter the reason you are forced to adjust. That is the downward spiral created by a recession. A business in many cases can only cut labour costs (By laying off) that of course directly effects families and household spending and that comes back around and means less sales for business. Banks tighten credit for business and every thing starts to get slower and the economy worsens. Of course frustration mounts as we read of the bonuses paid to corporate executives or watch our politicians travel first class to exotic locations for some trumped up trade mission. This double standard for those of us living in the real world can seem so unfair. I have just experienced the worst of that double standard when forced to lay good people off and watching the government seize my brothers Canada Pension for taxes and being harassed as his guardian by different government burecrats who are only concerned about money and not him. (He has a brian injury and requires 24hr care). It is in times like these that I have to fall back on my faith and ask God to bear the burden and to provide me with wisdom and hope. This is the season of hope for many of us with the celebration of Christ's birthday. Sometimes in life that hope is all that keeps us going. All of us struggle at times with the reality of life and it's troubles. Yes even the banker's big bonus won't heal a loved one or fix a broken relationship. Johnny Cash once said "Having money just means you have to worry about everything except money". Let us try and remember the real reason for the season this Christmas because for many of us December 25th was the day that "HOPE" came into the world and into our lives. I started this post to tell you about social networking and my mind wandered into my heart and my heart kind of took over. So forgive my rambling. Check out my new social networking site at http://makemoneyandsavetax.ning.com/ and Happy Holidays.

Larry

Monday, December 7, 2009

Read my Articles

Hi Everyone just a quick post to let you know you can read my articles online at this link. All the best. Larry


http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Larry_Matthews


This is the link to my poetry site

www.authorsden.com/luke