There will be plenty of seasonal stuff in this month's letter, but I thought I would make sure the serious material didn't get overlooked!
There is an interesting read at the following link: RE/MAX 2010 Housing Outlook
It is quite lengthy, although British Columbia is right at the front of the article, so you can get quite a good look in the first few pages. One of the things that has caused the market in Canada to fluctuate so much is the supply of new, unsold housing units, whether they are single family or multi-family (condo) dwellings. In a small community like Nelson, we are not affected too much by this type of thing because there is not a large supply of housing built before it is sold. Therefore, we did not see a huge price drop as developers attempted to sell off their inventory, nor have we seen any big increases in prices, since they didn't drop that far in the first place. What we have found in Nelson (and surrounding areas) is that there have been fewer sales than in previous years, and this is primarily the result of fewer out of town buyers coming here. With the rebound in the larger centres, this will likely change in the spring. The "experts" predict that our country will experience a seller's market in the first half of 2010 and that this will gradually turn back to a buyer's market in the latter half of next year, due to anticipated interest rate increases and an increase in available inventory of housing.
Now for some fun: Here is a link to a popular Christmas song, but it is done in a way you have not heard before. The group singing is "Straight, No Chaser" and they are a male acapella chorus. Give a listen. Apparently, this was recorded back in the early 1990's.
I also want to mention that right here in Nelson we have some fabulous talent. This past weekend I attended a performance of Handel's Messiah at the Capitol Theatre, performed by the Nelson Choral Society. Now my wife, Dorothy, sings in this group, so I know that I am biased. However, as I was leaving the theatre (following a standing ovation) I spoke to some clients who recently moved here from the coast. They told me that they had attended a presentation of Messiah last year because, they said, "We are leaving the Vancouver area, so when are we going to hear this again?" Well, they told me that Nelson's presentation was far and away better than the professional production they heard last year, and that the Capitol Theatre was a much better venue. The soloists were all excellent, the chorus had evidently worked very hard to achieve the sound we enjoyed and the orchestra was outstanding, too. Both Nelson performances were sold out. I thought this tribute to our local talent was worth repeating.
Now for a bit more serious material: Check out the following link to see how unemployment has skyrocketed in the U.S. This is quite frightening, and a Stunning Portrayal of the Economy through Changing Unemployment Graph Fortunately, in Canada, our situation is significantly different. We have not seen huge bailouts of industry (there have been some in the auto industry and a few in forestry), and our banks did not get in trouble. Our real estate market remained much healthier, and delinquency rates and foreclosures did not increase to unacceptable levels.
Fair Tax
At a business conference in
There was a pause, and then a white-haired man in the back raised his hand. "The poll tax," he said.
"But the poll tax was repealed," replied the commissioner.
"I know," declared the man, "that's what I like about it."
*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their
collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers
across the country. Here are last year's winners:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a thigh master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River .
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an Americ an tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
. . . . And one more item on the educational theme:
One Hard Question
There was a student who wanted to be admitted to the University.
He was smart enough to get through the written test, a GED, and was to appear for the personal interview. Later, as the interview progressed, the interviewer found this boy to be bright since he could answer all the questions correctly. The interviewer got impatient and decided to corner the boy.
"Tell me your choice," said he to the boy, "What's your choice: I shall either ask you ten easy questions or ONE real difficult. Think well before you make up your mind."
The boy thought for a while and said, "My choice is ONE real difficult question."
"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!" said the man on the opposite side. Tell me: What comes first, Day or Night?"
The boy was jolted first but he waited for a while and said: "It's the DAY, sir."
"How???????" the interviewer shot back, smiling. ("At last, I got you!" he said to himself.)
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"
The student was admitted to the University.
*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
Drew and I will be relaxing with family a little bit in the next couple of weeks. Drew will be getting together with his parents before Christmas.
My daughter is the only one coming to Nelson this year. My son, Brian, and his family will be going to his in-laws for Christmas (we have them every other year) and my son, Dave is in Uganda for the end of the year. So, at our house it will be a quiet Christmas, punctuated with frequent phone calls and lots of eating! We will, of course, celebrate the Reason For The Season with our church family.
Do You Know A Buyer For This Home?
This waterfront estate consists of 4.38 acres with 226 feet of sandy beach frontage, boat launch, large dock, substantial home and outbuildings. It has operated as a campground, though we are not marketing it as a business. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity by contacting us now. $1,200,000. You can check out more details and photos on our web-site at: Waterfront
This brings us to the end of another newsletter, and, indeed, the end of another year. I recently heard an explanation of why the years go by so much faster now than they did when we were younger. I don't know how scientific it is, but it makes sense to me: When we were 5 years old, one year was 20% of our entire life. When we were 20 years old, a year is only 5% of our life. Now that we're over 50 (for those of us who have arrived at that milestone, or beyond), a year is less than 2% of our life and we all know that 2% is not very much, so no wonder it goes by so quickly!
Thanks for reading, and may all your Christmas dreams come true, and may we have Peace on Earth, and in our hearts, as we prepare for the coming year!
Lorne & Drew
