Values of a Community, Reflected in a House

Just returned from a business trip to New Orleans and visited the botanical gardens. Tucked into a corner near the reception centre is a lovely little house built with an exterior cladding of small mirrors pasted to the entire envelope of the house. The walls and roof are made of a composite of 8.5 X 11 sized mirrors. The house has a shiny chrome like finish as though the exterior was built of armour squares from a long unused museum piece of medieval armour. The faceted mirrors recall the look of reflective scales of a metallic reptile. Then again, I think of the brilliant surface of solar panels attached to an space craft. The mirrored house is a thought provoking garden sculpture.

So I had to ask why am I intrigued by the shiny little house? What does the house reflect? Could the house reflect the happenings of the neighbourhood. That’s possible on a philosophic level. Social values are strongly reflected in architecture and building materials. The size of a home reflects the wealth of a community as we surely like to associate with others who are at a similar wealth bracket as our own. Higher wealth is OK but never lower. Communities are like palisades of similar values. That sounds mighty but the reality is that there is an assortment or homes and people in a community and that make a diversity. More interesting to live in diversity of styles, peoples and cultures. People are happier in a complex network of familiar differences

Condos Ottawa West

I just returned from visiting six different condos in Ottawa west. They are located along the narrow corridor between Carling Avenue and the Ottawa River. I’ve previously visited many of the condo units but there is always something to surprise me. First, there is a difference in the archetecture reflecting the date the condo was built. Some are high rise buildings towering up 23 floors and others are low rise with the pent house units on the sixth floor.
Early condos built in the 1970, grew from rental apartment buildings which were later transformed to Condo units. Many of the earlier buildings have shared laundry facilities either centred on the lower level such as the basement or are located on every floor, or every other floor. For some people the lack of an in-unit laundry is a major obstacle in transitioning into a condo. For others the higher price of condos with in-unit laundries is the price you have to pay.
Another feature that should interest buyers of Condos in Ottawa is the presence of indoor parking in an old condo vs. a new condos where parking is at a premium. In fact new condos don’t include a parking spot. Parking can be purchased seperately from the living unit but don’t forget condo fees are paid by the square foot and your parking may have a seperate condo and municipal tax fee whereas with older condos the fees are blended into the total cost of operation and maintenance for the building.

Older Ottawa condos have a boxier feeling. It might be the narrower halls that contribute to this feeling. Some however have floor to ceiling windows that allow the light to pour in. Newer condos feature the loft influence where ceilings are high and wall partitions are free standing. Ceilings are frequently open and showing the mechanical details of wiring ventalation and building materials. Remember the loft concept originated when designers reclaimed old factory buildings in down town centres and transformed them into fashionable living units. light texture and blending of old and new are features in the original Ottawa lofts. The loft style will be diluted with softening touches in today’s stylish luxury loft but you’ll still see a reference to form and function.

Early kitchens

The kitchen is a doing place in a house. Things get done there. There is the planning of meals, preparing food, cooking, cleaning, and storing of kitchen pots pans, kitchen gadgets, books, as well as storage of plates glasses cutlers and dry foods, canned goods and bulk goods – and more! All this activity and business centres around food preparation at the stove the sink and the refrigerator. In fact nearly a centaury ago there was scientific enquiry into the flow pattern uniting the work centres in a modern kitchen.

The study suggested the most efficient use of space occurred where an equilateral triangular link was created between the sink, stove and fridge; the three work centres. Efficiency was measured in the least number of steps between the three points of the triangle. It was a revolutionary idea to study movement. The itemization and breaking down of the process in a step by step fashion as in industrial factory. It was the first time that manufacturing was seen as a measurable process of unrelated steps. Edward Mybridge had begun an enquiry into motion studies using people and animals to show how movement occurred. Mybridges’s photos of galloping horses dating about 1880 are well know to artist at the turn of the century. The same enquiry directed toward the industrial kitchen helped to make the kitchen a more pleasant place to work.

Early kitchens centred around a food preparation area and a cooking area. Commonly there was a large central table that served a multipurpose work area. Today we name the different kitchens layout as a galley kitchen where a central passage separates two opposing work areas. A railway car will have a galley kitchen as will a boat. Some high rise Ottawa condos of the 1970 often featured the galley kitchen. There is the “U” shaped kitchen where a skink is positioned in the base of the U and the stove and refrigerator are located opposite each other in the arms of the U.

Ottawa Kitchen Design Trends

Have you noticed the glossy magazines featuring kitchen makeovers? Like, this is the most important room in the house! My wealth and affluence are showcased in my kitchen renovated with the most up to date gadgets colours textures and appliances. Like what happened to the garage with the Porche and the Harley parked outside? Aren’t they a show off? They are a display of your affluence but they’re passe brother. If you wanna be hip you gotta have the sleek dark brown wood cupboards and counters. Granite counter tops, island, Garland gas cook top, and electric convection oven, stainless ventalator, tumbled glass back splash, halogen pot lighting, oh, my lord the list goes on and on with stainless this and porcelain that Pogenpole this and Ladylux Grohe to top it off. It’s like another language. What has happened in the evolution of the domestic kitchen?
I’m going to look at the changes in kitchen design trends throughout the last century in the next couple of coming Blogs. Stay tuned, there are surprises! Kitchens are fascinating and they reveal a lot about our changing social stereotypes. Have any questions?

Good Ottawa Neighbourhoods

There is nothing more satisfying than placing a sold sign on a property I’ve recently listed for sale. It highlights the beginning of the end of of a long list of activities required for a sale transaction.

Today, as I attached the SOLD sign posted in a front lawn, a young man walking on the street stopped to ask about the house owner. His smile was gentle and we talked. He liked to accompany the older lady on her morning walks and missed talking with her. You see, he uses a walker despite his youth and felt comfortable walking at a slower pace with her. They used to talked about the neighbour hood flowers and how well kept the lawns were. They liked to watch children in the neighbourhood but felt that too often, bright plastic toys were left in the drive ways and it looked untidy, maybe even unsafe. We talked a while and after a while, he looked up at a yellow leafed birch tree as the cool wind pushed up on the leaves.

It’s an early fall this year. Maples are just starting to turn colour and black starlings flock, whistle and sing in the trees. He said he walks alone now, missing his walking companion. And what about the new owners he asked. They’re a young couple with lots of energy. They want to do some renovating. I think they’ll have some children in the next couple of years. I added, they’ll probably have children that leave plastic toys in the drive way just like the other neighbourhood kids. He laughed and thanked me for talking with him.

Raining; The best time to buy a house in Ottawa

Its raining at noon today. Clouds hang low over the city. Streets shine with dull reflections of the dark sky. I feel claustrophobic at my desk. I want to go outside and feel the warm wind in my hair, but today is also a good time to look at houses for sale in Ottawa! But remember, that Buyers and Sellers are emotionally effected by high pressure and low pressure weather systems. Consider this; a house is listed for sale. Its cloudy with showers. No one visits the house for a week. Is the price too high the owner asks? Next, the sun comes up and dries up all the streets. Suddenly the phone rings with appointments to visit the house. Its probable the weather improvement has affected the Buyers emotions.

People love the sunshine but houses on the other hand show well for Buyers when shadows are at a minimum. Strong contrasting shadows are created when sunshine pours in windows and lights up a room. The eye tends to look toward the light. Sunlight makes the room more interesting and feel more inviting, warmer. People say the dark holds secrets and fear the dark. But as a Buyer, when the weather is poor you see a house at it’s most difficult viewing. This means the house shows it’s most honest or neutral side on cloudy days. Buyers are better equipped to evaluate room space for furniture placement, for family entertainment, kitchen work areas, counters and back yard play. For Sellers, bad weather means wet shoes in the house, raincoats, umbrellas, a chill in the air, and dampness. Smart Sellers anticipate the weather prepare the house for the wet visitor.

Taking photos for a new listing in poor weather is tricky. The Real Estate Professional wants the house to appear spacious, bright and welcoming. Colours, architectural features and furniture should appear crisp and contrasting. The eye loves detail and when viewing a good house photo will seek out information. A camera that can take a long exposure is excellent for home interiors, or consider postponing the photo shoot until the weather improves!

The best time to buy a house in Ottawa is now! The best time to sell a house in Ottawa is now. Now is always the best time!

KW Cares

I picked up a substantial cheque from KW Cares today. Kw cares is a committee of Keller Williams Ottawa Realty that attends to matters of social awareness. This is the first time I’ve appealed to the committee for funding and I’m pleased they came through. The cheque is for Cornerstone Women’s shelter in Ottawa. I’m happy to fund raise for the shelter. Initially the idea was to raise $5000 representing 5000 nautical miles I flew in the International Air Rally last August. There is something about the women’s shelter that echoes back to when I was a youngster living in Cardinal Heights Ottawa. My mother was a single mom and raising two children basically on her own income. As a fashion model her income was seasonal. Spring was for fur coats and fall was bathing suits. We always had trouble with rent. I’m pleased to give back to the community and to women in particuliar.

Real Estate Marketing Knowledge

Today I attended an all day real estate seminar relating to marketing on the internet. We had a guest flown in from Seattle, Washington to give us his view on where business the of marketing is going in the future. I found it interesting and valuable.

There are so many ways to have an Ottawa house listings appear on the internet market. Of course there is the MLX and my personal web site but I didn’t think of using Twitter, Active Rain, Craigs List and Facebook to spotlight a home or community. Interesting that when these additional marketing tools are used there is a strong likleyhood that Google and Yahoo search engines will also show the links to the house soon after the property is listed. So this marketing management has a life of it’s own to in effect raise or magnify the presence of an Real estate Agent. This is good news for Ottawa Buyers and Sellers

The proper use of Keyworks, addresses, and community infromation works creates a presence on the web that helps Buyers find the listing first. The use of photos and especially short Video clips to showcase the home and community are very important in the ranking of websites.

This week I’m listing a home on Crownhill in Cardinal Heights. I’ve know of this home since I was a Boy Scout in 1968! Imagine the house selling back then for about $16,000. Doesn’t seem like a lot of money now but back then it was the average price of a house in Ottawa. The average price of a home in Cardinal Heights today is about $280,000.

We’ve had stagers into the home to help prepare the house for the listing day. The Staging began with an appraisal of the personal furnishings that could be used for display in the house. Then almost everything was packed and moved to the garage for storage while the walls were painted. Next the carpets were cut rolled up removed to reveal good maple hardwood floors. The floors have been prepared and shine. The windows have been cleaned. The next stage is to return the furniture to the house and decorate in a manner that 90% of the target Buyers will like the house and seriously consider buying the house. There is a science to back this up and it increased the price of the home and reduces the number of days on the market. In short it means more money for the Seller.

This staging is to no use if no one see the house! That’s why this course we attended today is so valuable. It helps to showcase the home on the internet which by the way is where 84% of Buyers go to shop for a house for sale in Ottawa.

Winning Team – International Air Rally 2009

Left to right in front of a newly built CRJ BOMBARDIER 100 seat: Martin Elder Pilot Real estate professional with cerimonial Aurtrailian collar scarf, May Cay Beeler Pilot ATPL, Deborah Hind Coordinator/yoga instructorwith cerimonial Aurtrailian collar scarf, Chris Gallant Navigator computer wizard.

Located at the Bombardier assemble plant in Mirabel PQ members of the International Air Rally 2009 gather to hoist the village and city flags visitedduring the rally. Winning team with the Governor General’s cup posed in front. Camil Dumont and Catherine Tobenias; organizers of the 2009 Rally to the right in front. Representative of Bombardier to the left

DESTINATION WATSON LAKE

From the terminal tower in Watson Lake.

A small update on the progress of the international Air Rally।

The group of pilots is deliberating about the weather. We’re using everything available to help us decide what to do next. We all want visual conditions but there is a lot obscuring the sky. Everyone is stressed about the weather.It’s hard to sit and wait at this historic airport. Debbie and I have taken some long walks to meet people and to see the natural vegitation.

We’re in Watson Lake Yukon smoke from forest fires to dissipate in about 2 hours after light rain finishes and clears out the smoke from the mountains east to Fort Simpson NWT। Last night we saw snow in the high mountains over northern BC। I spotted three small forest fires and reported them to authorities. People at our destinations have received us very well. Frequently there is a community BBQ and festivities some speeches. I met a 3 year old native boy on the tarmac yesterday and he sat on the wing when we taxied over to the fuel pumps. Then his mom wanted to go for a ride in the airplane with her other four children. I couldn’t do it mostly because of fire fighting bombers were making regular landings and take offs and the air was congested.

The other participants come from all over Canada, USA, France Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand. They are all well qualified and friendly. I enjoy the camaraderie. We’ve flown through trying and for me stressful air.mostly due to obscured skys, low ceilings in fog and rain and mostly due to smoke.Can you imagine smoke to 6500 feet! Tome that constitutes near IFR conditions.

We will be heading east to Churchill MB soon.

There has been considerable interest in Cornerstone Women’s shelter and I hear donations have been arriving both by on line sources and by personal cheque. I thank you for your donations and I’m proud of my clients and the Keller Williams culture for supporting me.

it’s interesting to see the housing in this area. It seems there are a lot of temporary structures. There are a lot of rental accomodations. The community is transient. There are a lot of families that rely on the drilling and mining operations. Surprisingto see big rigs onthe highway hauling mostly equipment from Asia. Viewed a construction site where foundations wer only 4 feet underground. Ithought tht due to frost heave they’d need to put the concrete a minimum of 8 feet!

I’ll try to send off another email from Churchill MB.

Best wishes,