Families - there when you need them!

Families do not necessarily have to be someone related to you anymore.  The bottom line, as far as I am concerned is that families are people that are there when you need them most!  They can be friends, neighbours, co-workers, etc.

As I mentioned in a prior post, my daughter and her family were transferred in 2013.  Going from the East cost to the West coast, is for us, just about the farthest apart we could possibly be.  With her having small children and us having other family members here on the East Coast, it is difficult to be together over the Christmas Holidays.

I am writing this blog to "Pay forward" how my daughter and her friends solved the sadness of not being with their own family on Christmas Day.  They got together and made up their own family and invited others to join in their "Family Christmas Dinner"! (see picture below).  They rented a hall that had kitchen facilities and warming ovens and they were good to go!

Everyone had a list of what they were responsible to bring - turkey, ham, veggies, etc. and with joint efforts everyone was able to share each other and their families to celebrate what may have been a lonely day for most involved.

I think this is an awesome idea and wanted to pay it forward for others - to let them know, you do not have to spend the holidays alone if you are willing to open your hearts and invite others to join you.

We had a tradition at our home when my children were smaller that on Christmas Eve, we got together for a pot luck dinner at my Mom's house and Santa delivers a small gift to each child.  It was wonderful to be with family on Christmas Eve plus it would wear the little ones out so we could get them to bed when we returned home!  My daughter Stacey, has taken that tradition with her to the West Coast and has invited neighbours in and around the Court she lives on to participate with their families.

My thank you goes out to my daughter Stacey's new friends and neighbours for helping make the holidays special for my daughter family and to help ease her burden of missing her family!

Definitely a wonderful idea to "pay forward" to others that cannot be with their family on various holidays.  Enjoy!

Fa

Seems like they will be miles away....

Well this has been a very emotional week for my family and I. I wanted to "Pay Forward" my feelings because I know so many families have gone through this same scenario time and time again! My youngest daughter Stacey, as I have mentioned before is married to a Military member. She is also the mother of 3 of my grandchildren, Lucas 5, Paige 4 and Kaleb who will turned 1 in March. WELL, they received notice this week that they are being posted. We knew that would happen, of course, but we thought Nova Scotia or Ontario. It turns out that it will be Cold Lake, Alberta. For a small town family like mine, Cold Lake seems very far away!! My oldest daughter Amy, lives in Saint John, New Brunswick with my oldest grandson Brandon who is 13. I always felt that was a bit too far away from Fredericton, lol. My family grew up in Saint John and I was the first one to leave home in 1993 to move to Fredericton, then my brother Larry also moved the same year to Miramichi. This was really hard on my parents because we had always been close to home. We had Sunday dinners together, Christmas Eve was spent at my parents home waiting for Santa to deliver 1 present to all the little people and having a pot luck with family, friends and neighbors. That all changed when we moved away of course. Taking children on a road trip to Saint John Christmas Eve just wasn't the sensible thing to do. (you will see one of my posts in regards to my youngest sister Karen sending us all ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree at 10:00 Christmas Eve so we would all be doing it together. When my parents passed away, we started a new tradition of getting together on boxing day for a Chinese Buffet prepared by my 2 sisters and myself. My sister Elaine does the honey garlic ribs, the youngest Karen is on rice (how did she get so lucky?) and I do the chicken balls from scratch - yes it takes me at least 2 days to do enough for 28 people!!!! We are the huggy, kissy type of people when we see each other. We say Luv you everytime we talk on the phone and come to the end of our conversation. So, to return to the topic at hand - Stacey and her family moving to Cold Lake will be a huge adjustment for all of us. Presently, she lives about 12 minutes away from me in Oromocto, her husband Tony has been posted at the Gagetown Base for at least the last 9 years since they have been together. He is from Woody Point, Newfoundland, obviously I don't have to tell you what a nice fellow he is. The same as all people from Newfoundland - a very nice guy and a great Dad. I couldn't talk about it for the first couple of days. Of course, I didn't cry when she first told me and she was sobbing - being the strong Mom is just one of the jobs we have to do. BUT after we talked and I called my grandson Brandon to see how he was taking the news and my oldest daughter Amy to talk about it as well, my strong resolve went to the way side. The move I know will be an emotional one when the day arrives and Stacey's family is leaving but I do plan on taking as many trips as needed to keep our family close. I have already been on line, pricing tickets, asking Re/Maxers in my referral network lots of questions, advising family members that we need to have an unscheduled family dinner. Stacey has promised to download skype for me so I will be able to see the little ones every day and keep up with all adventures in their new lives in Cold Lake. Stacey and Tony are doing all the research they need to do to be responsible parents and prepare their little family for the big move. I am lucky that being in the Real Estate professional, we do have a few periods in the year when things really slow down and I will be able to pass my phone to a coworker and hop on a flight to visit my family in Cold Lake. I am keeping my fingers crossed that sales are good this year to enable me to purchase those tickets of course!! So, to all those people that miss their families every day - I will soon be among you. Take the time to write those notes, emails, send pictures and if you have the ability to do so, skype your families often. It is our responsibility to continue to be there to support our families moving away. I know it is hard on us emotionally as well but it is these young families that are being uprooted and moved so far away. I know Stacey and Tony will make more good friends wherever they go because they are pleasant, outgoing young people. Until they do, I can assure her that she will hear my voice everyday and her children will know how much Nanny misses them and loves them. AND I hope to be the strong voice that she needs to hear on the other end of the phone. So, I want to wish my children the very best on their new adventure and I am looking forward to being able to take some adventures of my own and have the opportunity to visit with them in Cold Lake. I have never been to Western Canada but will definitely be paying a few visits over the next 4 years. Sharing this post with heart felt emotions. To those families missing people in your own lives - I hope you get to talk and visit often!

Had to smile at several of these…. If I Didn't Have A Dog Or Cat ... I could walk barefoot around the yard in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be hair-free. When the doorbell rings, my home wouldn't sound like a kennel. When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through all the fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed any way I wanted, without having to take into consideration how much space several fur bodies need to get comfortable. I would have enough money, and no guilt, to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college. The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: "out," "sit," "down", "come," "no," "stay," and "leave it ALONE." My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates and makeshift barriers. I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din din'. 'Yummy Yummy for the tummy'... My house would not look like a day care center, with toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash. I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, O-U-T, G-O, R-I-D-E, S-U-P-P-E-R, and C-O-O-K-I-E. I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season. I would not have to answer the question: 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never know the joy of being loved unconditionally by the closest thing to an angel they will ever encounter . How EMPTY my life would be!!! -- I wish you sunsets to warm your heart & friendships to brighten your being!

Delicious Truffles

I just have to share this recipe. I made these at Christmas time and my son-in-law loved them so much I decided to make them for him as a special birthday treat. They almost didn't make it to him because my Daughter Stacey, who is expecting their third child in April came to pick them up for him and threatened not to tell him about them at all! I had to tell my granddaughter Paige (age 3) to make sure she told her Daddy when she got home that Nanny made him chocolates.

This is so simple AND so yummy. A bit time consuming but when doing it for friends or family, what is a little bit of time?

Cheesecake truffles
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg.  (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
make it

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
kraft kitchens tips
HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE
Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.
HOW TO EASILY DIP TRUFFLES
To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
HOW TO STORE
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.


Next time I may try peanut butter cookies .
Enjoy, Kathy

"Paying It Forward" Referral Network

I am so pleased to be writing this post because I have finally been able to accomplish my greatest goal and that is to start a Re/Max "Paying It Forward" Referral Network. I am presently still working on recruitment but am happy to tell you that I have recruited 20 Re/Maxers across Canada. The areas covered to date include - Edmonton, Cold Lake, Suffield, Victoria, Comox, Winnipeg, Saint John, Moncton, Greenwood, Barrie, Petawawa, Trenton, Kingston, Sainte Foy and of course my home town of Fredericton. If you are planning to sell your present home or purchase a new home any where in Canada - I can make a call and have you in touch with a Re/Maxer immediately. If they are not in the "Paying It Forward" Referral Network - they soon will be.

What is the "Paying It Forward" Referral Network all about. We will make a contribution on behalf of our clients to a charity and the tax receipts will be sent to you. Personally, I alternate my donations to the Food Bank and SPCA. I have two locations for these charities in my area, The Fredericton Food Bank and SPCA and the Oromocto Food Bank and SPCA. I have given each location specific areas. So in regards to which location the sale was in, I then alternate the donation between the two charities listed above.

Some of the other Re/Maxers have their own preferred charities but as long as they are "Paying It Forward" charities will benefit.

You can pay it forward in your own life everyday. It doesn't have to be money, it can be a picture, a joke, a kind thought - anything you think might possibly bring a smile to someone's face.

Appreciate the people in your life. I hope everyone finds something to smile at each day.

Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope everything good comes to everyone. Please do not forget - if you have the opportunity to "Pay It Forward" in any way possible, please do so. It is a great feeling to be able to give. It does not have to cost you anything, a smile, a joke you share, a great picture or just give someone a helpful hand if they need it. Working together is what makes the world go round! Take Care, Kathy

Thank you to all

I just want to take the time to thank everyone for helping me distribute 14 payments this last quarter to the Fredericton Food Bank, Fredericton SPCA, Oromocto Food Bank and The Oromocto SPCA. I couldn't have accomplished that on my last quarter without the help of my clients and the great support staff at Re/Max Group Four Realty.

I have received two great letters and a thank you card from the above charities thanking me - but it is you, my clients who made that happen.

I have made a few more "Pay It Forward" monetary contributions to individuals that would prefer their names not be added to the list - but what I wanted to share in regards to this, I have asked those individuals to "Pay It Forward" in the future when they are in the position to do so.

I just love the idea of "Paying It Forward". It doesn't have to be monetary. A great joke, a noval idea or as I have mentioned before - pay forward those books you have already read. Start a library at your office and share those books between other coworkers. There are lots of ways to Pay It Forward - giving a little of yourself to someone in need is just a great thing to do and the feelings a person can feel at helping others can be extremely satisfactory and give you that special glow.

Something that you can pay forward to other people on a daily basis is just a smile - it lights up your face and someone elses as well! Give it a try today.

Again, thank you to everyone that supported me in my Professional Career as a Sales Associate with Re/Max Group Four Realty and thank you for making it possible to help the above charities as well as the IWK (a contribution on every sale is made to the IWK) and we also sponsor the Re/Max Relay for life.

Have a wonderful week!
Kathy

A Fallen Soldier

As most of you know, my son-in-law is in the Military. I also have a number of family members and a number of very special clients serving our Country as well. When I read this email a family member sent to me, I had to share it with you. We should be thankful for the members dedication and the families of our military members understanding and all they give up for their family member to PROTECT US.

The story begins:

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He
left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son,husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a
secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I
saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to
make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was
clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in Canada.

yeahhhh Teachers!!

I had to share this one - my husband is a Vice Principal (God love him) and I thought it would certainly bring a smile to a few faces.


According to a news report, a certain private school in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs was recently faced with an unusual problem.

A number of the girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the of bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.


Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the Headmistress decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).


To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.


He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet bowl, and cleaned the mirror with it. The silence was broken by a large number of gasps, a few girls vomited and apparently someone fainted. Since then there have been no lip prints on the mirror.


There are teachers . . . And then there are educators.

An unusual year

I am sharing this because I thought it was not only unique BUT if it works - what a great thing to pay forward - cash.

This year we're going to experience four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11,11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...
Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born.
Now add the age you will be this year, and the result will be 111 for everyone!
This is the year of Money!!!
This year October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays.
This happens only every 823 years.
These particular years are known as 'Moneybags.'
The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends,money will appear in the next four days as is explained in Chinese feng-shui. Those who don't continue the chain won't receive, its a mystery, but its worth a try, good luck!

Just so true

Marriage or Relationship
With a Significant Other ...


If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never say it's not quite as good as his mother's

then adopt a dog.


If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour,
for as long and wherever you want ...

then adopt a dog.

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care
about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies

...then adopt a dog.

If you want someone who is content to get on your bed just to
warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores

...then adopt a dog !

If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves
you unconditionally, perpetually ..

...then adopt a dog.

BUT, on the other hand, if you want someone who will never come when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair
all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence is solely to ensure his happiness ....


...then adopt a cat!

You thought I was gonna say... marry a man, didn't you?


Send this to all the women you know to brighten their day.
Send this to all the men just to annoy them!


You...

.....have a GREAT Day!!!

A reason, season or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime..

When you know which one it is, you will

know what to do for that

person..


When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a
need you have expressed.


They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you
with guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.


They may seem like a God send and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be..


Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an

end.


Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.


What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire

fulfilled, their work is done.


The prayer you sent up has been
answered and now it is time to move
on..


Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has

come to share, grow or learn.


They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.


Believe it, it is real.. But only for a season.


LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional

foundation.


Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other

relationships and areas of your life.


It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.


Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

This seemed appropriate to share today.

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

5 Reasons Why You Still Need a Real Estate Agent

The proliferation of services that help homebuyers and sellers complete their own real estate transactions is relatively recent, and it may have you wondering whether using a real estate agent is becoming a relic of a bygone era. While doing the work yourself can save you the significant commission rates many real estate agents command, for many, flying solo may not be the way to go--and could end up being more costly than a realtor's commission in the long run. Buying or selling a home is a major financial (and emotional) undertaking. Find out why you shouldn't discard the notion of hiring an agent just yet.

1. Better Access/More Convenience

A real estate agent's full-time job is to act as a liaison between buyers and sellers. This means that he or she will have easy access to all other properties listed by other agents. Both the buyer's and seller's agent work full time as real estate agents and they know what needs to be done to get a deal together. For example, if you are looking to buy a home, a real estate agent will track down homes that meet your criteria, get in touch with sellers' agents and make appointments for you to view the homes. If you are buying on your own, you will have to play this telephone tag yourself. This may be especially difficult if you're shopping for homes that are for sale by owner.

Similarly, if you are looking to sell your home yourself, you will have to solicit calls from interested parties, answer questions and make appointments. Keep in mind that potential buyers are likely to move on if you tend to be busy or don't respond quickly enough. Alternatively, you may find yourself making an appointment and rushing home, only to find that no one shows up.

2. Negotiating Is Tricky Business

Many people don't like the idea of doing a real estate deal through an agent and feel that direct negotiation between buyers and sellers is more transparent and allows the parties to better look after their own best interests. This is probably true--assuming that both the buyer and seller in a given transaction are reasonable people who are able to get along. Unfortunately, this isn't always an easy relationship.

What if you, as a buyer, like a home but despise its wood-paneled walls, shag carpet and lurid orange kitchen? If you are working with an agent, you can express your contempt for the current owner's decorating skills and rant about how much it'll cost you to upgrade the home without insulting the owner. For all you know, the owner's late mother may have lovingly chosen the décor. Your real estate agent can convey your concerns to the sellers' agent. Acting as a messenger, the agent may be in a better position to negotiate a discount without ruffling the homeowner's feathers.

A real estate agent can also play the “bad guy” in a transaction, preventing the bad blood between a buyer and seller that can kill a deal. Keep in mind that a seller can reject a potential buyer's offer for any reason--including just because they hate his or her guts. An agent can help by speaking for you in tough transactions and smoothing things over to keep them from getting too personal. This can put you in a better position to get the house you want. The same is true for the seller, who can benefit from a hard-nosed real estate agent who will represent their interests without turning off potential buyers who want to niggle about the price.

3. Contracts Can Be Hard To Handle

If you decide to buy or sell a home, the offer to purchase contract is there to protect you and ensure that you are able to back out of the deal if certain conditions aren't met. For example, if you plan to buy a home with a mortgage but you fail to make financing one of the conditions of the sale--and you aren't approved for the mortgage--you can lose your deposit on the home and could even be sued by the seller for failing to fulfill your end of the contract.

An experienced real estate agent deals with the same contracts and conditions on a regular basis, and is familiar with which conditions should be used, when they can safely be removed and how to use the contract to protect you, whether you're buying or selling your home.

4. Real Estate Agents Can't Lie

Well, OK, actually they can. But because they are licensed professionals there are more repercussions if they do than for a private buyer or seller. If you are working with a licensed real estate agent under an agency agreement, (i.e., a conventional, full-service commission agreement in which the agent agrees to represent you), your agent will be bound by common law (in most states) to a fiduciary relationship. In other words, the agent is bound by license law to act in their clients' best interest (not his or her own).

In addition, most realtors rely on referrals and repeat business to build the kind of clientèle base they'll need to survive in the business. This means that doing what's best for their clients should be as important to them as any individual sale.

Finally, if you do find that your agent has gotten away with lying to you, you will have more avenues for recourse, such as through your agent's broker, professional association (such as the National Association Of Realtors) or possibly even in court if you can prove that your agent has failed to uphold his fiduciary duties.

When a buyer and seller work together directly, they can (and should) seek legal counsel, but because each is expected to act in his or her best interest, there isn't much you can do if you find out later that you've been duped about multiple offers or the home's condition. And having a lawyer on retainer any time you want to talk about potentially buying or selling a house could cost far more than an agent's commissions by the time the transaction is complete.

5. Not Everyone Can Save Money

Many people eschew using a real estate agent to save money, but keep in mind that it is unlikely that both the buyer and seller will reap the benefits of not having to pay commissions. For example, if you are selling your home on your own, you will price it based on the sale prices of other comparable properties in your area. Many of these properties will be sold with the help of an agent. This means that the seller gets the keep the percentage of the home's sale price that might otherwise be paid to the real estate agent.

However, buyers who are looking to purchase a home sold by owners may also believe they can save some money on the home by not having an agent involved. They might even expect it and make an offer accordingly. However, unless buyer and seller agree to split the savings, they can't both save the commission.

The Bottom Line

While there are certainly people who are qualified to sell their own homes, taking a quick look at the long list of frequently asked questions on most “for sale by owner” websites suggests the process isn't as simple as many people assume. And when you get into a difficult situation, it can really pay to have a professional on your side.

A poem for all Moms

My youngest daughter Stacey has 2 very young children as I believe I mentioned in an earlier post. Lucas was born January 2008 and Paige was born December 2008 - yes, this is no typo error, you read it perfectly.

Stacey had some concern because her house wasn't as "tidy" as she would have liked it to be. Seriously, how can it possibly always be tidy with 2 little people under 2 years of age playing, eating and requiring a whole lot of care in between and just plain living in the house.

I had remembered reading the poem below somewhere, so did a google search and want to send it out to all the overwhelmed Mom's out there - children always come first!! Post this poem on your fridge and take pride in putting your children ahead of everything else. They will never thank you as a teenager, that I can attest to, but once they get into their twenties or start having babies of their own, they will definitely recognize all you did for them and thanks will come your way!

Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
The signs are every where.

For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges on the doors;
I should apologize I guess
For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read,
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to
Choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife...
But first I'll be a mother.

Being a "Mother" is never anything to be ashamed of! Keep up the good work ladies!

Feeding the deer

I thought I would share this with you because I just found out a couple of veggies that I assume deer do not like.

I have always been crazy wild about animals - every one I can think of I guess. BUT for some reason deer have always held a huge fascination for me. Wherever we are driving, my eyes are scanning the treeline trying to catch site of a deer or two. When I finally get lucky enough to see one, others driving with me would think I have won a small lottery or something. I stop, back up, if I have any food in the car, it's theirs.

Last year, we spotted a deer yard in Rusagonis and every evening I made the trek down with bags full of apples, bread, carrots - whatever I could find. I honestly believe they got to know my car because they didn't leap away from me so quickly as time went on.

This year, I started to put the apples etc. in my back yard for a couple of reasons - standing on the side of the road feeding them was putting them and myself in danger (my yard backs on to a good sized forest therefore making sure they were not crossing the road) and hoping to get a closer, longer look at them while being able to see them feed being the most important one.

I go to Stirlings in Saint John and they actually sell "deer apples" a 20 lb bag for $5.00 I am not sure why they refer to them as "deer apples" but each time I go, they always say to me "you're not going to eat them yourself or cook with them are you"?. I assume they must be apples picked up from the ground after harvest because they have assured me they are safe for the deer to eat.

Anyway, I have been putting the food out for a little over a month, and just keep adding to it, but this morning when I went out, a bit of snow had melted at the very side of the tree (we have large trees out back and one has three or 4 limbs that are widespread at the bottom, making a nice "dish" to set everything in) and very close to the base of the tree sitting there rotting were celery and broccoli - everything else was gone!!!

If you are also into deer feeding, please make sure it is in a safe spot as not to cause undue harm to the deer or people driving past their feeding spot. I make sure there is something fresh there each day for them and unfortunately have not spotted them yet, only their footprints as verification but that's ok. I know sometime in the night, someone is out there having a midnite snack.

Also, don't bother buying the celery and broccoli if it is deer you are trying to attract - spend the money on apples, that seems to be their favourite and we know apples are healthy for them as well.

A newsletter - doing something great for small communities

The neighbors in Rusagonis, Beaverdam, Nasonworth and New Maryland are lucky to have an enthusiactic neighbor like Anne Law.

Anne started a newsletter in November of last year when she realized that any events going on in these small communities were limited in getting the word out. She decided that she would start up a newsletter at home and asked a couple of convenience stores if she could place her newsletters there for people to pick up. In Anne's own words "It's a beginning and I enjoy it, hopefully things will pick up."

I think if is a great initiative for small communities and it takes only 1 person to make a difference and I congratulate Anne for taking on this task. Anne wanted to do this and went out and bought Corel Draw and self-taught herself. WOW! It sounds like Anne was very determined to to help get the word out for events happening in and around her local communities!

Anne will be including New Maryland in newsletter distribution - SO - anyone who has something to annouce should definitely help Anne out by sending her any announcements they want New Maryland, Nasonworth, Beaverdam, Rusagonis and any other surrounding areas residents to be aware of including anniversaries, birthdays, family reunions, special community events, etc.

Anne's email is aml@nbnet.nb.ca. and she welcomes all the news you want to pass on to her. Do you have a business you would like to advertise? Anne could possibly help you out in that area as well.

Please take the time to send your announcements to Anne and help her increase her newsletter content and circulation. You never know what your community has to offer unless you share the information with others.

Again - congrats to Anne for having the energy to start her own newsletter for her community! Great Job!

List your home with Kathy Pineo Barrett

Selling your home can be a very stressful time for the entire family. I would welcome the opportunity to take a bit of that stress off your hands and work with you to sell your home. I am a full time, award winning Realtor and will work diligently and professionally on your behalf.

It is important to list your home with a full time REALTOR® for a number of reasons which I will cover below.

A REALTOR® is educated on how to market your home properly. Most people do not realize that there are mandatory courses Realtors have to take on an annual basis to enable them to renew their license each year and be up to date on all market requirements and changes. These courses are not only expensive but also very time consuming. We know what questions to ask and what answers to look for on your behalf. We as "REALTORS®" are mandated to follow the "laws" of The Canadian Real Estate Board, The New Brunswick Real Estate Board and the Fredericton Real Estate Board.

If you list with a non-member of a "discounter", they are not responsible to you or the law for anything that may go wrong with your sale or purchase. We are mandated under the law and are responsible for acting on behalf of our clients. We pay for the right to do so - work and negotiate on behalf of our clients. If we do not - we will be taken to task by the Boards that mandate us and/or in legal court. There are a large number of by-laws we have to work within ethically amd morally!

Re/Max is an International Company. Their resources are widespread. Re/Max Group Four Realty Ltd. has offices in Fredericton, Oromocto and Woodstock. Re/Max is widely known as "Canada's # 1 Negotiators". Re/Max Group Four Realty is the major sponsor of "The Re/Max Relay for Life". Personally on every closed sales transaction I give a donation to The IWK Miracle Network and Breast Cancer Research as well as the "Pay It Forward" grocery gift certificate initiative I started in the spring of 2009! It was an honour for me to be invited to join the Re/Max team in 2002 and I did so without hesitation. I have never regretted that decision!


If you list your home with Re/Max and myself, your home will be shown on numerous websites including Re/Max Group Fours local site, Re/Max.ca, Homes Across Canada, ICX.ca, Realtor.ca. With my present clients, I have also agreed to put their homes on Kijiji Fredericton. The "for sale" sign installed on your property will hold a rider that states "Miracle Home" and "Breast Cancer Awareness". Plus you will become part of my "Pay It Forward" initiative. My main goal is whatever works best for my clients.

Why is a full time Realtor so important?
The best example I can give you is one I have experienced myself. I had a military family in town for their maximum 6 day house tour. While we were out viewing, we spotted a new listing that had not been on the system when we made our decisions of which homes to view. I tried to reach the Listing Sales Associate, receiving no responses to my numerous calls. Early that evening, after my clients had made their decision and put an offer in on a home we had been able to view - I received a reply from the Listing Sales Associate - her response to me was that she works full time and is a part time Sales Associate and unable to answer her phone at work, so returns all calls received during the day after 4:30 PM. This may have lost a sale for the owners of the home we wanted to view. Do you want to risk that?


Why shouldn't you try to sell your home on your own?
The number one reason is because there are buyers who are not willing to do the negotiations on their own. They are unsure of how to do that to make sure they are fully protected. This is where a Sales Associates education comes into play - we are trained negotiators. PLUS you will never get the exposure I can offer you on websites, newspapers, open houses AND a search engine for buyers exclusive to the Realtors. Our Filogix website gives us access to a search engine that has the ability to email buyers on our behalf, the minute your house listing comes on our system (homes that are within that buyers personal criteria) - 24 hours before it goes to the MLS system. It just can't get much better than that! There are over 200 Real Estate Sales Associates in Fredericton and surrounding areas - if just half of them use our Filogix contacts email search engine as it was set up to be used, then the possibility of 20-50 emails being sent out to prospective buyers will definitely have an impact on the exposure of your home

As Real Estate Sales Associates, we know what is required on an agreement of purchase and sale. i.e.
-in rural areas a water test is required by a bank or mortgage company
-in rural areas we would request that the septic be cleaned prior to closing
-we have the owners complete a property disclosure statement answering questions that may be a concern to a buyer
-we put a limited time frame for financing to ensure the sale of your home is not held up without proper financing in place
-we put specific "terms and conditions" in the contract to protect both the seller and the buyer
-what inclusions stay with the house
-has anyone arranged a pre-closing inspection to make sure everything agreed to is in place
-did you remember to put on the agreement that the buyer and seller each require their own personal lawyer to search the title, transfer the monies, etc.
A Real Estate Sales Associate is educated and trained to make sure there are no mistakes made prior to closing.


Should I ask a Real Estate Sales Associate or work with a Real Estate Sales Associate who is willing to reduce their commission?
As an employed, salaried person, would you be willing to allow your supervisor or Company to reduce your salary without good cause. If you were told at work your salary was being reduced it could only be for a couple of reasons:
- your hours were being reduced to part time and your salary was being reduced to facilitate the change in hours
-your were not working to your full potential so your salary was being reduced to comply with your abilities

If a Real Estate Sales Associate is willing to give you 110 percent of their professional knowledge, no cutback on the hours they will work marketing your home with viewing available on numerous websites, providing signage, holding open houses, being available when someone wants to view your home, advertising your home, capable of returning phone calls in a mannerly fashion to procure showings for your home - is a Full Time Realtor, they deserve their salary.

Someone agreeing to reduce their salary knows they are not working to their highest potential in my opinion.

Real Estate Sales Associates work days, evening, weekends and some very long hours especially during the busy seasons. The big question you have to ask yourself is "if a Real Estate Sales Associate is willing to lower their commission - are they also willing to lower the services you have the right to expect and deserve?".

Real Estate Sales Associates have very high expences, we not only pay for our own gas, vehicles,signage and advertising we also have to pay our fees to our local francise office, the international office, NBREA, CREA, to renew our license each year, the mandatory courses we are required to take, etc. Our commission enables us to do the best possible job for you on a fulltime, professional basis.

Should a Real Estate Sales Associate answer their phone during their appointment with you?
This is a huge debate among Sales Associates. I for one do not answer my phone during showings or listing presentations. I return all phone calls as soon as possible when I am finished my appointment. I personally feel that my clients are entitled to my undivided attention during our appointment. We receive a large number of phone calls coming in on a regular basis - being interrupted while with my clients is not acceptable to me. My full focus at that time is with my present client. Not to be disrespectful to anyone trying to reach me but to be respectful to the person I am presently with. As I mentioned, I will definitely return all calls as soon as possible.

Working with a Realtor
It is important that you work WITH your Real Estate Sales Associate to sell your home. The Sales Associate will meet with you, possibly give you some pointers on what to do to highlight certain areas in your home and mention a few things that may need to be tidied up or removed prior to listing your home to ensure the home will be shown at its very best.

How do I determine the best price possible for my home?
This is another important area where a Real Estate Sales Associate will be most helpful to you. We have at our disposal all homes in your neighborhood that are available for sale presently, have sold in the past or have expired on the market. We will put together a "Comparative Market Analysis" to help your determine the most suitable price for your home. This is something we would do together, the most important factor. An overpriced home is a mistake a large number of homeowners make when selling their homes. Once the house sits on the market a bit too long - buyers start asking what is wrong with that house, why isn't it selling?" Market value pricing is priority when listing your home.

I personally call any Real Estate Sales Associates that have shown my listings for feedback. If the feedback tells us that the house is priced too high - then it is decision making time. You may have the time to wait for a while, or you may want to move quickly. The decision is one you will have to make for your own personal needs.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me on my mobile phone at 506-470-9888 or email me at pineok@nb.sympatico.ca. I look forward to working with you in the very near future.

First Time Home Buyers

Thinking of buying your first home but not sure of the process. I can give you a few important details. If you have any questions please call me at 506-470-9888 or email pineok@nb.sympatico.ca

1) Go to your Bank or a Mortgage Broker for a preapproval on your mortgage amount. This first step will give you the amount in dollar figures that you are allowed to spend on your new home. The very worst scenario for a new home buyer is to be searching in a price range they cannot afford. You may find a home that is just what you have always dreamed of - BUT - if you cannot get financing in that price range, you are so disheartened - once you have suffered that disappointment, every house we view after will not compare and you will have a very difficult time in finding a home that can be your "dream home. If we search within your personal approved mortgage amount, you will not be disappointed! I have worked with an excellent Mortgage Broker in the past Carolann Young of Homes Loans Canada - my clients were all very pleased with Carolann's service and she is a delight to work with. Her email is Carolann.Young@HLCmortgages.com or phone 506-470-1098. If you have any mortgage questions, please give her a call.

2) Decide where you would prefer to live - it can be various areas, but a few preferred areas will be more beneficial when doing your search.

3) Do you want a "mortgage helper". A "mortgage helper" is a home that has an apartment located in the home (once in a while a separate smaller home on the same property). A large number of single people and young couples do prefer to have an added income to help them out for the first few years. When your family grows, most 2units or "mortgage helpers" can always be opened up to become part of the existing portion you are living in. Another important point is that when you do purchase a "mortgage helper" your bank or mortgage broker will include 80% of the income being received from the apartment as a portion of "your income). This can increase the amount you have been preapproved for because preapproval is done on the amount of annual income you earn.

4) Did you know that I have access to an automatic search engine (for Realtors only) that will email you listings of homes that are in your personal, preferred, specific criteria. It is one of the best tools I have ever used as a Realtor. I enter your email address and your personal criteria into the search engine - the search engine will do the search and email you all listings that are presently for sale AND as each new listing comes on our system if that listing matches your criteria, it will be emailed to you 24 hours before it is sent to the MLS system. This will definitely give you quick heads for listings coming on within your criteria.

5) Another important fact that most people are unaware of - as a member of The Fredericton Real Estate Board, I can show you any home listed on the market, regardless of what Company has it listed. If you are sent 4 or 5 that peak your interest and you would like to view all of them - just give me a call and I will make the appointments to acquire access to every home you are interested in for viewings. We can view in an evening or afternoon, whatever works best for you.

6) If you find a home that you feel is the one for you - I would always recommend a second showing. Bring family members with you if you need a second opinion. There may be 2 or 3 you want to "second view" and that is not a problem whatsoever.

Purchasing a home is one of the major decisions you will ever make in your life time. It is of the utmost importance that you are ready to purchase and confident with your purchase.

I have worked with a large number of first time home buyers and thoroughly enjoy working with everyone. I have an abundance of patience and would never encourage or push you to purchase a home before I know that you are firmly in your personal comfort zone.

I welcome any questions from people looking to purchase or sell their home. I have 10 years experience in the real estate world and have had great success with past clients. I assure you, I will always go that extra mile for everyone I work with whether they are purchasing or selling. (there are a few testimonials on my blog you may want to view)

I look forward to having the opportunity to work with many of you in the near future!

Dividing a loved one's belongings.

This is always something very hard to do. It is also hard for me to share this but the few times I have, people have always been surprised and couldn't believe everything was done without any animosity whatsoever!

As I have mentioned before, I have 2 sisters and a brother. We lost our parents within 2 years of each other, both to cancer unfortunately.

The time came for decisions to be made on my parents home and since we all had homes of our own there was no choice but to put the house on the market. I sold it to one of my daughter's best friends, who had spent many nights sleeping over at my parents home with my daughter Amy. The new owners were delighted and so were we that we knew the people moving in loved our parents as much as we did.

Time to clean out the house - a very hard thing to do. My siblings and I decided we were taking a long weekend and the 4 of us staying at my parents home to do what we needed to do - just us, no kids, spouses, etc. We all knew exactly what our parents "left" to us in the will but there were so many other things in the home we needed to distribute.

I am not really sure whose initial idea it was - but, my Mom loved playing cards. SCAT, poker, 45's, crib, you name it she played it. She was not a big gambler, we played for .25 a hand or nickel and dime, but we had fun. On our annual vacation together in St. Martin's, we taught all the grandchildren to play - it was tradition to play cards at the old house (my great grandparents homestead).

SO....when the time came to clean out the house and distribute our parents belonging - we played poker! We cleaned all day, threw out things we knew would be of no use to anyone and in the evening, we played poker. We put items on the table or if they were too large, we stated what was being played for this hand and whoever won added their treasures to their piles. A couple of things were exchanged in a very civil but fun manner and great negotiation skills required. Some piles were higher than others, but it didn't really matter. All of the Christmas decorations we divided between our children as keepsakes of their grandparents. My sisters and I have grown children out on their own so what we couldn't use ourselves we passed on to them.

My siblings and I took an extremely difficult time, went thru things, cried, laughed and enjoyed many precious memories - just the 4 of us. It was one of the hardest weekend I have ever lived thru but also it holds some very special moments because my siblings and I were able to share the pain, laughter and memories. This is what I would like to "pay forward" to others.

I have heard of so many families having major disputes over their parents belongings after the parents have passed on and the disputes lasting for years - which is so, so sad. This is a time you need to be strong as a family.

If you find yourself in a similar position and not sure how to handle the distribution of a lost loved ones belongings, grab a deck of cards and call your family!

I know for certain - our parents, especially my Mom was exceptionally proud of us that weekend!