Wednesday 29 April 2015

'Growing Together' is spring newsletter from Woodstock hospital

Updates on items such as FLIP, RSA and more on MORE
Dairy Capital Run is planned for May 31
By Mark Schadenberg
For more than a decade, Woodstock was raising money for a new hospital, and also raising awareness at Queen's Park for a desperate need for a new hospital.
On Nov. 20, 2011, the new Woodstock hospital opened its doors – accepted its first patients. The healthcare facility is a true gem and maybe even better than expected.
The hospital's spring 2015 newsletter – 'Growing Together' – has been published and many good news points can be seen in its pages.



Hospital president and CEO Natasa Veljovic (pictured) has been integral for many years, dating back to when the hospital was located on Riddell Street (It opened in 1895). She noted in her message that the spring newsletter is a good way to inform and update:

“As we anticipate the arrival of warmer weather, we reflect on the compassionate, quality care that our staff and physicians continue to deliver, while appreciating the movement and changes within our hospital.
On page 3 of this newsletter, you can read about a program that encourages continual enhancements and improvements to the patient experience, called FLIP (Front Line Improving Performance). Staff celebrated the first anniversary of FLIP in March by showcasing the program’s achievements. We thank everyone for the efforts dedicated to this program’s successes.”

In the newsletter, it is noted FLIP is more than customer / patient satisfaction, it's about:

. . . a long-term journey that will build stronger teams and increase trust and accountability in our hospital. Most importantly, it means that our patients will spend less time waiting and return home sooner, thanks to improved patient flow and more efficient discharge planning to shorten their length of stay on inpatient units.


Besides the FLIP description, within the pages of the brochure are additional stories including profiles on four surgeons concentrating on orthopaedic care from tendon damage to hip replacements.
Did you know that the Woodstock hospital, which has capacity for 178 beds, conducted 950 cataract procedures in 2014.
The operating rooms are a busy place as is seen on pages 4 and 5.
What is RSA? The term Regional Support Associates is also part of the focus. What is RSA compared to the Southwest LHIN?
Did you know the Woodstock Obstetrical team won something called a MORE Award? The Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently award was earned by the local team, but what is the criteria for the recognition?
The hospital auxiliary, along with volunteers from St. John Ambulance are honoured in the latest newsletter.
The Woodstock Rehab Clinic is utilizing new technology – handy for those taking part in physiotherapy sessions.
Another topic is a program available to assist someone who wants to quit smoking.
There's 16 pages, including the hospital foundation's balance sheet report for the end of 2014.
Hospital foundation chair Paul LeRoy's message speaks volumes:

“Over the five years that I have served on the Board, I have witnessed phenomenal achievements by our Hospital community. From the Building the Vision Campaign to various equipment campaigns, our community continues to support their hospital’s needs. Equipment plays a key role in patient care and is essential for the functioning of our hospital. Since the provincial government did not fund the purchase of equipment for our new hospital, raising funds to assist with the purchase of replacement and additional equipment is of great importance.
"In 2014, our fundraising initiative focused on IV infusion pumps. These pumps play an important role in the care of almost all of our patients. With our donors help, we will be able to purchase 200 new IV infusion pumps, which allows us to modernize and standardize this equipment throughout the hospital. The Foundation is grateful to all of our donors who assisted in this endeavour.”


It's maybe the publication's last two pages, which are the most important as the hospital promotes the 19th Dairy Capital Run on Sunday, May 31 in Southside Park. This year, the objective is to raise dollars for an echocardiograph machine. See the poster and more details about this important annual event, but the reasoning is simple – just because the hospital is built, and is serving Woodstock and area, does not mean the wish list for equipment and related furnishings does not continue.
Register now at the website below or also through (519) 421-4226. I'm not sure what the total participants are at present, but the first 100 registered will receive a Dairy Capital Run t-shirt.
If you don't know anyone requesting a sponsorship from you, but you would like to donate to the project, contact the hospital foundation. You can even mail a contribution to: 310 Juliana Drive, Woodstock, N4V 0A4.
If you're a golfer, stay tuned for details on the annual golf fundraiser set for Tuesday, July 21.
If you consider the 'Growing Together' newsletter as an update, then be sure to check out the website www.wgh.on.ca for a ton of everyday material about the hospital.

LINKS:

Twitter: @WdskHospital


Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland


Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday 28 April 2015

I concentrate on selling in Oxford County -- it's my specialty

Many reasons why a local Realtor is always your best choice
By Mark Schadenberg
It's interesting that a license from the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) is permission to trade in real estate anywhere in Ontario.
Should I be selling, therefore, in any market in the province – all with their own individual unique situations, economic outlooks and idiosyncrasies?
There are many angles to be considered, including:
Neighbourhoods, school zones and demographics. Which streets are emerging and considered a top-notch area?
Future uses – Where is the next shopping plaza to be built or community complex?
What type of activities exist locally for youth beyond figure skating, hockey, baseball and soccer?
Who are the best local builders? Which builders from outside of Woodstock are contributing to the community?
Which homes are notorious for perhaps being a former grow-op?
What municipal services are offered which create an effect on taxes? Is there a two-tier government with some overlap, such as city versus county?
What are some of the names of new industry attracted to this area? What are some of the changes witnessed in recent years with employment?


What is the history of the local hospital? What is the history of the Downtown (BIA)?
Which is the Downtown street which once had a hockey arena and now has a 7-plex movie theatre built at that same site?
It is interesting to note that Woodstock has a bus transit system. Are there discussions to increase its hours of operations? Do the buses run on Saturday and Sunday?
How strong is the arts community – acting and singing, dance schools, art gallery, museum and library?
Who has connections to family doctors and dentists?
Is the city planning to annex more land to increase its inventory for future residential or commercial/industrial?



Maybe not specifically a concern in Woodstock, but what about shoreline or lakefront ownership? Who owns the beach? How cooperative is the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA)?
Is the road we're driving on (up and around) through the trees plowed in the winter? I lived in Muskoka in the late 1980's and there were many seasonal roads.
I do have a farm area (geographic area) that I concentrate my marketing on, but should I be selling farms? Rural agriculture areas of expertise not only have hundreds of acres, but dairy and egg quotos, and minimum distance requirements, nutrient management formulas, soil types, drainage, and future land uses. Septic systems and drilled wells are next on the checklist of concerns. I know what a metes-and-bounds description is, but can I quickly calculate acreage?
My specialty is residential sales – new and re-sale, plus local commercial real estate.
The Friendly City is my home.
As a Woodstock Realtor and former sports editor of The Sentinel-Review newspaper, I continue to be a local history buff and someone who keeps an eye on today's happenings both at city council and at city donut shops. My commitment to Oxford County (Dairy Capital of Canada) and Woodstock (known as The Friendly City), includes 12 years on the volunteer local recreation advisory committee, which I currently chair. My focus on the community also encompasses membership in the Lions Club, and five years with the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life steering committee.


It's called local market knowledge. Test any local Realtor to investigate both their level of interest in local news, and their desire to promote both their community and the homes they have listed.
At the end of the day (over-used cliché), a local Realtor also knows many people and can also assist in finding you a house not currently listed. You may call it connections, but in the marketing of my independent contractor business I call it my 'sphere of influence.'
By reading through recent items on my blog, you can quickly detect my desire to promote my listings, but also local events and people, subdivisions and construction, tourism, up-to-date real estate stats, building permit numbers and many other trends related to the real estate industry.


LINKS:
www.cometothecrossroads.com
Mapquest Map

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination


Posted by at No comments:

Monday 27 April 2015

Recognizing 150 years since Confederation (2017) included logo contest

University student wins competition to design symbol for Canada's 150th birthday party

By Mark Schadenberg
In 1867 Canada officially became a country with John A Macdonald as its first prime minister.
Now, Canadians will soon be preparing to mark 150 years as a nation in 2017.
Historically, Ontario was Upper Canada (Canada West), and in 1867 the country initially consisted of just four provinces -- Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. By 1870, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories joined the party, and soon there after British Columbia. The landscape has evolved often with Newfoundland signing on in 1949 and Nunavut created in 1999. With only four provinces part of Canada since day one, I wonder if there will be less celebrating elsewhere in Canada in 2017 as each province and/or territory may want to recognize its own specific history.
I'm not going to write about hockey and toques, I have done that in the past, but I'm a very proud Canadian.
I do like the winning logo (emblem) in the contest to create a symbol for Canada's 150th anniversary. The logo is bright and it's obviously a Maple Leaf.
It is interesting to note that the winning design was a student from the University of Waterloo. A link to the Waterloo Region Record story recognizing 19-year-old Ariana Cuvin is below. Her prize is $5,000. Cuvin was born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada in 2002, according to the contest's website links.

The Record newspaper story notes that the government had previous entries, but a focus group in 2013 did not like the ideas, so a contest was created.
According to Statistics Canada from 2012, our population is now 33.5 million.
I certainly hope each individual municipality creates a committee to plan a large celebration for 2017.
Promotions and an advertising campaign by the federal government began last year as a reminder of the importance of 1864 and historic conferences in Charlottetown and Quebec.



LINK:
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5587593-uw-student-logo-wins-design-contest-for-canada-150th/
http://canada150.gc.ca/eng/1424800348193
http://canada150.gc.ca/eng/1429720490607/1429720526328
http://www.canada150.gc.ca/eng/1384875326868/1384875357599
http://canada150.gc.ca/eng/1408122550222/1408364702611
2014 Story:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/15/harper_government_starts_ad_campaign_years_early_for_canadas_150th_birthday.html

Mark Schadenberg, Sale Rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
(519) 537-1553
Twitter: markroyallepage
 
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday 23 April 2015

First quarter of 2015 in the books for WIDREB

This year's sales numbers easily exceed first 3 months of 2014
By Mark Schadenberg
In real estate, our daily bulletin which notes all the new listings, price changes, conditional sales and of course the sold homes, is often referred to as the Hot Sheet. Well, in the first three months of 2015, it has been a hot sheet as sales in the Woodstock-Ingersoll District Real Estate Board (WIDREB) trading area are out-pacing the 2014 numbers by a wide margin.
It's been stated here before that the first quarter of 2014 was below average for reported sales, but 2015 is an impressive bounce back. We have endured back-to-back harsh winters, but in 2015 the demand for homes was strong, whereas the 2014 market started out cold.
Here are the month-by-month numbers for this year versus last year.
                       2015          2014
January             81             44
February           89             68
March             116             92
Total               286            204
The current year also surpasses 2013 by a 286-272 margin.

The on-going low interest rates are just one reason why this year has topped 2014. 
In my blog www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com I have a story about the Meridian Credit Union and its 18-month interest rate of a microscopic 1.49%. 


This site also includes update pertaining to CMHC fees for high ratio mortgages for less than 10% down as insurance fees will be raised to 3.60% from 3.15, effective June 1. This CMHC decision, which also includes its counterpart Genworth, is an indicator that anyone in the market should act fast.


Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Meridian makes a splash with 1.49 interest rate

Ontario credit union offers low rate on an 18-month mortgage

By Mark Schadenberg
A credit union is owned by its members, so when Meridian recently announced a 1.49% interest (fixed) rate for 18 months, I'm sure all 250,000 (plus) members from their approximately 70 branches were turning their heads.
I would think all home-buying consumers should at least investigate this opportunity.
If a deal sounds too good to be true, should we speculate on this Meridian offer? 

The keys are simple. Like all mortgages you must be able to qualify for the posted Bank Of Canada 5-year fixed rate because after 18 months you will be back to your nearest Meridian branch to negotiate another mortgage. Qualifying for a mortgage is also based, of course, on your credit or beacon score, your employment status, your family's net income, and the down payment you possess.
Meridian's microscopic interest rate offer has been in effect since April 9.
()()()()()()()()()()

"With this mortgage offering, we will be helping Ontarians to pay off their mortgages sooner while saving money in interest costs,” said Bill Whyte, Chief Member Services Officer for Meridian on the company's website. “This is just another example of Meridian having our members’ backs."
()()()()()()()()()()

Just for fun, I've created a chart which notes how your payments decrease as your interest rate is lowered. Assuming you need to be in a good financial position to qualify for the Meridian deal, I'm using $250,000 as the mortgage amount and 20-year amortization. Watch how both the payment amounts change and the amount still owed after 18 months also changes.
Rate                      Monthly Payments                Amount Still Owed
1.49%                $1,205.21                              232,807
2.59%                $1,335.75                              234,575
2.99%                $1,385.24                              235,186
3.49%                $1,448.61                              235,926
4.99%                $1,648.51                              237,987
5.99%                $1,789.64                              239,231
Keep in mind, if you can successfully negotiate the 1.49 rate, the next question will be what will interest rates be at the end of October in 2016?
In Woodstock, Meridian can be reached at 537-8194 or drop into the branch at 396 Dundas Street.
Meridian is considered Ontario's largest credit union.

LINKS:
http://www.thestar.com/business/real_estate/2015/04/09/a-new-mortgage-rate-low-149.html

If you're in the house-buying market, contact me:
Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination


Posted by at 1 comment:

Open House on Saturday & Sunday on Wilton Crescent

Listing on Wilton Crescent is your perfect choice

OPEN HOUSE: April 25 & 26 (2-4 pm)

Home combines top-notch location with amenities such as hardwood, updated kitchen & ensuite bathroom

By Mark Schadenberg

Many unique amenities and an amazing location!
I'm describing my listing at 796 Wilton Crescent in Woodstock, which includes a new asking price of $232,900.
You will certainly love the abundance of newer-style oak cabinets in the eat-in kitchen, which is highlighted by convenient pull-out draws to the pantry cabinet. You will note in the photos that cupboards surround three of the four walls, and there is still space for a table and four chairs. Newer counters too. The home also features five appliances and central vac.




Sparkling hardwood flooring create a formal dining room, but the added touch is the built-in china cabinet. The home features lots of hardwood, including under the carpeting in the welcoming front living room.
The overall décor is very modern with neutral colours and could easily be described as move-in condition, spotlessly clean, and ready for your couch and chairs.
As depicted in the pictures, this is a 1.5-storey home, but the unique item is the like-new 3pc ensuite to the master bedroom. There was a dormer added to the second floor at the back of the house to create the convenience of an ensuite.
There is a second gleaming and updated 4pc bathroom on the main floor with lots of ceramic tile as the tile tub surround was smartly installed right up to the ceiling.
A large recroom plus a den/office in the lower level creates that extra living space everyone requires. The flooring here is brand new and the basement has also been freshly painted.
The almost-new expansive back wood deck plus a sunroom and an angel-stone patio all combine to create great outdoors for entertaining. All found on a terrific 50’ x 130’ level lot – great for kicking a soccer ball or walking around with a mallet – as you play croquet. There is a detached 1.5-car garage with an automatic door opener.



The house includes many mechanical or maintenance updates as well. The shingles are just four years old. There are mostly newer windows, plus a 10-year-old (approximately) gas furnace and central air.
Location is paramount when home buyers list the ingredients of which house they prefer. Wilton Crescent is a very short walk to Roch Carrier French Immersion school, and also near Winchester elementary, Huron Park secondary, and two municipal parks. Wilton is truly one of the most desirable quiet crescents in the city. The crescent begins at Knightsbridge and swings over to Sloane Street in one of The Friendly City's most popular neighbourhoods.
Visit this home soon, so you’re not disappointed.
MLS: 75252



LINKS:

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
Posted by at No comments:

CMHC tightens up rules again for high-ratio mortgages

Shift from 3.15% to 3.60% on June 1

By Mark Schadenberg
The percentages are going up . . . 2.75 in early 2014 to 3.15 after May 1, 2014 and now up to 3.60 after June 1, 2015.
I'm not talking about the ERA of the Blue Jays bullpen, but rather mortgage insurance rates posted by the Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC), which is a federal government institution created to assist first-time home buyers or generally people which could be a risk to buy a home because they had less than (perhaps) a 20% down payment.
After June 1, if you have only 5% down as a minimum (or mathematically also less than 10% as a down payment; loan-to-value ratio of 90.01 to 94.99) your CMHC fee will be 3.60% of your total loan amount.


Soon after CMHC announced it would increase its insurance percentage, Genworth quickly followed suit.
If you have a non-traditional down payment planned, your CMHC or Genworth fee will be 3.85.
Several internet links are posted below, but I lifted this comment from The Globe And Mail piece:

()()()()()()()()()()()()()
“Our decision to increase premiums was an independent decision, and we believe that our premium increases are in the best interests of our stakeholders,” CEO Stuart Levings said in an e-mailed statement to the Globe and Mail. “Genworth Canada conducts its own annual pricing review and has always supported the need for premiums to appropriately support the level of risk being insured and the amount of capital required to support that risk.”
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
%  %  %
I find it rather ironic, that this CMHC fee system was created to assist home buyers, but by increasing the fee to 3.60 it becomes an indicator of three things, in my opinion.
I'm not an economist, but somebody somewhere believes interest rates will increase in the next two years, thus making it difficult for home owners to maintain living in their current residence if they are unable to afford the mortgage commitment at renewal time.
I am guessing there is a consensus home prices in Canada's largest centres (including the GTA) and in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan, will decrease due to market strains including an increase in listings and lower sales due to a slowing economy in the prairies due to the crude oil price fluctuations.
My third reasoning is one which would appear to be obvious, but it's not really as the lending institutions insist on coverage for the risk they are taking on. Remember, if CMHC eventually must sell a home under 'power of sale' for less than what was owed to the bank --- the bank still gets its money from CMHC. The protection is for the bank (lender) and not the consumer.
It's all about taking a risk, explains a Carleton University professor:

()()()()()()()()()()()()()
“If the purpose was to ensure that there were adequate reserves against future losses, then this makes sense because their biggest losses will be at the end of the continuum with small amounts of down payment and that’s exactly the category where they increased the premium.” said Ian Lee, a professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Not to be too critical but the safety net should favour the consumer more and not the banks which already have billions.
If a consumer had to bow out of their mortgage due to a job loss, serious illness, marriage separation, out-of-province relocation to find work, or other circumstance that same consumer would usually have quite a penalty to pay as well.
CMHC, which also offers great advice to home buyers as can easily be seen by sifting through their website, is also attempting to make sure they always remain solvent. This fact was noted in the original Globe And Mail story announcing why the increase was happening.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The changes come as part of a broader plan by the agency (CMHC), announced last August, to boost its target capital reserves to 220 per cent above the minimum set by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, up from 200 per cent previously.
The increases only apply to new mortgages for borrowers with small down payments. Those who put down more than 10 per cent of the purchase price aren’t affected.
… One thing is clear: By limiting increases only to borrowers with less than 10-per-cent down payments, the federal corporation is concerned that it was underpricing the risk on the most indebted borrowers.
Mortgages with lower levels of equity are typically more vulnerable to a housing shock and require higher levels of capital reserves to account for potential losses, which means higher premiums for riskier borrowers.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()

If you're thinking about buying a home this spring, don't wait as you have until June 1 to have a firm-and-binding offer. The closing date can certainly be after June 1.
Since I realize possible buyers are always 'mouse in hand' looking through www.realtor.ca, call me soon to continue your house hunting. There's lots of good home on the market right now.
I guess I'm sound critical of the system, but any amateur mathematician will stare at amortization charts and realize quickly that lending institutions make a tremendous profit (even with our low low low interest rates currently) from the home-owning consumer in their initial five years of home ownership.
The pendulum has swung from a purchaser possibly receiving money back at closing (with a slightly higher interest rate, of course) 10 years ago (to assist in closing costs and initial furniture buys) to a much more strict borrowing system.

LINKS:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/moloin/faq_006.cfm
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/buho_014.cfm
http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/Eng/forConsumers/topics/mortgages/Pages/Mortgage-Hypotheg.aspx
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/mortgage-insurer-genworth-follows-cmhc-in-raising-some-premiums/article23803730/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/the-real-estate-beat/cmhc-premiums-to-jump-for-high-risk-home-buyers/article23776658/


Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Posted by at No comments:

Monday 20 April 2015

Inspections are very important in home-buying process

An effective reliable inspector carries a ladder and a vast amount of knowledge
Always make your offer conditional upon an inspection 

By Mark Schadenberg
There are a million stories in any city and a few thousand stories in any house.
There countless stories to be found depicting why a home seller must disclose all facts about their house to their Realtor when it is listed for sale.
Remember, for starters, any inquisitive / knowledgeable Realtor will likely discover any significant faults to a home . . . or problems may be revealed during a thorough inspection.
There is a link to a Toronto Star story below which pertains to a home sold in the Region of Peel where the sewage started to back up through a basement drain.
Lots of small claims court issues surround wet basements where the home's seller did not disclose there had been a previous issue.
Sellers must also be careful what their Realtor includes in comments or remarks about a property. I recently represented a family putting in an offer on an older home and the listing actually stated 'all knob-and-tube wiring has been removed.' While it may have been an innocent mistake, but the statement was not 100 percent true.
The old 'buyer beware' or 'cavaet emptor' warning does apply in real estate because the eventual buyer would have to prove (in a court setting) that the previous owner did know about whatever the negative factor was, especially in the case of a wet basement.
I firmly believe that if a moisture problem has been fixed / remedied – the issue likely no longer exists. However, if it looks like a duck, it's likely still a duck.
An inspector can not cut holes into drywall and check for water seepage, but a moisture meter can tell a tale, especially under basement windows.
A good home inspection – and you should always have a condition on an inspection for a home older than 10 years – can discover a recipe list of minor and possibly even major items requiring a financial investment to repair by the next owner, or sometimes insisting that the current owner be responsible for the fix-up before the closing day. A few insignificant downfalls will not turn away the buyer, but many particular high-cost renovations / improvements might be enough to persuade the buyer (with the accepted conditional offer) to walk away from the transaction and thereby not waive (fulfill) their condition on an inspection.
As an example, one important item could be that the roof may need to be completely replaced, including the plywood (sheathing), and / or soffit and fascia due to poor attic ventilation, causing mould.


On a related matter, I am always astounded as to how many houses have their bathroom and/or kitchen fan/vents exhaust directly into the attic instead of the outside.
When you have an inspection, be sure to hire a qualified and experienced professional – not your friend who once renovated a bathroom.
In 16 years in real estate sales, many revolutions and evolutions have occurred. There was a time a dozen years ago where all vendors would gladly fill out a disclosure form called the Sellers Property Information Statement (SPIS). However, many folks on both sides of the buying and selling side began to consider the question-and-answer document (with dozen of boxes to initial) as a warranty or some type of guarantee. The SPIS is now paperwork that is seldomly used.
This lack of a SPIS makes it even more important to hire an effective inspector with an eagle eye, and a willingness to climb into an attic and squirm into crawl spaces.
There is no perfect house, but you should be satisfied the home you're buying is the best for you.
Your Realtor should be able to detect galvanized plumbing, knob-and-tube wiring, poor exterior grading (including rain gutters), and estimate the age of a roof, but an inspector will confirm if the knob-and-tube wiring is still live, any possible issues with the hydro panel box, what the R-value of the attic is, and any downfalls in the heating and cooling system. An inspector worth the cheque you will write them, will be worthy, will check everything, will write a thorough report and will give you peace-of-mind. Again, there is no such thing as a perfect house.



If I'm your Realtor we will check and double check a house you're interested in calling a home. An inspector is certainly even more of an expert than a Realtor. With a ladder, flashlight, screwdriver and camera, an inspector will inform a purchaser with a lot of content about different facets of a home.
Hiring a good inspector is as important as others who could be part of your home-buying and home-owning team – a lawyer, electrician, gas fitter, plumber, carpenter, mortgage consultant and accountant.

LINKS:


Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday 18 April 2015

Recap of London Knights season and recognizing volunteers

Rogers TV crew completes its 20th season of covering Knights hockey
I continue to enjoy my role as game-day host for London's OHL broadcasts
As a full-time Realtor I do on occasion make references in this space to my hobbies -- volunteering for Relay For Life or the Lions Club of Woodstock. I don't often summarize my broadcasting background because I do prefer to keep this hobby as a background item. I truly want people to know me as a full-time Realtor with 16 years experience and all for Royal LePage Triland.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

By Mark Schadenberg

Another London Knights season is over, so the time I spent late-at-night researching OHL stats and reading newspapers from around the league, can now be spent writing a blog about the season which has ended.
Firstly, it must be said that a huge amount of work goes into each Rogers TV broadcast. I want to recognize a crew of about 12 who never appear in front of a camera unless you're watching a message on a Rogers program promoting its dozens of dedicated volunteers.
From afternoon set-up at the arena and sound checks, attaching cables and lugging equipment, to learning what all the switches are for on the main console in the truck, to developing the craft of operating a camera, it's most certainly a hands-on experience in a technical environment.
My job is easy after everything is plugged in. (Not really). My on-screen chatter is a combination of show prep, experience, dare I admit to 'acting', and of course caffeine (coffee and Diet Pepsi are my choices).
The Friday night broadcasts (from Budweiser Gardens) are the most challenging as we would be broadcasting live in your living room 35 minutes before the opening faceoff with our pre-game show, The Warm Up. I would be stationed at ice level near the Knights dressing room and beside the section 102 bleachers. Constantly mulling over my scribbles and re-memorizing the show's format, my game face could be equivalent to the players preparing for their assignment.
Rick Doyle (analyst) and Greg Sloan (play-by-play) would have their notes all prepared, but they would be located in the 300 level media room (press box), so I could only talk to them in a rehearsal-type discussion well before 7 p.m.

Knights win 2013 OHL title. Captain Scott Harrington holds J Ross Robertson Cup.


Matt Chalmers 'in the truck'
The diminutive San Francisco Giants fan Kris Bergholz is the director / boss / technical producer / button pusher / main switcher and choreographer. Bergholz, meanwhile, is outside the building in a sophisticated wired-for-technology truck with dozens of monitors and headsets. He is calling the shots to myself, Rick and Greg, along with persons also tucked in the vehicle dedicated to graphics, replays, audio and colour levels (brightness), and Kris is also instructing six camera people.
The two main cameras in the press box are unique at the OHL level because the operators are on swivel seats. While one camera concentrates mostly on the wide shot of the action, the other camera is multi-faceted for close-ups, secondary shots for replays, focuses on specific players, and when the whistle goes is constantly either following players to the bench, to the penalty box, or possibly capturing a zoom-in of a referee discussing an altercation with a coach at the bench. All the camera operators are also listening to the directions as (calmly) belted out by the man-of-the-four-hours of live production – Kris Bergholz.
Not to take anything away from other Rogers staffers such as Morgan Baker or Neill Johnson, Kris is in command.
Picture was taken specifically for the current April 2015 promotion by www.beadonor.ca. The idea is that 1 person can save up to 8 lives (or more) by registering to be a donor. Pictured are BACK (from left): London Rogers station manager Bob Smith, Ryan Robinson, Jeremy Parking (he is also from Woodstock), myself. FRONT: Producer / director Kris Bergholz (aka the game-day boss), Pete James, Rick Doyle and Greg Sloan.


The 2014-15 season marked 50 years of Junior A hockey in London and was also the 20th year for Rogers broadcasting the games. My first season on the crew was 2006-07, which was the Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner season.

With a couple modest edits by me, I think play-by-play guy Greg Sloan summed it up well when he posted a season-ending email to the crew.
“I think makes this production, in my opinion, arguably one of the best in the CHL is teamwork. As Kris mentions we want to always strive for improvement, however individually (in the whole production) we all know ours roles and I really believe each one of us has huge passion and commitment for their own particular role. The key that naturally brings out the teamwork is the respect and literally amazement of what individually we each bring to the game - skill, passion and commitment. The (behind-the-scenes) production crew is exceptional, so the broadcast really comes off as NHL or better quality. I have been told that many times, from coaches and GM'S around the OHL, and fans. Between Rick, Mark, Pete James, Ryan Robinson, Jeremy Parking and myself, I think everything just flows naturally and at the same time everyone is very respectful of what each one does. We all depend on each other naturally and unsolicited! That is true teamwork."

Game analyst Rick Doyle, who played for the Knights in the 1970's,  submitted similar positive comments:
“I am constantly amazed at the abilities of the people behind the scenes. The hours applied to hone their personal skill sets, plays out every night Rogers broadcasts from The Gardens. I constantly feel the pressure to live up to the standards set by the technical crew. It is a pleasure to be associated with the men and women, who basically work anonymously, with very little public recognition. I would like to say thank you for your time, your work is not lost on me.”

ERIE SERIES
In the Western Conference semifinal series versus Erie, our tasks changed enormously as we utilized the play-by-play (of Aaron Cooney) and video from Erie, but did our own pre-game and intermission content from the studio at 800 York Street in London. Rick Doyle and myself could watch the game on a large monitor and then would discuss the happenings of the previous 20 minutes of puck movement or we would introduce reporter Ryan Robinson who would have an interview from Erie with a player or someone else.
Robinson and Jeremy Parking rotated as hosts of the post-game show called The Wrap. The analyst on this program is the legend Pete James (watch video below), who celebrated 60 years in broadcasting this past winter. Instead of just having one interview with a coach and some inserted post-game highlights, this program also involved Twitter observations, phone calls, out-of-town scores, trivia, ticket giveaways, and anecdotes of yester-year as provided by Mr James.
Monitor at Rogers studio in London with Jeremy Parking and Pete James hosting the post-game show The Wrap. 

York Street studio in London: Kris Bergholz and in the background is the one-and-only Kai Mortensen.

In the audio room is Taylor Choma

At the end of the season, it is always safe for me to say that my little part-time job is just that – a hobby that I do get paid for, but also most certainly just a small sideline to my real profession / career as a Realtor. Not being home on most Fridays for my wife Nicole and two children is the difficult part.
VOLUNTEER CREW
National Volunteer Week is now – April 12 – 18, so I too pass along a hearty thanks to the Rogers crew for another terrific and entertaining season of hockey. This dedicated group often did double duty as other remote on-location broadcasts included Junior B London Nationals and the Ontario curling championships in Dorchester.
As for volunteering at Rogers, I certainly still qualify as such with the various reporting stories I assist John Payne with for Inside Oxford, or the few occasions I have hosted Daytime for Joe Brown. I do want to add that those local programming appearances are community-access non-paid roles, but in the end I enjoy giving back to the community.
Last summer, John Payne and I spent quite a bit of time with Jake Muzzin (Los Angeles Kings defenceman and Stanley Cup champ from Woodstock) to create a program called In Focus. I volunteered my time for that production as well and now realize I'm getting long winded here – just like the windy day John Payne and I did the intros for the Muzzin show and my hair was attacked by the wind.
Joe Brown in Woodstock studio -- scratching his head.

Summer of 2014: Jake Muzzin, John Payne and myself.

LINKS:
http://londonsportshalloffame.com/inductees/pete-james/
Guys in the truck are good at catching (taping) pre-game moments.

Full-time Realtor and ready to work for you
Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)