Nothing at all

Sometimes it’s best to just say nothing at all. Someone has done you wrong, you could respond in kind and start a fight or you could take the high road and say noting at all. Want to impress someone you have just met, ask better questions and say as little as possible and you will be viewed as a great listener. This all boils down to doing the right thing rather than saying things.

There is always too much fighting and not enough loving, too much talking and not enough listening and too much bragging and not enough doing. Be the latter and made a profound difference.

Today I am thankful for a refreshing rain over night, files that are finely closing and happy clients as a result.

“Action is a high road to self-confidence and esteem. Where it is open, all energies flow toward it. It comes readily to most people, and it’s rewards are tangible.” Bruce Lee

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Be Prepared

Just like a boy scout, always be prepared. I went biking with a friend from the gym this morning. We biked the trail from Old Ashburn to the Bike & Bean and back which is just over 50K. After getting a snack at the Bean, we left and were about 4.5K into our return trip when Ryan’s pedal control arm came lose and fell off. While we both spend considerable time on our bike, neither one of us had the required multi tool to fix the problem. So back to the Bean ( which is a cafe and bike shop) to fix the problem. Luckily the 4.5K that we had to coast Ryan’s bike there was all down hill.

Biking, like most other activities requires you to be prepared. Your car ( most do) has a spare tire and wheel change kit. You shouldn’t leave your house without your wallet, glasses, keys or phone. Just like buying a house, you should not go house hunting without first getting pre approved.

Today I am thankful for a quick down hill trip to the bean to get Ryan’s bike fixed, perfect weather for a long Saturday morning bike ride and making it back home just in time for a virtual client meeting.

“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in preparation.” Bobby Knight

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Worst case scenario

Whenever you see your self potentially facing some difficult moments, to get through it picture what the worst possible case scenario would look like. Like the old expression goes, plan for the worst but prepare for the best. More often than not that worst case that you pictured never comes to pass. However it never hurts to be prepared.

Today I am thankful for my traditional Friday calls with my family, cool nights equals a great nights sleep and my dog who has been suffering from the heat now is feeling well enough to go back on walks.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Busy vs Effective

Let’s face it we are all guilty of being busy. Constantly moving from one task to another but never really accomplishing anything. Busy just fills time, effective gets things accomplished.

I have talked about planning your day and working your plan in the past. Recently while reading an excellent book called The Ultimate Sales Machine, the author Chet Holmes talked about a simple yet effective strategy of touching something once. What this basically means if you are going through your email for example and the note requires action, do it right away and then move on to the next task. No more piling things up for odd chance that you will complete it later.

It is small but effective strategies like this that will allow you to accomplish more in your days, weeks and years. Don’t fill your day with busy work and activities that don’t move the needle. Start a task, finish said task then move on to the next one.

Today I am thankful for the sound of the rain over night, the dirt that it washes away and green that is brings especially this time of the year.

“If the ladder is not leaning up against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” Stephen Covey

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Hot Hot Heat

The real estate market is not the only thing that’s hot lately. With our 2nd day of an extreme heat warning we are all a little hot around the collar. Even though the warm weather is a welcome relief to the snow and freezing temperatures that we had not too long ago, we do need to take some precautions to make sure that we and those around us are safe.

In that note here are some heat safety tips:

  1. Drink plenty of cool fluids ( mostly water) regularly throughout the day even when you don’t think that you are thirsty.
  2. Stay cool by staying out of the direct sun between peak hours of 11-3, keep an eye on the weather forecast.
  3. Wear light weight light coloured clothing if you must be outside.
  4. If you must be outside for work, take frequent breaks, apply sunscreen and wear a wide brimmed hat to help offset the sun exposure.
  5. Be aware of the signs of heat related illnesses like heat stroke, these include dizziness or fainting, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, extreme thirst and changes in behaviour in children like sleepiness.

“When the weather is hot, keep a cool mind.When the weather is cold, keep a warm heart.” Ajahn Brahm

Today I am thankful for a cool basement office, getting out for a walk then a run before it got too hot and the cool disposition of my clients and referral sources in this hot real estate market.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Self Taught

In school you build the foundation, but it’s what you learn in life that allows you to build the house. Life long learners are the ones who truly excel at life. Sure we learn a lot of important things in school like how to read, write and arithmetic. All very important suff. However to truly be successful at life you have to learn much more than that, and you have to continue learning.

Who wants to see a doctor who hasn’t picked up a book to advance his training since they left medical school 30 years ago. I can tell you that I don’t. The same applies to the pharmacist, the mechanic and even your neighbourhood mortgage broker. The only thing constant in life is change, and those who grow and adapt with it are the ones who will thrive.

If you want to improve your lot in life you must learn and adapt to all the changes that are happening around you or else you run the risk of being left behind while everyone else is moving forward. Now more than every there are multitude of options where you can grow and improve your life. Attend an online seminar, watch how to video’s, read, read and then read some more. Constantly push yourself to grow and improve every day.

“If you think education is expensive, try estimating the cost of ignorance.” Howard Gardner

Today I am thankful for the beautiful summer weather so early in the year, a home surrounded by mature tree’s which keeps us cool and a busy week ahead to keep me focused on moving forward.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Vitamin D

So after going on a 50K bike ride with some friends this morning I thought it would be good if we all got outside this weekend and got our share of Vitamin D. It is also called the “Sunshine” vitamin as exposure to sunlight causes your body to produce vitamin D. A few great benefit of getting out side this weekend and soaking up some vitamin D.

  1. it helps your body fight diseases. Studies have shown that is decreases your chance of developing heart disease, multiple sclerosis and reduced your risk of developing the flu.
  2. Regular exposure to sunlight and with the increased production of vitamin D has shown positive effects in helping people who suffer from depression.
  3. Last but certainly not least additional vitamin D has been shown to help people on weight loss regimes.

It certainly feel’s like the first day of summer, so get out there and go for a walk, hike or bike ride and make the most of it.

Today I am thankful for a great bike ride with friends, a health snack during our pit stop at the 25K mark and being able to feel the warmth of the sun for the first time this year.

“Keep your face always towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.” Walt Whitman

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Back to Normal?

Whenever massive changes happen to us as individuals or as a society there is always a pull to return to the previous norm or the baseline. Take weight loss or weight gain in terms of muscle mass. Sometimes people who have undergone radical personal transformations whether through losing massive amounts of weight or gaining muscle mass often return to their previous state once the catalyst is no longer present. People get married, or divorced, get promoted and or lose a job or a thousand other things thus causing them disruptions to their previous habits and returning them to their previous state.

Now that our daily infection rates have been steadily dropping and vaccinations rates have been steadily increasing are we going to return to exactly how we have lived before? Are people going to continue to wear masks out in public or at least doing the flu season? Is the current real estate market going to return to what it was like in 2019 prior to the pandemic? As for the last question this will entirely depend on new listings coming to the market as we are currently experiencing a severe lack of supply thus causing the outrageous demand and multiple offers on almost every listing.

Only time will tell how things unfold. I suspect there will be more listing on the market but not sure if it will be enough to quell the pent up demand. As for mask wearing I am all for wearing one in crowed spaces or during flu season however most people may not want to stick out being to only one wearing one.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel, but the way out is through”. David Allen

Today I am thankful the kids going back to school, beautiful morning so my son could walk to his school and Teachers who adapted quickly to the remote learning then back to the classroom.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Go for the easy win

After a year and a half into this pandemic many of us are feeling burnt out, overwhelmed or just plan run down. The good news is that the end is in sight with more people getting vaccinated and new infections steadily decreasing. Nova Scotia and many other provinces are entering a phased reopening so things will slowly get back to normal.

In the meantime a few simple things to lift your spirits and give you a sense of accomplishment that may help you feel less stressed out. Try a 5-10 minute meditation to help change your state of mind. Go for a good 20-30 minute walk in the sunshine, the endorphins and the sun will definitely improve your mood. Make your bed immediately upon getting up as this is will put the first check in the win column for the day. Reach out and call an old friend as the conversation will do you both good.

So if you are in the real estate market like myself and many others just take a deep breath and take it one task at a time. I remind my pre approved clients that it may take several tries to find the offer on the property that sticks. This is a game of patience more than anything else. Knowing that it will all workout eventually is the best attitude to have.

Today I am thankful for a beautifully sunny walk with my dog, a great podcast ( 10% Happier) to listen to while we walked and to be able to workout outside in the warm June sun.

“In dealing with this who are undergoing great suffering, if you fee “burnout” settling in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long term perspective.” Dalai Lama

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Schit Happens

Nobody escapes life without some unpleasant news from time to time. It’s how we deal with it that really counts. Not every file funds. Not every offer gets accepted. Not every prospect lets you down kindly. This one is for all the disappointed Leafs Fans today, sorry your team does not win every big game.

Today I am thankful for all lessons taught to me when things didn’t go exactly as planned, that the lessons are sometimes more valuable than the win in the first place and the drive and determination to keep going when schit happened.

“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” Rocky Balboa

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here