In real estate the mantra of location, location, location exists because it’s pretty much dead on. The same rule also applies to businesses. Locating in a family-friendly neighbourhood marked by ethnic and religious diversity, amazing arts and culture institutions, brisk commerce, great restaurants and lively coffee shops doesn’t automatically earn your company a formula for success. But let’s face it, given the ballyhoo a neighbourhood like that can generate, it certainly can’t hurt. 

Of course, we’re talking about the Freeman Real Estate neighbourhood, known more broadly as the Annex but more specifically as Seaton Village or the West Annex. Toronto is known as the City of Neighbourhoods with good reason. It has 140 of them. Those are official. The unofficial number of Toronto neighbourhoods is in the neighbourhood of about 240.

Award-winning Canadian novelist, playwright, actor and broadcaster Ann-Marie MacDonald uses the Annex neighbourhood as the backdrop to a number of scenes in her latest book Adult Onset. We’re proud to point out that Freeman Real Estate gets a mention twice in her latest novel as the main characters wend their way in and around Bathurst and Bloor streets.

MacDonald’s book is peppered with references to familiar haunts near our location at 988 Bathurst, which is on the west side between Bloor and Dupont. Honest Ed’s, Fiesta Farms, Secrets From Your Sister, Stephen’s Groceries (cited as Archie’s Variety in the book) and coffee shops all rate a mention.

MacDonald tells Canadian Press recently why she decided to name real-life businesses in her latest work:

“I thought: ‘Gee I’m going for it here. I’m really going to set it here, here’s Bathurst and Bloor and this may or may not fly with people,”‘  she said. “Because everyone likes to kick Toronto around. Like, internationally we’re known for some very important things but we’re not known for our neighbourhoods. And the rest of Canada likes to resent us for some fantasy of what they think Toronto is.”

We like Ann-Marie’s explanation. Thanks for giving our neighbourhood the attention it deserves.

When people invariably exaggerate that they’ve been working their whole life, rarely do they mean since childhood.

Not so for Sam Ehsani, a 41-year-old Iranian-born realtor who’s been working since he was a wee gaffer. As the newest real estate agent to join the Freeman team, Sam is something of an anomaly in his family of doctors and teachers. A strong independent streak is what provoked him to begin wheeling and dealing at the unbelievably young age of five.

“I used to raise chickens,” says Sam, who with his wife immigrated to Canada nearly six years ago. “I would take care of them, watch them grow and then sell them on the market in Tehran.” 

At eight, Sam rented retail space during the summertime when school was closed to open a small grocery store that specialized in fruit juices. His parents were supportive of his endeavors but questioned his motivation. At 10, Sam starting buying bicycles, fixing them up and selling them. By 14 he started doing that with motorcycles and would later graduate to cars.

“Nobody told me to do this,” says Sam. “It’s inside me. My father would ask me why I am doing this. He thought it was better if I pursued my education but during the summers and with my free time, I liked making money and being independent.”

A realtor for over a year now, Sam knows his entrepreneurial chops will serve him well in Toronto’s housing market. He also believes that his abiding honesty, integrity and trustworthiness will go a long way toward career success. Those traits and one other important one:

“I’m a workaholic,” he says simply. “I like to work hard.”

In Tehran, as Sam was obtaining his master’s degree in marketing, he began dabbling in housing developments, namely a low-rise condo building that he had to work hard at to gain his father’s trust and support. His hard work paid off and Sam would subsequently build a six-unit condo that many of his family members invested in.

Sam misses his family and friends and the beauty of Iran, but he and his wife decided to immigrate to Canada because it is a country that holds much opportunity.  He also misses teaching, a job he did at Azad University where he lectured students about marketing. He hopes to one day teach in Canada on a part time basis.

“When I was a kid my mother was a teacher and my father, a general practitioner, and most of my family are medical doctors or teachers. I inherited these things from my parents and relatives and I feel more comfortable doing this. Regardless of the money, teaching makes me feel useful in my community and the world. For me, working is about improving the world and humanity and making ourselves useful that way.”

As a nation, we’re still growing accustomed to that mid-February national holiday known as Family Day. It sort of sneaks up on us and suddenly here we are waist-deep in snow and freezing temperatures wondering what to do with an extra day off.

From the Toronto Zoo and the Ontario Science Centre to the AGO and the many great tobogganing hills in and around the city, you need not look far for exciting and interesting things to do in a city the size of Toronto. So without further delay, here are some suggestions of fun activities and events for you and your family to enjoy this weekend.

Stay Indoors

Had enough of the white stuff? If you have teen film buffs in your household suggest The Next Wave, a TIFF festival for young movie fans. The best in film from around the globe, this festival includes special guests, interactive workshops and a film challenge for young filmmakers.

If live theatre is more your thing, there is plenty to choose from. Try introducing your little ones to the delights of Snow Angel, a play for young audiences presented on the YPT Mainstage from February 10 to 19 with a special Family Day performance on February 16. Or perhaps The Heart of Robin Hood, an inventive retelling of this classic story, may be more to your liking.

If your family enjoys engines and sleek automobiles, you will want to head on down to the Canadian International AutoShow this weekend. Ooh and aah as you admire must-see vehicles on display at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. 

 Casa Loma is hosting a family-day-weekend event that honours the Pan Am Games. Team Canada athletes will be on hand to meet and greet in addition to spearheading fun activities such as gymnastics demonstrations and boxing workshops. Join in the cultural activities that include mask making, cultural dance workshops, face painting and appearances by the official Pan Am mascot Pachi.

Kids are free at the Hockey Hall of Fame this Family Day. Play simulation games, check out theatres, the greatest collection of hockey artifacts anywhere in the world, and as the crowning glory, hands-on access to the Stanley Cup. New this year is a game in which you can face-off against life-size, animated versions of today’s top players in this revitalized model rink.

History Beckons

For those who enjoy examining our past, there are a number of activities in and around the city. History buffs will thrill to participate in baking workshops in the historic kitchen at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Or sample some baking from Fort York’s historic kitchen. Children are also encouraged to try an 1812 drill class, Officers’ Sword Drill and old-fashioned games. Mackenzie House celebrates Black History Month. Learn about the Black Victorians and their publishers and newspaper journalists. Or you can experience the life of the Austin family at the Spadina Museum, where you learn what life was like in the 1920s and 1930s through music, toys and games.

Outdoorsy Family Events

Whether you’re there for a brisk free skate or nature play in the children’s garden, a clay-making workshop or to design your own bird feeder, the Evergreen Brick Works is an awesome spot that inspires sustainability and love of community for the whole family.

East enders will celebrate their eighth annual Family Day in the Beach on February 15 from noon to 4 pm. Snow and ice might rule this weekend but that makes this event all the more fun and helps to accommodate a life-size snow globe, exciting lumberjack shows, figure skating performers, live ice carving demonstrations, music and so much more. The event is free.

Another awesome free event is the HabourKIDS Skating Festival at Harbourfront. From free skating to building snow structures to cozying up with little ones during story time, this two-day festival is a must for all.

If a drive doesn’t bother you, you may want to check out the Vanishing Ice Festival at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, about 45 kilometres north of Toronto. The Vanishing Ice Festival offers a series of school and community events focused on the importance of winter and ice to the environment. Participate in snowshoe hikes led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, see live animal presentations and view the Melting Ice Sculpture.

The Danforth turns up the volume with the Winterfolk XIII Blues and Roots Festival, a combination of paid and free concerts for all ages. More than 150 artists will be performing at four venues and five stages over three days of the long Family Day weekend.

For those hearty folks who love braving the cold don’t forget the abundance of places where you can tube sled, ice skate, snowshoe, ski and snowmobile to your heart’s content.

Happy Family Day!

Kimchi is just one of the many flavours of Koreatown, a vibrant commercial strip located in the family-friendly neighbourhood of Seaton Village.

Koreatown – also known as Little Korea or K-town – is located on Bloor, just west of the Annex, between Bathurst and Christie Streets. Characterized by a combination of good Korean restaurants, high-end fashion stores, acupuncture clinics and aesthetic boutiques, Koreatown is a magnet for the city’s Korean immigrants, students and explorers who wish to discover the sights and sounds of Korean culture.

Established in 2004, Koreatown offers visitors a vast arra y of flavours, from pork bone soup and bibimbaps to walnut cake and Korean BBQ. The city’s foodie elite have been making Koreatown their favourite go-to dining destination as Korean food has earned a top spot on trending culinary lists for a number of years now.

The Korean Grill House, Arisu, Sunrise H ouse and Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu are all great options. Don’t forget to sample bulgogi, a marinated beef dish, or bibimbap, an assortment of rice, veggies, raw beef, fried egg and spices. Getting used to kimchi can be something of a test because its strong smell puts people off. But many say once you get over the initial aversion you can become addicted to the stuff. Kimchi is cabbage that has been fermented in salt then spiced up with a strong chili powder mixture so it tastes kind of salty, garlicky, spicy and sweet all at the same time.

If K-town’s kimchi doesn’t grab you, maybe the karaoke will. Nestled away in the basements of many retail shops, Koreatown is known for its lively assortment of karaoke bars, some of which operate into the wee hours. But if your vocal strains aren’t on par with Adele or Sam Smith you can still sing to your heart’s content minus the embarrassment of doing so in front of an audience. That’s right. You can hire your own private karaoke room. BMB Karaoke and Music Studio on Bloor West is one of the largest karaoke bars in the city. Get a private room and sing your heart out. They’ll also serve you noodles if you ask.

Of course, Koreatown is a relatively new Toronto neighbourhood with roots that trace back about 50 years thanks, in part, to more liberal immigration policies the Canadian government helped pave the way for an influx of Korean immigrants to Toronto. According to the 2011 Canada Census, Toronto has the country’s largest concentration of Koreans, numbering nearly 65,000.

The past hundred years have not been kind to Korea, which was annexed by Japan in 1910 and later divided by civil war in the 1950s. Today the country is split by the communist north and a republic democracy in the south, which is where nearly all Korean immigrants come from.

Christie Pits Park is home to the DANO Spring Festival, an annual Koreatown signature event that features martial arts demonstrations, exotic dancing and music and attracts as many as 200,000 visitors. The 22^nd DANO festival will take place on the first weekend of June.

Interested in moving to the Koreatown area? Check out some of the current homes and condos for sale near Koreatown!

So Much Family Fun this Weekend

As a nation, we’re still growing accustomed to that mid-February national holiday known as Family Day. It sort of sneaks up on us and suddenly here we are waist-deep in snow and freezing temperatures wondering what to do with an extra day off.

From the Toronto Zoo and the Ontario Science Centre to the AGO and the many great tobogganing hills in and around the city, you need not look far for exciting and interesting things to do in a city the size of Toronto. So without further delay, here are some suggestions of fun activities and events for you and your family to enjoy this weekend.

Stay Indoors

Had enough of the white stuff? If you have teen film buffs in your household suggest The Next Wave, a TIFF festival for young movie fans. The best in film from around the globe, this festival includes special guests, interactive workshops and a film challenge for young filmmakers.

If live theatre is more your thing, there is plenty to choose from. Try introducing your little ones to the delights of Snow Angel, a play for young audiences presented on the YPT Mainstage from February 10 to 19 with a special Family Day performance on February 16. Or perhaps The Heart of Robin Hood, an inventive retelling of this classic story, may be more to your liking.

If your family enjoys engines and sleek automobiles, you will want to head on down to the Canadian International AutoShow this weekend. Ooh and aah as you admire must-see vehicles on display at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

 Casa Loma is hosting a family-day-weekend event that honours the Pan Am Games. Team Canada athletes will be on hand to meet and greet in addition to spearheading fun activities such as gymnastics demonstrations and boxing workshops. Join in the cultural activities that include mask making, cultural dance workshops, face painting and appearances by the official Pan Am mascot Pachi.

Kids are free at the Hockey Hall of Fame this Family Day. Play simulation games, check out theatres, the greatest collection of hockey artifacts anywhere in the world, and as the crowning glory, hands-on access to the Stanley Cup. New this year is a game in which you can face-off against life-size, animated versions of today’s top players in this revitalized model rink.

History Beckons

For those who enjoy examining our past, there are a number of activities in and around the city. History buffs will thrill to participate in baking workshops in the historic kitchen at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Or sample some baking from Fort York’s historic kitchen. Children are also encouraged to try an 1812 drill class, Officers’ Sword Drill and old-fashioned games. Mackenzie House celebrates Black History Month. Learn about the Black Victorians and their publishers and newspaper journalists. Or you can experience the life of the Austin family at the Spadina Museum, where you learn what life was like in the 1920s and 1930s through music, toys and games.

Outdoorsy Family Events

Whether you’re there for a brisk free skate or nature play in the children’s garden, a clay-making workshop or to design your own bird feeder, the Evergreen Brick Works is an awesome spot that inspires sustainability and love of community for the whole family.

East enders will celebrate their eighth annual Family Day in the Beach on February 15 from noon to 4 pm. Snow and ice might rule this weekend but that makes this event all the more fun and helps to accommodate a life-size snow globe, exciting lumberjack shows, figure skating performers, live ice carving demonstrations, music and so much more. The event is free.

Another awesome free event is the HabourKIDS Skating Festival at Harbourfront. From free skating to building snow structures to cozying up with little ones during story time, this two-day festival is a must for all.

If a drive doesn’t bother you, you may want to check out the Vanishing Ice Festival at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, about 45 kilometres north of Toronto. The Vanishing Ice Festival offers a series of school and community events focused on the importance of winter and ice to the environment. Participate in snowshoe hikes led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, see live animal presentations and view the Melting Ice Sculpture.

The Danforth turns up the volume with the Winterfolk XIII Blues and Roots Festival, a combination of paid and free concerts for all ages. More than 150 artists will be performing at four venues and five stages over three days of the long Family Day weekend.

For those hearty folks who love braving the cold don’t forget the abundance of places where you can tube sled, ice skate, snowshoe, ski and snowmobile to your heart’s content.

Happy Family Day!

Put your hand up if you’re tired of hearing about bursting bubbles. My, there are a lot of you out there. Is it any wonder? 

Prognosticators have long been predicting that the sky is falling. For years, we’ve heard doom and gloom about rising interest rates and the dire consequences that will have on Toronto’s smoking hot real estate market.

As lifelong realtors who have been there, done that and just about seen it all, we’d like to offer our thoughts on what we think should take place in the real estate sector for 2015. Keep in mind that we make these suggestions with our tongues firmly planted in our cheeks.

Tip Your Realtor: That’s right, we said it first. You tip your hairstylist, your doorman, your newspaper delivery person. You offer gratuities to wait staff, taxi drivers and gardeners. If you feel you’ve received top-drawer service from your realtor why not give them a little extra? Or perhaps tickets to a theatre or sporting event or a weekend away at your cottage? We’d probably fall over but your kindness would be most appreciated.

Stop Talking about Rising Interest Rates: We’ve heard it for years and now it’s simply annoying. This reminds us of the self-proclaimed trendsetter who prides himself or herself in repeatedly saying red is the new black until – several years pass – and finally it is. We propose a new rule when it comes to making forecasts: the act of making predictions is punishable by death unless uttered six months before said incident is to happen.

You Drive: Clients would be better behind the wheel as that would allow realtors more opportunity to sweet talk you into a deal you hadn’t bargained for. While the realtor would naturally help navigate (turn left at the light, for example), clients, it could be argued, would begin to warm up to certain houses and neighbourhoods much sooner by experiencing the feeling that they are driving ‘home.’

Only Lookers Need Apply: Realtors will no longer be unattractive as this can be repugnant and off putting to some clients. Instead, they will have movie-star good looks with smooth skin, big bright eyes and a full, glossy head of hair. This rule will be implemented by January, 2016, which gives agents who no longer fit the bill a full year to find other work.

Full-Service Realtors Expand Horizons: Full service shops will really give discount brokers a run for their money in 2015. They will do so by offering a multitude of services that assist the prospective home buyer or seller. In addition to looking after your traditional real-estate needs, agents, depending on their speciality, will also offer feng shui, house cleaning, psychotherapy and home repair services. To get your business, others may throw in hair cuts for the whole family, dog walking and even violin playing. This may even prompt a trend in which clients begin picking realtors based on what they did in previous careers.