As a realtor, I understand to a certain extent what Duddy Kravitz’s grandfather meant when he said, “a man without land is nobody.”

He, of course, is referring to the Canadian dream of owning land or real estate.  While Duddy took this message to the extreme which resulted in his ultimate undoing, its meaning still resonates for many of us today.

Investing in residential real estate is not for the faint of heart but you don’t need to be a callous slumlord either. Given that money is inexpensive right now the temptation to buy may be stronger than ever. So let’s look at some dos and don’ts of investing in real estate:

Do your due diligence by getting to know the area you’d like to buy in. Is the neighbourhood in decline or an up-and-comer? Are chains such as Starbucks starting to move in? That can indicate that the area is emerging as the next hot real estate market. Make sure you do your research.

Do know that you could be in it for the long haul. Most real-estate investments are not quick flips, though those are the ones that get the most attention.  And while appreciation is not a sure bet, the odds of your investment’s value going up, are greater the longer your own it.

Don’t fall in love with a property. That can do you in in the end. Instead, look for practical rental properties that offer a positive cash flow each month and plenty of potential to grow in value. A positive cash flow is one in which the rental income is higher than the mortgage, taxes, maintenance and other expenses of the property.

Do join a real estate investment club. These are good for gaining insight about the ins and outs of real estate investing. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to know more people. If your network is wide and ever expanding that likely means the more properties you’ll discover and perhaps the money you’ll make.

Do take into consideration the tax deductions available to you as a landlord. For a few hundred dollars, hire an accountant to do your taxes and take advantage of write-offs.

Don’t go overboard. Consider starting small with a maintenance-fee free townhouse. These are in good supply in cities such as Toronto and often appeal to newcomers to Canada.

Don’t be impatient. That will get you nowhere. Sticks to your guns about the type of property you’re looking for and the price you want to pay. Look for deals – they’re out there.

When you’re buying an $800,000 house, the $500 you drop on a home inspection is a relatively small price to pay to ensure that everything is as it should be.

But bear in mind that that a home inspector doesn’t have x-ray vision. So often they may miss the fact that the basement leaks during heavy downpours especially if their assessment takes place on a clear day. Let’s face it, given that the examination is based on what you can see, even the best inspector is bound to miss potential problems.

For my money, I prefer a Seller Property Information Statement. Simply put, this is a disclosure from the seller that spells out all the issues – both good and bad – that they know to happen in their home. If you think about it, doesn’t it make more sense to have someone who’s lived in the house for years disclose problems or potential problems as opposed to someone who’s looked at it for two or three hours?

The Seller Property Information Statement, otherwise known as SPIS, is optional. It’s been said buyers love them, sellers fear them and lawyers say no to them. In Canada, since the inception of the SPIS form practice in 1997, there have been over 230 court cases.

Sellers are not required to fill them out, but I encourage my clients to do so in most instances. My thinking is it protects vendors from down-the-road lawsuits if they’re being honest and forthright. After a property sells and changes hands, the SPIS protects the seller should something occur at that point that the new owner might try to pin on the seller. By filling out a SPIS it also demonstrates to buyers that the seller has integrity and nothing to hide as they are willing to disclose defects or issues.

The SPIS is a two-page document that covers questions regarding zoning, taxes and encroachments. Queries are asked about soil contamination, flooding, oil tanks and grow houses. Other questions focus on moisture problems, types of insulation and renovations or addition made to the house.

I’m not saying to disregard home inspections. But if you know houses and have bought and sold a few in your time, you can probably uncover the same that a home inspector would so save the $400 to $600 inspection fee for a rainy day.

Home inspectors are especially useful for first-time home buyers, who know little about the process. A home inspection can help calm the nerves of a buyer who has no idea what shape the roof is in, where the water shutoff is or how to replace a furnace filter.

A true love of visual arts led Shawn Freeman to pursue a career in architecture and today he’s hoping to use that passion to change neighbourhoods for the better.

The Toronto architect, who lives and works in Seaton Village, is spearheading a move that could ultimately transform how the city uses its alleys and laneways. The residents’ group he co-founded with architect and office mate Andrew Morrison is known affectionately as Victory Lane because members plan to win over city hall in their push to rezone the space behind peoples’ homes for live-work use.

The concept behind Victory Lane is quite simple. Not everyone wants to move out of the city and away from their homes, neighbours and family members as they age. But many are forced to thanks to escalating housing and living expenses and reduced incomes or limited pensions. Shawn’s plan would allow more leeway in the development of garages to generate income. A homeowner could potentially convert their garage into an apartment or perhaps a studio space that would be rented out to a photographer. The possibilities are virtually endless.

The move is motivated in part by recent vertical housing intensification taking place along Dupont and Bathurst. Homes are being overshadowed by six-storey buildings and residents are feeling a loss of privacy. Proponents of alley development believe that two to two-and-a-half storey buildings built adjacent to laneways won’t result in a loss of privacy.

Given recent studies and anecdotal evidence that indicate how much better it is for seniors to remain in their own homes as they age and Toronto’s housing density and affordability issues, his idea may just be perfectly timed. It’s also believed that laneway development would heighten the safety of the area behind people’s homes.

And while the plan is not a new concept and is used widely in pricey housing centres such as Vancouver, Shawn realizes Toronto city hall can be a tough nut to crack, although he expects Adam Vaughan, the city councillor for Seaton Village, to come on board.

A practicing architect for nearly two decades, Shawn has valuable, hands-on experience and has actually designed and built a home recently that would exemplify this concept off of a laneway behind Bathurst Street.

Shawn, whose Bathurst Street practice is just down the block from Freeman Real Estate, where his two brothers and parents own and operate an independent real estate business, lives with his wife and three school-aged children in Seaton Village, a neighbourhood he’s called home since 1992. He walks or bikes to work often toting his 70-pound Hungarian hound named Big Boy.

His architecture specialty is custom-designed homes and cottages in addition to alterations and additions to living spaces. Heritage homes are another speciality he enjoys and has done work on designated homes in Rosedale and Forest Hill.

For more about Shawn and his work visit www. shawnfreemanarchitect.com. Or if you’d like to join Victory Lane or want more information about the group, email him at Shawn.freeman@sympatico.ca.

That Randi Kwinta enjoys the personal touch shines through in practically everything she does.

As a real estate salesperson for Freeman for the past seven years, Randi delights in getting to know her clients whether they’re medical researchers, opera tenors or millwrights. If you’re fortunate enough to work with her, you’ll find yourself sharing information about your profession, your children and your hobbies and pastimes before you know it. It’s not that Randi is prying; it’s more that she has a natural curiosity about new people and experiences. That’s what gets her wheels spinning.

That people are a big part of the real estate business happens to be a good thing for Randi, who concentrates mostly on residential real estate in the Annex and downtown Toronto. Still, she has clients throughout the city and also enjoys selling condos and dabbling in rentals as well.

The mother of three “fabulous and incredible” children aged 18 to 22 likes to stay busy. Working in the housing industry allows her that in addition to a wide variety of assignments and tasks. That she can find herself one day sitting at a desk going through statistics, then heading out to her car for a meeting with potential clients then off to an open house to check out a property is the kind of variety she embraces.

“I just eat up the diversity I get from this profession,” says Randi. “There’s nothing like it.”

Ironically, Randi first hooked up with the Freemans while studying psychology at the University of Toronto in the 1980s. There, thanks to study groups and university events, she met Elden Freeman, who was studying environmental science. Twenty-five years would pass before their paths crossed again when after many years as a marketer for a corporate interior design firm, Randi decided it was time for a career change.

Once she settled on real estate, she had to think about the type of business she wanted to embody. Freeman Real Estate Ltd. with its smaller, more intimate boutique vibe, was perfect. The fact that Randi is low-maintenance, unpretentious to a fault and a hard worker who enjoys giving clients the best service she can made the fit even more appropriate.

“I knew I wanted to take care of my clients and do the very best for them,” she says. “I like it that the Freemans work really hard and that they do anything and everything for their clients.”

Randi can be reached at randi@freemanrealty.com.

As an empty nester, new housing options open up to you like never before.

And while some will stay in the suburbs right into old age, many will abandon their mega houses, mega lawns and mega bills for smaller, lower-maintenance digs in hip and trendy city neighbourhoods.

That trend appears to be well on its way. According to census data from Statistics Canada, the country’s metropolitan areas grew by almost eight per cent since the previous census.

While you may need to forfeit certain features such as space and property to live in the city, the benefits you gain more than outweigh your losses. Besides, when you think about all the time you spend on the maintenance and care of your sprawling suburban house and property, don’t you find yourself thinking surely there’s more to life than this?

The benefits to city living are vast and varied. You’ll be able to give up that second car as you walk your neighbourhood or turn to the comprehensive transportation grid offered by streetcars, buses and subways. Are you into obscure post-modern art? You’ll find it in Toronto. Maybe theatre is your thing? Again, your options are greater in the city. Do you get your kicks from social activism or delving into community causes? There are plenty to choose from in the city. Heck, if quieter pastimes such as bird watching or yoga in the park appeal, there are plenty of spaces in which to indulge your Zen side. If gastronomy is more your thing, there are literally thousands of restaurants, snack bars and coffee shops in which to taste the latest culinary craze or ethnic food trend.

The opportunities to be a part of your surroundings are virtually limitless. And if you’re still working, as many Canadians are postponing retirement, you’re probably closer to the office than you were in the ‘burbs. You may also be physically closer to your grown children, many of whom have recently launched their own careers in the city.

Condo living may be the perfect antidote to decades of high-maintenance suburban living. In Toronto and Vancouver there are plenty to choose from. But if condos strike you as too restrictive, small or fee-laden, there are numerous options available. Smaller bungalows, semi-detached homes and townhouses are perfect for the empty nester who wants outdoor space but less of it.

Change rarely comes easily. And moving to the city may take some adjustment after decades in the relative peace and quiet of the suburbs. But I’m guessing the odds are you won’t look back.

Come November the city begins to burst with seasonal events that showcase the talents of everything from musicians and craftspeople to foodies, artisans and performers.

Feast your eyes on this stellar albeit incomplete offering of festive activities:

November 16:

Baby It’s Cold Outside – At Jane and Annette Streets, this free open house brought to you by the Baby Point Gates Business Improvement Area is cuckoo for Santa.

Holly Berry Fair – This fundraiser at Rosedale United Church features baked goods, knitted items for sale and a silent auction.

Illuminite – This evening event features light installations and entertainment that mixes technology with art. Presented by the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area, it takes place at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Bloor-Yorkville Holiday Magic – The Bloor-Yorkville BIA kicks off the festive season with an early evening performance by Sarah Slean.

St. Olave’s Christmas Craft Show and Coffee House – On Windermere just south of Bloor, go for the books and stay for the cheer.

St. Pius X Christmas Bazaar and Craft Sale – At 2305 Bloor West, this event features handmade items, gift baskets and tombola.

November 17:

Toronto Santa Clause Parade – Parade begins at 12:30 p.m. from Christie Pits and ends at the St. Lawrence Market.

November 22:

Christmas Tree Lighting – Sponsored by the Entertainment District BIA, this event at David Pecaut Square showcases the music of St Michaels Choir School and music students from U. of T. as well as hot chocolate and cookies.

November 23:

Christmas in the Park with Colborne Lodge – Discover Victorian festive traditions and a tour of Colborne Lodge in High Park beginning today till January 5.

Annual Christmas Bazaar — Presented by the ladies auxiliary of Mount Dennis Legion at 1050 Weston Road, the event features a tea room and over 30 vendors.

Nutcracker Fair – Presented by St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church, this annual bazaar at 151 Glenlake Avenue includes a peameal bacon brunch, crafts and vintage fashions.

19^th Annual Swansea Craft Sale – 207 Windermere Avenue is home to over 70 vendors selling everything from children’s hats and candles to gourmet edibles and greeting cards.

Westside Christmas Bazaar – At the Westside Long Term Care Centre on Albion Road, pose for Santa photos and much more.

Annual Junction Triangle Home Style Craft Show and Sale – At Perth Ave. Public School at 14 Ruskin Ave., check out the crafts and gifts made by local artisans.

November 28:

One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale – Begins today and runs till December 8.

November 29:

St Demetrius Annual Christmas Bazaar — Running November 29 and 30, this bazaar showcases traditional Ukrainian cuisine and other festive goodies.

Toronto Christmas Market – Beginning today in the historic Distillery District, this street market invites participants to eat, drink and be merry until December 15.

November 30:

Old Town Toronto Cavalcade of Lights – At Nathan Phillips Square this features fireworks, skating, music and more.

Agricola Christmas Bazaar – See this Finnish style Christmas bazaar at 25 Old York Mills Road.

Holly Tea – This afternoon event at St. John’s Anglican Church on Humberside offers hand-made crafts, preserves and one-of-a-kind items.

The Artisan’s Gift Fair – Begins today and goes to December 22, this weekend show at the Tranzac Club on Brunswick offer high-quality gifts and free live music.

December 1:

Pet Photos with Santa – At PawsWay, 245 Queen’s Quay West, get into the festive mood with a photo of you and your dog or cat. A portion of the cost is donated to guides dogs. Other weekend dates available for photos.  See website for details.

December 4:

Chanukah Concert with Mickey Lewin – This toe-tapper takes place in the Bathurst Clark Resource Library.

22^nd Annual Christmas Tuba Festival and Sing-a-long – You’re invited to play and sing at this Nathan Phillips Square event that runs from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Journey into a Medieval Christmas – Treat yourself to the harmonious sounds of medieval Europe at The Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Manning Avenue.

December 7:

Candy Cane Tea and Bazaar – If you’re into fancy sandwiches, baked good and Christmas crafts, Presteign-Woodbine United Church is for you.

Christmas by Lamplight — December 7, 14 and 21. Enjoy the charms of Victorian Christmas at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

Gift of my Hands Holiday Craft Market – At Sorauren Park on Wabash, purchase locally made crafts from local artisans.

Jane Austen Christmas Ball – This dance at St. Barnabas Anglican Church Hall on the Danforth doesn’t require a partner or experience. What more can you ask for?

December 8 & 9:

Fort York Frost Fair – Experience the wonder of an Upper Canadian Christmas some 200 years ago.

December 14:

The Nutcracker – Beginning today the National Ballet of Canada puts on the classic Christmas tale.

That Randi Kwinta enjoys the personal touch shines through in practically everything she does.

As a real estate salesperson for Freeman for the past seven years, Randi delights in getting to know her clients whether they’re medical researchers, opera tenors or millwrights. If you’re fortunate enough to work with her, you’ll find yourself sharing information about your profession, your children and your hobbies and pastimes before you know it. It’s not that Randi is prying; it’s more that she has a natural curiosity about new people and experiences. That’s what gets her wheels spinning.

That people are a big part of the real estate business happens to be a good thing for Randi, who concentrates mostly on residential real estate in the Annex and downtown Toronto. Still, she has clients throughout the city and also enjoys selling condos and dabbling in rentals as well.

The mother of three “fabulous and incredible” children aged 18 to 22 likes to stay busy. Working in the housing industry allows her that in addition to a wide variety of assignments and tasks. That she can find herself one day sitting at a desk going through statistics, then heading out to her car for a meeting with potential clients then off to an open house to check out a property is the kind of variety she embraces.

“I just eat up the diversity I get from this profession,” says Randi. “There’s nothing like it.”

Ironically, Randi first hooked up with the Freemans while studying psychology at the University of Toronto in the 1980s. There, thanks to study groups and university events, she met Elden Freeman, who was studying environmental science. Twenty-five years would pass before their paths crossed again when after many years as a marketer for a corporate interior design firm, Randi decided it was time for a career change.

Once she settled on real estate, she had to think about the type of business she wanted to embody. Freeman Real Estate Ltd. with its smaller, more intimate boutique vibe, was perfect. The fact that Randi is low-maintenance, unpretentious to a fault and a hard worker who enjoys giving clients the best service she can made the fit even more appropriate.

“I knew I wanted to take care of my clients and do the very best for them,” she says. “I like it that the Freemans work really hard and that they do anything and everything for their clients.”

Randi can be reached at randi@freemanrealty.com.

As an empty nester, new housing options open up to you like never before.

And while some will stay in the suburbs right into old age, many will abandon their mega houses, mega lawns and mega bills for smaller, lower-maintenance digs in hip and trendy city neighbourhoods.

That trend appears to be well on its way. According to census data from Statistics Canada, the country’s metropolitan areas grew by almost eight per cent since the previous census.

While you may need to forfeit certain features such as space and property to live in the city, the benefits you gain more than outweigh your losses. Besides, when you think about all the time you spend on the maintenance and care of your sprawling suburban house and property, don’t you find yourself thinking surely there’s more to life than this?

The benefits to city living are vast and varied. You’ll be able to give up that second car as you walk your neighbourhood or turn to the comprehensive transportation grid offered by streetcars, buses and subways. Are you into obscure post-modern art? You’ll find it in Toronto. Maybe theatre is your thing? Again, your options are greater in the city. Do you get your kicks from social activism or delving into community causes? There are plenty to choose from in the city. Heck, if quieter pastimes such as bird watching or yoga in the park appeal, there are plenty of spaces in which to indulge your Zen side. If gastronomy is more your thing, there are literally thousands of restaurants, snack bars and coffee shops in which to taste the latest culinary craze or ethnic food trend.

The opportunities to be a part of your surroundings are virtually limitless. And if you’re still working, as many Canadians are postponing retirement, you’re probably closer to the office than you were in the ‘burbs. You may also be physically closer to your grown children, many of whom have recently launched their own careers in the city.

Condo living may be the perfect antidote to decades of high-maintenance suburban living. In Toronto and Vancouver there are plenty to choose from. But if condos strike you as too restrictive, small or fee-laden, there are numerous options available. Smaller bungalows, semi-detached homes and townhouses are perfect for the empty nester who wants outdoor space but less of it.

Change rarely comes easily. And moving to the city may take some adjustment after decades in the relative peace and quiet of the suburbs. But I’m guessing the odds are you won’t look back.

It’s a tough call. You’ve never lived beyond the second floor of your bedroom so how are you supposed to know if you’ll like higher altitudes.

Perhaps you’re a single mother who’s married to a job that demands quick turnaround and flexibility. Or maybe you are a soon-to-retire social activist who enjoys the prospect of living downtown near the causes, projects and people you support. You might be a newly married couple, who is hoping to break into the housing market but wants to maintain digs downtown near your jobs and friends. Any which way, you’re all storybook condo dwellers.

Being close to restaurants, bars, museums, public transportation and your job are big pluses of condo living. So is their often affordable price point.

But if privacy and independence are big issues you might want to think long and hard about buying

a condo. Neighbours are close by and some have turned complaining about their neighbours’ itty-bitty infractions into a sport. There’s a level of small-mindedness among some condo residents that you either have to swallow or learn to tolerate.

Condo living can be difficult for people who don’t like rules and who are accustomed to doing what they want when they want to. Residents, for example, can’t simply park where they feel like parking or plant shrubs where they think they’ll look attractive. You need to have respect for your neighbours because you’re in closer proximity to them.

Be sure to check the condo’s financial situation. Pay attention to contingency funds for emergencies and make sure the complex or building is insured for replacement value. Talk to people who live in the condo and ask them probing questions about what it’s like to live there.

If you’re still not certain, consider this fun and, by no means official, condo quiz:

1. My privacy is:

___ Insignificant.
___ Somewhat important to me.
___ So critical I used to be a hermit.

2. Amenities such as swimming pools and tennis courts are:

___ What I dream about.
___ Not that important to me.
___ I’m no Michael Phelps or Martina Navratilova, that’s for sure.

3. How would you respond to the following statement, “I like mowing the lawn, landscaping, and gardening,”

___ Are you out of your mind?
___ It’s okay.
___ Make some iced tea. I’m digging a swimming pool today.

4. Living in an urban environment is:

___ What I thrive on.
___ Something I can take or leave.
___ Not my bag—I’ll take Green Acres any day.

Total all your points, giving yourself 1 point for each first answer, 2 points for each second answer, and 3 points for each third answer.

Evaluate your score as follows:

4 to 5 points: Future president of the condominium association

6 to 10 points: A good candidate for condo living

11 to 12 points:  Obviously, vertical living is not for you

Lennox Lewis                                                   Donovan Bailey 

 

At 77, Steve the Tailor has snipped miles of fabric and sewn millions of stitches to the sartorial delight of customers near and far. That he’s hanging up his hat after more than 40 years as a maker of men’s and women’s clothes is a sad day for those who relish quality craftsmanship.

Steve Papadimitriou opened his shop on Bathurst Street near Bloor in 1970 when there were still other Greek businesses in the neighbourhood. They’ve since moved on but Steve stayed thanks to a loyal base of customers who hailed mainly from the Caribbean and the West Indies.

An odd pairing that might be – Greek and Caribbean, but the community’s black population adored Steve’s handiwork, while he, naturally, appreciated their patronage. The mutual admiration would continue to grow with customers from Jamaica and the States calling Steve to see if he could measure them for another suit or perhaps a whole wardrobe full.

The city’s black celebrities would eventually wind their way to his shop. Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey would send plenty of customers Steve’s way. Fashioning a suit for world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis in his early career, the boxer’s coach told Steve that Lewis would one day be big. Reggae musician Leroy Sibbles, hurdler Mark McKoy and CBC TV journalist Dwight Drummond, among others, all had clothes fitted and stitched there.

His work was adored thanks to its quality. Steve hand-stitched his clothes and never used patterns. At one point, he was one of the busiest tailors in Toronto hiring a staff of five sewers and making 100 to 150 pairs of pants a week.

When the other Greek businesses still operated in the area, some owners asked Steve how with his much accented English, he could understand his black customers, many of whom spoke with heavy Jamaican accents. Somehow, that was never a problem. The black folks liked his work and he liked them. Besides, he loved his location on Bathurst because it was very safe and very clean. Even after his Greek compatriots moved to the Danforth, Steve believed his shop, above which he and his wife raised three kids, was the best place. “I don’t change with no one,” says Steve.

That decision worked out well for his family. Son Jimmy works as a sales rep at Freeman Real Estate which is just a block away. Jimmy has carried on his father’s eye for design and fashion as he and his brother own three clothing stores throughout the city.

In retirement, Steve will continue visiting his village of Periklea which is in the mountains near the northern border in Greece. He’ll head there for a few months a year to visit his older sister, tinker around in the house he owns and hang out with the villagers. Family and friends will come to stay here and there. Jimmy is visiting for a month. A daughter-in-law plans to pop in as well.

But the burning question on everyone’s mind is will he ever make a suit again?

“You never know,” Steve says. “I prefer not to but maybe.”