Nada Thomson
courtesy of The Sanctuary

Thomson has made a real shift from helping to organize people's homes to helping to organize their lives.“I’ve been good,” says Nada Thomson, Director of Development at The Sanctuary Mission. “It’s been an adjustment period. There is so much emotional stress everyday. So you’re better for it.”

The Santuary is a healthy or wealthy community that is embodied for the poor. It is open to all belief systems and all ethnic backgrounds. The community is made up of men and women from 25 to 55. Five hundred faces every week and annually in the thousands.

“We have street outreach, a relationship with them simply through our outreach team, jail visits, outreach visits, Children’s Aid, court visits,” says Thomson. “We help to get their kids into safe homes. Just as you would walk with your family and friends. We have a health clinic and a psychiatrist, or substance abuse rehab or physical rehab for their body, or all of those things – we walk with them along with that. We have meals and it is their friends [who prepare them], it is not a soup kitchen.”
Nada Thomson started out as a Personal Organizer with her own company called Artful Organizers. She made the transition into helping the poor around 2006.

“I hung out in the building from 2006 to 2008. There was a woman who was helping out in the kitchen and she was afraid to go out to the eating area so she worked in the kitchen. She realized that everyone that she was working with in the kitchen were waking up in an alley or had mental illness, or had just gotten out of jail. They had a life of adversity and were dealing with huge adversities to get over alone – that’s why we’re here community.”

Drop In center
courtesy of The Sanctuary

Every year, The Santuary has a great Christmas feast with candles and in the galley with huge windows. They have had a church donate some Christmas gift bags and they do have talent shows and they do a play – the Screaming Monkeys. They do a big walk in the summertime.
“It is really important that people know that when they donate money, they can participate. The rich and the poor, we want to blur the lines. People who have been stripped of their dignity, will be given back their dignity. Making a difference is more about just giving money and also making new friends.”

Thomson was brought on as the donor relations person, the Director of Development.

“I do street outreach and all the staff do it, I have people in the community who I walk very closely with. We’re not counseling, we’re like friends. You have a deeper affinity for certain people than others, there are many people so there is great balance.”

Seventy per cent of the balance of the operating budget is from people who work, then 30 per cent is from the Trillium Foundation and other foundations. Thomson is there to be a liaison and always looking for donors.

“We’re not here to replace social services, we’re here to walk along social services,” Thomson says. “We have friends who were living on the street and they are now living inside. They would not be able to do this without someone to help them look for a place and help them get furniture.

'We have employment training, we’re revamping it. Meaningful gainful employment for people. We have housing for men that are not rooming houses where they have meals together and there are no locks and they went from the street to the sanctuary home – we would love to do that for hundreds of people.”

It was late 2005 and early 2006 and Thomson was feeling a real connection to do something meaningful in Toronto.

“I needed to find something. I started looking for a place to go for church. I went to one which was doing something with Sanctuary. I started coming down to the Thursday night drop-ins and I could play cards. They have a church service in the evenings on Saturdays. I fell in love with the whole place and the people. You do not come here trying to cover yourself up, you strip away all the layers of how messy our lives are. To be broken and not quite on top of things as I am. In a few years they [The Sanctuary] were in the position to bring on someone like me and then I was a good fit.”
When Thomson had Artful Organizers it was an amalgation of all her professional skills that she had gone to Sheridan for.

Street Outreach
courtesy of The Sanctuary

“I was doing decorating and home staging too. I loved the people that I worked with and the variety. It was very successful without ever needing to do so. Word of mouth is very much the best part of advertising. There was always a part of me that felt a bit of a fraud. It was very successful. There was always a part of me that made me feel as though people would catch me out in the rouse. I was able to breathe at The Sanctuary. I’ve maintained amazing friendships with many of my [former] clients. When I changed, it was a huge adjustment, realizing how much of my life was doing for others, rather than being cared for by others. You cannot let yourself care for them, without being cared for by them. They see the strain in my eyes and they will care for you when they live in an alley. Every day being forced to be vulnerable, to be forced to be honest. We have staff meetings all the time, we say how are you? We have to be honest. I’m single and childless and I was flitting from house-to-house but it was superficial. My clients were really wonderful people, but there is a season for everything and I did not know how to have depth in relationships and I’m learning that here.”

One of the success stories of The Sanctuary is that a young woman was born and raised in the Toronto area. Not too soon after she was born, she was put into foster care. Her aunt set her crib on fire. Her grandmother found her covered in coachroaches. She was sexually abused. She bounced from foster home to foster home and relationship to relationship, and she was addicted to many things. She has also used her body. Many people helped her. She has been a regular at Sancturay for four years.

“It was our nurses at health care that helped her get a better life, couple of years ago she got her GED she has her own business called Pause for Paws and when I first met her she was angry and now she’s clean and fresh and she’s pretty,” says Thomson. “She takes pictures of animals. They may be different, transition takes a long time. People who feel that they don’t deserve the air that they are breathing. We are committed to these people for as long as they live. We can offer them some real dignity building amenities. Even if we did not have the funding, we would not be able to reach new people, but we would not abandon the people who are here already. Such a small number of our friends see that kind of change in their lives, but everyone who comes through these doors see a kind of change in their lives.”

Thomson has made a real shift from helping to organize people's homes to helping to organize their lives.

“The organizing was a broad range. I would go into some rooms that I would barely be able to open the door it would be so crammed full. Is it staying in the home, would it belong to someone else. There were emotional issues of other people’s things. The most part it was the attachment to the person that they thought of with the thing. To know that the person will still love you with the item gone.

“Other situations it was a basement that was finished and they wanted a play area, a workout zone and making the space planning. I had other clients were I helped them change them over their cupboards and also kitchen organizing. Helping things flow better. Making spaces better places. I would Rearrange the furniture, shake the whole place up so it felt the whole place had been redone. Using what they have. Reworking the space to get the vision of the whole home. What furniture to get, what colours – colour consultations. The organizing and the rearraing decorating…then there was the homestaging. I could help people decide what people were keeping and leaving and sometime we rented furniture and artwork. In each case a big case of what I was doing was getting to know my clients. Some people wanted to mimic other designer’s styles, that’s not what I did – it was working with how a couple’s voice could be morphed and find new pieces to build relationships. I went from relationship building to relationship building.

“We can pore out all of our time and tender-loving care and unless the person is not in receivership, it goes nowhere. It’s not about four walls and a roof. A lot of stuff got them onto the street and a lot is needed to keep them off the street. It is amazing how vulnerable we are and how little it takes to destroy the heart of a child. When people become too old for the Yonge Street Mission, they come up here and they’re young and they’re beautiful, but they break my heart.”

Christmas tree by ShedBOy

Do you love Christmas? Well, who does not. Another question - did you think about Feng-Shuei? Maybe Christmas time it's time, when you can try to apply this philosophy in your home.

For those, who haven't heard about it, or those, who believe Feng-Shuei is a mixture if Chinese martial art and roasted duck: Feng Shuei is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics, which should help to aim positive qi in human life by positioning buildings and furniture in accordance with Earth's powers.

You may believe it, or not, but one try cannot harm you. And it can be pretty funny family activity!

Christmas Tree

Have yourself a merry little christmas by E E

Position the tree in the south, east, or in the middle. I know, your living room proportions represent a serious problem. Feng-Shuei says this key Christmas symbol should be placed in the eastern part of the room. If not possible, south is a good option too. The middle of the room is your last resorts; do not place it in the east or north!

Red? No!

If you like red Christmas tree decoration, try to make a change this year. Red is not the best color according to Feng-Shuei rules and yellow or golden as well. However, if you like blue ornaments, you are the right person. Other colors with positive influence include silver, grey or even snow-white.

Lot of Light

Christmas time by NancyCoop

Nobody will be surprised when I say that light relates to positive qi. Feng-Shuei rules naturally ask for a lot of it. Luckily, this is an easy task during Christmas. More light sources with gentle soft light are better than one strong source. Try to create harmony between the tree lights and other lights. Ordinary candles are better choice than sets of aggressive led light, I hope do not have to remind that (just don't let your kids to burn the house)!

Fireplace can be the cherry on the top. Flames have the power to balance human inner energy. If you are not lucky enough to have a fireplace, candles can do the job. Just be aware not to place too many of them on the eastern side.

The final advice – try to balance everything. That is not only what Feng-Shuei says, but also your doctor.

Picture by M J M

CMHC informs - Canadian seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was going up again in November, all thanks to Toronto. While the rate was 167,800 units in October 2010, November results moved it up to 187,200 units level.

Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre explains it clearly – it is Toronto! Urban starts increased by 82.8% in Ontario, because of several large apartment project launched in Toronto this November, multiple starts in Ontario added almost 30,000 units in the last month.

Urban starts in Canada grew by 14.6%, however all regions except Ontario recorded declines, mostly Atlantic Canada (24%), British Columbia (21.3%) and Quebec (15.2%). Only Prairie remained stable, with tiny 1.5% decrease. Urban multiple starts were up by 20.9% (101,800 units), single urban added 5.5% reaching 61,300 units.

November spike was exceptional; housing starts rate should come closer to the demographic demand rate, which is estimated as 175,000 units per anno.

November results, GTA

November results for the GTA area release by Toronto Real Estate Board confirmed activity decline on monthly basis. Annual results remain one of the best.

There were 6,510 sales in November 2010, 13% down compared to the same months of 2009. Average price continued to grow (we explained why in our recent article Strange Market), adding 5% compared to November 2009.

November GTA Sales: Tightened Market continued...

As you know we love to support many independant artists – this show coming up in Roncesvalles sounds like a wonderful opportunity – one night only – NOVEMBER 24th, 2010.

My sister’s friend Renata Dusk is having an Art Exhibit “Colour of my Soul”  @ Gallery 345

345 Sorauren Ave. Toronto.

10% of the proceeds will sponsor First Nation Hope in Action Programs.

You’ll hear Julia Morgan sing and perform throughout the evening as well.

Art as a gift this holiday continued...

Check out this interesting analysis for you to understand exactly how the real estate market is, not how people seem to put “spins” on it!

As you can see on our latest visualization of Toronto Real Estate Board Statistics, GTA market seems kind of strange. It seems that there are typical signs of market slow-down:

Visual Toronto Housing Market Stats For October: Strange Market continued...

Home sweet home by chacrebleu

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, GTA area housing starts recorded no significant change in housing starts trend in the third quarter. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of total housing starts reached 31,000 homes. Single-detached are down by 30% since the beginning of 2010, but apartments are close to the 10-year average. Row houses are the best performing segment, since the activity returned to the high levels, last seen before the recession.

Sales began to grow in September for the first time since the last February with high-rise development claiming the biggest share of the new home sales. Toronto condos are clearly the market leader for the last few years, fact which was confirmed by adding another 5000 finished units in September.

The whole Canada does not keep the pace with GTA and recorded another decline in projected housing starts with 167,900 units in October 2010 (down from 184,900 units in September). This represents moderate decline from 185,000 units in September. Ontario's drop was the highest in all Canada with 24.5% decline in urban starts (national average is -12.3%).

The JKT and all kinds of amazing clients had a fabulous family friendly day - we gave away a whole bunch of pumpkins that we had brought in from Caledon.  Everyone contributed to raise $301. for breast cancer - and  games were played, hallowe'en treats devoured.  Hilarious fun was had by all.  Come out next year for more good times! 

Click here for more pics!

Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins!

Photo by Julia Manzerova

The Bank of Canada announced this morning that it will leave it’s key interest rates unchanged…

This just in from the Bank of Canada… continued...

Master key by Zarko Drincic

Discovering what is important to our clients is crucial to our process – it allows us to focus on their wants and needs, and helps us guide them through the whole experience…

Negotiation – A Key Factor in Getting the Deal Done! continued...

Real estate is not only about listings, interest rates and market trends and other boring stuff. Quite opposite - real estate is also about meeting people, networking and socializing and yes - most of the time it is quite fun (or else we wouldn't do it, trust me).

To demonstrate the funny side of real estate life, we have collected three videos from the Really Real Real Estate section of the Ellen DeGeneres Show. See some really special real estate listings.

Laughing out loud at realtors allowed!

Junction Triangle

The Julie Kinnear Team is one of several realtors who are sponsoring the Junction Triangle Rail Committee…

http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/rail continued...

Photo by Montse PB

Next weekend, on October 2 from 6:57 p.m. to sunrise is the 5th annual Nuit Blanche. A celebration of contemporary art that takes over the streets of Toronto. Discover 130 projects by close to 500 artists in unique places across the city.

One night only. All night long – and it’s all FREE!!!

For more information: scotiabanknuitblanche.ca or call 311

Pull an All-Nighter continued...

Photo by Jason

Toronto Real Estate Board published its regular market update for August 2010. According to data gathered from GTA realtors, year-to-date sales continue to outpace the previous year, while August sales were down, compared to August 2009.

Toronto Real Estate in August continued...

In your hands by Ibrahim Iujaz

Our clients Christa and Greig have seriously busy work lives and a young family. When they decided it was time to move from their High Park home, they wanted it to happen as quickly and efficiently as possible so it wouldn’t interfere with their work commitments and family time. They turned to The Julie Kinnear Team for help.

Read on to hear how the quickly and efficiently we helped them buy low and sell high!

Bought low and sold high! continued...

Garage by O Palsson

Parking rates have been climbing up all over Canada during the last ten years. However, if you like to spend a lot of money on parking, you should not miss out our beloved Toronto. According to an annual survey by Colliers International, Toronto ranked the second most expensive city for parking after Calgary.

Parking in Toronto? $336.26 Monthly! continued...

Rock balance by James Jordan

TREB issued their regular monthly report with fresh data from Toronto MLS. Realtors recorded lower sales numbers than the previous year; however both average price and year-to-date sales keep the record levels.

There were 8,442 properties sold in GTA area in June 2010, 23% less than in the same month of 2009. Activity generally slowed down in summer – the numbers dropped also compared to May 2010 (9,470 sales) and average days on market indicator reached 27 days, 6 less than the previous year, but also it took also 5 days more to sell your property compared to the previous month.

June results: Market Balanced continued...

Here’s a quick note of how we were able to bring family together on offer night to share in the decision making process. Technology is SO cool!

Video call works wonders for a “live” offer presentation – Keeps family connected all the way from Toronto to the Caribbean continued...

SLOW by Rex Dingler

GTA Realtors recorded 4,139 sales during the first two weeks of June. Compared to the same period of June 2009, we experienced 20% decline. Inflow of listings to the Toronto lisintings rose by 21%, reaching 7,985 new properties.

Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour said: “The pace of existing home sales in the GTA has slowed to more normal levels following a record-setting start to 2010. Due to higher mortgage carrying costs, sales in the second half of 2010 will not be as high as what was experienced during the last six months of 2009.”

Mid-Month Sales Signalize Further Slowdown continued...

High Flying by Michael Kain

Not to our surprise, Bank of Canada increased its overnight target rate from 0.25% to 0.5% on the beginning of June. That confirms that our economy is slowly leaving turbulent waters of recession, so BoC is slowly abolishing the emergency rates.

There are reasons to believe more rate hikes are ahead. As Scotia Capital suggest in their latest newsletter, BoC keeps neutral bias to prevent market actors from premature preventive tightening. However, there are reasons to believe hikes will continue to hit the bottom of the standard rate range around 2.75% until the late summer 2011.

Bank of Canada Increased the Rate: And What Next? continued...

STOP by Emily Martin

After a year of positive increases in resale numbers, Greater Toronto Area sales stalled in May, according to the latest market report from TREB. However, the number of sold properties remains high: 9,470 sold homes is the third highest result on record in May.

Sales in GTA Stalled continued...

While the growth of the resale market during the year 2010 has been surprisingly fast-paced so far, we will experience slow-down towards the end of the year and overall worse results during 2011, at least according to recent report prepared for Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals.

Mortgage Professionals Forecast Demand Drop continued...

Plan for Affordable Housing
by woodley wonderworks

A survey says Canadian realtors are not in favor of deregulation. Majority of 1,726 real estate professionals polled by Royal LePage Real Estate Services believes the proposed changes to MLS represent a wrong way to improve the real estate industry.

Real Estate Market Competitive and Secure continued...

New JKT newsletter Hot off the presses!

The Roof Tiles by
Dilip Muralidaran

Following the price level of housing starts has become more difficult in recent weeks. This index distortion is caused by upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax, which is about to kick in at the beginning of July 2010. However, some builders in Ontario, aware that part of their houses will not have a new owner before July, started adding the tax on newly built homes. Since the New house price index strips out HST, the results from February (and upcoming March results as well) may be confusing.

Nevertheless, housing construction is expected to grow in upcoming months. Not only solid demand on the housing market, but also large number of new building permits in March support this opinion. New starts are usually lagging up to two months behind permits, so April and May will be the strongest months. However, with HST implementation, summer and fall 2010 will bring moderate slow down in construction activity. In medium term, HST-effect should be (at least partly) offset, since HST will reduce some of the input costs.
 

Faster by Chuckyeager

Fresh results for May have been announced by TREB just few hours ago. GTA market keeps the fast pace, despite the rising inflow of new listings. Toronto realtors recorded 10,898 sales during April 2010, compared to 8,107 sales in April 2009 (34% growth). The overall number is comparable with last month’s results (10,430 in March 2010).

April Results: More Records continued...

Cigarette butt by Santi

It's clean up Toronto day - in lieu of the 20 minute makeover between 2-3pm, I spent a good half hour cleaning up my High Park street this morning.

I encourage everyone to try it.

You'll be surprised at how rewarding it is AND how much junk is out there.

Attention SMOKERS! PLEASE put your butts in the trash! It was BY FAR the vast majority of the garbage on the streets.

Keep our Toronto the Great clean! J.

Bank of Canada officials announced maintaining the overnight rate at 0.25% on Tuesday. This step was expected by markets, however, the Bank finally removed the conditional commitment to keep the rate so low for the future.

BoC Keeps Rate But Removes Commitment continued...

KONGRATULATIONS TO ANDIE MILLER!!

She is the winner of this years Easter Koloring Kontest. We would like to say Thank You to all of the budding artists that submitted a picture. Here are a few samples of the great work that was sent in!

Winner of our Easter Koloring Kontest continued...

Numbers by David Bleasdale

TREB issued regular mid-month market report with more positive results showing a solid trend. GTA realtors reported 4,601 sales via MLS listings. The first two weeks of April were up by 25% compared to the same period year ago, when 3,681 sales took place.

Mid-April Figures Strong continued...

Meryl Streep by
Worthing Theatres

Gotta Love Meryl Streep. I laughed alot, must admit. Saw it on the airplane - you know how we all have our own little terminals now? Hope the people around me were ok with my giggling.

It\'s Complicated review

Housing Prices Up,
More Hikes Expected
photo by Becka Spence

Housing prices increased in Canada on average by 10.3% in Q1, compared to the same period year ago, showed Price Survey from Royal LePage. 40 markets around the country experienced double digit growths, with Toronto adding 9% to the price level for standard two-storey homes.

Professionals believe that introduction of HST in July in Ontario and British Columbia plays some role in the increase (Vancouver recorded staggering 19% increase). While HST does not directly affect resale market (it applies only to new homes), it may turn the potential buyers from new housing market to resale market, thus fueling the competition.

Housing Prices Up, More Hikes Expected continued...

Good news by Chris Vecchio

March 2010 sales results for GTA recorded another steep jump and broke one more record. Toronto realtors made 10,430 sales via MLS, 69% up from March 2009 (6,171 sales) and almost one third up compared to the previous month (February 2010 sales reached number 7,291).

This means there were 22,418 items sold during the 1Q – the highest number ever reached under the current Toronto Real Estate Board boundaries!

Housing Sales Broke Historic Record continued...

Greater Toronto
Area housing starts

February results for new housing starts in GTA area inverted recent negative trend. According to CMHC statistic released recently, there were 2,514 new units announced in February 2010. This number is 65% higher than in February 2009.

Housing Starts Back in Track continued...

Fantastic night at the Theatre!

Young Frankenstein at Princess of Wales continued...

We've just posted a neighbourhood video of The Beaches. Have fun getting to know this cool 'hood!

See the video in our The Beaches real estate guide or right here:

This is just a reminder that this weekend you SPRING FORWARD!! Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one  hour the morning of March 14, 2010.

Winter Storm in Toronto
by Archie Wong

Have you enjoyed this nice sunny weekend? Did you take out your patio furniture and thinking about inviting guests? Don’t get fooled, winter has still some aces up sleeve.

You have few days more to make this year’s first bike trips around or have a long walk along the waterfront; however you should plan it before the next weekend comes. David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada and Canadian weather guru, said “We’re being seduced by Mother Nature, but if you’re realistic about it, you really have to expect some more winter.”

Winter is not gone yet continued...

Strong year
by Branden Williams

TREB just prepared a new issue of their regular Market Watch report, confirming a strong year ahead.

One look at the February 2010 sales results will help you to make a clear picture. With 7,291 items sold, there was 77% growth in sales compared to February 2009 and almost 50% growth compared to the January 2010 results. But everybody who read the mid-month report could expect it.

February Results – Strong Year Ahead continued...

Buildings by Curtis Perry

The provincial government has passed legislation to combine the eight percent Provincial Sales Tax with the five percent federal Goods and Services Tax, creating a 13 percent Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

The following are rules/guidance on how the transition of the upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax which comes into effect July 1/2010.

HST will not apply on the purchase price of re-sale homes.

HST would apply to services such as moving cost, legal fees, home inspection fees, and REALTOR® commissions.

HST will apply to the purchase price of newly constructed homes.

HST – How it affects You and Your Real Estate Transactions continued...

Housing Market by David Salafia

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty recently announced new federal real estate rule recently to contain the hot housing market. While this rule won’t have very broad impact, it may definitely affect certain groups of buyers.

The new rules say you have to be able to qualify for five-year fixed-rate mortgages, no matter what option you really aim for. It will affect mainly potential buyers at the edge of qualifying, who will be required to have higher income to qualify since April 19.

New Rules May Change Your Plans continued...

Mid month results, presented in today’s report from TREB, indicate growing number of sales in the GTA area. February results (despite the month having only 28 days) will most probably outperform last month’s results.

February Sales Record continued...

The rumours about the neighbourhood finally getting an LCBO location have been confirmed. A new store will be opening this spring or summer alongside the Loblaws and Zellers in the retail plaza on the East side of Dundas. St. south of Bloor.

I know what many of you are thinking - that's not quite in the village. It's true that in terms of convenience many local residents will still be closer to the Parkdale LCBO, but the selection should be worth the relatively long walk or short drive. The new store will boast 5,600 sq. ft. of retail space so the selection should far surpass both the Parkdale and Bloor West locations. It will be very close in size to the Liberty Village store which has 5,500 sq. ft of shopping area.

Breaking the News
Let the youngsters know about the move at the earliest possible moment.
Realize first reactions of some young children involve fear of the unknown: “Where will I go to school?” “Will I have any friends?”

Moving with Kids? continued...

The Government of Ontario has made a number of changes to the property assessment system that went into effect in the 2009 property tax year. These changes include the introduction of a four-year assessment update cycle and a phase-in of assessment increases.

Attn Toronto Home Owners – Phased-in Property Assessment Explained continued...

Star Trek Movie

This chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members is excellent. If you ever watched the original Star Trek as a kid, it brings in all your favourite characters – Bones, Scotty, Spok. The movie combines action, humour and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved it!

Jen reviews Star Trek the Movie continued...

True story of how our clients bought their amazing property in Leaside, despite the competitive market.

If you know someone who has given up on their search, be sure to introduce them to our team so we can help them.

Frustrated No More! True Story of buying now in Toronto continued...