Real Estate Advertising

Are You Confused? Believe the Facts, not the Hype...

I recently saw a posting from a popular For Sale By Owner (FSBO) company that made some pretty outlandish claims. One claim related MLS to a scam. Let's set the record straight.

As a full time professional Realtor with 8 years experience, I believe in the services that we Realtors offer. I believe in my abilities to accurately assess market value and maximize it, while selling faster and less for hassle then the vast majority of private sellers.

I pride myself on professionalism, honesty and integrity. I am obliged by morals and law to work truthfully at all times and always represent my clients' best interests. It’s unfortunate that I cannot say the same for my FSBO website competitors. How about their results...

Let’s look at the sales numbers:
*Based on MLS data and data collected from a specific majour FSBO’s own site. The stats reflect detached homes in St. Catharines sold between Jan/07-Present and are referenced against government registry information.

-The Private Sale website reports 92 sales (in fact 4 of these sales are falsely reported and therefore there were only 88 sales)
-Of the 88 sales, 21 were ultimately listed and sold by Realtors.
-This leaves only 67 sales in over 2 years.

In Comparison: during the same period, there were 3270 single detached homes sold in St. Catharines through mls!

This means that the FSBO site accounts for less then 2% of all market activity. Sure it is a cheap service, but when it only represents 2% of the market, how quickly do you think you will likely sell, let alone how likely you are to find the top paying buyer.

Let’s look at the current listing numbers:
*Correlated between MLS data and data collected from a specific major FSBO’s own site.

-In St. Catharines there are currently 68 listings advertised on the FSBO site. *In fact 7 are now listed by Realtors and another 2 have been listed and sold by Realtors. This leaves 59 current listings.
-13 Of the 59 have been on the market for over a year!
-27 more have been on the market for over 6 months

This means 68% of the FSBO site listings have been unsold for 6 months or more!

Like I said at the outset, I believe that my professional skills, network and resources allow me to market homes far better then FSBO websites. While I can’t offer services for only a few hundred dollars, I am confident that I can sell your house in a reasonable amount of time. And after all time is money- especially when the market is tough and taxes and carrying costs are adding up quickly.

The commissions aren’t as expensive as you think, so if you want your homes Sold instead of Advertised, then call or email me today in confidence for a complementary consultation.

Sincerely,
Scott Clarkson, Sales Representative
Re/Max Garden City realty Inc,- Brokerage
*each office is independently owned and operated
Tel/Pager: 905-641-1110

scottc@remax-gc.com

Scooped The Standard

Not to brag, but it seems I scooped The Standard

twice in two weeks (note the dates below).

Guess my blog is worth reading.

It is corny I know, but this makes me smile!

First Occasion:

My Blog on Tuesday March 12th, 2009,

“Prudhommes Landing Goes Up For Sale.”

The Standard on Tuesday March 17th, 2009,
“Prudhommes Landing Listed for sale”.

(http://scstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1481636)

Second Occasion:

The Standard on Friday March 27th, 2009

“Surprising store closing: tough start for downtown project”
(not on web for some reason, but in print)

My blog on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009,

“Did hell freeze over? Did pigs start to fly? Is McDonalds closing a store??”

JUST FOR FUN

If you are an NFL fan watch this.
If you are a sports fan in general watch this.
If you just like really cool videos, watch this.

**UPDATE: It seems there is a sync problem/delay in the video. I am not that tech advanced to figure out the problem, so in the meantime email if you want the actual file of this video which is synched better.



I say, "Wow!"

Did hell freeze over? Did pigs start to fly? Is McDonalds closing a store??

Well I have heard some incredible things, but this one I just can’t believe. Apparently the McDonalds on Hartzel Road in St. Catharines will be closing permanently on March 31st, 2009. I heard this through the grapevine, but couldn’t believe it. I had to drive by (or drive through as the case may be, because the only visible sign is on the drive-through order box). It is true indeed!

I would blame it on the recession, but I don’t think that can be the culprit. We all know that McDonalds thrives during recessions as their relatively low cost food is an affordable option for many low income earners. I think there is something else going on here.

Dare I speculate that McDonalds could be reopening a new modern store at this dated location? Perhaps there is a new store going up down the street where Shopper’s Drug Mart has started a mini renaissance in the area. Either Way- I think something interesting must be going on because I simply cannot ever imagine that a good old Mickee Dees could go broke.

Well, whatever the reason, it is a sad day in St. Catharines. Not only did the CBC recently report us as one of the most depressed Regions of the entire country (which for the record I personally don’t believe), but now we have the infamous distinction of being a city where even a McDonalds can’t make it.

Something better happen around here quickly. We'd better get busy showing signs of life before St. Catharines turns into Ontario's other Windsor. So let’s go NHS with the new hospital, PVDC with the tower, Brock and The City with The Arts Downtown Centre and anyone with a project on the go- let's get those shovels in the ground before it freezes over like hell must’ve the day McDonalds decided to close a set of its doors.

Let’s not allow houses be a the new Provincial Government ATM.

Rumors abound regarding HST after Ontario Premiere Daulton McGuinty and Finance Minster Dwight Duncan have openly mused about implementing a so-called “Flat Tax”. HST, which stands for harmonized sales tax, would be applied across the board at a current rate of 13%. It would replace the current separate taxes of GST and PST.

Off the cuff, many people might ask, “Who cares?”, or “What’s the difference?”

Well there are major differences when it comes to taxing items that are currently exempt from PST. Primary, “Services”. For example, if you hire a plumber to come to your house to repair a drain and the job involves only labor, then the only tax you pay is GST at the current rate of 5%. If the HST is implemented, then you would then pay a 13% tax. On a $500 repair bill it means that you the consumer would be taxed an extra $40.

Now let’s take this HST into the real estate realm.

There are 2 sets of tax implications when it comes to residential real estate. There are new homes, which are currently subject to GST and there are resale homes which are not. In either case, gst is applicable to of commissions, lawyers fees, cmhc fees, etc and now HST would come into effect and dramatically increase the costs.

Here is the breakdown:

*based on $300,000 sale price, 5% down payment, 5% commission on resale home, 2.0% commission on new home, average Closing Cost of $1200 and house inspection of $300

In 2008 approx 181,000 resale homes were sold in Ontario and this increased tax would cost citizens over $300MIL per year. On the new home front, the new tax is estimated by The Building Industry Development Association to cost Ontarians a whopping $2.4BIL per year.

With the real estate sales industry generating over $1.3Bil in spin off economic impact per year, and accounting for approx 110,000 Ontarian jobs, the HST would seriously impact this sector in a negative way. In fact, the added taxes may have such an impact on affordability that many first time buyer’s will be pushed right out of the market.

So from plumbing, to real estate, to countless other services be prepared to pay through the nose should the Ontario Government introduce HST. My thoughts- aren’t we paying enough tax already? If we need more taxes, is now the appropriate time to be making such considerations? Is putting an additional tax on services not counterproductive?

Let’s start rethinking taxes and (dare I say it…) “Shift” tax off economically productive activities (such as home ownership) and on to wasteful, counter productive, polluting activities. Let's stop taxing what we want and start taxing what we don't. Let's make it clear to The Ontario Government that we do not want HST and especially don't want increased taxation right now, or ever!

Prudhomme’s Landing goes up for sale.

A missed opportunity for Niagara... for now at least!

A well known Niagara Property has now been put onto the open real estate market. The 80 acres site formerly housed the infamous Wet ‘n Wild Waterpark and is currently home to a handful of highway commercial uses and variety of derelict buildings, one of which was completely destroyed earlier this week in a fire.

Over the past few years, the current owner has been methodically developing plans for this large and spectacular site. The parcel totals 80 acres and has over 1.0km of Lake Ontario frontage as well as 1.3km of QEW frontage. Current development plans part way through the extensive approval process include a mixed use development with approximately 800 residential units, plus 750,000sq-ft of commercial development. The property is being sold on an unpriced basis.

The current owner is a locally owned and established private equity firm, Ken Fowler Enterprises. This prominent St. Catharines firm has been involved in numerous development projects and businesses such as: Maracay Homes, Muskoka Red Leaves Resort, Home Capital Corporation, West 49th, Jack Astor’s Restaurants and many others.

The owner has been assembling and holding this site for literally decades. I can’t help but wonder why this property would now be disposed of. Is it the economy? Has the developer realized a satisfactory profit by taking the project just half way- probably, but why not follow through? Is it a sudden gloomy forecast for our region’s profitability in the eyes of the sophisticated owners? Perhaps it is a combination of these factors. Maybe it has nothing to do with any of them.

Regardless, I personally believe in Niagara. Not especially St. Catharines, or Niagara Falls, or Niagara on the Lake, but NIAGARA! I think this site allows a tremendous opportunity to make a unique impression on those who pass through our Region on the QEW. Right now we are missing a significant chance to shout out to the surrounding area that Niagara is a great place to be! We have a significant affordability and quality of life advantage over most parts of North America. We have excellent natural beauty and incredible tourism attractions. We have an opportune business location in the epicentre of the prime North American Commercial Corridor.

Unfortunately, as people drive speeding by on the QEW, it doesn’t look like we have much of anything. I sincerely hope that the sale and ultimate development of this high profile, highly visible property will occur swiftly so we people will see that we are not stuck at a standstill. Those speeding by might just slow down to check out major modern developments like those proposed at Prudhomme's Landing. They might be impressed that we would attract such a high level of investment and sophistication. It's sad to see such a significant site trade out of local hands, but maybe it will help to speed up the development and put Niagara on the map! Maybe the new owner will be the first of many to realize Niagara's potential will attract like minded individuals and corporations who will lead the 21st century development Niagara deserves and Niagara citizens should demand.

It's about time people noticed St. Catharines

According to Re/Max Ontario Atlantic, St. Catharines ranks 3rd among most affordable cities for first time buyers. It is indeed about time St. Catharines got noticed. When our average single detached goes for about 50% of Toronto, Oakville and Burlington, it's amazing we haven't become another bedroom community like Barrie.

This was the article in today's Standard....

St. Catharines hot spot for 1st-time buyers: study

If you're planning to buy your first residence, there's no place like home.
Entry-level homes in St. Catharines are among the most affordable in Canada and there's a decent supply of them.
Mortgage rates are at record lows and government incentives are making starter homes attractive.
These trends were revealed in a study Wednesday of first-time buyers by the Re/Max real estate company.
It places St. Catharines third in Ontario of markets surveyed for most affordable detached homes.
The Garden City real estate scene is also almost perfectly balanced between buyers and sellers, it said.
Re/Max said 22 of the 32 Canadian markets in the survey, or 69 per cent, "remain firmly in buyer's market territory."
"This is a great time for first-time buyers," said Al Hines, president of the Niagara Association of Realtors. "And (I agree) we are also a balanced market here between buyers and sellers."
Most homes sold last month in Niagara were in the $150,000 to $250,000 range, Hines said. Those prices are also in the ballpark for first-time home buyers, he said.
The report put a typical entry-level detached home here at $125,000. The most affordable markets for detached homes, based on starting prices, were Moncton at $115,000, Windsor at $75,000 and Winnipeg at $185,000.
The favourable climate for first-time buyers is for several reasons, Hines said.
"Extremely low interest rates (at 4.29 per cent for a five-year, fixed-rate mortgage) have been really driving first-time buyers," he said.
First-time homeowners can now get tax credits for land-transfer taxes and home renovations.
Re/Max said the average overall home sale price in St. Catharines in February fell just over four per cent, compared to the year before, and stands at $197,050. Hines said his Association puts that figure at $198,465.
However, the report said local prices for starter homes and condos in February stayed stable, year over year.
Central and downtown St. Catharines remain popular choices for affordable starter homes, Re/Max added.
Locally, there's a "good selection of properties available for sale," it said.

Buy or Wait?

Always a good question....

Should I buy now, or Wait?

I have discussed this topic with many people recently. The general thinking is that prices may fall a little so maybe waiting to buy real estate is a good plan to save some money on the purchase. What people fail to consider are the numerous factors that come in to play besides the price of the house itself.

In this post I will focus on first time buyers as it is this simplest situation. I will post again soon with an analysis for move up buyers.

So here are some considerations besides the price of the house

1. Federal Government Temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit can save you up to $1,350 on improvements on your new home. Most people buying a new home immediately undertake minor renovations

2. Federal Government Temporary First Time Buyers’ Closing Cost Credit of $750

3. Provincial Government First Time Buyers’ Land Transfer Tax Exemption up to $2000 (unknown how long this program will remain in effect)

4. Interest Rates at Historical Lows.
-If rates rise 1.5% in the 18 months (the same as they have fallen over the last 18 months), then over the 5 year term of a $200,000 mortgage (10% down on a $200,000 house the savings (+/-) would be $14,400. This is accomplished through savings in actual payments which are approx and also approx $4,200 additional principal being paid off with the lower rate.
-With the lower rates, the house is easier to pay for too because your payments would be approx $200/month cheaper
-As a bonus if you really want (although I never recommend going to your max approval) the lower payments mean you would also qualify for an additional $35,000 mortgage so you could expand what your options in terms of finding the right house.

5. Finally- let’s assume you are renting for $1200/month for the 18 months. That is $21,600 that you are giving to your landlord. During the same period owning you would pay $7500 interest to the bank on the $200,000 mortgage. This means that you save $14,000 in the next 18 months by owning instead of continuing to rent.

So let’s do the math add it all up…

Assume you wait 18 months for a $200,000 to drop 5% to a $190,000 price tag. Yes it is true you will save $10,000 on the house if the market does in fact drop 10%. (Our local Niagara outlook is estimated to drop by up to 5% this year and increase approx. 1% in 2010). Let’s go even a step further for the true gamblers and say house prices drop by 10%. That means the $200,000 house will then be $180,000 saving you $20,000 on the house price. We’ll use that number



WAIT TO 18 MONTHS TO BUY AND YOU SAVE
$20,000 on the house of the price
* if in fact prices drop as much as 10% over the next 18 months
(which, for the record, I personally don't believe they will here in Niagara)

OR…

BUY NOW AND SAVE:

$1350 on renovation tax credit
$750 on closing cost rebate
$2000 on land transfer tax rebate
$14,400 saving due to historically low interest rates
$14,000 saving by paying yourself and the bank VS. paying a landlord

GRAND TOTAL SAVINGS: $32,500

Ultimately, the answer to the question, “Should I buy now, or Wait?” seems like a no-brainer on the financial end (once all factors are accounted for, not just the asking price of homes).

Plus, there is something far more important then money- the pride of ownership that comes with having your own home. There is truly nothing better then the feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction that come from home ownership. Your landlord will not be too pleased to see you leave, but I bet that will put a big smile on your face too!

Are you fit to sell??

Re/Max Proudly Presents: Fit To Sell.ca

http://www.fittosell.ca/

This website is designed to give you valuable information about preparing your home for sale. In this slowing market, you need every advantage and this site offers some great tips to maximize your selling price and/or minimize the time it takes to sell. From curb appeal, to dealing with pets, to painting and decor; there are a variety of informative videos and checklists to help prepare your home.

PLUS: There is a contest to win a $25,000 viking appliance kitchen makeover.

Just remember- the most important part of selling your home is choosing the right agent. I sincerely hope you will follow this blog and judge for yourself if I am "Fit To Sell" your home.

-Enjoy the site.

Not all bad news... (local edition)

OMB approves Port Place project




"The Ontario Municipal Board has approved the Port Place development in Port Dalhousie.
Board hearing chair Susan Campbell said the Port Dalhousie Vitalization Corp. condominium and mixed-use development "presents good planning and is in the public interest; and the appropriate mechanism for securing the retention, maintenance and protection of heritage features on site is the site plan agreement and heritage easement agreements."
In her Thursday decision, Campbell said the proposal complies with heritage planning guidelines and legislation."- St. Catharines Standard Online, 2:47pm, Friday February 27th, 2009

Although I know there are many who do not agree- what a happy day for St. Catharines! This is exactly what our beloved city needs at this precise moment in time.

Not all bad news...

10 booming cities despite all the doom and gloom news these days.

http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/Banking/Mortgages/healthiest-housing-markets.aspx?dub-gallery-photo-number=1

Anyone feel like moving across the country?

Organized Real Estate is missing the boat

It's all about GREEN...
I'm not talking money, I am talking about the proposed Ontario Green Energy Act.




(looks familiar huh?)



Well my plan as I post on this blog is to fill you in little by little about myself. A little suspense keeps things interesting (if anyone cares). If no one does, then one post when I am stuck for something to write about I will do an "about me" post. Until then though, I should tell you I am a green minded individual. I am looking forward to sustainability, economic revitalization, the new responsible economy etc. Perhaps it is all a pipe dream, but we can hope right?!?



So there were a number of articles recently (both locally here in St. Catharines and on a larger scale as well) regarding Realtors opposing the Proposed Act.



I will cite a couple, but you probably don't need to read them. They all summarize roughly as follows: Realtors are afraid of "mandatory" energy evaluations at time of sale. Essentially they are worried that there is already enough pressure on the market. Accordingly, now is not the time to add red tape and cost and potentially discourage many people in the market from buying or selling.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090225.GREEN25/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/



http://scstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1450918



So here are my thoughts:


I can't agree with my colleagues who apparently call the shots. The primary reason is that as a professional Realtor I support all efforts to assist buyers in making the most informed decisions possible. From both a “green” standpoint, and a “cost” standpoint it is advantageous for buyers to be aware of the exact costs of home ownership. Any tools that we can put in place to add transparency to the transaction are advantageous. Plus, as a potential seller I would want to know that my green updates will not only save me money in the short term on utility bills, but likely increase resale value as my house being highly efficient would then clearly be more valuable then the identical energy hog next door because the cost of monthly energy use would be $X less. I don’t know why OREA opposes other then the additional expenses and complications associated with condition fulfillment might cool the market more so. I know they are also worried about some homeowners’ values declining because their houses are not up to snuff when it comes to efficiency. Ultimately though, it is our job as Realtors to assist our buyers to make as informed a decision as possible. It is in fact our fiduciary duty to serve our client’s best interest- the cost of energy use is as important to me as the costs discovered during a home inspection identifying items such as broken plumbing, aging roofs, failing HVAC etc. It is time that we Realtors raise the bar again, just like we did bringing in virtually mandatory home inspections. Obviously the market awareness and demand is there- the federal government has already awarded over $52mil to over 52,000 home owners who have completed EcoEnergy audits over the past 18 months since the program’s inception. If we back this program there excellent economic effects as well which will benefit us Realtors in the end. Think of the stampedes by sellers to home depot and to local trades to upgrade their homes. A significant portion ($1000s) gets rebated by the government so they are not out as much as they spent. The rebates include part of the inspection cost. There is also the new federal government home improvement tax credit which can be applied (up to $1350). In the near term all of this spending will keep people in jobs and likely create many new ones too. Think of the required number of new energy inspectors alone, let alone the furnace guys, the window installer, the home depot staff and the like. High employment helps keeps the real estate markets healthy.

The energy efficient upgrades also makes homes more affordable to carry which means more first time buyers will flood into the market. Sure there might be a bit of bureaucratic hassle to handle, but wouldn't it be worth it? After all, in the long term a greener and more energy efficient economy will be more profitable and productive on the Marco level.

It sure would be nice to have a cleaner world too!

Instead of opposing the legislation, let’s trumpet our support for it. It could be a great PR move for Realtors who are often looked upon with a certain level of skepticism. We are adding even more transparency to the transaction with energy audits. What a great service we would be doing the public and the planet. We would be on the forefront of the green future. I am sure that while it might hurt slightly in the short term, it will be a pleasant surprise in the long term to know Realtors care about more then their pocket books.




Seems like a winning PR move to me!!

Silly MacLeans

This was my online post that inspired my "blogginess"

In is a response to a recent front page MacLeans Article, "The shocking truth about the value of your home." I posted this as a comment.

You can find the actual MacLeans article here:

http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/23/the-shocking-truth-about-the-value-of-your-home/

(MacLeans photo which accompanied the article)

The Post...

I am appalled at the one-sided slanderous tone of this article.

Let me be clear- I am a professional Realtor, but I do expect that housing prices will likely fall modestly over the next few years.

Let me also be clear though- I am an intelligent and rational individual and I cannot stand to read this type of shock journalism. I am incensed by the borderline slanderous swipes at my industry and the twisted logic of the author.

Firstly, let's talk about the real estate industry's market outlook. Sure, CMHC revised their forecast, but it seems to me that doing so is quite aboveboard. They are after all a government agency, so one would assume that there is a certain expectation of honesty and integrity. That article infers that a revised forecast indicated some sort of dishonesty in the first place. Perhaps I should remind the author that it was only 4 months ago that the federal government was forecasting a surplus budget. Things changed rather quickly on the Canadian economic front.

In terms of private real estate forecasts, yes perhaps some of the real estate companies might paint a slightly rosier picture then reality I would concede. That said, as private firms, we cannot be outlandishly optimistic or it would clearly hurt our credibility with our ever-so-finicky consumers when they realize we are sailing them down the river. The vast majority of us in the business operate with integrity and high ethical standards with the fiduciary duty of protecting our clients' interest always in mind. I would like to point out that some major real estate companies (not reported in the article) did in fact forecast a significant downward trend for 2009.

Next, let's talk about the claim that the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) "scrubs the data". I find this to be libelous and preposterous. Let me take a moment to explain how CREA data is inputted. It is not through a bunch of Realtors sitting in a room entering the sales at some head office in Toronto. The sales data is collected through each individual agent submitting sales reports to the individual mls boards. These mls boards are integrated (through automated technological processes) to upload the data to a provincial and then national level. To say that Realtors are messing around in this process is totally ridiculous. I am ashamed that my association refused to comment, but that does not infer guilt! I would challenge anyone to take a random sample from CREA data and verify it via the land registry system. I am willing to bet on the accuracy being 99.99% or higher.

It also occurred to me that the whole basis of the "evidence" that the market will drop 20% over the next 10 years is this new futures index. Well firstly it is completely absurd and circular logic to use a speculative index as an indicator of the future and then present this as solid evidence that the market will shift. It made me wonder where the inspiration for such a detailed analysis of the Teranet futures index came from. Perhaps the author has some money invested and will benefit should the market be spooked by major publications presenting these sorts of articles. Hardly unbiased for those who "put their money where there mouth is" to want to see a negative on the market.

Finally, where is the neutrality? Like I mentioned at the beginning of this now lengthily rebuttal posting, I do expect the market to shift downwards. That said, we cannot simply assume that we will follow the same path as the U.S. in terms of housing markets. The author loosely makes this connection and to do so is blatantly wrong. There are so many key differences between the U.S problems and ours that I dare not even list them. Here are a few though: 1. Substantial legal differences in terms of bank repos mean that we don't see houses being liquidated drastically by banks which in turn drives down pricing; 2. Sub prime mortgages account for about 10X as many mortgages in the US as the do proportionally in Canada; 3. We never had the extensive and abusive so called NINJA loan programs that triggered the US slide; 4. We have a vastly different taxation system related to principal residences which means we have far more equity in our homes then our American cousins; 5. Our banks are the most stable in the world and are still operating as such.

Overall, I just hate to read an article like this and sit by idly. I hope that those that have read my posting here will agree that MacLeans should be ashamed of itself for publishing this 'report'. It is makes wild accusations and bases its predictions on circular logic. It is shock journalism and is founded on half-truths. It is ultimately quite biased and one-sided.

Ultimately, I am sad to say that I no longer trust MacLeans to report fairly and with the integrity that I thought I could expect. I guess from now on when I want to you’re your news, I will be reaching to the magazine rack in my bathroom, instead of to the top of my coffee table where I keep the scholarly publications.

Sincerely,
Scott (From St. Catharines)

My First Ever Blog

So here's the dirt...

I like to think about things. I am not shy to share my thoughts, opinions, and advice- whether people like it or not.

If you know me, you know I like to talk. That said, you probably appreciate some of what I have to say. With that in mind I am somewhat surprised that I haven't started a blog earlier.

Let's take a quick step back about six months. I have always been a reader and a computer geek of sorts. I like politics. I like current affairs. I like to seek interesting and entertaining information in my life. As such I read a lot online and have recently (within the past six months) noticed the growing popularity of people commenting on new stories on the news sites themselves.

Well, after reading a MacLeans article today, I wrote my first ever online comment to a news agency. I couldn't seem to stop there though. There were a couple of responses and a little online banter. I partook with glee! I still couldn't stop and I frantically emailed a friend of my about another hot topic.

"Hey this is fun," I thought, "I feel like I am blogging".

And now I am.

So here is my plan:
-At least once weekly I will post;
-I will generally focus on real estate and business;
-Politics will likely come into play slightly as well;
-I am sure there will be the random odd posts related to who knows what;
-This will become my online, out-loud, think tank;
-I hope people will visit and participate and comment and converse.

Wish me luck and enjoy!

In seconds my "second ever" post will be up too, and then I will no longer bother keeping track.