Didn’t we simply do that?
Is life transferring in fast-forward, or is it simply me?
That is the sixteenth seasonal sign-off for me on Toronto Realty Weblog, and each time I do that, it feels just like the final model was just a bit bit nearer behind.
I’d prefer to thank all of the common readers and commenters for his or her continued assist, readership, and contributions over the past 12 months, together with, however most definitely not restricted to:
Appraiser, Condodweller, Ace Goodheart, Derek, Libertarian, Kyle, Marina, Sigruper, Francesca, Ed, London Agent, GinaTo, Mxyzptlk, Jennifer, A Grant, Vancouver Keith, Bryan, Frances, Jenn, Graham, Alexander, Jimbo, Geoff, Bal, East Yorker, Cyber, Patty, RPG, Daniel, No one, J G, Ken Davenport, JL, Julia, JF007, R, Adrian, Common Joe, Pragma, Island Dwelling Proprietor, Buckley B. Buckington, Izzy Bedibida, TokyoTuds, Totally different David, TO PLanner, JG, Marty, Hoob, J, Nameless Realtor, TLM, Toad, Peter, Gypsy, Author, Joel, Anwar, Karolina, ChT, Alex, Nick, Kevin, Home Keys, David (Not the David who runs this web site), Harvard, Jason, Sunshine, Mike, Phil, Sam, DAF, Chantal, Steve, Mike Stevenson, Katie, M, Dan, Steph, Linda, Andrew, Jordan, Keith, Jonathan C, Edwin, hugh, Pete, TT, and anyone else I’ll have missed, regardless of combing by way of 12 months of feedback.
I don’t imagine I noticed any feedback from TRB veterans: Chris, Skilled Shanker, Verbal Kint, Kramer, Jeff316, Chroscklh, and others, whose names I’ve etched in my mind after years of studying their feedback.
Belief me after I say that I keep in mind all my weblog pals and foes.
This 12 months, we handed 50,000 feedback on TRB, and I’m amazed on the names I can keep in mind from way back to 2007. Quite a lot of weblog readers have come and gone over time, some staying for a short while, others staying for much longer. However most of the present readers have been right here for so long as I can keep in mind, and I’m really honoured to see their names pop up within the feedback part again and again. Hobbies and curiosity come and go, particularly on the planet at the moment the place one million completely different stimulants are vying for our consideration regularly. So to see the readers frequent the positioning regularly warms my coronary heart and confirms a job nicely carried out.
I had an incredible 12 months on TRB and loved each minute of writing. Though my 42-year-old fashion and voice could have modified from the youthful model of myself as I penned blogs within the late-2000’s, the objective stays the identical: to convey honesty and transparency to an trade that desperately wants it. Whereas there’s extra transparency now than after I began the weblog in 2007, I nonetheless really feel that these behind-the-scenes tales and discussions, and analyses of matters that different individuals received’t contact are as vital as ever.
I used to be speaking to Chris final week in regards to the now-infamous posts I wrote in regards to the condos being constructed (and fought over…) in Leaside. Just a few nasty feedback have been posted on the weblog, probably from space residents, and Chris mentioned, “You do notice that no different actual property agent within the metropolis would write what you probably did, and danger alienating an entire group, proper?”
That’s precisely the purpose.
I grew up in Leaside and I stay in Bennington. I’m in that group and I’ve an opinion. And if my opinion differs from a handful of self-interested NIMBY home-owners, that doesn’t imply I’m not going to share it!
I began this weblog in 2007 as a result of I noticed that the majority brokers are yes-men who merely smile and inform individuals how nice every thing is. However how boring is that?
The place’s the worth in an actual property agent if she or he doesn’t have an opinion and converse it usually?
I could also be older, I could also be wiser, and I’ll discuss extra at the moment about youngsters and married life than I did fifteen years about nightclubbing and touring, however I’ll by no means compromise my core values.
Some Realtors really feel that the best way to achieve success is to hone in on a group, be part of the PTA, frequent social golf equipment, smile, shake palms, kiss infants, hand out pies within the park, agree with everybody and every thing, and by no means specific an unpopular opinion.
However it ain’t me, babe. No, no, no, it ain’t me, babe. It ain’t me you’re lookin’ for, babe.
I now have two weeks “off” earlier than we begin up once more in 2023.
What within the world am I going to do with all that point?
I completely love this time of 12 months and no, it’s not as a result of I’m not busy and never working. In reality, I don’t do nicely after I’m out of my factor.
It’s simply that “heat and fuzzy” feeling you get across the holidays.
As an atheist who celebrates Christmas and Hannukah, it’s powerful to elucidate.
I really like the lights. I really like the decorations. I really like the odor of a Christmas tree (all ya’ll together with your faux plastic bushes are lacking out…), I really like baking shortbread cookies (regardless of the youngsters combating), I really like making pizza from scratch (regardless of the flour getting all over the place), I really like the heat of the hearth (even when it’s fuel and never wood-burning), I really like watching my mom ask the youngsters to gentle the Hanukkah candles (even when they’re too younger and hearth scares the hell out of them), and I really like the time I spend with my household, which comes with out the anxiousness that surrounds me for eleven months of the 12 months due to my chosen occupation.
There may be a lot to look ahead to over the following two weeks.
I’m trying ahead to seeing my brother and his household once they arrive from London, as I do know my daughter is just too!
I can’t wait to see my youngsters’ faces once they come down on Christmas morning and regale upon the bounty of items that an intruder left in our home after he broke in, tousled our chimney, ate our cookies, dislodged some shingles together with his sled on the roof, and let his reindeer crap on our garden.
I’m principally already fasting for the mashed-potato-and-gravy feast on December twenty sixth. I would possibly eat some turkey as nicely, however don’t depend on it.
My spouse has a ton of occasions deliberate for us. She’s good at that. Casa Loma, Glow Gardens, Santa Categorical Practice in Uxbridge, skating at Nathan Phillips Sq., the Vacation Lights in Yorkville, the Winter Market within the Distillery, and lord solely is aware of what else.
And I’m actually trying ahead to watching Elf for the thousandth time. And Dwelling Alone, which I really like watching whereas having fun with an alcoholic beverage…..alone. Is that bizarre? Is that film for teenagers? I simply actually love the 1990’s. And nostalgia. And my childhood. And something with Joe Pesci…
I’m additionally trying ahead to beginning 2023 with the objective of working 1,000 KM, but once more.
I used to be off to an incredible begin this 12 months, working 10K’s with regularity in February and March, culminating with that wonderful 10KM run in Hampstead Heath after I was in London, England. However I got here again to Toronto, mangled my ankle the very subsequent day, and it took me till September to get again to working with regularity, however solely 5-6KM at a time. Then simply final week, I re-aggravated a lower-back harm that actually saved me in mattress for 3 days. Sigh. Life…
My brother and I made a pact to run a marathon within the fall of 2023. I can’t recall if alcohol was a think about that pact, however extra probably for me than him. Time will inform if that was pie-in-the-sky or one thing to work towards.
I hope we will all use the upcoming holidays to replicate a bit on our hopes and goals for the 12 months forward, and possibly acknowledge that regardless of the trials and tribulations of the final three years, the problems we focus on with regularity that bemoan this metropolis, and a continuing stream of desires and desires that go unfulfilled, we even have it fairly rattling nicely!
Thanks once more to the TRB group for studying, watching, commenting, and interacting right here on Toronto Realty Weblog over the course of 2022.
Wishing you all well being and happiness by way of the vacations and into the brand new 12 months!
David.