Well.  It’s been a little while.  But just a little while this time, right?  I started this blog post a few weeks ago (weeks?  Really?) and it was an ode to my faithful blog readers as well as prospective clients.  Fear not, there was also some humility involved, as I’ve yet to experience a full day where my foot is not firmly ensconced in my mouth.  Case in point:  the Linden was close to completion, and the cleaners were scheduled at the same time I was expecting a prospective client to come through the model to see the quality of our finishes.  Honestly, I never get tired of these walk-throughs – Phil makes me look soooo good.  Anyhow, I was running late (having taken some time to chose a flattering maternity-friendly outfit and pick a few noodles out of my hair – you’re welcome) and was a little frazzled when I pulled up to the house.  There was a nice-looking couple standing in the driveway beside the cleaner’s van who looked, frankly, like they owned the place.  Since I knew they were not the homeowners I went with my next assumption – they were the cleaners.  They were not, but were gracious enough not to make me feel like the fool I felt like.  She was a loyal blog reader and after seeing me pull up at the house, decided to take me up on my standing offer TO THE INTERNET of walking through the model home while it was still a model.  You sweet thing.  I was blown away by how considerate and kind both she and her partner were, and while we walked through the house mentally berated myself for making an assumption and for not being friendlier at the outset.  I really appreciate all of the kind things you had to say about our homes and thank you for what I hope is your continued readership!  This visit was followed up with the scheduled one, which was more of the same.  Thanks too to J & M for taking the time to come through and admire Phil’s handiwork. 

My next blog post was going to be about this time of year and how absolutely crazy it’s been.  I mean, really nuts.  On the real estate side, I did more business last month than I did all of last year.  Phil’s reaction to that little statement isn’t quite as lovely as I had imagined but we all know he’s the pessimist in this relationship :)  Add to that the large volume of quotes that spring always brings for Phil’s business, a pre-sold home that needs to start NOW, and the fact that we chose to move in mid-April, and you just might understand why I’ve been a little slow (okay Phil, slower than usual…) at returning calls.  And email messages.  But mostly calls.  I’m going to let you in on a little secret – the couple of days when our home phone was disconnected were some of the best days of my life.  But, I am working on changing my attitude towards time spent on the phone.  As in, trying to rekindle the passion I felt for that handset between the ages of twelve and fifteen.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress – or maybe you’ll be lucky enough to judge for yourself…  Anyhow, while meeting with a developer recently, the topic of sales calls came up.  Or what I like to refer to as “the dog-and-pony show.”  There seems to be some confusion between Phil and I as to who the dog is and who is the pony, but I figure I am the latter as my belief is that Phil married a show pony but ended up with a work horse.  He doesn’t quite see it that way but I am NOT going to ask him to clarify which point he disagrees with :)  I was also told this week that I am a shark dressed up in a goldfish costume.  Definitely working on taking this as a compliment, although that’s not how it was intended.  Thank you, real estate business.  Anyhow, I guess the short version of this story would be to tell you that we’re revamping the way we handle sales calls in the future, in an attempt to streamline efficiencies and eliminate references to animals.  In an unparalleled move, Phil has provided me with per-square-foot pricing (Hallelujah!) which has already made my life (and those of some prospective clients and their realtors) much easier.  If you are considering a construction project and would like to discuss pricing with me, I would be pleased to meet with you!  That’s the second part of our new plan – Phil isn’t going to attend all sales calls any more – he’ll be pulled in when necessary.  As in, just before I promise a price far below market price.  There’s that shark factor again…

Finally, the blog post that I was working on this afternoon.  Insert rant warning here.  It being April 30, I had the pleasure of visiting the Sudbury CRA office to pay not one bill but three.  In addition to our quarterly HST, both my and Phil’s income tax bills were due.  Oh CRA workers, how I love to come by just around shift change time.  All of those cheery, smiling faces.  I’m telling you people, if you can’t have fun here, you can’t have fun anywhere.  And that’s just on an average visit.  But today, today you really managed to thrill me.  Because not only did I have to take some time from my hectic day to come by with some hard-earned funds for your voracious deposit box, I was also faced with what might have been the least intelligent decision made by CRA officials to date.  And yes, I do remember the introduction of HST.  Today when I pulled into the parking lot at the CRA building, there was a line-up at a small machine with a sign informing all unfortunate visitors that not only was our impending payment insufficient, we would now have to pay for the privilege of parking as we made said payment.  But that’s not even the capper here, folks.  There is a minimum charge and it is ONE HOUR.  Trust me, if the day comes where I am forced into that monolith for an entire hour, it’s unlikely that I would need my vehicle to wait for my return.  That’s what police cars are for.  Anyhow, I inserted my $1.00 and headed inside.  Don’t worry – I didn’t leave my 2-year old in the truck.  If I was going to be miserable while waiting in line to fork over my money, everybody was coming to the party with me.  Now, I’m by no way saying that I don’t appreciate all that we have to be grateful for in this country, and on most days, don’t really mind that a significant portion of my income goes towards such benefits.  When my daughter was born in 2010 and I had a (fortunately) small dust-up with ovarian cancer, you’d better believe that I was grateful to live in a country where good medical assistance is readily available.  However, these feelings of goodwill and gratitude fade pretty quickly at the thought of the size of the Sudbury CRA building and all that it contains.  As I stood in line, three cheques in hand, I started calculating the real cost of my payments.  First of all, we have to fight adversity (not to mention a fickle housing market) just to earn some money in the first place.  Then, we pay our accountant (dearly) to calculate how much we owe the government.  The government then erects these incredibly large buildings to house what must amount to tens of thousands of drones workers to audit this information.  Sometimes, carefully.  Sometimes, not-so-carefully.  But the end result is usually the same.  And on, and on the cycle continues.  After reading bits and pieces about America’s Tea Party (and yes Phil, I do realize that nobody but me refers to the US as America) and I have to stay it’s sounding pretty logical at this point.  And I’m not even going to get into that $16 glass of orange juice here.  Because if anybody deserves to drink a $16 glass of orange juice, it’s a civil servant.  Light on the “servant,” please.  This is the Savoy after all.

So, there you have it.  A pretty wild couple of weeks, but fulfilling at the same time.  And if this post gave the wrong impression, I am grateful for all that we have.  Past clients, prospective clients, kind clients.  Blog readers.  A warm home.  OHIP.  A car to park in the CRA parking lot and an income to justify income tax.  Pending quotes.  Pending building permits.  A really creative good accountant.  Our health.  The return of Bryan Baeumler and his saying “You get what you pay for and what you don’t pay for, you don’t get.” What are you grateful for today?

Back in elementary school, that formed the basis of much of the advice I freely dispensed to my twelve year old girlfriends.  Please, go ahead and imagine the scale of my popularity… Now fast forward (okay, it doesn’t take THAT long!) to today and the saying is one I find myself applying to our business as well.  We have been completely overwhelmed by the volume of requests this spring (if you consider 6 degrees to be spring…) and it’s definitely challenging to stay focused or as my elementary school teachers would say:  “Stay on task.”  Especially in the midst of a complex quote, difficult decision, or in the face of 14 voicemail messages in the span of one hour, it’s very tempting to move on to the next hot thing. 

So, to all of our clients from the past, current clients, faithful suppliers, blog readers, and those we’ve been working with over the past several months in hopes of building the home of their dreams, I apologize if this has felt at times like a waiting game.  You are constantly on our minds and we are doing our utmost to make everything work for everyone.  And if it benefits us at the end, well that’s just a bonus.  As I’ve gotten in the habit of telling anyone who will listen (much to Phil’s annoyance) – we don’t just build houses from the ground up, we’re building a business that way too.  And if you find yourself in that “next hot thing” category, please have patience with us too.  I hope I’m right in saying that our previous clients would tell you that we’re worth it

In the same spirit as this blog post, there was an article last month in the Real Estate Magazine (see, RECO?  I DO read it!) titled “Taking responsibility.”  It speaks about whether one assumes the role of the victim or the role of responsibility as a real estate representative.  The author, Bruce Keith, discards a few sales myths:

1.  It’s okay to be five minutes late for an appointment. 
2. My customers like it better when I “dress down”.  It makes them more relaxed.
3. The salespeople who sell the most are very lucky.  Besides, who wants to work that hard?

There are a few more but they pertain pretty particularly to real estate – these three are forming the core of how I am attempting to transform the manner in which I approach not just my own business, but Monkhouse Homes Limited as well.  I will be the very first (yet not the last…sigh) to admit that my standards have gotten more lax since becoming self-employed.  It’s easier to let things slide when the only person you have to answer to is…yourself.  That’s right, Phil – no matter how many times you tell me otherwise, I do not have a boss.   

So, over the next few months (until that well-deserved vacation maternity leave kicks in) please feel free to hold me accountable – to provide status updates, to be prompt, to eliminate university sweatshirts from my office wardrobe, whatever it may be – in an effort to improve on what we’ve been building.  With one caveat – anybody is welcome to chime in here, with the exception of – you guessed it, Phil.  Sorry big man – maybe next time.  Until then…

There I go again, (trying) to be funny.  Well, it IS a new blog post, so let’s take what we get.

The title is in reference to meeting a blog follower reader in person this past Sunday.  Besides being pretty nice, he was honest too.  Especially when he pointed out my laziness in posting.  The truth hurts, but I won’t hold it against him!  This meeting came about as a result of the open house at the ILLEGAL build next door.  Phil and I were unloading light fixtures at the Linden on Grenoble Court and in the span of 5 minutes had two couples knocking at our door.  I will definitely consider this the next time I think about what I spend on advertising for an open house!  Thanks to these two couples who (hopefully) have an interest in what Monkhouse Homes has to offer.  You certainly made our Sunday!

The next blog topic in my schedule was a rant on taxes (which likely explains my tardiness in getting that one out…) but instead I would like to summarize some interesting information from an old Report on Business article featuring Mickey Drexler, the chairman and CEO of J. Crew.  Oh wow – Phil is out picking up a vanity at the moment, but I can already hear him:  “what do fashion and construction have in common?”  And no, he’s not saying it in a nice tone of voice

When asked how he defines J. Crew’s very clear brand, he says “J. Crew is for people who have a sense of style and taste that’s important to them.  They want clothes that are wearable, that they can emotionally connect to.  These people care about how they look.  They care about the cars they drive, the colour of their cars.  They want a product of great integrity.”  Minus the wearable part, I really feel that there are some parallels between his customers and ours.  On the sales side, I have definitely seen a big change in not only what’s available from flooring to kitchen features, but the demands being made by our clients for even more choice. 

The other point of interest (to me anyhow) had to do with competition:  “The economy now is zero sum.  The only way you’re going to get business today is to take it away from somebody else.”  He also went on to say that it’s a sport but I wouldn’t go this far.  Having been on both sides of the “taking” equation, I don’t find much enjoyable about that part.  Then again, anybody who knew me around 1995 knows that sports are not really my thing.  Stop laughing, all of you.

On the business front, no new announcements to make, but we are working on some new developments.  I’m really feeling like 2012 is going to be a good year for us, as we’ve been approached for a few new projects that we likely wouldn’t have been considered for even a year ago.  It feels good to have some choice in this regard, especially when I think back to the vacant land market back when we started and the desperation we felt to secure lots here there and everywhere.  We still build all over the city, but feel (slightly) more organized about doing so now.  I have a site plan for the new Southfield Park development in Lively (cul-de-sac off Bonnie Drive) – if you’re interested please send me a message for further details. 

New photos of the new Linden model should be forthcoming soon – I’m promised told that flooring install starts next week.  Some pretty different choices for this house, all in grey/cream (and a little purple!) palette that I’m excited to share with you.

And, if you’re in the neighbourhood during the next open house at the ILLEGAL build on Grenoble Court and see our truck parked next door, don’t hesitate to come by for a tour.  Let’s put that other agent’s hard-earned advertising dollars to work, shall we?

Well.  I guess you could say it’s been awhile.  But not without good reason!  You’ll have to keep reading to find out why though

To say that we’re slightly overwhelmed would be an incredible understatement at this point.  It might as well be July as January February – there might be snow on the ground, but that’s pretty much where the differences end.  We are grateful for the hustle (especially at this time of year) but I’m not sure who is getting less sleep at this point.  Phil would definitely say it’s him, RIGHT PHIL?

So, the good – and yes, there is plenty of it.  We are just about at quota for the 2012 construction season.  This tends to take the heat off somewhat, which is a relief.  The Rallan is currently listed for sale on MLS (#1011565) and is located at 170 Bonnie Drive in Lively.  We still have a lot at 82 Bonnie Drive and are hoping to come up with a plan (including a 2-3 car split garage) for it shortly.  Phil has tentatively decided to proceed with construction of the Kennedy on our Landreville lot – the view of Timberwolf Golf Course from this home won’t disappoint.  This home should be listed on MLS within the next 2-3 weeks.  In an ideal world anyhow. 

The Kennedy

 The bad – this is where I’m really struggling.  Not just with a few of the situations we’re dealing with, but how to share them on this forum while retaining my diplomacy.  Phil and I have had some tough conversations over the last few months, as some of the decisions we’re making have the potential to set precedent for our business in the future.  We usually begin by discussing what other builders would do in the same situation, and much like the roofing decision from this past fall, realize that we don’t typically make decisions the way other builders do.  This is great for our clients, but sometimes poor for things like our bottom line.  We try to respect the fact that our clients choose us because we’re different from other builders, and therefore have to solve problems differently.  And here’s my first disclaimer:  if a builder ever tells you that they have yet to have a problem, RUN.  I am a snob with perfectionist tendencies, a habit of trying to control every little thing both going into and coming out of our business, and yet we still have problems.  They’re out there.  Sometimes they’re small, and they sort of knock on your door to alert you of their presence with a bit of time to act.  More recently, they blow the whole house down leaving only the door standing.  Please keep in mind this is only imagery – we’ve never had a house blow down.  The other piece I’m finding to be a challenge is how to stay the same in a business that is constantly evolving.  It’s often been said that it’s easy to be good, to be kind, to be nice when things are going your way; the true test comes when things are not.   There is a big part of me that doesn’t want to do away with the good, the kind, the nice – even in the face of unprofessionalism and pettiness.  If this business changes me to that point, I feel that more has been lost than can be recovered.  This goes for Phil as well.  Long before we were married, I felt he was the fairest person ever.  They say you marry your father, and in this respect I have to agree.  Over the years, in business particularly, Phil has had many opportunities to take advantage of a situation some would call a “victimless crime.”  As in, he would profit, but not necessarily at someone’s expense.  Even in these cases, he takes the high road.  Every. Single. Time.  It’s not easy being married to someone like this, but I appreciate having him as my moral compass.  Please don’t tell him that part though.  The toughest part of working with someone with these high standards comes when someone else fails to act properly.  It really hurts him when something unfair occurs, especially if it could have been prevented or was done in a calculating or malicious manner.  In Phil’s world, everyone would be honest, would be fair, and while life wouldn’t necessarily be any greater, everyone would be on even footing.  So at this point, he’s struggling too.  I’m not sure I want to see a Monkhouse Homes where I don’t feel good buying a housewarming gift or Phil acts unfairly.  As much as we’re being pushed in that direction, I hope we can resist – at least a little while longer.

The (not-so) Ugly

Well, that last bit was pretty depressing.  Rest assured that we will live to see another day, to build another house.  Hopefully yours!  Anyhow, you know it’s some kind of day when THIS! improves your mood.  It’s an entirely different thing to pull over and covertly snap a photo.  This is what I call looking on the bright side.  It might also have something to do with potty training, which is a big topic in our home right now.  If just one of these toilets had been not just lavender in colour but covered in Dora stickers as well, you might have seen me on the news that night running across Kelly Lake Road carrying one, to the sheer amazement and unadulterated glee of our two-year old.  Small things, right?

"Where have you been all of my life?"

Okay, so you’ve been pretty patient.  The biggest reason (besides constant chaos and sheer laziness) for the delay in posting has been the big news for our family.  While Phil was busy building houses, you could say I was busy building our family.  This summer, our family will grow by 2 feet!  If you haven’t seen (what used to be) my waist lately, WE’RE EXPECTING!  I took this to mean my maternity leave was in immediate effect but unfortunately Phil is familiar with labour laws and sent me back to the office.  For another few months anyhow.  As I’ve said before, there is no light without dark.  In this case, there is no dark without light.  And boy, are we grateful for the light.

I guess you can consider this the second time I’ve posted about being humbled.  Only if you’re LIKE THAT and keep count, PHIL.

Last week the weather started to turn, and Phil had planned for a rain day.  In his mind, this means that he can tackle some paperwork, accomplish overdue planning, and have the computer all to himself for more than five minutes without someone screaming “Barney Barney Barney” (I’ll give you a hint – that person is not me).  In my mind, rain day is an altogether different animal.  I picture more of a family outing day, including plenty of daddy-daughter bonding time (where I get to have a nap).  Clearly, we were both about to be schooled.

The morning of the rain day, Phil received a text message from Mother Nature.  It read:

I.AM.NOT.PLAYING.

Okay, so it wasn’t actually from Mother Nature, but pretty close.  One of our favourite clients (and if you’re thinking that I describe all of our clients that way, you just might be right….) Mr. A sent Phil this photo:

Immediately, Phil knew his plans were going in the same direction that many of those shingles did – straight to hell.  I was disappointed too, as I figured my Starbucks visit was probably out the window too.  Feel free to cry yourself to sleep tonight.

So, Phil being Phil, he donned his new construction work clothes (really hunting gear but don’t tell the CRA…) and headed over to assess the damage.  Let me tell you, that photo did not lie.

Our concerns were different but equally important.  Yes, they were, Phil.  Being the one up on the roof, Phil was concerned for his safety and that of the other guys working.  He was worried about scheduling his (new) roofers.  He was worried about paying for all of this.  He was worried that water would leak into the A’s home and cause further damage and disruption.

Now, I know that you’re thinking I was worried about how to craft a clever yet poignant blog post about all of this.  And you would be WRONG.  Beyond being concerned about the homeowners (always), I was concerned about perception.  As in, how other builders/developers in that subdivision, as well as potential clients would perceive the quality of our construction.  Add to this mess the fact that I had told a very serious (I hope!) potential client to drive through the subdivision and pay special attention to our homes.  One of which no longer had an intact roof.  Do I need to show you the picture again?

So, the last thing I was planning on doing was writing about this, especially with photographic evidence.  Until I realized that this is the kind of opportunity money can’t buy.  Well, besides paying for a new roof anyhow.  Monkhouse Homes didn’t have to fix this.  We could have asked the homeowner to submit a claim through his own insurance.  We could have pushed him to contact Tarion.  We could have ignored his call, his text.  But that isn’t us.  Even though the roof is less than two years old, we know that it should be performing better.  So we’re replacing it.  It won’t be cheap.  It won’t be easy.  But it’s the right thing to do.

After my Dad died, I struggled with the overwhelming task of dealing with his estate as well as my grief.  Sometimes I wanted to give up.  Until someone told me:

“the RIGHT thing and the HARD thing are usually the SAME thing.”

There you are, just waiting around the corner.  Right next to hindsight and oh yes my best friend REASONABLE EXPECTATION.  Clearly, it’s been awhile.

Not sure how many others have a husband willing to phone-flirt (yes, it’s a word) with Eastlink in order to obtain Leafs TV and HBO for a free trial subscription, but if you do and you watched the documentary Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County last night, you are totally with me when I say WOW.  Here I am (like most of you, probably) worried about choosing the right kitchen faucet, hollering at a supplier when an install is late, or praying that the family room colour isn’t too-whatever.  Cue these children – incredibly sweet, very smart, and living with their entire family in one motel room.  Which just happens to be across the street from Disney Land.  Obviously, because life just isn’t cruel or ironic enough.  There is a definite tie-in with housing here, and I’m really trying to figure out a way to contribute, even in some little way, to this cause.  We are considering donating a portion of each home sale to Project Hope School, which is featured in the film and was created to accommodate these kids (50 weeks of the year) so that they don’t fall through any more cracks than what they have already.  Their website is www.projecthopeschool.org and they accept donations directly through the site. 

Watching this sadly truthful documentary did not unfortunately prevent me from feeling absolutely sorry for myself this morning as I drove through Azilda.  No, it’s not Azilda’s fault, just some sad memories about a happier time there.  Anyhow, I was on my way to visit a client from last year and I was armed with these:

Enter deliciousness.  I take no credit whatsoever – thanks to Custom Cakes and Treats on Lasalle. 

Monkhouse Homes created a new policy last week in light of moving from a “new” company to a company with clients who have been in their homes for years instead of mere months.  Or weeks.  Or days, right S family? Each year, on the anniversary of the closing date, our clients can count on seeing me (you were expecting Phil??) as well as some goodies, which are going to stay under wraps on the blog for the time being.  This is a great opportunity to catch up, hear about what’s right (and even what’s not-so-right) with the home and complete any necessary Tarion paperwork (30 day form, one-year form, two-year form).  First visit was implemented today, and happened to be with one of our nicest clients.  Apparently there are no coincidences.  Anyhow, this couple has a stunning home in an incredible setting and an eye for decorating like I’ve never seen.  Her colour scheme is unconventional but totally works.  The coffee was just right, we had a great chat, and I left with – what’s that?  Oh, right.  PERSPECTIVE.  Azilda, you totally rock.  Thanks to N, that’s not ALL I left with:

I call her Difficult Customer.  Just kidding. 

So, not sure Phil will count this towards my official post quota (oh yes, now that I have readers, he’s all into this “little” project and has even requested editing rights.  As if…) but I thank you for sticking with this my musings on what sometimes feels like everything except new construction, and if you’re new, no, they’re not ALL like this.

Wow.  We’ve finally had a few minutes to process all of the excitement from the last few days and all I can say is…wow.

Monkhouse Homes was chosen as the host builder for the LEEP / TAP initiative project unveiling on September 29, and we are so fortunate that our soon-to-be (happy) homeowners allowed us to use their home as the showcase site.  In addition to being incredibly easy to work with and so gracious about the event, they even attended!  The turnout was wonderful – I could not get over how many media representatives were there.  And yes, I shamelessly PVR’d Phil’s TV appearance :)   The President of EnerQuality came all the way from Toronto (not to be outdone by Natural Resources Canada from Ottawa), and it was great (as always) to see a familiar face from Union Gas.  SDHBA board members showed their support (and as fellow builders, this was meaningful!) as did some of our suppliers and reps from the City.  Laura from the Association did a great job putting the event together and completely amazed Phil and I with the speaking notes that she prepared for him.  In terms of hospitality, my eternal gratitude goes to Dave from 38 Gourmet who made sure that this crowd of (mostly) men did not leave hungry.  They could have eaten a little more though so that the leftover cookies didn’t find their way into my kitchen mouth.  Last but not least, shout-out to Michaels (and not “Michael’s – thanks for the correction…) and the two ladies working in the floral design department.  Last week, I popped in to find a seasonally appropriate arrangement for this event and was BLOWN AWAY by what they created while I waited patiently (and the baby waited not-so-patiently).  Are you feeling the love yet?

So, on to LEEP / TAP.  Have had this on my list of post topics forever, but have been secretly not-so-secretly dreading writing anything about it.  Thanks to my almost-sister Kelly who posted an Einstein quote on facebook this week to get me motivated : “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”  Bingo. First, the acronyms:  LEEP stands for Local Energy Efficiency Partnership and TAP stands for Technology Adoption Pilot.  Can you believe the government came up with that??  Just kidding, JAMES.  This program was initially launched in London, Ontario and more recently in four regional Home Builder Associations (London, BILD Toronto, Hamilton/Niagara, and Sudbury if you care…).  I laughed reading the program backgrounder when I came across the following: “Within each local a group of enthusiastic builders…” That would be putting it mildly when it comes to Phil and energy efficiency.  Let’s just say we’re lucky to have a child with all the bedtime reading he does… So each builder constructed a Discovery home and implemented various energy efficient technologies such as triple-glazed windows, ICF foundations, solar-ready systems, etc.  As much as we enjoyed and benefited from participating in this program, many of the technologies were features that we have previously included in our homes.  Not that I’ve ever been accused of blowing our own horn…

If you’d like further info on the LEEP / TAP program, you can either visit www.enerquality.ca or our personal residence, as Phil would never turn anybody looking to discuss green building away.  I kid you not.   Here is some of the media coverage from the event:

                Q 92’s online blog post: http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/q92sudburynews/2011/09/29/5-sudbury-home-builders-part-of-technology-adoption-pilot-tap/

                CBC radio interview with Phil: http://www.cbc.ca/pointsnorth/episodes/2011/09/30/new-environmental-standards-for-home-builders/

So, a big thank-you once again to everyone involved in the project and the host home tour in September.  And now, photos. 

It was as good as it looked...

Short formal program followed by a tour followed by my ego enlarging...

No, Phil was not retouched. And yes Mr. McBurney, I am SHAMELESS

After a few months of (ongoing) unpacking, I managed to find my soap box.  It turns out I can’t be humble for long.  You are shocked, I know.  Anyway, the subjects of my fury this post have a few things in common but the most outstanding one would be a total and complete lack of ethics.  Oh, and the desire to argue with me which Phil anybody will tell you is a fool’s mistake. 

One night last week, Phil brought the ipad up to bed (the man never stops playing Angry Birds working) and pulled up a listing for a bungalow in the Grenoble Court subdivision for one of our houses (the Ashbury).  Now, I’m good – but I’m not THAT good.  Listings are usually a pretty big deal around here, and while I’ve had some “off” weeks, never have I missed a listing.  Well, it turned out that while the house was indeed one we had built, it was another builder’s listing.  I DID NOT SLEEP THAT NIGHT.  I know – people are starving and dying in the world – but this listing made my blood boil.  The next morning, I phoned the realtor to ask why ON EARTH he would use a photo of one of our homes (that someone is actually living in) to advertise his builder.  I expected embarrassment, sheepishness, hesitation, and a big.fat.apology.  Apparently this was not my day.  Or was my day, if you consider that I LOVE ARGUING MOOT POINTS.  First, he explained that he didn’t know it was MY house.  I pointed out that it was somebody’s house, right?  Then he said it wasn’t HIS fault that the builder hadn’t built this model before and he needed a photo of SOMETHING for the listing.  The details are still hazy, but I think it was this point that made me snap.  EVERY new model for us is exactly that – a new model.  So, how do we obtain material with which to advertise?  We pay approximately $2000 to a company specializing in construction renderings.  And that sum doesn’t even begin to include the amount of time that I spend with that company making sure that every detail down to the window panes reflects the image of our company.  I guess I really am the idiot here – why would I go to all of this trouble when I could simply drive around town with my cell snapping (crappy) photos of unsuspecting homes that I hadn’t built, didn’t own, and most certainly hadn’t bothered to obtain permission to photograph. And then advertise as being for sale.  Can you imagine how you might feel if you were to see YOUR HOME on mls.ca??  After bringing up this last point in vain, I could tell that the conversation was not going anywhere. I asked him to remove our photo before the end of the day.  You can really tell that he is a detail-oriented individual because although the photo was removed (leaving a blank image in its place) the description of the home still reads “to be built similar to photo.”  Survival of the fittest in this industry still exists, right? 

We have been (and continue to feel) excited about the Grenoble Court subdivision, but one issue we find challenging is the plethora of (okay, two) private builds in the development.  Should you have lots of time on your hands and enjoy the prospect of me talking AT you for about six or eleven hours, please message me so that I can tell you why I am against private builds.  Because although this post is long, there isn’t enough room on the internet for my rant on THAT one.  Anyhow, there is a privately-built home for sale in the subdivision currently, and when I spoke with the listing agent (not the same one as above, but they have got to be from the same circular family tree) he told me that there is “nothing wrong” with what his client is doing.  When I pointed out that what his client is doing is illegal, I got *crickets* on the phone.  I assume because this realtor is so used to playing it unsafe that the word “illegal” didn’t even faze him.  Again, there was not much use in arguing with what amounted to an overpaid brick wall, so I dropped it.  It’s my hope that all of those precious dollars I send to Tarion (I can hear the illegal builders now – “Terry who???”) are going to be put to good use this quarter in laying some heavy fines.  For the love of all things good, I need a good night’s sleep

Well, this IS getting long, but I hate to end on a negative note.  Anybody who attended George Vanier PS in Lively BEFORE they demolished it might remember a creepy little poster downstairs outside of the library.  It featured a disturbing looking painter splashing paint all over the sun (and himself).  The motivating slogan was “it’s hard to spread sunshine without getting a little on yourself.”  Cheesy, but also applicable to negativity.  So, I’ll end with a laugh, courtesy of Michael’s.  SHOUT OUT to them…more about that in the next post.  For now, here’s what Everleigh and I picked up for the office this week – I’ll just say that Phil is less than impressed.  Considering the kind of month we’re having, I say the timing couldn’t have been better.

A well-earned shout out to Red Cow Technology on the east coast (that’s Canada and NOT India…) and the fabulous Andy Carr, Kristelle Morgan, and Ryan MacVicar who have worked through some challenging technical issues in order to bring our site back to being as close to perfect as can be.  Thank you for your sense of humour and understanding that no, I wasn’t really joking when I just asked that question ANDY.

The 2011 construction season was a hot one – both literally and figuratively.  If you haven’t been through the Grenoble Court subdivision in some time, GO. NOW.  Just kidding.  Sort of.  We were so proud to have the first house up in the neighbourhood, and have added a second, the Camden.  It’s fabulous and features the James Hardie fibre cement siding that I have raved about in the past.

The downside (as we quickly learned…oh fate, why did we tempt you?) of testing a product that is not widely used in our area is a complete lack of qualified installers.  I have never personally spent so much time on site and on the phone with contractors and guess you can say spent a few weeks in Phil’s shoes.  More like work boots.  Gross.

Thanks to Shawn and his dad Paul (aka Jingles) the project was completed and our newest clients (I call them the M&M’s) were able to call this house home.  The experience did not come without a large dose of humility though, as this was our first and hopefully last delayed closing.  Never again will we be able to tell a prospective client (hopefully, that’s you) that we’ve never been late on a closing.  However, we can tell you that we’ve been through the process and lived to tell the tale.  Hopefully I’m not speaking out of turn when I say that the M&M’s are relatively pleased with the way we handled the situation AND continue to invite us to their parties.  We really like parties.

Monkhouse Homes was also thrilled to work with two custom clients this summer – one home will be featured as part of the LEEP / TAP initiative and should be completed shortly.  You might say we committed a robbery on the second one – that is, we “stole” clients away from a pre-fab home builder in Montreal.  You’re welcome, Ontario. They had made a deposit and finalized their prints before realizing they could not live in anything less than one of our homes.  Or something like that…

Construction has also been started on the Rallan, an impressive two-storey home on Bonnie Drive in Lively.  Pricing and details to come, but it’s a large home and will be stunning.  Promise.

To close this season, we’re also doing one last home in Grenoble Court before calling it quits for the year and flying to our winter home in Monaco.  Right…  The Linden is a 1650 square foot bungalow and is a brand new design both for us and for Sudbury.  I won’t say you’re welcome again.  Thanks though to Mr. S, our designer extraordinaire who really doesn’t get enough credit for the great work that he does.  I was once told by a brilliant realtor in Southern Ontario that layout is everything.  Paint, flooring, even entire kitchens can be changed, but you have to live with a layout forever.  Pretty much anyhow.  So we’re doing our best to give you what you want.  Phil has found that the best way to get what he wants is to tell me REPEATEDLY until I have no choice but to give in.  So, follow his lead and let me know what you like.  Comments from people not selling Viagra or trying to get me to download music illegally would be refreshing.  Email or facebook (like our page – please!) messages are also welcome.

To close, thanks for your patience, your interest, your love.  Served on the side, you’re really helping this pie go down.

Okay, got that out of the way.  While I’m grateful for the busyness of our business (thanks to our day care provider for that one!) it’s become slightly overwhelming, and I’m finding that there really aren’t enough hours in the day.  So while I am constantly bombarded with post topics, I just haven’t had the discipline to take the time and make them happen.  Enter Phil’s email on discipline and will power, which essentially told me that I need to get on the tasks I least want to do in order to break my bad procrastination habits.  So, today I managed to cross three items off my perpetual to-do list.  Yay, me.

Okay, so on to the business.  One MAJOR issue we are having with our website (besides the plethora of outdated information of course) is the frequent occurence of return email messages to anyone with a hotmail address.  At the risk of violating all kinds of privacy rules, I would like to put it out there to Kimberly, Chris, Mitch, and Caroline (hopefully you know who you are!) that I did reply to your messages only to have them rejected.  So far, it seems to only be happening with hotmail addresses.  So, if you read this and have another email address, please send it to me and I’ll get back to you asap.  And maybe send you some warm cookies to make up for the delay.  But not you Mitch – we already chatted about this in person at the home show

Ah yes, the home show.  It was our THIRD year in a row as exhibitors, and I’m willing to bet this surge in web traffic is a direct benefit of the crazy hours that Phil and I put in all weekend long.  Not to mention the crazy people.  Just kidding!  Kind of.  We had some pretty sweet giveaways at our booth (trust me, I was pushed aside on more than one occasion by various older women who thought our reusable bags were worth a physical altercation) but the biggest interest-generator was our site plan of Grenoble, showing one sold house and 11 remaining.  Thank you to Tracy and Duplicator’s for making this sign happen – it was better than I imagined.  And that’s really saying something, coming from someone with major control tendencies!  Grenoble Court was the talk of the town at the home show and definitely made our time there feel really valuable. 

Another special thank you to (soon-to-be, hopefully) clients DK & KWK who not only stopped by our booth for some fantastic conversation but even brought us Starbucks!  This really went down in home show history and your kindness will long be remembered.  Maybe even free deck remembered, but don’t tell Phil I said that…

We are working with a new (and fantastic) company to update and improve our website.  I know it’s been a long time coming and thank you for hanging in there.  We will be featuring additional model layouts and photos, site information, and a nicer looking blog.  Watch for it in the next few weeks.

Still to come – a funny feature on tractors (okay, funny from my perspective) and a heart-warming story involving the Big Boss at Building Services and Phil – let’s just say I’ve started calling him "mister."

Thanks again for your interest, it’s very much appreciated. A little (or grande) Starbucks never hurt either…