It takes an extraordinary amount of resolve, belief, and courage to place a wager on one’s own ability. To be willing to forgo the sure thing for uncertainty can be exhilarating and terrifying. Yet there are times when the stars are aligned and the circumstances are just right, to take such a gamble on yourself.  We here, in Toronto, witnessed just that yesterday when the, now former, Toronto Blue Jay General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, walked away from a five year contract, worth multiple millions of dollars.

The Toronto Blue Jays captured the imagination of sports fans not only in Toronto, but in the whole country. After 22 years of futility and being forced to endure watching other teams compete for championships, Blue Jays fans could actually dream of celebrating a championship and look forward to better days ahead. As all fans know, even the passing fans, the Toronto Blue Jays fell short of the ultimate goal – the World Series. Oh, but what a ride it was. For two and half months millions of viewers tuned into watch the Jays improbable run to the holy land. Rogers Communications, owners of the Toronto Blue Jays and TV network “Rogers Sportsnet”, garnered record numbers of viewers that in broadcast terms can be described as staggering. My word, I watched every game and was emotionally invested in the teams every play; this after swearing off the Toronto Blue Jays a decade ago. Back then I decided that if the owners of the team didn’t care, well, neither do I.  But I came back, as well as millions of other fans, only to realize it was a mirage. (more…)

Living in Toronto is like living in a sports wasteland. Backing winners, especially championship teams, is a joy and pleasure that non-Toronto sports fans get to experience. However being a fan of any Toronto sports team, NHL/MLB/NBA/MLS/CFL, is an act of blind faith, and frankly, work. The majority of Toronto sports fans wake up every day thinking, “this is going to be a tough day on the job”. There’s ridicule, contempt, and being the brunt of jokes to contend with; but for the first time, in a long time, things changed for Toronto sports fans this week.

Toronto’s baseball team, Toronto Blue Jays, secured first place in their division this week, thus ensuring a spot in this year’s playoffs. It has been 22 years since the Blue Jays were in the playoffs. I still remember what it was like back then. Back then the Jays were perennial playoff contenders. They were built to win, and to be competitive going forward. God, that was so long ago. When I think about what has happened in my life in the last 22 years, it seems like a lifetime ago. A funny thing happens to fans, especially as they get older; priorities change and blind faith becomes very blurred. I definitely fall into that category. I stopped following the Blue Jays closely about a decade ago. My rationale was simple, if the team doesn’t care, neither do I. (more…)

It’s been a while since my last blog post. Vacations, work, and general stuff have proven to be a bit of a distraction. I’ve also come to learn that writing a blog is like going to the gym. If you stop doing it on a consistent basis it’s difficult to get back into the swing of it; and just like going to the gym, you know when it’s time to go back. So here goes, not much happening on my end.

Until next time…

Of course I’m kidding. There’s plenty going on, be it the housing and mortgage market, the overall economy, or political campaigns. Plenty to opine about, but since this is my first blog post in a while I thought I would touch on something personal. Last week Dan Putnam, CAAMP Chairman (Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals), notified me that I was going to be inducted this year into the CAAMP Mortgage Hall of Fame. My first reaction when hearing the news was, “I don’t know what to say”. Rarely am I at a loss for words, but in my defense it’s not something you ever plan on hearing. No one can map this out and say, “one day I’m going into the Hall of Fame”. It happened because a number people got together, built a case on my behalf, and worked to make it
happen. You can’t lead an initiative like this yourself. I mean, you could, but it would be really bad form. The fact that my industry colleagues would take the time do this, for me, is beyond flattering.

Over the next month or so I will have to work on my induction speech. How does one properly acknowledge, in three to five minutes, all those who gave me a hand up over the last 28 years?  (more…)

It’s been a few weeks since my last blog post – it must be summer that’s causing the tardiness. Or, it just might be that I have nothing of interest to write about lately. I’ll go with the first excuse, but I can say this: I have learned a few things over last the two weeks. So if you will indulge me, here’s what I’ve learned.

Mortgages and Real Estate are not all things evil; especially when you’re trying to get re-elected. There’s an election around the corner in Canada, and it’s time for promises from all the candidates (most of which will never be kept). One of the first promises made on the campaign trail by Steven Harper, Canada’s Prime Minister, was to allow first time homebuyers to draw up to $35,000 from the RRSP for a down payment, up from $25,000. Why? “For most Canadians, the family home is their biggest asset and their most significant investment in their future financial security. It’s also the center of their lives,” said Harper. Gosh darn it, why didn’t we think of that? (more…)

It’s a long weekend across the country, and (I suspect) like you, I’ve never given any real thought as to why we have this long weekend. So I decided to do some research, and after doing so I realize why beer plays an important part in every long weekend in Canada. If you’re going to kill some brain cells, you might as well have fun doing it, rather than trying to figure what we’re celebrating this weekend.