Thursday, September 10, 2009

Opinion regarding "Why doesn't Century 21 want more people viewing its real estate listings?"

Cliff Peskin's has written about "Why doesn't Century 21 want more people viewing its real estate listings?" and about Century 21 suing Rogers Communications Inc regarding over its website Zoocasa (source: Financial Post).

Listing data by REALTORS® is up loaded on MLS® system directly through their regional boards. MLS®, which is a trademark, thus enables members of the public to see the information protected under strict data integrity guidelines. Century 21 REALTORS, like other licensed REALTORS, are part of this trademark. Any business would and should protect its trademarks - wouldn't you?

The writer's claim that CREA and Century 21 have an "iron like grip...thereby any individual looking to purchase a home must go through them" doesn't hold much ground. If one reviews the flow of any real estate transaction, the answer to this will become obvious. Once the Seller has retained a REALTOR® to exclusively protect its rights, then no matter where the buyer sees the information about the house, the buyer has to come through the REALTOR® representing the Seller. This is for the protection of the Sellers since REALTORS® are professionals safeguarding the Seller interests.

There is strong possibility that by scraping and aggregation of the listing data, a loss of control occurs and the information might be misquoted or misrepresented, thereby putting the Seller’s interest at risk. Moreover, isn't the data on MLS aggregated anyways? Why is there a need for scraping it and aggregating it again, other than that the company doing so wants to scrape some advertising dollars from such websites. That is my opinion. – Jagdeep Singh is a Century 21 REALTOR® and the Team Leader of the Residential Club at Century 21 New Star Realty Inc., a flourishing Brokerage based in Toronto.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Why migrate to Canada?

OK this is not really about real estate. So if that’s the only reason you are reading this, I suggest you to stop now, ’cuz I am going to let out my rant. Suaad Hagi Mohamud, the woman you have probably heard about a lot by now because she was detained in Kenya, is back in Toronto. I am very happy. It is something to celebrate. But this shouldn’t have been in news at all. Here’s how it SHOULD HAVE unfolded. This lady should have been allowed to board the airplane when she showed up at the airport with her Canadian Passport. No one should have to prove their ID beyond the travel document or may be, as she did, by showing one’s Ontario driver’s licence and perhaps a Canadian citizenship certificate. She actually went further and even produced her OHIP health card, Social Insurance Card, Shoppers Drug Mart “Optimum” card and even a dry cleaner’s receipt. The last two aren’t exactly ID’s but they do show that the person knows their way around the city and had clearly gone to Kenya from Canada.

Two reasons I am writing about it. One, I am from Toronto just as she is. And secondly, this has happened to me too, while I was travelling in India. It was nowhere close to Suaad’s ordeal because I was able to board the flight I was supposed to. But that happened because the Airline staff stood by me and the flight superintendent argued on my behalf with the officials at the airport. All the guy at the India’s New Delhi airport wanted was money (read as bribe) to grease his palms. He gave the same reason as was given to Suaad Hagi Mohamud; i.e. I didn’t look like my picture.

When one travels to countries where the law and order situation is questionable or worse, we hope that the Canadian government would stand by us. I mean, isn’t that the real reason we all migrated to Canada. Among other things, Canada prides herself to provide its citizens with equal rights and opportunities. Greater Toronto Area alone has a net migration number of close to 70,000. That speaks for something. I left India because of religious persecution but I still like to go back when I can.

OK I have to say this: I, as a Canadian citizen, want to be able to travel other parts of the world without having to fear about becoming a target of some corrupt system BECAUSE I AM A CANADIAN CITIZEN AND EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO STAND BEHIND ME, minus the racial profiling.

Mildly put, here’s why I don’t like what happened to Suaad Hagi Mohamud: If she wasn’t helped because of what she looks like, then that makes the Canadian system CORRUPT. So I am back into a systematic trend that I tried to get out of by migrating to Canada. So why come here?

The poor lady had to endure so much, including DNA testing, hiring lawyers etc. If she wasn’t able to do all that then she would be rotting right now in a Kenyan jail and we wouldn’t have even heard about it. The Canadian system failed this woman and Mr. Stephen Harper is “looking into it”. Yah right !!!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Toronto Real Estate Board -- Sales Up 28% from July 2008

In July 2009, Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported a record 9,967 sales, up 28 per cent from July 2008. The average price for July transactions was $395,414 - up by six per cent compared to the same month last year.

"Households confident in their positioning within the current economic environment have taken advantage of housing affordability in the GTA," said TREB President Tom Lebour. "The real estate sector has been one of the sectors making a positive contribution to economic growth in the GTA, not to mention Ontario and Canada more broadly."

Year-to-date sales, at 50,632 are down 1.2 per cent compared to the first seven months of 2008. Average price, at $385,808 is down by less than one-half of one per cent.

"The steep drop-off in sales experienced at the beginning of the year has all but dissipated," explained Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "With five months left to go in the year, it is probable that total existing home sales in 2009 will be at or above last year's level."

For a complete copy of the Market Watch Report visit the TREB website here.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

The Dream Condo – Which May Remain Just That ... a Dream

Anyone who is familiar with Toronto knows it to be a world class city, compared with the top urban centres around the world. Any such person would also know that the Bloor and Yonge intersection, (although not truly the downtown as per the original Toronto municipality) is the epicentre of activity. Mainly because the only two subway lines intersect underground at this point and this happens on the world’s longest street, our very own Yonge Street.

So when the Bazis International’s hotel and retail development project was unveiled at 1 Bloor Street, it was touted to be the most prestigious address to be at, rivalling the Donald Trump’s project a few blocks away. Boasting of its five star lifestyle and luxurious residences, it promised stunning architecture, which now may never become a reality.

Gary Berman, whose consortium lent money for the 1 Bloor project stated that “The loan has been in an almost constant state of default since December 2008”. On Monday, the lenders are going to ask a court to put the Kazakhstan backed project into receivership and sell the now vacant land.

This may not be the only project in this situation. The obvious answer is the world economy, sub-prime loans, bank troubles, etc. etc. However, there is more to the story than what’s obvious.

Anyone who followed the project when it was released knows that buyers paid students by the hour to stand in line for days and nights as place holders, so that when the sales office opened, they could be the first to buy their dream unit in the building. This despite the fact that the per square foot price of the units in this building were significantly high to begin with. Some families even moved into hotels next door to take turns in the line. These were not just ordinary buyers but also savvy investors and REALTORS® alike.

Can this kind of over inflated buying frenzy be justified? No sane decision can come from such over-pressured situation. People who have units in this and other buildings are now been told that their deposits may be returned.

Even if the property is being bought to live in, there is always an investment component. At the end a buyer should always consider how the purchase would fit into their lifestyle and their financial portfolio. With that being said, one needs to remove the pressure from the situation and analyse the project and the corresponding decision in a calm rationale manner. Does this mean that we should pass up on these high profile projects? Absolutely not. The answer is to involve a professional. Who better to come to your rescue than your trusted REALTOR®? Not only, a REALTOR® knows better from experience, he or she is also emotionally removed from the decision and hence can serve to be the voice of reason. REALTORS® who themselves are the buyers should consult with fellow professionals. Personally, I can think of six other ideas were the deposit money could have been better off rather than being tied in a low interest or worse yet, no interest situation.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Real Estate Statistics 101

Mr. Don Lawby, President of CENTURY 21 Canada recently published a white paper titled Real Estate Statistics 101: What every Canadian homeowner should know about home price statistics. The objective of this White Paper is to help homeowners understand the relationship between widely reported real estate statistics and the value of their homes

Here are some of the excerpts from this white paper that are relevant to Greater Toronto Area. To read the report in its entirety, contact me and I will email it to you.

Media reports of real estate statistics have left many Canadian homeowners rightfully confused. The problem is that these statistics are usually based on averages of city,provincial and national markets. Such averages are pretty much irrelevant to what’s really happening in specific neighbourhoods.

The Toronto Real Estate Board reports that the average home price in May 2009 was $395,609 for all transactions (single and detached homes, condo apartments and condo townhouses) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The GTA is the country’s most populous urban concentration bounded by Lake Ontario on the south, Lake Simcoe on the north,Burlington on the west, and Newcastle on the east.

This average price has little relevance to prices in the specific neighbourhoods and communities in the GTA, where prices for single detached homes ranged from $1.53million in the Toronto neighbourhood between St. Clair Avenue and Bloor Street east of Bayview Avenue; to $709,000 in a rural neighbourhood east of Newmarket; to $255,000 in Oshawa.

Getting an accurate value of your home

So, the question remains: How does a Canadian homeowner determine the value of his or her existing home? Or how does a buyer determine the value of a prospective purchase?
Most relevant are surveys of recent selling prices of similar homes on the same street or in the same neighbourhoods.

That said, it is difficult for homeowners to do their own surveys because listing prices — not selling prices — are available to the general public on the local MLS. The best course is to ask a REALTOR of your choice to show you statistics of selling prices of homes similar to yours in your neighbourhood. You will incur no obligation and, depending on your evaluation of the statistics you are shown, you will have a head start on your search for a realtor should you decide to sell your home.

CENTURY 21 Canada home price surveys

CENTURY 21 Canada produces home price surveys to provide useful and relevant information to homeowners. These surveys monitor prices of homes that are typical inspecific neighbourhoods in major markets across the country. On June 11, 2009, CENTURY 21 published a survey of the Hottest Neighbourhoods in Canada. Contact me today to get his report.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Ontario Green Energy Act and Residential Real Estate

Bill 150 was tabled at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on February 23, 2009 and passed into law on May 14, 2009.

Some of the issues the legislation focusses on are green energy procurement, financing green energy, community energy, engaging First Nations and Métis communities, grid upgrades and evolution, conservation and protecting the environment.

The purpose of this Act is to facilitate the development of a sustainable energy economy which would protect the environment while streamlining and improving the environmental and planning approvals process, mitigate climate change, engage communities and build a world-class green industrial sector, enable all Ontarians to participate and benefit from green energy as conservers and generators, at the lowest cost to consumers.

Now that the legislation has passed, it makes home energy audits mandatory for home sellers, unless waived by buyers. However, the Bill’s requirements regarding home energy audits are NOT YET IN EFFECT and are not expected to take effect until 2010.

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is working on preparing regulations that will outline the details on how the home energy audit requirement will be implemented. The home energy audit requirement will not take effect until these regulations are finalized, which is expected in 2010. REALTOR®, through TREB and OREA expect to work with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to provide input on the regulations.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Weathering the Economic Crisis in Canada

Concerns over the cost of living have led to a bunker mentality among Canadian consumers according to a recent Pollara Strategic Insights survey. The objective of the “Crisis Watch” tracking research was to gauge the attitudes of Canadians towards the financial and economic crisis and how those changes will affect consumer behaviour.

Pollara conducted the online survey during the first week of March this year. Approximately 2,000 people from across Canada responded and results are considered accurate to ±2.19 per cent nineteen times out of twenty.

According to the survey results, 43 per cent of Canadians believe the effects of the economic crisis will be both short term and long term, and they are acting accordingly. Only 13 per cent say the recession will not affect them, 23 per cent feel the impact will be short term, and only 12 per cent have no hope for any improvement on the horizon.

The underlying theme indicated by the results is that consumers believe there will be some recovery, but things will never be the same again. Although job security is a significant driving fear, it isn’t the main one. Overwhelmingly, cost of living is the single major concern of respondents – 47 per cent cite that as their biggest worry – far more than value of investments (33 per cent) or job security (15 per cent).

Sixty-two percent of respondents describe their circumstances as “just getting by”, with 31 per cent considering themselves ‘financially comfortable” and 78 per cent feel that the standard of living in Canada is declining. The top financial priority of Canadians, according to the survey, is to get out of debt. Credit and consumer debt are the top targets with 23 per cent reporting that they are actively paying down credit cards and 19 per cent reporting paying off other consumer debts as well. About one fifth of respondents list reducing spending as their top priority, and only seven per cent report that they will keep their spending the same in 2009.

Impact on the real estate market

Even historic low interest rates are not moving those surveyed into the housing market. When asked about the housing market, only two per cent said they are definitely planning to take advantage of low interest rates and buy a new home in 2009. A further nine per cent said they might. Survey respondents ranked the most important variables driving interest in real estate to be lower house prices, followed by lower interest rates and a stable economy.

With further price declines three per cent say they would definitely buy, eleven per cent more might. However, considerably lower real estate prices may push more Canadians back into the market – 40 per cent surveyed cite that as the first condition for jumping back in. But 24 per cent indicate a stable economy as their main pre-condition.

The good news is that most respondents don’t believe the U.S. housing crisis will be imported into Canada. Eighty-two per cent consider the Canadian housing market to be in better shape than the U.S., and 75 per cent agree that the Canadian market is not similar to that of the U.S. There is relatively little fear of a U.S. style housing crisis in Canada with only four per cent feeling strongly that it could happen here. At the same time, 57 per cent feel Canadian foreclosures will increase, yet only four per cent report they may personally face foreclosure.

As for the federal government’s stimulus package, most respondents feel that tax breaks are the only aspect of the stimulus that will affect them in the next 12 months. A third of the population could take advantage of renovation rebates, but the home buyer incentives are not likely to incense many people to become active in the real estate market. Respondents feel that federal tax cuts might have some effect on the economy over the next 12 months -- 38 per cent saying it is somewhat likely and 13 per cent very likely.

But other measures are felt to be less effective – only 22 per cent feel increased unemployment benefits will have economic benefit, and only 14 per cent feel that incentives to purchase a home will have an impact.

The Crisis Watch survey shows that people are adjusting their spending patterns as a result of the perceived economic circumstances. Survey responses indicate Canadian values appear to be shifting increasingly inward and they are spending more time at home with the family – finding quality time in simpler pleasures like cooking, reading or entertaining at home. Although most respondents feel confident that the crisis will not be so far reaching as to force them to downscale their homes or face foreclosure, many indicate they will keep home improvements and renovations to a necessary minimum in 2009.



Although the above information is from the source believed to be reliable and all effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty or representation is made to its accuracy. This information should not be relied upon without independent verification. Where applicable, the information is from TREB, OREA, CREA or other professional associations, which the blog publisher is a member of.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Tarion amends registration rules for new home “flip”

REALTORS® who deal in new home and condominium sales take heed: there are new provisions for registering vendors with Tarion Warranty Corporation.

When a person purchases a new home from a builder, but never occupies it and then resells it, they are required to be registered with Tarion. Under Ontario’s New Home Warranty Act anyone who sells a new house in Ontario without registering it with Tarion is liable to a fine of up to $25,000, a sentence of up to one year in jail, or both. Previously, registration meant completing a detailed vendor/builder agreement, paying a $600 fee, undergoing a financial review and posting a $10,000 performance bond – even though the house was already covered by the builder registration.

However, Tarion, which administers the Act and provides new home warranty coverage to most new houses and condominiums in the province, has changed its registration requirements for purchasers who resell (or "flip") their homes without moving in.

The new approach to dealing with resellers of new homes means the usual detailed vendor/builder agreement is not used. Instead, Tarion has introduced a letter agreement that the new sellers must provide to the ultimate purchaser with a disclosure page that contains information such as: a statement that the sale is effectively a resale, disclosure of the original warranty start-date, the status of the remaining warranty coverage, and contact information to enable the purchaser to check on the status of any claims made in respect of the home. REALTORS® representing resellers in this situation can obtain the agreement form from Tarion and use it as a schedule to the listing and the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

In its Application for Registration – Resellers (Resellers/Flippers) form, Tarion defines a resale or flip as: “A resale or ‘flip’ involves a scenario where the purchaser of a new home (“Reseller”) does not personally occupy the home but, instead, sells it to another purchaser. This can occur in a number of different ways, including, for example: (i) A condo investor who resells to a new purchaser on the same day that the original transaction (between the vendor/builder and condo investor) closes; or (ii) A purchaser who buys a home but for various reasons (e.g., divorce, change of job), never occupies the home and resells it later, perhaps after many months. Applications by reseller/flippers will be processed in a ‘fast track’ manner. This is for the true reseller/flipper only, not for repeat offenders or illegal Vendors (charged by Enforcement). The reseller/flipper will have to complete the application form, Vendor Agreement and submit the $350 fee. If the home is already enrolled it does not need to be re-enrolled (it will remain under the original Vendor/Builder).”

Mitchell says registration can be processed “usually within two working days. The form is available through the Tarion call centre or can be picked up at the Tarion office in person.
Although the reseller (or “Vendor”), as defined under the Act, is responsible for obtaining the registration package when flipping a new home, REALTORS® representing resellers need to ensure clients are aware of these requirements to protect themselves from liability. One of Tarion’s enforcement officers sent a letter to a salesperson involved in an unregistered new house flip under investigation. It highlighted the REALTOR®’s obligation under the Code of Ethics. It read:

“If the REALTOR® is acting for such a vendor then I would believe they would have a responsibility under their Code of Ethics if they were to advise such a vendor that it is ok to sell under these conditions or did not act when advised by us that the vendor of the unit they are selling is unregistered, they could possibly be opening themselves up to charges of Counselling or Aiding and Abetting.”

But Tarion says they rarely need to enforce these regulations and that the small percentage of offences usually occur in rural areas. “The reseller registration requirements are there to protect the consumer who may not know they are essentially buying a resale home, “ says Rob Mitchell, Director, Industry and Government Relations, Tarion Warranty Corporation. “Buyers need to know they have some recourse should any problems arise with the home within the warranty period.”

Mitchell says REALTORS® should contact Tarion if they have any doubts about a new home’s registration status or misunderstanding about what’s covered under the warranty program. Tarion is also willing to conduct information sessions for real estate offices that deal in resales of new homes. For more information, visit www.tarion.com or call 416-229-3844 or 1-877-696-6497.


Although the above information is from the source believed to be reliable and all effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty or representation is made to its accuracy. This information should not be relied upon without independent verification. Where applicable, the information is from TREB, OREA, CREA or other professional associations, which the blog publisher is a member of.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Federal Budget 2009 and REALTORS®

2009 Canadian Federal Budget is out. Announced by the Federal Conservatives and Stephen Harper’s minority government, we have all seen what the “Budget Fallout” has been. From the New Foundland Premier’s comments about Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to the official opposition Liberal party leader Michael Ignatieff’s press briefing and to NDP leader Jack Layton’s allegation of Harper and Ignatieff’s “new coalition”.

But what does the Federal Budget mean for the REALTORS® and the Canadian real estate consumer.

It could be said that the lobbying efforts of REALTORS® have achieved significant victories. In particular, the expanding the RRSP Homebuyers’ Plan to make it more useful for homebuyers is a significant step forward. The federal budget proposes to increase the withdrawal limit for first-time homebuyers using the Homebuyers Plan from $20,000 to $25,000 (per individual). Under this program, first-time homebuyers are allowed to withdraw funds from their RRSP, tax-free, to put towards the down payment on a home. Amounts withdrawn under the Home Buyer’s Plan must be repaid over a 15-year period, starting the second year following the year of the withdrawal.

Since 1992, an estimated 2 million Canadians have used the Home Buyers’ Plan to purchase approximately 900,000 homes, making this program a huge success. Unfortunately, as time has passed, the usefulness of this program eroded because withdrawal limits were not adjusted.

Under the first time home buyer’s tax credit, the Budget proposes a 15 per cent credit that would be applied to a $5,000 amount, and would provide up to $750 in tax relief to reduce costs associated with first home purchases. This will assist the first-time home buyers with the costs related to the purchase of a home such as legal fees, land transfer taxes, etc. An individual will be considered a first-time home buyer if neither the individual nor the individual’s spouse or common-law partner owned and lived in another home in the calendar year of the home purchase or in any of the four preceding calendar years.

The Budget also proposes a 15 per cent Home Renovation Tax Credit, to be claimed on the portion of eligible home renovation expenditures exceeding $1,000, but not more than $10,000, meaning that the maximum tax credit that can be received is $1,350. This will apply to eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010, pursuant to agreements entered into after January 27, 2009. Credit can be claimed on eligible expenditures incurred on one or more of an individual’s eligible dwellings, including houses, cottages, and condominium units owned for personal use.

Renovation costs for projects such as finishing a basement or re-modelling a kitchen will be eligible for the credit, along with associated expenses such as building permits, professional services, equipment rentals and incidental expenses. Routine repairs and maintenance will not qualify for the credit. Nor will the cost of purchasing furniture, appliances, audio-visual electronics or construction equipment.

Additional information on the Home Renovation Tax Credit will soon be available on Canada Revenue Agency’s website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca

All of this will of course only become a reality if the budget passes the vote in the House of Commons. Let’s see how it unfolds.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Real Estate and Prospecting

OK, I do this thing at my office where I am asked to meet and train the REALTORS who are interested in furthering their real estate careers. They have made me the Team Leader for what we call "The Residential Club"; that is, all the REALTORS who wish to transact in residential real estate market belong to this club.

I have been thinking for some time that I have to write something about prospecting but our office manager has done an excellent job in summarising this all evasive concept of prospecting in to the minutes of the meeting that I held at our office.

So, read on and enjoy....

January 21, 2009

Dear Brokers / Salespersons,

A BIG THANK YOU to all our STARS who attended the Residential Meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 hosted by Mr. Jagdeep Singh – Gold Award Winner of 2008. We are very happy with the response and your participation. Stars who want to be successful in their career will always make time to update themselves.

The topic of 1ST RESIDENTIAL CLUB MEETING was “Prospecting & Time Management”– Prioritize your “TO DO” list daily. As informed earlier, we need to prioritize ourselves what steps we need to take in order to increase our sales. Also give yourself a deadline when you want it completed. Everyone is busy doing what they are doing but to run a business successfully you are obliged to dedicate time and effort to what you want to be. What is prospecting?. Prospects are all around you, wherever you work, dine or enjoy.

Prospecting happens only when you yourself are dedicated to your business and be consistent in what you do. Just look around yourself and see what other people do or READ books about successful people to find out the clues to successful marketing. News are for you to listen but don’t get involved. Get yourself updated first before you answer your clients. Your confidence is what they test. How you present yourself and show your knowledge, greater your prospecting will be. You can’t specialize in everything but decide to become a specialist in what you do for your living.

This business is just like any other business, be creative and think of ways to reach out to community. Good or bad times life goes on. Keep Positive attitude and positive things will happen. Want to take a day off, do volunteer work or join a group that helps community or maybe sponsor teams, that makes you a good person in public’s eyes and establishes trust. When the need comes, they will think of you first. Leave something valuable with them that’s got your information on it e.g. Pen, Diaries, Measuring Tape, Letter Opener e.t.c. anything that’s basic and person would keep it. These things linger around everybody’s house. Now you have made your way into homes or people you have left good impression on. Always smile and be courteous because we talk to those who we are comfortable with and that’s what we teach our kids. “Don’t talk to Strangers” but Mr. Singh emphasized on how to make people comfortable around you. Some tricks of the trade as well. Mr. Singh related all examples to his personal experiences and made team realize what they can achieve through communication. Mr. Jagdeep Singh shared with his team members how he distinguishes himself from the people he interacts with during the course of day and how he relates to them. This is Prospecting.

Please note, prospecting is not done with every person we meet during the day, for this we have to rely on our own judgment and instincts to whom and how we relate. Mr. Jagdeep Singh informed various ways to capture the market. The best way to do, is to break the ice and present ourselves to the people we meet. That is the best net working one can do. We can also go one step further and start advertising/marketing through flyers, pens, community service, volunteering, advertising. There are lots to choose from, but it all comes back to us. Are you ready to take this step?

It was a delight to see our salespersons participating in the discussions, asking questions, sharing with each other their anecdotes. This is basically what we need to do “Learn from Each Other & Grow”, So let’s open ourselves by sharing and helping each other with our knowledge, views and experiences.

We would also be happy to have your suggestions / comments, if any, what you would like to incorporate in the next Meeting or what you would like to learn more, we welcome each ones views as “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual", so let’s make it happen.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,


P.S. The Background Picture is the Fine Estate Home Mr. Jagdeep Singh sold in 2008. He was recognized with a Century21 New Star Realty Inc. Fine Homes & Estates Pin at 2008 Awards Ceremony. (Sorry, there is no photo here as it was part of the original email and has not been reproduced for privacy reasons)