Easter is fast approaching with the overwhelming inundation of chocolate displays provoking temper tantrums and melt downs in every store we venture bravely into with our little ones in tow.  We live in the one corner of the world that most closely resembles Eden, which is probably why we also have the dubious distinction of having some of the lowest numbers regarding church attendance in North America.  There is just too much to do outside here!  This sometimes has the unintended effect of suddenly realising we are the parents of children on the cusp of their teen years who have no real concept of God, faith, morality among other things.  It can be a hard subject to broach with no foundation from early childhood to build upon.  Easter is the perfect time to look for activities in our communities to reach out to and participate in.  Most Easter activities are open to the general public and focus on community, fun and making the more serious aspects of the day approachable.  If you're looking for some great activities for your family to participate in this weekend, there are some great options on the Community Postings page under Links on my website:  www.angeliquetroyer.ca  

For those of you just looking for some fun activities to do at home with you family, visit my Easter board on Pinterest:  pinterest.com/angeliquetroyer/easter/ 

As we are heading into the traditionally heady spring boom of the real estate market in what can be described as an optimal buyer's market how does a home owner ensure that their home is going to have the best chance of being the belle of the ball?  If you want to ensure the most dance partners it is paramount to have the right packaging.  First and foremost, find a Realtor you like and trust.  You will have to work as a team to ensure success in this competitive market.  If you find yourself viewing your Realtor in an adversarial role, you will likely have difficulty working as a team.  After all, your Realtor has the same goal as you, maximising your chances of a sale.  Setting a realistic price will give you the best chance of that.  Automated Internet searches only pull listings that fit the exact search parameters the buyer selects.  A home priced even one, single cent above their search budget is a listing they will never see. 
Home prices in Victoria are stable, but there has been a slight dip.  A drop of one percent is nothing to be overly concerned about but does represent a dollar value of $5000 on a  $500,000 home.  If  your home is listed at $500,000 when all the similar homes are listed at $495,000 today's educated and cautious buyers  will do their research and set their searches to top out at $495,000 and they may never even see what could be the perfect home for their family.  Setting a realistic price means more eyes on your listing, increasing the chances of a sale.
Now for the fun part of getting ready for any party, making sure you have the perfect dress.  Anything too complicated makes it hard to have fun and too flashy can overwhelm natural charms.  Toned down,elegant and simple is always a safe bet.  Get rid of the clutter and subdue the quirks if you can.  Tidy surfaces, neutral colours and a well kept exterior will showcase your home's full potential.  Just like on a first date, put your best foot forward, let the buyer picture their own family enjoying life there when they think of the home.  If all they think of when they remember their time in the kitchen is the duck figurine collection, they might not be able to make the commitment to a serious relationship.  For more helpful tips on buying or selling, check out my website:  www.angeliquetroyer.ca

Valentine's Day.  A frenzy of baking, chocolate, sugar sprinkles and crashes, paper hearts, sparkles, stickers and confetti.  As we struggle to show our friends and families a token of affection in a fun and creative way, with our grand ideas being side-lined by the passion of our children's assistance in our projects, with paint on walls, glitter covered carpets, smears of brightly coloured icing across the walls and cupboards that will take weeks to remove the last of it, staying up until midnight to finish pink and purple chocolate chip cupcakes for the pre-school class, worrying about unknown food allergies amongst them, all suffered gladly for the three minutes of pure and unadulterated joy on your toddler's face as he hands out his treats with pride and unguarded love for his friends.  All the work worth it just for that.  But as things wind down and I look forward spending my Valentine's evening at home with my two boys, my thoughts turn to how many limits we place on our love as adults.  We have become a society of people willing to barter our emotions in return for a price.  Only as long as our expectations are met.  What happens though, when none of your expectations are met, when everything is stripped away and the anger fades and you realise that real love survives?  What does that mean in this world of increasingly fickle and shallow relationships?  When the diamonds are gone, the money and security is gone, the future you had always counted on has been altered beyond your wildest dreams, what is the next step?  Accepting the things that were once unacceptable, trusting that there is always a silver lining and start building a new future, a new family, something never imagined.  We are stronger than we ever believe in the beginning and capable of so much more than we can imagine.  In this high tech new world I am struck by how much more important it is becoming to live by the oldest rules we have.  Love, respect, forgive.  Happy Valentines Day, so much more than chocolate, flowers, diamonds and wine.

As the days get longer and brighter and our kids start to venture outdoors again as the non stop deluge of the Victoria winter gets broken up with warm and sunny afternoons, we get ready to celebrate BC's first "Family Day".  My thoughts and heart begin to ponder the ever-changing nature of what family means to each of us.  To some, it is the ones related by blood and DNA, to others, the friends that choose to stand by our sides through the worst of storms, to others, it is their family of faith or community.  And for some, it is an opportunity to come to terms and accept that the ones who should have stood by us, who promised to be family, are all too often the very ones that cause us the most pain and feelings of loss and betrayal.  What makes a family a family?  Step-children and blended children and multiple entanglements and ever-changing partners mean that the stability children counted upon to be their anchor and foundation as they learn to navigate life is in short supply. As the average family, however it looks, finds it harder and harder to see themselves as home owners.  The stability that came with knowing unfailingly where one belongs and where the epicentre of your own universe is, of running with the same band of kids through the same neighbourhood for the length of childhood, becomes a dizzying spiral, ever changing, with a revolving door of role models, none ever really trusted or around for more than a few years.  An upbringing full of followers, profiles, on-line friends and chimera lurking in cyber space.  Renting makes it so much easier to pick up and move to the next location, with so much less fuss.  How much harm are we really doing to our kids?  Parents don't even think that there is anything wrong with changing partners every few years, that it is normal to start dating at 9, that it is silly to expect chastity from teenagers so not to even bother setting limits.  I find myself reeling in a bit of shock, thinking of how fickle these kids will be as adults, and more than a little afraid when I look at the sleeping innocence of my beautiful ones.  I want so much more for my babies.  I want them to know the joy of being able to wake up with their children every single Christmas morning, not every second.  I want them to celebrate 20, 30, even 40 year anniversaries.  I want them to know that their partner meant every single one of their vows, including forgiveness.  Are we doing them a favour by not fighting harder for permanence.  So many people seem to have completely given up on the dream of home ownership, at a time when the combination of low and stable interest rates, with a slight dip in overall prices in our fair city, alongside a fantastic level of inventory are making the jump to home ownership so much more feasible.  It's a perfect storm that's sure not to last as the economies worldwide find their way forward in the modern marketplace.  Click here for great spring , family activities:  www.chatterblock.com   Click here for information on home buying:  www.angeliquetroyer.ca

January, 2013, a new beginning.

As January 2013 comes to a close, we begin to settle into the new year that starts to feel like your new favourite jeans finally being perfectly broken in.  We can all look back and safely say the world didn't end as so many people outwardly scoffed but cringed nervously on the inside.  We can now look forward to a more stable year as housing prices and unit sales stabilise and mortgage rates stay low.  For buyers it is a great time to get your feet wet in the market or at least dip your toes in and sit down with a mortgage broker and take a look at the options currently available.  As prices have become more appealing it means that the reality of home ownership becomes more feasible but it's like wanting to drive across the US from coast to coast.  You can just point yourself in the correct direction and start the engine and eventually you'll arrive at the opposite coast but there will probably be many detours and you might not land where you had originally hoped to, or you can sit down with a detailed map and plan your course before you leave to ensure the shortest and most direct route between where you are and where you want to end up.  A qualified and knowledgeable mortgage specialist can give you the road map that will give you the best possible chance at a successful outcome, and point out any obstacles, hidden or simply forgotten about, like a completely overlooked old cell bill that never got resolved, so the bumps can be smoothed over and ensure a more comfortable journey.  It's time to get focused on the years to come and take advantage of the fantastically low mortgage rates and our very stable housing market before it jumps back to a sellers market, as it will inevitably will.  www.primemortgageworks.com

Balancing mom and career.

As I embark on this new journey, it is becoming ever more clear that finding balance is critical in achieving success and happiness.   Juggling career and motherhood is a herculean task and everytime I think I've finally got a handle on it a new hurdle lands in my path.  My desire to excel at both at the same time often proves overwhelming and exhausting, unused to failure, I am often unwilling to compromise at either.  Planning my son's fourth birthday party for forty people, including making eight cakes from his favorite painting, (Wayne Thiebaud's Cakes, 1969) with client meetings and property showings alongside volunteering at church and dealing with the emotional wake of a seperation has left me feeling exhausted.  How does one balance a budding new career with the endless rounds of winter colds and flus?  How does one reconcile an absolute faith in God's path when confronted with the irredeemable in man?  Knowing what needs to get done and being able to accomplish it are two entirely different things.  We all struggle and we all toil,.  What, in the end, is it that divides those that succeed from those who fail?  What is the definition of success?  Being able to get your child to sleep through the night?  A comfortable bank account?  Being able to look around your living room and realize you belong to a community of amazing friends?  Knowing when to cut your losses and walk away?  When you recognize the great and critical difference between being a loving parent and a good parent?  When somebody figures it out, please let me know.  www.angeliquetroyer.ca