When GTA real estate broker Michelle Makos did an online vote this week, the questions was about blind bidding. The results were unequivocal.
If you’ve tried to buy a property in the last two years you know all about ‘offer nights’ and the emotional, illogical, fevered auctions that can ensue. Since the depths of the pandemic agents have used this technique to pump, inflate, gorge and balloon house prices to the benefit of sellers and the eviscerated humiliation of defeated buyers.
Often a property is listed at a price tantalizingly below perceived market value by an agent who knows what it should sell for but is trying to draw blood. The sellers sign a form instructing their guy not to present any offers before a certain day/time. The intent is that on offer night there”ll be a stack of them on the kitchen table and in advance bidders have been told to come in with their best price, no conditions, big deposit.
Often the top one or two bids will be sent back for sweetening. The competing buyers are told they have to do better, but given zero context for knowing what they need to add to win the deal. Ten thousand more? A hundred thousand? Two hundred?
It’s a devastating process. Auctions themselves are hard enough. But to bid blind is insane. Meanwhile the real estate cartel – comprised of agents, brokers, the regulator and politicians – have made it illegal for competing offers to be laid on the table and disclosed, so potential bidders might gain have clarity.
In the last federal election T2 & gang said they’d bring in a homebuyer’s bill of rights banning blind auctions. As we told you then, it was a hollow pledge as the sale of houses is an area of provincial responsibility. And in Ontario – scene of the biggest bidding crimes – the premier sided with the realtors.
However, as you might imagine, Mr. Market has come to the rescue. Sellers are now giddy at the prospect of receiving one conditional offer within two weeks of listing. Offer nights are largely gone. Prices are coming down.
In this context buyers are being empowered. And they’re finding a voice. Here it is.
No surprise here. Blind auctions and the agents who have engineered them on behalf of greedy, omnivorous sellers have helped drive some big nails into the coffin of real estate selling as we’ve always known it. As recently as last month giant Re/Max was wavering on whether this ordeal was helpful or evil.
Blind auctions are okay, says the corp, because the process, “can help streamline the entire affair because the owner will review all the offers at one time without additional changes, meaning fewer appointments. Sellers can merely eliminate lowball offers.” Additionally, a blind auction is good because, “a bidder who possesses the capital or borrowing amount to place a bid as high as possible for their dream home.” Yeah, the rich dude wins! Survival of the fattest.
In fairness the company does acknowledge the appalling downsides, like forcing people to buy a home without any conditions or protection, plus possibly spending way too much in an emotionally-charged hormonal competition. “Blind bidding can fuel speculation. When bidders are aware that this is a prevalent phenomenon and understand that offers will be made well above the asking price, prospective homebuyers might make the mistake of automatically making an extremely high bid.” No kidding.
Well, things are changing. As stated, the embrace of blind auctions by an ethically-challenged industry is one reason realtors should fear a digital future in which people are way more comfortable buying online – peer-to-peer, seller-to-purchaser – than being manipulated by an agent with a needy Audi to feed.
Some people think the world, society, the economy and human interactions will change forever coming out of the pandemic. That’s probably too dramatic and shallow. But there will be changes. Among them, the way people buy houses.
An entire generation in this land will never forget how an industry brutalized and demeaned them. Nor should they.
About the picture: “This is our rescue cat, Ernie,” writes Dianne, “recovering from his most recent stay in the emergency ward. He’s endured so many illnesses over his 10 years, including a life-saving operation that made ‘him’ a transgender kitty. Fortunately for us, this cherished cat keeps bouncing back. Like the markets and life, up, down, up, down, up, down, but mostly up. So grateful for that.”
117 comments ↓
Shyster cartel needs complete and total annihilation. Real Estate “Fiduciary Facilitators” to the rescue?
But for now, paralysis
Total listings around 235,000 on MLS.CA, down around 100,000 since before-times.
Wily Coyote spinning his legs in mid-air?
One other thing that will help improve the housing situation is the bidding should be split into a pool. FTHBs in the first pool. If there are none, then then bidding goes to the second pool of investors. FTHB means either of the couple in the family must not be owing a house prior. This will also help keep prices sane as FTHBs don’t get pitched against investors.Instead of doing lip service for helping FTHBs, the politicians in power need to act.
Canˋt really blame the realtors only when our local governments do the same. Here in BC all foreclosures go to blind bidding by provincial legislation.
Before we got our current place we bid on one against one other competitor. They “won” by paying 150K more than us ,but than again we are grateful we stuck with what we felt comfortable with paying and don’t regret one bit that we “lost”.
Either way blinds auctions should be banned and the province should set an example . RE offers should be open to all potential sellers .
Can confirm that offer night is getting long in the tooth. House sold earlier this month (GTA region), we had a few firm offers and on the second round, not one came back a penny higher. Offers were firm but deposits low. 40k down on a mil plus home? Agent confirms the bidding wars are ending and the buyers are reluctant to put down large sums up front in case the bottom falls out further.
“Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware).” An idea that is as important today in the age of cyptocurrency and real estate inflation as it was in 1603.
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/caveat-emptor-buyer-beware/
I have been out of the house buying thing for a decade or more now but my wife and I have bought 5 different personal homes in Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. Additionally my “side gig” with my brother was buying rental houses in Calgary over 3+ decades. We must have bought and sold in excess of 20 homes during that period.
Never, not once did we get anywhere near a bidding process. Must be a uniquely Ontario thing or has it crept into the Prairies and West Coast as well?
Another problem is the Canadian Banks are treating your access to cash very seriously.
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2022/06/withdrawing-too-much-of-your-own-cash.html
They are acting like it’s their funding that now is more difficult to access.
Good luck trying to cash out large amounts.
That legislation of $100,000 banking liability of what you actually own, they must be taking seriously.
Oops, forgotten that it’s for your security protection.
We can’t get rid of realtors fast enough. Online platforms will inevitably take over. Then you have modest lawyer fees (at least they are educated and accountable).
Remembering won’t be enough. It will take action at all three levels of government to make homes affordable again, and the political resistance will be remarkable.
LOL – anybody else following this saga?
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/more-than-half-of-domestic-flights-to-busiest-canadian-airports-were-delayed-or-cancelled-last-week
This is going to have a devastating ripple effect on all of Canada this summer.
How bad are the economics of this country, really?
Food inflation not over. Ukrainian grain supply will worsen because of bottlenecks caused by the war. The Colorado basin is not doing well down at lakes Meade & Powell. About 25% of US fruit and vegetable production are irrigated by this system.
I recently sold a property, and asked my realtor to present to me offers as they came in rather than waiting a week.
On the first day on market, I had showings at the top and bottom of every hour, all morning and afternoon. Multiple compelling offers. Sold a bit over asking. Easiest experience I ever had finding a buyer.
Maybe I accidentally used a bit of reverse-psychology on the buyers to motivate them; whatever, if there was a bidding war, it was of their own making and not mine. Genuine, not engineered. And I still got what I wanted, for a whole lot less hassle to everyone involved.
Oddly, I’m Ok with blind bidding. It’s a free market, so people are free to destroy their finances should they choose to do so. I’m not okay with calling sellers greedy for exactly the same reason. It is not the sellers responsibility to ensure the buyer gets a deal that they can afford.
Having said all that, if the market blows up in the seller’s faces, I’m good with that too.
G, you REALLY dislike the realtor industry, don’t you?
I don’t blame you. But, as i have stated before, they’re not the only professionals that inhabit earth who reject typical moral standards…let’s revisit, shall we?
1) Realtors: You’re paying for their Audi…not cool.
2) Car sales people: same as 1 but they might smell worse and tell bad jokes. And for some reason most of them are color blind and have at least 3 kids. Weird.
3) Dentists: have huge loans, try to push unneeded (and uninsured) procedures on you so you look like that Kim girl, are today as common as shwarma shops and all the while typically driving Mercedes SUV’s. One of the final classes at Uni. no doubt.
4)Lawyers: Yawn me the biggest river. One of the first professions to be replaced by AI (family Doc’s may be next)…anybody watch Jonny vs. what’s her face for 1 minute? Nap food. For how much? 600$ per hour? Me and google’ll settle ourselves, thank-you.
Anywho, i’m sure I missed a bunch but I think the idea is the same.
Happy Thursday!
Og
I despise RE Agents.
Every transaction I have done with them has left me feeling cheated, lied to and manipulated. The real eye opener was when I realized they don’t care what price you pay or what price you sell for, as long as a deal is made and they can collect commission.
They don’t care, so long as they can convince you to buy or sell at what ever price. If you pay a little more or sell for a little less, it makes a big difference to the client, but little difference on their commissions. They will say anything to make a deal happen.
That’s why they and the who real estate business is a scam.
Basic stuff.
When the output gap is nonexistent, and the Central Bankers continue to increase money supply, much of the excess goes into nonproductive assets, and carless gambling, oops! (did it again) I mean investing in public companies without doing research, thereby creating distortions in asset pricing and in the economy.
And some of the surplus, although there is a time lag, creates headline and core inflation.
It’s been like that for much of modern economic history- no mystery.
RE is particularly susceptible to bubbles because of the cultural indoctrination, and a well-oiled marketing machine.
Equity markets are much the same, but with one advantage:
Unlike RE stock exchanges are more efficient at wringing out the excesses in shorter time
Mommy, protect me from the big bad market
#3 Pricedoutmillenial on 06.30.22 at 3:00 pm
One other thing that will help improve the housing situation is the bidding should be split into a pool. FTHBs in the first pool. If there are none, then then bidding goes to the second pool of investors. FTHB means either of the couple in the family must not be owing a house prior. This will also help keep prices sane as FTHBs don’t get pitched against investors.Instead of doing lip service for helping FTHBs, the politicians in power need to act.
*******************************
Or just have the senior Mommy in town dole out houses on an equitable basis like she does with chocolate chip cookies.
We “lost” in our bid to buy a small commercial property several months ago in a blind bidding process. We ignored that it was a blind auction and just simply offered what we would normally offer, and, gasp, even had conditions. Now with markets down, it looks like the cash that was initially planned for the property investment will have a better return in a B and D liquid portfolio. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. Stick to your principles and over time you’ll come out ahead.
Something similar to “blind bidding” is pretty common when corporations sell assets. If there are competing bids the terms are not made known to other bidders. (Although they probably all have a rough idea due to corporate espionage, which is a thing.) Nobody complains about the process there. But I suppose it can be argued that the bidders in the corporate case are all professionals and have some idea what the right amount to pay is, although the evidence is scarce to prove that this is true.
The problem with all these sorts of proposals (like banning blind bidding) is that they chose winners and losers. Why does the buyer have a right to a lower price, at the expense obviously of the seller? Why should the seller be forced to take less than he otherwise could? What is it about home owners that makes us hate them so much but be totally on the side of people who wish to become home owners? Why do we call home owners “greedy” for wishing to maximize their sales price but don’t call buyers “cheapskates” for attempting to minimize their purchase price?
And what’s next? Price controls on energy and food? Oh wait….
There are no victims created by blind bidding. If you know you aren’t willing to pay for the house what someone else likely will, don’t bid. The house is worth what someone will pay for it, and if that person isn’t you don’t be all mad about the fact that you are so cheap.
So once again we see that government solutions are always anything but. If CB’s hadn’t kept rates so low for so long, none of this would have happened, although other things would have happened (that should have happened but were prevented) in the economy.
The government has to stop picking winners, and trust adults to be adults. Otherwise they just create one problem on top of another and 100’s of special interest groups.
And there is nothing “fair” about forcing sellers to take less than market rates. What is the market rate? It is what somebody is willing to pay. If you aren’t willing to pay that, well, nobody is forcing you to.
————————————–
So then, if say the market ever returns to multiple bidders on a property, how will that market function if there isn’t a “bid night” or a set time bids will be reviewed? If the realtor knows or suspects for example that there will be 40 bids or so, how will he/she/they maintain order if they are all coming in at different times? How can they even consider the early bids knowing there are many more to come? Well, they won’t, unless they have a very long acceptance period. But if they all have long acceptance periods, isn’t that the same thing?
So here we see that we have another problem that didn’t exist that wasn’t solved by government intervention.
The price increases are unforgivable….central banks and government screwed the middle class.
30% plus correction and people still can’t afford. Try to buy anything….its all stupid expensive.
This time it is different….life truly sucks financially. Hopefully the stress won’t kill you
@#7 Ustabe
I think it’s been an everywhere thing since the outset of the pandemic, and especially since rates cratered in 2021.
I’m in Québec and I decided to finally make a purchase last August (2021). So I contacted an agent, let her know I was looking on the lower end of the spectrum (and sent her some of the listings in my neighborhood that I was interested in).
However, during a follow-up call, and before I even had the chance to visit any of those properties, I mentioned to her that I did not want to engage in any bidding wars. She told me I would therefore have to be very “patient,” and I never, ever heard back from her.
So I did what any sane person would do; put off plans to buy here and now, until retirement… hopefully in Spain or Mexico!
#18 Shawn on 06.30.22 at 4:11 pm
#3 Pricedoutmillenial on 06.30.22 at 3:00 pm
Some sort of process…
———–
Or just have the senior Mommy in town dole out houses on an equitable basis like she does with chocolate chip cookies.
———–
Never discount the power of cookies. One neighbour growing up was mean and often yelled at our kid gang, confiscated balls, fenced bike routes across his property, etc., so we naturally stole all his apples and cherries, soaped his windows, inundated his railings with rendered trapping scents, etc. Fully justified, because 12 yo boys are malicious.
Another neighbour regularly fed us cookies. She was protected and revered like Alaska’s version of the Queen Mother.
I know some Realtors who are good people. They aren’t out for greed, but for an income.
However, many are sleazy and willing to do anything to siphon as much money as they can out of their clients and others.
Realtors do not PRODUCE ANYTHING. It i
#16 Saint Herb on 06.30.22 at 4:06 pm
“I despise RE Agents.”
“They don’t care, so long as they can convince you to buy or sell at what ever price.”
———————————
Real estate agents care very much though, if they are selling their own home.
“A real-estate agent keeps her own home on the market an average of ten days longer and sells it for an extra 3-plus per cent”
Source: https://financialpost.com/real-estate/the-realtor-client-dilemma#:~:text=Professor%20Steven%20Levitt%2C%20one%20of,Prof.
19 J
“We ‘lost’ in our bid to buy a small commercial property several months ago in a blind bidding process. We ignored that it was a blind auction and just simply offered what we would normally offer, and, gasp, even had conditions.”
————————————————-
Blind bids on commercial property? That’s strange. The value of the property is related to the revenue of the
shop, clinic, office or other business that occupies it. Of course age of the building (related costs) and location
(marketability) play a role as well, but the value should not be caught up in the hysteria of the residential market.
You did exactly what I would expect any business person to do. Any idea how much more it sold for?
Young Canadians have only two options.
1 Leave the country.
2 Build guillotines.
Real estate agents should be replaced with an app. Not only do they use underhanded practices, they charge 5% commission on million dollar+ houses. $50k to do very little, basically like listing something on craigslist. Sheep can take pics and stage the house on thier own.
To all the Boomers reminiscing/comparing those double-digit interest rates of the early 80s. It IS different this time.
Back then a man could buy a house and support his family. Single income.
This time there is no more family fat — short of re-introducing child labour — to meet the mortgage payments.
—
— This is permanent Control over our Travel/movement.
FACT: In Summer 2020 during what we were told was a deadly pandemic you could walk into any airport, no mask or QR code, hop on a plane.
NO flight crew unions protested ‘unsafe work environments’ or anything like that. They were happy to work.
What’s going on now likely is a part of banning travel for ‘the climate’.
.ArriveCan app may stay as part of larger border modernization, Mendicino’s comments suggest (nationalpost.com)
.The Financial Post reports in its Thursday edition that most domestic flights to Canada’s busiest airports were delayed or cancelled over the past week as the effects of an overloaded international network continue to ripple across the country. A Canadian Press dispatch to the Post says that 54 per cent of flights to the four largest airports were bumped off schedule in the seven days between June 22 and 28 (stockwatch.com)
.Border restrictions to enter Canada extended until at least Sept. 30 (www.ctvnews.ca)
““As we move into the next phase of our COVID-19 response, it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over. We must continue to do all that we can to keep ourselves and others safe from the virus,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in the Wednesday statement.” (ctvnews.ca)
#9 HT on 06.30.22 at 3:33 pm
“We can’t get rid of realtors fast enough.”
Like all trades, there are the good, the bad and lazy. We had an awesome realtor, who guided us through a quick sale. You can always sell something online that’s in high demand, but in a declining market with fewer buyers, you need an edge to stand out from the crowd.
Ah Garth, you’re making me kick myself for not becoming a real estate agent. Imagine the practice: saying with a straight face the following lines:
“You don’t want to lose this one, let’s come in high and win!”
“*snort* Conditions? Listen, if want to stop throwing money away on rent you need to get in the game. Don’t miss out!”
“I think we need to bring our A-game here and come in high, make sure the deposit cheque is $100,000!”
Yes, the Government should step in an set the price and wages on everything oh wait we tried that.
#9 HT on 06.30.22 at 3:33 pm
We can’t get rid of realtors fast enough. Online platforms will inevitably take over. Then you have modest lawyer fees (at least they are educated and accountable).
————————————————————————————————
Let me guess! You are a buyer,
Seller wants, let me see oh MORE.
“But there will be changes. Among them, the way people buy houses.”
Ok, I can’t say that I am philosophically against such a statement. I hope for such an outcome.
However, it’s 2022 and we’re still buying and selling houses like it’s 1989 or 1979…even with all the bells and whistles of the digital age available to consumers today.
Overall, there has not been much positive change in regards to the lessening of power of the real estate cartel in Ontario in the last 4 decades. The cartel still seems to hold most of the cards when a transaction of this magnitude (eg. real estate sale) takes place in terms of both form, process and ultimately cost.
I’m not sure it will change, as too much money is on the table for one party with a lot of power willing to give it up so easily.
The real estate lobby here in Ontario (and Canada) is a very strong and powerful one that seem to know how to control the politicians from opening up their little monopoly to everyone’s benefit. So, we will see more of the same buying and selling practices in regards to real estate for years to come.
Have a deadline offer night and ask a few sellers to offer you the best deal on their homes they can give you. Make sure to have introduced them in advance.
Tell your realtor you would offer them the regular percentage of whatever you pay for a house, plus double the rate for the reduction in price. Have them do the dirty work. They are good at it.
talk about a scam…a really messed up world we live in…and they wonder why people are in debt…when the gov was looking to cool things would not eliminating this be low hanging fruit
everything is a secret when it comes to the housing industry IN CANADA
Canada Day POV: today I saw Ukraine flags in the windows of two condos; and one on a car. Countless rainbow flags.
A reminder that protesting and hold the Canada flag is a crime. No joke.
—
–Life in Kanada…is there anything Corvid cannot do for our rulers?
https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/tucker-gaslit-grief-we-have-been-politically-harmed-and-we-cant-be-lulled-into-forgetting/article_a36d7c96-f3fe-11ec-9cb6-77816fc6bc0c.html
“Canadians seeking closure are finally holding funerals, memorials delayed by COVID-19 19” reads a recent CBC article. It shares stories about options families have come up with to finally grieve—or the nicer “find closure”. There’s a pic of two mourning women standing in black clothes watching a zoomed funeral.
Notice the framing: “memorials delayed by COVID-19”, rather than “by COVID-19 policies.” There’s no actor here; its all passive voice. The virus gets agency: The virus put out press releases. The virus invited certain people to the science table. The virus told us not to gather, do the elbow bump, and to stay two meters apart even in a windstorm. It was the virus that chose not to keep politicians from hobnobbing or hospital CEOs from collectively taking exotic Christmas vacations. The virus said ‘no you cannot have this most essential of human rituals, indeed more important than keeping the tax-generating liquor store open.’
Nowhere does the article point any fingers at leaders who set draconian, useless, and heartless policies that at the end of the day may have done more harm than good. Funerals outside? Nope, says the virus.
Instead the article shows how good Canadians respond to grief: they put it on hold until they are allowed to share it again. Then they literally “pick a date”.
Most of us do not live in that world. We cannot with the “trust-the-experts” pale rationalism so cleanly compartmentalize our grief any more than the experts could the virus. We are human beings, not cases.
Realtors work on commission. No sales, no income. Everyone gets their turn. If you have some cash laying a
round, perhaps a good deal coming on a variety of items.
Don’t need anything myself, but at 20 cents on the dollar; I may be interested.
@#11 The West
“This is going to have a devastating ripple effect on all of Canada this summer.”
+++
Yep.
The airlines are blaming the lack of support staff in the airports ( baggage handlers, fuel trucks, air traffic controllers, security, customs, on and on and on )
Ponzie sez it’s lack of airline pilots and stews…
You be the judge.
Montreal airport a few days ago.
Scroll down for the video.
P.S.
Montreal is Air Canada’s Head office.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/montreal-trudeau-yul-airport-baggae-flight-delays
Fire them all.
Privatize Air Canada
We have bought and sold 6 properties in our 51 years of marriage. Three of them were cherry orchards in the South Okanagan and we made money on all of these properties. All properties were bought and sold using
real estate agents. We were happy with each of these
agents. If a person sells too cheap or buys too high this
is unfortunate. All financial transactions must be researched to your advantage. Remember out work the
competition today to prepare for tomorrow.
Shook the dust of the old Canadian flag that, up until 2020, I used to hang out on the front balcony over the Canada day weekend.
Last year, the Federal Liberals made doing that a micro aggressive offence, punishable by cancel culture.
The problem is, it’s my house.
My business is run out of the top floor.
I’m well known in the community.
If it gets out that I committed an act of aggression against, well, I guess people who hate Canada, then the cancel culture folks start sharpening their knives.
Just look what happened to Garth last year.
I was not going to go there.
Too dangerous.
So today I cautiously hung up our countries’ flag on my house.
Other than one other small one in an upstairs window, mine is the only Canadian flag out in the neighbourhood.
So far, nothing too bad has happened.
The reaction has been mostly neutral. People seem afraid to either support or condemn me.
I went back out and hung a Ukranian flag next to it (you can buy them almost anywhere … I picked up one at the dollar store down the street).
That seemed to help. Getting a lot more smiles and a few thumbs up.
So maybe it is ok this year.
T2 is out of the country and most of his hangers on seem to have taken a vacation.
Might actually be able to celebrate Canada day again…
MLS© #E5671300
$1,188,000
Sold Price: $1,375,000
3+1 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms
Whitby
DON’T COUNT THE CARTEL OUT.
Garth, don’t be in a hurry to count the real estate cartel out. Much like a territorial hillbilly survivalist defending his bunker there is nothing these bent pit bulls won’t do to ensure their gravy train stays on the tracks. They have a war chest full of ready cash to buy the media, politicians, and lawyers.
Quote, ” The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.” Voltaire. If you change the word rich and replace it with the word realtor, you will be close to the mark. Steady lads, hold the line.
This is an unfair and insulting generalization.
Similar comments could be made about the large numbers of unethical financial advisors (not you, Garth) who have steered people into useless mutual funds and [email protected] and cost their clients the chance to buy a place to live that grows in value over time.
I think this has been said before, “realtors are the most paid, uneducated and unregulated professionals in our society”
What an expression on Ernie the cat. It says “Where the hell is my damn cat martini!”
The comment section on this blog noticeably more peaceful today. Yesterday one dared not poke one’s head out of the foxhole. Mercy.
Why are so many picking on realtors? They provide a necessary service, work long and awful hours to earn a living like everyone else, and have to endure the biggest tire kicking bores one could never hope to meet. They deserve more sympathy than we imagine. It’s the greedy buggers overdosing on house porn who get what they deserve, and I have no sympathy for them.
Re the ‘airport debacle’, just flew to Vantown back to Cowtown with not a whisper of a problem. Let’s just get it out there: It’s Pearson. Even pre-Covid it was a dog’s breakfast. The great unwashed and their entrails traipsing through that hell hole daily. Ugh. If I never have to eat at Caplansky’s Deli again it will be too soon. Something tells me that going forward the whole travel business is going to undergo some changes. Maybe ‘On Shoring” is about more than just supply chains. The world has moved on from Audrey Hepburn riding around on a Vespa in ‘Roman Holiday’. Europe has got a whole set of other problems these days. Some quite unattractive. Best to stay off the beaten paths.
Let’s end on a high note before I go make myself and Ernie the cat a martini: Garth…what is the ‘Sitrep’ with the Canadian Flag this year? Where will it be flying, and did Marsha get thrown into detention with Tamara Lich? We’re all ears and whiskers.
We’re out of money for a Canada Day Party.
CANCELLED!
https://globalnews.ca/news/8955452/canada-day-parade-cancellations-2022/
Several cities say the rising cost of security and insurance, in addition to troubles securing funding, is forcing them to rethink their celebrations.
In Montreal, there will be no Canada Day parade for the third year running, and this time COVID-19 is only partly to blame.
Dear Justin,
I’m told it is true-dough and that Canada is a free-land full of money falling from the sky.
Since you love borrowing and lending, could you lend an ex-friend Amber $10.76m Canadian dollarettes ($8.35 USD) so she can pay off what she owes?
You know…borrowing to pay of debt, the favourite past time of Canadians.
No Canadian flag on the sailboat tomorrow…I’ll be flying the Ukrainian flag near the top of the mast and a large Alberta provincial flag off the stern.
Not sure what this says but I feel better….JT was the one who disrespected our maple leaf by leaving it at 1/2 mast for months…I don’t think I’ll use it again.
Happy Canada Day to all !/
The positive spin from the realtor in this article is simply amazing!
“So Alberta’s market is cooling, just at a slower pace,” he says
– what a nice way to describe a 7% decline in prices from the previous month becasue its not as bad as the 10% decrease in Ontario! Lol
Balanced indeed…
https://calgaryherald-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/major-housing-markets-are-beginning-to-see-more-balance/wcm/705b9b9d-9c8b-4747-9b31-d686a5635119/amp/?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16566290966180&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fcalgaryherald.com%2Flife%2Fhomes%2Fnew-homes%2Fmajor-housing-markets-are-beginning-to-see-more-balance
Realtors add exactly nothing to the process of buying or selling a house.
Aren’t blind biddings a symptom of supply/demand imbalance – because of various gov’ts, red tape, etc.
Allow more houses to be built to meet demand and this would not be an issue, no? Market forces allowed to function without restrictions should correct this…I mean we live in the 2nd largest country in the world!
I put up 4 Canada flags today- one at the house, one on each car, and a big one at the office.
Guess I’m a trucker?
US flags go up July 4 for solidarity.
Let’s make both these countries great again.
Air Canada Head office in YUL (Montreal).
YUL = Pierre Trudeau Airport
One wonders the last time T2 had to actually :
a) Deal with a passport application.
b) Deal with Customs
c) Wait in a line for a flight.
d) Wait for a delayed flight.
e) Take a flight in “steerage”.
f) Take a “steerage” seat with a screaming baby next to him.
g) Lose his luggage
h) Get bumped from a flight.
Get ready for the Sh!t storm next week as HUNDREDS of DOMESTIC FLIGHTS PER DAY are cancelled bumping thousands upon thousands of vacationing Canadians ….
While the International Flights keep landing and leaving with planeloads of Ponzies telling us how stupid we Canadians are.
Poilievre may be an idiot.
But at least he comes by it honestly.
Real Estate, meme stocks, crypto, puppies, free weight gyms it does not matter, people get FOMO about everything.
Remember what everyone was saying while lined up to buy “this time it is different”
If rates dropped back down to sub 1% levels and prices rocketed back up there would be blind bidding again, a fool and his money are soon parted.
We are buying cars online without hagling, why not houses?
#53 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 7:10 pm
I put up 4 Canada flags today- one at the house, one on each car, and a big one at the office.
Guess I’m a trucker?
US flags go up July 4 for solidarity.
Let’s make both these countries great again.
——————————
Absolutely. Can’t let our flag be stolen by any one group. There’s already been one too many flags stolen.
Oh man, anyone who needs a giggle should look at this photo of The Canadian Prime Minister and The Australian Prime Minister.
That’s the formal introduction out of the way.
The kindest thing I can say about this photo, is miraculously they appear keen to make Trump look normal.
How is that possible…
M48BC
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fanthony-albanese-urges-western-world-to-act-with-urgency-and-conviction-in-oecd-speech%2Fnews-story%2Fda898e0dac8c6b6a15fd46627dd20947&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-hot-test-score&V21spcbehaviour=append
Re: Picture
Cool cat.
Just like mine.
She also likes to lounge and chill.
#39 CEF. Time to get out of the elevator and come up for air.
Air Canada was privatized in October 1988.
Captain Correction is knocking on the door of the real estate sector. It is obvious what is going to happen, as there are more rate increases to come.
#39 crowdedelevatorfartz on 06.30.22 at 5:52 pm
@#11 The West
“This is going to have a devastating ripple effect on all of Canada this summer.”
+++
Yep.
The airlines are blaming the lack of support staff in the airports ( baggage handlers, fuel trucks, air traffic controllers, security, customs, on and on and on )
Ponzie sez it’s lack of airline pilots and stews…
You be the judge.
Montreal airport a few days ago.
Scroll down for the video.
P.S.
Montreal is Air Canada’s Head office.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/montreal-trudeau-yul-airport-baggae-flight-delays
Fire them all.
Privatize Air Canada
——————————
Simpleton CEF with simple solutions.
As I told you, it’s a worldwide problem.
And BTW:
Ownership. Air Canada became fully privatized in 1989, and its variable voting shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:AC), and, since 29 July 2016, on OTCQX International Premier in the US under the single
A mandatory in person visit for luck and prosperity must be an East Asian thing
#27 Bob Dog on 06.30.22 at 5:02 pm
Young Canadians have only two options.
1 Leave the country.
2 Build guillotines.
———————
I raised 3 kids in Canada.
All doing extremely well.
No need to go anywhere.
But you are free to leave.
And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
I have never understood why real estate agent commissions are a percentage. When houses doubled in value, was the work an agent did to sell a house double?
Or is there more work to sell a million dollar property as opposed to a home that is worth $500,000. Commissions should be a flat rate.
#53 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 7:10 pm
Guess I’m a trucker?
#####
No, but what you are rhymes.
“Sold over asking”
Ahh ha aha ha. House Sales Weasels spinning, turning turds into gold.
Lies Damn lies and statistics. Can you say 50% haircut? Ontario indeed.
https://twitter.com/BenRabidoux/status/1542548214355828740/photo/1
@Garth: Would like to report comment number 27 by Bob Dog for encouraging violence.
@#47 Canada Day Cancelled!
“We’re out of money for a Canada Day Party.
CANCELLED!”
+++
That’s because July 1st is a New Day…..
#46 the Jaguar on 06.30.22 at 6:39 pm
The comment section on this blog noticeably more peaceful today. Yesterday one dared not poke one’s head out of the foxhole. Mercy.
——–
Yes! Today is a breath of fresh air. It’s almost like a gruesomely unpleasant festering pustule has disappeared of its own accord.
Hey, no need to look too deep, let’s just celebrate!
@#53 Sail Away
“I put up 4 Canada flags today- ”
+++
yep.
Mine go up tomorrow.
Ponzie?
Flying the Austrian Flag tomorrow?
#20 Nonplused on 06.30.22 at 4:31 pm
Something similar to “blind bidding” is pretty common when corporations sell assets. If there are competing bids the terms are not made known to other bidders.
Corporations when selling assets, the assets offered for sale are fully defined with very clear terms of offer. Competing bidders send their accountants and engineers etc., as appropriate to evaluate and price the assets before making an offer. And the corporations open their accounts/books and assets/plants to competing bidders for a fixed amount time prior to bidding plus make available company operating/accounting personnel to answer bidders queries if any. You must remember, when one bidder raises a query, the answer to the query is distributed to all bidders thus making the bidding process pretty transparent.
Whereas when the houses are put on sale, this kind of due diligence is not available. Many of the houses repainted and glossed over with tons of adjectives (gorgeous, high demand, sundrenched …) every house sale offer starts with great adjectives (they call it applying lipstick to sell the house) plus a lot of tricky photographs plus there are a lot of invisibles. Add to it the home buyers typically are not professional home buyers who can price a home. We have seen realtors that cannot size the houses correctly into feet or meters ( there are a few houses with “measurements not available”) and are unable to tell the age of construction….. The offer for sale here is pretty opaque, lots of hidden info, etc, etc, and you must know, no one can price a million $ house with a half hour viewing ……
Please do not compare one bidding process with the other!!!!!!
#26 Dr V on 06.30.22 at 5:00 pm
“You did exactly what I would expect any business person to do. Any idea how much more it sold for?”
——————————–
It sold for about 15% over asking, and we bid slightly less than asking, after we analyzed the income/expenses/building/etc. Even in the commercial property market, certain areas can enter into a bit of a frenzy now and then. In this case it was a smaller market in Eastern Canada with several Toronto buyers bidding it up.
#56 Franco on 06.30.22 at 8:01 pm
We are buying cars online without hagling, why not houses?
Who is this “We” you speak of? Or do you have a mouse in your pocket?
@#44 Honest Realtor?
“…. the chance to buy a place to live that grows in value over time.”
+++
Tell that to people that listened to their Realtor pressuring them and made an offer in Feb…….and can’t get financing in June.
#44 Honest Realtor on 06.30.22 at 6:18 pm
“This is an unfair and insulting generalization.”
Yeah , yeah we know, you make people happy, help them build a future and your magnanimous goal is to provide children stability to insure their success.
Your tears can cure cancer.
Nonetheless people hate you.
I doubt that you are capable of insight or introspection, but why not at least try to explain why it is that you are viewed as a snake in the grass?
#45 silent the people
Yes, you hit the nail on the head. My small circle of friends has been saying that for 20 years. Time for a new way of selling Real Estate we all think.
@#60 CJohnC
“Air Canada was privatized in October 1988.”
+++
No company…….
With a Head Office in Quebec….is truly “private”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l25CCE3X-vY
DELETED
#70 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 9:01 pm
#46 the Jaguar on 06.30.22 at 6:39 pm
a gruesomely unpleasant festering pustule
—
Yeah, weird. Old Boot just proofed into the aether.
Sail Away, get that pustule looked at by Island Sexual Health . I hear their services are anonymous.
Air Canada is about as Private as the Canadian Banks.
Coddled.
Protected.
Subsidized.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-19/air-canada-exits-the-4-7-billion-bailout-package-it-lobbied-for
Private?
Not yet.
If they were truly private….why haven’t they moved their Head Office to Toronto or Calgary?
Where it would make more business sense.
Oh right……Quebec votes for the federal govt in power…… that pays them to stay…right where they are.
https://financialpost.com/transportation/airlines/airline-competition-canada
Air Canada and West Jet control 82% of the domestic market…..
Time for a change on our federal protectionist policies?
Ponzie.
Do you fly Air Canada on international flights to Europe or get a cheaper flight where there’s a competitive market?
I’ll wait.
#68 That Guy on 06.30.22 at 8:51 pm
@Garth: Would like to report comment number 27 by Bob Dog for encouraging violence.
—
Yep, clear Jan 6th reference.
Flop, you are so correct. Bit of a joke Vancouver promoting themselves as a green city. 20 year old homes being torn down, sent to the landfill. Lived in east Van for 35 years I ‘m thinking there is no hope if this carry’s on, this scenario is being played out over and over. If there is no change in the COV in the Nov election, definitely time to leave. This city had such natural beauty but will be forever ruined. But this is the COV’s agenda easier to leave, tired of fighting them. So many awesome neighbourhoods destroyed, including mine very sad.
#71 crowdedelevatorfartz on 06.30.22 at 9:01 pm
@#53 Sail Away
“I put up 4 Canada flags today- ”
+++
yep.
Mine go up tomorrow.
Ponzie?
Flying the Austrian Flag tomorrow?
——————
Why would I?
Not into the Flag thing too much.
@#68 Marlo Thomas!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Girl
“Would like to report comment number 27 by Bob Dog for encouraging violence.”
+++
Actually I considered “Option 2 ” a “political statement”.
Like the French Revolution……
The free market brought us blind bidding. The free market makes it go away.
To CEF
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/europes-airports-mess-heres-summer-040107153.html
Two things of note having to do with hypocrisy among some SturdCons.
0) Began receiving SPAM texts and tons of LinkedIn traffic after Old Boot’s trashy move two days ago. Who knows what else they are digging at. BillyBob went all the way into digging through my GitHub commit history.
1) Certain commenters have done so more than an internet addict over last 24 hours.
Beware the charlatans and projecting stalkers. Kinda sums up the whole Fox News crowd.
@ Sail Away++
#70 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 9:01 pm
#46 the Jaguar on 06.30.22 at 6:39 pm
The comment section on this blog noticeably more peaceful today. Yesterday one dared not poke one’s head out of the foxhole. Mercy.
——–
Yes! Today is a breath of fresh air. It’s almost like a gruesomely unpleasant festering pustule has disappeared of its own accord.
Hey, no need to look too deep, let’s just celebrate! ++
Agreed, but based on experience one is always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Any idea what Github is? Sounds boring as hell, but if it’s a diversionary tactic to get a certain poster off the scent trail and lure BillyBob back I’m intrigued. I miss Captain Ross a lot. With all these airline troubles a talented pilot like Captain Ross must be busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. Could always use him here to kick a little ass though, lol…
Additional note to Garth:
As Margo Channing said in All About Eve, “Fasten you seat belt, Garth, we’re in for a bumpy Canada Day eve”…
#74 Heloguy on 06.30.22 at 9:46 pm
#56 Franco on 06.30.22 at 8:01 pm
We are buying cars online without hagling, why not houses?
———
Who is this “We” you speak of? Or do you have a mouse in your pocket?
———
Teslas. Takes about 5 minutes.
I are we. We are they.
56 Franco on 06.30.22 at 8:01 pm
We are buying cars online without hagling, why not houses?
———————————————————————————————
Be honest how many cars have you bought online??
“Trudeau promised”. You can’t say that without laughing at the high ethics of our PMO. Sad. But, Happy Canada Day all the same. What a country it was. It’s like celebrating a wake, and get the flag down. The Trudeau/Butts ‘genius ‘ camp down on K Street must be so proud of themselves looking up at our bloating corpse of a country.
#66 Rhyme thyme on 06.30.22 at 8:46 pm
#53 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 7:10 pm
Guess I’m a trucker?
———
No, but what you are rhymes.
———
True, when the hunt is successful, I am indeed a grouse, pheasant and chukar plucker- usually using a homemade drill attachment with rubber appendages dubbed ‘The Motherplucker’.
73 J – thanks for your response. Sounds like it was reasonably priced to begin with, so the 15% over could fall within someone’s range of being viable.
When I put an offer on my current Niagara house, right in front of me the realtor calls a local landlord and and asks him if he wanted to top it. Even heard the answer through the phone, ‘too much work’. I look at him like WTF? Realtor looks at me and says, he’s bought over 30 Houses off me.
It was ALOT of work, but in the end was worth it to get a fair price, $105K in 2016.
All of the major stores are advertising Boxing Week in July sales…
This is wild.
Consumer demand has fallen off a cliff.
All of the sudden things are back in stock because stock is not moving and piling up.
The recession is here.
What a joke this post is. All you outraged critics of ‘blind bidding’ seem to miss the obvious point here: WHO CARES WHAT BUYERS THINK ABOUT BLIND BIDDING. If the process of holding back offers creates a scenario where the Seller gets a spectacular selling price BRAVO!! That’s the goal of every Seller, get the HIGHEST SELLING PRICE with the CLEANEST offer. Real estate agents should be APPLAUDED and appreciated for providing that sort of result when representing a SELLER. Of course a Buyer is not going to like ‘blind bidding’, but WHO CARES? The Seller certainly doesn’t. Instead of looking to inflame and point misplaced blame, why not instead look at the real reason this ever had to take place at all. A torrent of CMHC insured mortgage funds provided at outrageously low interest rates created the highest demand possible and as a result the demand could never be met, thankfully with higher interest rates that’s changing. Grow up everybody.
How are blind bids for literally every construction tender any different? They don’t auction off projects
#27 Bob Dog on 06.30.22 at 5:02 pm
Young Canadians have only two options.
1 Leave the country.
2 Build guillotines.
———————
Absolutely !!!
Run, run, run from kanada.
I’m happy, I’m outside of this fake “country” kanada.
Cancel Canada!
As I predicted, soon, selling house in kanada, you will not have enough money to buy ticket to run from kanada.
#26
“Blind bids on commercial property? That’s strange. The value of the property is related to the revenue of the
shop, clinic, office or other business that occupies it. Of course age of the building (related costs) and location
(marketability) play a role as well, but the value should not be caught up in the hysteria of the residential market.”
In large commercial transactions it works this way. Listing agent sets up a data room which contains financials , rent rolls, building condition reports, sellers form of agreement etc. Access to the data room is controlled. First, you are sent a teaser of the property, pictures , relevant facts and statistics. Then if interested, you sign a confidentiality agreement and then you get access to the data room . A bid date is usually set several weeks from the time the data room is operational.
Great job eviscerating the cartel. Happy Canada Day.
The comment was sarcastic.
However, the continued cancellation of Canada Day is not.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-communities-skip-the-fireworks-focus-on-reconciliation-ahead-of-sombre/
#69 crowdedelevatorfartz
…indeed. Today is a New Day. What will tomorrow be?
Why have Canada Day celebrations become so subdued?
Why is displaying a Canadian flag considered controversial?
It’s because social media and MSM have turned the vulnerable minds of Canadian youth into mush, making them susceptible to all of the woke cancel culture garbage being maliciously perpetrated out there.
Passivity, Stupidity, and Gullibility are the hallmarks of the Canadian bandwagon crowd – easily manipulated and influenced to follow the latest fads, trends, and misguided sociopolitical slants.
Happy Canada Day.
My Canadian flag is being proudly displayed on my property.
As much as things in this country have been mismanaged, I don’t take FREEDOM for granted.
@#87 Pilot Ponzie Prepares
So your non answer is a
“No”….You don’t fly Air Canada on International Flights to your beloved Austria..
The exorbitant cost and the surly service just don’t seem worth it?
I spoke with a business associate yesterday.
They just got back from 3 weeks in Europe. Landed in Germany, Train to Italy. Flew to Spain, Flew back to Italy, Flew to Toronto. Then flew to Van)
In Europe…The line ups for security were a bit of a gong show but the rest of the “airport experience” was a piece of cake. No issues.
Canada? A sh!tshow .
It seems we have filled our upper management positions with people more worried about being politically correct that actually doing their jobs.
And that has filtered from the top to the bottom of most large organizations but especially organizations overseen by govt.
Is it any wonder workers are missing in every level of the quasi govt bureaucracy that are Canadian Airports these days?
The people with experience have taken their leave and retired because the daily Human Resources back stabbing isn’t worth any money to show up.
While younger workers are looking for the “perfect job” ……….from home.
We need a Recession to wipe that smug look off our “Prime” Ministers’ face and his cabal of “Woke-ists”
Thats my wish for a New Day
Happy Canada everyone!
@#104 Dharma Bum
“It’s because social media and MSM have turned the vulnerable minds of Canadian youth into mush, making them susceptible to all of the woke cancel culture garbage being maliciously perpetrated out there.”
++++
It’s not just the media.
My co worker has a 5 year old grandchild.
The kid LOVES balloons.
Co worker gives her a bunch of balloons for her birthday the other month.
Grandkid bursts into tears, “Balloons are bad for the environment! They’re killing birds and fish!”
Seems the kid brought a balloon to school one morning and the brave, brave teacher took it upon herself to single out a 5 year old in front of the entire class and berate them for “killing the planet”. On and on it went until the poor 5 years old agreed they would never have a balloon again.
It took the parents two days to get the kid to even want to go back to kindergarten.
Goebbels should have taken lessons from the environazis.
#105 crowdedelevatorfartz
We need a Recession to wipe that smug look off our “Prime” Ministers’ face and his cabal of “Woke-ists”
Thats my wish for a New Day
Looks like you will get your wish!
Nomura Now Forecasts Global Recession As Its Base Case
Several mid-sized economies, including Australia, Canada and South Korea, have had debt-fueled housing booms and are at risk of deeper-than-forecast recessions if interest rate hikes trigger housing busts and deleveraging.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nomura-now-forecasts-global-recession-12-months
You must be new here. We all just ignore Nonplused. He’s just a troll.
#105 CEF
We need a Recession to wipe that smug look off our “Prime” Ministers’ face and his cabal of “Woke-ists”
Thats my wish for a New Day
——————-
So you wish for a recession where many workers get laid off, people losing their savings and livelihood.
Just to “wipe off the smug look of JTs face”.
Pretty sick.
@#98 Laughable Profession
Pack yer bags.
Party’s over.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-housing-hold-ups-put-thousands-jobs-line-2022-07-01/
Interesting comments on Canadian air travel.
I haven’t flown out of a Canadian airport on a commercial flight since I was a child.
I go to Buffalo
It is a little more than 2hrs from Toronto by car.
And do they ever love us there.
In Canada, an air traveler is seen as an inconvenience to airport staff.
They would rather you not come. Fully government subsidized, with guaranteed jobs for life, they don’t need customers. They are happier when no one flies at all.
Down in Buffalo things are different.
The customer service is next level. Top shelf. I feel like Tony Stark kind of thing. They just dote on us. Please come back! Do you need anything else? Like a dream from the time we show up to the parking garage till we get back in our car to head across the border back to the dystopian socialist paradise called Canada.
Take my advice folks.
If you are anywhere near the USA, hop across the border and fly on a US carrier.
It is soooooo much better
9 HT on 06.30.22 at 3:33 pm
We can’t get rid of realtors fast enough. Online platforms will inevitably take over. Then you have modest lawyer fees (at least they are educated and accountable).
……..
It is amazing that we have let this industry flourish and have allowed high school graduates to make much more than many qualified professionals such as engineers, teachers and nurses….for doing very little (“this is the bathroom:). They cannot even do the most important thing….transfer the title which, as you pointed out, can only be handled by an educated lawyer. Interesting that for the second most expensive item that many of us purchase, a motor vehicle, we do not need somebody pointing out that “this is the engine”. Time to move to online….and have all these nebulous realtors go get some education/training and experience what a “real” job feels like. It can’t come too soon.
#65 Annek on 06.30.22 at 8:46 pm
I have never understood why real estate agent commissions are a percentage. When houses doubled in value, was the work an agent did to sell a house double?
Or is there more work to sell a million dollar property as opposed to a home that is worth $500,000. Commissions should be a flat rate.
……..
Absolutely agree. I would prefer we rid ourselves of this industry altogether but failing that, limit the number of licenses (like taxi’s) and pay the realtor no more than $5000 a sale, no matter how much the house goes for. With a limited number of licenses, all in the industry would make a decent living. Bad thing about this idea is, the License would be worth too much money when sold. Online is the way to go.
#89 the Jaguar on 06.30.22 at 11:36 pm
@ Sail Away++
#70 Sail Away on 06.30.22 at 9:01 pm
#46 the Jaguar on 06.30.22 at 6:39 pm
Agreed, but based on experience one is always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Any idea what Github is? Sounds boring as hell, but if it’s a diversionary tactic to get a certain poster off the scent trail and lure BillyBob back I’m intrigued. I miss Captain Ross a lot. With all these airline troubles a talented pilot like Captain Ross must be busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. Could always use him here to kick a little ass though, lol…
———
Yes, BillyBob needs to return.
Github is a clearinghouse of GIS data, scripts, etc., that registered users can access for collaboration. Sort of Microsoft Teams for spatial analysis… an updatable library sort of?
However, when someone chooses to be an a-hole on an interwebz blog site while also choosing to follow no internet privacy, anonymity, or safety protocols, blowback from those offended should probably be expected. An internet punch in the mouth, if you will. Sort of proves the rule: ‘Life is tough. Even tougher if you’re stupid.’
#109 Gravy Train on 07.01.22 at 9:58 am
You must be new here. We all just ignore Nonplused. He’s just a troll.
——–
Nonplused gives thoughtful, accurate and relevant info. His comments are always worth reading.
Another downside to blind auctions is that it allows someone to sell a home that may have problems that can be discovered in a home inspection. Simple peace of legislation would be required that states if you are going to sell using this technique then you must provide a home inspection. Listed companies have auditors and that system provides some form of protection for shareholders.