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How to Increase Your Home Value … On a Budget
Written by Marcy Tate Learning about how to increase your home’s value on a budget isn’t rocket science. However, if you aren’t aware of some of the basic tips and insider tricks, then you can make costly home improvements that won’t add up to value-added improvements. The expression, “don’t judge a book...
Top 10 Most Effective Marketing Strategies For Real Estate Agents
How effective are the different marketing options out there for you as a Realtor? What are other Realtors doing that you aren’t…but should be? Thanks to over 1,300 real estate agents and brokers who completed the HomeGain Realtor Marketing Survey in December 2009 and March 2010, the results are in! HomeGain...
Marketing & Selling a Home with a “Diamond-Water Paradox” Mentality
The “Diamond-Water Paradox” is a basic, fundamental economic theory: Water is essential to life; diamonds aren’t, but because there is so much water available, consumers place much greater value on a diamond to a drop of water. The same paradox can be applied to selling a home. When potential home buyers view...
HomeGain Nation - A Look Back at the BuyerLink Session
HomeGain did an awesome job this past Monday with their full day of training for 100 customers (HomeGain Nation 2010). If you were lucky enough to be there, you enjoyed over 8 hours of great information on a variety of subjects, but most of all, on how to use the...
6.25% Conversion - Expired Mailing to Listing!
Russell Shaw of The Russell Shaw Group with John & Hall Associates once said, “To really grow your business, become a listing agent”. If the great Captain Russell said so, that was all I needed to refine my old expired program with a 2% mailing to listing conversion, and revamp my...
HomeGain Nation - Live Real Estate Forum Impresses Agents
The HomeGain Nation Real Estate event is underway today! With over 100 attendees (real estate professionals), it’s a full day’s worth of strategies, networking and learning from 11 sessions, 4 workshops and 15 speakers. See full agenda Follow HomeGain Nation on Twitter #homegainnation What do attendees think of the event so far?...
Housing Doom
Hearty Doomish greetings go out to Ian M, his friends in and around UBC's comp sci department and nerds everywhere (hi Admin!) This is your day . . . . . Alas at some point along the way Ian's old man severely lost his way and became … an Arts nerd? There was the time...
Illinois Lawmakers Facing Eviction
Maybe Obama can launch HALM, Help For Lawmakers: [Thanks L!] The state's money problems are so bad that lawmakers are getting eviction notices and calls from collection agencies about their offices back home. At least five state senators say they've piled up so much unpaid rent, sheepish landlords are asking them when...
VI.H Preview: Slo Mo Dubai in the Desert? Recourse Meets the Big Vegas Bust
The recourse to defaulting mortgage borrowers. [slide 12] I think we … and I was brought up to date of some recent changes in Alberta that make it even more uniform across Canada. In this country roughly half the States allow recourse, half bar it, but even in the States...
Tiger Woods, Foreclosures And Truly Terrible Writing
It's said you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your handsome prince. Researching on the web is the same. You have to read a lot of drivel to learn anything of worth. Because I do wade through so much drivel in the course of a day, something has...
Credit Union Doesn’t Want Your Money, Isn’t Making Loans
The MSM keeps spreading the message that in spite of the fact that billions have been provided to banks, they are not making loans. Here's one of the reasons why: [Hat tip Economic Populist!] Nevada Federal Credit Union has a deal for big savers: Withdraw your money and you'll get a...
Jesse: NY Fed Implicated in the Accounting Fraud at Lehman
Key pieces of this puzzle are presently coming thick and fast from US government sources, the MSM and various parts of the blogosphere. The fuzzy outlines of a picture are even beginning to emerge, but these appear at first glance to be much weirder than anything our conspiracy-soaked imaginations had...
JD Supra Real Estate
Contributor: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP [View: Profile | Documents]...
COA Opinion: Proprietary function exception to governmental immunity
Contributor: Warner Norcross & Judd [View: Profile | Documents]...
FHA Proposes Higher Net Worth Requirement For Lenders In Effort To Strengthen Risk Management
Contributor: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP [View: Profile | Documents]...
Joint Venture Exception to the Usury Laws
Contributor: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP [View: Profile | Documents]...
Limits on Creditors Rights Title Insurance Coverage
Contributor: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP [View: Profile | Documents]...
More Pennsylvania State Forest Land Available for Drilling, Governor Announces
Contributor: Duane Morris LLP [View: Profile | Documents]...
Future of Real Estate Marketing
What to Watch for: Technology – Spring 2010
There are a lot of exciting things coming out in the next few weeks – here are my top 3: 1. Like it? Hate it? The iPad which drew a ton of rumors and speculation is ready to make it’s debut. The 1st commercial aired during the Academy Awards (which explains...
Tip Tuesday: 3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Twitter
“I have nothing to say.” I have heard this over and over again, not just by real estate agents – but by many people who are trepidacious about getting involved in Twitter. To many, Twitter has become more useful as a way to tap into what’s “going on today,“ than to...
Fun Friday: Microsoft sends flowers to the IE6 funeral
Yesterday, the “IE6 funeral” took place in Denver. This is what appeared on the funeral site: Internet Explorer Six, resident of the interwebs for over 8 years, died the morning of March 1, 2010 in Mountain View, California, as a result of a workplace injury...
Twitter Proves You Can’t Go Wrong With an Email Newsletter
Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find an email newsletter from – TWITTER! I guess it shouldn’t surprise me – but at first I was a bit surprised that the company that made “140 characters” a household name, decided to get a message out to their members via email. Good reminder...
Tip Tuesday: An Hour a Day – 5 Easy Steps to Maximize Your Social Media Strategy
One of the topics people ask me frequently about is social media – and specifically they ask me for how to make the best use of their time. Anyone who has dived into social media knows that it is not “free” – it takes time and a thoughtful effort to...
A Smarter Solution – Real Estate Job Hunting 101
Problem: When someone in the real estate industry goes job-hunting, it can be difficult to navigate through all the listings posted on Monster, Career Builder or some of the other online job boards posting up. In addition, when an employer or real estate brokerage is looking for someone with specific real...
House Keys
Online foreclosure auctions in Broward start March 30
Broward County this month will join its neighbors to the north and south by moving foreclosure auctions online. The website, Broward.realforeclose.com, will go live Monday, March 15, and the first auction is set for March 30. Potential buyers must register. Free training sessions will be held at the Broward County Courthouse, in...
Ask a real estate pro: What happens when the appraisal comes in too low?
Louis Spagnuolo of WCS Lending in Boca Raton answers questions from readers. To ask a question that Louis may answer next week, click here. Q: I am in the process of buying a new home on Miami Beach. But the bank is telling me that the appraisal came in $200,000 less...
FPL Group's credit rating was lowered from "excellent" to "strong" by Standard & Poor's rating agency Thursday due to more regulatory scrutiny for Florida utilities. After the Public Service Commission all but rejected requested rate hikes for FPL and Progress Energy Florida, S&P had put their parent companies on watch for...
NAACP and FPL: Saving too much energy hurts the poor
The NAACP's Florida chapter recently decried a PSC decision to require utilities to save more energy. "The Florida Public Service Commission...which regulates the state’s utilities, has chosen to adopt conservation goals that are predicated on the payment of subsidies by the general customer base to the more affluent customers who can...
Broward, Palm home prices won't reach prior peaks until 2030, firm says
Another dire prediction for South Florida home prices. Prices in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties aren’t expected to regain their previous peaks until at least 2030, Moody’s Economy.com told The Real Deal. For a look at the entire country, click on this map. As you can see, few areas are as...
Federal legislation to lower property insurance costs debated
Legislation that could give South Florida homeowners a break from soaring property insurance premiums received a mixed reception by federal lawmakers Wednesday. The House Financial Services Committee debated the bill and is expected to vote on it in the next few months. The bill – sponsored by Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca...
TRANSPARENT REAL ESTATE
Automating Mobile Services for Real Estate
Chris Thorman who blogs about real estate technology at Software Advice shares leading edge concepts that are aligned with what I see coming down the mobile social media pipeline. Turnkey / automation / service delivery and execution are critical to mass adoption, and when service companies can provide this instantly...
The problem with social media marketing - it's still push marketing
The sales methodology of the real estate industry is unique. Its sales force, primarily agents and brokers, needs to market themselves widely to a local community in order to capture transactions that happen infrequently. The traditional way has always been a form of promotion, or "push marketing" - advertising, drip...
Todd Carpenter did a nice job chronicling the birth of real estate social media at http://realtynex.us/2010/01/29/a-six-year-history-of-the-re-net/.This is my contribution to these early days that I sent to Todd for his article:I met Larry Cragun at Inman 2006, who proudly proclaimed he was a real estate blogger. That got me started...
Ten Real Estate Predictions for 2010
Here are ten 2010 predictions for real estate. I listed 10 predictions for media in 2010 at my social media blog Media Transparent.1) Curation is the new marketingAt Media Transparent, I called this "Curation is the new Syndication". Positioning yourself as the community conduit curating local real estate news to...
Society's new intimacy - it's surprising to me
One of 2009's biggest trends was real estate industry adoption ofsocial media marketing. What I find striking is the intimacy of thesocial interchange:(Conversing about a chain restaurant on the opposite coast... it is just like a cafe conversation...) The real estate industry, one of the most socially networked societies...
Be a part of the Mortgage Revolution
We're looking forward to being a part of the Mortgage Revolution... register now - Atlanta January 10-12 ......
Mortgage News
Dodd seeks middle ground on new rules
The senator trying to rewrite the nation's financial industry rules is dropping plans to create a stand-alone consumer financial protection agency and give a single regulator the power to oversee all banks, according to people familiar with the evolving proposal....
Sen. Fraser to fight for Heritage Center
The Heritage Center project is alive again, part of the capital-budget negotiations that will accelerate Monday when state lawmakers return for their special session to complete work on budgets and a jobs package....
Mortgage plan to assist 16 percent of borrowers
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration's mortgage relief plan has helped only about 16 percent of borrowers who signed up since its launch last year, while hundreds of thousands of homeowners remain in limbo....
Mortgage rates remain below 5 percent
William Rast, the contemporary fashion label by Justin Timberlake and longtime friend Trace Ayala, marched a parade of biker styles down the runway at New York Fashion Week Wednesday night in a collection dubbed "New America." Read more... Cult hit inspires style, for 'Shore' By Michelle R. Smith Mar 11...
Lloyds allows mortgage-holders to pay off quickly
The BBC has reported that Lloyds Banking Group has been encouraging its borrowers to pay off their mortgages early....
Life is coming back to downtown Miami as condos fill up with new residents
From the smoldering embers of the downtown Miami condo collapse, a bright spot is emerging: a community of full-time residents slowly starting to turn the area into a 24/7 city....
The Housing Chronicles Blog, Copyright (c) 2007-2010 Patrick S. Duffy
New column for March 2010 issue of Builder & Developer magazine now online
My column for the March 2010 issue of Builder & Developer magazine is now online. For this issue, I focused on how builders are downsizing square footage but keeping high-quality materials and focusing on compelling designs demanded by today's buyers. You can read the entire article by clicking...
Some builders staying alive by working for banks
As I had written about in January of 2009, in which I suggested that some builders could keep their operations alive by taking on remodeling work and also working for banks to finish up half-finished project, it appears that's just what has happened. From a story in the Wall...
Current tax credit program hits the skids
It looks like the $6,500 tax credit for existing homeowners looking to buy another home has been pretty much DOA for a variety of reasons. From an AP story via MSNBC.com:It sounded like a great idea three months ago: Hand homeowners a $6,500 tax credit to find a new...
A rebound for apartment builders?
After a couple of years in the doldrums, it looks like apartment builders are finally gearing up again for an anticipated leap in demand to occur once the economy rebounds and potential renters now doubling up with roommates (or living with their parents after boomeranging home after college) strike out...
The case for principal reductions
These days, it's hard to find a more emotionally charged issue than the idea of a principal reduction for underwater borrowers. The problem is that arguments such as "Not fair!" "No taxpayer-funded bailouts" and "You made your bed -- now lie in it!" do nothing to address the larger,...
Banks finally seeing short sales as cheaper than foreclosures
For a few months now I've been hearing rumblings that many of the non-foreclosure sales out there are actually short sales since lenders have, after needlessly losing more money than necessary to the (old-fashioned) foreclosure process, realized that short sales are faster, easier and prevent angry borrowers from trashing the...
OfficeFinder Blog
Profiting from Real Estate Investments in the New Economy
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Owners Who Negotiate Debt Reductions Could Face Tax Hits
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Letters to Bank Regulators Ask for Report on Efforts to Stabilize Troubled CRE Market
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Commercial Property Pricing Increasing. Has the Bottom Been Reached?
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Fundamentals for Small-Cap Properties Kept Weakening in January
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The Future of the Workplace: No Office
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NYT > Foreclosures
Loan Modification Program Starts to Get Some Traction
The Treasury Department said that more than 168,000 households had received permanent new mortgages under its modification plan....
A proposal to make our bankruptcy system simpler and to make it easier for debtors to get back on their feet....
Even High-Score Borrowers at Risk of Mortgage Default
A high credit score won’t necessarily insulate borrowers from the home-foreclosure crisis, according to a new study from FICO....
The Dark Side of Home Subsidies
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned more than 131,000 properties between them at the end of 2009, according to annual filings....
Program Will Pay Homeowners to Sell at a Loss
The Obama administration will offer homeowners $1,500 to sell for less than the mortgage balance....
Old-Fashioned Bulwark in a Tide of Foreclosures
A city agency and nonprofit groups build or rehabilitate moderate-income housing, then scrutinize buyers’ credit. And they avoid the national foreclosure crisis....
Tracy's LA Real Estate
Seen on caravan. Great modern. $1,750,000. Glendale. Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from tracyslarealestate’s posterous...
Seen on caravan. 6006 Hillandale. $360k. Highland park. Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from tracyslarealestate’s posterous...
Clear Your Calendar! It’s Time for Art in Northeast Los Angeles!
Coming Attractions From the Arroyo Arts Collective There is so much to do around here! Luckily, many of these shows run for a few weeks, but if you want to attend the openings, you'll have to pack most of them into Saturday, March 13!...
Market Update for Monday, March 08, 2010
Let’s look at some numbers on this beautiful almost Spring morning: We have a very energetic market in Northeast Los Angeles. In Eagle Rock 90041 since the beginning of the year, almost as many properties have closed escrow as have been listed. When you add in pending sales, you can see...
This Verde Ca’Ruptae Verdicchio was really good with the colcannon I made last night. I wonder if it would still work if I added corned beef and cabbage to the menu? Where is the CoWineCo answer man on this one? Sent from my iPhone Posted via email ...
All about California Propositions 60 and 90
If you are 55 or older, you can qualify for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take your current property tax base and transfer it to your next home purchase....
Vero Beach Real Estate
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (February 22 – March 1, 2010)
Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Vero Beach, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian...
ANSLEY Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate
Find ANSLEY Homes For Sale and ANSLEY Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Vero Beach Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Florida. Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide...
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (February 1 – February 8, 2010)
Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Vero Beach, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian...
RIOMAR Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate
Find RIOMAR Homes For Sale and RIOMAR Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Vero Beach Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Florida. Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide...
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (January 18 – January 25, 2010)
Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Vero Beach, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian...
SHORES Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate
Find SHORES Homes For Sale and SHORES Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Vero Beach Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Florida. Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide...
Money & Company
Michael Hiltzik: Drunk on water
John Wesley Powell, the grizzled, one-armed sage of Western exploration, predicted the water wars that would afflict this region in an era of uncontrolled growth. Attending an irrigation congress in Los Angeles in 1893, he listened with rising indignation as......
Video review: the MadAss 125 motorcycle
Susan Carpenter reviews the Sachs MadAss motorcycle, a 125 cc single cylinder that splits the difference between the geek chic of a moped and the non-cool of a beginner bike....
On the market: Putting down roots near community gardens
With the first day of spring looming next Saturday, some homeowners are starting to plan vegetable gardens. But community gardeners like Van Nuys resident David Ringger, 70, board president of the 22-acre Van Nuys Airport Garden Club, have already sprung......
Hot Property: Robert Redford's former beach home for sale
A Malibu beach home once owned by Robert Redford has come on the market for $13.8 million. The gated two-story, built in 1948 and extensively upgraded, has walls of glass, living areas that open to expansive patios, and stone and......
Justice Department and USDA to farmers: Anti-competitive practices in the food sector will stop
During the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s opening round-table discussion, it quickly became clear that the changing landscape of the nation’s farm country -- and growing concerns over the consolidation of the food sector -- was a......
Early Friday morning, more than 700 farmers, agribusiness executives and government officials gathered at the Des Moines Area Community College to discuss the issues that have emerged in the food sector because of consolidation of the industry. The Justice Department......
Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network
By 2032, the Thai government plans to have high-speed rail connected every region of the country. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.The first line is planned to connect Bangkok and Rayong, to the southeast. read more...
Traffic Accidents Poised to Become the 5th Leading Cause of Death by 2030
The Infrastructurist examines a new infographic published by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of their Global Status Report. read more...
Land Conservation Not Responsible For High Cost of Housing
High housing prices cannot be blamed on land conservation efforts, at least not in Silicon Valley, is the word from researchers at Stanford University. read more...
Laurence Gerckens brings us the ABCs of Planning. Today's letter is H, which stands for historic preservation. Gerckens brings us a brief, easy-to-understand history of the idea. read more...
Coastal Areas Prepare For The Other 'Big One'
California has just completed a landmark effort to assess the state's worst-case tsunami danger. Now emergency response officials, and even some planners, are considering how to keep the state's coastal populations safe. read more...
Planners' Mistakes in Framing the Problems of Traffic
This research paper focuses on how land use planners are continuing to plan and develop cities and urban areas in ways that increase traffic and congestion. read more...
MyTechOpinion.com
Add To My Page: Roost Social Real Estate App
One of the best social media strategies for real estate agents is to become your network’s trusted advisor. And of course one of the best places to put that strategy into play is, without a doubt, on Facebook. So you create a profile and import your sphere list, now what?! Well,...
Customize Your Facebook Profile or Fan Page with Smarter Agent!
You may have heard of the popular Smarter Agent Mobile Application for real estate companies and professionals….but what you may not know is that they just released a Facebook application to compliment their mobile app! First and Foremost Smarter Agent is a mobile app platform that can be utilized and branded by...
10 Tips for Getting Reacquainted with Facebook’s New Layout
Facebook celebrated it’s 6th birthday in style…by launching a redesign of the home page. I was excited to be included in the initial 80 million accounts that were updated with the design on February 4th. This new layout is being rolled out to the remaining Facebook users now (Reggie’s still...
dsIDXPress: Search Engine Friendly IDX
If you’re not already aware of Diverse Solutions….you should be. These guys have some serious cool factor and have been driving innovation with their dsSearchAgent Pro IDX for years now. Recently they unleashed a beta of a long awaited “indexable” IDX plug-in for WordPress. And today they’ve ripped off that...
Realtor.com Launches New iPhone App & Makes Mobile Home Search Useful
I know the 12 Days of iPhone Apps are over, but I couldn’t help but share a brand new app that launches today! Realtor.com is making their 4 million listings accessible via the iPhone. In addition, they are providing agents and consumers with a rich set of features to make...
12 Days of iPhone Apps – Day 12: Qik
About Qik: A few weeks back we were excited to hear Ustream was approved for the iTunes app store. At the time, it seemed obvious Qik would follow suite and make a move for approval. Well it’s happened; Qik (version 4.40)streaming video service has been officially approved by the app store...
Death and Taxes Blog
Informality is the enemy of estate and trust administration. What do I mean by that? I mean that, when a decedent handled his affairs informally prior to death, or when informality reigns following his death, then you can be assured......
Trusts and Consideration (why $10?)
I got this question twice in one day, so that's probably a sign from someone that I should answer it: Why do trust documents typically recite that the trust creator (sometimes known as the grantor) has transferred $10 (or some......
The Art of the Steal is a new documentary currently playing in limited release in Philadelphia and New York City. Hopefully it will come to Chicago and/or DVD soon. The film focuses on the art collection of Albert C. Barnes,......
The Cancellation of Indebtedness "Scam"
Here's a (seemingly) new credit card company practice that looks like a scam: A decedent dies in early 2007, and her estate goes through probate. The administrator discovers an outstanding credit card balance of about $17,000, and sends notice to......
Wired Magazine on Disposing of your Online Assets
The March 2010 issue of Wired has an interesting article about companies that deal with your online assets after you die. The article says that the companies: ... keep customers' passwords, usernames, final messages, and so on in a virtual......
I'm not a financial planner by any stretch of the imagination, but I occasionally come across financial planning tips that might be helpful. So I'm starting a new category of posts, with this one. Have you seen the commercials for......
BBC News | In Depth | mortgages | World Edition
Mortgages 'more easily available'
The number of mortgage deals on offer to borrowers rose by 6% in the past month, according to Moneyfacts....
Belgravia square tops homes list
The housing market may have been fluctuating, but the most exclusive street in England and Wales remains unchanged....
Tesco backs online estate agent
A cheap online estate agency service is being launched with the backing of the Tesco supermarket group....
Home ownership 'set to decline'
The proportion of people who own their own homes is likely to keep on falling, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says....
Home buyers 'younger in North'
First-time buyers in the north of England were the youngest and paid the smallest deposit compared with other areas of the UK in 2009....
Mixed picture for European homes
Property prices will continue to fall in vulnerable economies in Europe but other nations are showing signs of recovery....
Office Search Toronto
Commercial Real Estate Midtown Toronto – For Lease
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Yahoo! Canada – Toronto Office
Tour of Yahoo Canada Toronto office at 207 Queens Quay...
Great Toronto Commercial Real Estate for Lease
Great Toronto Commercial Real Estate for Lease...
Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brands!
Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brands!...
Commercial Real Estate Listings – Financial Core Toronto
Commercial Real Estate Listings - Financial Core Toronto...
Small Midtown Toronto Office Space
Small Midtown Toronto Office Space...