Have you ever wondered what happens to all the fancy furniture in condo sales centres?

Sometimes it’s re-used, sometimes it’s tossed…and on some rare occasions it sold at a bargain price!  On Saturday July 10th, 2010 from 10-2 all the left over furniture from the Freed showrooms will be put on sale.  One of Brad Lamb’s projects in King East had a similar sale a few months back.  I stopped by for that one and saw a ton of great furniture for crazy low prices!

I’m guessing this should be the same…or possibly even better!  The Freed sales centres are some of the best out there, so if you’re thinking of attending, SHOW UP EARLY!!!

…and if you need the condo before the furniture give me a call or send me an email.  I’d love to help!

I’m often ammused by all the crazy kinds of fridge magnets I see on daily basis…From tattoo removal (as if that’s something you’ll need every day) to competing Realtors and their smiling grins, the fridge has become a popular space for brands to promote their messages in consumers homes! And yes, even I am guilty of such tactics with my “Savel And The City” magnets making their rounds on various fridges throughout the City.

I recently stumbled upon some real swanky magnets at a  showings!

“App Magnets” and as the websites description suggests:
Keeping stuff on you fridge? There’s an App for that. Set of 18 magnets, designed to look like iPhone Apps.

They retail for $16 on the UrbanOutfitters website and are a fun and playful way to post things on your fridge!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have an extra 80 inches in length and 40 inches in width in that den of yours? If yes, then that’s just enough room for 2 beds! The clip above is from New-York-based Resource Furniture. Watch in awe (as I did) as they demonstrate how a little ingenuity can give a small space a lot of room!

I’ve never been a fan of the 300 sqf studio, be it for living or an investment but as the price of land in Toronto goes up; the spaces we call home are becoming smaller! It’s inevitable as developers try to facilitate as many units possible into their towers to maximize the profit on the project. Even traditional 2 bedroom units are being built with less square footage than their older counter parts.

If you look at a building like The Esplanade, it’s very common to see 1 bedroom units pushing 700 sqf. Compare that with many of the newer buildings going up and the same square footage is now housing 2 bedrooms! Space saving decor like the ones available from Resource Furniture are the key to using every square inch in your condo and making the most out of the limited space available!

…I wonder if there’s a foldable garden available?

Ready to find your own space in one of Toronto’s many condo towers? Give me a call or send me an email… I’d love to help!

It all started a few weeks ago while shooting some video at the River City construction site…Along one of the blue walls was an advertisement for Banksy’s new film titled “Exit Trough the Gift Shop”!!  I quickly got on the phone and made plans to see it with an old friend and fellow Banksy enthusiast… Wait wait wait!! Let me first explain who this Banksy character is. 

That in its self is no easy task since no one realllly knows his identity, so I’ll start with his story to better explain my story.  Banksy is a British graffiti artist known for his political, playful and thought provoking stencils that have mysteriously popped up in many major Cities throughout the world! He’s successfully done these murals without being caught or identified, adding to the legend known simply as “Banksy” (stop by http://www.banksy.co.uk/ for more of his works).

Now back to how he applies to Toronto.  So I made plans to watch his new film on its Friday release and came out loving every second of it. The film showed the hard and sometimes dangerous work street artists go through to put up their art. I was left with a ton of questions all relating to ones perspective of the topic, some which include “what defines art” or more importantly “what defines GOOD art”… “Is it the message” “Could it be the person making work” “The story of that person” “Does its venue give it more or less credibility?” “Does any of it even matter?” These questions could be debated for hours and probably by more authoritative sources so I’ll save that convo for another day…   

Officially Banksy has never been to Toronto or even Canada for that matter, but after watching the film I couldn’t wait for the day he would!  Thankfully for me, that day came a lot faster than I could ever have imagined.  By Sunday I was hearing stories (primarily on the Torontoist and Show & Tell Gallery) of Banksy’s work appearing in different parts of the City. With the release of the film happening the same weekend, I had my doubts about these and figured this was just a publicity stunt to create a buzz.  Unfortunately for me, I tend to get suckered into “buzz-worthy events” pretty easily.

Fake or not I had to see it…street art doesn’t last long especially Banksy’s, who’s past pieces have been known to fetch large sums of money, I’m talking 1-bedroom-plus-den-with-parking-in-downtown-Toronto kind of money!!!  For that reason, the location of the stencils was left unknown.  All “Banksy hunters” had to work with were local landmarks in photos taken by others….

All those times being stuck in downtown traffic jams were about to pay off! I jumped into the Cooper and took to the streets and back alleys hoping to find me some Banksyyy!  My first stop was by The Docks, where the back of the drive through sign was used as the canvas for one of his famous “rat” stencils!  I started snapping photos around 11:30 Sunday night as an event cleared out.  A lot of people were wondering why I was so furiously snapping photos of a spray painted rat.  Looking back, I must have looked strange with my Blackberry in one hand and camera in the other….though it was totally worth it.  By mid Monday the “rat” was removed by a team of construction workers! 

I can only wonder if those construction workers had any idea as to what the value of the billboard was worth. Here are some pictures for those who didn’t get to see it:

I took to the back alleys of Dundas and Queen St. for hours searching for others….sadly nothing, so at 3am I called off the search.  Monday morning more pieces popped up including a “Spadina Rat” and an “intimidating balloon guard dog”.  Sadly, for one of the pieces, it was too late.  The stencil on an Adelaide wall (described as “0% Interest in People”) had been painted over.  Now there was 7 confirmed Banksy’s in Toronto with 2 either stolen or painted over.  I went back on my search Monday night exploring the City to find the others before it was too late. 

Finally…SUCCESS!! Here’s what we found:

To some the pictures may be of nothing more than “vandalism” or “garbage”…yet to others (myself included) it’s the chance of a life time!  By searching down the various locations of his art, I got to rediscover the City and even visit parts I’ve never been too.  A few weeks back I visited the AGO for my first time and saw a lot of beautiful works, but I found the staff to be very protective and at times even confrontational making it was hard to truly enjoy the art.  With street art, there are no boundaries…takes as many pictures as you like, touch it, discuss it, and view it any time of the day.

This whole Banksy experience brought a lot of attention to the Toronto street art scene and even showcases our own local talent… Fauxreel (pretty sure this is one of his pieces pictured below)

So get off the blog and out on those streets…create your own experince and enjoy Banksy in Toronto until it’s gone for good!

It’s funny how fast things change! The same time last year I was using Facebook once and a blue moon, contemplated joining LinkedIn and hadn’t even heard of Twitter.  Fast forward a year and I have 4 website/blogs not including all the “social media” sites I’ve subscribed to!  The problem in the past was that I had a ton of info but no way of sharing them.  Now I have a ton of websites, but find it impossible to tell people about them in one breath…

Enter: SavelAndTheCity.com

It’s my new one-stop shop website that allows visitors to see the many sides of “Savel”! For example… by clicking  “in photos“, you’ll be taken to my photo blog which shows off all the cool pics I take around the City.  Interested in the happenings of Yorkville?  Try clicking on “BloorCondos.com” for the latest in high-end Real Estate and lifestyle! Or maybe you’re ready to have me work for you…click on “SavelSells.com” to find out more about the services I provide and how I get the job done!  Lastly there’s “SavelBlogs.com”, it’s an informal way of sharing my knowledge and experiences as a downtown Realtor… from new construction projects to the latest in upcoming trends my goal is to incorporate it all. 

As one colleague asked: “Is all this online fluff really necessary???” ABSOLUTLY…it keeps me on my toes and current with the ever changing downtown core.  Long gone are the Wild West ways of the past.  Transparency is everything and this is my way of participating in it. There’s more that makes a Realtor, beyond the cheesy bus stop ads, past the flashy suites, knowledge is what you’re hired for.  By using the different social media sites, it allows me to take in more info and through my various “Savel” themed outlets, i’m able to share it!

enjoy!

Have you found yourself  trying to find a condo based on mattress size?  Too often, I find buyers having to choose a space based on which one will fit their bed!  In some cases it’s inevitable, you just have to work with what you have…BUT if you have the option, my advice to any first time buyer is to buy the condo FIRST and the furniture second :) 

Here’s a little something that might make the process a whole lot easier.  It’s my Matress Size chart:

Twin/Single – 39″ x 75″ or 3.3′ x 6.3′
Twin XL /Single XL – 39″ x 80″ or 3.3′ x 6.8
Double – 54″ x 75″ or 4.6′ x 6.3′
Double XL – 54″ x 80″ or 4.6′ x 6.8′
Queen – 60″ x 80″ or 5′ x 6.8′
King – 78″ x 80″ or 6.6′ x 6.8′
California King – 72″ x 84″ / 6′ x 7′ 

If you’ve got the mattress, I can find the condo! give me a call or send me an email… i’d love to help!

This kind of post should probably appear in my “Make You Laugh Monday” series, but it’s been a loooong week, and I’m sure someone could use a laugh!

Nigerian Prince’s, Daughters of Kings and now British Diplomats have all contacted me via SavelBlogs.com to ask for my assistance. Maybe it’s time to rebrand my marketing efforts…I’m thinking “Your Money Laundering/International Scam Specialist” Usually I just delete this ridiculous emails, but I decided to share this one juuuust in case someone actually falls for one of these scams! Here it is, with a hint of my commentary (in red):

Dear Sir or Mam,

(Really? I have SavelSells.com, SavelBlogs.com, BloorCondos.com, twitter.com/SavelSells, linkedin.com/in/marksavel, flickr.com/photos/savelblogs/, and you still don’t know the “Savel” name? or atleast my gender?)

My name is Ian Paisley, a British diplomat, in Iraq. Having gone through the rigors of diplomatic assignment, as a result of the war since 2003, here, I am retiring at last, hence, I and my family will be so glad, relocating to Canada, for its serene and quiet nature. Have you got any property/house still available for sale? Are you willing to be of assistance to me in this regards? I need your assistance in the purchase of a home the in Canada. Since my decision to retire, I and my wife have had series of discussion and we have come to a conclusion that we relocate to Canada with the kids. In this regards, we will need a property to purchase for our accomodation as a result of our relocation pending our arrival.

(Hmm Canada’s pretty big, can you narrow it down to a Province, Territory or even a particular building? Maybe then I can be of some assistance!)

I have the sum of $3.5M for this purpose and these funds are presently kept with a Trust Company here in Iraq. Every arrangement has been put in place by the Trust Company for the funds to be moved to Canada via diplomatic coverage for this purpose of investment in Real Estate/property. Thus, all that is required of you to assist me here is the search for any available property, as well as the receipt and investment of these funds in Real Estate/Property for me, pending my arrival. I need this, done, so the funds can leave here for this said purpose before my exit in office.

(You have $3.5 Million to spend? Now I’m listening! You said your name was Ian Paisley, right? Weird! Wikipedia says something a bit different from how you described yourself above?)

I am willing to expend $2.5M for the property and the balance kept in trust for me, pending my arrival. I would want this purchase done, prior to our arrival to Canada. We will need a big house of about 8 bedroom, garage inclusive with a large compound, and a fenced Yard. The house must be a mordern house and furnished. Our budget is between $2M-$2.5M Dollars. Apart from your commission, I am willing to compensate you with 7% of the cost of the house for your assistance. Do let me know of your willingness to assist me in this regards, as well as the availability/best price this property[s] would be going for.

(wow, that’s a very big house to purchase “sight-unseen” BUT since you insist on paying me 7% as opposed to the 0% buyers typically pay to their sales rep. I’ll see what I can do!)

I await your prompt response.

(I wouldn’t if I were you)

Sincerely

Ian Paisley

To be honest, I don’t deal with very many Diplomats so this isn’t my area of expertise, but I would think someone of that stature would have a bit more info in their signature. Oh, and maybe a secretary to proof read, or at least a spell-check-option before sending! Clearly, this is my sarcastic side coming out. But sadly these fraud-type emails keep coming so someone must be falling for them.  To all Nigerian Prince’s, Daughters of Kings, British Diplomats…i really can’t help you.  To all other non scammers/fraudsters send me an email…i’d love to help!