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[bc_video video_id="6253719661001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Investing in the real estate market is a proven gateway to building intergenerational wealth and closing the wealth gap for all Canadians. But when it's time to sell, what if something like inherent bias ends up influencing a buyer’s decision to buy your home or not? Here's what you need to know to protect yourself when selling your house. Discrimination and Racism in the Real Estate Market Canada’s long history is riddled with discrimination and racism in its real estate practices that pre-date the 1960s. From the way the country has treated the Indigenous, Japanese, the African Canadian Community and other ethnic groups, it's clear we had some problems. Luckily, reform has happened since these practices first emerged.  As a multi-ethnic society, we’ve all descended upon this great country with hopes and dreams for a greater future. Unfortunately, we've also brought along and learned while raised here some practices of toxic-racial bias or perhaps racist points of view. These have become deeply entrenched in our belief system, and how we operate and judge one another. Such bias can show up while selling your home, and racism and bias can impact your bottom line. What Role do Realtors Play in This? A realtor's job is to protect sellers in the event that you do encounter a buyer who is racially biased. Realtors are trained to be cognizant of how that bias may impact their perception, or their perceived value of the property.  As a seller, especially in this market, you want the highest possible sale price…but how your home is presented can leave clues, revealing your cultural and ethnic identity. There’s a reason why it's recommended that you ‘neutralize your home’. This means removing distracting décor and personal belongings that hint at ethnic background. This doesn't just make the home more presentable and marketable, but also helps to conceal the identity of clients. This makes it harder for a racist or biased person to exercise their prejudice. How do you Neutralize a Property? A few things you can do to make your property more neutral are:

• Painting your home using a neutral palette, using, whites, greys, and light beige colors.
• Removing family photos.
• Taking down any kind of cultural décor and or religious items.
• Being mindful of foods you’re cooking while your home is listed. Yes even odors can turn off buyers.
• Working with a realtor who will invest in staging your home.
• Not being home during showings.

Discrimination During the Appraisal Process A part of the sale process also includes the appraisal. After a buyer purchases a home and if they need a mortgage, their lender will order an independent appraisal to ensure what the buyer offered for this house is in line with market value.  Studies and reports have shown that in some cases, if the seller or homeowner is a person of colour, or there is evidence thereof, appraisers have undervalued the home because of bias. This could be devastating if the buyer, who purchased the home at market value, paid more than the low-appraised price. As an example: A seller sells for $900,000 at market value, the appraiser who has racial bias now comes into your home, and sees you’re a person of colour. Now they may they think the home is worth less … so they value the home at $850,000. That means the buyer is now on the hook to pay the $50,000 out of pocket because there’s a difference in purchase price and appraised value, which isn't likely to result in a sale.  If you have to relist your home, especially in a cooling market, this could cost you big time because now, you may sell at a lower price and likely head into litigation with the buyer to recoup your losses. It can be a mess, and all of this heartache and potential financial loss is because the cancer of racial bias. The subject of race and discrimination could have a profound effect on your bottom line when selling – sellers need to be aware that this does exist. People need to know what to do when selling to protect themselves because their equity & wealth are ultimately at stake.

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[bc_video video_id="6253549673001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] If you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to have an outdoor meal this summer, we've got tons of tips on how to gather outdoors with friends, while still staying more than six feet apart. BBQ Bash If you're in the market for a sustainable, one-time use instant grill that sets up in 5 minutes, look no further than the Casus-Grill. You don't even need a lighter, fluid or any equipment to use this grill for up to an hour of cooking. It’s made itself of sustainable materials, charcoal, lava stone, bamboo, and cardboard. Everything is biodegradable except the lava stones, so it emits less carbon dioxide than any other grill out there.  You can use these grills at the beach, park, fishing trip, hiking or right in your backyard without  popping back in and out to your house. Plus it’s a fun thing to demonstrate to your  guests too. In Edmonton you can buy them at The Butchery, but they also ship across Canada as well.  Jar-cuterie Charcuterie boards were often a staple at parties pre-pandemic, but they  don’t really work right now—you don’t want so many hands touching the same board. For a more contemporary take, say goodbye to charcuterie  and hello to jar-cuterie. Assemble your favourite meats, cheeses, crackers and  pickled vegetables right into an individual jar that anyone attending your physically  distanced outdoor gathering can have all for themselves. Then keep the jar afterwards to wash an reuse! You may be wondering how this works, so here's how we set it up. We put beer chipotle mustard on the bottom as a dip, added a layer of Gouda or Chaga cheddar cheese, then a mix of meats. You can group some items together with a toothpick and top with a spicy garlic pickle.  And if you’re transporting these to a beach, keep these jars covered with beeswax  sustainable food wrap. Or use a lid if you can. Setting the Outdoor Table Let’s prep our plates and cutlery for our grilled meal. Something to consider for your safe and eco-friendly gathering is to encourage everyone to bring their own cutlery. Maybe grab some from your kitchen or order some reusable cutlery designed to be carried on the go, like these sets from Winnipeg business IReuse2. These luxury, stylish and hygienic stainless steel utensil ship across Canada.  Drinks This might just be the most important part of any good gathering. When you’re thinking of party drinks, look in your area to see which local restaurants  are offering pre-made, pre-batched cocktails. This has become increasingly common and popular since the pandemic began. El Beso, a Mexican Restaurant in Edmonton sells pre-batched cocktails and beergarita kits. They all come in glass bottles—which is of course much better for the  environment. Try to find compostable or biodegradable cups or ask guests to bring their own cups  for your eco friendly party! There’s also a company called Greenmunch that specializes in sustainable party wares, and they do ship across Canada.   Jar Dessert Another jar, but this time for something sweet! You can use your jars to make a simple strawberry shortcake with just 3 ingredients: store bought angel foodcake, strawberries and whipped cream! For the more culinarily-inclined among you, check out this recipe for coconut custard. Honestly though, you can stuff anything you want in here fore dessert. Sustainable Beach Blanket If you're out by the water, there's no reason not to incorporate sustainability into your beach attire. Tofino Towel Co, a B.C.-based company, focuses on sustainable design. Their products are made with fair-trade artisans using natural materials, made to be eco-friendly and multi purpose. This towel can work as a beach towel, a picnic blanket or an indoor blanket, meaning you can do more but own less! Enjoy your gathering and stay safe!

[bc_video video_id="6253549729001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] As a parent, you want to give your children everything you didn’t have...and more. You want to champion them and love them... but you also want to avoid them becoming total jerks! No one likes the entitled child. So, what can you do to avoid raising entitled little monsters? Here are the best tips we've got! What does entitlement look like, and why is it bad? Entitled kids have problems accepting no, not winning and when they don’t get their way. They cannot accept responsibility and have problems with self-reliance. They don’t understand boundaries and turn into adults who have these same problems. We all know them - and we don’t like being around them. So how do we create kids that are good members of society? #1: Teach Them How to Cope with Not Getting Their Own Way. Toddlers are egocentric - that's a given, but you have to start somewhere.

• Teach empathy from a young age. You can do this by clapping when someone else is getting a ribbon at soccer, or taking them with you when buying a birthday gift for a friend letting you child know that it is for their friend and not them.
• Take turns. Toddlers don’t understand sharing but turn taking is easier to master. Use words and take deep breaths when they are frustrated, rather than letting them scream and shout.#2:

#2: Give Them Chores. Teach kids responsibility from a young age. Studies show that kids who had chores at 3 and 4 had a higher sense of responsibility and self-reliance as adults. Some age-appropriate chores are:

• 2 and 3: Clearing their plate from the table after a meal. Putting toys away before bed.
• 4 and 5: Taking lunch bag out of their backpack after school. Determining if clothes are clean or dirty at the end of the day. Helping put their laundry away.

#3: Create Boundaries and Stick to Them. This applies to both big and little things in life. As parents, you need to choose your battles: What are you willing to compromise on? What about when you’re tired? Agree on these as a household, and have your children repeat them back to you so you are all on the same page. As a good rule of thumb, put your foot down 75% of the time, and compromise 25%. Kids may get upset about this but it's a good opportunity for them to learn to deal with anger and frustration. #4: Model the Behaviour That You Want to See A note on parenting: kids are always watching. Be cognizant of how you treat people, even within your own family. Treat your own family in a way that you can be proud of! Know that you will make mistakes, but put thought into how you will handle them. Finally, remember that kids have bad days like adults, and although you may instill all of these great habits and lessons, remember that they are their own people. That will be reflected as they get older and start making their own decisions.