The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 24, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Handcuffs aside -- meeting with Harper went well Continued from page 10 One of the most memorable comments of the experience came when Hall told a security officer that she was with, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and she just wanted to ask Harper some questions. The security officer noted that what Hall had done was not the way to go about it, a statement that flies in the face of the 15 years This Hour Has 22 Minutes has been on the air. "We have this sort of proud history of doing really fun ambushes on politicians and nine times out of 10 they completely play along," said Hall. "Mary Walsh used to storm the Hill wielding a sword in the name of justice and she'd chase them around and hide from security in the bathroom. It was always received in a way that did not involve handcuffs." Eventually, those who'd handcuffed Hall seemed to realize their error and released her. Moments later a woman approached Hall and said, `Someone wants to talk to you.' Hall noted that from this point on the mood of those around her quickly changed and she was escorted to Harper's GoodLife Welcomes Family Fitness and Exclusively Women's to the Family! JOIN TODAY! hotel room for a quick one on one with the Conservative leader. Hall again took on the persona of single female voter and continued the skit. "Okay, that was a bumpy start to the second part of our relationship, but it was kind of sexy, too. A girl doesn't get arrested by a blueeyed man very often," said Hall. Harper then asked Hall if she liked handcuffs, to which Hall replied, "Should I like handcuffs?" While the skit was intended to be funny, it has nonetheless provoked a very serious discussion on media control under the Harper government. Hall said shortly after the incident, blogs began popping up examining both sides of the issue, using Hall to make their argument. "Extremists, on one hand, are saying things like, `The Harper government completely controls the media. They arrested a girl for asking questions in a question Geri Hall asking room,'" said Hall. "Then you have the other extreme saying, `Ms. Hall is a crazy actress who has no idea what she's doing. She's going to be on welfare one day. This wasn't funny. He's a world leader and he can't be endangered.'" Hall isn't taking sides, but is pleased one of her skits could prompt such a debate. The handcuff incident has not deterred Hall from ambushing politicians with single female voter, interviewing NDP Leader Jack Layton only days later. The following day, single female voter got to go on a date with Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. "I can say that single female voter was wooed much more delicately by those other men," said Hall. "They embraced the romance of the situation. A lady needs to be courted and made to feel like a lady and I didn't get that from Stephen, at least not initially. We'll see, single female voter has a very big decision to make on Election Night." The handcuff incident can currently be found on YouTube, but to see the skit in its entirety, viewers will have to wait until the season premiere of This Hour Has 22 Minutes on Tuesday, Sept. 30. $ PER MONTH for the first 2 months of a 1 year membership!* Burlington Mall Coed/Women's Club 777 Guelph Line 2nd Floor St. Fai rvie w 1 NEWS & from INFORMATION Staged to Sell Oakville, Ontario -- September 2008 -- Research shows that well staged homes sell approximately 32% faster than non-staged homes. They also sell for 3 to 10% more. Homes which are properly staged; that are warm, cozy, romantic and have sex appeal, sell fastest. To sell your home speedily, you PETER TULLOCH must sell more than just two OMDREB President bedrooms, two baths and so many square feet with a garage. You must sell a lifestyle...one where buyers' can imagine themselves raising their families or entertaining their friends; where they can relax on the patio or listen to their favourite music; where they imagine themselves preparing gourmet meals and celebrating those special life moments. "As a seller, you may want to hire a professional home stager or stage your home yourself," remarks Peter Tulloch, President, Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board. "Naturally, if you do it yourself, you should have a plan, some guidelines and a checklist to follow. Using the service of a local REALTOR® will definitely help you in making the right decisions. They think like your potential buyers and they will help you feature the positive things about your home, while minimizing the things that aren't so positive." When staging your home for sale, the key is to try --without having to spend huge sums of money in the process -- to stage it so it stands out in the market. Do a through cleaning and de-cluttering, update the décor, and make all necessary repairs. Create focal points - ones that buyers will remember about your home. Change how the rooms are arranged, furniture, photos, lighting, flowers, etc. Stage both the interior and exterior areas to create interest and desire. Remember, when you are preparing your house to sell, you want to make the right first impression. That is where home staging comes in. At the front door, you want to capture the potential buyer's attention and draw out a "Wow!" From HGTV's Designed to Sell - 98% of the houses staged have sold over the asking price. As any experienced REALTOR® will tell you - you no longer can think of the house as your home ­ it is now something that you want to sell and you need to present it as such. It is not easy, but removing your personal feelings from the place that has been your home is vitally important in being able to successfully prepare it for sale. In essence, your house has become nothing more than a commodity that you want to sell to the highest bidder as quickly as possible. Once you begin to see your home through the eyes of potential buyers, the better your chance of selling your home quickly--and at a better price. Sources: The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board International Association of Home Staging Professionals HGTV Designed to Sell Oakville ­ August Sales Results In the month of August, Oakville registered a decrease in the number of residential properties sold by 22% when compared to August 2007. The market did buck the national trend though by recording a healthy increase in the average sale price by 5.8% and also in the median sale price by 9.5%. Peter Tulloch, OMDREB President notes, "Residential sales might have declined in Oakville, but we can expect that residential real estate market here will continue to experience healthy activity, albeit at a more moderate pace." 905-634-9461 GoodLife Exclusively Women's 760 Brant Street St . rv ie w Gu Lin elph e Pro pe ct St. Burlington Mall Oakville No. of Residential Sales Average1 Sale Price 2007 2008 % change 300 $504,019 $396,000 234 $533,450 $433,500 -22% 5.8% 9.5% bin Fa i so n Le gi on Br Rd . St Pr os pe ct S Ro le ap M w t an t St . G he n v tA Median2 Sale Price O de 905-634-6767 lg a Rd . G ra Dr . ha m s Ln 1 The average home price is found by adding the value of all sales and dividing by the number of homes. 2 The median sale price is the midpoint of all sales. Source: Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board *When joining, you will sign for 1 year and pay $2 + applicable taxes for the first 2 months. Bi-weekly payments for the third and subsequent months will be based on the regular fee of the selected membership. Regular membership fees vary based on club and membership option chosen. A $49 fitness assessment fee applies to select clubs. Offer available only through the PAP membership option chosen. Offer valid at participating clubs only and ends September 30th, 2008. The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board serves Oakville, Milton and surrounding communities with more than 1,400 REALTORS®.Your local REALTOR® can provide you with the data and services you need to make informed real estate decisions. To find out more about the REALTORS® in your area, and how you can benefit from the array of services a REALTOR® can provide, visit www.omdreb.on.ca or www.howrealtorshelp.ca. or call OMDREB at 905.844.6491