Real Talk!

May stats are out… & the people that I know, in the business, still say that their markets are down about 30%… and our local stats continue to support that theory.

Gas rose last month, a couple of cents and came back down to around $1.27 a litre. The black flies came to visit... but just yesterday, I encountered some dragonflies, a good sign (unless you are a black fly).

Bancroft Board statistics tell us: the total number of listings are up 32% for the month May compared to last years and 7% for the year-to-date. The number of sales are down, 26% for the month compared to last year and 19% for the year. Dollar-wise, sales for the month of May were down 21% from last year and down 28% year-to-date, compared to last year.

I got some mortgage rates in an email today:

NATIONAL MORTGAGE RATES
Term Posted
Rates* Best
Rates*
6 Month 6.80% 6.20%
1 Year 6.95% 4.65%
2 Year 7.00% 5.40%
3 Year 7.00% 5.15%
4 Year 6.85% 5.49%
5 Year 6.99% 5.45%
7 Year 7.40% 5.90%
10 Year 7.75% 6.10%
Variable Rate 4.15%
Prime Rate 4.75%
* last updated: June 02, 2008...

I also thought I'd throw some of my family tree stuff at you... it's my brick wall (as they say). Hopefully the jpg will be readable... it is part of an almost decipherable copy of the registers from Notre Dame in Montreal. It is from 1883, the marriage of Pierre Didier (my gr-gr-grandfather) and Mathilde Gaudreau (my gr-gr-grandmother) on my father's paternal side. I have successfully traced Mathilde's family... Pierre is proving more difficult. From this, it would appear that his parents were Marc Didier & Lucrece? Gaillard de Caiguin? It might say something about Marc being from Jarville... and something about Chambery... both being places in the Lorraine area of France. Family lore says the Didier family was from Savoie.

Anyway: have a look... and if you have any insight that might help me track Marc and his wife, what's her name... I'd be ever so thankful! (I had to do it in halves, I'm afraid, to fit the margins).
Genealogy is so much fun!