One of my good friends from high school wrote a post on his Facebook page yesterday that offered me a great deal of comfort. It was just the right message, at just the right time... and I hope that by sharing his message and his story - perhaps it may offer others some comfort as well.
 
 My friend's name is Jamie Allen. To me, he's known as "The Wolfman". Jamie's official job title is "Technologist, Monitoring/Data Services at Environment and Climate Change Canada". His work is based between two weather stations: Alert & Eureka - located in Canada's high arctic. These are small research bases on Ellesmere Island, in the territory of Nunavut. Eureka is the third-northernmost permanent research community in the world, and has the lowest average annual temperature and the lowest amount of precipitation of any weather station in Canada. Alert is actually the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world. It's pretty much like the North Pole! Weather-station staff and scientists inhabit these bases year-round with the population increasing during the summer and dwindling to 10 or less during the winters.

Jamie's been working there for the past 14 years, and each time he returns for work, he's committed to a long, 12-week deployment that he and his colleagues refer to as a "tour of duty". Some years he's there during the spring and summer - when there are 24 hours of daylight. Other years, he spends the winter enduring the coldest, darkest night you could ever imagine. When the sun sets for the last time in November, it doesn't appear again for another 90 - 95 days. That's 3 months of complete darkness. 

 He's a brilliant writer and storyteller, and he often shares the most incredible photos from his time spent up north. I've included a few of them at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll down and check them out. He can be seen launching giant weather balloons, speeding across the arctic tundra on a ski-doo, observing a herd of muskoxen roaming across the frozen plains, or walking side-by-side with arctic wolves. Oddly enough, we actually gave Jamie his nickname "The Wolfman" back in high school - long before he ever ventured into the north to actually walk amongst the wolves. Perhaps it was destiny, who knows... but the nickname certainly came to suit him perfectly. 

It takes a special kind of someone to endure those kinds of conditions for that long. Jamie is scheduled to return for his next tour as soon as flight and travel restrictions are lifted again... which will be his 24th career deployment!
 
 If anyone has the authority and credentials to comment on the challenges of "living in isolation”... it's The Wolfman. Here's what Jamie wrote about his experience, and how it relates to what we're all going through right now:

When new employees come up to the weather station near the North Pole for their first 12 weeks of isolation, I always tell them that it is an excellent opportunity to hit pause and reflect.

 It's a great way to look at it and it's also true.

 The hardest part is when they are 7 weeks in with 5 weeks to go. This is because they have been there long enough to have had enough of it but they have so much more time to go that they can't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 Once they hit 3 weeks to go, they have tunnel vision. The end is suddenly in sight. 2 weeks, that's enough! 1 week? Get me OUT OF HERE!! 24 hours to go... they're pretty toasty by then. 

 We're what? 2.5 weeks into our COVID-19 isolation? 

 Just a little perspective. Take it slow. 

 Everybody tends to lament that time flies but then they complain when they've had a long day. I find the two statements incompatible. 

 I think there's a wise old, possibly Confucian adage that "A man in a hurry is chasing after his own death."

 Sit back, folks, relax and we'll get you to the gate as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy the rest of your journey, wherever that takes you. 

 Thank you for staying away from each other. 

Especially if this is your first isolation. Job well done. The first time aways feels like the longest because after that you start to learn how to do it.

How's that for some refreshing perspective? I know it made me feel much better about our current situation and what we're all going through right now. Words of wisdom from The Wolfman. Bruce Lee once said, "Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength."

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On the business side of things - we still feel it's important to keep everyone informed about our level of activity and how we see this crisis affecting the real estate market. 

As most of you know, the act of buying or selling a home is not so much an event, as it is a process. When working with buyers and sellers, we usually spend weeks, if not months working together.
 
 Many of our current active clients had been working with us long before the government sanctions and restrictions came into effect. And once they did, we all had to make some key decisions about what to do next. 
 
 Do we put everything on hold, and wait to see how this thing plays out?

Or do we keep moving forward and see what happens?

Well, after long discussions and after carefully examining the pros and cons of each scenario, at least 4 of our clients decided to keep moving forward with their plans to either buy or sell property. 

Fortunately for our sellers, we were able to get their homes pre-inspected, and we had photography, floor plans, and 3D virtual tours completed before the quarantine and isolation restrictions on businesses were mandated.

The results?

This week, despite not being allowed any physical visits or face-to-face contact with clients - we've had five accepted offers. Three of those were on listings that Catherine, Libby and I had for sale, and two were with buyers that both Alex and Desiree were representing.

If this is any indication of what affect this virus is having on the demand for real estate, then it appears to be good news so far.
 
 The government may have chosen not to include real estate on the list of essential services, but from what we're seeing, there are still many people out there who consider real estate activities rather essential indeed. 

Once again, our biggest priority right now is being there to help others. We mentioned this in last week's log, and we'll say it again this week...

If you, or anyone you know requires assistance with getting groceries or essential items, and you're unable to leave your home - please don't hesitate to contact us for help. Our team is available if you need us!

Signing off,

Capt'n Mark