MARJORIE LOOKING DOWN FROM BALCONY - 4235 RUE DE RICHELIEU AT TOP OF RUE SAINT-PHILIPPE - 4TH FLOOR, AND IT REALLY WAS THE FOURTH FLOOR AS WE ENGLISH-SPEAKERS COUNT THEM, WALK-UP FRONT AND BACK - SAINT-HENRI NEIGHBORHOOD - 2017 - DURING THE HOLIDAY MONTH WHEN OUR HAMILTON HOUSE WAS SOLD AND WE FOUND A MONTREAL APARTMENT - SAINT-HENRI IS A LESS DEVELOPED NEIGHBORHOOD THAN LE PLATEAU WHERE WE STAYED BEFORE BUT IT IS ATMOSPHERIC AND HAS INTERESTING SIGHTS - I WAS SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF ENGLISH-SPEAKERS - WE HAD TO CUT THINGS SHORT WHEN WE GOT THE CALL THAT OUR HOUSE WAS SOLD - OUR AGENT, A TOP OLD PRO GAL IN HAMILTON, TOLD US TO SIT DOWN BEFORE HEARING THE OFFERS - SHE HAD USED THE "OFFERS ABOVE A SET PRICE" METHOD AND SHE QUICKLY GOT THREE VERY HANDSOME OFFERS - SHE KNEW IT WAS A WINNING PROPERTY - OF COURSE OUR HOUSE WAS REALLY FIXED-UP AND A CHARMING PRIVATE GARDEN NEVER HURTS (NOT COMMON IN CONDOS) - WE HIT THE PEAK OF A STRONG SPRING MARKET AND WE WERE PRETTY DELIRIOUS ABOUT THE RESULT - SO WE WENT TO SEE AND RENT THE MONTREAL APARTMENT ON WHICH MARJIE HAD HER HEART SET AND SOON DROVE HOME TO BEGIN THE UGLY BUSINESS OF TAKING A HOUSE APART WE HAD LIVED IN FOR A DECADE WITH THE ADDED FACTOR OF SERIOUS DOWN-SIZING, SOMETHING I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE - I MADE SO MANY TRIPS TO A DONATIONS PLACE WITH A CAR FULL OF STUFF, AND WE TOOK EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE IN WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ITEMS - A JOHN CHUCKMAN IMAGE