Over 600 Lakes!

Over 600 Lakes!
Bat Lake - Minden

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Fireplaces and Woodstoves...again

I know .... a broken record, but a GOOD broken record. Last year I talked about woodstoves and fireplaces when purchasing a property - either home or cottage. It seems each year, lessons are learned over again, and it is all worth repeating. Two property sales recently with stories.....
Story #1. A house with a large, floor to ceiling fireplace.When listing the home I recommended the homeowner get a WETT certificate to ensure their fireplace was safe. A Buyer cannot get insurance without one now (yes -- rules have changed again). The owner was positive their fireplace was maintained in perfect condition and they never had a problem. It "heats the house beautifully". That being said, a working fireplace or woodstove does not mean that it passes certification by today's standards. The house sold (Buyer requested a WETT certificate in the offer which the Owner agreed to). Turns out the fireplace required replacement - all stone removed, etc. for a cost of $6,000. OUCH! Story #2. A house was undergoing a home inspection by the potential buyers when the inspector said there was some issues with the chimney and it would not pass certification. The owner had also informed their realtor that the woodstove in the basement was brand new - never used. There was another Buyer waiting in the wings hoping the home did not pass inspection, or that the Buyers would try to renegotiate so they could present their offer. Because of the other offer, and fear of losing the home they wanted, the Buyers signed off on the home inspection, prepared to pay for the repair in the chimney and get the fireplace and woodstove certified. As soon as they took possession, they called the professionals who quickly told them that the insert in the fireplace was completely finished, along with the chimney, and the woodstove in the basement had been used, was installed wrong, went through drywall, and was a serious fire hazard. A quote of $8,000 was given to bring the two up to certification standards.


Am I scaring you? That is not the intent, but please beware. Do your homework -ask your home inspector questions about the woodstove or fireplace. More and more agents are recommending that Sellers get certifications before they list to prevent problems at point of sale. But not all Sellers are willing to do this, then it becomes a negotiation issue. Everyone wants a fireplace - especially at a cottage. Along with the obvious heat they provide, they create atmosphere, coziness, and enhance memories. Done safely there is nothing better!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Misadventures!

Well, I usually try to put informative and factual things on my blog, but today it is all about me :) Life as a real estate person.......

I recently had two outings that are worth sharing. The first was a "first" for me. Although I love the outdoors and camp, canoe, etc., atv'ing is something that I have only been involved in on a simple, short trip level - when required to get from A to B. Two weeks ago that changed. Marilyn and I had listed a large parcel of land that backs onto Crown Land - and like a good agent should, I asked the Seller to show me the property - specifically the 4 corners, and a large pond at the back of the property. No problem! The Seller was quite obliging. First issue - he left on his atv, and I couldn't figure out how to start mine! He patiently turned around and showed me the tiny black switch under the left throttle. OK - now we are rolling! We did a circle around the parking lot so I could get the feel for it, then off we went! I must admit I was a little nervous but how hard can it be to follow someone on a nice, wide trail? Firstly, it wasn't a nice trail, secondly, it wasn't a wide trail. When we vered into the bush, off the main trail, and over a downed tree - I knew I was going to have something to write about (if I survived). Luckily, I only made one really wrong move - not being used to how much I could crank the heavy steering column, I missed a sharp turn and wedged between two trees. With a slight smirk (and I am sure an internal, uproaring laughter), the Seller got off his atv and rescued me. We went over things, around things, and on side slopes - and I survived! My thought all the way out was literally "Oh my God - I still have to turn around and go back!). But, I did it! The pond at the back corner of the property was absolutely stunning and worth the trip, we saw a beautiful fawn bedded down in some long grass, a buck (I missed it because I was too busy trying to steer), and some excellent bushland. I couldn't lift my arms for two days - but I can now say I am an experienced atv'er! I am glad I stuck it out - it was well worth the experience.

My second story (much shorter) is about how to hold your composure in an embarrasing situation! Yesterday I was showing cottages to two gentlemen. We were at an elevated cottage, built on a rock, with stairs leading down to the water front. The men were at the bottom of the stairs and I was near the top, on my way down, when it happened......my foot slipped. My first thought was that if I let go of the railing my life would be over as we know it (a bit extreme but hey!). I held on tight to the railing and went thump, thump, thump, down the stairs with one leg bent behind me and the other straight ahead. The gentlemen ran to my aide, but what could they do? I came to an abrupt stop - hopped up as quickly as I could and said "I'm fine". There was a searing pain in my knee and ankle - but I smiled through my embarrassment and pretended nothing hurt. What hurt most? My pride! I left some layers of skin on the railing and I am now hobbling around - skipped my morning power walk with a colleague (I'll use any excuse!), and feel pretty dumb. So much for professionalism!

I wouldn't trade my job for the world!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Arts in our County

The Highlands has long been known for it's artistic culture. The lure of the Highlands is strong to artisans of all forms of media. The fact that we are home to the Haliburton School of Fine Arts, Sir Sandford Fleming College, and a fabulous sculpture forest certainly aide the cause. I have always been incredibly proud of living in The Highlands and have met some amazing artists and seen some incredible works of art - most recently, the bronze statue erected in the sculpture forest this August of Gelert the wolfhound in which a local community was named after. The artist, Mary Anne Barkhouse, lives locally but is world renowned for her work. What sparked this blog today is my recent visit to a new website that provides an avenue for local artists to sell their wares - http://www.madeinhaliburton.ca/ .What a beautiful website displaying works of art in a very professional, clean fashion - you see the artwork first and foremost.

I know there was dissention amongst art council members surrounding the value of this website and not all artisans are participating. There was a report released recently, covered by the news media, that noted that Canada was far behind other countries when it came to internet sales of products - mostly because of customs delays and fees. Here is an opportunity, on a much smaller scale, mind you, to take full advantage of the internet and the chance to reach a wide audience. I am so excited for this initiative - what a wonderful job! Now everyone - check it out!!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Luxury Properties

Haliburton County has seen a rise in luxury properties in the past few years. People have been moving away from other traditional high-end vacation areas and noticing what they can get for their money in the Highlands. Taxes are considerably lower than neighbouring tourist areas. The trade off is the size of lakes. We do not have a Lake Joseph in our County. What we do have is 600 lakes of varying sizes. Our lakes have a wonderful mix of the beginner cottager, the old traditional family cottage, and the beautiful new cottages with spectacular views and amazing water frontages. There are large, grand boating lakes, chains, and quiet, exclusive lakes. In 2011 there were 31 waterfront listings at a price range from between $800,000 and $2,800,000. Through all that choice, there were only 6 sales in that price range. The reason? Buyers do not yet think of Haliburton County as a choice for their luxury vacation property. Some of the properties in our area are outstanding, but we do not yet have a lot of buyers. Time will fix this, but it does show opportunity for Buyers to look at our County now. As more and more luxury properties are being built, there will eventually be more and more on the market. Because we are a "new" area to this specialty market, values will only grow, so a purchase now could provide good gains in the future. Worth considering!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Social Media in Real Estate

It's a cunundrum (spelling anyone??).....we tweet, facebook, blog, email, text, advertise in newspapers, magazines, on multiple websites. To be a real estate agent today you have to know all the latest trends! I attended an interesting seminar with a social media (he says there is no such thing as social media) expert named Gary Vanderchuk. The seminar was amazing, but his comments really make you think. Do true buyers and sellers come from tweets and facebook pages? I thought not, but Gary says yes. I have attended many seminars as I believe it is key to keep my education and skills at the highest level possible in order to do an outstanding job. Every one of these seminars said you had to be on Twitter and Facebook, but I never truly "got it" until I heard Gary speak. I am of the "middle age" group of people that are embracing this change with gusto - I love my phone, I love my toys - but I wasn't "raised" with them. I now see that the future buyers and sellers of real estate are being raised on them. Twitter is the new newspaper. I hear the comment regularly that "no one wants to know what I ate for breakfast", and it is true there are those out there that send that type of info into the world. But after using Twitter the last couple of months, what I really see is that it is a newsfeed. You can connect with every business, every company, every group, every individual that has a connection to you, your family or your personal interests. You know when there are changes in companies, when new products are launched, when a new amazing YouTube video is sent out, and now....when new real estate listings are available. It does become an addiction - constantly wondering what's new? Something else I have realized - although millions of people have twitter accounts, they don't actually tweet. They only use them to follow people/companies and news. How soon before we won't know what a newspaper is?

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Winter Blah's

Winter seems to be shorter this year (oops, am I speaking too soon?). As Marilyn and I gear up for The Toronto Cottage Life Show in March, we are pouring over our notes, reconnecting with clients, planning our Spring, and getting the word out to get cottages priced now so they can be advertised at the Show. Time has flown by but we are excited for the new season. Winter is a quiet time for making sales, but a wonderful and busy time to organize, reconnect, strengthen our education and improve on systems. You have to be constantly improving and learning in real estate. I will be sad to see Winter go though, it is great to see the snowmobilers whizzing by and enjoying the outdoors, the visitors walking the streets with their Sir Sam's Ski Hill passes and their cross country ski trail passes hanging from their coats, and to smell the fresh crispness of Winter air - there is nothing like it! I don't mind all the dull, grey-brown trees without their leaves because they provide a wonderful contrast to the sparkling white snow. Today the sky seems more blue than usual, and it is definitely a day to enjoy some of that fresh air! But alas, I have to work. Perhaps after work I will get to go for a leisurely walk - Winter will soon be over! I hope that the people reading this are taking the time to enjoy what nature is offering before it is gone. Life is short - don't let the seasons pass you by! There are 4 of them!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Purchasing a Business



I was reading a newsletter this morning about purchasing a business, which got me thinking. We currently have one business for sale, and just completed the very successful sale of another - so what advice can a realtor offer their clients?



Many people dream of owning their own business one day. Investigating the financial aspect is one of the scariest parts of the process. I usually recommend potential buyers look for a line of credit from their bank - low interest, low risk, and usually the simplest form for a small business. Our local Haliburton County Development Corporation (HCDC) offers assistance to high-risk purchasers and are an excellent resource for many types of info for buyers. It is a good idea to make an appointment and have a chat with your local development corporation just to see what options are available to you.



I have listed below some points from remonline.com - a weekly newsletter I receive about real estate. They offer some very timely and informative articles aimed at realtors, but much of their advice can also be directly translated for Buyers and Sellers. The points below were written by the Institutue of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, and please note that I have shortened them a bit to make them appropriate for a blog. A piece of my own advice, suitable to our region: Haliburton County is, for many businesses, a seasonal area. You will need to ensure your Summer income will help cover costs in the Winter, and you will need the personal skills to avoid spending all that money in the Summer. Budgetting will be your best friend! Here are the 7 points from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (shortened):



1. Do your homework. Make sure there's a market for your product or service.



2. Shore up your savings. Changes in ownership can mean changes in revenue. Will you have enough to live on while you get the business on track?



3. Do what you know. If you have a shortage in staff - can you chip in and get the job done yourself?



4. Include a price adjustment clause and a full disclosure agreement in the deal (your realtor can explain further why this is so important).



5. Make sure your family supports the plan. Talk things through with your spouse and children. Everyone needs to understand that income and family time may change, at least for a while.



6. Consult the professionals. Lawyers, chartered accountants and business valuators - who will give you the straight goods on the business you are considering, and your suitability for it.



7. Get lots of advice, then make the final decision yourself.



If you wish a copy of the full article, please email me at terry@remaxhaliburton.com and I can scan and email it to you - then - check out the Bulk Food Store we have listed!