Even with the new proposed regulations surrounding their installations,  the debate about wind turbines continue to rage in Ontario and certainly here in the Blue Mountain area.  Recent letters to the editor such as this one and this one highlight the divergent opinions that exist.  Coalitions of citizens have formed groups such as the Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition and the Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment to examine the issues and lobby government.

A recent column by Bob Aaron in the Toronto Star caught my attention as he described the case of a taxpayer who challenged the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) in September, 2008. (How did we miss that!?) 

This case set a landmark precedent attaching a dollar value to potential impacts of industrial wind installations on surrounding land owners.

A fellow by the name of Paul Thompson of Amaranth Township in the Shelburne area, appealed the assessed value of his home on the basis that it was located opposite a hydro substation that served an area wind farm.  His appeal was not actually based on the existence of the turbines but rather, on the noise produced by the substation.  He entered evidence that showed it emitted noise at a decibel level exceeding the normally acceptable  range.

In its ruling, the board member wrote that, “The Board finds that the constant hum alleged by Mr. Thompson does exist and significantly reduces the current value of the subject property.”  They also said, “Having heard this nuisance, apparently sanctioned by the Municipality, the Board accepts Mr. Thompson’s testimony that the stigma of noise contamination has a negative impact on the value and marketability of the property, and that after learning of the hum, prospective purchasers will quickly lose interest in purchasing the property. The Board is satisfied that a very substantial reduction is warranted.”
 
The Board cut Mr. Thompsons assessed value of his property in half from $255,000 to $127,000.  What I find troubling about this case is that the number was not quantified and I read no evidence to suggest what the new property value should be.  Does this mean that a property affected by noise is impacted by $127,000 in that location?  Is that the new number?  If the house were originally valued at $150,000 or at $750,000, how would the value have changed?

Only time will answer the question as the free market adjusts for new conditions emerging in a new world.

The map featured here comes from the Canadian Wind Energy Association website which lists on the site, all of the current wind farm operations in Canada.

Current local discussion:
Enterprise-Bulletin article about plans in Clearview (Stayner/Creemore): Citizens Rally To Put Halt To Turbines
Blue Mountains Courier Herald:  Grey County Wants Wind Turbine Moratorium

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. They include a summary of data for the following areas only: Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Blue Mountain, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. Previous week(s) are in brackets.

Single Family Residential
New Listings: 37 (40, 64, 51)
Average List Price: $392,457.08
Range of List Prices: $166,999 – $1,250,000
Number of Sales: 15 (14, 9, 13)
Range of Sale Prices: $156,500 – $385,000

Condominiums
New Listings: 14 (13, 21, 12)
Average List Price: $192,778.57
Range of List Prices: $79,900 – $419,000
Number of Sales: 7 (6, 5, 5)
Range of Sale Prices: $105,000 – $185,000

Vacant Land
New Listings: 17 (13, 9,14)
Number of Sales: 1 (1, 2, 1)
Range of Sale Prices: $175,000

Number of Prices Changes All Types (down or up): 14

Items of Note:
One single family residence sold AT it’s list price, and one sold OVER it’s list price.

I know it will not be a surprise to you to learn that real estate sales in Collingwood, Blue Mountain and area last month presented a far rosier picture than we saw one year ago.

Sales in the Georgian Triangle in January, 2010 were up 56% over the same period last year when we were in the depth of the recession.  There were 81 sales reported for January 2010 and 455 new listings representing a decline a just 2% over 12 months ago.

Sales in units have not yet returned to 2008 levels however, the 12 month average sale price continues to climb.  Of particular interest is the number of condominium sales last month which showed a sharp rise compared to the previous two years.  These sales occurred across our area in all price ranges and follow the pattern of buyers moving to condominium living being reported in larger urban centres.

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board.  The first number is for January 2010 with January 2009 and 2008 results in brackets:

Total Number of Sales in all areas reported:  81 (52, 111)
Total # of Listings in all areas reported:  455 (462, 454 )
# Active Listings as of January 31: 1695

Single Family Residential Only
(Data is limited to  Collingwood, Clearview, Grey Highlands, Meaford, Blue Mountains and Wasaga Beach areas only):
 
Single Family Residential Sales:  44 (25, 69 )
Average Sale Price:  $293,377 ($290,483, $312,779 )
Sales-to-Listings Ratio: 20% (12%, 33% )

# Condo Sales:  23, (8, 19 )
# Farms Sold:  0
# Vacant Land Sold:  5
# Commercial Sold: 2

Market conditions are much improved over last year and all bets are on this trend continuing through the traditional spring market months as people act to avoid the HST coming into effect on July 1, 2010.

People who are moving to the Georgian Triangle area often ask about school information for the area. 

There are a wide range of choices in the public, separate and private sectors.  The first consideration is which County you will reside in.  Homes located in Grey County (including Blue Mountain, Meaford and Grey Highlands) fall under the Blue Water or Bruce-Grey District while properties in Simcoe County (including Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Stayner and Creemore) fall into the Simcoe District.

Below is a list of options with links to each school website.  As of September, 2010, full-day Kindergarten will also now be offered at Admiral Public School, Clearview Meadows and St. Mary’s.

For those interested in school ratings, two links are provided at the end of this list.  Regardless of what they say, I can tell you that families in each of these schools are fiercely proud and will tell you that theirs is the best!

SIMCOE COUNTY

School Boards:
Public:   Simcoe County District School Board 
Catholic:    Simcoe – Muskoka Catholic District School Board

Extended French Programs offered at the following schools:
Admiral Collingwood
Collingwood Collegiate Institute

Schools in Collingwood:
Admiral Collingwood Elementary School  K – 8
Cameron Street Public School K – 8
Connaught Public School  K – 8
Mountainview Public School  K – 8
St. Mary’s Catholic School  K – 8

Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI)  Gr.  9 – 12
Jean Vanier Catholic High School  Gr.  9 – 12

Georgian College

Nottawa:   Nottawa Elementary School  K – 8
Duntroon:   Duntroon Central Public School   JK – 8
Creemore:   Nottawasaga & Creemore Public School  JK – 8

Stayner:
Clearview Meadows Elementary School  K – 8
Byng Public School  K – 8

Stayner Collegiate Institute (SCI)  Gr. 9 – 12

Wasaga Beach

Birchview Dunes Elementary School  K – 8
Worsley Elementary School K- 8
St. Noel Chabanel Catholic School  JK – 8

GREY COUNTY

School Boards
Public:  Bluewater District School Board
Catholic:  Bruce – Grey Catholic District School Board

Extended French Programs offered at the following schools:
Meaford Community School
St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School
Georgian Bay Secondary School

Schools in Thornbury:  Beaver Valley Community School  JK – 8

Meaford:
St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School   JK-5
Meaford Community School  JK – 8

Georgian Bay Secondary School   Gr.  9 – 12

Maxwell:  Osprey Central School JK – 8

Flesherton:  Grey Highlands Secondary School  Gr.  9 – 12

Private Schools:
Clearview Montessori School  Pre-school through Gr. 6
National Ski Academy 
Pretty River Academy Pre-school to Gr. 12
Silvercrest Christian School  JK – 8
Rocklyn Academy Special Needs, Female, Secondary

Check School Ratings and Reports:
Fraser Institute School Performance Reports (Ontario)
Search EQAO School Reports and Test Results

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. They include a summary of data for the following areas only: Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Blue Mountain, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. Previous week(s) are in brackets.

Single Family Residential
New Listings: 40 (64, 51,40)
Average List Price: $525,510.48
Range of List Prices: $124,900 – $2,700,000
Number of Sales: 14 (9, 13, 2)
Range of Sale Prices: $113,000 – $480,000

Condominiums
New Listings: 13 (21, 12, 16)
Average List Price: $217,553.85
Range of List Prices: $129,900 – $415,000
Number of Sales: 6 (5, 5, 3)
Range of Sale Prices: $106,000 – $512,000

Vacant Land
New Listings: 13 (9,14, 23)
Number of Sales: 1 (2, 1, 0)
Range of Sale Prices: $27,000.

Number of Prices Changes All Types (down or up): 22

Items of Note:

-the Average List Price (Single Family) may seem high due to 4 properties being listed during this time period between $1,000,000 and $2,700,000
-one vacant land listing sold for more than it’s list price
-one single family residence sold at  it’s list price

I have a super human sense of smell.  While this drives me (and my family, friends and co-workers) crazy at times, it sure does come in handy in the real estate business.  If a house has any musty smell, even hidden in a closet, I’ll usually smell it before my shoes are off at the door.

In my own home, this once resulted in my tearing off a piece of drywall in an interior closet only to find a coffee cup between two sheets of drywall left behind by the contractor.  No one else could smell it but to my nose, it was so musty that I couldn’t sleep at night even one floor away.

Do your windows sweat in the winter?  Have you noticed more static cling when you take clothes out of the dryer?
It is usually in the colder months when we most notice moisture issues in our home.  As cold and warm airs mix at certain points, we may find condensation forming on windows, musty smells or, dry skin and static.  Finding a balance is important as the long term effects on our homes and contents can be significant if left unattended.

One of the most common things I see in houses is mold growing on window ledges.  Often, the seals have failed on the window units themselves allowing cold air in to mix with the warm inside area which creates a perfect breeding ground for mold growth.  Another common issue is the presence of exposed concrete walls in a basement with insufficient heat and air exchange resulting in musty smells and often showing signs of mold growth.

During the heating season, the relative humidity of a home should be in the range of 30 to 50%.  In order to determine this, home owners can buy a fairly inexpensive gadget called a hygrometer which will provide a reading of the relative humidity in your home in various areas.  You can buy either mechanical or electronic versions at most hardware stores for under $50.00.  If you find the balance is off, there can be several reasons and many options for rectify those.

CMHC has an excellent booklet about moisture and air problem signs and remedies.  If you are having issues with either too much or too little humidity in your home, don’t ignore it.  Your health and comfort are important so it’s worth addressing the issues.

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. They include a summary of data for the following areas only: Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Blue Mountain, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. Previous week(s) are in brackets.

Single Family Residential
New Listings: 64 (51,40)
Average List Price: $513,117.72
Range of List Prices: $149,000 – $3,000,000
Number of Sales: 9 (13, 2)
Range of Sale Prices: $203,000 – $675,000

Condominiums
New Listings: 21 (12, 16)
Average List Price: $317,680.48
Range of List Prices: $159,900 – $785,000
Number of Sales: 5 (5, 3)
Range of Sale Prices: $132,500 – $250,000

Vacant Land
New Listings: 9 (14, 23)
Number of Sales: 2 (1, 0)
Range of Sale Prices: $139,000 – $360,000

Number of Prices Changes All Types (down or up): 27

Items of Note:

- the number of new listings could seem skewed due to a number of re-listed listings at the beginning of the year
- the Average List Price (Single Family) may seem high due to 5 properties being listed during this time period between $1,000,000 and $3,000,000

You have an opportunity this Sunday, January 24th to be part of something very special right here in Collingwood.

An exciting line-up of local musicians are donating their time to put on The Haitian Hearts Relief Concert at Fairways on Balsam St/Highway 26 (in the plaza opposite Canadian Tire) from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. as an event to raise funds for disaster relief in Haiti.

The event has very quickly been put together by Fran and Anna Lee Webster who are two of the most generous and positive people I know.  In such a short time, they, together with Frank McNulty of JBJ Productions, have secured at least seven local bands and I’ll bet that number grows by Sunday.  John Nichols from the Peak fm radio station has agreed to host and the folks at Fairways have generously agreed to donate the space.  The Rotary Club of Collingwood will be on hand to handle receipt of donations.

So far, the line-up includes Fran and Anna Lee, The Webster family, the Funky Truths, Wayne Buttery and the Groove project, Aaron Garner, the Fig Leaf Jazz band, Lemon Pepper Pickerel, Frankie and the Favourites and Georgia Fox.

Admission is just $10.00 with 100% of the proceeds going to the relief fund.  There may also be a silent auction and all donations will be gratefully accepted.  I’ve also just heard that profits from food and drink sales that day will also be donated.  Wow.  Collingwood has heart.

Come and enjoy.  Listen to the music, dance, feel the energy.  I’ll be there on Sunday and hope to see you too.

UPDATE:  The event was a HUGE success with over $20,000 raised!  Monies are being directed through the Rotary Club to Shelter Box  Check out the concert video on You Tube

The annual rent increase guideline for income properties in Ontario is set at 2.1 percent for 2010.

I did a quick check of the Community Profiles on the Stats Can website to see how many dwellings are owned versus rented in the South Georgian Bay area.  Based on these 2006 figures, about 20% of all properties in our area are rented.  In Collingwood, the number rises to 39%.  That’s a lot of Landlords and a lot of Tenants who will be looking carefully at the new guideline.  I’ve also noticed a distinct increase in the number of potential buyers looking for income properties in our area.

Every year, the Ontario government sets the amount which is the maximum percentage a landlord can increase the rent for existing tenants.  The new rent increases are for the period of January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 and applies to most residential units.  The rent can be increased if at least 12 months have passed since the tenant moved in or since the last increase was applied.

In determining the rent increase guideline each year, the government bases it on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is used a measure of inflation and is designed to take into account increases in a landlords building maintenance and operating costs.

There are circumstances where Landlords may apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an increase above the guideline, if their costs for municipal taxes or utilities have increased by more than the guideline PLUS 50 per cent.  Details can be found on the governments website. 

If you are a landlord in Ontario who is planning to increase according to the guidelines, it is important for you to know that tenants must be given proper written notice of the planned increase at least 90 days before the rental increase is to take effect.

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. They include a summary of data for the following areas only: Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Blue Mountain, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. Previous week(s) are in brackets.

Single Family Residential
New Listings:  51 (40)
Average List Price: $477,568.42
Range of List Prices: $159,900 – $2,400,000
Number of Sales:  13 (2)
Range of Sale Prices: $150,000 – $465,000

Condominiums
New Listings:  12 (16)
Average List Price: $227,425
Range of List Prices: $85,900 – $479,900
Number of Sales:  5 (3)
Range of Sale Prices: $119,000 – $300,000

Vacant Land
New Listings:  14 (23)
Number of Sales:  1 (0)
Range of Sale Prices: $190,000

Number of Prices Changes All Types (down or up): 22

Items of Note:

One single family residential dwelling sold at it’s list price.