Last fall, there was a well publicized case about a couple who stole over $500,000 in valuables while posing as homebuyers. This is one of those uncomfortable topics but, it is serious business which all home sellers need to think about. In almost every house I show, I could point to one or more risks [...]
When you are searching for real estate listings, do you wonder what the neighbourhood looks like? What is across the street or next door? If so, you might want to play around a little with Google Street View. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it but it’s not too difficult at [...]
A big thanks to Chris for contributing today’s guest post. We have had two occasions recently where clients have closed on a house and found out, after the fact, that the previous owners had not paid all of their outstanding taxes. In each case, our client has been faced with a bill from the municipality [...]
I was reading a column in the local paper written by Canadas most decorated citizen, Richard Rohmer. He does a wonderful job of summarizing why Collingwood is THE finest community perhaps in all of Ontario. Please read it, it gives a great snapshot of what’s happening in our fair town. Anyway, I then got thinking about [...]
On a recent art studio tour, my hubby John and I wandered up to the beautiful Pretty River Valley about 10 minutes south of Collingwood. The Valley is tucked into the Niagara Escarpment amid thousands of acres of parkland, streams, hills and breathtaking views. Lo and behold, what did we see? Reindeer! It would seem [...]
Despite the fact that Collingwood is surely one of the prettiest towns in the province, the folks living in Olde Towne would likely tell you that their view to the west is anything but pretty. On the north side sits an empty lot and an abandoned, boarded up old rooming house. On the south sits [...]
Collingwood and Blue Mountain used to be unknown little towns and then somehow, the secret got out. The Georgian Triangle has really become the “Hamptons” of Toronto with people moving into this area on mass from “the city.” I’ve often wondered what drives this forceful and ongoing trend. Although I was born in Toronto and [...]
Until it was featured in a clip on Canadian Idol last year, Paula’s Pantry has been one of Collingwood’s best kept secrets. “Paula’s” as we like to call it, is located in a very non-descript, little building outside of the commercial area. When you walk in the door, the smell of fresh baking would make any [...]
John and I love to go out for breakfast on Sunday mornings. Today, we really discovered something different that I’ll bet few people know about. We ate at the airport. Collingwood’s airport is actually located in Clearview which is another story in itself. In the terminal, there is a little cafe called Beyond the Clouds [...]
This month brings a special anniversary. Sixteen years ago, I had the great privilege of hiring my assistant, Chris McCormick. At the time, she was in the mortgage brokerage business which is how we met and after working with her on several transactions, I felt she was exceptional in every way. I was thrilled when [...]
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