Global News said, "Currently, if there are multiple bids on a home, the seller’s broker can only disclose the number of competing offers, but not the details of them."

Especially with the current state of the housing market in Toronto, changing this could make a big impact. There is a possibility that more transparency will be mandatory, helping buyers in bidding wars know what the other bidders are offering.

We will keep you updated!

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In Ontario specifically, realtors are required by ethical obligation to let you know if a stigma happened in the home, such as a murder. 

However, the record reported, "The seller has no legal requirement to disclose a stigma such as murder and the onus is on the buyer and their realtor to find out." 

The bottom line is that honesty and transparency are important to us! Always ask your realtor if you have any questions or concerns. 

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• Ontario resort areas are feeling the effects of the GTA’s hyper-heated real estate market. From Prince Edward County to Collingwood, picturesque landscapes are being dotted by high prices and multiple offers.
• The lust for luxury, a tradition in Muskoka, is migrating to sleepy, lower-priced areas such as the Kawartha Lakes.
• Sales are up, but listings are down significantly.
• In the Kawartha Lakelands (including Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, and Fenelon Falls) the average home sale price for April was $312,765. The difference in average selling price compared to April 2015 was 17 per cent (Canadian Real Estate Association).
• Gail McCormack barely recognizes long-familiar lakefront homes from the previous autumn when she takes her pontoon boat out in the spring. New owners have built lovely year-round homes that would be near or over $1 million if they were to go on the market.
• People who have recently bought properties are either tearing down the existing structures or taking on major renovations.
• Although 2015 was a good year, McCormack anticipates that 2016 will be even better for the real estate market in the Kawartha Lakes.
• There have been some demographic shifts, too. A couple of years ago, buyers were mature couples at or near retirement. Their kids were going off to university. Now, the buyers are younger professionals.
• Younger purchasers have inherited money, or they have bought a second home secure in the knowledge that their city residence is worth a considerable sum.
• When members of this younger demographic purchase a rural property, they want a rural setting. They don’t want to spend weekends mowing the grass.
• Increasingly, people are buying places to live in year-round. Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, and Fenelon Falls offer social opportunities, activities, and diverse services.
• With the expanded road network, including Highway 407 opening this spring, it will be easier to zip up to the Kawartha Lakes
• McCormack pointed out there are a variety of ways to get to the Kawartha Lakes, including scenic country roads.
• Most buyers put a two-hour time frame on their travel to cottage country.
• Spending less than $1 million isn’t an option if you want to own a piece of waterfront in Muskoka – especially on the big lakes of Joseph, Rosseau, and Muskoka.

Here’s the link to the Toronto Star article of May 23, 2016:
https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/05/23/looking-to-buy-property-in-latest-cottage-hot-spots-good-luck.html

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Rivers also deliver the soothing aesthetics of cottage country. Like lakefront, a riverside property can also fulfil your yearning for a slower pace.

And there’s no reason lakes should have a monopoly on waterfront fun. As rivers provide access to water, they are also conduits for water sports and recreational activities.

Nonetheless, it’s important to have a firm sense of your recreational needs to help you determine whether a riverside setting can meet them. In other words, you should know which water sports you and your family will want to enjoy before you start looking at riverfront properties.

If you enjoy travel on a large boat, a river may not be the best fit. Some rivers are too small to accommodate the hefty pleasure boats you’ll find on a large body of water like Balsam Lake. In fact, a river may not be able to handle anything more substantial than a canoe or a small outboard.

And if you love the idea of travelling from one body of water to another, a river may not be ideal. Some rivers aren’t passageways to other water bodies but a final destination on their own.

However, other rivers are navigable by larger vessels and connect boaters with nearby lakes. In this way, a river can be a bona fide water highway that provides access to well-known lakes.

A river-side cottage may not be your cup of tea if you adore sailing and sailing is infeasible. And if you’re an avid swimmer, make sure swimming isn’t restricted, and conditions are conducive to swimming in the stretch of the river where you plan to buy.

Currents and seasonal fluctuations in water levels can limit your use of a river or make it more attractive. For example, if you’re a white water enthusiast, certain swathes of the Gull River near Minden may be ideal for you.

Rivers deliver benefits

• The “water is always fresh-flowing clean,” says a cottage owner on the Gull River
• The constant water movement ensures there are virtually no weeds or algae
• The speed limit is about ten kilometres per hour, a plus for those who dislike fast boats and the safety concerns they generate for swimmers
• The current provides natural resistance, which delivers a swimming experience similar to a lap pool
• Rivers often boast a lovely rocky bottom rather than a muddy one, and swimmers almost always prefer the former
• Rivers are often far away from the bustle of boats, which offers a quiet and serene cottage setting
• Depending on the size of the river, you may never witness mammoth, flashy boats – just canoes and small outboards, which may suit you just fine
• Sheltered and peaceful rivers, like the Burnt River, are perfect waterways for novice canoeists
• Given the strong market demand for lakefront cottages, you can purchase a riverside cottage at a significantly lower price point
• The relentless flow ensures this waterway is always changing. Indeed, you never know what’s coming next. There could be a swimmer or a kayaker on the way
• Rivers are exciting, and they always promise adventure
• On some rivers, the water levels are consistently high and don’t fluctuate the way they can on feeder lakes
• Rivers are inherently aesthetic. People love to watch the water flow or sit on their deck and visually follow a boat meandering down the river
• They give you the chance to listen to the gentle sounds of water running or to take in the hypnotic sounds of the dancing rapids
• They help you get to know your neighbours since it’s usually a short jaunt across the river

Well-known rivers in the Kawarthas

The Burnt River and the Gull River are popular recreational destinations. Many cottages dot the banks of these rivers.

We know many people with riverside cottages who relish every moment spent in their retreat. They are thrilled to own a cottage alongside a river and wouldn’t trade their setting for anything else.

In sum, rivers carry benefits. You just need to do your homework before you start looking to ensure a riverside property complements your recreational interests.

Quotes we like about rivers

“In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.”
Leonardo da Vinci

“It is pleasant to have been to a place the way the river went.”
Henry David Thoreau

“’The River,‘ corrected the Rat. . . ‘It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing. Lord! The times we’ve had together! ‘”

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
Winnie the Pooh

Photo courtesy of Padraic No Alterations Made – Creative Commons

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Before you purchase a cottage, make sure your winter plans aren’t at odds with the nature of the road or its condition during the winter. You should also research the present pattern of road usage and the current arrangement for road maintenance.

Although road crews routinely plow the road, it may not be easy to drive any vehicle on the thoroughfare. Indeed, drive-to doesn’t necessarily equate with urban comfort. Some of the bush roads of cottage country can certainly test your car’s suspension.

Cottage country is home to diverse road systems. The roads can be as refined as the city’s arteries – fully assumed by the municipality, paved, maintained, and serviced with weekly curbside garbage and recycling pickup. And many of the roads that lead to a neighbourhood of cottages are private roads – owned and maintained by a single property owner or a group of residents.

Is the road leading to your prospective cottage public or private?

If you want to buy a particular cottage, begin your research by finding out whether you access the cottage by a public or a private road.

Is your prospective cottage on a public road?

The City of Kawartha Lakes maintains its public roads. In the winter, the municipality’s public works department dispatches road maintenance crews to clear snow from the public roads and sand them when necessary. In other seasons, the municipality addresses a broader range of road-related problems, such as washouts, fallen trees, poor drainage, and thin gravel surfaces.

Most of the public roads within the Kawarthas are open year-round.

If the cottage you are eyeing is on a public road, please contact the City of Kawartha Lakes to confirm the extent of road services and maintenance provided. (We’ve included phone numbers at the end of this article.)

Is your potential cottage on a private road?

A private road is a local road the municipality does not own and has not assumed. As a result, the municipality does not service private roads.

Many of the roads that provide access from a municipal road to a cluster of cottages – along with individual cottage laneways are private affairs. A private road may or may not be publicly accessible. Private roads can range from a primitive bush road to a well-maintained, plowed-in-winter roadway.

Although the municipality hasn’t assumed these roads, they still need to be maintained – graded, graveled, and plowed if people occupy the cottages along the road in the winter.

The owners of cottages on a private access road are responsible for the road’s maintenance. The arrangement typically works like this:

Residents with cottages on the private road create a group to arrange and pay for road maintenance services – from grading and pothole repairs to snow clearance and sanding.

The individual property owners – or at least the members of the group – share the annual costs to maintain the private road. The road maintenance bill for each cottage owner is usually $200 to $300 per year. (Sometimes property owners who live year-round on the road will offer to assume a greater share of the annual maintenance bill.)

Occasionally, however, the arrangement doesn’t work as planned. One or two property owners may refuse to pay for the costs of year-round maintenance since they only visit their cottages in the summer months.

Sometimes it may prove difficult to collect money from all of the property owners on the road who had previously agreed to share in the costs. But for most cottage owners, the arrangement works well.

If the cottage you are considering buying is accessed by a private road, here are a few questions to ask:

• Does the road belong exclusively to the property or do cottage neighbours share the road?
• Is the road open year-round?
• What is the annual maintenance cost for the private road?
• What is the arrangement for sharing costs of maintenance on the road? Is this arrangement working well?
• How will the difference be covered if some of the residents don’t contribute?
• How quickly is the road cleared after a snowstorm under the private maintenance contract?
• Is the laneway or driveway from the cottage to the road private or communal?
• If residents share the laneway or driveway what arrangement is in place for its maintenance?

If you plan to use your cottage as a weekend winter retreat, don’t forget about your driveway. Here are a few questions to consider:

• Is the cottage driveway long?
• Would you be able to clear the driveway yourself with a snow-blower? If not, you’ll need to secure the services of a contractor for regular, prompt driveway plowing.

How do you contact the municipality?

If you have a question or concern about your road, please call 705-324-9411 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For after-hours municipal emergencies, please call 1-877-885-7337.

Photo courtesy of Roger Ahlbrand No Alterations Made – Creative Commons

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