Tag Archive for muskoka real estate for sale

Fed up with having neighbours?

So many home owners in the city or towns are now wanting to enjoy peace and quiet at home. To have some acerage around their property, to enjoy nature and relax when not working.

Consider Muskoka as a location. If you are able to work from home, or only need to get to Barrie or Toronto once in a while, then there is pleanty of real estate in Muskoka to select from. You do not have to go far to the nearest town – Bracebridge, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Port Carling, Bala, Port Sydney – they all have large food stores and quaint boutiques for local shopping.

Muskoka offers you a perfect setting to live. You may be pleasently surprized by lower taxes and housing prices that come with large lots or acerage for privacey.

Consider re-locating to Muskoka – Muskoka Real Estate Listings

Muskoka Living at Home

It’s that time of year when Canadians retreat to the great outdoors to enjoy everyday activities like cooking, eating, and entertaining. Muskoka has allot to offer.  Nowadays many homeowners are demanding more comfort and convenience when connecting with nature, and that’s why “outdoor rooms” are growing in popularity. Like having a Muskoka room – An outdoor room makes use of an exterior space such as a yard, deck, patio or balcony to extend the living area outside the home. Its purpose is to mix the luxury of indoor living with the fresh air, ambiance, and natural setting of the outdoors. Enjoy the relaxing Muskoka feel with the luxury of home.

Whether you’re creating a new outdoor room or simply updating an existing space, you may want to try and mirror your home’s interior design, extending its comfort and aesthetic appeal to the outside. Think of the project as being two sides of the same door. A consistent design theme allows for a harmonious transition between the interior and exterior of your home and can even make your living space appear bigger. Achieve this flow by using similar colour schemes, flooring types, area rugs, and mats.

Heat, cooking facilities, seating, and lighting are just some of the indoor comforts you might consider bringing to your outdoor room. Start with a hearth product such as a fireplace, firepit or chimney as your focal point, and position your seating and cooking areas accordingly. For those who love to cook there are a variety of options available ranging from all season stainless steel BBQs to complete outdoor kitchens with dual burner cook top grills, refrigerator, and expansive counter space for food preparation. Check with your local municipality to determine what products are safe and allowable for your specific set-up.

When it comes to furniture and accessories, think outside the box. Instead of the standard table, umbrella, and patio chairs, consider things like coffee tables, settees, and sofas with stylish, stain and mildew-resistant fabrics. Many manufacturers build furniture and recreational products specifically designed to be used both inside and out, such as outdoor speakers, game tables, and cocktail bars. For added privacy and sound absorption use large potted plants, such as pyramidal cedars, to act as natural walls.

At the end of the day, your outdoor room will be more than a deck or patio; it will be a cozy, comfortable place to retreat, relax, and have fun. You’ll never want to go inside again!

Muskoka Real Estate for sale offers you many homes and cottages that already have this outdoor living in mind.

Bracebridge Cottage Sales Down

Last year January 1st 2010 to July 1st 2010 there were 20 waterfront cottage sales in Bracebridge. This year January 1st 2011 to July 1st 2011 there have been 13 waterfront cottage sales in Bracebridge.

Thats a 35% drop in waterfront cottage sales for the Bracebridge area.

As of July 5th 2011 there are currently 45 waterfront cottages for sale in the Bracebridge area. Based on the fact that there were a total of 43 waterfront cottage sales for 2010, and the 35% drop in sales so far for 2011, this indicates that out of the 45 waterfront cottages that are currently for sale…only 15 of them will be sold in the remainder of 2011.

This is what we call a Buyers Market, when there are far more properties available than there are Buyers. This also means that as a Seller, you must become competitive with the how you present your cottage and be careful to set a realistic asking price.

Mosquitoes more attracted to beer drinkers: study

Patio drinks at the cottage

  It might be nice enough to enjoy a pint outside in your part of Canada, but news that mosquitoes are likely to target people with beer in their systems might make you re-think enjoying your favorite patio.

Or at least apply some bug repellent before you head out.

A study, conducted by scientists at the IRD Research Centre in France, shows that insects are 15 per cent more likely to fly toward humans after they have consumed a pint.

The researchers write in Plos One that one possible explanation is, “Mosquitoes may have evolved preferences for people who recently consumed beer – possibly due to reduced host defensive behaviours or highly-nutritious blood-meals.”

The team used 25 males from West Africa and had them drink a local brew called Dolo. Mosquitoes were then released into the air and had the option of flying toward open air or the odour of the participant. Before participants drank the beer, only 50 per cent of mosquitoes flew toward the participant’s odour. After a beer, the number rose to 65 per cent.

“Beer consumption, as opposed to water consumption, significantly increased both the activation and orientation of An. gambiae,” the authors write in Plos One. “We found that beer consumption not only enhanced the number of mosquitoes that engage in odour-mediated upwind flight (mosquito activation) but also enhanced the strength of their odour-mediated anemotactic response (mosquito orientation).”

Researchers also tried the same experiment with water finding that it was six per cent less likely for mosquitoes to fly toward the participants odour after consuming a glass.

They are hoping to use the findings to decrease cases of malaria, a disease that kills 780,000 people worldwide every year.

While malaria may not be a big problem in Canada, it is a good idea to lather on the bug screen when at the cottage enjoying beer.

(Yahoo News)

$20,000 prize! Royal LePage Contest

Consumers can enter to win one of 3 cash prizes, first prize being $20,000! All you need to do is click on the link provided and explain why your neighbourhood is so great! Easy!! Remember to mention the Real Estate Agent that told you about it…Sasha Dear. Enter Here.

Power of Sale listing search

Interested in purchasing a Power of Sale home? I work with investors who want to buy a ‘deal’ and Clients who want to fix – flip homes. Looking for a bargain home purchase that you can live in? Many first time home buyers have gone this route of purchasing a Power of Sale home at sometimes lower prices than normal.

Have all Power of Sale listings emailed to you before the general public see them on the MLS websites.

Email Sasha Dear direct info@sashadear.ca or use the contact forms on this website. Be sure to mention Power of Sales in your email.

Buyers Most Wanted!

Here is a list of properties that my current Buyers are waiting for. If you are thinking of selling, and have one of the properties listed below, then please contact Sasha Dear asap on 705-716-5431 or info@sashadear.ca thank you.

  • Townhouse or detached with 3 beds in Bracebridge up to $195,000
  • Detached bungalow that is newer or recently upgraded on edge of town close to Bracebridge with 3 beds, and a garage. Up to $260,000
  • 3 bed 2 bath bungalow with finished basement and double garage. Newer home or recently upgraded. Up to $280,000
  • Level waterfront lot, with or without building on it, with privacy. Up to $300,000
  • Fixer-Uppers! Any homes in need of fixing up. Up to $180,000

Buyers Market Continues

We are still in what we call a ‘Buyers Market’. This means that there are more homes on the market than there are buyers to buy them. In-fact, there are currently only 2 buyers for every 10 homes listed for sale.

How does this affect you as a seller? You will need to keep yourself (via an Agent) updated on what homes are selling, and what your ‘competition’ is offering in terms of features and price. It is important to make any necessary adjustments to the home or price in order to make it one that a potential buyer wants. Tip – Buyers nowadays look for homes that are ‘move-in-ready’ with limited or no upgrading required. If your home cannot offer that, then pricing correctly is an important factor in order to sell.

Open Houses. Do they work?

If you are asking if an open house will help sell your home, then my answer is “unlikely”.

Before the Internet boom (before the majority of people turned to the Internet to find their next home), people relied on printed MLS books, newspaper listings, Real Estate magazines, and driving around their desired neighbourhoods to find open houses. Back in those days (before 1995), open houses were an effective way to help sell a home. The people who entered the open house were actually ‘likely buyers’ who were in the market to actively search for a home to purchase.

What we see nowadays though, is a trail of nosey neighbours and week-end tire-kickers who want to get decorating ideas or just want to compare your home with theirs so that they can imagine up a value for their own.

So why are open houses still held?

  1. There is still a VERY slim chance that the person who enters the open house will in-fact buy it (based on the opinion of at least 50 Real Estate Agents questioned, the response is about a 2% chance)
  2. The Seller may not believe, or has not been educated about the way in which buyers now purchase a home, and the Agent holds it to satisfy the Sellers demands.
  3. The Agent wants to draw in potential Buyer and Seller Clients, and this is a great way to meet new Clients.

The majority of Buyers, about 96%, now look at the Internet when searching for a home. Real Estate Agents look on the Internet within their own system, and email or call their Clients when suitable homes become available. The Real Estate Agents own system is the one that feeds the public realtor.ca website. Most real estate boards have now stopped issuing the printed MLS books.

In short, if your home or cottage looks like it may be suitable for someone, then they will make AN APPOINTMENT to come view your listing. Those are the type of people who you really want looking around your home!

Choosing a Real Estate Agent

So you want to sell your home or cottage, and need to select an Agent. Here are some tips to make the selection process easier:

  1. Write a list containing what services you expect, and the services you do not want (ie Open Houses)
  2. Personally meet the Agents at your home. During the meeting, you will determine if this is the person who you want to communicate with on a daily basis.
  3. DO NOT select an Agent solely based on the highest suggested listing price of your home! Listen to the Agent who brings a detailed report of comparable home or cottage sales.
  4. Ask for referrals. A great way of finding out if the Agent is ‘who’ you will be happy working with is to get opinions from their existing and past Clients.

Sasha Dear will provide you with as many references as you wish! From Toronto to Barrie to Muskoka…Sasha Dear has helped many families re-locate.