With all the reports and speculation about the housing market across Canada, it is no wonder that people are very concerned about the value of their homes. If you are thinking of selling, then now is still a good time. Consumer confidence may be at an all time low, so there are certainly LESS sales this year, but prices have NOT dropped. Here are the facts: Number of home sales in Barrie 2007 = 3253 Number of home sales in Barrie 2008 = 2653 Average sales price in Barrie 2007 = $245,596 Average sales price in Barrie 2008 = $252,039 The number of homes sold has dropped by 18.5% compared to last year. What you have seen is a reduction in the asking prices of many homes. They may have been priced according to previous years value increases, and have now (or will) adjust their asking prices... 12/19/2008

Discussing the highs and lows of the year as it draws to a close along with preparing plans of action for the next year's market are annual rituals of the Realtor. Another is attempting to forecast the Real Estate market for the coming year in so far as how it will financially enhance or impact on all of us. No one has the crystal ball (snow globe?) that can predict the next year's market with 100 % accuracy but some amongst us are better than others at reading the signs and interpreting the past and present to project on what is to come .2008 in reviewFrom early in 2008 a suspicion (at least amongst many Realtors) began to manifest itself that home prices which had risen with consistency for each of the previous eight years were beginning to look like they were hitting a plateau.Peopl... 12/15/2008

The year will finish up with about 400,000 home sales Canada wide (down 15%) and with overall home prices down 3% nationally with a further 2% drop anticipated before prices begin to rebound. In Barrie the impact on price has again been mainly in the over $27500 range with average detached home prices below that mark actually rising slightly over last year.2009 PredictionsLooking forward to 2009 we should begin to see stability returning to our economy here in Canada while south of the border there are greater depths to climb back from that will take them longer and continue to be reflected in their real estate economy. Demand for homes locally is off though less than in many regions of the country, and certainly not by enough to produce further price drops of any real significance thro... 12/15/2008

I spent sunday morning running around every corner of Barrie getting some of the Christmas detail  out of the way and what is apparent in Barrie on the weekends, not only are the roads just a little bit busier in town but the driving style tends to become a little more aggressive as well. I think much of the extra weekend volume is attributable to Barrie commuters who make their way to and through Toronto's streets and expressways Monday to Friday then when the weekend rolls round, they are out and about in town, doing their weekend routines never really having time to decompress from the kill or be killed mindset one needs to survive a point A to point B adventure in the GTA now days.To them I want to offer some encouraging words. Relax, that light that is turning orange a hundred yar... 12/09/2008

Here are 5 reasons why buying a home in Barrie Ontario makes sense   With all the views on where real estate is heading and the direction seems to be all over the map (it's up.... it's down....its flat...), I thought I would get back to basics and point out five things about buying property (investment or otherwise) in Barrie Ontario and why it makes for such a good investment. •1-      Buy near the Lakefront: You can never go wrong about buying lakefront property. You know the saying "they do not make land anymore" applies on investing in any real estate, but double that for waterfront property in Barrie. All Barrie waterfront  (Lake Simcoe) property is a good investment. •2-      Buy near the new GO station; The new GO station in Barrie is transforming local areas. By using this strat... 12/09/2008

No Reason to panic, just move smartly The big subject racing around today is the stability of Canada's housing market, and if it is all doom and gloom for our market and economy as the media has portrayed.  Our overvalued housing market slow downs are resulting in housing affordability for many families in Canada. Do not let the media over heat a situation and blow your consumer confidence. Canada's housing market is in slight down turn, on top of the slowing winter market condition. Keep in mind that all markets experience some degree and form of cyclical ups and downs, and that EVERY community and area experience this effect in different degrees in relation to pricing, demand and trends within that area. Most Canadian market trends and stats are based on some of Canada's pricier marke... 12/09/2008

Hello Everyone! Christmas Time and Holidays are here, we are blessed with a beautiful, white Winter Wonderland in the City of Barrie and the stage is set for the Holiday Fun! This Saturday you will have a chance to try your skate-legs at the BIG arena! Come join our Barrie MP Patrick Brown at the Molson Centre for a Family Skate! MP Patrick Brown's Family Skate Saturday, December 13, 2008 Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm Location: Barrie Molson Centre Street: 555 Bayview Drive Barrie, ON John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party Dec-11-08 Georgian College Theatre 1 Georgian Drive This official and authentic recreation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour captures the icons at the height of their careers. Marmalade Sings Christmas Dec-12-08 Burton Avenue United Church 37 Burton Av... 12/08/2008

Those homeowners planning to sell early in the New Year should take a moment to plan ahead. Timing is important when entering a Real Estate Market. If you want a painless sale with a truly beneficial outcome, your home must be picture perfect, priced well and ready to be promoted and marketed by your chosen Realtor by the end of February! If you need more time, be sure to have ready for the Market by the week, following March Break, any later than that… and you may be disappointed. This is the time to keep the realities of this new Buyers Market in mind. Be ready and do not leave anything to chance! If your home needs a slight cosmetic upgrade… go and do what needs to be done BEFORE you list it. Call your Realtor now, before Christmas, and ask for advice. Last thing we want you to do is... 12/08/2008

Well it's been year in the making but it's finally here. The official www.crieg.ca  web site is up and running ( still in test mode till Jan 2009 - with lots of content still to be added) My company ( www.manainvestments.com)  has grown to the point where we need to expand our network. That is why I joined Activerain and began the Canadaina Real Estate Investment Group. I started as a one man private investor, grew into a full time real estate company, now I am officially licensed ( last month !!)  and my company requires the need to grow Nationally.  That is where your help can come in. I can't do it all, nor do I want to. My partner is going to Japan and we will begin an advertising campaign there, promoting the new creig site.  The creig site requires relevant real estate information... 12/01/2008

I overheard bits of a conversation between a couple at the next table while out to dinner Saturday night, more of a debate really, on whether they should get a real or an artificial tree for Christmas. Points were exchanged back and forth on convenience, cost and personal preference. I waited for the conversation to come around to environmental preference but it never did. I had my own discussion today on the real vs. artificial tree purly on environmental aspect with a friend who like me knows everything and we concluded that the artificial tree was likely better because you can use it over and over again and you don't have to kill a tree before it becomes a teenager. We were both wrong (can't wait to tell him) based on the information I have found here on the Internet, so it has to be... 11/30/2008

Taxes and Canadian Real Estate We are told many times when we discuss real estate at our seminars to "dumb things down". We naturally assume that everyone knows all about how real estate can be used to reduce taxes, capital gains issues, and all that other fun stuff.  This article will attempt to explain the basic tax implications one encounters when realizing a profit (or capital gain) from real estate.  For those that are not sure what a "capital gain" is....it is simply the profit you made on something you bought (or invested in). For example you buy a house for 100k. In 10 years you sell it for 185k. You made a capital gain (profit) of 85k. At Educate not Speculate.com we teach both aspects of investing in real estate, personal and investment. So for discussion purposes, we need to ... 11/29/2008

Joyce Paron, President of EXIT Realty's Canadian Organization, was the keynote speaker to a packed house at a 60 Minutes with EXIT presentation in Barrie, Ontario last week. Paron spoke about the challenges facing the real estate industry and offered practical solutions incorporating the new paradigm that is EXIT Realty. "Congratulations to EXIT Realty First North franchisees Bruce Shipley and Larry Marples," exclaimed Paron.  "This was Bruce and Larry's first 60 Minutes and they couldn't have had a better turn out at the posh Barrie Country Club.  Great effort guys - it was first class all the way!" About EXIT Realty: As a reward for assisting in the growth of the company, EXIT associates earn residual income equivalent to 10% of the gross commission of agents referred into the EXIT sy... 11/26/2008

Buy low, sell high, the universal principle of investment and if it were as simple to implement as it sounds we would all be reaping the rewards. The real skill is in best determining where the bottom of any market is before it passes by and it takes a few months of steady value increases to know we have hit it. It also lies in having the confidence to step up.The logic one needs to apply is really no different than that used by a practical shopper in Wal Mart. When an item you have wanted goes on sale you snap it up, you don't shy away from it because the price has dropped. Perhaps if the headlines you've been seeing for the last six months read "Sweater market in trouble" then shopping for sweaters at any price tends to become an unnerving experience. That is exactly what happens in ... 11/24/2008

My Hometown My Hometown mikespot My experiences and observations about Barrie Ontario Publish at Scribd or explore others: Creative Writing mike montague home town 11/22/2008

I recently replaced the 30 year old carpeting in my master bedroom. There are many options out there today from wood to laminate to bamboo to low VOC carpet. I would like wood but I also wanted the softness of carpet in the bedroom. Decisions, decisions. It took awhile to decide, but I finally opted for Low VOC carpet from Gallery of Floors in Barrie. The carpet cost a little more than regular carpeting, but the upside was no off gassing from the carpet. As you spend 8 hours sleeping this was a concern for me as I have asthma and did not want any odours and off gassing from the carpet to effect my health. I knew I had made the right choice when my husband came home from work that day. The first thing he said was "didn't the carpet guys come today?" He couldn't smell the new  carpeting (... 11/03/2008

I would like to show Realtors and Homeowners that a simple declutter and placement of some key props will work like magic to create a spacious, model home feel to a kitchen. In the before photo you wanted to pass through the kitchen rather quickly as all the products to clean the kitchen were out, and there were too many items on the counter making it feel cluttered. As a buyer, you really didn't get a sense of how large this kitchen was and how you would cook for your family in it. You just wanted to move on quickly and not spend any time in the kitchen which is after all, the heart of the home. The seller was not taking advantage of this major selling feature in a home. In this property in Barrie, I all did was declutter the work surfaces and placed items strategically on the counter ... 11/03/2008

Way back in the early 90's, my children attended a school Prince of Wales in Barrie that believed the children should not bring anything to school in their lunch that would have to be sent to a landfill. Their solution to this was as follows- In each classroom there was a container with 4-5,000 worms in soil inside a box. All vegetable and fruit scraps would be placed in the box and the worms would take care of it from there. It is called vermicomposting. Of course it was only a matter of time before there was a box of worms in our home. Children are early adapters to things that make sense. They could see immediate results to their actions and how those choices effect their environment. Any container that was brought had to be reusable (first choice and heavily promoted) or recyclable ... 11/03/2008

CREA makes it clear recent numbers are skewed The Canadian Real Estate Associations recent report on home prices admits that they may be misleading. As discussed before many times right here, National statistics mean very little to those who want to invest. They make great headlines but have little to do with decision making for real estate investing.  Especially in towns like Barrie, Collingwood and Orillia. CREA is a national real estate body that produces statistics that always gets the headlines. I like to think of the Canadian housing statistics as a giant bed sheet spread tight. If you but a ball in the middle, it will bring down the whole sheet, but where the ball sits, will be the lowest. CREA admits that Vancouver which has seen sales declines of about 40% year over year may be... 11/02/2008

In this example I would like to show Realtors and Homeowner's the importance of creating a neutral dining room to allow buyers to see themselves entertaining their family in the home.  Before staging, the dining room was a real conversation starter with the purple walls and the pink dining room set. The beautiful crystal chandelier was lost in the room and was not even noticed. All I did in this dining room was to paint a calm, neutral colour, remove the floral draperies to add to the serene effect, add artwork and an area rug. The chandelier is now a selling point in the room. A simple floral arrangement has been placed on an updated dining room set to allow the buyer to see how they could entertain in this room. Investment minimal. Impact priceless. Advantage Staging will market your ... 10/28/2008

I have been telling everyone the best thing that could happen to the real estate market in Canada right now would be for our cable companies to stop carrying CNN. We need a break from the panic mode doom and gloom financial health forecasts of economic prophets lined up around the block at CNN headquarters like it was the tryouts for American Nostradamus. My suggestion, watch a good movie. Back to you Wolfe.A snap shot of our economy here on this side of the 49th shows inflation has dropped from August to September and continues to ease while some are predicting we are actually heading into a period of deflation. The central bank predicts inflation will hover around 1% for 2009. Gas prices which are at the core of inflation, have dropped from a their summer high of $1.37 just a few wee... 10/24/2008