Saugeen Shores Real Estate Buzz

     Over the years we have seen many businesses come and go in Saugeen Shores.   I can only think it is a good thing to have this happen as it widens our commercial appeal to the many people who come through our town on a daily basis.  Over the past few weeks, I have been hearing some disturbing reports that a new business that is within weeks of opening in our downtown core has not been given a very nice welcome from some “fellow business” (I use that loosely) persons.  Now, I have always been under the impression that competition is good and lord I should know that being in the business that I am in.  This new endeavour will be an added feature to our main street and I truly believe that we should open our arms to this and any other business that wants to take a chance on our growing community.  We should be banding together to assist anyone who is trying to initiate a new biz; not try to tear them down before they even get started.  Might I say, this business is very much enhancing the block that it is in, pretty well redoing the entire building both inside and out; perhaps there are some other business people who should follow, not only their lead, but the lead of a few stores that have taken the initiative to make their buildings more enticing to the public who, are in fact, the ones who spend the money.  Let’s think about it, eh!!

U.S. RE/MAX sales associates assisted significantly more real estate clients than competing agents in 2009, an analysis of year-end statistics shows. And a major industry survey demonstrates that Canadian sales associates were well ahead of the competition as well.

RE/MAX associates in the U.S. successfully represented homebuyers or sellers in more than 812,000 transactions during the year – 25 percent higher than agents from any other real estate brand. For these hundreds of thousands of consumers, RE/MAX associates were their trusted advisor – and the best choice to assist them in the largest financial transaction most will ever participate in.

On a per-agent basis, the RE/MAX advantage is even clearer. For the year, individual RE/MAX associates, on average, represented consumers in 13 successful home sales or purchases. This was 85 percent higher than the closest competitor.

Every year for more than a decade, RE/MAX sales associates around the world have represented more than 1 million homebuyers and sellers. Since 1998, RE/MAX has been able to state that nobody in the world sells more real estate.

Three recent industry surveys also confirm that RE/MAX has the most productive sales force in real estate. The surveys are based on information reported by the real estate brokerages for 2009 and verified either by an outside auditor or by the brokerage’s franchise organization.

A brief synopsis of the three surveys, two in the United States and one in Canada:

REAL Trends 500 Survey

• Of the 500 U.S. brokerages that represented the most U.S. real estate customers in 2009, 122 (24 percent) were affiliated with RE/MAX.
• RE/MAX sales associates in the 122 firms represented 45 percent more clients than the closest competitor.
  Source: REAL Trends

Power Broker Report

• Of the 300 U.S. top-producing real estate brokerages for 2009, RE/MAX had 69 (23 percent).
• RE/MAX sales associates in those 69 offices assisted 26 percent more clients than the closest competitor.
  Source: RISMedia

REAL Trends Canadian 200

• In the first-ever survey of Canadian real estate brokerages, RE/MAX had an overwhelming number of companies on the list: 130 of 200. That’s no surprise: RE/MAX has been the No. 1 real estate brand in Canada for 23 years.
• On average, RE/MAX sales associates affiliated with those 130 brokerages assisted close to 18 clients in 2009 – well above the industry average.
  Source: REAL Trends

Give me a call to assist you in buying or selling a home.

This property is located just a short walk from the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Huron in Port Elgin.  The current owners have put in much time and effort in updating it.  Newer shingles, Victorian style windows, wiring, plumbing, bathrooms, master bedroom addition on the upper rear, covered porch, detached garage/workshop, gas hot water heating, etc.  The lot is 66 feet x 132 feet.  This would be ideal for a full time home, a summer home or perhaps use it for part of the summer and then rent it out.  For more info, go to
 Some Updated History In Saugeen Shores.

http://www.torontosun.com/money/2010/03/30/13409056.html

Here is some of the latest news from the Toronto Sun.  We having been hearing about it for awhile and now it is starting; mortgage rates are on the rise!!

If you or someone you know is thinking about putting their house on the market, here is some helpful information for you.  As I am sure you are aware, the way that a property is presented is first and foremost the most important factor when it comes to Buyers choosing to view your property.  I have been working with a Home Staging Professional and together we are offering my Seller clients the benefit of her expertise.  Please check this out and see what I mean; Getting Your House Ready For The Market

 Snow, clouds, Canadians losing to the US,Monday; what a way to start a week!

However, happy clients, great co-workers, Canadian couple hopefully heading for a gold in skating, Monday; a whole new start!

It is what we make of it.  Grumpy breeds grumpy and smiles bring smiles.  Take a walk up the street in downtown Port Elgin or Southampton and I would almost bet that you would get a greeting from most people that you meet.

We are very fortunate to live in the area that we do.  We have the diversity of two different commercial cores, great schools, a hospital that offers great care, two medical centres, a variety of fitness alternatives and a varied choice of different housing options.

So, on that note, if you are considering a move to our area, come for a visit and stay for awhile!

With some people thinking that the prime rate may be heading upwards in the latter part of this year, the government has taken some initiative to try to control the debt that some people tend to take on when it comes to buying properties.

OTTAWA — Canada’s top economists and opposition MPs are welcoming new moves by the feds to rein in property speculators and to make it harder for some to buy houses.

“We want to have the most prudent guidelines and the most prudent regulations we can,” said Warren Jestin, chief economist for Scotiabank. “The steps taken by the government will tend to reduce the risk of the market overheating and going into a reversal.”

The changes announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty are threefold:

• Canadians buying a house with less than 20% down must qualify based on a five-year fixed rate, regardless of what mortgage they get.

• People refinancing their mortgages will be able withdraw a maximum of 90% of the value of their house, down from 95%.

• Property speculators who buy places but don’t live in them, will have to put a minimum of 20% down, up from 5%.

The new rules come as concerns emerged a housing bubble may be forming, which could pop, wounding an already weak economy.

Flaherty said this worry is premature, but he was concerned by people taking “excessive amounts of cash” out of their homes and felt it was time to crack down on speculators.

“Early policy action can help prevent negative trends from developing,” Flaherty said. “Our government is acting to help prevent Canadian households from getting over extended and to prevent some lenders from facilitating it.”

Don Drummond, chief economist for the Toronto Dominion Bank, said the changes were “good” and he wished he thought of the property speculation angle first.

“All of the changes are minor but they’re all designed to help that 5% of the market that tends to get into trouble,” Drummond said.

The move was welcomed by the Canadian Real Estate Association, which said it was happy the feds decided to make these changes instead of others.

“We’re pleased the federal government didn’t increase the minimum down payment or decrease the amortization period,” said Gregory Klump, chief economist for the CREA. “The impact of those could be deep and damaging.”

Liberal finance critic John McCallum said he broadly welcomed the changes but warned they could discourage landlords from buying, resulting in fewer affordable homes for rent.

NDP finance critic Thomas Mulcair said, “Making sure that potential home buyers can manage their debts is critical … and frankly I welcome Flaherty’s belated attention to this problem.”

Mulcair, however, wants restrictions put on how much banks can charge customers on mortgages to prevent variable mortgage rates from rising too fast.

peter.zimonjic@sunmedia.ca

Once again, our newest holiday is just around the corner.  I am sure that many people have already planned out their day or, for that matter, the whole weekend if you are one of the lucky ones that have three days off.  I think that we have one of the nicest places in the province to spend a ‘family’ day or even perhaps the night.  Just outside out beautiful town of Port Elgin lies MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

Why not spend the day with the children cross country skiing on groomed trails, skating through the trees on an outdoor rink that is lit at night, snowshoeing on the unplowed park roads or snowmobiling.

Better yet, why not spend the night in a yurt.  These semi-permanent canvas-covered structures are 16 feet in diameter, mounted on a wooden deck about two feet off the ground. Yurts can accommodate up to six people. They have two sets of bunk beds, a table and chairs, plywood floors, electric heat and lighting, and a propane barbecue.  What an experience for the family to have a fun-filled, snow-filled day and then camp out amongst the trees in the middle of winter.

For more details of what we have in our own back yard, take a look here;

MacGregor Point Provincial Park

(this is not a yurt at MacGregor Point Provincial Park but it will give you an idea)