south georgian bay: As You See It – A Georgian Triangle Camera Adventure
- 05/05/10 11:21 AM
After writing about 500 posts over 3 years on my "other" blog connected to my personal website, I decided it might be fun to shake things up a little. Over 3,000 people a month are reading that blog now and I'm sure some are getting a little tired of only hearing or seeing my point of view! A while ago, I read about something called The Disposable Memory Project in which the originator sent out disposable cameras around the world. It struck me as a GREAT idea and a creative way of seeing things through other people's eyes. Then I got … (14 comments)
south georgian bay: Wasaga Beach and Collingwood Posted Real Estate Price Gains in 2008
- 02/01/09 11:23 AM
Although it's now February, people are still asking about prices in our various neighbourhoods in the Georgian Triangle. So, in the spirit of wrapping up the 2008 statistics, here is a chart showing the change in the average sale prices between 2007 and 2008 by area: Please do remember that average sale prices can be skewed significantly by a few really high or low sales so they are not necessarily a fair representation of prices however, they do show the general trends by area. Interestingly but not surprisingly, both Collingwood and Wasaga Beach registered an increase in values; even when I … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: Here’s An Easier Way To Follow The Real Estate Market
- 01/15/09 02:54 AM
I know that statistics and charts can be a bit mind numbing. On the other hand, they are the story that we need to know telling us where we've been and where we might be going. I like to watch certain stats in particular: the number of new listings, the number of sales, the number of price reductions but most of all, the sales to listing ratio. That is perhaps one of the better indicators of what is going on in the market. Let me explain this little ratio thing. It's calculated by dividing the number of sales by the number … (2 comments)
south georgian bay: The Truth About The Present Market Trend
- 01/05/09 11:14 AM
The boom is over. That's old news by now and the question is, how far will the market fall and for how long? While none of us knows the answer to that, it's important to monitor the trends closely. I've been reading lots of year-end wrap-ups of various different markets but, in my opinion, a full year is far too broad a time frame for monitoring emerging trends. For example, in our market, prices over the year fell around 2% but that does not take into account upticks early in the year and declines in the last quarter. So, because I'm … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: 2008 Year End Real Estate Report for the Georgian Triangle
- 01/05/09 05:44 AM
After reviewing, crunching, tabulating and charting, I finally have a report to share on the 2008 Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board performance. The Georgian Triangle area traditionally includes Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Wasaga Beach, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford however, the data in some cases captures a wider area that includes towns on the edges of our typical trading area. It's a tough undertaking to provide you with the fairest and most unbiased data because as Mark Twain once said, "Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable." The outcomes change depending on the data used and variables like areas, types of properties, … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: What You Should Know About the Collingwood Hospital
- 09/04/08 12:16 PM
Recently, our family has had a very direct experience with our local medical system and I know that many people considering a move into the area often ask about the local conditions for health care. The area has a wide range of services that includes expanding and new medical centres, labs, a new family health network, walk-in clinics, specialists and a full range of natural health practioners such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths and more. The South Georgian Bay area is serviced by a small 30 bed hospital in Meaford and by the larger 72 bed, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital; the latter spot … (2 comments)
south georgian bay: Culture in South Georgian Bay Is “On Ice”
- 07/14/08 12:03 AM
I'm heading out today to buy my tickets for Wingfield on Ice. If you haven't seen or read all about Walt Wingfield, then you've missed something very special that speaks to all of us living in rural Ontario. We have a fantastic Arts & Culture scene in this area. By chance, I ran into Irene Thomas last week. She is Theatre Collingwoods Producer and General Manager so, I asked if she might contribute a series of guest posts to the blog about local Arts & Culture which happily, she readily agreed to. Thanks Irene! Theatre Collingwood Twenty-five years ago, a group of … (1 comments)
south georgian bay: 10 Best Places To Invest in Canada
- 07/09/08 10:06 AM
Someone sent me an article today from a new real estate magazine directed at home buyers and investors. They have written a feature article entitled "10 Best Places To Invest In Canada" and, rounding out the top ten is none other than Collingwood. I notice that Collingwood is the only town on the list (the rest are cities) and, it's the only one listed that is not home (yet) to a university. According to the magazine, they formed their list based on how the market is performing, potential return on investment, current infrastructure and future development plans. Most of the article … (8 comments)
south georgian bay: Buying Property In The Niagara Escarpment Area
- 07/07/08 11:42 AM
I remember the very first time I came to Collingwood sometime in the early 1980's. I came in from the west and as I rounded the bend on Huron Street near where the museum is located, I caught my first glimpse of Blue Mountain. It was early evening on a clear winter day and the lights marked the runs on the ski hills. It took my breath away. On my right was that massive expanse of Lake Huron called Georgian Bay. It was truly love at first site. Blue Mountain is much more than a ski hill. It's part of the … (1 comments)
south georgian bay: South Georgian Bay Growth Continues in Record Numbers
- 05/08/08 02:58 AM
Currently, the County of Simcoe is looking for public input on its proposed growth strategy. The idea behind it is to have a "Made In Simcoe" plan to comply with the Province's Places To Grow legislation. Basically, it looks at how much growth we should have, where it should be located and what we need to do to accommodate that growth in a sustainable way. As you can imagine, that is a mammoth undertaking. What this process does is make us focus on growth issues in our own unique area here in South Georgian Bay. Did you know that there are … (2 comments)
south georgian bay: Admiral Collingwood Elementary School
- 04/28/08 12:14 AM
The school with the deepest roots in the Collingwood community would surely have to be Admiral Collingwood Elementary School. Most of the "locals" I have met over the last couple of decades attended that very school and everyone has a story to tell. The first school sat at the corner of Hume and Hurontario Street and was originally built in the 1920's as the Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) High School. In 1958, a new school was built for CCI farther south down Hurontario Street at which point the original school became home to Collingwood's Senior Public School for Grade 7 and 8 … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: First Quarter 2008 Georgian Triangle, Ontario Real Estate Market Report
- 04/01/08 03:17 PM
I've just spent the last hour or so scratching my head over economic theories. The rules I was taught says that when supply exceeds demand, prices go down and when demand exceeds supply, prices go up. Nope. Not so. Not true. Not in our area anyway. The first quarter of 2008 is already complete (where in the heck did that time go?) and the stats are in. Here are some highlights from the residential market data taken from our Georgian Triangle (Ontario) Real Estate Board Multiple Listings System (MLS®) data: ListingsThe number of residential listings in the Georgian Triangle areas as a whole is … (1 comments)
south georgian bay: A Real Estate Pioneer To Watch (and Thank)
- 11/07/07 11:07 AM
"Ultimate Lifestyle Homes" "Live the good life every day" "Life as it should be!" These are some of the current slogans being used by new homes projects here in our little corner of Ontario. They all try to encapsulate what we love about South Georgian Bay namely, the lifestyle that we are blessed to have thanks to the gifts Mother Nature has given us. But, I wonder... is development the very threat that will take away these gifts or will development find a way to harness and strengthen our bounty? Think of it. We have a beautiful and expansive body of water that not … (2 comments)
south georgian bay: Are Collingwood and Blue Mountain The Hamptons of Toronto?
- 11/03/07 03:52 AM
A few years ago, an article in Toronto Life magazine referred to the South Georgian Bay area as "Toronto's very own Hamptons." The kind of bugged me because it suggested a possessiveness or entitlement that doesn't do justice to those of us who actually live here. Nonetheless, it did get me thinking. As Canadians, we tend to form our impressions of American places from television shows or stories and I envisioned The Hamptons as a pretty special place because of the word "The." What place starts with that word? We go to the beach or the store but we don't go … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: Planning a Hunting Vacation Soon?
- 09/26/07 12:09 PM
Real estate hunting that is. As many of our Collingwood and area real estate buyer clients come from outside of the area, they often book a hotel for a night of two during their house hunting trips. Well, good news! Booking accommodation in South Georgian Bay just got easier. The innovative folks at mycollingwood.ca have just launched a new online reservation system for the South Georgian Bay area that makes booking as simple as clicking your mouse. In her article describing the new service, mycollingwood.ca partner Julie Card states that, "Stay by the Bay is available for your convenience any time night … (0 comments)
south georgian bay: Driving In South Georgian Bay Will Get Easier by 2010
- 09/18/07 08:26 AM
Moving around in South Georgian Bay gets a little more challenging with every passing year as the population continues to grow at a rapid pace. More people = more cars and that means traffic management and road infrastructure must also change and grow. Recently, Ontario Transportation Minister, Donna Cansfield has sent a letter to Collingwood Mayor Chris Carrier indicating that work will recommence on the long planned Highway 26 realignment between the towns of Wasaga Beach and Collingwood. Started by the Conservatives many moons ago, land was cleared for the new highway but work was stopped in 2003 (after the last election), … (0 comments)
After writing about 500 posts over 3 years on my "other" blog connected to my personal website, I decided it might be fun to shake things up a little. Over 3,000 people a month are reading that blog now and I'm sure some are getting a little tired of only hearing or seeing my point of view!
;)
;)
