:: Revolutionary new device saves on home Energy ::

Being, or at least appearing to be environmentally conscious has taken hold in Canada and the US. It is inevitable that once you have a mindset shared by a significant number of people, politicians begin to take notice and of course being the capitalist society that we are, so does the business community. An entire industry is emerging, catering to the growing masses who are more likely to hug than cut down the hundred foot Oak leaning precariously over the kids bedrooms.

I am all for any efforts that result in the reduction of damage we are doing to the planet though I am often frustrated by the approaches and attitudes taken by many who purport themselves to be the new caretakers of mother earth.

The glass half full result of high gas prices is increased demand for more energy efficient and alternate sources of transportation. My car gets good gas mileage. I am not ready to stuff my 6'4" carcass in to a smart car that looks like it came from a Kinder egg but I am making efforts in other areas.

The energy efficient fluorescents light bulb will soon completely replace the incandescent bulb. I am just waiting for environmentalists or someone in a position of power to come to the realization that "hey, fluorescent bulbs contain mercury." That mercury turns to carcinogenic dust for us to breath when we break one on the kitchen floor and at some point millions upon millions of them will be spent and making their way into our landfill. I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

I have wandered here. What I really wanted to do in this post was point out that in one hour a typical clothes dryer will negate the energy savings gained from using 20 energy/flourescent bulbs 24/7 for an entire month. One of the best energy efficient devices man invented hundreds of years ago and it has been cast aside for the sake of perceived style. The clothes line.

Many residential areas have restrictive covenants banning the use of clothes lines. These were put in place back in the day when people were more concerned with seeing Mrs. Jones bloomers on the line than they were with pollution or energy prices. Most of these rulings are still on the books today though most people are unaware.

Some might respond here by saying "I'm not hanging my clothes out in that dirty air". Guess what?, that air is cleaner now than it was 60 years ago when most of us were burning leaded fuel and many were burning their garbage and heating their homes with coal and oil. The bigger difference today is our pollution covers a much greater portion of the planet, including the polar regions.

What is wrong with using a clothes line? It has a Norman Rockwell kind of aura to it and if millions of Americans and Canadians were to use one for at least part of the year, think of the savings to our pockets and to our environment.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie Town Houses - A good first step ::

It makes good financial sense for first time buyers to consider a town home as the first home they own.

As average home prices in Ontario increase the percentage of first time home buyers who financially qualify to purchase a detached home in good liveable condition decreases leaving townhouses and condos as the feasible option for those who want to enter into home ownership.

On the plus side, a townhouse typically requires less maintenance cost and effort, less energy to run and taxes take a smaller chunk out of the wallet than a detached home of equal square footage. Be prepared to lay out a minimum of $50,000 more for a detached home as well.

Homes above the $300,000 mark in the current Barrie market are taking longer to sell and owners are experiencing a growing discrepancy between list price, and the eventual sale price. Townhouses on the other hand are continuing to increase in value and in demand.

Town home values should continue along this trend for some time and it’s a safe bet that a town home purchased in Barrie today will witness higher percentage value increases in each of the next few years than homes in the higher end of the price range in Barrie.

That equity gain puts you in better stead with lenders down the road when the time is right to trade up to a bigger home. Realizing the dream of being able to own and comfortably carry the perfect home is a more likely possibility for those who recognize the steps to get there.

Many who skip those steps find the dream short lived when they have left themselves no financial buffer zone to ride out economic fluctuation. The first step is to get into the market today at a price that doesn't put you in a financial strait jacket and let that investment move you closer to the home you really see yourself in.

Barrie has a large assortment of townhouse developments dispersed throughout town.

If you want to learn more about Barrie Town homes and or receive updates on townhouses for sale in Barrie, give me a call I’d be glad to help you out.

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:: Fear of Commitment leads to weak relationships ::

Am I now giving couples advice on my Real Estate blog?

No, but I got your attention didn't I?

This post is directed at the thousands of people who will
be retaining the services of a Realtor to purchase a house this year.

Get a Buyer Agency Agreement Signed at the earliest opportunity!

What is the benefit to a buyer?

Well consider this. Suppose you walked into a busy TV store and like the dozens of others that day, when asked "Can I help you?" You reply "I'm just looking thanks"

The sales person will offer a few words on what you are looking at, become distracted by the next person to walk in the door and leave you to figure out the difference between digital ready and high def all by your self.

Imagine if you told that same sales rep who asks if you need help "Yes I want to know everything you can tell me about your Plasma TVs, and before I leave I am going to buy one and I am going to buy it from you".

That sales rep is going to trip over him or herself to provide you service and not likely even notice the other customers coming into the store. He/she is going to give you the information you need to make an informed decision and likely be more receptive when you try to negotiate the price that you want to pay.

In Real Estate, agents deal daily with inquiries from potential home buyers by email, by telephone, from people walking into the office or coming into an open house. The good agents treat everyone as a potential client even though most have a contact manager list as long as their arm of potential buyers with question marks beside their name that they cant bring them self to remove from the list, just in-case.

The reality is many buyers will jump around from agent to agent until they are ready to make an offer on a property. Most agents will try to divide their time and efforts evenly amongst the more recent of "potential buyers" on the list.

If you find an agent who has earned your trust why not tell them you want to sign an agency agreement and work exclusively with them?

How will this benefit you?

You have effectively told the Realtor "I am serious about buying and any time effort and expense you commit to me should eventually result in a home purchase".

You have just separated yourself from 99.9% of the other people who are vying for time with a Realtor and he/she is going to go out of their way to accommodate your needs, your schedule, and provide you all the information you need to make an informed decision and insure a smooth and rewarding purchase.

By blending with the masses and not forming a good business relationship with one Realtor or by waiting until you think you have found a home you want to put an offer on to settle on a Realtor, you only deny yourself the advantage of having the knowledge and input of a professional negotiator and facilitator on your team who may end up saving you thousands of dollars.

Someone who knows the ropes and the neighborhood, who can provide you with timely information on market conditions, all listings and their sales history and often give you a heads up on homes that are not even listed yet.

Buying a home is the biggest financial decision in most peoples lives. Make a sound business decision and commit to using the services of one Realtor from the start of your home buying journey.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden calls for Action ::

The Inter-Governmental Action Plan (IGAP) is a study developed by a think tank formed in 2004 and made up of municipal and regional representatives from within Simcoe County along with representatives from the Province.

This group was set up to study and develop a growth/action plan for the area that will best accomodate the inevitable urban growth the region will see over the coming years. Consideration for density management, infrastructure requirements and ecological impact are the cornerstones of the study.

As far as Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden is concerned, enough study has been done and what is needed now is action. He believes that conclusions have been drawn and any further study will only rehash that which we know and at further expense to the taxpayers.

Mayor Aspen agrees with many of the conclusions and recommendations of the IGAP study but not the idea of a two tier governing system between the City of Barrie and the County as recommended by the study.

In a release from City Hall Mayor Aspden said, “The City of Barrie strongly believes that the time to act on the IGAP recommendations is now. We support the principle of long-range land use and infrastructure planning for the region but reject any further consideration of two-tier service delivery involving the City. We do not support more government, additional taxation, and red tape. As a separated City, Barrie operates the most efficient and effective type of government for our residents.”

Barrie currently has the physical space to accommodate another 45,000 residents but the IGAP research forecasts the need to accommodate a further seventy thousand beyond that by the year 2031. Additional land resources will be needed to meet these numbers not just for residential growth but to provide economic opportunity to support the increased population.

Attracting and implementing opportunities for existing commercial and industrial lands are concerns for present day Barrie. Hopefully action is what we do in fact see from Mayor Aspden and his council in the coming months.
gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie man's crusade to find fairness in the Oil Industry ::

The big oil companies once again have us by the, well they have us where they like to have us.

Between a Rail Strike by CN and a fire February 15th at a crude processing unit of Imperial Oil's refinery in Nanticoke, Ont., we in Ontario and parts elsewhere are finding pump prices precariously close to the buck a litre mark despite drops in international oil prices.

Imperial oil has closed its stations. Other stations dependent on Imperial for supply have closed up this week as well. The remaining companies have pushed up their prices at the pump as a result. One spokesperson for the major oil retailers in Ontario stated yesterday. "By raising the pump price we are serving the publics best interests during this time of shortage. Higher prices will insure the limited supplies last longer than they would if prices remained consistent"

Logic we can all appreciate and benefit by. I can only imagine what might happen if I overpriced my listings by 40% to insure I don't run out of properties to offer for sale this year.

Bob Taylor who has called Barrie home for about a year now has brokered his own crusade and wants us all to take notice and take action. Specifically he is fumed at the difference between Toronto gas prices and the higher Barrie gas prices that drop down again as you head north from Barrie. You have to admire his willingness to do more than just mutter under his breath while taking it on the chin. Have a look at his web page. If only half as many Canadians as watched American Idle this week take up the challenge he puts forth on his website it will be interesting to see what could unfold. Click to view

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: On the whole, things look pretty good ::

Next time you think your world is falling apart, have a look at this. You might feel better.

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:

• 57 Asians
• 21 Europeans
• 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
• 8 Africans
• 
  
• 52 would be female
• 48 would be male
• 
  
• 70 would be non-white
• 30 would be white

• 70 would be non-Christian
• 30 would be Christian

• 89 would be heterosexual
• 11 would be homosexual

• 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.

• 80 would live in substandard housing

• 70 would be unable to read

• 50 would suffer from malnutrition

• 1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth

• 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education

• 1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following is also something to ponder...

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in Canada and the United States.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

by Phillip M Harter, MD, FACEP

Stanford University, School of Medicine

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie Events Centre Sold to Developer ::

I remembered as a kid going to the Barrie fair and trading money earned from cutting lawns over the summer holidays for corndogs, candy floss and hurling rides on the rock-o-plane. Later as a teenager going with a friend and his dad to the Barrie Raceway and placing my first bet on the horses. The Raceway buildings are now known (at least for a short while longer) as the Barrie Events Centre.

The Barrie Agricultural Society (BAS), owners of this large triangle of land at Essa rd. and the 400 highway going back to when Barrie was a small rural community have just sold the property for a tidy sum of 33 million dollars, a benchmark price per acre for land anywhere in Barrie. The property was purchased by Toronto-based real estate investment firm, Osmington Inc.

How will this land likely serve Barrie in the future? No doubt as a bloated retail developement that will compete for business with retailers in the Bayfield Street shopping district, the Mapleview Shopping district, the soon to be developed Park Place retail district and the Dunlop Street/down town shopping district that already finds itself challenged to attract and keep business by road construction mayhem and the rerouting of downtown traffic that is frustrating many.

City Hall planners better be on the stick in putting the plans together to see that this already busy and crucial traffic area does not become another traffic boondoggle for Barrie.

The Barrie Agricultural Society has plans underway to build new facilities in Innisfil, south along Veterans drive. I have no doubt they will do it up right and that the new facilities will rival the old. That project will cost roughly half what the Barrie location has sold for to develop according to Paul Timpano, BAS President.

It will be interesting to see if the well-to-do BAS comes up with some additional plans for within Barrie. That would be seen as a show of gratitude to all of us who contributed to their existence with our allowances and summer jobs over the past few decades.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Flipper Nation :: Episode 1: The first flip

The trend these days on cable television is real estate related how-to shows on buying, selling, fixing and or flipping property. A refreshing shift from the graphically detailed medical shows saturating the television a few years back and much easier to watch while eating dinner.
Here for your entertainment is episode one of Flipper Nation. A "mini series" with characters almost life like that follows their efforts to become Real Estate Moguls. Any similarities to known persons, living or otherwise could be coincidental.

Click here to view Episode II

:: Barrie Road Report ::

Traveling around Barrie is good for the most part but does prove frustrating at times and in key areas. Our climate puts roads to the test and potholes along some roads are consistently worse than others.
Personally I find Anne Street between Tiffin and Dunlop to be a good test of human grey matter, (I'm sure allot of new friendships are formed along that stretch each day.)
Give us your report on Barrie's noteworthy streets. Which ones need attention or total changes in your estimation and which ones do you try to avoid?

:: New Mayor for Barrie ::

Congratulations to Dave Aspden on his election as new Mayor of Barrie, replacing incumbent Mayor Rob Hamilton. Something tells me Dave's black and white campaign signs were symbolic of the type of leadership we can expect from him.
The task ahead already has its share of issues and will no doubt reveal some new challenges to be met as Barrie continues to grow and the need for more quality employment grows along with it.
Here's hoping we see a healthy balance of maintaining the city we love and continued growth that is well planned and implemented.

:: John Shand Nov 23, 1947 - Nov 2, 2006 ::

A good friend and fellow Realtor, John Shand, passed away earlier this month. John's wealth of knowledge, penchant for story telling, along with a gift and passion for music, left all who knew him better for the chance. John will be missed.



Listen>>> My Baby Got the Love :: John Shand