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HomeHunt with Bruce Johnson
! Sept/Oct 2011 ! TheHomeHunt.com ! Vol. XV, Issue V
Bruce Johnson Photo Š
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HomeHunt with Bruce Johnson
Sept/Oct 2011
Table of Contents: Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page
: Cover Photo gives way As Summer arecrow to Fall, a sc on stands guard e in Eastdale Driv h Wasaga Beac
3/4/5: Featured Properties 6/7: The Home Hunt Report 8/9: Mary’s Staging Report 10/11: Tax News 112/13: Area Happenings 14: Joke & Trivia Contest 15: The Big Picture 16: Hot Links 17: Assorted Information
BRUCE
SALES
RE/MA
JOHNS
REPRE
SENTA
ON
TIVE X of W asaga B each I n c ., B rokera PHON g e E
(705)
429-45
TOLL FREE 00 (8 88) 74 1- 8 8 8 8
FEATURED PROPERTY
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$349,900
! D L SO
12 Rigby Drive in Wasaga Beach
Wasaga Sands paradise...found! This 3 bedroom, 2 bath all-brick custom bungalow sits majestically on an estate-sized lot (82` X 200`) on a highly desirable street in one of Wasaga Beach`s premier golf course subdivisions. Wait until you step into this beautifully landscaped, serene back yard: itʼs like having your own private bird sanctuary just outside your door. With 1,526 square feet on the main floor (2,289 sq.ft. total finished interior living area), you`ll enjoy the spacious kitchen and breakfast nook overlooking your multi-level backyard decks and gardens. The master bedroom has a 3 pc. ensuite, the living room has a natural gas fireplace, there are two finished family areas in the basement and the large 2-car garage is neat as a pin and opens onto a double paved driveway. This home has been meticulously maintained and is a pleasure to show.
MLS 20113723
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience”
FEATURED PROPERTIES
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Wasa
!
h e Beac h T r a e Lot N
ga Sa nds
! D L O S MLS 20111619
$98,880
MLS 20113723
$349,900
Two superb building lots very close to the sandy beaches of Wasaga. You will have the enviable position of being able to select which mature trees to leave on the property as you sculpt the property to suit your needs.
Wasaga Sands paradise...found! This 3 bedroom, 2 bath all-brick custom bungalow sits majestically on an estate-sized lot in one of Wasaga Beach`s premier golf course subdivisions. Click below for more info:
Lot 23 Deerbrook Drive
12 Rigby Drive
T
Cond
ouse h n w o
o by Beac h
! D L SO MLS 20113460
$199,900
MLS 20114828
$189,900
This very well-kept 1,550 sq.ft townhouse comes with central air, natural gas f/a heating, central vac, ceramic flooring and a welcoming open concept kitchen with breakfast bar. Click here for full details:
Want to be steps to the soft sands of Wasaga Beach for under $190,000? Look no further as this 1,196 sq.ft. 2 bedroom townhouse condo may have everything you need. Click here for full details:
46 Admiral Road
10 Baker Street
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience�
FEATURED PROPERTIES
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Coun
tryLif
e r Hom Zanco
MLS 20112611
$314,900
e Res ort
MLS 20112529
$134,900
This beautiful 5-bedroom, 3-bath home in a quiet, west-end Wasaga neighbourhood is close to schools, shopping and trails. This large bungalow has a 2,034 sq.ft. on main level and a fully finished basement as well. Click the link:
Sophisticated one bedroom modular home in a gated community with an incredible rear yard backing onto a serene pond with a sunny exposure surrounded by elite gardens. Click on the link below to see more:
26 Briarwood Place
12 Topaz Street New
cres 9.3 A
MLS # 20113664
$388,900
MLS # 20112956
Subd
ivisio
n
$289,900
Beautiful century home on 9.39 lush private acres with a pond centrally located to Wasaga Beach, Blue Mountain and Barrie with approx. 2,100 sq.ft. of charm. Click the link below for full details:
Great value here in this lovely 2,330 sq.ft. bungalow in peaceful Marl Lake Village in Wasaga Beach. 3 large bedrooms on the main level, including the master with a 5-pc ensuite with corner soaker tub. Click for full details:
12084 10 County Road
14 Meadowood Drive
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience�
LOCATION
IT REALLY IS THAT IMPORTANT
The other day I had a call at the office from a poten3al buyer. It went something like this: “Hi, what’s the cheapest lot for sale in town right now.” “Can I ask why you’d want the cheapest lot in town?” I enquired. “I want to build a house and flip it,” he replied. This was followed by the sound of my head repeatedly striking my desk as I struggled to understand his logic. Loca3on, loca3on, loca3on: It’s the Realtor’s mantra, people! Why do you think we harp on the subject so oKen? Many of you who have house-‐shopped with me have witnessed me poin3ng at a for sale sign on the immaculate lawn of a lovely home backing onto something horrifying or fron3ng onto a busy highway and asking the ques3on: “Why did they buy that?” For me, I’d much rather buy the wrong home in the right loca3on than the right home in the wrong loca3on. And I’d rather you did too. Here’s why: with a house, you can
repaint, rewire or remodel... but generally you can’t relocate. So be a smart buyer and find the prime loca3on for your price range wherever you are home hun3ng. So what should you look for? This may sound strange, but it’s easier for me to describe what makes a loca3on unsuitable. That's because the things that make a good loca3on aTrac3ve can vary, depending on whether you're looking in the city, the country, the mountains or the beach. Bad loca3ons are far easier to pinpoint. Here’s some loca3ons to avoid: •High-‐Crime Neighbourhoods Steer clear of the bad areas of town. There are beTer ways to meet your new neighbours than having them climb in your kitchen window at 3 a.m. • Economically Depressed Areas If there is liTle pride of ownership in the surrounding homes, you’re in the wrong spot. Torn up lawns, hockey nets stuck under a Chevy Malibu up on blocks in the driveway and old
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience”
THE HOME HUNT REPORT
appliances lying in the yards should make you think twice about moving there. • Commercial or Industrial Areas Unless you live downtown in a city, commercial buildings on your block will diminish value. Part of the reason is because home owners can’t control those who loiter in front of their home. Homes next to gas sta3ons or shopping centres are undesirable because of the noise factor, and nobody really wants to listen to idling truck engines. • Railroad Tracks, Highways, Airports When buyers see any of these three near a property on their list they don’t even want to get out of the car to look. • Close to Hazards Not many buyers in their right minds want to live in the shadow of a power plant, hydro transformers, a landfill or in swampland. • Corner ProperCes This one may surprise you but I can safely say that in 16 years of selling here in Wasaga Beach and Collingwood I’ve never had a buyer say to me, “Please don’t show me any homes with
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neighbours on both sides.” However, what I do hear frequently is, “Oh, it’s a corner property. Forget it.” There s3ll seems to be a nega3ve percep3on for homes built on corner lots. The last six lots sold in our subdivision were all leKover corner lots. • Public Walkways Having a walkway nearby is ideal but having it border your property puts you on display, especially if it’s a busy walkway connec3ng a school to a subdivision or a public parking lot to a waterfront access. Choose your loca3on wisely and you’ll never have to worry about a buyer someday not wan3ng to get out of their Realtor’s car to see your home. Simply put, it means the value of iden3cal homes can go up or down because of their loca3on. Overlook this golden rule of real estate at your own risk!
Bruce
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience”
What Colour is Your Sale? A Primer on Wise Colour Choices
Home staging experts say that colour, which
makes up 60% of a first impression, can make or break a sale. And paint retailers concur
that approximately 40% of all paint sales are a direct result of choosing the wrong colour first. So if you’re thinking you may be moving in less than 5 years, you’d be wise to choose your paint colour strategically rather than decoratively. No two individuals view colour the same way, so the most relevant writings on colour intertwine our psychological perceptions, the physics of light and the physiology of vision. Benefit from my experience (i.e. mistakes!) and continuing education by following these tips.
Colour Psychology A particular colour OR combination of colours will stimulate or relax senses and can bring happy memories for your potential buyers. In BUY-OLOGY, Lindstrom presents astonishing findings from his three-year, sevenmillion-dollar neuromarketing study that peered inside the brains of 2,000 volunteers from all around the world as they encountered various ads, logos, commercials, brands, and products. His results shatter much of what we have long believed about what seduces our interest and drives
us to buy. The study showed that our subconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires determine most (if not all) of the decisions we make. So if the colours in your house influence your potential buyers’ emotions in a positive way, their decision to make a full-price offer may indeed be thanks to that $75 professional colour consultation you had before painting...talk about a worthwhile investment!
Cool colours are based on blue undertones and have a yin, passive or calming effect. These colours include a range from glacial blue to nurturing Caribbean cerulean Use cool colours in spas, bathrooms and other quiet environments Blues lower heart rate and reduce appetite Commonly worn in uniforms and business suits, blue represents dependability Blues and greens are used in advertising medicines and health care products
Warm colours are based on yellow undertones and have a yang, active or stimulating effect. Warm reds and yellows tend to convey emotions ranging from happiness to passion Red, orange and yellow colours activate the appetite; this is why you see restaurants using warm colours in their logos Red instantly attracts attention and increases the heart rate; red is the Coke of home staging, a little red goes a long way and it is important to remember the power of red to STOP the eye
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience”
MARY’S STAGING REPORT Colour Intensity Colour intensifies with area so when a colour is used on large areas, walls, or floors, use a shade or two LIGHTER than you think you want. In staging for selling, neutral colours are always the safest route because they lack intensity, balance other colours, appeal to the widest buying audience and are the easiest to live with. When it comes to walls and fixed elements such as floors and countertops, buyers are never disappointed with a variant on beige on beige on beige but throw in a blue carpet or a pink wall sponged with purple clouds and suddenly your house “needs too much updating.” Definitely choose your colours in the daytime, and double check your samples in the time of day you will be most likely to use the room.
The Compass is Your Colour-Choosing Friend Not only does the colour appear to morph four times per day due to the amount of light but we also have to remember that colour will also look different depending on the direction the room is facing. In general, a room with Eastern exposure adds a GREEN cast, Western adds an ORANGE cast, Southern adds a YELLOWISHWHITE cast and brightens the existing colour in the room and Northern (a favourite of artists for its consistency) adds a GREY cast that dulls the colour in the room. You might love the greyish green walls in your southfacing living room, but cover your north-facing office in the same hue and you may find it drab and depressing.
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I See Dead Colours Some people just have that “je ne sais quoi” about colour. It may be a physiological or genetic gift. They can remember a precise hue, they are sensitive to clashing patterns and are potentially your best friend in the fitting room. It takes the ability to identify undertones (i.e. to see the underlying tones that are like the undergarments of colours and finishes) to see why certain beiges look terrible with certain hardwood flooring. The colour wheel was in its early days with Goethe’s 1810 sketch (shown above), but still shows the relationship between the three primary colours. From experience I know it’s very important to look at a colour sample on a pure white background instead of in direct relation to whatever colour it is meant to cover. I have found the most cantankerous undertones to be the pinks and yellows. They just don’t get along. Another tip about undertones is to use yellow-based to brighten dark parts of property and to use gray-based colours to decrease glare in bright areas. Glarereducing historic colours (the HC fan deck in Benjamin Moore) are thus a top choice to use on exteriors.
~ Mary
Agonizing over colours? Contact Mary for advice; she is available for colour consultations and loves to talk about colours, feng shui, staging for selling and staging for living.
The Home Hunt: 1263 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5 | 705-429-4500 x226 “A Moving Experience”
TAX MATTERS
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Dealing With Capital Gains What To Do When Buying A Co9age Property Central Ontario offers some of the most splendid recreational opportunities, and its proximity to the Greater Toronto area makes it extremely desirable as a cottage destination. The growth of Wasaga Beach and surrounding area is testimony to that. It does require prudent planning to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency does not erode the lustre of having a cottage or second residence here. Property value increases on a principal residence are exempted from tax liability (another substantial reason to own rather than rent), while property value increases on secondary properties are considered capital gains, and, as such, 50% of
that gain is taxable (with the other 50% not taxed). That taxable gain is added to the tax return of the owner when the property is disposed of, either in actual terms, because it is sold, or in "deemed" terms, for example at the death of the owner, or if it is given to a family member after a number of years. If you rent your "other" residence (the one in the City which you want to get away from on weekends and for vacations), you can declare the Wasaga property as your "principal residence" for income tax purposes, but what if you own that city property as well? Spouses must, under current legislation, share the same principal residence, so you cannot have one declare the City property and the other the Country property, but, if there are adult children who have apartments or other accommodation not owned, they can be registered on
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...WITH GREG GOLDSWORTHY
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title as the principal owner and they can then utilize the principal residence exemption. Alternatively, some families establish a small corporation to own the property, while others use an inter-vivos trust. There are considerations which must be taken into account in choosing the structure that you choose for your family and its unique circumstances, which should be reviewed with your professional advisors. If you wish to talk to us about these circumstances, you can contact us at 1-800-668-5628 (local 705-445-5628). Mention that you are a client of Bruce and we'll give you a free 1/2 hour appointment to see what makes the most sense for you, as we welcome you to our neighbourhood!
Click here for our free newsletter and here for our website: J. Gregory Goldsworthy, BA, CLU, CFP, Ch.F.C., is with The Financial Centre of Collingwood, a full service financial institution.
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WASAGA BEACH HAPPENINGS
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Map of Wasaga Beach 1. Click here for Things To Do in Wasaga Beach!
2. Click here for Things To Do in Clearview!
nty u o C e Simco o rk W d a Ro
3. Click here for Things To Do in Balm Beach! le! Ar rive alive, peop
cal o L y a d 4 1 e nd Weather Tr
Cur rent Weath er
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COLLINGWOOD & BLUE MOUNTAIN HAPPENINGS
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Map of Co llingwo od 1. Click here for Things To Do in Collingwoo d! 2. Click here for Things To Do in Blue Mountain!
Grey Co unty Road W o rk
3. Click here for Things To Do in Thornbur y!
,I
ere h T “
t!”
dI e x i F
s! o t o h e P s u o H Odd
Blue Mountain Stuff
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JOKES & CONTEST
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A 75-year old man, who loves to fish, was sitting in his boat one day when he heard a voice say, "Pick me up."
you have ever seen. I'll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your wife!"
He looked around and couldn't see anyone. He thought he was dreaming. Then he heard the voice say again, "Pick me up."
The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully and placed it in his front breast pocket.
He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog.
Then the frog said, "What, are you nuts? Didn't you hear what I said? I said kiss me, and I will be your beautiful wife."
The man said, "Are you talking to me?" The frog said, "Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up, then kiss me, and I'll turn into the most beautiful woman
the
t n u H e m Ho
He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, "Nah, at my age I'd rather have a talking frog."
Contes t! To Win:
Who
The first person to email Bruce wins
Lives
everlasting glory... and a Cineplex Night Out! Good luck, Home Hunters! You must be
Here?
a member of our Facebook Business Page so click here to visit the page and hit the “Like” button: “Who Lives Here?” Contest
Click Here!
Congratulations to our last speedy winner: Robyn Ciotka
! Big Hint
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THE BIG PICTURE
rain G ood w g llin Co
E
ors
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“There is a harmony In autumn, and a lustre in its sky, Which through the summer is not heard or seen, As if it could not be, as if it had not been!” - Percy Bysshe Shelley
t leva
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