Karen’s Real Estate Blog
Your source for news & information about Southern Georgian Bay including
The Blue Mountains, Thornbury, Collingwood & Meaford.
4 Ways to Prepare for Selling Your Home this Spring
With the winter season slowly fading away to warmer and longer days, you might be wondering what spring project to tackle first. After spending most of these last couple of months on our toes waiting for the winter-that-never-was, you might have an extra bit of...
Local Business Spotlight: The Generator Guys
The Generator Guys, a local business operating out of the village of Clarksburg, has been in existence since 2004. After years of working in the metal fabrication and millwright industry, the current owner Gary, seeing an exciting and new opportunity, purchased The...
Heavenly Café New Location!
The aroma of chocolate and croissants waft through the air as you pull open the door to the Heavenly Café now located in the Cranberry Mews in Collingwood. It’s likely that hand-rolled truffles are lovingly being prepared or soups and sandwiches are being made using...
A Year in Review
2015 has been an amazing year for the Andres and Karen Real Estate Team! With records broken and sales up we’re looking forward to what 2016 brings. 2015 sales for Royal Lepage Locations North were up 20.8% over 2014’s record breaking year. What makes this even more...
Where to eat in the Town of the Blue Mountains: TripAdvisor’s Top Ten
Looking for a place to eat? Whether you’re just grabbing a bite for lunch, craving a snack, looking for a caterer, or planning a dinner with friends, there are no shortage of restaurants to choose from in the Town of the Blue Mountains. Rated as the top ten on...
The Minimum Down Payment Increases
On December 11th, 2015, the Liberal Government made some significant changes to what is required in obtaining a mortgage in the housing industry. One of the most noteworthy changes is the amount needed for a downpayment to qualify for government-backed insurance....
If You’re Thinking of Selling NOW is the Time: A Market Update
2015 has been an exceptionally strong year for real estate in Southern Georgian Bay. Similar to the rest of the year November has set new records with an increase of over 15% compared to last year’s sales. Important Highlights for Sellers and Buyers: The average price...
Highlights from Collingwood’s Community Based Strategic Plan
Collingwood’s “Community Based Strategic Plan” (CBSP) is a document designed to guide the town in accomplishing its vision and goals for the future. The creation of the CBSP included community involvement through brainstorming at pop-up booths, workshops, and a...
A Dash on the Canadian Dream: Proposed Changes to the Municipal Land Transfer Tax
Thinking about buying your dream home? The province of Ontario is ready to give municipalities the right to levy a municipal land transfer tax (MLTT) which could double the current amount of land transfer tax when buying a home. This means that the land tax on an...
Holiday House Tours Are Fast Approaching!
Mark your calendars! The Annual Collingwood & Creemore Holiday House Tours are coming up in November. Tickets sell fast so don't hesitate! Each tour features 6 stunning homes fully decked out for the season. There are also Holiday Decorating Seminars and a great...
The Importance of Carbon Monoxide Detectors
From our friends at AmeriSpec Inspection Services, a good reminder about the importance of Carbon Monoxide Detectors in our homes: On October 15, 2014, a new regulation came into effect in Ontario requiring carbon monoxide (CO) detectors be installed in every home....
Art Camp (Not Just) For Kids!
Nancy is the owner and founder of the Art Studio (not just) For Children, which is based in North Toronto. Nancy is a mom, a lover of the creative and artistic process, a lover of people of every age, and a believer that we can do anything to which we set our minds....