Apr 26, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
Cool nights and warm days are the perfect combination to get the Maple sap flowing. The Maple harvest has become synonymous with our Canadian culture, and what better place to celebrate – surrounded by Canada’s natural beauty – than here in Muskoka.
This Saturday, April 27th, represents the culmination of the Maple Trail, as Muskoka celebrates the Maple harvest in Hunstville. A family friendly event, the celebration includes activities, vendors, live music, street performers and of course delicious food. The Maple Market Place will feature the regions Maple Syrup producers, who will have on hand goodies to try, or buy. Be sure to make time to check out this treasured Muskoka tradition.
Apr 8, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
“Over these past few years we heard from Canadians who talked about their concerns about being able to own their own home. We believe in investing in people and communities, which is why we are taking real, concrete steps to make sure home ownership remains an achievable dream, not a privilege afforded to only the richest few.”
—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In Trudeau’s new budget he announced a 2 prong approach to helping new buyers enter into home ownership.
The first approach would see first time home buyers receive an incentive of up to 10% of the price of a new home. Under this approach, administered by CMHC, buyers would still need to come up with a 5% down payment. To qualify, the buyers’ total income would need to be below $120,000/year with a maximum credit extended of up to 4 times the annual income, or up to 480,000.
This would mean that a purchase of a home of $400,000 with a 5% ($20,000) down payment, could receive an incentive of up to $40,000, bringing the mortgage from $380,000 to $340,000. In terms of monthly payments, assuming a 25 year amortization and a mortgage rate of 3.5% the monthly payment would go from $1970 to $1750.
Buyers hoping to purchase a resale home would be entitled to a 5% initiative. In either case, the incentive would need to be repaid, however, those details are not clear as of yet.
The second approach is an increase in the amount that buyers can borrow from their RSP, which has been increased from $25,000 to $35,000.
What will this mean for Muskoka? With millennial’s priced out of the bigger cities, the trend has increasingly been for millennial’s to invest in properties in Muskoka. Will there be an increase in millennial’s purchasing here? Will this new incentive drive Muskoka property costs up?
For more on Trudeau’s announcement see: https://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2019/03/20/new-program-help-100000-canadian-families-buy-their-first-home
Apr 5, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
Just last week Porter Airlines announced that it will be offering 20 minute flights from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport to the Muskoka Airport for the summer season. Muskoka a premiere Ontario destination, consistently voted as a top place to visit in Canada, offers a pristine, natural setting which compels tourists and cottages alike to hop into the car and brave the Friday afternoon/evening traffic on our provincial highways.
Just imagine skipping the commute, and “the lines (a Porter bonus)” and arriving in Muskoka via direct flight. Porter will offer two flights on Fridays and two flights Monday’s, with long weekends leaving Tuesday. Upon arrival in Muskoka, taxi and car rental services are available at the airport. Further Explorers Edge, a local company dedicated to various wilderness destinations, will provide seasonal shuttle bus service to accommodations across the region.
With this in mind, combined with Muskoka’s iconic setting and traditions, there is little doubt this new luxury service connecting the city to Muskoka, will contribute to Muskoka’s economy, giving a boost to local business and resorts, making Muskoka even more luxurious and desirable.
Apr 5, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
Apr 1, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
Ever wonder about the origin of April fool’s Day? We did, so we did a little digging. As it turns out there is much speculation 
and no concrete answer. Disappointing we know. This wonderful little nugget, falling on the 1st of April has been popular since the beginning of the 19th century. It is customary on this day to play tricks on your friends, family & neighbors getting them to believe ridiculous things or sending them on a Fool’s errand looking for things that don’t exist. Newspapers, the mass media, and of course social media have also gotten in on the fun propagating “fake news’ sometimes with unpleasant consequences. For media pranks go wrong visit this site. And of course thank you to the Bigwin for a good laugh this morning.
Mar 29, 2019 | Featured Listing, Uncategorized
Help us Cheer on our Otters Midget AE team – Support our Huntsville Boys- Pack the Arena
Saturday March 30th -6:30pm
Sunday March 31st– 2:10pm
Recently we traveled to Pellham to cheer on our Huntsville Otters Midget AE team during two games 2 & 3 in the finals series. Having won all games in the playdown series, and having won the first game in the finals, hopes were high all around. Unfortunately the win was elusive in both games and the team returned to Huntsville defeated.
We have yet to sit in the stands of a sporting event and not hear the controversy of “bad calls, dirty players, or useless coaches.” It would seem that the spectators in the stands are always evaluating and coaching along with the team, however it is the players and the referees and linesmen that truly are the ones at that particular moment in time that really matters in a game. This is true at all levels competition from youth house league to professional.
It’s important that perspective not be lost here. Players, coaches, spectators could drop their heads and give up. BUT, there is so much more to competitive youth sport than winning and losing. In fact with only .02% of male hockey players in Ontario making an NHL career of the game, it perhaps more important that we recognize and emphasize the teachable moments in every victory and loss. This past weekend, as difficult as it was to watch, contained many important life lessons which will help the players in all aspects of their lives: how to rise above, life is not always fair, doing your best may not be enough, hold your head high, don’t give up, and how to lose, among a few.
All was not lost though, the team has up to 3 more opportunities to challenge Pellham and stand victorious. This weekend, Saturday March 30th at 6:30pm and Sunday March 31st at 2:10pm, the Otters will play two more games. To win both means the Otters will be the “All Ontario Champions.” Help us pack the Don Lough Arena with local supporters to cheer the team to a spectacular home victory, while showing them that the community is behind them win or lose.
