You would think that it turns pretty quiet around Niagara-on-the-Lake during the winter months and in many ways, you would be right. Festivals, fruit stalls, outdoor shows, farmers markets and craft fares/art shows all disappear and many of the local residents go away too. I have met quite a few people in town who decide to head off to warmer climates for a month or two or even longer!

Although I can see the appeal of this migration and must admit to being a little envious of those with the time to have this option, I also feel they are missing out on the many things that can be enjoyed here during winter. Firstly, in Canadian terms, the winter here is pretty mild. Snow often does not fall until late December (though this year, we had an accumulation in mid-November but it has gone now). The temperature fluctuates between 5 degree and minus 5 degrees generally so pretty bearable.

December is proving to be a busy time. This weekend – December 6^th and 7^th – is the Rotary Club Holiday House Tour. As a NOTL Rotary Club member, I have been busy selling tickets for the event. A group of local homeowners volunteer to open their homes up to the public and have them decorated by local companies. You purchase tickets and receive a list of the homes and addresses then tour from house to house over the two days. Members of the Rotary Club are at each house to give you a brief history of the property. It is a great even and always very well attended.

On the evening of December 6^th, there is the Candlelight Stroll. Locals and visitors alike, congregate in front of the Town Hall for a brief address from the Mayor along with some carol singing. Everyone takes a candle then walks through the town to admire the decorations and to listen to choir singers who are positioned in various locations around the town. This is a fun event and a great way to enjoy an evening with friends!

The other major event is the re-enactment of the Burning of the Town. As everyone knows, Niagara-on-the-Lake was burned to the ground by the Americans during the War of 1812 and this ‘one time only’ re-enactment  event  takes place on December 10^th – Niagara on Fire! There will be outdoor video screens with special effects and sound and light shows. It is a ‘must see’ event.

Saturday December 14^th is the Niagara-on-the-Lake Christmas Parade. This is another very well attended event as families line the streets of the town to watch the parade of more than 100 floats pass by. I and my wife are volunteers, helping to marshall crowds and to get floats in the correct order. After this event, we usually have a well-earned drink at the local Legion.

December 15^th is the date for another event – the Rotary Christmas Choral. Organised by NOTL Rotary, a collection of a dozen choirs will be on stage at the Shaw Festival Theatre in NOTL. Now in it’s 13^th year, it has become another fixture on the NOTL calendar.

With all of this going on, who has time to go away?!

If you would like to be part of this great community and are considering moving to the Niagara on the Lake area, please contact me and I will be happy to help you.

Fall can be a beautiful time of year here in the Niagara area as the leaves turn from rich green to a mottled mix of yellows, browns and reds. As they fall, I have to give thought to the clearing up of my yard. I am fortune (so might say unfortunate) to have a half acre lot, much of which is woodland so the quantity of leaves that need to be cleared can be a bit overwhelming.

As the temperatures drop and we have a few wet and gray days, the number of outside events tails off a little and we start to see more indoor activities getting organised.

On Thursday evening, there was an Art and Writing event at the Niagara on the Lake Heritage Museum. This was the first time for this event and as it was organised by some good friends of ours, my wife and I went along. There was cheese and wine, deserts and coffee. We were treated to readings from a number of local writers who had written Halloween related works and there was a small display of local artist’s work. The event was well attended with around 100 guests.

Saturday evening, we met some friends at The Old Winery – a really nice local restaurant – and had a great meal. In the bar area, they usually have live entertainment and this Saturday was no exception. We sat there and enjoyed a few drinks while The Niagara Rhythm Section played and they had a guest harmonica player who was absolutely amazing! Before we knew it, it was midnight and the band was playing their finale. A very enjoyable evening.

We got up early on Sunday for a day visit to Toronto. It was a bright and sunny day and we were meeting friends at The Beaches for Brunch. We love that area of Toronto and at only a 90 minute drive from NOTL, it is easy to visit for brunch! Afterwards, we drove into downtown and lined up to see the new Toronto Aquarium. The crowd was large and the line-up was about half an hour long but it was worth the wait. The aquarium is amazing and it was great to wander through the complex with so much to see. The tanks are incredible with fish and other sea life swimming overhead as you pass through glass tunnels. The displays are very informative and the whole place is well designed. We will be back!

After leaving the aquarium, we went for a drink at the Steamwhistle Brewery across the street – the former railway roundhouse and turntable converted to a brewery still has a fine collection of railway locomotives to see.

We left the downtown area and went to our friends for a great dinner before heading back to St Davids in Niagara. Once again, a great weekend.

So, you have made the decision and moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake or St. Davids, Queenston, Virgil or one of the other numerous towns and villages in the Niagara region.

How are you going to ‘settle in’ to your new surroundings and become part of the community?

Three tips on getting to know your new neighbourhood

When you’ve just moved into the neighbourhood you can feel a bit isolated at first. 

Here are three tips on getting to know the neighbourhood.

1. Check the local papers

You may get a free paper delivered, and in some areas there may even be more than one. In Niagara on the Lake, there is the Niagara Advance and also the Town Crier. Most of them have their own web sites too. Have a look at the local issues, news and upcoming events. Often it gives a sense of the community feel. There are often references to local groups and clubs you can join.

2. Check the bulletin boards

Find the local community centre (Niagara-on-the-Lake has a beautiful new community centre),library, recreation centre or pool. There you will find bulletin boards on classes and events in the area.
And check the notice boards at the local coffee shops. Here you will see what’s going on locally.
3. Check in with social media

There are a host of social media sites like Yelp, Urban Spoon and NOTL Chamber of Commerce and there you can find tips and reviews on local eateries and services. You can connect via these media to others in the area too.

Of course, there is also lots of information on my website, www.niagara-homes.ca

You should find it easy to settle in this welcoming community.

Selling?

Assuming you have made the decision to sell your current home, your next major decision is, who will you list your house with? Clearly, if you have found your way to this page, then my marketing is working! That is a major first step.

If you found me, potential home buyers will find me too.

How will I sell your home?

Below, I have set out the steps I will take and the advice I will give you to ensure your home sells at the highest possible price and in the shortest possible time.

1)      Preparing your home for selling

I will advise you of the best way to present your home to the market. This might involve tidying various areas of the yard, carrying out some exterior painting, ‘decluttering’ the interior, changing some room paint colours to neutral shades, perhaps staging your home and removing a number of personal items, etc.

2)      Accurate pricing of your home through CMA

I will carry out a comparative market analysis (CMA) in order to show what other homes of similar type have sold for in your area. This will give you a very good idea of the price range your home should be listed at.

3)      High quality photographs and video

Good quality photographs of your home are a huge help. Far more people will choose to view your home if the first impression is good. Often a video of your home is beneficial, especially if we are trying to convey a ‘lifestyle’ that is desirable.

4)      Marketing on the Internet

When you list with me, your home will be listed on three websites to include my personal website, our office website and the MLS website. By listing your home on all three, you will benefit from maximum exposure to potential buyers in the market.

5)      Other advertising and marketing

In addition to the internet, I will also promote your home through local newspaper advertising and it will be displayed in the windows of our offices. Our Niagara-on-the-Lake office has a particularly high volume of pedestrian traffic so this is a BIG advantage. Having a ‘For Sale’ sign on your front lawn is a major benefit too. I will mail flyers to your neighbours – often, many home purchasers come from within your own community.

6)      Open Houses

Holding open houses is a great way to get potential buyers to view your home. Without the need to book a formal viewing, people feel more at ease and will always make arrangements to view again if they are interested, or will tell others who might be considering a move.

7)      Qualifying buyers

It is important to establish that a potential buyer is in a position to actually buy! Is their home sold or even on the market? Will they qualify for financing? What is their time frame for moving? You need to know who and what you are dealing with and I will ensure you are informed.

8)      Regular feedback and updates

Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you are being overlooked. By regularly updating you on viewings, feedback, my next plan of action, etc, you will know you are being looked after and not being forgotten.

9)      Prompt resolution of queries and issues

If questions arise that need answers, I will ensure they are dealt with promptly and accurately. This removes delays and helps to ensure an interested buyer does not ‘slip away’.

10)   Make the buying/selling process as trouble-free as possible

By eliminating any potential problems at the early stages, snags can be avoided. Perhaps a home inspection report up front can reveal minor issues that are fixed before listing. An SPIS (seller property information statement) will list many details about your home and will answer many questions at the beginning. Providing local information such as schools, medical facilities, churches, shopping options, etc. will all help to give the potential buyer a good ‘feel’ for the area.

11)   Handle negotiation through to closing

Once we have a buyer and the offer is in, I will work with you and advise you to help ensure the deal progresses through to a satisfactory conclusion and that all parties are happy with the outcome.

Let’s get started. Please contact me now to arrange a meeting.

Just when I thought I was having a quiet night in, watching TV and playing on my laptop (seem to spend way too much time doing the second), I was advised by my wife, I had been ‘volunteered’ to do some painting at the Pumphouse! Not the artistic type of painting ( I would be hopeless at that), but the walls, ceiling, baseboards, etc.

My wife is a volunteer and  member, and I have also helped out from time to time with the Art by the Lighthouse show held in August. It is a great venue and they get lots of really talented artists holding salons there throughout the year. It was decided it was time to ‘spruce up’ the décor a bit as so many people visit, and it needed to be done over a few days by an enthusiastic group of people. Tonight  (Tuesday) was my turn.

One of the many reasons we chose to move here, was to get involved in community activities and there are lots to choose from here. If you are visiting the area, possibly with a plan to move here, the Pumphouse is definitely worth a visit………..

Kevin Stokes

Niagara Homes

NIAGARA – Niagara’s real estate market will not be immune from a national housing cool-down, with price rises and sales slowing through the winter.

That’s the verdict of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. in a fall housing market outlook released Tuesday.

Locally, Canada and Mortgage and Housing Corp. says housing sales will moderate through to early 2013.

That, before recovering by the second half of next year.

Meanwhile, it said housing starts will decline through to early 2013, but stabilize for the balance of that year.

Across the country, the CMHC calls for a weaker, but still relatively healthy housing sector moving into 2013, with the pace of home-building moderating.

It comes in the heels of data showing the real-estate market cooling, but nowhere near a US-style crash.

This is due to factors like tighter mortgage lending rules in Canada, consumer debt concerns and a natural winter slowdown.

The Niagara Association of Realtors, however, is not seeing any trend to pronounced softening of the local real estate market.

“We’re still up — average sale prices are up and units (sold) are up,” said Brad Johnstone, president of the Niagara Association of Realtors. “That’s year-to-date, across the region.”

Johnstone sees housing price corrections in bigger markets like Vancouver and Toronto but would be surprised to see much decline in housing numbers.

“My feel for the whole region is we’re leveling off, but I don’t see it as being a negative,” he said.

“To investors or realtors, I’m saying ‘guys this is a great market, because you know you can count on it. You’re going to have nice, sustained steady growth (in residential real estate value).

“Don’t come here looking for those 10% increases, because we don’t get these either.”

Paul Tessaro, a CMHC market analyst, paints a slightly rosier outlook than the official CMHC release for Niagara.

Tessaro says 2013 growth is forecast for Niagara “at a more modest pace than 2012 … about 2% or so.”

“There are balanced (real-estate) conditions in the area, so modest price growth is consistent with those conditions as well.”

Tessaro said decent recent employment growth, and low interest rates are also supporting local housing-price growth.

“But (sales and price growth) will be slower than it was in the past few years,” he added.

don.fraser@sunmedia.ca

@don_standard

CMHC analyst’s housing price growth forecast for Niagara in 2003- about 2%

CMHC estimated sales for St. Catharines-Niagara to early 2013- will “moderate”

Sales second half of 2013- to increase

Housing starts to early 2013- to decline

Starts from middle to end of 2013- to stabilize

Niagara Association of Realtors
* Unit sales across the Niagara have fluctuated over the last eight years.

* Average sale prices in the Niagara have steadily risen.

* In 2003 the average sale price was $156,294 and for 2011 $226,670.

* In eight years the average home in Niagara has increased in value by $70,376.

This very much depends on your perspective. It is true to say that many areas within the Niagara Region offer a great deal of house for the money. Whether it is an older home with a big yard in an established subdivision, a property in open countryside, surrounded by fields, or a new home with a smaller lot and modern styling inside and out, it can all be found within our region without breaking the bank.

As more and more people discover the Niagara area and choose to move here from other areas, there is no doubt there is an increasing pressure on housing here. This usually results in an upward trend in prices but tempered with  cautious buyers, wary of possible rises in interest rates, has kept prices pretty stable.

Areas like Niagara-on-the-Lake, Queenston and St Davids are, undoubtedly more expensive than most areas in our region but when compared with the GTA, still represent very good value for money. As many people choose to move to NOTL from the Greater Toronto Area or Ottawa, it does offer considerably more ‘bang for the buck’ and whilst offering many of the attributes of the city such as theatre, fine dining, marinas and, specialist shopping, it also offers the added pleasures of vineyards and a multitude of golf courses on the doorstep. Long line-ups and difficulty getting a table at your favorite restaurant become a thing of the past.

The milder climate here is a major draw, along with the historical aspects of the area. Dare I mention the discounted shopping over the boarder, less than 20 minutes up the road?

All in all, we have a lot to be thankful for, living in Niagara region and, in my opinion, when taking all factors into account, it represents excellent value for money here. I don’t plan on leaving!

Kevin stokes

Niagara-on-the-Lake Realty

St Davids