Steve Caswell
Broker
Realty Executives of Sudbury Ltd.
In May, we weren’t sure summer would ever come this year. It was a painful month weather wise complete with the cold, rainy conditions for what is supposed to be our summer season opener – the classic May “2-4” Long Weekend. Even with the terrible conditions, it’s safe to say a lot of us Northerners still took it upon ourselves to not believe the weather predictions for the weekend and found ourselves somewhere near the water – even if it meant looking at it from the camp living room with the fireplace at full roar.
Due to our upbringing in Greater Sudbury and being surrounded by water, we’re compelled to the lakefront as an escape from our daily lives. We pack the car, we buy too many groceries for our two or three day trip to the camp, we hit the Beer Store and get the beer on ice ready to quench the moment we arrive, we stop at the local hardware store to grab some paint to finally “upgrade” the outhouse and, most importantly, we invite friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to chill around the firepit and overpopulate the sauna benches in an effort to solve all the world’s problems in our bathing suits. We battle all winter for our right to do this!
Thankfully, according to the City of Greater Sudbury website, we have 330 lakes to choose where we want to spend our free time. This doesn’t even include the rivers and creeks that plenty of steadfast fishermen don’t want you to even know about. And this is only Greater Sudbury. With Manitoulin Island, the French River, Gogama, Nipissing, Killarney and Muskoka all within a reasonable “camp drive”, these numbers soar. We’re literally surrounded and inundated with waterfront.
But, with all this water around us, the most surprising stat on the link above is the fact that only 4% of the city’s population actually live on the water (although this is a 10-year old stat according to the website). That means 96% of us either try to all fit on the docks of those lucky 4% for those hot and humid weekends or we escape to the camp! Or someone else’s camp…..
Michelle and I both had the “Family Camp” experience as kids. She would spend her summers on Birch Island where I spent my summers split between both Long Lake and Lake Penage (aka Panache). Michelle’s aunt, Nikki Koski, a former Realtor®, wrote an awesome book called “The Cottage Rules” that provides an easy how-to guide when owning a camp with siblings, friends or even strangers). I wish my family would have had a copy of this book as a few of my family members positioned themselves to hijack the camp. Even though it was forever to be the “family camp” we all were part of, in my case, once the hierarchy of the family passed away, the vultures came out and my dreams of continuing to enjoy life on Penage was shattered by my “loved ones”. But that’s a story for another day…..
Michelle’s family did it right, literally by Aunt Nikki’s book, and we actually were still offered to use her family camp. But, cause we had no place to call our own, we decided to buy our own camp and had an awesome piece of the pie on a quiet little lake near Wahnapitae for a couple of years. But, life changes for everyone and we were no exception, so we sold the camp five years ago.
Since the sale, Michelle and I have been “Camp Drifters”. We see the hot weather in the long-range forecast and sit patiently by the phone waiting for the invite to anyone’s camp. We hear about people putting in docks, cutting wood or even shoveling out the outhouse and we throw our hat in the ring to exchange camp chores for sauna and dock time. Kind of a “Will Work For Camp” scenario!
For those of you like us, why do others get the luxury of owning their own place? How come they get the ability to come and go to camp as they choose without requiring an invitation? Are they richer than us? Are they luckier than we are?
There are basically two reasons those who have camps have camps and those who don’t, don’t. Some of those who own were handed down the family camp (or “hijacked it”) and will hand the property down to their kids. These are the “generational ownerships” that span decades, even centuries now in some cases.
Others are the ones we work with every day – those that want a camp or to finally live on the water and will do what it takes to make it happen. The last part being the most important – making the sacrifices of golfing less, owning a smaller home or willing to drive a little farther than others to make it happen. These people envision watching their kids swimming to the raft or having a quiet morning coffee with the mist coming off the water while a loon sings in the background. These are the people that have come to realize that these dreams are more important than those new $300 boots, taking lunch to work instead of eating out and Caribbean vacations that seem to evaporate as soon as you land. These are the “Drifters in Transformation” – they have been to a friend’s “generational camp” and realize they want it and they want to leave it to their kids.
You have to start somewhere and that’s what we’re here for. Whether it’s a waterfront lot on Manitoulin for $40K where you can enjoy with tents while you design and build your dream, if you want that $350K turnkey camp on Penage or want to sell the cul-de-sac 2-storey and make the move to Ramsey to have your camp and house as one, we’re here to help start to finish. It’s never a waste of our time to discuss and help you explore the possibilities. Heck, maybe we’ll even agree to camp chores for weekend visits or maybe we’ll find a spot you don’t want while we’re touring, and we can stop being “drifters” ourselves!
I’m sure when your friend’s grandparents bought their “generational camps”, people thought they were nuts for paying $25,000 for them. And, chances are, people will think your nuts for paying what you’re going to pay for a camp today. But your kids will thank you for the investment that’s worth considerably more in 30-40 years but, more importantly, appreciate the camp life you gave them and their kids and their kids and their kids…...
We have a “boatload” of experience with waterfront home and camp sales! Never hesitate to reach out to us to get started searching for you quiet corner of the camp life world! You can reach us anytime at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com, you can start your search for waterfront right here (www.SudburyCottageMarket.com), search all MLS™ listings here, check out all our other great blog articles here or just browse our website for more great info on buying and selling in Greater Sudbury and surrounding areas.
Your camp is calling, let’s go find it!
Contributed by:
Steve Caswell
Cell - 705.561.8767
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
Scams suck.
Every day we hear about a new scam that shady people are using to detach good folks from their hard-earned money. It’s safe to say, by now, you’ve received plenty of emails about your deceased family member’s multi-million dollar fortune is sitting in the UK or how a prince in Nigeria needs you to accept a billion dollars into your account to help them transfer it over and you’ll get to keep a big chunk. And, of course, there’s the phone attempts from “Canada Revenue” that need your credit card asap or you’ll be arrested.
Let’s face it – the people that perpetrate these scams are jerks. But that’s little satisfaction to the people that fall victim to these scams. It is nauseating to think of the people who were bullied by some belligerent person demanding payment from them and the people fearing what they’re being told is actually happening. It truly is scary.
We’re using this week’s blog to address a problem that has recently surfaced in the local area that involves our industry. We’ve had two listings lately where we started getting calls from as far away as Vancouver asking about the ad they saw to rent the property. Neither of these houses were listed as a rental – one was never offered for rent and the other already has good tenants in it.
We were sent the listings – one was on Craigslist and one was from the Sudbury Star classifieds. We were also forwarded the email replies and actually tested the contact button ourselves to get these emails. They are unbelievable – literally. They talk about how the “owners” had to move quickly out of the country to help in a mission or church in the U.S. or overseas. Honestly, as I was reading the email, I couldn’t believe people would think this is real.
Then came the “contract” to print off and fill out, which was actually just typed into the body of the email. Anyone who is unaware should know that all lease agreements in Ontario must use the new MANDATORY Standardized Lease Agreement that came into effect in April of 2018. You can see how someone from B.C. may not know this, but everyone should know that “what hobbies do you have?” and “do you drink?” are not common, or legal, questions that a landlord can ask on a lease.
How these “wonderful” people are creating this scam is by scraping our listings off of www.Realtor.ca. They take our MLS™ listings and photos and create an ad they post in the rental section on local classifieds. They add in some extras on the write-up, like saltwater pools and ensuites with steam showers, that makes the rental look too good to be true. Which it is.
In the email reply, they state that you can’t view the property until you get the keys and you have transferred your first and last rents into their account. You can’t call them because their “wife is hard of hearing, so only text or email”.
Honestly, it is scary how many people contacted us assuming this was legitimate. I find it funny how people, like my wife, will take four days of research and reading reviews to purchase $7 golf socks on Amazon™, but people are willing to transfer thousands of dollars to someone they’ve never met for a property they’ve never walked into and assume it’s an above board agreement.
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. If you see a rental advertised in the classifieds that has watermarked pictures with the Realtor® logo 
These things are annoying but, after the amount of people that contacted us, physically drove by the properties and were ready to send money, it’s actually scary. Make sure to spread the word and look for the call signs that are pointing to “this looks too good to be true”.
I’m sure it wasn’t exclusive to just our listings and we’d be happy for other agents to tell their stories in the comments section on Facebook or at least share this to their profiles so we can put a stop to this. Don’t ever be shy to reach out to us for any questions you may have, be sure to share this blog post widely and definitely don’t be shy to report these situations. You may save someone from a major financial loss and some serious headaches.
We’re always available at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com, continue to check our Caswell Team Blog for more great articles, you can search all the MLS™ listings in Greater Sudbury by clicking here or check out website for great info on buying and selling in Sudbury and surrounding areas.
Contributed by:
Steve Caswell
Cell - 705.561.8767
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
In today’s world of real estate, it is estimated that over 90% of buyers start looking for their new home online. That is a huge number! That’s why, when our team is listing a new home, we hire a professional photographer to take interior and exterior shots of the property to capture the positive attributes of the home and professionally portray the listing in all the online marketplaces. This attracts buyers to want to view the property and helps position the listing immediately to look better than others out there.
Photos are extremely important when listing a home and, as I have mentioned in past blogs, decluttering and staging makes those pictures look even better. Although professional photos and pretty rooms make the listing very appealing and gets buyers through the door for all those sellers out there, this blog isn’t targeted to sell our listing capabilities to the sellers. Where I’m going with this is actually for the buyers…..
It is important for all buyers to try not to get too wrapped up in just the pretty pictures that are posted. To often we get calls from clients saying “why didn’t you send me this new listing? It looks great! Let’s go have a look asap!” What they didn’t see in the important info was that it was a one-bedroom home that would probably be a little too “cozy” for their family of four, doesn’t have the garage they said was mandatory and it’s 30mins away from the neighbourhood they wanted to target. But the kitchen looks really nice!
Buyers need to look deeper into the details of the property to make sure that the other aspects of the home are suitable. Pictures are nice to look at but layout, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, size, age, yard, price and, as I discussed in my last blog, location are the important factors that should be taken into consideration when shopping for a home. You must remember that all that pretty furniture, art, accessories etc., that the seller has used when they “decluttered and staged their home for those sexy pictures” belongs to them and will be going with the seller when they move.
This is where you can’t discard the homes that have not had professional pictures taken, that are not staged and are not showing well online. Every buyer wants a “deal”, and these are where some good deals on great homes with “solid bones” can be had as other buyers are only looking at the pics and electing not to view from the comfort of their couch. Due to the pictures and what looks to be “datedness”, these sellers are often positioned to take less for their home than they possibly could’ve been offered had they taken the time to properly prepare for listing.
Honestly, it happens all the time where we forward our clients a new listing and they have no desire to go and view it even though it is in their price range, preferred location, has the right number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a finished rec room and has the garage they wanted! But these houses have photos of an unmade beds, boxes everywhere, a ton of counter clutter, furniture from the 70s with a bold paint colour or funky wall paper. Remember, beds can be made, and that bedspread pattern is leaving with the seller, boxes are leaving, clutter will be gone (until you replace it with your clutter!), furniture will be gone and replaced with your style and paint is a quick and inexpensive fix that makes a huge impact and helps you personalize to your taste.
The reason I’m writing about this now is we recently had clients that almost missed the perfect home cause of this. We happened to be out touring and saw an ad in a window of another brokerage while we were going for dinner to discuss an offer on another home we had just viewed. We called up the listing on MLS™ and the pics weren’t the best. They were dark, the kitchen looked original from the 70’s and the rooms looked small. We said, “it’s right around the corner, let’s go have a quick look after dinner just so we know you’re buying the right one”. The clients admitted afterward that, if we had not been nearby at that moment, they wouldn’t have even gone to look at it based on the online pics. To all our surprise, the house showed impeccably in-person, the kitchen was fully upgraded, and it was the perfect house for them. They fell in love with it instantly and now take possession in September of a home they never would’ve considered looking at based on the listing pictures on MLS™……
Next time you’re surfing our website for all the MLS™ listings, or we send you a picture of a new listing, try and have an open mind and let’s go check it out. Looking is free, sellers want you to come see their listing and it is never a waste of our time if the property details fit in closely with your search parameters. You never know, it might just be the one!
Our team has tons of experience helping buyers look past those cosmetic issues to realize it’s the right home for them. And we also have the right marketing plan for sellers to make sure those 90% of buyers who start online don’t skip right over your listing! Never hesitate to reach to us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com to see how we can help you out, be sure to check out all our other great blog topics on here and visit our website for all the MLS™ listings and great info about buying and selling in Greater Sudbury!
Contributed by:
Michelle Caswell
Cell - 705.507.1229
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
Recently, we were at a great event at our good friends’ place on the water. Weather was perfect, their setup is awesome for hosting, the company was fantastic, and it was just an all-around incredible day.
But, before I get too deep into this blog entry, it’s important that I warn the readers there is some strong language in this article. For those that know me well, I am a passionate writer and sometimes I firmly believe that the appropriate word required to properly portray the situation goes outside the realm of “politically correct”.
So, back to the party. When we got down to the dock for the typical sauna/swim, I saw the neighbour’s “swan containment area” in the water. I had never seen this before and was curious. It was a square of pool noodles and painted red stakes well into the water with a fake swan tied up in the contained area. Was it to fend off the geese? Were they trying to trap bait fish? Did they need a setting for their fake swan to feel comfortable? Apparently, none of these are the case.
Turns out the neighbor is simply one of those “lovely” neighbours that we all hear about. Ya, I’m probably getting a bias side of the story, but, when you see stuff like this, they’re proving the point all by themselves. What the neighbour was doing was trying to protect “their property” by showing his neighbours where his lot line is so they couldn’t park their pontoon boat on that side of their own dock even though it wasn’t even close to the “lovely” neighbour’s dock.
Sure, some people may think, “there’s two sides to every story” and I’m showing favourtism - and it is possible - but we know our friends well and just can’t picture them being too tough to live next to. And this wonderful person next door has caused them all kinds of problems when trying to improve their property by putting in complaints any chance they can.
Maybe someone should call in complaints on them as there’s a whole slew of problems with what they’re doing. First off, they only own to the high-water mark for the last 100 years. No waterfront property extends beyond this and no one can own “the water”. Secondly, they can’t block a waterway with their pool noodles. Anyone with a kayak, small boat, hip waders or a bathing suit has every right to swim, paddle or fish in this illegal containment area. Third, I highly doubt the bright red paint that was used for the stakes before they were driven into the bottom of the lake is a real “eco-friendly” blend. Guessing more of a Tremclad™ style.
Our friends don’t want to complain – they just ignore the neighbours as much as they can and deal with the nonsense on a case-by-case basis. They are very patient and, I’m sure, plenty of us wouldn’t be this easy going about things. But, by doing so, they’re also avoiding the “escalation” problem where these situations can sometimes lead to very stressful, serious and precarious circumstances.
We’ve all heard stories like this, and we’ve also heard stories that are the complete opposite. We sell our clients a house and check in on how they’re doing a few months later to find out they’ve already created a great friendship with the neighbours. “They’re so nice and they snowblow the driveway for me!” or “if my kids aren’t home, I know they’re next door with their kids” and then there’s the neighbour who always has the tool you need to finish the job and they’ll even come over with a six-pack and help you finish it.
The way I look at it is we, and our neighbours, all fit into one of three categories:
1.) The great neighbour that is super friendly and you would be devastated if they moved,
2.) the good neighbour who you barely know but they always politely smile and say “hello” with a quick analysis of the “great weather we’re finally having” while minding their own business,
3.) and, finally, the ASSHOLE
I capitalized and bolded the third entry because a mild case of “assholeness” is extremely rare. Going from “good neighbour” to “asshole” requires a complete nosedive and to remain committed to forever making life miserable for the person next door. It takes a certain type of passion to dedicate your spare time to trying to ruin someone else’s, so I will give the “assholes” out there some credit for their devotion.
One of my experiences with this was at a young age while I was playing road hockey in Winnipeg. We lived on a great, family friendly street and the nets rarely left the roadway regardless whether it was winter or summer. 99% of the neighbours loved us being out there and would give us the “thumbs up” when we’d move the nets for the “CAR!” coming by. Lots of dads would even join in on the games.
A single guy moved into the house directly across the street from ours whom no one ever really saw. He was in the #2 category at first where he would politely wave at the adults as he made his way from his car to his front door and vice versa. Then, he took that rapid nosedive into the #3 category.
It was a nice summer day and we had a full game going on the street. This #3 category’s newest member decided he had had enough of us running onto his front lawn to fetch the ball that had wandered onto his property from an errant pass. So, he decided he was going to park his car right in the middle of our game to teach us a lesson.
As bratty kids, we opted for an intermission due to the obstruction in our “rink area” and proceeded to all sit on his car. Some on the bumpers, some on the hood and even a couple got onto the roof. Well, this didn’t go over well with this guy at all. Now, you might be saying “who would be happy about this?”, but you’re probably not the type of asshole that would do this to kids having fun either…..
This “#3” comes bursting out of his house and B-lines straight for my Dad who was up to his usual woodworking hobbies in the driveway. My Dad saw how this all transpired, put down his tools and took off his safety goggles to handle the approaching hot head.
This guy went off about how us kids were misbehaving while “massacring” his lawn and now damaging his car. My Dad just kept nodding his head while this guy laid it all out. When he was finally out of breath from his rant, my Dad put his hand on this guy’s shoulder and calmly said, “I completely understand where you’re coming from. Where I grew up, we had an ASSHOLE just like you on our street”. This guy was in utter shock as my Dad just stood with a smirk that was basically saying, “now, get off my property”.
Thinking my Dad was his only foe, he tried to go to our next door neighbour’s house. That’s where my friend “Bobby” lived, and his parents were full Greek and could barely speak a word of English. After the whole street heard the front door blasting of what I can only assume were the Greek versions of every swear word ever spoken, this “asshole” tucked his tail between his legs, pulled his car in the driveway and went into his house. The next day, before noon, there was a For Sale sign in his yard…..
If you don’t like kids playing road hockey, don’t by a house on a family friendly cul-de-sac with a park at the end of the street. If you hate the sound of jet skis or snowmobiles ripping around a lake, then find a quiet lake or don’t buy on the lake. If you want your kids to have a place to play and be noisy, don’t buy a condo in a building geared towards the older lifestyles.
They say your friends are the family you get to choose. Neighbours are like family – you don’t get to pick them, but you still have to live with them. But you can also choose to be friends with them and make both your lives better in the process.
If you have a neighbour that is being difficult, try to “kill them with kindness”. If that doesn’t work, simply ignore them as much as possible and be very composed whenever you have to deal with them. And, most importantly, be a good neighbour yourself. At all costs, avoid escalating the situation. Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary – don’t help turn it into a place you cringe every time you come back to it.
In closing, as a moral to the story, there is one simple saying that is most important to remember for all of this:
If everyone around you is an asshole, chances are you’re the asshole.
Have you ever run into a #3? After reading this, is there a chance you've been an asshole? We'd love to hear from ya and maybe we can come over and see how any issues can be solved. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out all our other great blog topics while you’re here, browse our website for great info on buying and selling in the Greater Sudbury area and never hesitate to reach out to us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com or 705.586.3334 if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
Contributed by:
Steve Caswell
Cell - 705.561.8767
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
We’ve all heard the saying “Location, Location, Location” when it comes to real estate. So, although this is just a short blog, I thought it was important commentary to consider when buying a house.
Throughout my career, I have worked with some buyers that have told me that they are flexible on where they live. They give me their list of needs and wants and, when I ask about location, they respond with “I don’t care”, “It doesn’t matter”, or “anywhere, as long as you find what I want”. As a buyer, you should absolutely care about where you live and location should be at the top of your list!!!
When I first moved to Sudbury in 1990, I lived in New Sudbury. When I moved out of my family home and into a home with Caz, it was in the South End. Five years later, we moved to Minnow Lake. In less than a year, we moved downtown. Again, in less than a year, off to Wanup where we lived for eight years. We are now back in the South End. We’ve always said the best house we’ll ever own was the house on Horseshoe Lake Road, but it was in the wrong location for our needs. So, speaking from experience, I can tell you that location is the most important thing when buying and should be at the top of your list.
Moving is expensive, time consuming and can be very stressful. Do you really want to have to move again because you are realizing that the commute to work is just too long, that there is nothing in walking distance for the kids, or you need an egg and the closest store is a 15 minute drive?
One of the most dangerous ones we see is “I want to live on such-and-such street because my friend/parents/siblings/etc. live there". What if they were to move, would you still be happy there? Buying a house based on the location of someone else's house can be devastating when you find out their lives have also changed and they're moving.
Location is also a huge factor on the resale of your home when it eventually comes time to sell, so it really should be a factor in your purchase. Most buyers will target the “right areas” so, if you’re buying in one of the wrong locations, buyers are thinking of those things when it comes time to consider your listing.
Almost anything can be done to a house except move it. So, if it is not ticking off all your needs and wants, try to have an open mind in knowing that you can make some adjustments inside the walls and on the property, but it's pretty expensive to pick it up and move it across town. Not to mention, banks aren't too keen on houses with mortgages on them being moved to a new location.....
It is imperative to make sure that that location is suitable for you and your family or, trust me, you will find yourself moving again. And this is advice coming from someone who makes a living off of you moving! Want to move every year and use the Caswell Team? That would be great for us but definitely not great for you and, at the end of the day, our clients ALWAYS come first! So, please, when looking for a house, narrow down that search by knowing where you want to live, be sure that you are selecting that location for the right reasons and wait for the right one within those boundaries to show up instead of dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars “Anywhere”!
We know the city, the areas and the neighbourhoods extremely well. We’re here to assist you when deciding what location is best for your needs. Never hesitate to contact us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com to see how we can help and, in the meantime, continue to check back on this blog for more great articles and our website for more information about buying and selling in Greater Sudbury!
Contributed by:
Michelle Caswell
Cell - 705.507.1229
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
