Collingwood, ON

According to the 2001 Census, almost 15% of the Collingwood population identified themselves as being Anglican. Locally, that congregation is served by All Saints' Anglican Church located on Elgin Street opposite St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown.

This church is said to be one of the most beautiful historic churches in Ontario and, it stands as one of the most significant early buildings in Collingwood. I've often noticed people painting pictures or taking photographs of the adjoining former manse which is seen in galleries or books across the country.

The church was erected in 1858 and expanded in 1876. From the history section of their website, "Over its long history, the church has been enhanced by a number of memorials, including magnificent stained glass windows, white oak organ case and marble font as well as unique brass pulpit and lectern, a beautiful and distinctive altar and a dramatic relief carving of "The Last Supper"."

There is a terrific profile on the Heritage Collingwood site about the rectory building that includes a detailed history and beautiful photographs. Next time you pass these buildings, I'd really recommend taking some time to really notice how special they are.

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!

After reviewing, crunching, tabulating and charting, I finally have a report to share on the 2008 Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board performance. The Georgian Triangle area traditionally includes Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Wasaga Beach, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford however, the data in some cases captures a wider area that includes towns on the edges of our typical trading area.

It's a tough undertaking to provide you with the fairest and most unbiased data because as Mark Twain once said, "Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable." The outcomes change depending on the data used and variables like areas, types of properties, time frames and values all change the picture. For this reason, I've used a variety of approaches and have provided data that you can interpret as you wish.

Three Important Points to Ponder:

• 1. Our MLS® system uses average sale prices rather than median prices. Neither is an exact science but when used comparatively, it gives us a general sense of trends only. For example, the absence or presence of very low or very high-end sales can dramatically alter averages within small sampling groups. In recent months, both TD and National Bank-Teranet have developed new way to measure house price indexes and the results showed dramatically different results from traditional measurements. What they did show is that house prices have not declined as much as believed in Canada.
• 2. 2008 data is being compared only to 2007. You should note that 2007 was a record sales year that represented the market peak.
• 3. The data on these charts is cumulative for the year and does not show trends. For example, most of the decline in prices occurred in the final quarter of 2008. That signals a new trend is underway. (December and 3rd quarter only data to follow in a post coming to you soon.)

Nonetheless, we have what we have. Here are some data charts:

Summary

• Total sales activity has declined since May (not just the final quarter as believed)
• The total number of listings increased in every month of 2008 except for March
• The sales to listing ratio is firmly into the Buyer's market zone. This ratio is measured by dividing the number of properties sold by the number listed. A ratio of under 40% suggests a Buyers market, 40-50% is a more balanced market and over 50% is typically considered to be a Sellers market.
• The 12 month average sale price for single family residential units in the major communities of the Georgian Triangle is down about 7.5% although Collingwood is actually up slightly. If you exclude sales under $100,000 and over $1 million, the pictures changes substantially with the average sale price in 2008 down just 1.9% over 2007 using the same parameters. In this case, the average sale prices are actually up in both Collingwood and Wasaga Beach.
• The average sale price of condos in the Georgian Triangle was up marginally for the year.
• There were 1634 active listings (all types) on the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board MLS® at years end.

All in all, this is not as gloomy a picture as the media has portrayed. There has been more of a decline in the number of sales rather than price although, the trend is that prices are clearly moderating now. Stay tuned for the 3rd quarter report examining this trend closer.

All MLS® data and/or statistics obtained from the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board.

I have a very talented and smart client. She recently made a significant life change upon her retirement by leaving Toronto to move to Collingwood to live a quality lifestyle.

This gal purchased a run-down condo that had the right bones, a fabulous location and a good price. Then she set her mind to making it hers and here are the results:

Isn't that amazing? No, she is not a stager or designer but rather, a person with great taste and a good eye. It looks like an entirely different place and rest assured, she has improved the resale value well beyond her investment. Hat's off to her and congratulations on this transformation!

After looking at the basics of selling in the first two posts on marketing luxury homes, it's time to consider some specific actions.

We know that the single most important tool today is the internet. When a property is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, it automatically appears on the public REALTOR.ca site which is one of the most heavily visited websites in Canada. Listings will also usually appear on the Brokerage website and agents personal website if they have one. In most cases, all of these three places will have the same information but, it's just not enough for a luxury home.

One of the very best tools I have used this year is to build a website specifically for the home. It allows me to really tell the story and all of the wonderful things a potential buyer should know. In this example, I've been able to add hundreds of pictures, music, floor plans, a survey, neighbourhood information, the history of the development, details about the builder, a virtual tour and of course, property details such as room sizes, taxes, land size and more. The sky is the limit on what can be included.

Does it work? Well, in the first 60 days, we had over 17,000 hits on the site and 3,500 views. Hundreds of people have forwarded the information, have printed off details and have watched the entire slide show. That data is available through back-end statistics that are useful for both the sellers and myself to know. We can also tell how people came to the site.

Having a single property website allows me to advertise the property in unique ways. For example, I syndicate all of my online listings to popular sites such as Craigslist, Livedeal, Kiijiji and so on. They all link back to the website as do any ads I run in newsprint. The unique website links to the listing data on my own site.

For this same property, I had a professional sign designed and built that sets the home apart with a distinguished visual and on the sign, there is a large rider with the website address. Over 500 of our views in the first two months were direct requests to the website suggesting that most came from the For Sale Sign.

I also had a graphic artist and advertising person design and print a glossy full colour brochure which has great visuals, a bit of information and, you guessed it, the website address for the property. It helps to LOVE the house because this is the time to be poetic, heartfelt and sincere about how a home lives and how it feels. People reading the copy tend to "get it."

So, will I advertise your home in the Globe and Mail? No. But I'll spend a great deal more directing the marketing to agents and to the public with marketing that actually draws attention to your home. In such a narrow market, this is what counts.

Related Posts:

Selling a Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain

Marketing A Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain; Part 1
Marketing A Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain; Part 2

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!

If you are thinking of looking at property for sale in Collingwood, then you know how important location can be. Living close to a park or near the waterfront will add a big premium to the price tag but for some, it may be well worth it.

One of the nicest parks in Collingwood surely must be Sunset Point located on the waterfront.

In addition to a rocky beach, the park features beautiful trails, lots of parking, a canteen, washrooms, large expanses of grassland, picnic tables and terrific views over Georgian Bay. There is also a marvelous playground called the EnviroPark. It's a miniature Collingwood including play equipment depicting a water treatment plant, water tower, general store, town hall, industry, agriculture land and harbour. The Parks goal is to educate how to use water wisely; how it is converted; how it is used; and where it goes in the house. It also educates on the function of a sewage treatment plant and what it can and cannot do. The Pavilion area, including the volleyball courts, can be rented for reunions and other occasions.

One of the most prominent features of "The Point" is a large Inukshuk that looks out to the Bay. It was built as a tribute to a popular young man named Pete Crompton who was killed at age 27 in a boating accident in 2003. Windsurfing was his passion and this magnificent piece of public art would seem a fitting reminder of a life well lived.

This really is a gem of a place that offers something for everyone.

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!