About Frontenac County, ON

After a lengthy wait, Lowe's has arrived in Kingston, Ontario!

The new retail store, located at 1035 Gardiners Road, is an estimated 117,000 square feet, and with over 160 new full and part time employees, coming mainly from Kingston and the surrounding areas, we are so glad it is here!!

The Grand Opening is this weekend, Friday January 28th - Sunday January 30th, 2011

Here is what's happening Friday to Sunday, all day long :

• Grand Prize Sweepstakes - take the passport tour for your chance to win a grand prize of $1000 Lowe's Gift Card


• First 300 customers receive a Lowe's reusable bag


• Grand Opening special values throughout the store


• Vendor Demonstrations
  
  

Saturday between 1pm and 2pm :

Activities include a Q&A with HGTV's Bryan Baeumler, host of Disaster DIY, who will be on site answering customer questions about do-it-yourself home improvements plus a Worst Handyman contest hosted by K-Rock 105.7, in which the winner will be crowned Kingston' Worst Handyman and walk away with a $1500 Lowe's gift card.

A ballot box will also be set up, with one lucky customer receiving a $500 gift card.


So if you are in need of some DIY items or are just looking for some fun, head to Lowe's this weekend and help them celebrate their Grand Opening.

(I attended today and WOW, am I impressed!!)

On Tuesday, February 8, at 07:00 PM, the “Live” Lawrence Welk Show is coming to The Grand Theatre in Kingston, Ontario! I'm told that "wherever it plays, it is one of the most delightful and entertaining experiences to grace a stage".

I may be dating myself here, but I grew up with the show every Saturday night. We screamed and laughed at the outfits and cringed at some of the songs but still, we were glued to the set each week. I am embarassed to say, I still recall many of the names of the stars of the show!!
Yikes!!!

We're told it will be the full production from vocalists, music makers, dancers and the famous Lawrence Welk Show bubble machine! Five original cast members from the weekly television series will be on the “Live” Lawrence Welk Show.

They include the effervescent Anacani, tap-dancing an marimba-playing Jack Imel, Lawrence Welk’s favorite dancing partner Mary Lou Metzger, country gal, Ava Barber, pianist and singer, as well as the ageless, talented crooner Dick Dale. Also appearing, direct from the Champagne theatre in Branson, Missouri, will be the Champagne Music Makers Orchestra along with accordionist Tim Padilla and the Welk Dancers.

"The Lawrence Welk Show is celebrating six decades on TV. It is currently aired on 279 PBS television stations throughout the U.S. and Canada and viewed by 3 million people each week. The tour is produced by Larry Welk Jr.of the Welk Group and is the only authorized Welk Tour on the road today,” said Brian Edwards of Rocklands Entertainment Inc., the firm promoting the tour.

Tickets are available for $69.30 at The Grand Theatre, 218 Princess St, Kingston, Ontario

PS: Guess who was the winner of the very first 1960 Bob Hope Classic Pro-Am Golf Tournament??

You guessed it . . . Lawrence Welk!!

In case you missed some of my earlier posts:

Celebrate Chinese New Year

Special Tips for Hiring Women

Tuesday's Tagine Dinner

Gananoque Homes are Selling like Hotcakes

Island Home for Sale - $174,000

Keeping Seniors Safe from their Meds

What a way to being the day!

To sit down at the computer and open up such a wonderful surprise email . . . a testimonial from one of my first time buyers!

Thank you Julie and Brad - you were fun to work with and I am so happy that you enjoyed the experience as much as I did !

********************************************

"Where to start . . . well we have to say, if you are reading this then you are already considering making Susan Emo your Realtor of choice, and that is the smartest first step you can take when thinking about the biggest investment of your life.

We had the pleasure of having Susan Emo on our side during our first time buying experience and we couldn't have asked for a better person on the job. She honestly went above and beyond (in our opinion) the extreme "hand holding" needed throughout the entire process. Although based in Gananoque, knowing the Kingston area and market wasn't an issue; in fact she had insight into all the homes and areas we were interested in from Napanee and Stone Mills to Lansdowne and Seeley's Bay and everywhere in between!

We really can't quite comprehend just how she does it, as we were only one of her many clients at the time, but she gave her all to us 24/7. With Susan Emo, you get constant quality communication, whether it be regarding a question you have, a property you like or just some good ol' reassurance when you feel like you are going crazy with stress, she was always there with a phone call, email or text. Plus, we never had to wait a day to hear back from her, she always made us feel like we were her number one concern.

One of the other reasons why we believe you should choose Susan Emo is her experience with the market. It would seem like an obvious notion, but until you need to depend on that experience you don't realize just how important it truly is. We are in the house we love today, because of ill-fitting decisions she helped us avoid then. Given the circumstances at the time, she could have been pushy or rushed us, perhaps let us walk into a headache of problems of a house just to close the sale. It was her sincere care, knowledge and expertise that led us away from that and we have to thank her time and time again.

We are happy first-time home buyers with a positive experience made possible by Susan Emo that didn't stop once the papers were signed. So what are you waiting for, call her and you won't regret it!"

Thanks again for everything Susan,
Julie and Brad
(Kingston, ON)

It is the perfect time to buy a home. The interest rates are low and prices have come down. Why wait?

Stop paying your landlord's mortgage and begin your journey as a home owner.

Step one: Contact me!

If you or anyone you know is dreaming of buying their first home, please give me a call and I promise to treat you with the same joyful experience as Julie and Brad's !

Thanks again Julie and Brad - it is because of clients like you that I love this business. I wish you many many years of happiness in your new home!

Kingston, On

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHA) reports resale housing activity in Kingston should remain above the 15-year average sales in 2010 and 2011.

CMHC released this information today in its latest Housing Market Outlook report for the Kingston Census Metropolitan Area s well as other major metropolitan areas across Canada.

Highlights of their latest report include:

* Existing homes sales have moderated from first quarter levels and will decline by 5.2 per cent this year. Next year, sales will decline only modestly as the housing market stabilizes.

* Although the existing home market in Kingston appears to be cooling-off in recent months, on balance average resale home prices will grow this year. In 2011, with moderating sales activity and increasing new listings, the rate of change in average price growth will slow and follow the national rate of inflation.

* The Kingston Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) total housing starts in 2010 will decline slightly to 650 units, as apartment start segment slows down total residential construction activity. In 2011, starts will continue a downward trend and move to a level more in line with demographic requirements.

"Prospects for sustainable growth in Kingston's employment income should help minimize the decline in existing home sales activity in 2011. Kingston home sales have dropped to levels that are considered sustainable and in line with the ten year historical average," said Abdul Kargbo, CMHC's Kingston Market Analyst.

For more information, visit www.cmhc.ca <http://www.cmhc.ca/> or call 1-800-668-2642.

Many people feel our holiday season has become far too commercialized. Are you one of them?

Perhaps a little trip east on Highway 2 will bring back the spirit of Christmas's past!!! The MacLachlan Woodworking Museum located at: located at 2993 Highway 2, East of Kingston at Grass Creek Park has just what you're looking for.

On November 28th between 12 noon and 4pm at their Pioneer Christmas you can try your hand at making a candle, a traditional toy and maybe a tree ornament at this fun-filled family event.

As well, take advantage of the Gift Shop's end of season sale in which all items will be marked down for this special occasion. You will find great and unique gifts for all ages ranging from handmade wooden kitchenware to toys and wooden ornaments including exciting and educational toys, toy train tracks, and a great variety of old fashioned toys such as ball and cup, Jacobs's ladder, wooden pop gun, and many more! Bring your kids to dig through the toy boxes.

One of my favourites are hand carved wooden wine stoppers. Great to give with a special bottle of wine !

Other gift ideas are the fine linens of April Connell. They range from table cloths to handkerchiefs and tea cozies.

For a great yester-year experience, come and enjoy a Pioneer Christmas!

For more information call 613-542-0543