Getting Prepped….

With spring in the offing and snow visibly dissipating, the soft breezes of inspiration give us a sense of optimism for the real estate rush long overdue. In cottage country areas where roads have been impassable and, in Muskoka, there was a recorded snowfall of 20-feet+/-; REALTORS® sense a pent-up demand for cottage ownership.

Custom builders often have waterfront cottages already open for viewing – staffed by a host or hostess. There will be a selection of pamphlets, colour brochures and maps to pore over – it’s the stuff of dreams!  Don’t be shy about enabling a relationship, if you wish to receive newsletters or e-mails it will add to your foundation-building storehouse of knowledge which is the base for decision making.

A couple who have just stopped in to the luxury cottage where we’re open for business was thrilled that their anticipation of a friendly and knowledgeable welcome was fulfilled. A noisy blue jay, glittering snow and sun on the flowing water enhanced the pleasure.

The annual Cottage Life Show in Toronto is this weekend. There’s info and ideas aplenty there, check it out!

Whether you’re a Buyer, a prospective Seller, a REALTOR® or a builder; this time of year is when everyone’s getting prepped.

Survivormen…

Every family who has a son or daughter in post-secondary education knows that the weekend before holiday time always is reserved for the trek to school, home for the break, and back again. Sometimes the “can’t wait to see them” feeling is tempered by week’s end when it’s “hurry up, we have to get going” in a push to regain your own space!

Students who study at a campus far from home often feel isolated from family and friends. Using Skype™ or face time technology is helpful – though sometimes wistful for all when it’s time to sign off. The family car is packed tight with treats and more than the basic necessities when the drive is To School, but sometimes the Coming Home trip is a tight fit as well.

I know a Dad who makes a nearly ten hour trek several times a year into what must feel like a different world altogether. From skidding slushy city driving to twelve-foot snow banks, barely two lanes and those dicey at best. The daughter, on campus, shares a house with three other girls – each of whom has a pet, or two. “Dad’s ark” as he calls it rides light on the trip north, but is laden heavily for the trip south.

Amid the luggage, foodstuffs for the trip, and probably some laundry are two cats in a crate, a goldfish named Marley and a hamster with plenty of kilometers under his paws!

If the weather holds and the roads are passable and the trip uneventful, this Dad will make the drive North beginning Friday after work and then back to the city on Saturday, leaving before Noon to hit home before midnight. These are the unsung heroes of all students whose destination is home for the holidays – true Survivor men!