What A Summer It's Been!

Well it's hard to believe that we are now into September, someone mentioned the other day there are only 15 or 16 weeks left for Christmas shopping, scary!  Nonethless we have had an excellent summer weather-wise and most people I talk to seem to have enjoyed it, feeling that the summer of 2010 has made up for a least 2 or 3 mediocre summers in the last couple of years.
I spent last week at my summer cottage on Manitoulin Island and at the risk of dating myself, this is the 58th consecutive year that I have spent time on Manitoulin, the largest fresh water island in the world.  Even during a 4 year stint living in Chicago, I still made the annual migration back to the cottage to spend a couple of weeks escaping the pressures of daily life. Real estate clients are always shocked to learn that I live in Collingwood and yet go further north to a cottage!  My answer is always the same, no matter where any of us live, we eventually all need a break from our daily lives including the place where we live.
   My mother was originally from Manitoulin hence their is a family connection to that area that goes far back long before I owned property there.  I spent many a Manitoulin summer on my grand parents farm, an experience that has played a significant role in who I am today. By most standards, Manitoulin is pretty primitive as a vacation destination which to me is perfect.  There are no go cart tracks, amusment parks, night clubs, four star restaurants or other such manner of entertainment.  What this is plenty of is water, (there are over 100 lakes on the Island), trees, rocks, wide open spaces and a naturally rugged landscape to drive, hike, bike and enjoy.  In particular I feel very fortunate to own almost 2 acres on the water, I am at the end of a dead-end road so it's private yet I also have full municipal services (sewer and water). My kids have grown up enjoying the cottage lifestyle and like me they also have a strong connection to Manitoulin Island due to family roots.  My daughter recently returned to Ontario after living for 2 years in Vancouver and what did she miss the most?  Her family? Nope, the cottage!
  Many people I come into contact with through my real estate practice are looking for the same experience and recreational lifestyle in this area that they too can share with their families, making a lifetime of memories of their own.  No one can appreciate those desires and objectives more than me and I'd be delighted to work with anyone looking to make a real estate investment in our area that will create for them what my cottage has provided me and my family. 
  As the summer of 2010 now draws to a close, I look forward to many more summers inwhich to enjoy my "island" escape. If you've never been to Manitoulin it's worth the visit and I'd be happy to share with you my knowledge of the area.