Boaters in the southern Georgian Bay area looking to increase their knowledge and skills can do so by taking one of the many courses being offered this fall and winter by the Blue Mountain Squadron of the Canadian Power and Sale Squadron. (CPS).

  I have been boating on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay for decades, primarily from my cottage of Manitoulin Island.  This summer I spent time on portions of the North Channel I had not previously been visiting the Benjamin Islands and westward as far as the town of Spanish.  I also covered a portion of the  top of Georgian Bay visiting five smaller islands between Manitoulin and Tobermory including Fitzwilliam, Club, Lonely, Rabbit and Wall Islands.  

  Georgian Bay is nothing short of an inland sea.  The day I visited the five above mentioned islands the water surface on Georgian Bay and Lake Huron was little more than a two foot chop.  The following day there were six foot swells with white caps clearly indicating how quickly conditions on such large bodies of water can change. Rapidly changing weather conditions combined with an abundance of rocks and shoals make these other wise beautiful boating waters no place for the inexperienced, under-skilled boater.

  Over the past two winters I have both taken and taught some of the Power Squadron's courses here in Collingwood.  Besides improving your boating skills, membership in the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron can provide you with discounts on your boat insurance and other services such as hotel accommodations with Delta Hotels and car rentals with National Car Rental.  

  For a complete list of courses available this fall and winter visit Blue Mountain Squadron and click on "course information" in the navigation menu.  Registration can be done in person on Tuesday September 10th, 2013 at Collingwood Collegiate Room 213 or contact Cam Thomson, Training Officer at 705-446-1305 or csthomson@rogers.com.  As as an alternative please feel free to contact myself as well.

  

   

Area Real Estate Sales Up 23% in July

  Despite the somewhat cooler summer weather we have been having of late, it certainly has not dampened the demand for Southern Georgian Bay real estate.

  Sales reported through the MLS® system of theGeorgian Triangle Association of REALTORS® (GTAR) for the month of July reflected a 23% increase with 227 properties sold during the month.  Dollar volume in July of $67.4 million marked a $10.0 million dollar or 17% increase from July of 2012.  We have now had three consecutive months (May through July) where sales activity has been well above the same time last year.

  Year-to-date MLS® unit sales now total 1,248 properties, an increase of 7% over the first seven months of 2012.  Meanwhile, year-to-date MLS® dollar volume stands at $366.0 million, 9% ahead of last year.  More significantly perhaps is that we are firmly in track to exceed $600.0 million in MLS® sales for 2013, a level never before attained.

  Single family MLS® home sales which have been lagging behind sales in 2012 and now 2% ahead of last year.  MLS® condominium sales continue to remain very strong in 2013 with unit sales 15% ahead of last year.  Vacant land sales are also well ahead of 2012 with 91 sales thus far in 2013 versus 78 in 2012, an increase of 17%.

  Following 4 or 5 years when local conditions could technically be deemed a “Buyer’s” market, we are now witnessing a shift wherein the market is in a more “balanced” state favouring neither “Buyers” or “Sellers” to any meaningful amount.  The total number of new MLS® listings year-to-date is down 4% with the number of expired listings also showing a decrease from one year ago.  Approximately 1 in every 3.3 properties listed on the local MLS® system has sold year-to-date, down from a ratio of 1 to 3.8 earlier in the year. 

  None of the above mentioned data includes new home or condo sales made by developers.  When you factor in the added real estate sales activity that takes place outside of the MLS® domain, it is not hard to see that the local real estate market has and continues to make a strong comeback following the downturn we experienced during the recent recession. 

Area Real Estate Sales On Track For a Record Year in 2013

  Following four months of somewhat inconsistent MLS®sales activity during January through April, we have now had two months back-to-back (May & June) where monthly sales have surpassed those of the same months last year.
  MLS® sales as reported by the Georgian Triangle Association of REALTORS®

posted a 16% increase in terms of units sold during June while dollar volume for the month was up 21%.  The first six months of 2013 have effectively been the busiest months on record for sales in our area with $300.3 million worth of MLS® listed properties changing hands.  Should this pace continue, sales in 2013 may well be the highest ever for our area.

  While this trend speaks well of the market in "general" all areas of the market are not  reflecting universally good results.  Single family home sales are running on par with 2012, for the first six months of 2013 there have been 679 single family homes sold through the local MLS® system versus 681 in 2012.  Condominiums sales are up 11% with 172 units sold thus far in 2013 compared to 155 in 2012.  We are also seeing an increase in vacant land sales which to date are up 7% from last year with 74 properties having sold through thr end of June.

  As per the accompanying graphs, out of all the area municipalities, the Blue Mountains is showing the strongest market conditions with unit sales for the year up 10% from one year ago.  Collingwood and Wasaga Beach are holding their own with sales up 2% and 6 % respectively.  Meanwhile Clearview, Grey Highlands and the Municipality of Meaford are all lagging well behind 2012 sales with sales in 2013 that are from 6% to 21% below one year ago.

  Most price ranges are showing consistent if not stronger sales activity in 2013 compared to last year.  The only notable exception is in the $1 million to $1.5 million range where sales for the first six months total just six properties compared to 12 last year, a 50% decrease.  meanwhile sales over $1.5 million are up 50% with four sales this year compared to just two in 2012.

  Given the up and down nature of our market this year it is anyone's guess as to what will transpire in the second half of the year.  I suspect we will continue to see a consistent sales activity throughout the balance of the year heading into the 2013/2014 ski season.

  For further details please see my 2nd Quarter Georgian Traingle Real Estate News.