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Perth County, ON Real Estate News

By Canada Web Solutions, Real Estate Search Engine Optimization-Marketing
(Canada Web Solutions)
What is SEO?SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization .  For realtors, SEO assists in getting to potential buyers and sellers at the appropriate time. Further SEO makes a huge difference in plainly operating your business and creating a niche in the county/sector as a popular real estate agent. SEO is not a simple three words and hence one needs to understand it completely before venturing out.Benefits of Using SEO as a RealtorThe use of SEO on your real estate agency website has numerous advantages. It can not only attract more traffic to your website, it can also increase your business as an operator.1. Extra Traffic and TransformationsYour SEO strategy needs to target buyers by area etc. However, those who enter your website are definitely more inclined to contact you. Using SEO to i...
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By Sally Weatherley, Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C
(EXIT STAGE RIGHT)
Visit Stratford, Ontario What did I do for my summer vacation?  I used to dread the first day back at school, when the teacher would ask us to write a short essay on what we did for our summer vacation.  How times have changed.  Fast forward to today, and I'm more than happy to share my wonderful trip to Stratford, Ontario this past September. As a Vancouver Home Stager, I have a love of all things to do with the arts, including admiring all this city has to offer.  Why Stratford?  Perhaps this isn't every West Coasters prime vacation destination, but my brother and sister-in-law have been living in Stratford, Ontario for several years now.  I was overdue for a visit.  My sister-in-law, Monique Lund has been part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's cast, starring in such productions...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
Shakespeare Conservation Area is a quiet little spot great for picnics, hikes in the forest, fishing, or just reading and watching the geese and great blue heron.  It is located just north of Shakespeare, also known as one of Ontario's antique hot spots between Kitchener-Waterloo & Stratford.  If you haven't heard of Shakespeare, I'm sure it's neighbour to the west, Stratford is more of a household name.  Perhaps due to the famous Stratford Shakespeare Festival, or perhaps for being the home of one Justin Bieber. But getting back to the Conservation Area, on a recent visit I noticed that all of the picnic tables had been repaired, with new boards.  That was nice to see.  I was disappointed however that the boardwalks were all grown over with weeds and it made for a tricky hike around th...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
The City of Stratford, Ontario will be hosting their annual Heritage Weekend on June 3rd - 5th.  I have already checked off the events that I'm interested in attending.  I am a history nut so that's part of the reason that so many of the weekend events appeal to me.  Here is how the www.welcometostratford.com  website describes the weekend festiviities. "Come celebrate the rich heritage of Stratford, St. Marys and Shakespeare on June 3-5 at the Stratford Spring Heritage Weekend with an antiques fair; special guided walks of antique shops and carriage tours of Stratford's heritage district; St. Marys "Once Upon the Thames" Storytelling Festival; a railway heritage show and exhibitions of costumes and the Doors of Perth County. Stratford, St. Marys and Shakespeare have some of the best co...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
Hidden almost out of sight, just off the Huron Street bridge in downtown Stratford, Ontario lies the Shakespearean Gardens.  This well manicured English garden offers a formal setting with boxwood hedges,stone walkways, benches and gazebo yet comes alive with the brilliant colour of an amazing array of flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees. The views from the garden are just as impressive with the historic Perth County Courthouse to one side and the gently flowing Avon River on the other side.  Stone steps and a pathway along the Avon River lead you underneath the old Huron Street bridge and towards the Shakespeare Festival. The tulips were brilliant on my recent visit and I'm looking forward to seeing what is next to bloom.  The Shakespearean Gardens is one of those little pieces of heaven ...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
It's Census time in Canada.  It comes once every five years and all Canadians would have received their questionnaire recently in the mail.  I'm not big on filling out forms anymore and prefer to do so online whenever possible.  I "key" faster than I write and being left handed it saves me from getting ink smudges on my fingers. I found the Government site to complete the census form online but "due to technical difficulties" the site was "currently unavailable" and I was informed to complete my paper questionnaire and send back via snail mail. I do love technology - when it works. I did find some interesting information however, while viewing the Government site.  For quite a few years now I've been working on my family history and I've often used past census's to find my ancestors.  T...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
The 10 year expensive battle is over.  Walmart is coming to Stratford, Ontario.  Not in its' desired location or original size but none the less ground will be broken in 2012 to pave the way for the mega box store to put down roots in the Stratford community. The city has spent $1.4 million dollars on legal fees alone in their fight to keep the retail giant at bay with their efforts to preserve the downtown retail businesses.  Many downtown merchants are concerned that Walmart's arrival will put additional stress on businesses already facing challenges. The new location, still in the City's east end is a smaller parcel of land, meaning the size of the department store will shrink from the desired 135,000 square feet to 90,000 square feet. Big box stores versus local merchants is a commo...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
It was all over Twitter and Facebook on Friday.  Oprah Winfrey was attending the Grapes of Wrath at the Shakespeare Festival here in Stratford, Ontario. Could it be true?  Nope-rah.  Well then how could this false rumour get started?  It seems someone tweeted that there was a film crew from Oprah's TV network OWN at the Rheo Thompson Candies store in downtown Stratford. That part was true.  There was a taping going on for the TV show "Fearless in the Kitchen" with chef and cookbook writer/television personality Christine Cushing. Fans of Oprah gathered in front of the Avon Theatre having been "tipped" off that the Queen of daytime television would arrive for the 2:00 p.m. matinee of The Grapes of Wrath. Not so - Oprah was a no-show.  Both Stratford's mayor and the general manager of the...
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By Cathie Szmon
(Sutton Group, first choice realty ltd., Brokerage)
                                             Kick-Off To Summer Open HouseSaturday, May 21st, 2011All DayDowntown St. Marys ON will be a beehive of activity all day with the Kick-Off To Summer Open House.  This special event will feature live models in the shop windows from noon until 2pm; buskers entertaining on the streets; and new merchandise and tremendous discounts in the stores. Merchants are thrilled to not only welcome in the summer season but new and returning shoppers to St. Marys.  This will be a fantastic day!  We hope you'll join us!Location: Downtown St. MarysWebsite: www.townofstmarys.comContact: For further information on this event, please contact the Community Development Department of the Town of St. Marys at 519.284.3500. Cathie Szmon, BrokerSutton Group, first choic...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
Shakespeare, Ontario is well known for its antique stores, quilt and home decor shops, pie and bakeshop, and stop off spot for tourists on their way to Stratford to see a play at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Just a mile or so north of the only stoplight in Shakespeare you will find the Shakespeare Conservation Area.  This is one of my new favourite spots to take Lola for a walk.  You can walk all around the pond which is bordered by farmer's fields.  The large trees are home to many varieties of birds. Shakespeare Conservation Area is a day use only park so it's a great spot to enjoy a picnic or just kickback and watch the geese and ducks.  On my visit this evening I spotted two blue herons flying over the pond. If you are looking for a quiet spot in the country to enjoy a little...
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By Cathie Szmon
(Sutton Group, first choice realty ltd., Brokerage)
                                                                                                                                          Thundering Hooves Hit Milt Dunnell Field This Summer The Canadian Cowgirls drill team featured during the Stonetown Heritage Festival St. Marys, ON - Organized by the Community Development Department, the 16th Annual Stonetown Heritage Festival will take place in beautiful St. Marys on July 8, 9 and 10.  The majority of the programming (free of charge!) will occur on Saturday, July 9.  This year's festival will feature street performers, live musical entertainment, fun hands-on activities for children, a model boat regatta, the Apple Land Train, local and invited food vendors, a street dance, fireworks and a variety of new programming.  "In order to k...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
The title of this blog post is probably dating me.  I don't  know if that term Avon Calling is even used anymore but it came to me as I was thinking of a title. I think it stems back to the days when Avon products were sold door to door.  Does anyone remember the Fuller Brush Man?  These door knocking salespeople would make great REALTORS® today. The Avon that I am referring to in this post is the Avon River.  The Avon flows through Stratford from one end to the other and mostly enjoyed in the downtown area where part of it is called Lake Victoria.  Homes located along the Avon are in high demand and demand high prices.  Stratford's Shakespeare Festival overlooks the river and thousands of tourists descend upon Stratford during Festival season. This is a great spot to walk the dog or ta...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
I saw this cute little piggy bank when I visited the Best Little Pork Shoppe down the road in Shakespeare, Ontario.  I happened to have my camera with me and thought it was worth taking a picture of because it got me thinking. I tried to think of ways to end the sentence.  I tried to think of ways my buyers would end the sentence.  And I'm curious as to how you would all finish the sentence.  I think most of us have an idea of what our dream home would be.  I always pictured an old stonehouse out in the country with a large front porch and a pond or a stream running through the back yard. Now as I am older I'm not sure if I would want to be isolated in the country with no close neighbours.  It's nice to take the dog for a walk where there are sidewalks and fire hydrants for her to sniff...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
 As a REALTOR® I often get asked the following questions. "How's the market?" "Is it a good time to buy?" " When's the best time to sell?" Those are not easy ques­tions to answer with a short response. I often respond by saying " If only I had that crystal ball". But then my 22 years of working every different type of market there is, and many times over, kicks in and rather than generalizing I ask what specific information they require for their needs. I am going to try to give the Cole's Notes version of my answers to these questions in this space. This by no means covers a complete discussion on these matters. How's the Market? Are you thinking of marketing your home? Are you asking about what's happen­ing in your neighbourhood, the city, all of Canada? Fortunately I have access to t...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
This is the first Easter in my new home and community.  Yesterday I decided to check out some of the local shops in preparation for Easter dinner for my family. The majority of groceries I needed were going to be picked up at the local Zehrs store in Stratford.  But on the way to Stratford I just had to stop in at my favourite stores in the village of Shakespeare.  The well known Best Little Pork Shoppe has just reopened for the season.  I left there with some wonderful smoked chops and the best peameal bacon I've ever tasted.  Some home made herb focaccia buns also ended up in my bag. Next stop was to the Shakespeare Pie store.  This family run bakery has you salivating the moment you walk in and smell the good things baking in their ovens.  Freshly made Hot Cross Buns were at the top ...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
I'm so excited, I don't know where to begin.  My life this past four weeks has been anything but calm.  My mind has formulated so many blog posts but none got written.  And life doesn't slow down in order for you to get caught up on those posts. I feel so guilty that I've neglected Active Rain.  Ditto for my photography site Flickr.  But I've been experiencing major technical difficulties. My one year old laptop died and went in for repairs.  That's a whole blog in itself but I will leave that for another day.  I picked it up yesterday after TWO Weeks away - Shame shame Future Shop.  I'm going to make a few dot jots of what's been happening in my new life as it will be 4 weeks tomorrow since I left Oakville for my new little life in the village of Tavistock. I wanted to let everyone kno...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
I took this photo this evening through my sister's dining room window.  I was invited to share the birthday celebration for her twin sons who were turning 19.  My sister and her husband live on a dairy farm in Shakespeare, Ontario, Every evening they get to view the sun setting from their dining room. Everytime I get to experience this sunset  view I'm in awe.  Two weeks ago I moved 7 minutes from her farm.  I'm quickly getting to love small town living.  As I grabbed my camera my brother inlaw asked me if we didn't have sunsets in Oakville where I've just moved from. Well of course we did but I didn't have the opportunity to watch the sun go down over beautiful, flat farmland.  What my brother inlaw takes for granted, I'm still in awe of. Have a great week everyone.
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
It's been 10 days since we packed the moving truck, a pickup truck, a van and my car and left Oakville for our new home in Tavistock an hour and a bit down the road.  Ten action packed days, I must add. The journey down Highway 401 was not without incident as I noticed an object flying across the road ahead of us.  At first I thought it was just a piece of cardboard but as we drove a little further we noticed a box spring laying on the shoulder of the road, and a car in the middle lane stopped atop a mattress with a second car smashed into it's rear end. A van which we presumed had lost the load from their roof was backing up on the shoulder of the highway.  An insurance nightmare would unfold, I presume. Once we safely arrived we found that my uncle had come by to shovel the snow from ...
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By Cathie Szmon
(Sutton Group, first choice realty ltd., Brokerage)
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has revised its 2011 forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations, and extended it to 2012. Sales in the second half of 2010 rebounded faster than CREA had previously expected. "The hand-off going into 2011, together with the highs and lows for sales activity posted in 2010, provided guidance for CREA's revised forecast," said Gregory Klump, CREA Chief Economist. "Home buyers recognize that low mortgage interest rates represent a once in a lifetime opportunity. At the same time, they expect that rates will rise, so they're doing their homework in order to understand what it could mean in terms of higher mortgage payments down the road before they make an offer...
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By Jenny Kotulak, Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate
(RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage)
This is me taking out my frustrations with Rogers Wireless.  I visited my mother last week and she has been having problems with her Rogers Rocket stick on and off for the past few months.  She got the stick because she wanted to be able to take her laptop with her when she went away on holidays or to be able to access the internet from wherever. Now, my mom is in her 70's, very young at heart and she loves her Facebook.  But her frustratin was showing and she was also having problems with her email as her stick would work only sporadically.  Unfortunately she feels unsure of herself when talking to Rogers tech support so my sister would often go and help her make the calls.  Eventually a new stick was mailed to her but it had the same problems.  Upon closer examination the new stick sa...
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Perth County, ON Real Estate Professionals