Baddeck Real Estate

Jocelyn Bethune’s book, Historic Baddeck, is now available and her book signing was a big success. Congrats to Jocelyn.  Seasonal businesses are beginning to show signs of life and there are a few unfamiliar faces along the streets. The High Wheeler is open as well as Wong’s..two of my favourite haunts. I see the Yellow Cello is busy and there’s a new  accessories boutique in the Mini Mall run by Terri MacAulay. The condos are looking terrific and Alex and Mabel seemed to weather the winter well.

Looks like Baddeck and surrounding areas are ready for tourists and former Cape Bretoners who have planned a visit this summer. Boats will soon be bobbing in the lake and bus tours will be the everyday norm. I would like to invite everyone to visit Baddeck. It’s a charming little village and big on hospitality!

Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

www.harveyrealties.com

terri@homezilla.com

Good day.  Many of you are asking about this process. What it is and why must I have it completed in order to sell my property. Well, basically it is a guarantee of title to the land owner. This land registration was designed to ease the process of how land is bought and sold. It’s a new, modern way to manage land ownership and can be managed online from any location in the world.

There are more than 600,000 land parcels in Nova Scotia and many of these have not been converted to the new system. There are mandatory triggers such as selling for value, mortgages and subdivision resulting in three or more parcels, condominium development, land title clarification and quieting of title. You may voluntarily migrate your property as well.

From my perspective, it is much easier to sell a converted ( migrated ) property as I know the historic search has been completed and ownership has been established. In the past, sales have been held up due to gaps in title, for weeks or even months, while lawyers try to rectify the problem.

You may start your migration with a call to your lawyer if you wish the process to be completed now rather than waiting until it must be done. Here is my tip for the day. If you have a large parcel of land and are thinking of subdividing it into smaller parcels, then you should convert the parent(original) parcel prior to subdivision so you only have to pay for it once.

I hope this clears up any confusion or at least answers a few questions regarding migration of land.

Take care and have a great day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902 295 2364 office, 902 295 3019 fax

902 295 3472 home

www.harveyrealties.com

terri@harveyrealties.com

To buy or not to buy…the Bank of Canada dropped its key interest rate to 0.5%. Historic! Now is a great time to buy property as we will, albeit eventually, come out of the recession and the rates will slowly climb back into the clouds again. While most people with disposable cash are hanging on to it, some are realizing it’s a buyers market and a great time to make a purchase, especially if it is for investment purposes.

 As soon as the market changes people become realistic about selling property. In good times where an average turn around time might be 60 days, it now takes much more time and sometimes requires a drop in price to see fruition. The buyers mindset is…if I am going to risk my money in volatile times, I want a great deal!

Let us hope this recession runs its course in due time and by the time the snow is gone we’ll be back in business and back to a fair market for both buyers and sellers….see photo below!

Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902 295 2364 ph, 902 295 3019 fax

902 295 3472 home

Some people say the real estate market is soft and investment dollars are scarce…well, I say it’s a great time to buy property. Prices are down and people are ready to deal as they are unsure of how long this economic downturn will last.  Bank rates are low and the market is flooded. No better time to invest than now. The Canadian Real Estate Association President reacts to the  federal government stimulus plan in the 2009 budget.

“The change announced to the popular Home Buyers’ Plan will help Canadians who want to own their own home, and do it in a responsible way that is not a major drain on taxpayers,” says the President of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), Calvin Lindberg.

Research conducted for CREA by the Altus Group shows that each residential real estate transaction in Canada generates $32,200 in ancillary consumer spending. The study also reported that 94,700 full time direct jobs were generated annually by that ancillary or spin-off activity. The study is posted on the www.crea.ca website.

“The federal government has found a way to introduce economic stimulus and housing initiatives for specific groups, and for Canadians who want to buy their first home.” Mr. Lindberg added. CREA had proposed the federal government do that by increasing the limit of the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) to help stimulate the housing market.

So…what are you waiting for? 

Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

Historic…that’s the word that comes to mind when I think of this February 2009. One of the main events taking place this month is the Silver Dart Replica Flight by the Welland Aviation Group taking place February 23, 2009 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.  Celebratory preparations have been in the works for about a year now as we get set to celebrate an event that helped change how the world traveled. Please check out the website and join in on the events making history in Cape Breton.

Also, yesterday saw our Canadian Junior Men’s Hockey team beat Sweden in a 5-1 trouncing at the World Junior Championship game in Ottawa making their record five in a row for Team Canada to take top honours. Hard work and dedication paid off for our young men.

Speaking of hockey…Baddeck’s own Jessica Wong made an outstanding show in the Canadian Women’s Under 18 World Tournament in Fussen, Germany with 2 goals and a helper to see Canada soundly defeat Switzerland  16-1. The whole Village was abuzz as people tuned in to the internet site and awaited updates. Way to go, Jess, we couldn’t be more proud.

If anyone has an upcoming event I would be happy to post it on this site.

Wishing one and all a super day, especially my son, Mitchell, happy 20th!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902 295 2364 ph, 902 295 3019 fax

902 295 3472 home

Late November traditionally marks the start of Santa Clause Parades and this year is no exception. According to today’s Cape Breton Post, the list of parades are as follows:

November 28th~~ Louisbourg, formation is at 6PM at the S&L Railway Museum and the parade starts at 7 pm. Parade route is from S&L Museum, along Main Street to fountain at Pecks Grocery Store and ending at Louisbourg Community Hall where a light up will follow.

November 29th~~Baddeck, formation is at Baddeck Academy at 1pm and the parade starts at 2pm. Following the parade, everyone is invited to the Bras d’Or Yacht Club to visit  with Santa.

November 29th~~ Sydney, formation is at the north end of George Street at 9:30AM  and the parade starts at 11:00 am.  Route is right onto Dorchester, left onto Charlotte, along Charlotte to Townsend, along Townsend to George, along George to Prince, right onto Prince to Disco, along Disco to Victoria, along Victoria to Jamieson, ending at Whitney Pier Memorial Jr. High with awards and refreshments.

November 30th~~New Waterford, formation is on lower Plummer Ave at 4:30 pm and the parade starts at 6:00 pm. Route is  along Plummer , left onto King to Emerald, right onto Mahon, right onto Plummer to the KOC for awards.

December 6th~~Reserve Mines, formation is on Tompkinsville at 12:30pm and the parade starts at 1:30pm. Route is Tompkinsville, Sydney Road, Main Street, Neville Street, Holland Street then back to the fire hall where there will be treats for the children.

 December 6th~~ North Sydney, formation is at 5:00pm on Blowers and the parade starts at6:00pm. Route is Pierce Street, left onto Regent, left onto Commercial, left onto Blowers.

December 6th~~ Glace Bay, formation is at 4:00pm at the Glace Bay Fire Hall on Reserve Street and the parade starts at 6:00 pm. Route is down Union Street, Commercial Street, Brookside, Park Street back to Union, down Reserve back to fire hall for treats for the children.

December 6th~~ Port Hood, Christmas by the Sea Parade begins at 2:00 pm and ends at the  fire hall where treats will be served. Santa will make an appearance.

December 7th~~ Dominion, formation on Duggan Street at 3:00 pm and the parade starts at 4:30pm. Route is Commercial, Royal, King’s Road, Neville Street, Reserve, Atlantic Street, Mitchell Avenue, Commercial Street then return to the fire hall for awards.

If any community has parade information not mentioned here, please call or email and I will be happy to add it to the site.

Wishing one and all a great day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

terri@harveyrealties.com

$79,900 New Haven

15 Stoneys [P] Lane

Welcome to this delightful cottage or year-round dwelling nestled in the hillside with views of the rolling Atlantic and adorned by English gardens; fully furnished and equipped makes the transition such a pleasant process. Many newer updates from the roof, decks, majority of windows, siding and bathroom show the pride taken in this property and appreciation for it.

 Perennial gardens add nicely to the sloped landscaping and provide privacy, too. Electricity is 200 amp; municipal water; septic tank and disposal field; baseboard electric heaters; spacious decks to enjoy the scenery; handy storage barn.

The large foyer welcomes you through the back entrance where you will find the laundry team, full bath to the side and entrance to galley kitchen blending into dining room and large, bright living room. The stairs takes you to the upper level for master bedroom with walk-in closet and a den/office area which could also serve as guest accommodations. This property is a gem in northern Cape Breton!

Call today for your private viewing.

Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

Mortgage insurance is not something everyone things about when they start shopping for home. Home buyers putting down 20% or more of the purchase price don’t have to worry about mortgage insurance. (note: this post is about mortgage insurance in Canada) So ‘what is mortgage insurance?’ you ask? Read on…

What is mortgage insurance?

Mortgage loan insurance is typically required by lenders when Canadian home buyers make a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price. Mortgage loan insurance helps protects lenders against mortgage default, (hence the other name mortgage default insurance) and enables consumers to purchase homes with as little as 5% down payment — with interest rates comparable to those with a 20% down payment.

How much does mortgage default insurance cost?

To obtain Mortgage Loan Insurance, lenders pay an insurance premium. Typically, the lender will pass these costs on to you. Your lender will give you the exact price when you apply for a mortgage.

The most mortgage insurance premium is calculated as a percentage of the loan and is based on the size of your down payment. The higher the percentage of the total house cost you borrow, the higher percentage you will pay in insurance premiums.

Are mortgage default insurance and mortgage life insurance the same thing?

Mortgage loan insurance and mortgage life insurance are NOT the same. Default insurance protects the lender from you defaulting on your mortgage. Mortgage life insurance guarantees that your remaining mortgage at the time of your death will not be a burden to your estate.

Hopefully this gives you a brief overview of mortgage insurance… drop me a line if you have any more questions.

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

$189,900 Christmas Island

8995 Highway 223

Exceptional views are the signature feature of this wonderful property! Centrally located in the heart of Cape Breton Island, rolling fields lie all around a ready-to-move-into two-storey home. Built approximately 1955, the 3-bedroom house ( 1198sqft[+/-]) appears to have been well maintained, and has awesome views from every room….set back from, and elevated above the Great Bras d’Or Lake in a picturesque rural area. Enjoy the privacy and tranquility offered by this wonderful property ( 48 acres, more or less), located just minutes from all the pleasures offered by our renowned Bras d’Or Lakes…..boating, fishing, swimming, bird watching…or ice fishing, skating, cross country skiing, or snowshoeing!! Five minutes from Iona, about 40 minutes from Baddeck or from Sydney.

Call today for your private viewing. Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

902-295-2364 ph, 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home

$325,000 Leitches Creek (Upper)

660 Upper Leitches Creek Road

This fabulous property features a two-level, year-round, 4-BR home, detached double garage and garden shed all set on 145 acres (+-) of rolling land with a fantastic, overlooking panoramic view! The property is located in a very private country setting, yet close to city and town amenities! It is obvious to the viewer that this property has been very well-maintained and loved throughout the years.

There is even an in-law suite on lower level, and a terrific work room with laundry and walk-out. The property is rolling mixed forest, with a beautiful lake towards the rear of the property. Located at Upper Leitches Creek, there is a fantastic panoramic view overlooking these Lakes (Morrison Lake, MacIsaac’s Lake and Forrester’s Lake) and the North West Arm of Sydney Harbour! This house is about 37 years old, and measures 54 x 28 feet (+-). It is a year-round home, and has oil (hot water) heat.

There is a drilled well, and there is a septic system. Breaker panel. Exterior is siding. Roof is asphalt shingles. The property is being sold as two parcels: The house lot is comprised of five acres (+-), and the large acreage surrounding it has approximately 140 acres. The land was surveyed in 2002. It is rolling mixed forest, with a beautiful lake towards the rear of the property!

Call today for your private viewing.

Wishing one and all a super day!

Terri Brewer

Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd.

Baddeck, NS

902-295-2364 ph., 902-295-3019 fax

902-295-3472 home