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20 The Independent, Canadian Statesman Weekender, Bowmanville, Saturday, January 22,1994 Now is the Best Time to Buy a Cottage By Ron Cowan, Director of The Cottage Show There are tremendous deals to be found in and around cottage country. Today one can choose from literally hundreds, and even thousands, of quality cottage properties within a two-hour drive of Toronto. These are road-accessible waterfront cottages. With mortgage rates currently at approximately 7.5%, an $85,000 property with $25,000 down would cany at only $495.00 per month. Now is the best time to look at buying buying recreational property. Consider the following reasons. There is a limited amount of waterfront waterfront property within two hours of Toronto. Waterfront cannot be created, created, and the cottage ratepayers groups are very anti-development. Generally, Generally, cottages are kept in families for many years, and then they are often passed down from generation to generation. generation. However, the recession has forced many cottage owners to unwillingly . liquidate a valued family asset, creating creating a supply surge and anxious buyers. buyers. Tliis results in lower prices. Buying Buying activity has only to increase about 10% and much of this property will be sold, thus alleviating the surplus. surplus. Another factor influencing the purchasing of recreational property is the fact that "baby boomers" are quickly approaching cottagepurchasing cottagepurchasing age. There are large numbers numbers of baby boomers, and they are only beginning to look at cottages. This will result in a major surge in cottage activity within the next three to five years. Where to Buy There have been significant highway highway improvements recently which reduced reduced travel time to out-of-the-way areas. Twenty years ago, Highway II to Bracebridge-Huntsville was a Winter Program Registration has Begun at Gallery Registration is open now for Winter Winter classes at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. Saturday Kidstuff winter program, for 5 to 12 year olds, commences January 8. Children are introduced to new materials and different ways of making art in this ten week program. Registration is limited to no more than twenty students. Class fees are $55.00 for gallery members, $70.00 . for others. Art4Teens, a four week short course in Life Drawing, introduces high school students, who intend to pursue a career in Visual Art, to the specialized experience of drawing from the model. The instructor is Anastasia McEwen, a young, awardwinning, awardwinning, regional artist. Class fees are $45.00 for gallery members, $55.00 for others. Classes take place on Sunday afternoons from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m., commencing January 16. Registration is also open for two weekend workshops for adults. Greg. Maude, an award-winning regional artist, will instruct a two-day Watercolour Watercolour Workshop, January 29 and 30. Class times are 9:30 - 4:30 each day; class fees are $55.00 for gallery members, $70.00 for others. A supplies supplies list is available upon registration. registration. There is a limited enrolment for this class. Funky Found And Fabulous, a one day workshop with Bill Fitches on February 26, picks up on the latest trend in jewelry making - not junk jewelry but inspired pieces using some recycled materials. Those who register will lcam to create their own original pieces at a fraction of the cost of the glittery pieces attracting so much attention in th~ trendy shops in New York and Toronto. Class fees arc $25.00 for gallery members, $35.00 for others. A supplies list will be available upon registration. This is another limited enrolment class. long, slow, two-lane road; not the divided divided highway it is today. The improvement improvement in road conditions has brought more people to the area over the last 15 years, driving up demand and prices. The most recent highway improvement improvement is in the Peterborough- Lindsay area. Highway 115-35 used to be a very busy, dangerous stretch. Today it is four lanes almost all the way to Lakefield and Lindsay. This has improved access to eastern areas and prices have not really begun to reflect this. It is even possible to buy on a major Trent System Lake (i.e. 1 Stoney Lake) for under $99,000. Anyone travelling to Parry Sound over the last few years will have noticed noticed construction along Highway 69. It is being widened to four lanes for quite a distance and eventually, probably probably all the way to Parry Sound. With this improvement, Parry Sound repre sents good value for under $99,000 as well. The best values may be found on the smaller lakes, in and around areas such as: Parry Sound, Mactier, Min- den, Haliburton, Apsley, Bancroft and Madoc. The fallen prices, combined combined with the low interest rates, have made cottage property more obtainable obtainable than ever. Buy what you can afford and fix it up over time: Buying or building a "shell" (unwinterized) (unwinterized) cottage is a great way to begin; By installing a $1,200 enviro- toilet, a $500 pump and an $800 wood stove, you are ready for three- season fun. As years go by, you can budget improvements and additions as finances finances allow. Build a dock one year; renovate your kitchen the next. In the '80s, if one had $40,000, the tendency was to use those funds as a down payment for a $200,000 property. No time was spent learning or investigating the alternatives. It was "buy now or you'll miss out." Today people are using the $40,000 to buy a $75,000 cottage and add to it over time. It's much more sensible. on complete â t v ATTAMC Heating & Air Conditioning =rlBowmanville/Newcastle 436-3212 Oshawa/Whitby 428-0333 Authorized Consumers' Gts Dealer tiYi&iVivivi Orono's Building & Decorating Centre We'll Pay Your G.S.T. on all Cash & Carry Purchases Expert, friendly advice, just ask us! FREE ESTIMATES ORONO LUMBER "Home of Cottonwood Clothing & Fabrics 85 Station Street, Orono 983-9167 Sale in effect January 19 - January 29/94 S WT lilllllli Cash & Wallpaper Book Orders 4 In-stock Counter Top Ends 72 PRICE 36 -48 $Q00 O/ft. Split Leather Lined SICO "Door Crasher Work Gloves «* *4" Special" Top of the Line Quality Velvet #161-301 Q95 Semigloss #162-301 j Quantities Limited reg. $28.99 Oak Bathroom Towel Rack Set Vanity Moulded Sink & Top 30" Bone . iSIcV $4Q99 4 pieces $1^95 1 "T/set reg. $79.99 1