Cottage Traditions

 With summer just around the corner and the school year coming to an end it can only mean one thing…COTTAGE TIME!!!  Enjoying summers at the cottage creates lots of fun memories for you and your family.  A big part of that has to do with traditions.  Every family has different traditions that they all look forward to each year.  Traditions are also a great way to get kids excited about, and involved in, family cottage time.  We thought we’d share a few of our favourite old-school customs that bring back a slew of memories, and we’d love to hear yours, too!

 As a child, cottage time was always a treasured experience with my grandparents.  They would load up us kids and fill the entire car with supplies and then make the 4-hour drive up north.  Grandma would always have lots of snacks to keep us quiet (that didn’t work for long but boy were those homemade snacks good!) and make the trip as enjoyable as possible. It could get quite loud with a bunch of kids packed in 

like sardines eager to arrive and start having fun.  One of our favourite traditions was stopping halfway for ice cream at Kawartha Dairy. Nothing beats two scoops of rocky road on a sugar cone!   Once we arrived the first thing we kids always did was run down to the lake and check out the water and start pestering to go swimming.

 I think one of the most interesting traditions that our family shared at our cottage was that anyone who came to visit or stay had to bring a pennant and hang it up.  Our walls were absolutely covered with these pennants from all around Canada and the United States. 

 Another fun tradition that we used to do every year was peel a piece of birch bark off a tree, sign our names and draw a picture on it; the inside of the cottage looked like a forest as the years went on with all the barks lining the shelves.

Some friends of ours have a very competitive family. Cottage time is always about contests and games for them. Whether it’s a pie eating competition, watermelon seed spitting contest, or even frog races, they always have something different going on. They give silly prizes from the dollar store, but nobody participates for the prize, they just do it for the fun and tradition of it (well maybe bragging rights, too).  Remember, when you create traditions that are unique to your family, you create long-lasting memories. 

 With life as busy as it is this day and age it’s even more important to make time and enjoy the special moments, as they are truly priceless.

Rob Heming at Realty Executives on the Bay specializes in tourism accommodation, recreational and multi-residential properties, as well as fine homes and waterfront cottages.

Resort Retreats

Are you a recreational property owner? Have you ever considered hosting weekend or week-long retreats? If you have been tossing the idea around, you’ve come to the right place to get started. We have compiled a list of the different options you have and the benefits that can be provided to someone who attends. 

First things first, you will need to decide what type of retreat you would like to offer. A lot of this will depend on what kind of property you have and where you are located. Let’s say you have a resort that is off the beaten path and surrounded by nothing but forests and nature. You have a great opportunity to host quite a few different types of retreats as many people find healing and peacefulness in nature. Here’s a list of just a few options;

Yoga and Meditation

With the increasing interest being shown in Yoga and Meditation this may be the perfect option for your resort.

Couples Reconnection

This type of retreat will give couples who have gotten caught up with the crazy schedules of running a household and family a chance to reconnect through activities, counselling and seminars.

Digital Detox

This is exactly what it sounds like! Offering a retreat for people to get away from technology and detox from the digital world that we live in today. No tv’s, no cell phones, no internet, just back to nature to revitalize and recharge.

Maybe you’re looking to offer something a little more intense that is packed full of activities and fun! Check out these choices:

Fitness

You can get pretty creative with this idea such as offering different exercise classes or activities each day and healthy eating or cooking lessons.

Work Place Teambuilding

Offering a place that companies can come to and participate in team building activities (whether it be a weekend or just a day event) has many benefits to not only the company but the employee as well. By providing activities that focus on working as a team and building stronger relationships can increase productivity, communication and camaraderie in the workplace.

Getting Crafty

A week or weekend filled with crafts and creativity can be great fun. Having different classes from beginner to expert in anything from writing to sewing, knitting or painting will pique the interest of all ages.

Keep in mind, if you choose to host retreats on your recreational property, you’ll need to find people who are professionals in their field to lead the activities and classes. Whether they be marriage counsellors, yoga instructors, therapists, fitness trainers etc, having reputable experts is a must. One more important tidbit – be sure to speak with an experienced insurance provider to get the proper coverage for hosting retreats.

Retreats can be a profitable endeavour as well as being personally fulfilling. If you’re dreaming of starting your own retreat but don’t yet have the property you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to a recreational property specialist!

Rob Heming at Realty Executives on the Bay specializes in tourism accommodation, recreational and multi-residential properties, as well as fine homes and waterfront cottages.

Getting the Right Real Estate Agent for the Right Property

Would you go to a mechanic if you needed a doctor?  Of course not, that is a ridiculous question, so if you are in the market to purchase a cottage or recreational property wouldn’t it only make sense to find a real estate agent who specializes in that area?  Purchasing a cottage or recreational property is a MAJOR investment!  It is imperative that the agent you choose has the experience and knowledge for the property you want to buy.

There are many factors that should be taken into consideration when picking your agent.  You may be working with this person for a couple of months so take some time and do your homework. 

Ask family and friends for referrals.  Getting personal experience from people you know can help ease your mind. 

Make sure you are comfortable and feel as you can trust the agent.  You need to like your agent and know that he or she has your best interests in mind and will work hard to get you what you want within your allotted budget.

Interview multiple agents.  Don’t just settle for that agent everyone you know has used.  Set up a time to sit down with the potential agent.  Ask them the hard questions, what can you do for me, what is your experience, why should I choose you?  Make them sell themselves.

Check their credentials.  Sure anyone can talk the talk and walk the walk but follow up on that interview and do some research.  Make sure what the agent has told you is true.  You want to pay attention specifically to previous properties the agent has listed that may be similar to what you are looking for.    It takes certain agents to sell different properties and you always want to know that the agent you decide upon is familiar with the property you are looking for. 

Find someone who is local to the area you are looking to buy in.  This is particularly important when you are looking at cottages or recreational properties, as they may not be in the same area your primary home is in. 

Since every property is different, not all agents will have the know-how on all the ins and outs.  With the cottage and recreational property market projections telling us there is a rise in pricing for such properties in the near future, you need to put your full trust in the agent you decide upon.  You are the client and in the end, you are the one who has to be happy.  Stay in contact with your agent and if you don’t think they are meeting your expectations, have a sit down to make sure everyone is on the same page.  Your agent works for you and should get you what you want!

Rob Heming at Realty Executives on the Bay specializes in tourism accommodation, recreational and multi-residential properties, as well as fine homes and waterfront cottages.