We love getting e-mail from readers and lately we’ve received a number of story ideas as well as urgent requests for information. As you’ll see in this, what we hope is the first of an occasional series of Q&A features, we went to the experts to get the answers you need. Feel free to e-mail your questions and comments to me at cggarnett@telus.net
Hi Glenn: I have a question regarding water reservoirs. Our cottage is on the top of a mountain and the well is 400 feet down. Occasionally, when our guests don't practice water conservation and overuse the system, we have run out of water. Generally, it can take anywhere from 4-6 hours before we can reset the pump.
It has been suggested to us that we consider getting a back-up system. As I understand it, this would consist of a holding tank in the basement. I was wondering if you know where we could get more information regarding these systems. The cottage is sometimes empty for a few weeks at a time and I have a concern regarding water sitting in a tank for that long.
Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Maureen
Hi Maureen: I spoke to Adam at Cottage Water Supply in Toronto and he says that while he doesn't get a whole lot of demand for a back-up system such as you've described, he would be able to order the 200-gallon tank (that would measure 25" x 64" by 58" long plus the jet pump such a system would require. There would be a float inside that would trigger the pump to keep it filled. He can also address your concerns about problems arising from water standing for a long period of time in the tank. He can be reached at 416-255-8087.
You may also want to get a copy of Max Burns' "Cottage Water Systems", which has everything you want to know about maintaining a cottage water system. It's published by Firefly Books and you can get it from Amazon.com for $22.46 (ISBN: 096969220X) Good luck!
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Hello Glenn: After renting a cottage for a number of years, my wife and I have finally decided to take the plunge and buy a place of our own. But from what we’ve been reading, the market in cottage country is getting about as crazy as it is here in Toronto. Any suggestions on where we should be looking?
Barry
Hi Barry: First place to look, if you’ll excuse a shameless plug, is CottageLink’s Cottages for Sale page and our Realtor’s Gallery. Like our rentals section, you get a more exhaustive breakdown of the each cottage’s features, amenities and location than you can find in a newspaper or magazine ad. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, our Realtor’s Gallery offers a wide selection of pros-in-the-know for prime cottage areas in Ontario.
When it comes to general real estate advice, especially for cottage country, I defer to my colleague Linda Leatherdale, business editor of The Toronto Sun, best selling author and enthusiastic cottager (see our first issue).
Leatherdale told me there’s some wisdom is waiting for the current torrid real estate market to cool out a little bit. True, by this time next year interest rates are likely to be higher, but you’ll be able to avoid the bid-ups and heavy competition. An analyst she cites believes price gains will slow and the bidding wars will end in 2003.
In the meantime, prices are rising - Leatherdale points to a recent RE/MAX recreational property report showing higher numbers in 15 of the 22 cottage country areas surveyed in Ontario. Haliburton, for instance, long recognized as an area where good deals can be had, has seen prices jump by about 25% in a year. In a recent column, Leatherdale noted the starting price of a three-bedroom winterized cottage on a 100-foot waterfront lot is now $160,000.
“Even in Parry Sound, another mecca for bargain cottages, prices have jumped, with the same three-bedroom waterfront property now fetching $130,000, up from $100,000,” she wrote.
But the prices aren’t boiling all over, she found. The RE/MAX survey found prices flat on Muskoka’s Lake of Bays and on smaller lakes in Haliburton and the Kawarthas.
If you’re willing to drive further afield, a starter cottage on smaller lakes near Kingston can be as cheap as $90,000. But Leatherdale says you must be realistic about the distance you’re willing to travel to get a piece of the great outdoors.
“Long drives can be oppressive,” she says. “If it’s a three, four-hour drive, it can defeat the purpose of getting away from it all. A two-hour drive is about right.”
Agents are now talking up waterfront condos - if you’ve already got a yard back home to mow and rake, this can be an attractive option. But it’s a good idea to rent one first to see if it works for you.
Take a look at RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada’s Recreational Property Report at http://www.remax-oa.com for their outlook on prices by locality.
Hello Glenn: How can I get this magazine mailed to me and the next one?
Thank you, Bill
Hi Bill: Craig and I get requests like yours all the time. CottageLink isn’t currently available in print magazine format and is unlikely to be for the foreseeable future. While this means it’s tough to read at the end of your dock, or in the bathroom for that matter, rest assured that no trees were harmed in the production of this publication.
