Canada Cottage Country Real Estate – Part Four

Collingwood Cottage Country RealEstate Is The Place To Be For Peace that Surpasses Understanding

First Published Date: Jan 20, 2009

Collingwood, located on the southern shores of the Muskokan Georgian Bay, is a recreational heaven just outside of the largest population in Canada.  It is known for its natural beauty and untouched wilderness and has real estate offerings at prices that are providing great opportunities for real estate investors.

This region is known for its’ skiing activities and is in fact titled the capital of Ontario skiing.  Set in a mountainous region the area boasts both beaches and mountains offering an endless list of possibilities when it comes to things to do.  From snowmobiles to beaches, this area has you covered if you are an outdoor enthusiast.  There is something fun to do here for the entire family.

The farmers market, which was originally started in the Old Town Hall building back in the 1890’s, features farmers, butchers, bakers, feed and wood sellers among others.  If you enjoy getting natural rations of fresh fruits, meats, vegetables and the like then you are in for a treat.

The Blue Mountain Resort is a world-renowned ski resort hosted in Collingwood.  Condos and cottages are available here for rent or purchase and you will have access to some of the most prestigious lands in all of Canada.  It features spa baths with entirely outdoor bath areas with a mix of hot and cold both available.  Dry saunas and eucalyptus steam rooms are an incredible way to rejuvenate your energy.  The cafes are surrounded by amazing landscaping weaving visual pleasures with great aromas to fulfill your senses.

Real estate here is available for every style taste and all budgets.  Single-family homes, condos, real estate rentals, Blue mountain chalets, farms, acreage, vacant lots to build a dream home, and waterfront properties are among the choices you have in Collingwood and the Blue Mountain region.  Known for its’ small-town charm it is the perfect blend of rural and urban settings with people that know how to make you feel at home.  Perfect for retirement or vacations this area boasts a wide offering of commercial and residential real estate properties that can be affordable for renters or multi-millionaires looking to make a home away from home.

Real estate professionals in the area are plentiful and they have the knowledge and understanding of the area with a desire to know your needs.  They can assist you in finding properties within your budget and answer any specific questions you have about the surrounding areas.  This area is an affordable way to get a little piece of heaven for those of you who enjoy the peace and tranquillity of preserved natural wilderness combined with urban activities not too far away!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the realestateexpedition.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on Jan 20, 2009.

How To Save Money By Downsizing

Downsizing -Not Always Bad

First Published Date: July 05, 2009

Recession or no recession, it suits any of us to find a way of saving a few dollars here and there. It’s not a bad thing, and none of us should be at all concerned about how it will be viewed. The truth of the matter is that anywhere a saving can be made, there is potential to re-direct funds that may be needed elsewhere or highly beneficial. Looking into your regular expenditure and thinking about what changes you can make, you can come to the conclusion that there is a lot of gain to be made from making a cut – although in some cases it may make for an emotionally challenging decision. However, if you steel yourself for the process and give it your honest appraisal, you may find that it was the best decision you ever made.

One decision that will never be totally comfortable is the sale o f the family home. After all, so many things happened there that made it the center of a life you would not swap for anything. Nonetheless, if the time has come that the kids have moved out – not just to college but to a place of their own, possibly even a marital home – then you are left with a house where at least one room is going empty.

Sure, your kids will visit pretty regularly and may well stay over when they do, and you may well run into a moral quandary when the issue of selling the house they grew up in happens to arise. However, you can take sentiment too far. If selling the house and relocating to a smaller property will make your retirement and the years preceding it any more comfortable, then your kids ought to understand. Moving from a big house to a smaller one can result in a very large lump sum to deposit in the bank.

Downsizing is not solely about making a change from one thing to another, physically smaller thing, of course. Neither is it something that needs to happen when your children have left home and any big home-life change is going to be a lot rawer. Often, the main point of downsizing is to cut on wastage. Most of us have been guilty of spending money that did not need to be spent.

It is worth looking at purchases which hold their value well – for example, a car is not a good choice for downsizing from the “profit” point of view. However much you paid for that when it was new, it is probably worth a fraction now. Even if you have spent hours lovingly maintaining it, it started losing value the moment you drove it off the forecourt. Conversely, items like laptop computers hold their value exceptionally well. If you find that you are using the laptop less frequently, then you can make a few hundred bucks and save on the electricity that a charge-demanding laptop swallows up every day. If you can make do with a desktop computer, it offers more memory and efficiency – and could help you make a saving, too.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on July 5, 2009.

The High Dam of Aswan | Egypt Travel Blog: Day 3 (Part 25) 02D19

Aswan High Dam – The World's Largest Embankment Dam | Aswan

Egypt Travel Blog: 10 DAYS Egypt Explorer - Felucca Cruise & Red Sea

After reaching the Aswan High Dam, we got off our bus to experience this manmade miracle, an impressive two-mile engineering feat of the 1960s.

The Aswan High Dam was built during the reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser, with Soviet help (400 Soviet experts and engineers worked on the dam). At a cost of 1 Billion dollars, construction started in 1960 and ended in 1970.

The Dam is 3,850 meters (12,565 feet) long, 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) wide and 111 meters (364 feet) high. The volume of the dam's body is 43 million cubic meters of cement, iron and other materials, and a water flow of up to 11,000 cubic meters of water can pass through the dam.

The Aswan High Dam has Lake Nasser, which is the largest artificial lake in the world, on the south side and the Nile River on the Northside. The idea is to stop the Nile from flooding and reserve the water in the lake during a flood and use the water during a drought.

The Aswan High Dam virtually eliminated the danger of floods and can hold 132 cubic kilometres (31.7 cubic miles) of water in Lake Nasser, generating 2.1 gigawatts of hydropower at the dam wall.

We had limited time to view the Dam. It had picturesque views on both sides, with the sun reflecting on the waters. I spent time taking pictures and videos.

I saw Egyptian Army troops guarding the Dam with heavy weapons. There were also police working with them.

We would be heading to the Philae Temple from here, which is located on an island.

Canada Cottage Country Real Estate – Part Five

Ontario Cottage Country Is Quickly Becoming A Real Estate Hot Spot

First Published Date: Jan 23, 2009

Muskoka, 1 ½ hours north of Toronto, is a land of beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and wooded pine forests that has become well known for its’ beautiful terrain. Long known as a home to wealthy sportsmen who settled here from the British Isles, this little piece of heaven is quickly developing into some of the most sought after real estate in the world.

Muskoka is comprised of a group of townships including Georgian Bay, Huntsville, Lake of Bays, Bracebridge, and Muskoka Lake Township. With over 2500 square miles of untouched wilderness in Muskoka there is an uncanny few amount of permanentresidents. Just over 50,000 residents call Muskoka their permanent home. There are nearly 100,000 more seasonal land owners that call Muskoka their home away from home.

The exciting natural beauty of this area has a setting of pristine lakes mixed in with natural rocky shores and magnificent landscapes. The real estate here is sought after because of the peacefulness it brings to calm your soul while still offering access to sports, shopping, and entertainment.

The 3 major lakes, Muskoka, Rousseau, and Joseph, offer more than 100 miles water for your boating pleasure. Residential cottages have hefty price tags but are a cherished family gathering place to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and are generally passed down through the generations. Some of the beautiful cottages here feature gazebos, boat houses, automobile garages, and full length cottage decks. Custom woodwork and one of a kind designs in fireplaces andstaircases are among the most beautiful and elegant features one could hope for. Custom stone walkways, upper decks on the boat houses and even specialaccommodations and extra rooms are some of the options that these countryside cottages offer.

As for activity options in Muskoka the list goes on and on. Nearby museums, sledding, and parks are just a few of the activities that are available in Muskoka. For the sportsmen there is plentiful fishing and hunting activities, not to mention snowmobiles, flying tours, camping, and incredibly beautiful golf courses. For the women there are numerous shopping venues, exhibits of fine art, and delicious restaurants about. Or perhaps spending the day in one of Muskokas’ full service spa and salons where you can restore health and beauty to your body and soul while being pampered to the highest possible standards.

Real estate prices range from $100,000 on the low end to upwards of $2 million for the extravagant properties. Real estate agents online have properties listed with plenty of pictures and well written content to help you learn about the area. If you are in the market for a vacation home and enjoy the peace and tranquility of preserved wildlife I highly recommend you look at Muskoka as an option. Of course you better have your cheque book ready too!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the realestateexpedition.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on Jan 23, 2009.

How To Save Money By Downsizing

Downsizing -Not Always Bad

First Published Date: July 05, 2009

Recession or no recession, it suits any of us to find a way of saving a few dollars here and there. It’s not a bad thing, and none of us should be at all concerned about how it will be viewed. The truth of the matter is that anywhere a saving can be made, there is potential to re-direct funds that may be needed elsewhere or highly beneficial. Looking into your regular expenditure and thinking about what changes you can make, you can come to the conclusion that there is a lot of gain to be made from making a cut – although in some cases it may make for an emotionally challenging decision. However, if you steel yourself for the process and give it your honest appraisal, you may find that it was the best decision you ever made.

One decision that will never be totally comfortable is the sale o f the family home. After all, so many things happened there that made it the center of a life you would not swap for anything. Nonetheless, if the time has come that the kids have moved out – not just to college but to a place of their own, possibly even a marital home – then you are left with a house where at least one room is going empty.

Sure, your kids will visit pretty regularly and may well stay over when they do, and you may well run into a moral quandary when the issue of selling the house they grew up in happens to arise. However, you can take sentiment too far. If selling the house and relocating to a smaller property will make your retirement and the years preceding it any more comfortable, then your kids ought to understand. Moving from a big house to a smaller one can result in a very large lump sum to deposit in the bank.

Downsizing is not solely about making a change from one thing to another, physically smaller thing, of course. Neither is it something that needs to happen when your children have left home and any big home-life change is going to be a lot rawer. Often, the main point of downsizing is to cut on wastage. Most of us have been guilty of spending money that did not need to be spent.

It is worth looking at purchases which hold their value well – for example, a car is not a good choice for downsizing from the “profit” point of view. However much you paid for that when it was new, it is probably worth a fraction now. Even if you have spent hours lovingly maintaining it, it started losing value the moment you drove it off the forecourt. Conversely, items like laptop computers hold their value exceptionally well. If you find that you are using the laptop less frequently, then you can make a few hundred bucks and save on the electricity that a charge-demanding laptop swallows up every day. If you can make do with a desktop computer, it offers more memory and efficiency – and could help you make a saving, too.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on July 5, 2009.