Messages

1

General / Re: Everything pretty much overpriced right now?

« on: October 24, 2006, 08:45:24 PM »

Be careful what you wish for. All that is needed for prices to go lower in the GTA is a very bad economy. The whole of New York State has lost a lot of jobs to the southern states and overseas partly due to high taxes. The prices are low due to lack of jobs and therefore not enough bidders for existing homes.

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General / Re: bugs

« on: October 24, 2006, 08:38:56 PM »

A lot of people will not want to do this but all you have to do is cut trees and brush and create lots of open space. A tree canope over top is no problem. Cut the brush and lower limbs and you will have far fewer bugs. This will not help much at night so  a screened in porch is a real asset.

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General / Re: Become disenchanted with tax sales

« on: October 09, 2006, 01:44:17 PM »

I agree that there is too much interest right now for you to make a real killing. I still enjoy looking and there are lots of properties that no one can see the potential in. I have bought a few and I am looking at a few right now. [I wish I had more money.]Tax sales are only one source of prospects. Think longer term. Find a property that has problems that you think you can solve. Use the property yourself and enjoy it for a while. When buyers come to see it, they will see a property that someone else is getting value out of. Do this to the property that add real value. Forget about trying to sell something to a greater fool. If this is going to be a business for albeit part time,offer real value to your potential customers.

4

General / Re: No building permit available

« on: October 05, 2006, 09:45:57 PM »

I asked the question because a large number of tax sale lots are let go on purpose by the owner presumably because they could not be sold and were basically useless. If you can find some limited use for them then they may be marketable. When we bought our latest lot, it had a 14x8 cabin with the roof falling in. I think it predated current building codes. We repaired it and added a deck and moved right in. Our next door neighbour is doing the same thing. We also built a 8x12 tool shed. Later when we applied for a building permit for a cottage, the inspector asked a few questions about the cabin and then lost interest. It has an air conditioner hanging out of the window so its use is obvious. We are on a lake that joins up with the trent system, but it is not considered part of the trent. Parks Canada does not have authority over the shoreline. The township does not issue permits for docks. Ontario mnr does not require a permit but limits cribbing to 10 square meters. We built our dock with no permit. No one was interested.  So even before we built the cottage, we had a very comfortable place. If we could do that to a "worthless" lot, maybe we could make some money. Im not advicating breaking laws but maybe a little bending.

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General / Re: No building permit available

« on: October 04, 2006, 10:03:48 PM »

Do a google search for "ontario building code". You should run accross several sites which state that any building over 108 square feet or 10 square meters requires a permit. A building is described as having a floor a roof and walls or any of these. All building inspecters in ontario use the ontario building code as their authority.Countless so called vacant lots in Ontario have small cabins on them. The code reads that they can not have toilets or plumbing but no other restrictions are listed. I am looking for someone who has been challenged on this.

6

General / No building permit available

« on: October 04, 2006, 09:39:10 PM »

Rhetorical question.If I buy a tax sale property where no building permit is available, what use can I make of it?
 I can build a cabin 108 square feet no plumbing no toilet and no permit required. I could sleep in it in the summer. I could add a deck less than 24" off the ground and no larger than 108 square feet as long as it was not connected to or touching the cabin and no building permit required. I could build a second cabin as a sort living room/kitchen and as long as it stands alone no building permit is required. I can build an outhouse[class 1 sewage system] and no permits are required. I would have to be careful to obey setback bylaws but other than that my understanding is that all of this falls outside of the juristiction of the local building inspector.
 I see this as an economical way to add value to a tax sale property that is near or on a lake but for whatever reason can not get approval for a cottage. I think that what I am suggesting is perfectly legitimate. Am I missing something?

7

General / Re: Useful map program that shows lot and consession for all ontario -- free

« on: October 04, 2006, 09:17:48 PM »

WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SITE  WWW...........................................................

Thanks
Dave

The website for simcoe is www.discoversimcoe .com

8

General / Re: Useful map program that shows lot and consession for all ontario -- free

« on: October 03, 2006, 10:31:42 PM »

I have been trying to get claimaps to work but with no success. I have pushed every button. There is a great map site for simcoe county that shows individual lots and addresses superimposed on a satelite photo. I can see my neighbours cottages.

9

General / Re: What is stopping you from making your first bid?

« on: September 28, 2006, 08:49:58 PM »

I must admit that I never went ahead with the dredging permit but when I requested the paperwork from the mnr they sounded really positive if the dredging was for boating channel or swimming. I stand corrected.

10

General / Re: What is stopping you from making your first bid?

« on: September 27, 2006, 10:01:55 PM »

I am looking for something very close to my cottage area. Sales come up once a year if that. It is something that I may never do unless something really appealing turns up. Right now there seems to too many seekers out there. I have never purchased through tax sales but I have bought three cottage lots over the years that were considered extremely sub prime. They were all completly overgrown and two of them were extremely steep. Two of them were water access. The one that I still have is in a shallow swampy bay. All of these properties were bought to keep and not to flip.Only one was actually listed for sale when I made an offer.All of these lots turned out to be very nice locations once they were developed.
 Every property has problems that lower its value. What you need to do is look at the drawbacks that a property has and see how many you can overcome and at what cost. Each problem you solve increases your properties value.
Badly overgrown? Cut some trees.
Steep incline? Perch a split level building decending the hill.
Dilapidated building? It may be grandfathered in a location where a building permit is hard or impossible to get.
Shallow bay? dredging permits are routinely granted for boat channels and swimming areas.

11

General / Re: Water Access

« on: September 25, 2006, 09:54:14 PM »

I and members of my extended family have owned and some still do own a number of properties on the severn river. Some of us have paid for dock and parking space but most of us found free parking spots. We actually like being in a world where boats are the only method of travel. Moving a refrigerator is no problem especially if someone owns a welded steel boat. These are the equivalent of a pick up truck on the severn river. The point I want to make is that a lot of people love water access cottages. As long as the price is right there will always be a market.

12

General / ontario shiriff auctions

« on: September 25, 2006, 09:39:32 PM »

Is anyone following shiriff auctions? I would like to hear about member experiences if there are any.