June Newsletter ~ The PEDLAR Team Update

 

To The Muslim Community:   It is with heavy hearts that we hear about the horrendous attacks against a family due to their religious beliefs in London this past weekend. We are all human and we are all in this together. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members of those deceased and the muslim community as a whole. Summer Is Here   This weekend was certainly a glimpse of what to expect this summer! With weather forecasters predicting a hot weekend well in advance many families made the plans to come enjoy the Grand Bend beach over the weekend. I can't remember a weekend in June that I have seen the beach that busy before. We hope everyone was able to catch some fresh air and embrace the warm weather! It's good for the soul! The market continues to run strong around Grand Bend and surrounding areas. We are noticing the odd listing remaining on the market after offer date due to a higher listing price. Today's buyers look at list price and don't come to view unless they can see some value at 50-100k over asking price because that's what we have seen for the past 6-12 months. It also only makes sense as the average price of homes goes up that less and less people can afford the price of a home. As prices increase the buyer pool becomes smaller due to simple economics. We are never far from our phones if you have any questions about real estate! Call The PEDLAR Team today for all your real estate needs! Happy Father's Day! Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dad's out there! Last month we celebrated our outstanding mother's and this month we are lucky enough to extend the same gratitude to the father's in our life. Dog dad's matter as well so we included Garrett in this special mention! We are lucky enough to have three awesome dad's in our life ... Doug Pedlar, Mark Pedlar and Garrett Pedlar! Make sure to get your Dad something special this Fathers Day because they deserve it!   Re/MAX: Grand Bend Real Estate Trends Grand Bend real estate was once considered a sleepy, quiet market compared to its urban counterparts, but all that changed in the past year, with buyer preferences shifting in favour of smaller communities offering more home and property, at a lower price. But that too, is starting to change. As interest and activity in Canada’s recreational property markets continues to rise in the wake of the global pandemic, prices are following suit.   The Grand Bend real estate market is currently experiencing seller’s market conditions, with low listing inventory across all property types including waterfront, non-waterfront, water access and condo apartments. It seems that, regardless of the type of home, buyers are charmed by this small town. Average days on market (DOM) has fallen to just six. (DOM is a key metric that gauges how long it will take to liquidate the region’s active listings at the current rate of sales.) And competition is high for what listings are available, with multiple offers being a regular occurrence. This migration of homebuyers to the Grand Bend area is largely coming from large, urban markets, including Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and London, Ontario, according to Mark Pedlar, real estate agent and manager at RE/MAX Bluewater Realty Inc., a brokerage servicing the Grand Bend, Bayfield, Hay Township and Port Franks area of southwestern Ontario. Pedlar confirms that many buyers have indeed expanded their search area, thanks to work-from-home allowances, while others are also buying cottages with investment in mind, to be rented weekly as the Airbnb and short-term rental market here expands. Aside from putting upward pressure on the supply of listings and prices, the trend of “move-over” buyers has also forced some locals to step back from the market after being priced out. “As the prices continue to rise, you’re going to start seeing more sellers take advantage of the market, but with limited inventory for the near future, prices and demand are going to continue to be high,” Pedlar said. Pedlar reports that average prices in the Grand Bend real estate market have risen across the board in 2021 (January 1-April 30): Detached waterfront properties: $1,292,877 Detached non-waterfront properties: $756,557 Water access properties: $780,521 Condominiums: $567,000 Read the full article and click the link: https://blog.remax.ca/grand-bend-real-estate-trends-2021/?fbclid=IwAR1FJZDJ-H51xr6Dn8RUJzT9ev1kHyPbnKAoe9o30mKHZDZlArSRYHU5jWc   Old Ausable Channel Many locals may not know the history of the Old Ausable River but here is a great video about the ecosystem that exists in the Old Ausable River Channel. Quick history lesson: In 1875, The Canada Company constructed a ‘cut’ in the river’s path from the south end of the Thedford Marsh to the Village of Port Franks in order to relieve flooding. This ‘cut’ drained the Thedford Marsh and parts of Lake Burwell and enabled the land to be used for vegetable farming. As a result, the Ausable River empties directly in to Lake Huron at Port Franks. This was the beginning of some problems for the Village of Port Franks. Since the river did not empty into Lake Burwell, or head to Grand Bend, anymore, the ice and sediment that was once dumped in these areas, now emptied into the Cut. This caused ice jamming problems along the Cut as well as in the Village of Port Franks. An interesting note is that the old river bed is two metres/ seven feet higher than the Cut channel. Therefore, the river could not be reconnected in this area very easily. In the early 1890s the citizens of the Village of Grand Bend decided that they wanted a harbour. So, in 1892, a ‘cut’ was created to outlet Parkhill Creek directly to the Lake at Grand Bend. This ‘cut’ is now deeper (about two metres deeper) than the original river bed and, as a result, the stability of the river bank was decreased (i.e., more bank exposed and overhung due to the increased depth of the channel). This is why Grand Bend has erosion problems along the Cut channel. The creation of this ‘cut’ also resulted in the creation of the Old Ausable River Channel that we know today. Since the channel was blocked at the bend in the river, the flow to the remaining channel was terminated, fed only by precipitation, groundwater, and very little runoff. Professor, PhD students share research on ‘Canada’s Freshwater Ark,’ Old Ausable Channel in Grand Bend area. In this online webinar, which took place on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, Dr. Nick Mandrak presented on species-at-risk fish research in the Grand Bend and Port Franks areas. People with an interest in the unique Old Ausable Channel (OAC), in the Grand Bend area, have a chance to learn more about ‘Canada’s freshwater ark.’ Dr. Nicholas Mandrak, of University of Toronto, and his PhD students, presented their Old Ausable Channel and Port Franks species-at-risk fish research. Professor Nicholas Mandrak co-authored, along with Erling Holm and Mary Burridge, the “authoritative full-colour field guide to all species of freshwater fish found in Ontario,” called The ROM Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Ontario. Ausable Bayfield Conservation hosted the webinar. Dr. Mandrak has recently relocated to Grand Bend. The professor is passionate about conservation research in the area. Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) staff say the webinar is of interest to people who want to learn about local habitat as well as learning about ways to help contribute to the research that is happening. Watch the full youtube video about the ecosystem by clicking the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p737bfCVQSk To read more about the history of the Old Ausable River click this link: https://oldausablechannel.ca/old-ausable-channel/ May Financial Market Update Aaron Pedlar With Sterling Mutuals   Have you ever heard of this investment adage? The phrase "sell in May and go away" is thought to originate from an old English saying, "Sell in May and go away, and come on back on St. Leger's Day." This phrase refers to a custom of aristocrats, merchants, and bankers who would leave the city of London and escape to the country during the hot summer months. St. Leger's Day refers to the St. Leger's Stakes, a thoroughbred horse race held in mid-September and the last leg of the British Triple Crown. North American traders and investors who are likely to spend more time on vacation between Victoria Day/Memorial Day and Labor Day mimic this trend and have adopted the phrase as an investing adage. And indeed, for over half a century stock market patterns have supported the theory behind the strategy in comparison to the other 6 months (typically colder months) of the year. In saying that, its fails to mention that although these summer months typically don’t produce as attractive returns as the months from November through April it has historically still been a positive experience. In fact, the S&P 500 has returned only 1 negative monthly return over the past 10 years [2015 (-0.3%).] So how did markets fare in May this year? Canadian and International Equities led the way, but short answer is pretty positive. The tech and high growth style companies sell off (i.e. Nasdaq) continued to some extent with fears of inflation, and very little change in the US 10-Year Treasury. Read the full article by clicking the link: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6018f1a798a151ab1e3cba5f/60be446f2bb3404151e2f16b_2021-06-07%20May%20Market%20Commentary.pdf Go check out his new website completed at the start of March. Check it out at http://www.PedlarFinancial.com and use it as a one stop site to log into your client portal and access timely blog updates. A New Way To Get Around Town   Lambton Shores has become one of the first municipalities in Canada to approve the use of low-speed vehicles on its roads, an oddly shaped but environmentally friendly way to get around town. The Lake Huron community, which includes Grand Bend, has passed a bylaw allowing for the slow-moving vehicles — small, electric rides that run a maximum speed of 40 kilometres/hour — to be driven on area roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less. “The request was put in to get an environmentally friendly way to get around the downtown urban areas,” said Lambton Shores Mayor Bill Weber. “It is really for a downtown core.” The move comes as Ontario is in the midst of a 10-year pilot project, launched in 2017, allowing municipalities to give such mini-vehicles the green light. Lambton Shores municipal staff have described the so-called LSVs as “an environmentally friendly alternative to a full passenger vehicle” that is “typically used for short vehicle trips in an urban area.” Click these couple links to read more:  https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/lets-ride-slowly-grand-bend-area-gives-green-light-to-low-speed-vehicles https://torontosun.com/life/homes/a-great-way-to-get-around-town?fbclid=IwAR2b5jL_Wxq93wfGblPxme1kjYSPNHyrywTEhS7N1s8taKDlcuhTr8UWcjI Get Your 2021 Grand Bend Locals Card   Support Local With Your GRAND BEND Locals Card It is the hope that this card will encourage you to choose local businesses, more often. They've been quietly adding new businesses, new offers and TWICE as many draws! As lovers of Grand Bend, we need to stick together and keep our businesses OPEN. These Local businesses who are unable to provide specific offers, have stepped up to help provide MORE CARDHOLDER Draws! More Draws = More Winning & More Local Spending. Let's support them, for all they do to support our community.   Click the link to see more information: https://grandbendlocals.com/ Ontario Regional Referral Team Looking to move outside of the area and not sure who to call? As always call The PEDLAR Team with any of your real estate needs! We are closely connected with a group of realtors that cover Southwestern Ontario. Along with our involvement in the Re/MAX community we are sure to line you up with a trusted knowledgeable real estate agent to make your plans a reality anywhere in North America, or the world for that matter because Re/MAX is global! Check out the website for ORRT and learn more about the group: https://www.orrt.ca/ Lambton County & Huron County Business Map   A new initiative started by the Lambton County & Huron County Economic Development groups was uploaded recently. They each created a virtual mapping website to show all the businesses and store fronts across the counties. These were created as an idea during COVID and will become a great tool for locals and tourists alike after COVID. Any business can be posted in the respective area if you go to the proper link below for each county.  Lambton County: http://www.shoplambton.ca Huron County: https://huron.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dc52efb9fee04e748431bb74c8335c9f New To Lambton Shores? The municipality of Lambton Shores is starting a new initiative of making municipality information easier to find out. Check the link out and see what things you didn't know about this awesome municipality.  Click the link: https://www.lambtonshores.ca/en/living-here/new-to-lambton-shores.aspx?platform=hootsuite   Social Media   Have a great day everyone and don't forget to check out our social media sites like youtube, facebook, twitter and our website to stay up to date on all the latest listings. You can find the links to these various social media outlets above our information below. See the benefits of using a high quality drone and camera for videos and pictures to add content to each listing. GIVE US A LIKE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE BY CLICKING THE ICON BELOW! We love to hear about your experience with The PEDLAR Team so please feel free to head to our facebook page and leave a review. Click the link to leave a review: https://www.facebook.com/thepedlarteam/reviews/

St.Joseph's Lakefront Newly Totally Renovated 68' Of Frontage Enjoy All The Sunsets! 4 Beds    2 Bath $929,000 Parkhill Situated On Double Lot New Roof & Sheeting 2018 Lots Of Updates Pool 2019 Filter/Pump 2020 4 Beds 2 Bath $379,900 Thedford Built In 2020 1,830 Square Feet High End Finished In-Floor Heat/Central Air 3 Beds 2 Bath $549,900

If you or any of your friends and family are looking to buy or sell make sure to call us first! Referrals are the greatest compliment Check our website out by clicking the link below http://www.grandbendrealestate.com  Doug Pedlar      Mark Pedlar     Garrett Pedlar      Broker of Record                         Broker                        Sales Representative   519-902-4099    519-670-0746     519-872-0910  remaxdoug@hay.net           remaxmark@hay.net          remaxgarrett@hay.net

LSTAR Records Its Second Best May for Home Sales

May 2021 was yet another remarkable month for home sales activity in LSTAR's jurisdiction: the Association recorded 1,258 residential transactions via its MLS® systems - up 87.5% from May 2020, when the local real estate market was experiencing a pandemic-induced decline.

"This number marks the second best May for LSTAR home sales, surpassed only by May 2017, when LSTAR REALTORS® sold 1,433 homes," said LSTAR 2021 President Jack Lane. "However, year-to-date sales are at an all-time high. At the end of May, there have been 5,175 sales, up 64.3% over the same period last year."

The overall inventory figure, which shows how long it would take to liquidate the existing housing supply in our area at the current rate of sales activity, remained at 0.6 months - its lowest level in the last decade.

"Combined with the high demand, the lack of housing supply is pushing the Sales to New Listings ratio up, creating a Sellers' Market with multiple offers for many listings and numerous properties sold over the asking price," Lane added. "Nonetheless, it's essential for consumers to understand that each home is unique and its sale price can vary based on its location, type, and features," he emphasized.

The single-family home remains on top of the local buyers' preferences, with 937 sales in May.

Despite all the increases seen in the HPI benchmark prices and average sales prices, homes in LSTAR's jurisdiction appear to be relatively affordable when compared to houses from some other major Ontario and Canadian centres. The following chart is based on data taken from the CREA National Price Map for April 2021.

SOLD In Grand Bend ~ Wee Lake Estates

SOLD In Port Franks ~ Charming Bungalow In The Woods

May Newsletter ~ The PEDLAR Team Update

 

MAY We Get Some Warmer Weather!   Hang in there folks! One of these days the warmer weather will come and we can put the winter coats away ... I hope! Just one of the many joys of living in Canada ... you never put your winter coat away until July 1. The real estate market keeps chugging along setting new bars each week! The buyer pool continues to fill with excited buyers ready to get out of the city or local families looking to relocate. As full time realtors we are always up to date with the most recent sales so feel free to reach out if you have any questions. If you haven't been down the main strip in Grand Bend lately there is lots of action with construction workers working hard to get things done before the tourists arrive. The legitimate investment in to our small town is incredible to watch! We can't wait to see what the future holds for our downtown core as we go from July-August wooden shells to three story state of the art mixed use buildings. We hope you all have a great month ahead and hope your lucky enough to get out golfing or boating because we all know fresh air is good for the soul. We are never far from our phones if you have any questions about real estate! Call The PEDLAR Team today for all your real estate needs! Happy Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mom's out there! We know mom's rock already but this past year would be the most trying time for many mom's as schedules got flipped and they adapted like the pros they are! We are lucky enough to have three wonderful mom's in our life ... Jeannette Pedlar, Robyn Pedlar and Shelley Bedard! Make sure to get your Mom something special this Mother's Day because they deserve it!   Nurse Appreciation Week May 6-12 Make sure to thank those nurses in your life or if you come across these heroes on your daily travels. They have been through hell and back in the hospitals dealing with the pandemic we have been in for over a year! Let them know you care about them and make sure they know we love them. We are forever grateful for the world class nurses that we are lucky enough to have in our Canadian health care system.   April Financial Market Update Aaron Pedlar With Sterling Mutuals   Go check out his new website completed at the start of March. Check it out at http://www.PedlarFinancial.com and use it as a one stop site to log into your client portal and access timely blog updates. How To Manage Life Under Renovation From HOLMAN Construction   These 3 tips come from HOLMAN Construction who just completed the DREAM HOME in Pinery Bluffs Subdivision south of Grand Bend. 1) Establish A Routine ... Since home renovations are rarely predictable, establishing routines, like weekly outings (even if itès in the backyard) can create some normalcy. 2) Stay Organized ... Create a home improvement filing system to help you easily track and reference receipts, project updates, punch lists and more. 3) Practice Self Care ... Good eating habits and getting at least eight hours of sleep will also go a long way to ensure everyone's stress levels is in check. Get Your 2021 Grand Bend Locals Card   Support Local With Your GRAND BEND Locals Card It is the hope that this card will encourage you to choose local businesses, more often. They've been quietly adding new businesses, new offers and TWICE as many draws! As lovers of Grand Bend, we need to stick together and keep our businesses OPEN. These Local businesses who are unable to provide specific offers, have stepped up to help provide MORE CARDHOLDER Draws! More Draws = More Winning & More Local Spending. Let's support them, for all they do to support our community.   Click the link to see more information: https://grandbendlocals.com/ Ontario Regional Referral Team Looking to move outside of the area and not sure who to call? As always call The PEDLAR Team with any of your real estate needs! We are closely connected with a group of realtors that cover Southwestern Ontario. Along with our involvement in the Re/MAX community we are sure to line you up with a trusted knowledgeable real estate agent to make your plans a reality anywhere in North America, or the world for that matter because Re/MAX is global! Check out the website for ORRT and learn more about the group: https://www.orrt.ca/ Lambton County & Huron County Business Map   A new initiative started by the Lambton County & Huron County Economic Development groups was uploaded recently. They each created a virtual mapping website to show all the businesses and store fronts across the counties. These were created as an idea during COVID and will become a great tool for locals and tourists alike after COVID. Any business can be posted in the respective area if you go to the proper link below for each county.  Lambton County: http://www.shoplambton.ca Huron County: https://huron.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dc52efb9fee04e748431bb74c8335c9f Shoreline ToGo   Order food for takeout or delivery from the restaurants you love in Arkona, Bayfield, Blyth, Exeter, Forest, Grand Bend, Hensall, Kettle & Stony Point, Ipperwash, Northville, Parkhill, Port Franks, Thedford and Zurich! Many of our restaurants are OPEN and LOOKING for your business. This is a great way to see what is open in our area. Support local during these times so we can enjoy them to their fullest when COVID restrictions are eased. Click the link to view full report: http://shorelinetogo.ca/?fbclid=IwAR3pjTjkAPR95yCpMqhcNvrEzHPkMrneLdpBrT-_UO2WCcd5kp73Zpwe7S8   New To Lambton Shores? The municipality of Lambton Shores is starting a new initiative of making municipality information easier to find out. Check the link out and see what things you didn't know about this awesome municipality.  Click the link: https://www.lambtonshores.ca/en/living-here/new-to-lambton-shores.aspx?platform=hootsuite   Social Media   Have a great day everyone and don't forget to check out our social media sites like youtube, facebook, twitter and our website to stay up to date on all the latest listings. You can find the links to these various social media outlets above our information below. See the benefits of using a high quality drone and camera for videos and pictures to add content to each listing. GIVE US A LIKE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE BY CLICKING THE ICON BELOW! We love to hear about your experience with The PEDLAR Team so please feel free to head to our facebook page and leave a review. Click the link to leave a review: https://www.facebook.com/thepedlarteam/reviews/

Southcott Pines Lakefront Extensive Updates 2019 70' Of Frontage TURN KEY Furniture Incl. 4 Beds    2 Bath $1,699,900 Watford Extensive Updates 2018 New Roof 2021 Oversized Lot 3 Beds 2 Bath $350,000 COMING SOON Katherine St. Port Franks Year Round Cottage 100' x 150' Lot 3 Beds 1 Bath $439,900

March Home Sales Ignite A Strong Start to the Spring Market

 The London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) announced 1,296 homes exchanged hands in March, an increase of more than 56% compared to the same time a year ago. The total sales are the highest recorded for the month of March since the Association began tracking data in 1978. 

"We've experienced a very robust start to the first quarter of 2021, with the seventh consecutive month of record sales," said LSTAR 2021 President Jack Lane.

Low supply and high demand continue to affect the average sales price across the major areas of LSTAR's jurisdiction. 

At the end of March, there were 0.4 months of inventory, lower than the 0.6 months of inventory reported at the end of February. Out of the five main areas, St. Thomas and Strathroy had the lowest housing supply, with only 0.3 months of inventory. Elgin had the highest supply with 0.7 months."

Single-family homes were the most popular housing type sold in March, with 941 sales. The table below shows the March benchmark prices for all housing types and how they stack up against the values from a year ago.

MLS® Home Price Index Benchmark Prices
Benchmark Type	March 2021	Change over March 2020
LSTAR Composite	$566,000	↑ 36.2%
LSTAR Single-Family	$625,300	↑ 41.3%
LSTAR One Storey	$555,100	↑ 35.0%
LSTAR Two Storey	$698,300	↑ 46.2%
LSTAR Townhouse	$419,300	↑ 26.9%
LSTAR Apartment	$286,500	↑ 3.2%

  According to a research report[1], a total of $73,250 in ancillary expenditures is generated by the average housing transaction in Ontario over a period of three years from the date of purchase.

"The record March home sales could translate into more than $94 million back into the local economy within the next few years," Lane said. "The business of real estate is a huge contributor to getting the economy back on track, as all sectors continue to manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic."