What is GOOD (or Bad) about the area you live?

[Kbr42]

We lived in Toronto for many years. Moved to a 2 acre house, on a dead end 2km dirt road with 4 other houses, between Harrowsmith and Wilton. We love, love, love the area. We are in the middle of nothing but 10km from the hwy and 2.5 hours from TO. Were in the west end of Kingston. Lots of land in this end with some great farmhouses. Close enough, but far enough to have lots of critters.

Happy house hunting.

[TomK]

if you have 10 acres of forest it can be taxed at 25% the normal rate if managed under MFTIP - managed forest tax incentive program https://www.ontario.ca/page/managed-for ... ve-program

I have reforested under the managed forest program...it has had a small effect on the taxes but nowhere near expectations...IMO if i give over land to forest and have to maintain it as such for years and years I shouldn't have to pay ANY taxes...unless i was in my twenties and planted seedlings, I might be around to profit from the forest when i am old and retired but i am already old and retired and will never see an economic benefit from this activity...in my view, I am doing this for the greater good so WTH am i paying taxes on it for? This incences me so much i have half a mind to rip out all the trees...but they are growing so well...

[Robert.Allen]

2 hour drive or 200km's? it can take 2 hours to get across Toronto. my list below is 200km's, lots of old villages with charm, old homestead places with forest and farmland but not big spreads as not first class farmland. Also all within a half hour drive of good hospitals (important for a retirement place).

My first choice is Prince Edward County, I've told Carla we'll retire there if we don't here (Renfrew). Big lake, lake effect temps, snow not deep in winter, wine region, almost flat and bike-able, but its a tourist region and overrun in summer and prices are nuts.
2. West of Kingston, hwy 2 between Kingston and Napanee, great little area, lots of marginal farmland (thin soil to bedrock), old settled area so lots of little villages with old fixer upper houses. Land prices reasonable.
3. Madoc to Tweed (Tweed is 217 km to Toronto), close to cottage country, rolling hills, great landscape, quiet area except for weekend warriors May to September. (warning: lots of hillbillies, folks married to cousins) bonus: Madoc has a touring bus company that goes to Blue Jays games and other places.
4. Port Hope has the nicest main street in Ontario (they won the award) but the town was the main processing centre for nuclear fuel and "waste" soil was used as landfill for construction so there's a wee bit of cancer around there.

Oh my, I live in Tweed, this is the best description... ever

[Poultryprincess]

WOW there are so many good places to check out now - THANX everyone!

Things are stalled now....our place is a tear down bc there is alot of BIG, fancy mansions being built around us.
(NO ONE wants to live in an 1880 farmhouse doncha know LOL)
Right now, seems everyone is waiting to see what happens to the market - aka NOT BUYING
Agent said to stop dropping the price, since that isn't the problem


SOOOOOO here I wait, for someone who wants to build their dream home on 2.2 acres surrounded by corn fields

The feedback so far has been -
aren't you AFRAID here, there's no close nieghbours?

Are there poisonous snakes here?

Why is no GAS lines in the area?

I'm afraid the cougars will grab my grandkids?

Is that your well? ((( while pointing to our above ground swimming pool)))

Oh no, we couldn't heat our house with woodstoves!
((umm u r building your Own house, don't worry about our heat))

There is too many dragon flys here!

ON & ON & ON....ha ha ha ha
May have to go to plan "B" what ever the heck that will be.
THANX AGAIN friends!!!

[TomK]

PP, sad really...nothing wrong with an old farmhouse if its what a person wants...i have however seen far too many farms close to the city get swallowed up by tract housing developers...the owners are usually forced into selling by the threat of the taxman...even if you could tolerate living on your piece of farm in your old home, it would soon become unaffordable...our municiple politicians have all failed in their jobs...growth is not always ( rare actually ) a good thing...especially now when the major portion of the tax base that was formerly borne by business and manufacturing, need now be carried by the homeowner...your list of 'comment/ complaints is hilarious but ever so typical of the citidiot...I am sorry ( not really ) but you can't havall the urban ammenities AND the idyllic life in the country...the two just don't go together and never will...there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is in the least bit inconvenient about living where I do...heat with wood, with propane 'just in case' backup, shop when i happen to in town, love the dragonflies ( of which there are never enough ), I KNOW thereare no poisonous snakes...would think i had died and gone to heaven if i saw an eastern cougar...these folks aren't bad people, they just belong forever in their condos or tract houses with a convenience gas bar every hundred yards or so and UBER fast food delivery...just my thoughts...good luck..

[kenya]

Don't worry the right person will come along and snap it up.

[Happy]

I’ve had so many people say some of those same things to me. I lived in my current home alone for quite a few years. It raised some eyebrows even from the “country folk” neighbors.
“Aren’t you scared there?” Was about the most common question. I never understood that. I would have felt fearful living in the city by myself. I never felt afraid here.
I had one of my city co-workers absolutely gob-smacked to hear that I had a well and that I drank water from it. She was fearful that I was putting myself in danger by drinking water from the ground. Ummmmm...are you serious? Where do you think water comes from?

[Poultryprincess]

TomK, you hit the nail on the head!!!
Our property is now part of the "OAK RIDGES MORAINE Conservation Land"
(it wasn't when we bought the place)
Even though it is 2.25 acres, it is zoned "Single Family Residence only"
(neighbor was caught Renting an apt, & had to evict the tenant)
The zoning used to be Rural agricultural, now it is Rural residential
Our property taxes have gone from $1,800 to $5,600 in 19 years

The HUGE "New Seaton" development is within ear shot
25,ooo (YES 25 THOUSAND) homes, 150 acre mall, expected in the next 5 - 10 years
We are in a pocket of farm land & old farmhouses
Already feeling the pinch & know we will be pushed out
Just a matter of how long we can hold on, I turn 65 in March

I'm ready to get the heck out of Dodge, but I do understand hubby's point.
He says this is our last chance to make some $ on a Unique chunk of land
I worry if the market crashes (we lived thru a few) we could wallow here for Years
Just don't want my retirement to be miserable.
If I want a damn Fancy chicken, I want to buy it - LOL
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....thanx for listening to the ravings of a crazy chick

PS "HAPPY"
our Bestie wants all the curtains closed, & doors locked before she can sleep
She is worried there is a Crazed killer lurking outside & watching her.
I explained to her that IF she really thought that, then leave the curtains Open!
Other wise you won't see him coming, he can sneak up on you!!
I also tried to tell her, there is NO transit here...so how will he get here?
And WHY would he pick the worst house on the street to invade?
Wouldn't he pick a house that looked like they had something Nice inside to steal?
Not really sure she felt any Better after the quiz, hee hee hee?

[baronrenfrew]

Too many dragonflies? what kinda fool says that? any critter that eats mosquitoes - dragonflies, frogs, bats, barn swallows, purple martins, etc. is a friend of mine! (as are all the other critters - bring on the "wild music" ribbit, ribbit)

except coyotes- too many of them

Kingston! love that town lots of good restaurants - had two stints there - first one 1992 - 1994, worked at Domino's pizza and do I have stories about students in that town! (clean your windshield and keep an eye for college students walking into the street - they think they're invincible!) (riding a bike with headphones on? Darwin award please!)

And Kingstown has lots of crappy neighbourhoods with low income folks, biker gang, drugs and pawnshops (not to mention break ins and theft)

[scottishpet]

PP, My husband and I spent many years travelling rural Ontario searching for our retirement hometown. Like you, our lovely home in what was once the sleepy hamlet of Holland Landing, was surrounded by crazy expansion. After years of touring southern Ontario in our motor home and staying in areas for weeks or a month or more we could narrow down some choices. We travelled Kincardine, Godrich, Dunnville, Niagara on the Lake, and so many places in-between. We ended up buying a small 40 acre farm in Prince Edward County at the end of 2016. We built a new house on the farm this summer and we are getting settled into the new house. Our chickens, sheep and goats will start this spring...but I love it here. I love the area, I love the weather, I just love standing outside late at night and just hearing the wind in the trees, and the sounds of owls and night critters. One mistake however! We should have made the move sooner!