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

[Poultryprincess]

We hope to move from our small 2 acre farm to a place NOT being encroached by Major developements.
( Newest developement about 1kl away )

The Province is our oyster, but "Hope" for the following

OLD 2 storey DIY house needing TLC
ACREAGE ( 10+ up to ?? )
HARDINESS ZONE - Hope for minimum of "5"
PRIVACY - no neighbors directly on top of us
BARN & maybe drive shed or storage building
WATER ( creek, stream, river, lake or large pond )
PRICE - prefer a max of $275 - $375
2 HOURS commute to Toronto

So where do YOU live?
Is your area out of my finacial reach?
What do you like / dislike about the area?
I would LUV to hear your stories

[baronrenfrew]

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.

[Poultryprincess]

THANX for the reply baronrenfrew!!!
Hubby wants to stay within a 2 hour drive to Scarborough, so he can see his Dr.

I'm not familiar with "Prince Edward county" so will check out the prices.
I did NOT know about Port Hope, good to know about the nuclear

I did see a few interesting listings for Napanee.
Never been there but it's on our list for a drive thru.
Maybe go & walk around town & have a coffee.
( when the weather improves of course )

We saw some killer deals in Madoc & Marmora - great old houses
Checked out a nice place in Campbellford & Havelock too.
But the properties were under 5 acres, so passed on them.

Twice we saw property in Tweed that we thought could work,
but they sold before we could drive there

Seems like at least I'm on the right track!
I want to be ready when there are more listings.
BIG BIG THANX baronrenfrew

[Killerbunny]

Be very careful on zoning. Some Municipalities don't want what they consider a "Livestock Operation" on less than 10 acres. Their definition is inaccurate. Our Twp was trying to call backyard chickens that but then they are a complete F****p. Who wants to fight them legally even if you had the money. WWW will back me up on that. Another local twp made someone sell off their goat and chickens using a 19something very old bylaw!

[baronrenfrew]

Hmm, you might have to think bigger or get creative. buy an old homestead with 50 acres and sever off 20.

if you find the right land you can build a house (that's my first choice- why rebuild a clunker when you can start fresh) - build a solar or "net zero" home. you can set it up with solar energy for the price of connecting with the grid. i know a guy who built a house and was quoted $50,000 to connect with hydro, he got an unconnected system for $30,000 (solar and batteries)

https://ekobuilt.com/ontario-passive-house/
https://www.google.ca/amp/ottawacitizen ... living/amp


start with an area you like, get a real estate agent, and make them work for you.

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

[Poultryprincess]

Be very careful on zoning. Some Municipalities don't want what they consider a "Livestock Operation" on less than 10 acres. Their definition is inaccurate. Our Twp was trying to call backyard chickens that but then they are a complete F****p. Who wants to fight them legally even if you had the money. WWW will back me up on that. Another local twp made someone sell off their goat and chickens using a 19something very old bylaw!

REALLY!!!! YES I will have to make sure the new place lets me have critters.
Our 2 acres is surrounded by about 200 acres of corn fields
Ends up If you live on the N side on our street, (we do) then you can have critters.
South side NO.

In Havelock you needed 5 acres to have critters.
We would LOVE 100+ acres & rent it back to a farmer to keep taxes down.
I Just want to be mindful of our budget.

ps baronrenfrew, I "HATE" new houses! Had 2 in the past & it's not my thing.
I need Old bones, with the freedom to rip out a few walls.
I design, help rip out walls, DH drywalls, I tape, he sands then I paint
He lays the plywood, I tile the floors & I do all the ceramic bathroom stalls.
I put together all the cabinets & he instals them....but glad you enjoy them.

[KimChick]

We are originally from Southern Ontario. Since retiring, we moved to Eastern Ontario and we LOVE it! We have an old farm house (1890) that has been renovated to some extent.
It is too far of a commute from here to Toronto.

[Poultryprincess]

Where do you live KimChick?
Do you have any acreage?
Critters? I'd luv to have goats, ducks, geese, chickens & ???
Hoping DH luvs a place enough to either make a day trip to see Dr, or get another Dr close by.

[KimChick]

Where do you live KimChick?
Do you have any acreage?
Critters? I'd luv to have goats, ducks, geese, chickens & ???
Hoping DH luvs a place enough to either make a day trip to see Dr, or get another Dr close by.

We are north of Kingston, just outside of Westport in Rideau Lakes township, on 8 1/2 acres on County Road 42.
Right now, we have chickens and 2 cows.

[Poultryprincess]

When I Googled places to retire, Kingston was in the top 5
It surre is beautiful there & great sailing too!