City of Barrie - Urban Growth Centre Showcase - Video

City of Barrie celebrates its vibrancy through many festivals throughout the year. There are many things to do, with its close proximity to everything. It's not just a City...it's a lifestyle. Great waterfront community and truly is a great place to live, work and play!

Barrie South-End Housing Development - Update August 2012

Traffic, wildlife top list of concerns about south-end housing plan

The fate of a proposed, controversial south-Barrie residential development is winding its way through city hall and the Ontario Municipal Board.

Baywood Homes wants to build as many as 1,900 residential units on almost 100 acres of land along Mapleview Drive, on the east side of the GO train tracks — a mix of high-rise, mid-rise, town homes and stacked town homes.

Because city council has not yet made a decision on Baywood’s proposal, the developer has appealed to the OMB.

The second pre-hearing conference is scheduled for Oct. 11.

Coun. Alex Nuttall, who represents this part of Barrie, says he’s not impressed with Baywood’s tactics, given that the developer’s original plan was for 2,100 units.

“They filed with the OMB on the old one, so that they could apply pressure on the new proposal,” he said. “I think that it creates even more animosity around a project that’s obviously stirred up pretty deep feeling in the community.”

Nuttall said councillors are waiting for city planners to come back with a staff report that recommends, one way or the other, whether Baywood’s plan should proceed.

Then councillors can debate the matter.

He expects that report in the next month or so.

Bill Church, who lives on Birkhall Place, north of the site, says most area residents think this project is too large.

He compares Baywood’s plans to Geranium’s approved development at the east end of Big Bay Point Road in Innisfil, with 1,600 resort condo units and 400 hotel rooms on about 560 acres.

“To do the same thing on 100 acres, it seems to me that something’s wrong,” Church said.

Area residents have also expressed concerns about traffic created by the project’s density on an already busy Mapleview Drive. And there have been concerns about wildlife on the property, as people have seen foxes, deer, rabbits and many birds there — including Canada geese and blue herons since 2001.

Baywood officials have said their plan follows provincial guidelines for more intensified residential development and it’s close to public transit, specifically to GO trains which head south on weekdays and take commuters off Highway 400.

But Church says there’s poor access from 700 and 725 Mapleview Dr. to the Barrie South GO Train Station.

“The whole basis of the developer’s application is that government policy is you’re supposed to ... develop more intensely around GO stations,” he said. “I think the presumption is you can get to the GO station, and in that particular case, they (Baywood) don’t own all the land all the way to the GO station.”

Church is also concerned this area doesn’t have the needed city infrastructure — roads, storm and sanitary sewers, etc. — for the development.

“You can fight it on the basis that it’s simply premature. You don’t have any money to do some of this stuff,” he said.

Church says he’s also concerned with the precedent this development would set, if it’s approved.

He points at Pratt Development’s plans in another part of Barrie.

“What troubles me, and it’s happening on Ferndale (Drive), south of Tiffin (Street), is that they nibble away,” he said.

“They don’t start out with much, but they keep pushing it a little bit and pretty soon you’re looking at it.

“They nibble away until there isn’t anything left.”

Pratt wants to build about 270 low- and medium-density housing units on two separate sites on its 76.4 acres at 40 Ferndale Dr. S. Bear Creek Wetlands occupy 71% of this land, which are not proposed for development, but would be dedicated to the city if the plan is approved.

As for Baywood Homes, Nuttall says it’s been quiet lately in terms of residents’ feedback.

“I don’t receive much any more on it, but as soon as it ramps up, then I’m sure I will,” he said.

City council initially approved a draft plan of subdivision for this land in January 2006, and granted an extension three years later — but told the developer its plans didn’t conform with intensification standards.

Early in 2011, Barrie councillors denied Baywood a one-year extension of its draft plan approval status for this property.

Credit: Barrie Examiner - Bob Bruton

Barrie Buzz - Upcoming Events for August 2012~

Check Out Our Upcoming Summer Events (Thanks Tourism Barrie!)

42nd Annual Kempenfest - August 3 - 6: One of Ontario's Top 100 Festivals. Walk along Barrie's waterfront and enjoy over 400 arts, crafts and antique exhibits. All weekend long families can enjoy live entertainment, a midway, childrens activities and more.

 

Theatre By The Bay Presents 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' - August 9 - 26: Queen Victoria so enjoyed the character of the vainglorious knight Sir John Falstaff, that she commissioned Shakespeare to write a play allowing him to pursue his love of the fairer sex. This bawdy, comic romp has the unique distinction of being the only one of Bard's plays to deal with the contemporary Elizabethan middle class life and times for which he wrote.  

Theatre By The Bay Presents 'Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang' - August 10 - 25: Jacob Two-Two has to say everything twice to be heard simply because he's the youngest of five children. His quest to be taken seriously takes him into a fantastic world of larger than life characters including Master Fish, Mistress Fowl and The Hooded Fang! To purchase tickets and for performance information please call (705) 735-9243 or visit www.theatrebythebay.com.     

Rhythmfest -  August 11: Celebrate the universal language of rhythm including live entertainment and workshops. Interactivity is a central theme and audiences, young and old, are encouraged to participate.

  

Caribfest - August 17 - 19: Celebrate the sights, sounds and tastes of the Caribbean, including live performances, vendors, a costume parade and more. 

 

10th Annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival - August 25: Fun & excitement on Kempenfelt Bay! Bring the family to watch the Dragon Boat races, cultural and commercial exhibits, children's activities and much more. 

5th Annual Savour Simcoe - August 26: This is a culinary event showcasing quality food and those who grow and produce it in Simcoe County prepared by the finest Chefs. 

 

For more information on all the above events, other events and great summer family adventures visit  www.tourismbarrie.com. If you would like to recieve a copy of the 2012 Summer Barrie & Area Vacation & Leisure Guide email us at info@tourismbarrie.com or call 1-800-668-9100.

Barrie Real Estate Market - July 2012

Barrie Real Estate Market - July 2012 

Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 418 units in July 2012, up 10 per cent from the same month last year. This was the seventh consecutive year-over-year gain.
 
Within the city of Barrie, sales activity recorded an increase on par with the overall region. The city of Barrie saw 255 residential sales in July, also 10 per cent above levels from July 2011.
 
 
The year-to-date average price for all Barrie homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in July 2012 was $302,905, up six per cent from levels at the same time last year.
 
The year-to-date average price figure for homes sold within the City of Barrie was $287,367. This was a seven per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011. The dollar value of all Barrie home sales in July 2012 was $129 million, up 12 per cent from year-ago levels.
 
New residential Barrie listings were up seven per cent from a year earlier to 700 units in July 2012.
 
Overall supply levels have generally been trending downward since last summer and this trend continued to play out in July. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,686 units at the end of July 2012. This was down 10 per cent from the end of July 2011.
 
There were four months of inventory at the end of July 2012, down from 4.9 months at the end of July 2011. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.
 
Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 430 units in July, up 12 per cent compared to July 2011. The total value of all properties sold in July 2012 was $134.2 million, up 16 per cent on a year-over-year basis.
 
The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members .

For more Barrie Real Estate information go to InvestingInBarrie.com 

The information contained in this report has been prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association, in co-operation with The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc.. The information has been drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. In providing this information, neither The Canadian Real Estate Association nor The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. assumes any responsibility or liability. Copyright© 2012 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

NetGain SEO Expands into a New Facility in Barrie!

NetGain SEO a local web development and graphic design company in Barrie and part of the Busch Group of Companies has expanded into a new facility.  Located in the south-end of Barrie, their new locations showcases a bright open concept office with over 23,000 square feet of space. 

NetGain SEO realized the need for a full service digital marketing agency and has grown to become the largest web development and digital marketing service provider in Simcoe County creating local jobs to support this growth.

Click here for more information.

Google"Get Your Business On-Line" Event - Barrie!

Last month Google's small business marketing team and RBC collaborated with the 
Economic Development Department at the City of Barrie to present to a packed house at Liberty North Banquet Hall in Barrie.  The event was part of Google's road show to educate business owners about the possibilities available to them for their online strategies.  Currently Google enjoys 86% of online search traffic and Google Ad Words and Google Ad Words Express can make a huge difference for small business.  At the end of the event guests were encouraged to speak with the local web masters that had been invited to attend the event and answer those web related questions.  The event proved to be an excellent networking and educational opportunity.

Barrie Home sales continue to climb in June 2012

Barrie Home sales continue to climb in June 2012

Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 516 units in June, up three per cent from year-ago levels.

Within the city of Barrie, sales activity was up by more than the overall trend for the region. The city of Barrie saw 314 residential sales in June, five per cent above levels from June 2011.

“Resale housing demand recorded another strong month in June 2012, although the year-over-year gain was considerably more modest than the 21 per cent jump we saw in May,” said Walter Doret, President of the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®. “A total of 2,555 homes have traded hands so far this year. This is up 14 per cent from the first half of 2011, and marks the second best start to any year on record after 2007.”

The year-to-date average price for all Barrie homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in June 2012 was $301,967, up six per cent from levels at the same time last year.

The year-to-date average price figure for homes sold within the City of Barrie was $286,260. This was a seven per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011.

The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® cautions that over a period of time, the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends, but it does not indicate actual prices in widely divergent areas or account for price differentials between geographical areas.

The dollar value of all Barrie home sales in June 2012 was $155.3 million, up seven per cent from year-ago levels.

New residential listings were down three per cent from a year earlier to 726 units in June 2012.

Overall supply levels have generally been trending downward since last summer and this trend continued to play out in June. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,582 units at the end of June 2012. This was down 17 per cent from the end of June 2011.

There were 3.1 months of inventory at the end of June 2012, down from 3.8 months at the end of June 2011. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 536 units in June, up six per cent compared to June 2011. The total value of all properties sold in June 2012 was $159.2 million, up nine per cent on a year-over-year basis .

 For more information regarding the Barrie Real Estate Market please visit Investing In Barrie.com

Information provided by: The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®.

The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members .

Barrie Home sales climb higher in April

Barrie Home sales climb higher in April Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 488 units in April, rising 14 per cent from year-ago levels. Within the city of Barrie, sales activity was up by more than the overall trend for the region. The city of Barrie saw 310 residential sales in April, 29 per cent above levels from April 2011. On a year-to-date basis, sales activity was running 16 per cent ahead of the first four months of 2011. “Demand remained at above average levels in April,” said Walter Doret, President of the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®. “It’s actually been one of the strongest starts to any year on record. That’s drawing down the overall supply of properties for sale, which is resulting in tighter market conditions and continued upward pressure on prices.” The year-to-date average price for all homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in April 2012 was $301,501, up seven per cent from levels at the same time last year. The year-to-date average price figure for homes sold just within the City of Barrie was $284,691. This was an eight per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011. The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® cautions that over a period of time, the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends, but it does not indicate actual prices in widely divergent areas or account for price differentials between geographical areas. The dollar value of all home sales in April 2012 was $150.4 million, up 22 per cent from year-ago levels. New residential listings were up two per cent from a year earlier to 861 units in April 2012. Overall supply levels have generally been trending downward since last summer. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,701 units at the end of April 2012. This was down 10 per cent from the end of April 2011. There were 3.9 months of inventory at the end of April 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, up slightly from 3.8 months at the end of March. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity. Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 497 units in April, up 13 per cent compared to April 2011. The total value of all properties sold in April 2012 was $154.2 million, up 23 per cent on a year-over-year basis . For more information if wanting to purchase in Barrie - contact InvestingInBarrie.com The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members.

The information contained in this report has been prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association, in co-operation with The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc.. The information has been drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. In providing this information, neither The Canadian Real Estate Association nor The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. assumes any responsibility or liability. Copyright© 2012 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

Barrie Home sales remain strong in March

Barrie Home sales remain strong in March Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 418 units in March, rising 10 per cent from year-ago levels. Within the city of Barrie, sales activity was up by less than the overall trend for the region. The city of Barrie saw 250 residential sales in March, just one sale more than in March 2011. On a year-to-date basis, sales activity was running 17 per cent ahead of the first three months of 2011, and stood above the same period in all other years with the exception of 2007. “Demand eased up a little in March from the record setting pace we saw in February, but nevertheless remained very strong,” said Walter Doret, President of the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®. “The recent jump in demand has been drawing down the number of properties for sale, which is resulting in tighter market conditions and continued upward pressure on prices.” The year-to-date average price for all homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in March 2012 was $298,262, up seven per cent from levels at the same time last year. The year-to-date average price figure for homes sold just within the City of Barrie was $281,897. This was a seven per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011. The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® cautions that over a period of time, the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends, but it does not indicate actual prices in widely divergent areas or account for price differentials between geographical areas. The dollar value of all home sales in March 2012 was $125.9 million, up 17 per cent from year-ago levels. New residential listings were down four per cent from a year earlier to 778 units in March 2012. Overall supply levels have been trending downward since the end of last summer. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,501 units at the end of March 2012. This was down 13 per cent from the end of March 2011. There were 3.8 months of inventory at the end of March 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from 3.5 months at the end of February. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity. Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 426 units in March, up 10 per cent compared to March 2011. The total value of all properties sold in March 2012 was $129.2 million, up 19 per cent on a year-over-year basis . The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members. Need more info - contact InvestingInBarrie.com

The information contained in this report has been prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association, in co-operation with The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc.. The information has been drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. In providing this information, neither The Canadian Real Estate Association nor The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. assumes any responsibility or liability. Copyright© 2012 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

Record February for home sales in Barrie region

Record February for home sales in Barrie region

Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 371 units in February, rising 31 per cent from year-ago levels. This is the first time on record that sales have topped the 350 mark in the month of February. As a result of the strong demand in February, seasonally adjusted sales activity jumped 24 per cent on a month-over-month basis. Within the city of Barrie, sales activity was up by less than the overall trend for the region. The city of Barrie saw 243 residential sales in February, up 25 per cent from one year earlier. On a year-to-date basis, sales activity was running 23 per cent ahead of the first two months of 2011, and stands roughly on par with the record for this period set in 2007. “Demand came in much stronger than expected in February, even after accounting for the extra day and warmer weather this year,” said Walter Doret, President of the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS®. “At the same time the overall supply of properties for home buyers to choose from continues to trend down, and that’s leading to further price gains.” The year-to-date average price for all homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in February 2012 was $296,096, up eight per cent from levels at the same time last year. The year-to-date average price figure for homes sold just within the City of Barrie was $280,714. This was a nine per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011. The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® cautions that over a period of time, the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends, but it does not indicate actual prices in widely divergent areas or account for price differentials between geographical areas. The dollar value of all home sales in February 2012 was $111.5 million, up 44 per cent from year-ago levels. New residential listings were up eight per cent from a year earlier to 662 units in February 2012. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,365 units at the end of February 2012. This was down seven per cent from the overall supply at the end of February 2011. There were 3.5 months of inventory at the end of February 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 4.5 months at the end of January. This was the lowest level of inventory since October 2009. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity. Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 378 units in February, up 31 per cent compared to February 2011. The total value of all properties sold in February 2012 was $112.5 million, up 44 per cent on a year-over-year basis. More info on Barrie Real Estate and Investing? Contact the InvestingInBarrie Team! The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members.

The information contained in this report has been prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association, in co-operation with The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc.. The information has been drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. In providing this information, neither The Canadian Real Estate Association nor The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. assumes any responsibility or liability. Copyright© 2012 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

Barrie Real Estate & Investing - Barrie home sales rise in January 2012

Barrie home sales rise in January 2012

Barrie residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. posted a solid year-over-year gain in January 2012.

Barrie home sales numbered 218 units in January, rising 11 per cent compared to the same month in 2011.

Within the City of Barrie, sales activity was up by less than the overall trend for the region. The City of Barrie saw 142 residential sales in January, up eight per cent from one year earlier.

The average price for all Barrie homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in January 2012 was $288,549, up five per cent from levels in January 2011.

The average price figure for homes sold just within the City of Barrie was $278,234. This was a seven per cent increase compared to the same month in 2011.

The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® cautions that over a period of time, the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends, but it does not indicate actual prices in widely divergent areas or account for price differentials between geographical areas.

The dollar value of all Barrie home sales in January 2012 was $62.9 million, up 16 per cent from year-ago levels.

New Barrie residential listings were down three per cent from a year earlier to 560 units in January 2012.

Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,246 units at the end of January 2012. This was down five per cent from the overall supply at the end of January 2011.

There were 4.6 months of inventory at the end of January 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, down slightly from 4.7 months in December 2011. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

Sales of all property types in the Barrie region numbered 227 units in January, up 10 per cent compared to January 2011. The total value of all properties sold in January 2012 was $68 million, up 22 per cent on a year-over-year basis .

For more information regarding the Barrie Real Estate Market go to Investing In Barrie.com

Source:
The Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® Inc. covers a geographical area that includes the City of Barrie and part or all of the surrounding townships, including Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Essa, Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Clearview. The Association provides continuing education, Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), statistical information, and many other services to its members.