The Shannon Murree Real Estate Team Grows!

Welcome Jacqueline Benn to the Shannon Murree Investing Team - we're here to be your ultimate resource for Real estate, investing, wealth creation, property management, workshops, seminars and more! http://InvestingInBarrie.com/ "Not Just Building, It's Building Relationships" 

Why Barrie? Why Real Estate Investing? Check Out this Video Interview with Don R. Campbell and Shannon Murree!

Special thanks to Don R. Campbell of The Real Estate Investment Network™ (REIN™) for offering this EXCLUSIVE, can only be seen here, interview with Investor-Only REALTOR, Shannon P. Murree of  Barrie with RE/MAX Chay Realty Inc Brokerage. The City of Barrie is one of the Top Investment Towns and Rated by analysts and researchers of REIN Canada.

Check out this new and never seen before interview. 

Questions answered like: 

• Why Barrie?
• What makes a top 10 Town?
• What are the influencers?
• Who are the important players?
• What could cause a chosen City/Town to fall out of the top 10?

Happy Real Estate Investing!

*disclosure: For informational purposes only. Not to be construed as any legal, accounting or financial advice. Not intended to solicit anyone with any agency agreements whether written or implied. Shannon P. Murree is a licensed Sales Representative with RE/MAX Chay Realty Inc Brokerage is Independently Owned & Operated The Real Estate Investment Network™ (REIN™) is a Canadian business that has been in operation since 1991. Its Members have purchased over $4.0 Billion of real estate. We are Canada’s leading resource center for real estate investors.

REIN™ is a successful Education, Analysis, Research and Leadership resource that provides real estate investing workshops, services and products for its Members. Its 2,700+ Members are individuals, corporations, and entrepreneurs who are interested in learning how economic events affect real estate markets across Canada and how they can position themselves to take advantage of this information.

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

Want to Save Money On Those Mortgage Payments? Here's how!

Will biweekly mortgage payments save you money?

Here’s how to do the math to see if paying more frequently is a smart option.

Question: I refinanced two years ago and received an offer to pay biweekly instead of monthly. Will this help to reduce my mortgage more so than with monthly payments? If so, how and where can I apply? 

Answer: Making biweekly payments on your mortgage will absolutely cut your interest cost and shorten the term of your loan, to boot. Such an arrangement usually is set up as an automatic debit from an account you specify. The mortgage lender will sweep through that account every two weeks and collect exactly half of your required monthly payment.

How does it work?
While there are only 12 months per year, there are 26 two-week periods. This means you are essentially making 13 monthly payments per year. In today's market, this can save you a bundle, especially if you start counting from the first monthly payment, because it reduces the term of a 30-year loan to about 25 years.

How much are the savings?
On a $200,000 mortgage at 5%, you'll cut the total term by just about five years, while shaving off more than $34,000 in interest cost.

Biweekly payments can be valuable, but there's no magic to them. In fact, if you are responsible and dedicated, you can simply send in an extra monthly payment once per year and achieve nearly the same savings. The biweekly plan just makes it happen automatically.

That said, you should check the fine print. While a lender can charge you a one-time setup fee, watch out for any recurring transaction fees that could diminish your savings over time.

Use a mortgage calculator to see how you can save money with biweekly mortgage (or other) prepayments. Or, if you have a specific pay-off date in mind, try this It’s My Term Prepayment Calculator.

Other Calculators of Interest and Relevancy:

• Amortization 
• Financing Your Purchase 
• Mortgage Manager 
• Schedule
• Investment Planner 
• Buy Down 
• Affordability
• Affordability Chart
• Rent Vs Own
• Differential

Excerpts & Calculators from Canada Mortgage and Article Courtesy MSN

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.

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 May 2012

Residential property sales recorded through the MLS® System of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® Inc. numbered 544 units in May, rising 21 per cent from year-ago levels.

Within the city of Barrie, sales activity was up by slightly less than the overall trend for the region. The city of Barrie saw 320 residential sales in May, 18 per cent above levels from May 2011.

A total of 2,039 Barrie homes have traded hands so far this year. That’s up 18 per cent from the first five months of 2011.

The year-to-date average price for all Barrie homes sold via the Association’s MLS® System in May 2012 was $302,217, 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 $286,017. This was also 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 May 2012 was $165.5 million, up 29 per cent from year-ago levels.

New Barrie residential listings were down two per cent from a year earlier to 801 units in May 2012.

Overall supply levels have generally been trending downward since last summer, and that trend continued to play out in May. Active residential listings on the Association’s MLS® System numbered 1,741 units at the end of May 2012. This was down 16 per cent from the end of May 2011.

There were 3.7 months of inventory at the end of May 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, down just slightly from 3.9 months at the end of April. 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 566 units in May, up 23 per cent compared to May 2011. The total value of all properties sold in May 2012 was $170.7 million, up 31 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 information regarding the Barrie real estate market please go to Investing In Barrie .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.

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.