Real Estate in south western On.

[Old Ironmaker]

.I mentioned earlier in the year we are relocating. We have an offer on a place in Chatham 2 blocks from the river, didn't get flooded last month. I have to tell you most all of that real estate in SW Ontario, Chatham-Kent, is the best buy in Ont. unless you go far north or north east of Ottawa. 1/2 hour from London and 1/2 hour from Windsor. Close to the 401 and 20 minutes from Erie. For a 3 bedroom,  recent reno'd 2 1/2 bath, tastily finished rec room, recent reno'd kitchen, an in ground pool, central AC,  2 car garage, 70X120 foot lot in a quiet mature neighbourhood you are looking at 250K, maximum. Want a place with an indoor pool we recently saw? $280,000.00, maybe. Want a project? Less than $175.000.00. There are dozens on the market. For 300K you get a 3500 ft.sq. McMansion. The unemployment rate there is something like 30% with the closures of car plants and ancillary plants. The Thames River runs through town with great fishing.The Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and Erie are 1/2 hour or so away. For anyone wanting to retire this is value beyond great value.  I feel for the guys out of work but that creates great bang for a buck.

This is just a heads up for those retiring or downsizing. Out of work or very little work? Sell your home in Hamilton, Niagara Penn. or TO and buy 2 or 3 there and get into property management. Many students and workers commute to London. Even better value is New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We just got back from house shopping there. Unbelievable what you can get for 250Kor less. The 2 1/2 month summers are an issue though, unless you go south from Nov to April. We can sell here and get a place in Chatham or out East and a very nice place south and put the change in the bank.

Just some information we have learned that I want to pass on.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[b_cdot]

And I thought it was too expensive down here...haha. Welcome to Chatham!

[G.mech]

I'm not sure unemployment in Chatham-Kent is driving down the housing prices, it must be due to other factors:

 

Quote

 January 4, 2018

                                  Chatham-Kent unemployment hits 17-year low

Unemployment in Chatham-Kent dropped seven-tenths of a point to 5.2 per cent in October, the lowest figure since the municipality began tracking the statistic.

The Chatham-Kent rate is now also lower than the provincial and federal rates. During October the provincial rate rose from 5.6 to 5.9 per cent and the national rate rose from 6.2 to 6.3 per cent.

The October rate marks only the third time since 2001 the community has had an unemployment rate below six per cent.

In total, there were 50,300 people working in Chatham-Kent, an increase of 600 compared with October of 2016. It marks the fourth straight month of job increases and represents the largest number of employed persons in 2017.

"Chatham-Kent is home to many forward thinking and innovative businesses that continue to invest in themselves and achieve success," said Stuart McFadden, Acting Director of Economic Development for the municipality. "The entire community is benefiting from these leaders in our community who are finding new business opportunities that require them to hire more people".  

It was the seventh straight month of decline in the jobless rate which peaked at 7.1 per cent in March of last year.

For more information contact

 

Mayor Randy Hope

Municipality of Chatham-Kent

519-360-1998 x 3001

 

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by G.mech

[Woodsman]

11 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

 1/2 hour from London and 1/2 hour from Windsor.

 

Old Ironmaker you may want to review those timings.

Over an hour from London & pushing close to an hour to Windsor.

2 hours aprox from London to Windsor. Would be nice to save a hour by routing through Chatham but for some reason I don't believe that would work.

Times will vary some depending on start and finish points in each city.

[Woodsman]

3 hours ago, G.mech said:

I'm not sure unemployment in Chatham-Kent is driving down the housing prices, it must be due to other factors:

 

 

Actually unemployment has play a big part in the area.

Many of the good paying jobs disappeared a while ago(15-20 years ago).

Good paying jobs in the area have never rebounded to the previous levels.

Real Estate prices dropped and has not fully recovered.

Many of the workforce has moved from the area which reduces the local unemployment rates.

[scuro2]

If your selling your home in the GTA you can pretty well downsize anywhere in Ontario.

Retiring and moving to Chatham, ...is the Thames river that much of a draw!

You forgot to mention it would be warmer but also you have much higher air pollution rates from Ohio's coal fired power plants and Detroit. Not good for anyone with Asthma. Also effluent off of farmer's fields pollutes many local streams and waterways.
 

[Headhunter]

1 hour ago, scuro2 said:

If your selling your home in the GTA you can pretty well downsize anywhere in Ontario.

Retiring and moving to Chatham, ...is the Thames river that much of a draw!

You forgot to mention it would be warmer but also you have much higher air pollution rates from Ohio's coal fired power plants and Detroit. Not good for anyone with Asthma. Also effluent off of farmer's fields pollutes many local streams and waterways.
 

That and the fact the the "Flat land" allows you to watch your dog run away for a day or two!

HH

 

 

[lew]

3 hours ago, Headhunter said:

That and the fact the the "Flat land" allows you to watch your dog run away for a day or two!

HH

 

 

My brother drove across the prairies years ago and said it was so flat he could see the sun set & sunrise at the same time LOL

[DRIFTER_016]

My dad just moved to London.

Not cheap at the old folks homes there. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Costing him $66K per year to live there.  

[Jmeyer]

I live close to Chatham and have worked in the new divisions over the last 20 years. Over the years manufacturing suffered and for a good stretch of time building on spec didn't pay because the market wasn't strong enough for a return on investment. Today a new bungalow 1300sqft is 300-330k and rising, much like other parts of the province we are now seeing folk bidding up 10-20% over asking and this attributed to the influx of people moving in from the GTA. If I were you I would have a look at port lambton and sombra as well, there are some great affordable little places close to the water plus you have split the distance between Chatham and Sarnia with the bonus of the ferry to Michigan.

[Rizzo]

Was fishing Belle River a couple years ago and picked up a real estate guide at good ol Edna's diner....I was stunned to see houses available for 160K. That would not even buy you a lot in Guelph never mind a structure to live in

[Old Ironmaker]

21 hours ago, scuro2 said:

If your selling your home in the GTA you can pretty well downsize anywhere in Ontario.

Retiring and moving to Chatham, ...is the Thames river that much of a draw!

You forgot to mention it would be warmer but also you have much higher air pollution rates from Ohio's coal fired power plants and Detroit. Not good for anyone with Asthma. Also effluent off of farmer's fields pollutes many local streams and waterways.
 

We are about 15K from what was The Nanticoke coal fired plant. Before they shut down the yellow streak that was in the sky generally went across the lake towards NY or Ohio with the prevailing winds we have and never effected us. So I don't see much of a problem being east of Detroit. Besides I grew up and worked my entire life in the shadows of the Steel plants in Hamilton and air pollution is something I lived with my entire life before retiring here.

The numbers our Governments quote for unemployment don't really reflect the number of people unemployed. From those who's benefits have ran out, on social assistance or disability pensions that are no longer looking or pensioners that need employment to make ends meet for example.

[Old Ironmaker]

11 hours ago, Rizzo said:

Was fishing Belle River a couple years ago and picked up a real estate guide at good ol Edna's diner....I was stunned to see houses available for 160K. That would not even buy you a lot in Guelph never mind a structure to live in

Exactly Rizzo. If there is a property for sale in Ontario 2 hours outside the GTA my wife has seen it online. The best value without going 8 hours north or north east is Chatham-Kent. There are many places for less than 200K that aren't in the slums and don't need renovations.

[Thrilla]

Between st Clair river/lake/Detroit river/Erie you have the best fishing in the province. Catch walleye until your arms are numb.  Everyone likes the area they grew up in. But I say go for it. Like you say the price is right and you will not be disappointed at the different options there is to fish down here. If your a hunter we have it all as well. World class duck hunting, deer, turkey in abundance, corn fed too  don’t tell anyone though  

we have been in the boats for near 2 months catching eyes while I still see reports waiting for ice to clear from lakes 

Edited May 18, 2018 by Thrilla

[craigdritchie]

If you want a real eye-opener, look outside of Ontario. Our place on the east coast was 12 years old when we bought it ... large waterfront lot at a river mouth ... the river has a good run of sea-run brookies all summer long (up to 6 pounds!), plus the occasional Atlantic. House was in beautiful shape and move-in condition ... bought for $190k. 

Yeah, it's cold there in the winters. But anyone can buy a place like that plus a condo in the sun for half what a dump in Toronto costs. Better quality of life and great fishing year-round.

Just sayin ...

[Old Ironmaker]

23 hours ago, craigdritchie said:

If you want a real eye-opener, look outside of Ontario. Our place on the east coast was 12 years old when we bought it ... large waterfront lot at a river mouth ... the river has a good run of sea-run brookies all summer long (up to 6 pounds!), plus the occasional Atlantic. House was in beautiful shape and move-in condition ... bought for $190k. 

Yeah, it's cold there in the winters. But anyone can buy a place like that plus a condo in the sun for half what a dump in Toronto costs. Better quality of life and great fishing year-round.

Just sayin ...

We have family in Halifax. Going east was an option and still may be. Great value in Moncton New Brunswick.

[woodenboater]

I find as I get older, price of housing is definitely a factor but I'm looking at health care as well. is there a very good regional hospital nearby. I'd have no probs living Sudbury/ North Bay area or Thunder Bay. I think most accept that if an ambulance can't get to you in 30 minutes, you're toast. 

On a lighter note, scenery also plays a large part for me. Worked in s/w Ontario when I was younger and no way in Hades am I heading back that way, no matter how good the fishing lol. Give me G Bay or the West Arm any day  

[Old Ironmaker]

Health Care in London from Chatham-Kent is a shorter drive than where we are here to Hamilton.

[kenzy31]

On 2018-05-19 at 9:35 AM, Old Ironmaker said:

We have family in Halifax. Going east was an option and still may be. Great value in Moncton New Brunswick.

Moncton -- the butt-hole of the Maritimes! Haha ?

Edited May 22, 2018 by kenzy31

[Old Ironmaker]

On ‎2018‎-‎05‎-‎17 at 10:44 AM, Woodsman said:

Old Ironmaker you may want to review those timings.

Over an hour from London & pushing close to an hour to Windsor.

2 hours aprox from London to Windsor. Would be nice to save a hour by routing through Chatham but for some reason I don't believe that would work.

Times will vary some depending on start and finish points in each city.

Those times are based on my wife driving her car, not my truck. We drove out there yesterday to look at a different property. It took longer than Google map showed as we took the scenic route along hwy #3.

[Old Ironmaker]

The place we put an offer in fell through. I had my own Home Inspector drive out there last Friday. The place is in dire need of work on the perimeter drainage and basement foundation. Not cheap. I expected that as the place is around 100 years old and unless done recently I expect a 100 year old place will need something major. We looked at 3 properties yesterday. Every week more properties come up in Chatham-Kent and those listed drop their price. We also did a few drive by's in St. Thomas, a nice place to live I believe, not big not small with 40,000 citizens, prices there are reasonable as well compared to GTHNA. Minutes to Port. Stanley. Great fishing on Erie, golf and who cares what else as long as the fishing is great.  Pt. Stanley has really boomed since I first went there in the early 80's. There wasn't a single parking space as it looked like everyone from London was there for the 24 weekend. New home surveys, singles and beach front condos. A buddy bought a house there in 81, a block from the beach. He paid less than $20,000.00. It has to be around 600K today, at least.

[Woodsman]

You may want to look in the Seaforth area. (icluding other small places in the area)

About a half hour to Bayfield or Goderich on Lake Huron.

London and Kitchener about an hour and Stratford and Goderich about a half hour drive.

Prices are quite reasonable here compared to larger places.

The reason we bought here was you got far more house for your dollar here.

 

 

[Headhunter]

23 minutes ago, Woodsman said:

You may want to look in the Seaforth area. (icluding other small places in the area)

About a half hour to Bayfield or Goderich on Lake Huron.

London and Kitchener about an hour and Stratford and Goderich about a half hour drive.

Prices are quite reasonable here compared to larger places.

The reason we bought here was you got far more house for your dollar here.

And it NEVER snows there!!!!!! LOL

HH

 

 

 

[Old Ironmaker]

On ‎2018‎-‎05‎-‎17 at 5:22 PM, DRIFTER_016 said:

My dad just moved to London.

Not cheap at the old folks homes there. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Costing him $66K per year to live there.  

Mom and Dad are paying about the same in Hamilton, if they eat 25 bucks worth of food a week between them I would be surprised.  A Filipino at the Steel Plant who's wife was a RN opened a nursing home back in the 80's, they are now multi millionaires that own a chain of retirement residences and nursing homes. .  

1 hour ago, Woodsman said:

You may want to look in the Seaforth area. (icluding other small places in the area)

About a half hour to Bayfield or Goderich on Lake Huron.

London and Kitchener about an hour and Stratford and Goderich about a half hour drive.

Prices are quite reasonable here compared to larger places.

The reason we bought here was you got far more house for your dollar here.

 

 

I will have to mention that to my Lady. Thank you. To me I don't care how much it snows as we don't plan on being in Canada during the winters. For the price of 1 months rental property in south Fla. you can rent a home in south Portugal, housekeeper included for 4 months, or longer. The most expensive dinner for 4 of us, more food that can be eaten, copious bottles of wine included at The Algarve was 25 bucks Cdn. in 2015. Spain can be just as economical. Something like 3 bucks a bottle in Portugal. I just need to talk my Dr. into giving me 4 months worth of meds.

Edited May 22, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Woodsman]

2 hours ago, Headhunter said:

And it NEVER snows there!!!!!! LOL

HH

Last year I missed zero days at work in Stratford due to road closures from snow.

In the last 6 years I've missed about 6 days due to snow.

Yes it snows here but not like 20 years ago.