Finding a real estate agent is kinda like dating. You don’t always find the right one the first time around.

We recently started looking at some recreation property in a popular ski area. We made a list of the properties we wanted to see, contacted a local agent, and spent several hours together viewing the listings. At the end of the day, both my husband and I were frustrated. Largely because the properties we looked at were better online than in person, but also because we couldn’t get a clear understanding of what was suppose to happen next.

We weren’t really jazzed about working with this particular agent, but were unsure of how to proceed.

Brian Velve, a top selling Vancouver real estate agent with Remax, recommends trying a different approach.

He suggests when looking at any kind of recreation property, check to see which agent has the majority of listings in the price range we’re interested in. In addition to knowing the properties, they are more likely to attract listings that fall within our budget- thereby increasing our chances of success. We might even get first crack at a place before it gets listed.

The next step, I call this the dating step, is to make an appointment with the agent to view their listings. This gives us an opportunity to get to know each other better. Ideally, the agent will be business like, knowledgeable, and eager to work with us. Although tiring, it’s a good idea to meet with several agents before deciding on one. Remember the saying, “Before you meet your handsome prince you have to kiss a lot of toads?”

But what if there’s a break up?

Brian normally has buyers sign a “Buyers Agreement” that states he is working on their behalf. But if we find the “relationship” is just not working out, we can end it.

It is important to fire your agent.

This is definitely the hard part. While it doesn’t matter how I do it, on the phone, over the Internet or in person, it is really important I fire the agent. If I don’t, and we end up buying a property with our new agent that our old agent showed us, then they will have a right to claim commission - not a nice thing to do to either agents.

While breaking up is hard to do, from a client’s perspective, agents really appreciate being told it’s over. Even though it’s not good news for them, it will save everyone time and energy in the end, especially if we happen to run into them again - sorta like running into an old boyfriend, it’s awkward.

Here’s to finding that prince or princess.

Cheers,

Julie

Have you ever wanted to get away to the cabin and realized it was just too far to go for such a short period of time?

For the past two weeks in Vancouver, the temperature has hovered around 25 degrees Celsius. While most people are enjoying the hot afternoon sun, I am moping. This is the weather we were expecting in July, and then August, but to no avail. Now that our holidays are over and the kids are back in school, we are finally getting a heat wave. Arrrrrrr.

I know I shouldn’t complain; the rain will be here all too soon, but I so wish I was at the cabin. I like the quietness of the lake in later September, when the boat traffic has died down. I torment myself by envisioning flat calm water, perfect for wakeboarding and kayaking. I enjoy the cool crisp mornings, that require the heater, while you wait for the day to slowly warm up.

I’m just not ready for cottage season to be over. I want more, like a child yearning for candy, I want to play on my wakeboard, I want to hang out with my neighbors, or go for a swim. The party is winding down, but I am not ready to go home.

Unfortunately, going to the cabin for the weekend, just isn’t feasible. It takes four hours door to door and the ferry costs close to $200 round trip. We wouldn’t arrive until late Friday night, and then have to leave around 1 pm on Sunday to catch the ferry home. It is a pretty expensive trip for one day, Saturday.

So while the rest of the province soaks up the sun, glorious sun, I will be consoling myself with my most recent edition of CottageLife magazine.

Cheers,

Julie

It’s late in the day as the sun’s rays light up the golden wheat fields that fill our horizon. The tall ripen grain is everywhere, as we follow the never ending road of the Trans Canada Highway. Suddenly and dramatically the landscape changes. The flat plains give way to large green oval drumlins, left behind from the last glacier over 14,000 years ago.

The glacier’s melt once filled this deep gully known as the Qu’Appelle Valley. The water’s slow retreat left a thick green carpet of trees and small dense shrubs, that now line the walls of the vale. Deep on the valley’s floor flows the Qu’Appelle River, which feeds into Crooked Lake, our destination.

This lush green valley and narrow lake are teeming with wildlife, as we watch a flock of American white pelicans take flight, their noisy chatter and that of the other water fowl fills the cooling night air.

Shrieks of laughter echo off the water, as my brother and his children struggle to reel in walleyes and perch. It’s almost dark now, but the fish are biting and they are reluctant to leave the alga rich water.

There is a feeling of abundance as I stand on the dock and gaze out over the calm still water. This pristine wilderness is teeming with wildlife. It is like stepping back in time, the way Canada must have looked and felt to the early settlers. The waters, shores and sky are filled with fish, animals and birds.

Crooked Lake, set in this valley, is an oasis in the prairie; it’s beauty still intact despite the ravages of civilization.

More from our adventures on Crooked Lake tomorrow.

Cheers,

Julie

Tubing is arguably one of the most popular cottage activities. From the young to the not-so-young, many have enjoyed this bumpy sport. But this past week has resulted in two tubing tragedies, both involving children.

Sydney Robis, a seven-year-old from Hamilton Ontario, was a passenger in a boat that was towing three children on Chandos Lake, near Apsley, Ontario, when the metal tripod holding the tow rope collapsed.

Sydney, who was seated at the back of the boat, was struck in the head by one of the metal bars. Despite life saving measures, she died later that day in Kingston General Hospital.

The second tubing tragedy took place earlier this week on Rice Lake, Ontario, when an eight-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister were slammed into a stationary boat after their father, who was towing the pair, was forced to make a sharp turn.

The boy sustained major head injuries and is still in Toronto hospital his sister, was treated and released.

While tubing is not an inherently dangerous sport, things can still go wrong resulting in tragic consequences. Below are a few safety reminders with a special note to people (myself included) who use metal tripods. According to Sgt. Darren Little, of the Toronto police marine unit, tow bars create excessive drag and should only be used for wakeboarding or waterskiing.

Safety Reminders

• Have a spotter - someone should always be watching what’s going on behind the boat, allowing the driver to keep an eye out for other boats, swimmers or objects in the area.

• Make sure the tow line is secure and replace it if there are signs of wear and tear (I am guilty of this one).

• Beware of wakes – it’s fun to see people bounce up in the air, but what goes up must come down. Tubers can suffer back injuries especially if you cross the wake at high speeds and the tuber is stomach down.

• Drive sober – the police have stepped up their patrols and have zero tolerance for drinking and driving behind a vessel.

My heartfelt sympathies to the Robis family,

Julie

I love flowers, Black Eyed Susan’s are among my favourites. I envision flower beds filled with these bright yellow plants, but all I have been able to grow, are their paler cousins, the Shasta daisy.

My project for next year is to landscape around the cabin, plant some shrubs, add some wildflower beds and maybe even coax some grass up through the weeds.

While most people spend the majority of their time on their gardens in the spring, the fall is also an excellent time to plant, transplant and prepare your flower beds for the next year.

Shirley Aarts, owner of Dutch Gardens & Nursery, Port Alberni, British Columbia, has been gardening for over 28 years, and teaches fall gardening courses. Here are her tips on autumn planting.

• Planting - there is still plenty of time to plant or transplant shrubs and roses. Shirley likes the cooler days and says the plants still have time to get settled before the cold weather arrives.

• Dig up your flower gardens, turn over the soil even if you are not planning on planting anything right now.

• When it comes to buying bulbs, especially tulips, buy only #1 bulbs. Shirley does not recommend you purchase your bulbs at Walmart or any other big box retailers, “Go to a nursery and make sure you are buying #1 grade, this will ensure you get the best quality bloom on your flowers. You pay more money at a nursery, but you will get years and years out of that bulb.”

• You can plant bulbs any time now, up until late October, after that, it is too wet and too cold.

• Pansies are a great plant to replace your annuals, but make sure you are buying winter pansies, there is a difference.

As for my Black Eyed Susan flower garden, Shirley recommended I wait until spring and then buy a Rudbeckia plant. I confessed my attempts at scattering wild flower seed mixes had not been successful. She explained that many of the seeds in these packets germinate at different times and require different conditions. Lupines for example need to be frozen for 48 hours, then soaked in water and started in peat pots before they are transplanted. Once they are established, they will “naturalize” or spread.

According to Shirley, “Gardening is suppose to be fun. It is a learning thing, and you can learn from it every single day.” Hmmm, maybe when it comes to gardening, I have ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.

I would love to hear about your gardening adventures - please leave me a comment.

Cheers,

Julie

Friday June 1, 2007 

Wish you were here…

Welcome to CottageDaily.com, a daily dose of escapism for people who share a passion for anything cottage or cabin.

Every day brings a new adventure at the lake- entertaining friends for the weekend, fixing a burst pipe, or discovering a patch of wild berries. Eventually it all becomes a story, something to share with others around the campfire or over a cold beer at the end of the day.

CottageDaily is your place to share stories, experiences and photos. We want to tell you about our favourite things and we hope you will tell us about some of yours.

A note about advertising: we often research and review products and services that we feel would be of value to fellow cottagers. We do not get paid to promote or endorse the products or services we write about. Our goal is to provide good quality information that will enrich your recreational experience. We do have media partners who pay to advertise on the site, but these ads will be clearly marked, and will, enhance rather than distract from your experience.

As editor of this site, I am thrilled with the prospect of talking to cottage and cabin owners across Canada and around the world. A cottager from the age of three, I enjoy nothing more than driving my packed jeep to the ferry that takes my family and I to our cabin on Horne Lake. I am filled with a giddy excitement knowing that in three hours -baring any incidents -I will arrive just in time for a water ski before the sun sets.

Throughout the summer we will be discussing food ideas, playlists for your iPod, things to consider when buying a kayak and sooooo much more.

We welcome you to CottageDaily – your daily escape to the lake.