Here is My Wish List for Lake McGregor Country Estates

When I say here is MY wish list, I mean MY wish list - only my opinion, so please do no blame anyone else Santa! 1) I would really like to see a nice year weather wise at the lake, much like we had last year 2) Last year Lake McGregor Country Estates had to have been the busiest place in the County of Vulcan for construction, with 12 new cottages at the resort this past year. I would like to see that trend continue. 3) I would like to see more buyers come out to the lake. We have cottage lots for under $50,000, and under $40,000 - where else can you get a cottage lot at a resort for prices less than that? Especially when the lots are fully serviced and there is a fully functional clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools, private marina, and so much more! 4) Along with cottages, we have RV units on their own lot for sale. I hope that we have more of those buyers come out to the lake. There are some really nice places for sale, and they have been for sale for quite a while. However, we just have not had the buyers. Thus, I want to see more buyers for this section as well. There are a couple of RV lots for sale too. Once again, these lots are serviced and can be used year round. People need to take that into consideration when they are out shopping around. 5) I want to do more fishing. I did catch a couple this past year, but none were big enough to keep. Plus, my cousin always seems to catch more fish than me, so I would like to put an end to that streak, even just once! And I want to show that stupid fish finder gadget that I CAN catch those fish that it keeps telling us are there! 6) I would like to see a group of us clear a spot on the large hills to that we can go sledding in the winter and not have to be concerned about hitting a rock on the way down. Those are some great hills for sledding and they could make for some great family time! 7) I would like to see more pot-luck dinners at the lake. I think that they are a great community event where people get to know each other better. We use to have them once a month during the summers. I would like to see them again. (some really good food too!) 8) Buy a Seadoo! Those things are fun, and with so much lake out there to use, it would be a hoot! 9) Have boat storage sheds at the resort. I think that there is a demand for them and we just need to get one going and others will follow. 10) Get the word out about Lake McGregor Country Estates! More people need to know about us and our great resort!

Blizzard conditions sweeping through county | Vulcan Advocate

Blizzard conditions sweeping through county | Vulcan Advocate

Yes, winter has hit us with a bang again!  I have talked to people who live at the lake and they said that they can get out of the resort, but the highways are bad.  Stay at home if you can.

Farmers Tribute: So God Made A Farmer. Paul Harvey

Water quality and levels

Lately in the news there have been warnings about algae in the water of several lakes, causing concerns about swimming in the water, along with drinking it, or letting you pets drink the water. That has NOT happened at Lake McGregor. I was out on the water this past weekend and the water is fine. (the fish were biting too!) As far as the water level goes, we have reached our lowest point of the year, due to the irrigation system downstream, and the level is back on the rise.

Update for summer 2013

I finally received an offer on an RV lot with a park model this past week. It did not come as much of a surprise though. With similar properties listed in the $160,000+ area, and this property listed at $130,000 (in good condition, not rundown - just priced to sell), it proved my point in that there ARE buyers out there. They are just waiting for a bargain. We now have a conditional sale on a property that we had not even really advertised yet, while we have other properties that have been on the market for 1 year and longer...still waiting for an offer. No one wants to lose money on an investment. I have no problem with people wanting to make a few bucks either. However, the market is what it is, and if you want a sale sooner than later, it better be priced accordingly. Otherwise, properties are going to sit.

Alberta Flood 2013

Just a note to let everyone know that Lake McGregor Country Estates did not get flooded, unlike many other communities in Southern Alberta. The resort, along with Little Bow Resort, has not been touched by any high flowing waters. We are lucky in that other communities such as High River, Calgary, and Hidden Valley Resort have had damage estimates in the millions of dollars, and things are not done yet. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, and to those who have lost their homes. This is something that we see on TV and are almost numb to it, but when it hits so close to home, it is shocking.

Just because it's raining and cool in Calgary, does not mean it's not warm and sunny here!

So often we read, see, or hear on the news how the real estate market is doing. On the street, talk to one person and they think that the market is booming, and then talk to another and they will say that the market is slow. We have heard how the Canadian Real Estate market is slowing down, but then we hear how things are booming in Alberta and Saskatchewan. So...what are we supposed to think??? Check with the local real estate agents, your local town office, or local trades people. Just because it is raining cats and dogs and the temperature is cool in Calgary, that does not necessarily mean that the weather is not sunny and warm here in Vulcan. The same goes for the real estate market. Yes, I spoke with a real estate friend this past week and she is getting sick of all of the multiple offer situations that she is dealing with. She gets text messages in the middle of a showing, letting her know that there has just been an accepted offer on the property. Calgary has a different economy, a much larger population, and a much more diverse working population. In Vulcan, we are currently seeing an increase in activity in the local residential real estate market, however, due to our large inventory of properties on the market and a low amount of jobs available, our market is still rather soft. I feel that the overall recreational property market is still soft. When we do get a couple of sales, everyone seems to get excited because "Things are moving again", "The market is starting to take off". My advice to sellers is to be patient. It is still a soft market. When we do actually get an offer in writing, that is at least a start. An offer in writing is a place to start negotiations. Potential buyers talking about putting an offer in, or just wanting to submit a verbal offer, are more often than not, wasting a seller's time. "I have friends who want to buy your place but just aren't ready yet" does not pay off one's mortgage. "We are waiting to see what the market does before we write an offer," does not make the monthly payments. As the saying goes' "In God we trust, all other must pay cash", this holds true for real estate as well. An offer is only as good as the paper it is written on. If it's not on paper, it's not really an offer. People's minds can change, remembering things differently, and so on. And one last piece of advice for the day, enjoy your time with friends at the coffee shop, but take their advice with a grain of salt. Like I said before, just because someone heard that the market is doing great in one place, does not mean that it's necessarily doing great in another. Different regions have different influences on their own market. Do your homework before coming to your own conclusions.