There are numerous sources of contaminants for well water and all of these should be taken into consideration when choosing a site for a new well or when upgrading an existing well. Purchasers of vacant land in the country or of country homes should make themselves aware of the possibility of contamination from any of the following sources before they choose a well location or sign an agreement of purchase and sale:Waste Products from Animals~Livestock and pet manure are serious problems when it comes to wells. The Walkerton tragedy was a direct result of an improperly located and maintained well which became contaminated with livestock manure run-off. Review farm and kennel management practices by following the guidelines put out by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. In addition, b... 02/17/2008

~Continued From Part One:Sometimes Your Heart Just Says, "Yes"~Buying an Old House, Part OneAs we stepped across the deep opening into the parlour, I couldn't help but notice how heavy the old door, that separated the winter kitchen from the parlour, was. I reached out and swung it gently to ascertain it's heft and , feeling it's weight, wondered what kind of wood lay beneath the multitude of old paint layers. An intricate cast iron door latch, that had been painted over, caught my eye and my heart skipped a few beats as my tender heartstrings began to flutter with the thoughts of how many thumbs had pressed down on that latch over the past 100+ years. This weary old farmhouse was definitely having it's way with me and bit by bit I realized I was succumbing to it's charms.A strong smell... 02/10/2008

Appearing like a green monster from the deep, Meyer's Mill in Belleville, Ontario wears her finest August frocks. A view of Meyer's Mill from the front. Belleville was originally called Meyer's Creek and the mill is the structure that the city grew around. It was restored by Quinte Construction Association and serves as a reminder of how it all began. Children love to cool off in the shallows of the Moira River all summer long. There are many swimming holes and most folks who grew up in Belleville have fond memories of hot summer days swimming in the Moira River. There is a beautiful Belleville Riverfront Trail along the Moira River as it snakes through Belleville and numerous photograph opportunities. This is looking south towards the Dundas Street (Highway 2) Bridge and the mouth of t... 02/03/2008

Along the path that each of us takes during the course of our lives, are many transitions. One of the major transitions most of us make, during various stages in our lives, is moving to a new residence.Very few of us remain in the same home from the time we are born until we reach our life's end; although it has been known to happen.For the rest of us, we are accustomed to things in life taking place which bring us to another fork in the path as we consider moving once again. Sometimes it is a personal choice as we desire to move to another town or community within our existing town. Perhaps a job change forces us to relocate or we desire to move closer to loved ones.At other times a move is thrust upon us due to the natural progressions of our lives.Young people marry and buy their fir... 02/03/2008

Tucked away off the beaten track is one of Ontario's oldest and most beautiful, small cities with such a fantastical and intriguing history that it would rival that of many of Europe's oldest cities. The small city wraps itself around the old limestone-bedded, snaking Moira River with one of the oldest, still-standing, limestone mills, the mill itself the centre upon which the settlement grew. Named after Lady Arabella Gore, wife of Sir Francis Gore, after their visit to the small settlement in 1816, Belleville boasts some of the finest architectural beauties to be found in the province of Ontario. One of these timeless treasures rests in the area known as the 'Old East Hill' of Belleville. Glanmore sits aloof and untouchable amidst century old trees and fine Victorian homes.Built of a ... 01/31/2008

The U.S. real estate market continues to be plummeted by the sub-prime mortgage fall-out and the question I get asked most often by home-sellers these days is "Will we be affected negatively by what is taking place in the U.S.A.?" I assure anyone I'm conversing with that Canada's real estate market and economy is alive and thriving. The Canadian employment level is at an all-time high and current interest rates are very stable and appealing to home-buyers. There is an abundance of buyers and a shortage of listings, particularly for first-time buyers. The sub-prime mortgage fall-out which the U.S. is experiencing, will not occur here as, contrary to that in the U.S., high-ratio mortgages (80% of the property value or higher) from Canadian financial institutions must be insured. Additiona... 01/27/2008

 There's no need to come down with cabin fever in the unusually snowy weather we've been experiencing in the Quinte and Belleville area this winter. Our communities abound with activities and events for every different age group and interest.On January 28th George Thomson will be giving a presentation on ferns, one of the most ancient and beautiful plants seen widely throughout the Quinte area forests and natural areas. The Victorians brought them into their homes and it's a tradition we continue to this day. To learn more about ferns, make sure to attend the Quinte Field Naturalist's meeting at Bridge Street United Church, 60 Bridge Street East in Belleville. The meeting is held in the Sills Auditorium and begins at 7:30pm. Cormac McCarthy's novel No Country For Old Men, has been made ... 01/27/2008

Canada, big, beautiful and looking good with a great future for investors, both personal and business. Of the G8 countries, Canada boasts not only some of the most attractive, desirable real estate, it can also still be purchased at a VERY reasonable dollar and in many areas, well within the reach of the small investor.Cast across this vast country are a myriad of the world's last vestiges of clear, clean, freshwater lakes and rivers. Vacation and recreational homes can be found in every province with water-frontage selling for an average price of $380,000.00 in 2006. That figure has steadily risen in the past year.With a strong, healthy economy and an abundance of in-demand commodities, forecasts into the next 2-3 years show Canada's real estate prices continuing to rise. Waterfront co... 01/25/2008

My love affair with books and knowledge has been life-long, and no other place offers more fare to satisfy this unquenchable thirst than the Belleville Public Library, which I first discovered 12 years ago. At the time, I was living across the Bay Bridge in Prince Edward County so was not an actual citizen of Belleville. I thought, however, that working for a company in Belleville would qualify someone for membership. Unfortunately this was not the case, and in order to have a Belleville Library card, it was necessary for me to pay a fee. The small amount that was required in order to have a library card was more than worth it since the library offers an unlimited wealth of information and entertainment. Eventually I moved into the City of Belleville and was able to have a library card ... 01/23/2008

The final countdown is upon us as we head into a busy weekend of last minute shopping and festivities. Tomorrow at the Empire Theatre, which is owned by our broker, Mark Rashotte, we're having our annual office Chinese food luncheon up on the stage. It's always a festive time with many funny tales, some songs, a fine luncheon and greetings all around.We received news today, via email, that all of the children on our 'Wish Tree' had been taken care of. The 'Wish Tree' is a Christmas tree at our office decorated in gold stars with the ages and sex of each child currently staying in a local woman's shelter with their Mom. We each pick a star and purchase gift(s) for that child, wrap them and place them under the tree. The gifts will be delivered to the shelter this weekend and each child w... 12/20/2007

The sales figures for November are out and one figure is quite surprising. The average residential price for Quinte Real Estate in November 2007 was $204,900 up 17.1% over November 2006 and exceeding the year to date average of $197,561. That said, the Quinte Real Estate market which has been primarily a Sellers one has softened slightly since the highs seen in the Spring and Summer. Overall the average residential price for the year is $197,561 up 10.6% when compared to the same period last year ($178,625).For the first time this year the total number of listings (6,546) is greater than the same period last year (6,457). Prior to November the yearly total of listings had been running a couple of percentage points behind last year creating additional upward pressure on home prices. Now ... 12/17/2007

This Little Box Holds Nothing Everything.The cold winter winds were howling loudly early this morning when I awoke at 5 am. As I lay cosy in my bed, my brain began to grease it's wheels and before long it had sprung to life and was going full force. I barely had time to rouse myself from lazy dreams. As I lay there thinking of the events of the previous day, I smiled at the memory of the things my son had said to me as we drove along. 19, going on 40 ( as he says, he feels so old since he is almost 20 and that is HALF-WAY to 40 !!), he revealed a few newfound realizations his young brain had recently gleaned; the major one being that 'everything' is affected by your attitude and the mood you choose to be in. He has come to the realization that if things are going badly, change your mind... 12/14/2007

The stats for October 2007 home sales on the Quinte & District Real Estate Board have been released showing that  the number of sales is on par with the same month last year. The number of sales for the month including commercial and investment was 257 units compared with 256 for October 2006. Contrary to what some real estate professionals feel is a slower fall market, the numbers show that it is steady on a year to year basis.The average residential price for Quinte Real Estate in October 2007 was $196,866. and increase of 7.8% over October 2006 ($182,525). Here in the Quinte Real Estate market there have been 3334 sales this year compared to 2991 for the first 10 months of last year, an increase 11.5%. Although the demand has slowed down compared to the hot market earlier in the year... 12/04/2007

When things are seen in black and white, they incite violence and discrimination; they remove all space for tolerance and squeeze it out the back door along with humanity,empathy, care and respect. What we are then left with is a box filled with the intolerant, where each intolerant being who sees only in black or white, encourages the one he stands next to to utter more intolerant statements and see things even more in black or white. Eventually this box becomes a hornet's nest of gossip and one up-manship and the intolerant end up going against even each other.Canada is a country based on tolerance and freedom. It was formed of people who were seeking refuge from varying degrees of intolerance and here they were able to find acceptance and peace. We are considered the most highly of ... 09/29/2007

The stats for August 2007 home sales on the Quinte & District Real Estate Board have just recently been released and it appears the market is continuing to be strong with some impressive increases over last year.The average residential price for Quinte Real Estate in August 2007 was $204,586. and increase of 8.2% over August 2006 ($181,084). The number of residential sales was 318 compared to 315 in August 2006. One of the reasons for the increase in value is directly related to the laws of supply and demand. There has been an overall drop of 4.4% in the total number of listings on the board so far this year when compared to 2006. With the strong demand for homes across all price ranges and a smaller supply of homes (in the number of listings) has result in significant price increases. ... 09/18/2007

This weekend the area adjacent to my office once again istransformed into the beautiful and entertaining 'Empire Square Live' as it plays host to performances by KC and the Sunshine Band on Friday evening and Kenny Rogers on Saturday night.Sit beneath the twilight sky and a zillion stars as you listen to these legendary live performances. Today when I was at the office the stage had already arrived and the lighting and sound was being set up. The excitement infiltrated the air as the Royal Lepage staff assisted in helping everything to go smoothly with the set up and preparations.It's hard to believe that the Empire Square has been hosting live out door events for one year now in conjunction with the Empire Theatre which has been thrilling crowds for three years.The Empire Square is ful... 09/13/2007

                                          A wonderful retirement property, walk to shopping, banks and restaurants. A freehold end unit townhouse with a full fiished basement, only 7 years old. I would be glad to show it to you. Central air and forced air gas furnace.Patricia Burroughs, BrokerRoyal LePage ProAlliance Realty, BrokerageIndependently Owned and Operated                                   SOLD  09/10/2007

Fred Carver, a REALTOR® in Victoria, British Columbia, is a photographer extraordinnaire and posts many of the photographs he takes of antique cars and heritage homes here on his ActiveRain blog.  I really enjoy Fred's blogs so much and relish gazing on the lovely photos he takes; especially since I am an avid history and antiques buff.Awhile back  Fred asked Active Rainers to take pictures of some of the more interesting architecture or heritage homes in their areas and I said I would be posting some soon. Then one day led to another and so on....Finally today, a gorgeous, breezy and sunny day here in Belleville, Ontario, I was able to take a drive around the Old East Hill area of Belleville and take some photos of a small sampling of the types of heritage homes to be found here. I can... 09/07/2007

The Quinte area has been settled for over 200 years and  Belleville  was one of the first formal towns in the region. Agriculture has always played a very important role in the lush regions along the northern shore of Lake Ontario, and this area is no exception. Along with the agricultural community, came organized competitions and social gatherings at harvest time. The tradition continues today with this being the 186th continuously running year for the Quinte Agricultural Fair and Exhibition.  Only the name has changed. It is now called the Quinte Exhibition and the exhibits now include such things as stock car demolition derbies and modern circus rides. The 186th Quinte Exhibition begins today at noon.  Here is a link to the complete schedule for the 5 day fair. Quinte Exhibition and... 08/29/2007

Here we are into the middle of August and the action on the Quinte & District Real Estate Board is very strong. The Board just released the July 2007 stats for the Quinte Real Estate market and one thing is very clear - there's still a very strong demand for homes.  The problem with this demand for homes is that the current number of listings is down almost 10% compared to the same period last year. Not only that but the average house price for July has risen almost 8% to $197,697 from July 2006. As an example, currently in the City of Belleville there are only 18 single family homes listed for under $150,000. This makes it very difficult for first time buyers to make that first step. Even the 1/4% increase in the Bank of Canada overnight rate and the related increase in mortgage rates... 08/16/2007