Welcome to our blog!

We are the Burlington Team - Rob, Greg, Glenn, Brandon, Norene and Caleigh - of Re/Max Chay Realty Inc., Brokerage and this is a blog for people living in the Barrie area, about real estate, community events, local shops and services, and just about anything else that catches our fancy.

We hope you'll find this blog useful and interesting, and if there is ever a real estate question that you want to ask, please visit our website at www.barriehome.com, or drop us a line to glenn@barriehome.com.

The low down on mortgages

Getting a mortgage can be one of the most worrisome steps when buying a home, and there's nothing worse than finding your dream home but being unable to get the financing you need.

Fortunately, we have found one of the best guys in Barrie to help our friends and clients to get mortgages, refinance mortgages and/or other debt, and more. Nick Lecuyer at Dominion Lending Centres has been our go-to guy for years, and we recommend him in a heartbeat.

Even if your bank has turned you down for a mortgage, don't give up. A mortgage broker has access to products from a variety of Canadian lending institutions, and can often find options not available at your own bank. Click the link to learn more! - Glenn

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

Since we've already shown our faces ...

A friend read our blog yesterday and asked me "So which of these people are you related to?"

And the answer is: pretty much all of them. If you check out our photo below, I am the short one in the front (Caleigh), and my husband is Greg. Norene is Greg's sister, Glenn is her husband and Rob is their son. While Brandon is not officially related, he fits right in so we've basically adopted him. Greg and I have a son who is 5 years old and we're doing our best to teach him the ropes, but mostly he just drives toy cars over our paperwork.

So the bottom line is that we are a family business and we understand the importance of family in all aspects of our lives, including buying or selling a home. We get that naptime is sacred, schedules can be crazy, and needs and wants when buying a home for a family are very specific.

Being a family business also means we have a commitment to our work that goes beyond a paycheque. We bring skills to the mix that go beyond the job description. And we are able to provide support to each other and our clients that go beyond what the typical real estate team can offer. Now I'm just getting all mushy, so I'll sign off for today. :) - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

"My house didn't sell, what do I do?"

In a market where more than a quarter of homes listed last year didn't sell, this is a topic on a lot of people's minds. In this video, Burlington Team Leader and Broker, Glenn Burlington, discusses what might have gone wrong, and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. Click the link to view this brief but informative video. - Glenn

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

"It's Lovely! I'll Take It!"

photo source

I considered posting something 'serious' today, but Monday morning is just way too early for serious.

So I am compromising by posting something real-estate related but totally entertaining. The blog lovelylisting.com truly must be seen to be believed, because I could never convey in words how hilarious and horrible these listing photos are. I mean honestly, does this make you feel like home? I think not. Click the link to check it out! - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

Weblink Weekends! Music at your fingertips

I'm gonna be honest here and say that I do not work on the weekend. Which I don't want to rub in, since of course our agents (Glenn, Greg, Brandon and Rob) do work evenings and weekends, but there have to be some perks to being the admin, right? Sorry, guys!

So I figured I would schedule an entry for the weekend that's purely for fun. Technically this has nothing to do with real estate, houses, Simcoe County or any of our declared subject areas, but it's really too cool not to mention.

As I sit at my desk (well, sat, since I created this entry on Friday), I am enjoying a variety of pop, indie and world music (my favourites, but they have everything) thanks to the very cool website Deezer.com. It's been around for a while, but it's new to me, so I thought it might be new to you too! The music streaming is smooth, simple, free and - best of all - totally legal. Click the link to check it out! - Caleigh

Finally - great hotel choices in South Barrie!

photo source

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has wondered why there are so few hotel choices in Barrie, especially in the South end. Thank goodness this is changing, with several new hotels including the Super 8 and Holiday Inn Express on Bryne Drive off Mapleview, and the new Days Inn on Bryne just off Essa Road.

The latest addition is the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton, also on Bryne off Essa (do we have no other streets in this city?). It's a bit higher end, and if the pictures are any indication it's quite elegant and with more amenities than the other three I mentioned. It's too new to have reviews on any of the travel sites I visited, so if anyone wants to let us know what it's like, drop us a line! (caleigh@barriehome.com)

I do like the fact that they guarantee the best rate, so if you book through them then find a better deal through a travel website, they will adjust the rate and give you a bonus. Click the link for more info. - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

Last chance for a syrup-fest!

photo source

Most of the region's maple syrup festivals are already over, but if you haven't made it to one yet, you're not too late.

The Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival is on this weekend, and if it's half as good as they say, it should be a great time. Click the link for the full lineup of events, beginning Friday with a midway. I'll be going with my 5-year-old son and he's most looking forward to the pancakes, while I want to check out the arts and crafts show. Should be fun! - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

It's Earth Day every day at Kid's Closet!

Since this is a new blog and we know not everyone will be reading this post on Earth Day, it makes sense to post about one of our favourite places to reuse and recycle every day!

Kid's Closet in Barrie's South end is a fantastic place to buy and sell gently used children's clothing, toys and more. They're pretty picky about the condition of items they will accept, which is great news for all of us whose kids grow way too fast and need good quality, stylish stuff at a reasonable price. Click the link to visit their site!

If you ARE reading this on April 22, Kid's Closet is having some special events to celebrate Earth Day, so it's a great time to check it out. - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

Help Barrie clean up its act!

Our first post is about something near and dear to all of us - keeping Barrie beautiful. It's time once again for the City of Barrie's annual Spring into Clean event. School, community and corporate teams will be helping out all over the city this weekend, but you don't need to be on a team to help. Just show up at Centennial Beach on Saturday, April 25th between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. and head to the Lions Pavilion (right next to the playground). Click the link for all the details! - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

While the boss is away ...

... the admin builds a blog! The guys (a.k.a. the Burlington Team of Re/Max Agents) have been talking about starting a blog about the real estate market, buying a home, our latest listings and so forth. Which of course sounds great.

But we also know that people who buy homes are interested in a wide range of topics. They're interested in fun stuff to do outside their homes. They're interested in cool stuff to put in their homes. And, yes, they're interested in stuff about real estate too.

Since I'm the "artsy" one in the group, and since Norene (who we all know is the real boss around here) is away this week, I decided to appoint myself to get the ball rolling!

I hope that all of our clients, and of course anyone who is interested in what's new and cool in the Barrie area, will find this blog useful and informative. We'll be updating it a couple of times a week, so come back often to see what's up. And now and then, since I have to justify this as a "work-related endeavour", we'll talk about real estate too. Enjoy! - Caleigh

Read More 0 comments | Posted by CC |

Welcome to our blog!

The low down on mortgages

Since we've already shown our faces ...

"My house didn't sell, what do I do?"

"It's Lovely! I'll Take It!"

Weblink Weekends! Music at your fingertips

Finally - great hotel choices in South Barrie!

Last chance for a syrup-fest!

It's Earth Day every day at Kid's Closet!

Help Barrie clean up its act!

While the boss is away ...

Barrie Home & Life

Labels

Blog Archive

Search