Friday 10 July 2015

When is it time to move?

The housing market is difficult. You can only get what someone is prepared to pay for your home, what the market will bear. I did a book review for a book that clearly sets out guidelines for living with dignity in your golden years. Green, Lyndsay; A Perfect Home for a Long Life

This family made the news. They aren't aging in place very well, and need to move into a retirement home. Too many want to have home care and die in their homes, but this can be complicated.

Adami- Couple worries city’s park plan will scare away buyers

Bruce Hopper, 82, and his wife, Lynne, 83, took their Greenbank Road property, which backs onto the Jock, off the market in May after learning about the plan from their real-estate agent. They also cancelled plans to move into a Barrhaven retirement residence to which they paid $7,500 [three months rent @ $2500/month] to hold an apartment unit while they were trying to sell their home.
This Ottawa journalist, Hugh Adami, does stories for people with a beef. People who have issues with one thing or another, and seem to need some press to change politicians minds, or government bureaucrats. This family's potential buyers have been scared off by rumours of expropriation of their property for a park for Half Moon Bay developments. I though that builders, like Mattamy Homes, obviously making big bucks, had to reserve lands for such.  What do I know? We live in the middle of a wetland!

Mattamy Homes

This story interested me. This is a beautiful spot, or it was. I'd often drive from Manotick, where we lived, into Barrhaven for shopping. We drove up Greenbank Rd., on our way to the city, July 10th, as I was curious about this home's location.

Unfortunately, in the time we left the region and returned (2006 - 2012) a huge development has risen up on nearby farm lands. It's called Half Moon Bay development.


I think the families don't care about diminishing descriptions: 'elderly and ailing', if it gets them media pity and attention. This couple want to get top dollar for their house! I think there is more to the story than this! This is a great way to scare off buyers!

I did some research. The story said they'd taken their home off the market, but it was on again. They show this frail man, using two canes to get to his lawn tractor. I'm wondering if he should be driving it. I wonder, too, if he drives his car? His wife slowly climbs the stairs, using two feet on one step. Perhaps they should have down-sized years earlier. Just sayin'.
The listing is interesting. It is on the market for $990,000.
  • Architect-designed and completely renovated bungalow with over 2100 sq ft of unique and luxurious living space
  • 4 ample sized  bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms make this a wonderful executive style home
  • Situated on a nearly one acre lot overlooking the picturesque Jock River
  • State of the art Home Theatre provides an at-home movie experience
  • Ceiling mounted projector display on the over-sized retractable movie screen with surround sound
3404 Greenbank Rd - Nancy Benson

The interior photos on the listing are amazing!
Amazing neighbourhood, just south of Barrhaven's shopping malls. Mattamy Homes is an international developer.
The location is prime, on the Jock River. There is a traffic circle and hundreds of homes.


Then, there are these 4 homes, nesting on the shore, prime land and taxes of $5660.




An elderly and ailing Barrhaven couple say their plans to sell their house and move into a retirement residence are in limbo after learning the city wants to eventually acquire...
OTTAWACITIZEN.COM

5 comments:

Nancy J said...

3 a.m. I am watching Wimbledon semi finals!!! What a magnificent home, and in beautiful order, I wonder who does all the housework, windows, floors, and does he really mow all the lawns? I hope they can sell, but what a price to pay to be in a retirement village!! Yes, land can be too big, but try and sell.. we have, land too large, home too small( we have 4 bedrooms, an office, huge workshop and 3 bathrooms, 2 lounges), so many excuses, maybe they just came to look anyway... how could all that be too small? Jennifer, will you have to think of moving sometime and where would you go? Another cold morning on the way, about Zero Celsius right now.

Jenn Jilks said...

Good question, my dear friend!
Since hubby delivers meals in town, he's picked out a couple of condos overlooking the Tay River that would suit us!
The deal is, we move when we aren't fast enough to cross the highway to get the mail, without being hit by a car! Truthfully, when we can't maintain the property, it won't be any fun. I'd hate the garden to get into a mess, or the goldfish pond going to wrack and ruin while I couldn't care for it.
I've heard of people filling in a pond, like ours, as they couldn't bend over to care for it, but I wouldn't do that.
If I were alone, that would be a difference story. I'd move closer to the grandkids in Ottawa.
Hubby is having fun watching tennis. I usually play on my laptop. He tapes the games.

William Kendall said...

I did read that story in yesterday's Citizen.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Interesting that your response to Nancy was 'when we can't...'Do you think that is why this couple have landed in their issue? When 'we can't...' has arrived, it is also going to be that much more difficult to move.

As a family we are resigned to the fact that our father will NOT give up his home until he reaches hospitalisation stage. It's starting to sadden us that so much needs done to the place but he just shrugs his shoulders. There's a lovely new 'attended' unit block which has been built virtually at the foot of the road where he lives and we've dropped hints it would be good to make the move whilst he is still compos and active enough to be engaged in the process. ...but we just know it is going to come to a stage of intervention eventually.

Either that or find him at the foot of the stairs and that will be that. Sigh... then selling his place will cost us lots because it is getting so run down. He lives in a place of conservation which would also affect the price, in a similar manner to what has been mentioned.

One of the criteria of my own purchase here in Scotland was that it must suit me into dotage. Time will tell whether that works out!!!

Not on the tennis for me ---- cricket!!! &*> YAM xx

Karen said...

About thirty years back, we were looking to buy our first home. (As a military family we weren't in a position to buy prior.) We found a nice rural home located right beside the highway intersection that led to the army base where my spouse worked. The price was right. It was a nice family home with a large yard. We thought we were IN like Flynn until the realtor told us the property was going to be expropriated for the 417 expansion in a few years.
It has been 30+ years, the highway expansion is likely not going to be this far for another 30 years at the rate they're going. The property is vacant...