A candidate for Waterloo city council came to my door a week ago Saturday afternoon. I asked him about light rail and he told me he didn’t support it. I liked his honesty. He told me for all candidates, it would be political suicide to support it as 80% (unofficial pole) of the voters were against light rail. The candidate lost anyway.

However, he did give me hope. He said, “Waterloo Regional Council is going to do whatever it wants”. And although this may not be representing the wishes of the general public it shows true leadership and that is what leaders are elected to do – lead.

Interestingly, this candidate also mentioned to me how unpopular the Conestoga Parkway was when it was being proposed so many years ago. But it was done anyway. Can you imagine the roads in Kitchener Waterloo with out the expressway?

There hasn’t been any real debate about light rail. As I see it, all issues are surface ones. In an article in the Record newspaper last weekend, myths and rhetoric around light rail was discussed.

Many people say that light rail will lead to increased property taxes. It will. But so will future road widening, expanded utilities and infrastructure to the outskirts, buying buses, increasing wear and tear on our roads…

Now that the job of getting elected is over, perhaps our leaders will seriously look at the issue and start to lead.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, editorial by Keith Marshall
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Are you thinking of moving? Maybe you just want to know what’s happening with real estate in your neighborhood.

I’ve started keeping track of three neighborhoods in Kitchener Waterloo as a gauge of what’s happening in the local real estate market.  These areas are relatively new, one was just getting started ten years ago; the other two weren’t even started yet. They are Idlewood/Lackner Woods, Huron Park, and Claire Hills/Columbia Forest. On a regular basis I provide updates as follows:

Huron Park

There were 19 homes sold in Huron Park*

The average sold price was $301,236

The average number of days on the market was 64

The highest sold price was $427,045. The lowest $225,000.

Claire Hils

There were 34 homes sold in Columbia Forest/Claire Hills*

The average sold price was $376,564

The average number of days on the market was 40

The highest sold price was $540,000. The lowest $251,000

Idlewood

There were 52 homes sold in Idlewood/Lackner Woods*

The average sold price was $319,206

The average number of days on the market was 59

The highest sold price was $650,000. The lowest $210,000

*The above figures represent all homes sold through MLS during September 2010 (Huron Park includes August and September).

I aim to take the stress and mystery out of the home selling and home buying process by giving you the information you need to help your family make the move. If you need help, I have the information you want. I’ll share. Please contact me today if you’re just thinking about moving either now or in the near future.

And, if you don’t live in one of the areas I’m watching and want me to keep track of your street or your neighborhood, I could do that. Please give me a call with your name and address.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, home, Industry, neighborhood update, real estate, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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Everything is within walking distance if you have enough time. – Steven Wright.

When I was growing up, a teenager in the suburbs of Kingston Ontario there was always “nothing to do”. Suburban life for me, and many of my high school friends, revolved around the three moons of boredom: the high school, the mini mall and TV sitcoms. Many people love living in the Suburbs, don’t get me wrong, suburbs are safe and peaceful. Houses are big and modern. Everything is fresh and new, and a walk around the block is just that, a walk around the block. The majority of Canadians live in the suburbs. There must be a good reason.

But there is another group, a smaller but growing group of people that are more urban in taste – the city dwellers. These are the people who live in city centre condos and older neighborhoods (like me in Uptown Waterloo). We like being closer to “the action”, whatever that is.

One thing I discovered when I lived abroad is that Canadians love to walk. We do more walking than Americans for sure and I would wager that we do more walking than a lot of other nationalities too. Often when I’m working with people looking for the perfect home to buy, “what’s in the neighborhood?” and “what’s within walking distance?” are questions that come up.

With that in mind I’d like to share this little tool I recently discovered: Walk Score – Find a walkable place to live.

If you’re wondering what’s in your neighborhood or in a neighborhood you’re moving to, just plug in the address. I did for a home in Cambridge that I’ve got listed for sale – 146 Grand Avenue South.  It scored a better than average 68%.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, condo, for sale, general news, home, home owners by Keith Marshall
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Last week on 365 things to do in Kitchener Waterloo, we started out the week with bruised fingers (and ego) after a night of crokinole. We were challenged to name that tune at an evening of “new music” at K/Wag. We spent the weekend with brides and the occasional groom at the Wedding Dreams Show. I was there with Tanglewood Condos asking questions and taking names – nice to meet so many of you. After that, we needed some general silliness and we got a lot at Spamalot. Hurricane Carter spoke in Guelph and then it was off to the new Waterloo Region Museum for some business networking with the Chamber of Commerce. Three top Canadian women writers read and talked about their stories at the Princess Twin City Cinema Café and finally the crooners crooned and the food was awesome at Encore – the hottest new restaurant and nightclub to open in Waterloo Region in years.

Another busy week.

Around the offices of 365 things to do in Kitchener Waterloo, we are celebrating our ongoing success! We are still growing everyday, adding new friends with more ideas. We’re currently over 440 participants. Already!

So go on, tell your friends. Be bold. Make suggestions. Ask advice. Give feedback. You must have a favorite place to go or thing to do that you can share. We will all be richer for the experience.

Speaking of which, we had a few suggestions: Shane Graham suggested we play golf all year round at Golf without Limits. Patricia Reeves had some free bowling for us with ibowl.ca and Lisa Pagett – Bonnell introduced Good to Go Sandwiches, a Kitchener Caterer.

Filed under: 365 things to do in Kitchener Waterloo, Around Kitchener Waterloo, condo, general news by Keith Marshall
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It’s not quite as epic as the historic Lang Tannery Buildings or Barra Castle but Kitchener will soon lose another landmark, and another small but iconic piece of our history will be gone forever. The old water tower above St George Street on Cedar Hill will be demolished in November.

When it was built in 1926, it was the largest water tower in Canada. It holds four million litres. But as it hasn’t been used for years and the potential cost of repairs and maintenance far exceeds any preservation benefits; this old eyesore has got to go.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, editorial by Keith Marshall
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