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cottage wars

Real estate adventures in cottage country
Real Estate

Real estate adventures in cottage country

Torontonians are duking it out for a little piece of lake. An inside look at the bidding wars, property battles, big winners and buying adventures in cottage country

A Burlington waitress won the lottery in 1996 and bought this Muskoka cottage for $335,000
Real Estate

A Burlington waitress won the lottery in 1996 and bought this Muskoka cottage for $335,000

Twenty-five years later, she sold it for $1.7 million

She listed her cottage for $399,000 and got 71 bids
Real Estate

She listed her cottage for $399,000 and got 71 bids

Buyers showed up without an appointment. Six cars got stuck in the ditch. People were banging the door down. The winning bid? $777,777

This family ditched city life for a $900,000 house on Lake Simcoe
Real Estate

This family ditched city life for a $900,000 house on Lake Simcoe

It needs some love, but there's room for everyone (three adults, two kids and a dog), and it backs right onto a canal

Two generations pooled their money to buy a $1 million cottage near North Bay
Real Estate

Two generations pooled their money to buy a $1 million cottage near North Bay

“We were wary of bidding without seeing the place in person, but we decided to go for it”

He went up to the Kawarthas early in the pandemic. Now he canoes to work
Real Estate

He went up to the Kawarthas early in the pandemic. Now he canoes to work

And by "work," we mean the Italian restaurant and bakery he launched in November

When the pandemic hit, this family snapped up a fixer-upper cottage on the Crowe River for $525,000
Real Estate

When the pandemic hit, this family snapped up a fixer-upper cottage on the Crowe River for $525,000

Now the kids play outside after school, instead of staring at their devices

“I’ve been in business for 32 years, and 2020 was the busiest year we’ve ever had”
Real Estate

“I’ve been in business for 32 years, and 2020 was the busiest year we’ve ever had”

Early in the pandemic, cottage country businesses were worried, but with Torontonians flocking north, business has been bonkers

These Toronto food purveyors are following their customers to cottage country
Real Estate

These Toronto food purveyors are following their customers to cottage country

And they deliver dockside

“Covid-19 has caused  a lot of economic hardship, but you wouldn’t know it up here”
Real Estate

“Covid-19 has caused a lot of economic hardship, but you wouldn’t know it up here”

Cottage country tradespeople are swamped

“Is it fair to ask our cottage neighbours to pay for repairs to our shared driveway?”
Real Estate

“Is it fair to ask our cottage neighbours to pay for repairs to our shared driveway?”

“I’ve been in the real estate  game for decades. I’ve never  seen anything like this”
Real Estate

“I’ve been in the real estate game for decades. I’ve never seen anything like this”

Confessions of an awestruck cottage country realtor

The Bracebridge Library offers free Wi-Fi in its parking lot
Real Estate

The Bracebridge Library offers free Wi-Fi in its parking lot

Cathryn Rodney, chief librarian, on the sudden demand for broadband in cottage country

This plane flies Torontonians to cottage country in 40 minutes
Real Estate

This plane flies Torontonians to cottage country in 40 minutes

The cost? Between $1,500 and $2,000 for up to five passengers

Private School Directory

The Independent and Private School Directory Spring 2022
Private Schools

The Independent and Private School Directory Spring 2022

Big Stories

This family built their off-grid dream house for less than $1,000
Real Estate

This family built their off-grid dream house for less than $1,000

The true story of the $46-million heist that shocked the crypto world
City

The true story of the $46-million heist that shocked the crypto world

Tales of love and resilience from Little Ukraine
City

Tales of love and resilience from Little Ukraine

Toronto’s best new restaurants 2022
Food & Drink

Toronto’s best new restaurants 2022

This man would like your attention
City

This man would like your attention

I was forced into an arranged marriage at 17
Memoir

I was forced into an arranged marriage at 17

Toronto’s first family of cheese
City

Toronto’s first family of cheese

Twenty-five reasons to love Toronto now
City

Twenty-five reasons to love Toronto now

Inside a high-stakes flight from a crumbling country
Life

Inside a high-stakes flight from a crumbling country

The twisted mind of a serial romance scammer
City

The twisted mind of a serial romance scammer

What should the post-pandemic workplace look like?
City

What should the post-pandemic workplace look like?

How director Domee Shi turned Toronto into a pastel Pixar wonderland
Culture

How director Domee Shi turned Toronto into a pastel Pixar wonderland

How I learned the horrifying truth about my biological father
Memoir

How I learned the horrifying truth about my biological father

Inside a $4-billion family feud
City

Inside a $4-billion family feud

Fifteen mesmerizing photos that reveal the lives of Torontonians in the 1960s and ’70s
City

Fifteen mesmerizing photos that reveal the lives of Torontonians in the 1960s and ’70s

Behind the scenes of an $11-billion subway war
City

Behind the scenes of an $11-billion subway war

Dispatches from the weirdest university year ever
Life

Dispatches from the weirdest university year ever

<em>Toronto Life&#8217;</em>s top longreads of 2021
City

Toronto Life’s top longreads of 2021

Fired for being female
City

Fired for being female

The winter hater&#8217;s guide to loving winter
City

The winter hater’s guide to loving winter

Great Spaces

Inside Muskoka Beer Spa, a hop lovers’ utopia in cottage country
Style

Inside Muskoka Beer Spa, a hop lovers’ utopia in cottage country

Best Dressed

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Trish, Mac &#038; Matty Matheson, the ultimate nonconformists

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Trish, Mac & Matty Matheson, the ultimate nonconformists

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Fashion director George Antonopoulos

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Fashion director George Antonopoulos

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Fitness model and anti-blogger Sasha Exeter

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Fitness model and anti-blogger Sasha Exeter

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Brian A. Richards, potential future face of fashion in Toronto

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Brian A. Richards, potential future face of fashion in Toronto

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Artsy supercouple Jeffrey &#038; Lucia Remedios

Toronto’s Best Dressed: Artsy supercouple Jeffrey & Lucia Remedios

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