So my parents are getting a cottage....

[Ben Daniels]

This a happy time for me... my parents are lookin for a cottage...right as the ice comes injavascript:emoticon(':evil:')
Evil or Very Mad. but anyways. We live in Toronto and My parents dont want anywhere too far away. I said Simcoe or Rice Lake, they said they hear that these places are really weedy and for whatever reason they dont want to go there.They are thinking of Thousand Islands...They want a nice place for fishing, swimming, boating, ect. So with all this is mind where would you guys choose?

[matcole]

man! lucky guy! to only have that dilema! Thousand Islands is great!

[eddie43]

Congratualations and good luck on the hunt,

I would like to offer ONE HUGE PIECE OF ADVISE however,
speaking from experience, be extremely cautious purchasing a cottage during winter. My families cottage was purchased during the winter and of course the real estate agent told us how great the waterfront was for swimming and what not... Come spring time, it turns out the waterfront is full of muck. I've still enjoyed my cottage immensily, but it would be nice to be able to swim in front of my place, or start my main boat motor at my dock instead of having to use the electric to get out about 200 feet past the muck and into deeper water everytime I go fishing.

Hope you find the perfect place,
goodluck,
Eddie

[matcole]

frieds of ours did the same on sharbot, water looks shallow, but step int the muck you chest deep and stuck!

[HuckFinn]

a couple of suggestions... you can, potentially, get a better deal buying in the winter because once the spring comes the number of potential buyers increases exponentially... one way to check the waterfront is to bring along an ice augur and a long pole with either a screw or claw at the end... you open the hole and mine the bottom for material...

[wolfe]

Ben Daniels,

I won't offer advice where I can't claim experience, but the point given about waterfront being different or even concealed (snow/ice) in winter certainly seems a good one.

On the flip side, your parents might find more reasonable pricing now, but that's just an assumption.

Regardless, this is a very exciting purchase and one that comes with lots of fringe benefits for extended family and friends! Have fun looking...! Good luck.

W.

[Kpin]

I've had the unfortunate experience of skinny dipping in Sharbot and Mat is right, I came out like the creature from the black lagoon. Made for great insta-mud wrestling though .

Can't really offer any real advice but seeing the area, snow free will give you a much better idea of the property and it's surroundings. Unknown for sure but I'd imagine the downside is that the cost most likely increases as does the nicer weather.

[Mr. T.]

My friends parents cottage is on a bay on Lake St. Francis on the St. Lawrence River. There are a lot of weeds and spiders. It's a nice place but really crowded. In his bay alone, I counted about 40 cottages on the waterfront. The properties, they are long and rectangular. On his, there were three cottages. So in that area alone, I estimated well over 100 cottages within casting distance of each other. The neighbours were very friendly though. My friend went to borrow a fillet knife and he said he had never even met the neighbour before. The neighbour came over with two knives, no questions asked.

On the river itself, we caught perch. Again a lot of weeds. Picture two guys in a 14 foot boat on the mighty river bobbing up and down whenever a big cargo ship went by. Saw a lot of those and sailboats. Saw one speed boat of some sort, the type you see racing on TV.

[Haybay Larry]

I lived in the bay of quinte area for 5 years near Napanee and Hay Bay off of long reach.
The fishing is EXCEPTIONAL and the area is close to all the amenities. The weather was great, less snow than Ottawa area. I really enjoyed my time there. If I were to buy a cottage it would be there. It is not very busy most of the season. Medium traffic on weekends and almost no one tobe seen through the week. After the long weekend beginning in August you can usually count the number of boats on the water weekdays on one hand!
That would be the place for me!

[Haybay Larry]

I lived in the bay of quinte area for 5 years near Napanee and Hay Bay off of long reach.
The fishing is EXCEPTIONAL and the area is close to all the amenities. The weather was great, less snow than Ottawa area. I really enjoyed my time there. If I were to buy a cottage it would be there. It is not very busy most of the season. Medium traffic on weekends and almost no one tobe seen through the week. After the long weekend beginning in August you can usually count the number of boats on the water weekdays on one hand!
That would be the place for me!....Larry

[Scumking]

Hey Ben, my suggestion would be the land o lakes region North of Kingston/Napanee.The lakes there are really nice and are predominently rocky.Some of the lakes are Big Gull,Kaswakamak,Crotch.We have vacationed on Mississagagon for 10 years and we love it.

Theres also the area to the south on the 41 where you have Big Clear /Muskrat and the Bonnechere river.

Ron