Tuesday 16 August 2011

Too good to be true

Ever had that feeling that something is just too good to be true? I'm back tracking here just a little to our meeting with the real estate agent at the lot on the Monday morning after Mother's Day. At the location there were three 5-acres lots for sale, side-by-side. All had between 260 -350 feet of water frontage. The lot we have fallen for was the middle of the 3 and the one with the least frontage and therefore the lowest price...or so we thought. That should have been the first clue...the nicest of the three lots was the least expensive? Too good to be true, right? Long story short, we were reading the listings wrong and the lot was actually the most expensive of the three and way more money than we wanted to pay. At least the frontage was bigger than we thought. And then we found out we had to pay HST. OMG, how painful is that?!

We parted ways with the real estate agent and headed to the local chip truck for some lunch and to discuss which ridiculously low price we would insult the seller with. In the parking lot at the chip truck we see a township truck. I scan the picnic tables for someone looking like a township person to ask a few questions about local bylaws. After we discuss the merits of the food he scares the hell out of us by saying he thinks the bylaw on that lake states the front setback is 300 meters. The lot in question isn't even 300 meters in length, what's that all about? He points us in the direction of the municipal office to confirm.

Too good to be true alright!

The municipal office eases the tension. The 300 meter setback is only for the lake on the other side of the bridge, not for the lake we are looking at. Ok then, let's get to that insulting offer to the seller.

Mimi: Maybe we should call our lawyer too. Ras, does your phone (Rogers) get any service here?
Ras:   No.
Mimi: Ya, me (Telus) neither. Hmm...guess we'll have to call Bell.


More later,
Mimi

No comments: