Here’s a little Canadian trivia question for you: What is the smallest community in the province of Ontario to be designated as a city, with a population of 7,749? Answer: Cindy’s home town of Dryden!

“I don’t like big cities!” she says, sounding like she’s speaking in all caps. “I prefer small towns. I like mature trees, big properties, and peace and quiet!”

It makes perfect sense, then, that Cindy is choosing to begin her new life in the town of Erin, population 11,439!

Cindy works at the City of Brampton, where she was a longtime coworker of Jody’s mom, Pam. She’s been such a good friend (and client) over the past ten years, that Pam often refers to her as Jody’s “surrogate sister”!

In 1999, long before we knew them, Cindy and her husband bought this townhouse in Brampton, followed in short order by a trailer in Hope Bay for weekend escapes. She was obviously serious about needing time in the country!

One day in 2012, they took a different route home from their trailer, and happened to pass a property for sale in Alton. Cindy got on the horn with Jody right away to book a showing, because it was a one-of-a-kind type of century home.

They hadn’t planned on moving, but after reviewing their options with Jody, Cindy and her husband decided to go for it. The house had been listed for over two months, and the price was already reduced once, due to the balanced market conditions and the specific nature of the property. However, after some research and negotiation, Jody was able to help them secure it for less than the asking price of $414,900! “It was such a unique house, Jody’s expertise was invaluable in figuring out the fair market value,” Cindy said. “Her experience was also obvious when I heard her speaking with the other agent. She knew what questions to ask, and how to negotiate for us!”

Jody ensured they had a generous timeline to work with to sell their existing townhouse, which took about a month. “A neighbour listed for a stupidly low price while we were on the market, so that competition didn’t help. But we did okay in the end,” Cindy smiled.

After taking possession of their new Alton home in September 2012, Cindy and her husband spent the next few years giving it several upgrades, including new kitchen counters and backsplash, new hardwood floors, and adding a deck. But while their house was improving, sadly, their relationship was not. In late 2017, Cindy took some time away to housesit for a friend for 3 months, and enjoyed a couple of weeks in Australia visiting with Pam (who moved to Sydney in 2014, to get as far away from us as possible, lol).

By the spring of 2018, Cindy and her husband knew they were going to separate, and gave Jody a call to discuss their real estate plans. She helped them both to understand the market conditions, what their options were, and what they should work on to ensure the Alton house showed at its best for sale.

Despite her distaste for the city, Cindy decided the right short-term choice for her would be to lease a condo close to work, while she and her husband “Marie Kondo’d” their Alton property. By April, Jody had helped her settle into her new 1+1-bedroom suite in this Brampton mid-rise building.

In August, market conditions had thankfully started to improve, and it was good timing to list the unique Alton property, which we showcased on this blog. There was next to no inventory at the time, and people were watching for new listings like hawks.

The house was snapped up in just a few days, for very close to the asking price of $629,900. And within a couple of weeks, Jody was also able to secure a beautiful 2-storey home for Cindy’s husband in the community of Grand Valley, just west of Orangeville.

“It was a difficult situation, and Jody was able to be impartial and provide invaluable support to us both,” Cindy said. “She helped us get through the experience, and make the decisions we needed to without having to argue.”

Meanwhile, Cindy was growing a bit frustrated with the city noise at her condo. “The neighbours, the traffic…and the sirens, oh my God!” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want to stay in Brampton!” However, she didn’t know if she could manage to buy a new property on her own. “Jody connected me with the right professionals, including a fantastic mortgage broker, who helped me to realize that I could do this.”

Cindy ventured to a few open houses, and then arranged for several showings with Jody that ranged from Rockwood, to Acton, to Hillsburgh – all small communities where she could get a good-sized property, and also have that coveted peace and quiet. Unfortunately there just weren’t many homes available, and most of the properties she saw were going to be huge renovation projects. Not Cindy’s cup of tea (or glass of wine, as the case may be!).

In late October, a charming 2-storey house on a 61 x 112-foot lot came onto the market at a very reasonable price.

Cindy and Jody hit the road in short order to view it, and it was perfect! Large fenced yard, quiet street, nice community feel – and bordering huge open tracts of farmland.

The house had previously been listed twice in the summer, for $650,000, then reduced to $599,900, but still didn’t sell. This explained the current reasonable price point of $575,000, and why the owners weren’t willing to go any lower. Jody and Cindy swooped in with an offer, and the house was hers! Jody negotiated as long a closing as possible, to mitigate the remainder left on Cindy’s lease, and she took possession of the house in January 2019. Best of all, her landlord was able to rent out her condo early, saving her a month’s rent. It was meant to be!

“I just feel so comfortable here, I look forward to getting home from work and just being able to relax in my own home!” Cindy sighed, settling onto her sofa.

“I wouldn’t have done this without Jody! I really appreciate that she is so open, and not afraid to put the truth on the table and tell it like it is. She knows the value and potential of properties, and was able to reassure me that I was making a good decision!”

Thanks for trusting us with all your real estate needs Cindy, and congratulations on your new house! We’re loving the smile on your face!