Willow Beach Resort Introduces 'Carefree Cottaging'

( EMAILWIRE.COM, March 22, 2007 ) Haliburton, Ontario – Willow Beach Resort is proud to announce “carefree cottaging,” another option to cottage ownership.

Over the last several years, the price of waterfront property in the traditional Ontario cottage resort areas has risen dramatically. While skyrocketing cottage prices may be well received by cottage owners who are happy to watch their equity increase, people looking to enter the cottage market may find themselves unable to buy due to the high cost of ownership.

The Haliburton Highlands, a well-known Ontario resort and cottage destination area, situated approximately two hours north east of Metropolitan Toronto, offers a number of options and alternatives to traditional cottage ownership. For decades, Haliburton was home to many family-style lodges and cottage resorts businesses as well as modest, private cottage properties. Over the past few years, the Haliburton Highlands has witnessed increases in real estate values that, in many cases, have more than doubled the price of lakefront property. Not only have cottage prices increased substantially, many of the expenses that go along with owing a cottage, such as property taxes, insurance, repairs and maintenance, have increased as well. Cottage ownership has become an extremely expensive proposition.

Willow Beach Cottage Resort has realized the financial inability that some have to purchase a cottage in the traditional manner. As a result, they have seized a growing market of individuals looking for affordable alternatives to traditional cottage ownership. Subsequently, many new and innovative options are being marketed to people who wish to enjoy the cottage experience without the worry and the considerable investment in both time and capital that owning a cottage requires.

While many of Haliburton’s inns, lodges and cottage resorts continue to serve the needs of people simply looking for an Ontario resort vacation through short-term rentals, some properties have been transformed, in whole or in part, to offer an affordable option for those who want to be part of the cottage experience. A number of interval ownership or fractional ownership properties have appeared in Haliburton over the last few years.

Interval ownership or fractional ownership is a concept where buyers purchase the use of a set number of weeks at a vacation property for a set number of years. This allows purchasers the opportunity to share a slice of cottage life at a comparatively affordable price. While interval or factional ownership has many advantages, it is not for everyone. Usually there is little flexibility as to the times that an owner can use the property and, while the capital outlay is considerably less than what it would be to purchase a cottage property outright, factional ownership prices, depending upon the property, can reach over one hundred thousand dollars and more. Management and maintenance fees must also be considered.

In an effort to combat some of the limitations that interval or fractional ownership offers, Willow Beach has introduced a new concept called “Carefree Cottaging.” In talking with many of their resort guests over the last twelve years, Don and Marie Gage of Willow Beach Cottage Resort (http://www.willowbeach.com), an upscale cottage resort on beautiful Lake Kashagawigamog, close to the village of Haliburton, recognize that there is strong market for low cost alternatives to cottage ownership. With Carefree Cottaging, people can purchase a package of either four or five weeks in a particular cottage that they can use anytime over the calendar year. As buyers only purchase one year at a time, it is extremely affordable. As well, because buyers are not purchasing a particular set timeshare week, it is much more flexible for people who can’t always get away at the same time each year.

According to Marie Gage, “We developed Carefree Cottaging for people who are yearning to have a cottage to call their own, but either don’t want the work, don’t have the time, or don’t want to tie up their capital. It’s a one-year at a time commitment with no issues related to having to sell if you choose to opt out. At Willow Beach, Carefree Cottage buyers have full use of all the resort’s extensive amenities. Many factional ownership properties in Haliburton have very limited facilities.”

As cottage prices in the Haliburton Highlands continue to rise, the dream of cottage ownership will only be attained by a lucky few. The market for alternatives to cottage ownership will continue to grow because people will continue to look to Ontario’s resort areas for recreation and relaxation.

Willow Beach Resort offers an alternative to cottage ownership they call “Carefree Cottaging”. This provides people 4 or 5 weeks in a private cottage they can call their "own" while freeing their financial resources.

For more information or to sign up for “Carefree Cottaging”, please visit http://www.willowbeach.com or call Don or Marie Gage at 1-800-656-9067.

Source: http://www.first-page-seo.com and http://prnn.com.

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