You’ve now found a number of cottage properties that meet your criteria and you want to go see them. First thing to do is contact the real estate agent. From my experience most of the agents do not respond to emails quickly. I’m not sure why, but it is usually a few days before you will get an email response if you get one at all. So the best bet is to give them a call even if it is long distance.
Once you are able to talk to the real estate agent the first thing you will want to ask is if the property is still available. There is usually a lag between when the property actually went on sale and when the listing was posted. The last thing you want to do is drive 3 hours one way to find out the property was sold before you even left your home. The next thing you will want to do is reiterate your requirements to the agent to see if the listing description is accurate. Again I have gone to many a property thinking this is the one only to find out that half of the lot is a bog and is unusable for building purposes.
Now you’ve got your list of properties that you want to see. Plan ahead by mapping out where the properties are and mark a route to drive that will reduce your travel time as much as possible. Commonly I would make a day trip to see 4 or 5 properties in a particular area and then make a reservation at the local provincial park to camp out for the night. This takes a lot of stress out of having to drive all day and all night. You will be able to relax for the night and reflect on the properties you’ve seen.
Before you leave to see the properties make sure you print off the listings that include some sort of address, description, agent name and contact info. If you find the property of your dreams you will want to contact the agent as soon as possible and consider putting in an offer.
What to look for and questions to ask when you get there in the next article.
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