Muskoka Lakes tax sale - what's going on?

[Jayz]

What's wrong with the link? It refers to last Essex and Chapleau tax sale.

I checked the township's website, there's nothing under "Tenders and Bids" either.

Is this for real? ontariotaxsales.ca has it all. Does it mean ontariotaxsales.ca has exclusive listing right for this tax sale?

Anyways, assuming it's real, lets talk about it. Muskoka Lakes apparently is a super hot area. To those who went or followed throught past tax sales for this area, how would a winning bid turn out to be compared to assessed value of a property? lower? close to? higher? how much higer? etc.

What's your best pick this time, and why?  I understand we may not have honest answers, but hey, we are together here. Let me hear what you say.

[Harkonnen]

Just Googling it I found this link (on another site -gasp!):

    ontariotaxsales.ca/cart/ListingSearch.php?municipalityID=1836&municipality=Muskoka+Lakes ontariotaxsales.ca/cart/ListingSearch.php?municipalityID=1836&municipality=Muskoka+Lakes[/url]

I guess somebody who administers this site wants a head start on this one...

[Frank]

Is this for real? ontariotaxsales.ca has it all. Does it mean ontariotaxsales.ca has exclusive listing right for this tax sale?

The Ontariotaxsales site is provided on a fee for service basis to Municipalities, and it is not unusual for the listings to be there even before they are in the Ontario Gazette.   That site also provides services to you, for a fee, the tender package then the search...all very good, and all for a fee.

This site gets its information from the Gazette and loads up all the info available from the Gazette when it becomes available.  It is free, it is limited in value to what you get out of it through the forum. ... and it is very good as well. 

Bottom line.  Use both sites to your best advantage.

[Rob]

Thanks for bring that to my attention.  The link was broken and it was point to last week's tax sale.  If you visit the main page that link should point to the correct now and the listings will show.

And, not to worry I won't be placing a bid on this property.  Honestly, its more important for me to get all of the listings correct on this website rather then getting a small jump start on a property hunt myself.  I actually would suggest waiting a bit because most valuable properties get redeemed and the small costs of gas/title searches/etc..  add up quickly.  It is one way to reduce your costs long term. 

If anyone ever discovers a broken link or invalid property listing like this one, please let me know and the situation will be cleared up as soon as possible.

[Jayz]

Back to this Muskoka Lakes tax sale thread.

For those interested, I was able to pinpoint the 3 miles lake vacant lot, as shown in Google Map attached.

It seems the lot is nested, up on rocky hill, both right and left side to private property, back (or front) side to the lake and front (or back) side to likely crown land.  If this is not called "landlocked", to those experienced, how is it possible to construct a driveway to the lot? Is it possible to cut through the crown land, with a fee, to the maintained road, which is less than 500m long to the lot? There seems to be a right-of-way, but I am afraid it has been blocked by neighbors.

[Harkonnen]

If the property truly does front on the lake then you would always have water access -many seasonal properties in Muskoka only have water access, but it might be complicated to get a building permit for such a property in this day and age.

It is doubtful that you would secure a right of way through that much crown land, and the expense of cutting and maintaining a 500m road over Muskoka rock would be prohibitive.  The right of way is probably your best bet.  According to the transportation map of the Official Plan on the Muskoka District Webpage:



There was nothing in the legend on the map to indicate the status of "grey roads", so they would probably be legally either private or in limbo.  Nonetheless, it does look like there is something resembling a road there, and the linear cut through the trees on your satellite photo does seem to confirm this.  Will you be legally entitled to use it?  Well...  Not to sound the pessimist, but I've just disentangled myself from this exact kind of situation.  There was a right of way heading right onto my bush property, but no legal record of it existing or of us having any right to use it.  Of course we did use the right of way for six years and nobody ever said anything about it.  There's a good possibility that if you are friendly to the neighbours they won't give you any hassle.  And since the property does have waterfront residential zoning and (probably) legal water access, the "legality" of the road access might not matter in terms of building or reselling.  That's all just speculation, however. 

[logon9]

I wonder what happend to the google map that Jayz attached?

[logon9]

Oups, never mind - I only had to log in to see it.

[Jayz]

... it does look like there is something resembling a road there, and the linear cut through the trees on your satellite photo does seem to confirm this.  ...

Those are snowmobile trails. But I could only find one to the left of Deerwood, nothing to the right, where the property is supposed to be located.

[Jayz]

To those who purchased the package from ontariotaxsale.ca, can you tell what that grey area pointed to the water is? deeded access? Also, why is there a road allowance right along the very water? This may sound like a dumb question, educate me a little bit if you can please. Thks.

*** Please buy Tender Package from ontariotaxsale.ca ***

[lonewolfsek]

Anyone seen the second round of Muskoka properties. I'm interested in the one on Henshaw Lake. Has anyone started looking into it?

[verbalnoncents]

How do you know if the listing is cancelled on the day of the sale? Is there a place where they update this info?
Also, has anyone noticed that most sales are cancelled on or before the day of the sale?

[Frank]

I've seen them being cancelled 10 minutes before the opening.   In fact, now the sale can be cancelled right up until the new deed is registered.  the best you can do is check with the Municipality the morning of the sale. 

I'm pretty certain the one on Henshaw lake will be cancelled at the last minute, so don't hold your breath.

Tax sale is a tax collection tool.  Municipalities use it as the ultimate 'wake-up call'.  Sometimes we get lucky and no one hears the alarm bells going off.   Most times however, if the property is worth anything, it will get redeemed.

[verbalnoncents]

All the listings for april 2nd are garbage... While the properties might be nice, they all can't be built on.
So unless you are looking for a tenting property I would not advise buying these.

[Frank]

All the listings for april 2nd are garbage... While the properties might be nice, they all can't be built on.
So unless you are looking for a tenting property I would not advise buying these.

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.  One's mans trash..... etc..

This might be the perfect opportunity for someone who has never won a bid, to actually get one...and at minimum value, if you are correct. 

Some people want nothing more than a piece of land to pitch a tent on a long weekend...can't get any sleep in the Provincial camp-grounds.