City occupants looking for a taste of the bucolic existence are snapping up more and more listings for East Coast properties
Expansive properties have become prime attractions in the Canadian East Coast, where hopeful buyers from the largest housing markets are now trooping towards in their search for a more rustic and less stressful atmosphere.
A 107-year-old manor in rural Nova Scotia is emblematic of the types of homes that have become the most enticing features of the Maritimes, The Canadian Press reported.
The Mounce Mansion, which comes with a price tag of an astonishing $435,000, was listed just last week, but Wanda Graves of Eastern Valley Real Estate noted that the property’s Facebook post has been shared more than 36,000 times as of Sunday (February 12).
The asking price is especially noteworthy, Graves said, considering that the listing is a 7,000-square-foot, 3-storey residence boasting of 7 bedrooms, 2 parlour rooms, a sunroom, a library, and an eat-in kitchen. Taking into account the latest numbers from the Toronto Real Estate Board, the Nova Scotia mansion is fully $2,300 cheaper than the average price of a condo unit in Toronto.
In St. Andrews, New Brunswick, RE/MAX realtor Mark Gauley recently closed a deal on a 5-bedroom home built in the 1830s, which was listed for less that $350,000. The property was touted as a link to the past that “exudes the character and charm of a bygone era” with its crystal wall scones and marble fireplaces.
An unexpected trend was the influx of more U.S.-based buyers, a development that has been spurred by a resurgent Canadian dollar.
“We are getting some more Americans sniffing around and buying properties,” Gauley said. “Some of it, I would say is [the] Trump effect, believe it or not.”
Prince Edward Island has had its fair share of interested buyers, with Steven Malayny of Royal LePage County Estates citing a continuous arrival of residents from Ontario and the Prairies looking for a more tranquil environment.
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