Out of Town: Nine country knockouts

Owning a country estate is something most of us can only dream of. Especially for those of us who can’t even afford a cottage. Still, it’s nice to dream.

For those with the means, now is a good time to be looking for a luxury home in the country. There’s a wide selection and would-be sellers appear to outnumber would-be buyers.

Several country estates with lengthy price tags are for sale in Ontario. They include one for $24-million surrounded by 150 acres of woodland near Toronto.

Another, priced at $18-million, is on a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands.

An even higher price — $27-million — is being sought for a mansion on a secluded stretch of waterfront on Lac des Deux Montagnes, just west of Montreal. Perhaps that does not strictly qualify as a “country estate” but the idea’s the same — a large home surrounded by greenery and water, a world away from the noise and congestion of urban life.

According to Re/Max real estate chain, sales of luxury homes in Canada soared in early 2010. But there is no reliable measure of strength — or weakness — in prices of multi-million-dollar homes.

Allison Parent, a real estate agent with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, recently listed a waterfront home in the Kawartha Lakes for $7.38-million.

“The feedback that I am receiving from my international clients is that luxury real estate in Canada is still seen as being reasonably priced compared to other countries,” Ms. Parent says.

Post Homes looks at nine high-end country properties recently listed for sale in Ontario and Quebec by Christie’s Great Estates and Sotheby’s International Realty Canada — two international real estate firms that specialize in the upper end of the market.

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