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May / June 2026

Posted on Jun 15, 2026 in The Cottage Compass

Well, friends, summer is knocking and I am flinging the door wide open. After a winter that overstayed and a spring that could not make up its mind, I am dreaming of glassy mornings when the loons have the lake to themselves. If your toes are already in the water, you have understood the assignment.

And I could not be more thrilled, starting with news I have been bursting to share: please welcome Lily Beckett, our newest team member. She brings fresh energy, sharp instincts and a genuine love of Lake of Bays you will feel right away.

From there we roll up our sleeves: the new Official Plan and Shoreline Rules, a candid look at septic systems in What Lies Beneath, your May market stats and an Ask Jay busting a favourite myth — the magic of the Exclusive Listing. Thank you for following along and for the questions in my inbox — you are the reason this newsletter exists.

Here's to sunshine, still mornings and a summer worth savouring.


Market Look

Spring activity continued across the four reporting areas — Lake of Bays, Huntsville, Muskoka Lakes and Bracebridge — with a healthy mix of sales and fresh listings coming to market. As is typical for North Muskoka, results varied meaningfully by lake, price point and property, with accurately priced and well-presented waterfront drawing the most committed buyers.

Because Cottage Compass arrives every second month and MLS figures are always confirmed a month in arrears, this issue reports May's verified numbers — giving you a fuller, more reliable picture.

Read more for the complete May report, plus previous months. See the Stats →

New Rules at the Water's Edge

In Lake of Bays, the rules that govern your shoreline have quietly become one of the strongest drivers of waterfront value — and in 2026, they have changed again. The long-standing Development Permit System is gone, replaced by a single Community Planning Permit, while a new Official Plan now before Council could widen setbacks and vegetated buffers on fourteen coldwater lakes, ours among them.

For buyers and sellers alike, regulatory clarity has become the line between a smooth sale and a stalled one. Whether you are dreaming of a first cottage or weighing the sale of one you have cherished for years, here is exactly where the rules stand — and what they mean for your side of the table.

Read More →

What Lies Beneath?

Granite countertops? Swoon. Sunsets over the bay? Pure magic. Leach beds? Suddenly everyone remembers they left the kettle on. The septic system is the one corner of cottage life nobody wants to discuss — right up until it is the only thing anyone is talking about.

Well, the conversation just got a lot more interesting. Lake of Bays has rolled out a brand-new septic inspection program, and the savviest cottage owners are already getting ahead of it — turning what could be an awkward surprise into a quiet selling advantage.

Curious whether it affects your property, and how to come out ahead? Let's lift the lid on what lies beneath.

Read More →

Introducing Lily Beckett


What do prize dairy cattle and waterfront cottages have in common? Lily Beckett!

Our newest team member is equally at home on the farm and on the dock, bringing rare dual expertise to cottage country and agricultural clients alike — with a designer's eye to match. (Wait until you see her charcuterie boards.)

Find out more about Lily — and why she fits right in.  More About Lily →



Ask Jay

Is selling our cottage quietly — as a private exclusive listing — really the smart, discreet choice?

Ah, the exclusive listing. It sounds so refined, doesn't it? Hushed. Bespoke. Reserved for a privileged few.

Here's the secret the pitch never mentions: that velvet rope usually costs the seller — not the buyer. The research is in, and the numbers are eye-opening.

So before you whisper your cottage to a chosen few, let me show you who's really waiting in the room. Your waterfront is your Christie's — and it deserves the world, not the back office.



Thanks for reading The Cottage Compass — my bi-monthly guide to the north Muskoka and Lake of Bays waterfront market, written from our office in Dwight , Lake of Bays and delivered first to subscribers. If someone forwarded this to you, subscribe to get the next issue before it hits the blog.

Written by: Jay Richardson, Broker - The Richardson Team — Refined Real Estate | Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka
jayrichardson.ca · 705-571-2118
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