Blog & Resources

The Living In Durham Blog

Page 2 of 3. More of the guides, tips, and stories that help you buy, sell, and live well in Durham Region.

All Weekend Guide Community Spotlights Buyer Tips Seller Tips Market Updates Neighbourhood Guides

Showing 20 of 52 articles

A restored heritage brick storefront cafe on the main street of a small Ontario town in early autumn, with hanging flower baskets and bistro tables outside

Community Spotlights · Oct 19, 2026

The Piano Cafe and George Stanley Inn: Durham Region Community Spotlight

The Piano Cafe and George Stanley Inn is a family-run cafe, boutique inn, and heritage landmark at 217 Queen Street in downtown Port Perry, Ontario, rated 4.6 stars.

A classic two-storey brick and clapboard family home on a tree-lined Port Perry street in early autumn with a For Sale sign on the front lawn and turning maples at golden hour

Buyer Tips · Sep 28, 2026

Should You Buy First or Sell First in Durham Region?

Should you buy first or sell first in Durham Region? How bridge financing, conditional offers, and market timing work for Port Perry and Scugog homeowners.

The Port Perry waterfront on a late September Saturday morning with farmers market stalls at the foot of Queen Street, crates of apples and squash, the heritage grain mill, and maples just beginning to turn orange and gold along Lake Scugog

Weekend Guide · Sep 25, 2026

What To Do This Weekend in Durham Region (Sept-25-27, 2026)

Your weekend guide to Durham Region for Sept-25-27, 2026. The Songs of Summer season finale headlines Saturday in Port Perry, with the Parkwood Beer Fest in Oshawa, Uxtober Fest in Uxbridge, farmers markets and more.

A classic family-run butcher shop counter with a glass display case of fresh cuts and artisan sausages, representing Halenda's Meats in Bowmanville

Community Spotlights · Oct 12, 2026

Halenda's Meats: Durham Region Community Spotlight

Halenda's Meats is a family-run butcher shop at 94 Waverley Road in Bowmanville, Ontario, in Clarington, serving Durham families quality meat and house-made sausages since 1979.

A bright modern plant-based restaurant with colourful vegan bowls on ceramic plates, representing Mathilda's in downtown Oshawa

Community Spotlights · Oct 5, 2026

Mathilda's: Durham Region Community Spotlight

Mathilda's is a fully plant-based restaurant at 29 Simcoe Street South in downtown Oshawa, Ontario, serving healthy, made-from-scratch meals since 2018.

A craft brewery taproom with a long wooden bar, brass taps, and exposed brick, representing The Town Brewery in downtown Whitby

Community Spotlights · Sep 28, 2026

The Town Brewery: Durham Region Community Spotlight

The Town Brewery is a community-focused craft brewery and taproom at 1632 Charles Street in downtown Whitby, Ontario, known for great beer, wood-fired pizza, and local events.

A tidy brick and clapboard family home on a tree-lined Port Perry street in early autumn at golden hour, with a plain yard sign stake by the front walk and maples dropping leaves

Seller Tips · Sep 23, 2026

Why Some Durham Region Homes Sell in Days While Others Sit for Months

Why do some Durham Region homes sell in days while others sit for months? Pricing, presentation, and the first two weeks on market, with September 2026 CLAR data.

Lake Scugog waterfront in early autumn at golden hour with a wooden dock, red-and-white boathouse, turning maples, and a pontoon boat on calm water

Neighbourhood Guides · Sep 22, 2026

Living on Lake Scugog: A Waterfront Buyer's Guide

What it's really like to live on Lake Scugog: waterfront homes and docks in Port Perry, the lakeshore communities, boating on the Trent-Severn, and what buyers should check before making an offer.

A bright artisan bakery counter with golden pastries, layered cakes, and artisan coffee cups, representing Biscuits To Baskets in Ajax

Community Spotlights · Sep 21, 2026

Biscuits To Baskets: Durham Region Community Spotlight

Biscuits To Baskets is a family-run bakery and specialty coffee shop at 109 Old Kingston Road in Ajax, Ontario, known for its Korean sponge cake, specialty coffees, and custom gift baskets.

A stately brick and stone country estate home in North Durham set on rolling acreage with a tree-lined gravel laneway and mature maples at golden hour

Buyer Tips · Sep 18, 2026

Estate Homes in North Durham: A Buyer's Guide to Port Perry, Uxbridge & Brock

A buyer's guide to estate homes in North Durham. What acreage properties in Port Perry, Uxbridge, and Brock cost, and what to expect when buying.

A welcoming single-storey brick bungalow with a covered front porch on a quiet tree-lined street in Port Perry in early autumn

Seller Tips · Sep 15, 2026

Housing Options for Seniors in Durham Region: Aging in Place vs. Downsizing

Aging in place or downsizing? Housing options for seniors in Durham Region, from Port Perry bungalows to retirement living in Scugog, Uxbridge, and Brock.

The Big M Drive In, a retro drive-in burger stand in Pickering with red and white striped awnings and classic cars out front on a warm late-summer afternoon

Community Spotlights · Sep 14, 2026

The Big M Drive In: Durham Region Community Spotlight

The Big M Drive In is a family-run drive-in burger restaurant at 711 Krosno Blvd in Pickering, Ontario, serving the community since 1965.

An outdoor live music festival stage in a small Ontario lake town at golden hour with a band performing under string lights and bunting, a crowd on lawn chairs on the grass and maples framing the scene

Weekend Guide · Sep 11, 2026

What To Do This Weekend in Durham Region (Sept-18-20, 2026)

Your weekend guide to Durham Region from Sept-18-20, 2026. The Winding Roads Festival headlines Saturday in Port Perry, with the Beaverton Fall Fair, Brooklin Harvest Festival, Convergence Oshawa, farmers markets and more.

The warm interior of a specialty coffee café with a wooden counter, espresso machine, pastry case, shelves of Canadian-made gifts,and armchairs by a bright window in golden afternoon light

Community Spotlights · Sep 7, 2026

Canter Coffee Cannington: Durham Region Community Spotlight

Canter Coffee Cannington is a specialty coffee shop inside the Hometown Heart Store in the village of Cannington, Ontario, known for handcrafted drinks, Canadian-made gifts,and a warm small-town welcome.

A small-town Ontario fall fair in mid-September at golden hour with a Ferris wheel midway, bunting flags, food tentsand maples just beginning to turn orange

Weekend Guide · Sep 4, 2026

What To Do This Weekend in Durham Region (Sept-11-13,2026)

Your weekend guide to Durham Region from Sept-11-13,2026. The Uxbridge Fall Fair, Pickering Cultural Fusion, farmers markets,and fair fun across Port Perry, Uxbridge, Pickering,and more.

Rural country property in Durham Region on a misty late-summer morning, a white farmhouse at the end of a maple-lined gravel lane with a red barn across open fields

Buyer Tips · Sep 11, 2026

Country Living in Durham Region: Benefits, Challenges, and What to Know

The honest guide to country living in Durham Region: privacy, space, well and septic realities, and commutes from Port Perry, Brock, and Uxbridge.

The warm interior of a craft brewery tasting room with a long wooden bar, brass taps, exposed brick and oak barrels in soft afternoon light

Community Spotlights · Sep 2, 2026

The Second Wedge Brewing Co.: Durham Region Community Spotlight

The Second Wedge Brewing Co. is a beloved craft brewery and community gathering place in downtown Uxbridge, Ontario, known for local beer and wood-fired pizza.

A well-preserved 19th-century brick century home on a quiet tree-lined street in Port Perry, with a covered front porch, gingerbread millwork, black iron fence, and perennial gardens in late-afternoon light

Buyer Tips · Sep 7, 2026

Buying a Century Home in Port Perry: A Complete Guide

What to know before buying a century home in Port Perry: heritage rules, inspections, renovation costs, and what to budget in Scugog’s historic downtown.

A small-town Ontario agricultural fair at dusk with a glowing carnival midway, Ferris wheel, string lights and families strolling near a lakeside heritage street

Weekend Guide · Aug 28, 2026

What To Do This Weekend in Durham Region (September 4-6, 2026)

Your Labour Day long weekend guide to Durham Region from September 4 to 6, 2026. The Port Perry Fair, CTMP weekend racing, farmers markets and family fun across Port Perry, Uxbridge, Oshawa, Bowmanville and Clarington.

Historic Queen Street in downtown Port Perry on a sunny late summer afternoon with heritage storefronts, flower baskets, and Lake Scugog in the distance

Weekend Guide · Aug 27, 2026

What To Do This Weekend in Durham Region (August 28-30, 2026)

Your weekend guide to the best events across Durham Region from August 28 to 30, 2026. Farmers markets, car shows, free concerts, art exhibits, and family fun in Port Perry, Uxbridge, Pickering, and more.

Willows Realty Group

Keith Williams & Lisa C. Follows | 30+ Years in Durham Region | Licensed Brokers

Co-Founders of Willows Realty Group with Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, helping buyers and sellers across Durham Region with care, expertise, and a genuine commitment to community.

Meet Keith & Lisa

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