The Town of Smooth Rock Falls is showing what smaller communities can do in face of adversity. The closure of the Tembec mill caused many residents to leave, and in some cases, abandon their homes when they didn’t sell. It forced the town to tear down those unwanted properties. Mayor Sue Perras says in four years it’s a different story as the real estate market has done a complete 180…
“Four years ago a house would sell for average of $55,000 now a house now sells average at $135,000,” she said. “Housing four years ago would take forever to sell, now housing today can take to sell a period of days or a few months.”
Perras says four years ago the town was selling empty lots for $500…that’s if you bought a lot for $5,000 and built your home within two years…then you received $4,500 in rebates.
“If you can sell a lot you get the taxes of the people building the house and you get their water,” she said. “Now the lots are sitting empty so why not sell them at a reduced price — bring in a family. Bring in kids to ours school, and kids that will play hockey.”
