Unique properties on the market in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent

Unique hot properties hit the market While the housing market may be cooling down, CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell looks into some unique properties waiting to be sold.

Want to own your own island on Lake Erie, a jailhouse in Chatham or an historic mansion in Walkerville?

There are several unique properties in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, just waiting to be sold to the right buyer.

CTV News Windsor reporter Chris Campbell is taking a look at these properties and how local realtors are trying to sell them.

Middle Sister Island, Lake Erie - $888,888

Middle Sister Island is an 8.1-acre piece of land on Lake Erie.

“The island is ideal for the pro-fisherman, but is also close to Pelee Island,” says the listing.

It is one of only six in the region and is considered to be the 'most natural and undisturbed' of the islands.

“Instead of buying a condo in downtown Toronto for 800 and change you can buy your own island for 800 and change,” said Goran Todorovic of Team Goran Remax Care Realty.

“It's a very significant island. We did a survey on it. It's about 8.1 acres of land.”

Todorovic tells CTV News the island was previously owned by Americans for many years, but that it’s currently under Canadian ownership, with a famous Canadian singer interested in purchasing it.

“I can't divulge the name as of yet but we're very close to putting this deal together. But if he buys it, this will be fantastic for our area and it will give us quite a bit of publicity,” he said.

Todorovic notes Middle Sister Island was the launching pad for the War of 1812 suggesting it’s one of the most southern and historic Canadian islands available to buy.

However, Todorovic believes the clock is ticking should the deal with the confidential potential buyer go through.

“They want to put a resort on there. They want to buy it for a personal party island and much more,” he explained. “As we all know Lake Erie, it's a shallow lake, it can be a little bit difficult to have any marinas or anything but could you cut into the island and make it an inlet possibly, but again, anything that needs to be done with the island needs ERCA approval.

It has been on Realtor.ca for about 11 months.

Historic Walkerville 'Low-Martin' House - $3.4 million

After years of restoration, the Low-Martin House in the heart of Walkerville is up for sale with an asking price of $3.4 million.

“This house is beautiful, there’s nothing like it in the city,” says Vern Myslichuk, who bought the house in 2012. “It’s a gem of gems and the day that I leave, it will be a sad one.”

Located at the corner of Devonshire and Ontario Streets in Windsor, the Cotswold English cottage-style home sits on a half-acre lot.

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom abode was built in 1928 as “Devonshire Lodge” by George Lawton for notorious rum runner, Harry Low.

It has been on the market since February.

Chatham jail - $1.75 million

A piece of Chatham-Kent history, dating back to the time before confederation, is back on the market.

The former Chatham Jail and Courthouse was purchased from the province by Warrener Properties for about $1 million in 2018, but it’s for sale again – this time it’s listed at $1.7-million.

The 169-year-old building officially closed in May 2014 with all operations and inmates transferred to the South West Detention Centre in Windsor.

Carson Warrener of Warrener properties tells CTV News there’s a government tenant in the property right now, but it could be developed as a residential property.

Warrener says the former jailhouse has the potential to be developed into residential or student properties.

“This is a type of property that you come prepared for doing some walking,” Warrener explained. “And you need to know your way around historic buildings to have a full understanding and appreciation of it.”

Warrener says the historic designation on the property is relatively limited, but notes there’s a renewed interest in unique developments.

“Within its current zoning of institutional there's a number of economically viable uses and obviously, as people know, Chatham-Kent is open for business,” Warrener continued. “We have a very proactive and progressive administration and council right now and they're open to hearing a multitude of different ideas that will bring life and a renewed sense of community to any neighbourhood.”

Warrener believes as more people migrate from larger urban centres to smaller communities, the desire for unique and redeveloped properties will follow.

“It's never been offered in the entirety of its life in this capacity,” he said. “So these are true legacy properties. If someone comes in and redevelops this, depending on how they plan to use it, it can carry on a family legacy or it can carry on the legacy for the community and there's just nothing comparable.”

With files from CTV News Windsor's Chris Campbell.