Sooke Community and Real Estate Blog 642Blog.ca

Last Saturday night was a real treat for our town.

I must admit, I was a little skeptical about a rock concert in our little community. But 70’s and 80’s Canadian rockers Prism put on an energetic show at the Sooke Community Hall.

Mark Anderson of KB Productions put the show together in an effort to bring more entertainment to Sooke. With any luck, there will be more of it.

Admission prices were reasonable, with a $20 advance ticket getting you in the doors, which opened at 7:30, with music playing until at least 12:30. Available was pizza from Sooke’s famous Pizzability, pop, water, and a bar service featuring beer and cider/coolers for $4. Very reasonable indeed! There had to have been 1000 or so concertgoers enjoying the show.

I thought that having the tables set up on the floor was a little strange – were we going to play BINGO during the break or something? Chairs alone would have sufficed. The hall is a big place, and there was plenty of room for dancing near the stage.

Opener Kin Basket left a little to be desired, to be frank, but all was forgotten when Prism hit the stage and opened with one of their classics, Spaceship Superstar. Their set included all their classics, and some new material from their upcoming album. Lead singer Al Harlow brought a lot of energy (and several costume changes) and his vocals were spot-on. Their hour-and-a-half long set ended rather abruptly (no encore) with the classic radio hit Armageddon. Promoter Mark Anderson thanked everyone for coming, and persuaded everyone to behave themselves on the way out so the R.C.M.P. would allow more shows at the hall. He mentioned Harlequin and the Headpins as possible future entertainment.

In conclusion, this is what we need more of in this town. Hat-tip to KB productions and everyone else who made the show possible, keep it up!

Here’s Prism in their heyday in the late 70s (nice hair!)

-Tim Ayres

Popularity: 8% [?]

Tagged: concert | prism | rock | Sooke

For the fourth time in as many years, the British Columbia Government announced in its yearly budget last week that it was increasing the threshold for the first-time buyer property purchase tax exemption. The exemption threshold will rise from $375,000 to $425,000, reflecting the increase in real estate prices throughout the province over the past year. A proportional exemption is available for properties purchased for between $425,000 and $450,000.

Another change: Previously, to be eligible, buyers also had to take a mortgage of at least 70% of the property’s value, and if within the first year of ownership paid down the mortgage to less than 70% of the home’s value, they would lose their exemption. This has been phased out, and the mortgage may be paid down by any amount within the first year without losing the exemption.

A video about the budget:

-Tim Ayres

Popularity: 11% [?]

Tagged: 2008 | BC | Budget | exemption | first time buyer | Property Purchase Tax | Property Transfer Tax

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This past Sunday, some friends and I got together for a hike up Mount Finlayson, in Goldstream Provincial Park. In what seemed like the first sunny day in months, all were anxious to get outside and enjoy one of the best reasons to live in this part of the country. The temperature was a mild 10°C – I was in a short-sleeved T-shirt, the sun was shining, and everyone we met along the path seemed to have a big smile on his or her face.

At last check, it was -13 in Toronto, and -28 in Winnipeg. [Warning: Obligatory smug British Columbian remark to follow:] But not to worry Manitobans, it’s predicted to “warm up” to -3 in the next couple of days.

Having grown up on the coast, I can’t fathom how cold a “real” Canadian winter is. I feel lucky to live in this wonderful part of the country where it’s never too cold in the winter or hot in the summer. Two of the members of our group on Sunday came from Winnipeg a few years ago, and are likely to be posted to another military base this year. Understandably, they’d rather not.

-Tim Ayres

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tagged: BC | hiking. | Mount Finlayson | Vancouver island | Victoria | winter

Good Morning Professionals,

With the news on the front page of the Victoria Times Colonist this morning about the murder of 24-year-old Lindsay Buziak while showing a house, I’m sure we’re all thinking about our own experiences with clients that just didn’t feel right. Remember, if in doubt, get out. That sale isn’t worth it. You might anger a legitimate client, but anyone worth dealing with would understand your need to take care of your personal safety. You might save yourself a headache from a difficult client or even worse, your life.

I never met Lindsay, but [edit for clarity: she had paged me to show one of my listings on Saturday].

Here are a few safety tips for REALTORS®:

1. When you are introduced to new clients, meet them in your office first.
2. Photocopy a client’s driver’s license, obtain the car make, and license number.
3. Ask them to complete a client identification form and verify the client’s identity.
4. Let your office know where you are, your schedule, and who you are meeting when going to a property.
5. Limit the amount of personal information you share about yourself with a client.
6. Be friendly with neighbours near the listed home and let them know when you will be showing the property.
7. Program speed dial on your cell phone for 911 and use it when danger first appears.
8. If you get a strange feeling about someone, pay attention to those gut feelings.
9. Pre-plan escape routes from each level of a home, before you show it.
10. Ask a friend to join you at a showing with a client that makes you somewhat uneasy.
11. Arrive at the location in separate vehicles.
12. Take a self-defense course.
13. If you’re showing several properties, phone your office occasionally to check in (if you’re suspicious or fearful of someone, use these calls as a reason to return to the office immediately — BE CREATIVE).
14. Never put yourself at risk to avoid social awkwardness. You have every right to be cautious. When in doubt—don’t.

The REALTOR® safety guide can be found here.

The real estate community in Victoria extends its deepest sympathies to Lindsay’s family.

Be careful out there.

EDIT: I’d love to hear your comments on safety. Any personal stories or suggestions? Use the comments form/link below.

-Tim Ayres

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Popularity: 13% [?]

Tagged: agent | BC | death | lindsay buziak | murder | Personal | realtor | safety | tips | Victoria

Both sales and Listings up over January of last year.

Sales of homes and other properties in the Greater Victoria area got off to a solid start in the first month of 2008. There were 464 sales through the Victoria Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in January, up from the 442 sales in the same month a year ago. There were 408 sales in December. Meantime, the total number of properties available for sale rose to 3,027 – a 14 per cent increase over January of last year.

Victoria Real Estate Board President, Tony Joe, says the market remains very healthy and the strong sales and increase in inventory represent good news for sellers and buyers. “There continues to be strong demand for homes that are realistically priced and the increase in the number of properties available for sale means more choice for buyers,” said Joe. Joe noted that nearly 29 per cent of single family homes sold for less than $450,000 last month while nearly 37 per cent of all condominiums sold for under $275,000 in January.

Joe added that 19 sales of over $1 million had an upward impact on the average price of single family homes, “The average price of single family homes sold in January in Greater Victoria was $606,449 but it is important to note that the median price was considerably lower at $530,200.” The six-month average for single family homes was $586,338. The average price of all condominiums sold in January was $349,045; the average for the last six months was $326,904. The median was again lower at $304,450. The average price of all townhomes sold last month was $423,774; the six month average was $419,926. The median price was $392,950.

MLS® sales last month included 249 single family homes, 125 condominiums, 43 townhomes and 16 manufactured homes.

Monthly Sales Summary
Average Selling Price Graphs
Active Listings, New Listings and Sales Graphs

Courtesy Victoria Real Estate Board

-Tim Ayres

Popularity: 8% [?]

Tagged: 2008 | BC | January | Real Estate | sales | Statistics | stats | Victoria

One of the most popular forms of property ownership in the marketplace today is strata titled property. To most, this means a condominium unit, townhouse, or 1/2 duplex. Strata property is a way of dividing up one large building (for example, a condominium complex) into individual titles (the units inside the building) so that they can be owned independently of one another. A strata unit typically consists of everything inside the exterior walls and dividing walls of a particular unit in a building. Also, each strata unit owner is allocated a proportional share (depending on unit size) of the common property of the development. Typically, this includes the exterior walls, roof, driveways, parking areas, amenities like swimming pools, etc. Everyone shares in the maintenance and repairs of these assets, coming out of funds raised by paying monthly strata fees.

Every strata council is different. Some are very strict, some are very relaxed. Some are proactive, and ensure maintenance is done and necessary monies are spent to keep the building sparkling like new. Others are not, and allow the building to fall into disrepair, necessitating large special levies to repair things when they finally become unserviceable.

I was showing a condo to a buyer not long ago. I had heard good things about the building, that the owners and council were very proactive and up-to-date on repairs and maintenance. It showed when we pulled up to the building. The landscaping was neatly groomed, the front door was clean and free of fingerprints and grime, the lobby was spotless and I noticed that the 80’s-era building had had a recent makeover with new light fixtures, carpets, and paint.

Then we entered the elevator. On the wall was a large notice (I paraphrase):

NOTICE:

We all know that there have been several undesirable individuals who have been hanging around our building. It has been made aware to Council that several of these people are HIV positive, and thus hepatitis must also be a concern. DO NOT APPROACH THESE INDIVIDUALS! Call 911 if you are approached!

Naturally, my buyer was turned off instantly and I was quite embarrassed. If you lived in the building, would you want the first impression of your home to be a place that “undesirables” frequent when your friends and family arrive? What if you were the seller of this particular unit? Or his or her agent? Would you want this to be the first impression a potential buyer has?

While it was good of the council to inform the residents of the building about these problematic people, a public notice is not the place for it! A letter under the door of each unit would get the message across more discretely and would guarantee that every resident received the warning.

Often these issues can be brought to the attention of the overzealous council without drama or incident. Remember, the council members are owners too, and likely want to preserve their best interests as well.

Live in a strata? What’s your council like? Comment below!

-Tim Ayres

Popularity: 15% [?]

Tagged: Condo | condominium | council | Real Estate | Strata | Townhouse