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Lindsay Buziak: Still No Arrests In Murder Case

As long as I write this blog, I’m certain to never forget that two years ago today, February 2nd, is the day that Lindsay Buziak, a 24 year old real estate agent from Victoria, was murdered in the house she was showing to prospective buyers.

In the month or so before the anniversary of her death, searches for “Lindsay Buziak” and related keywords surrounding the case show up with increasing frequency on my blog stats because of what I wrote the days after the murder and on the one-year anniversary in 2009.

It’s only natural I guess – people scouring the Internet for information on the case: clues, speculation or rumours. I’d like to think that some of the traffic is law enforcement, hoping that somebody somewhere has posted a new tip or clue about the case.

Because it’s ridiculous that the police have next to nothing to go on. She was killed in the early evening in a residential neighbourhood where people would be getting home from work. Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something that will lead to an arrest. Saanich Police concede that she was intentionally targeted and that the murder was planned many weeks in advance. You can’t plan something like that and have no one know about it.

“Lindsay was intentionally targeted, she was intentionally lured to the home and she was intentionally killed.” – Saanich Police spokeswoman Sgt. Julie Fast.

Lindsay’s family has announced a reward of $100,000 for information leading to an arrest. The Victoria Real Estate Board and the Canadian Real Estate Association have each contributed $25,000 to the reward pool, in a show of support. What happened to Lindsay, while not a direct result of her profession, could happen to any of us in real estate. All too often we get complacent in the chase for another deal. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it – listen to your instincts.

I really hope I never have to write another Lindsay Day post on this blog. Please, if you know anything about this case, no matter how small it may seem, call the Saanich Police tip line at 250-475-4356.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: case | CREA | crime | lindsay buziak | murder | real estate agent | realtor | reward | rumours | Saanich | tips | unsolved | Victoria | VREB

If you’re reading this in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to view the video below:

I was out for a run the other day in a 15-or-20 year old subdivision in Sooke. Running up Henlyn Road in the John Muir neighbourhood of Sooke which has amazing, sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, it occurred to me that as the landscaping around the subdivision has grown up over the years, some of the commanding views that the property owners have enjoyed are now partially or completely obscured by trees and other vegetation. This is an important consideration, as it directly affects your property value.

When shopping for view homes in Sooke or Victoria, keep this in mind – look for stands of trees in the distance that could block your view, or trees on neighbouring properties that could become a bone of contention between you and the other property owner. Most people aren’t so keen to cut down trees to improve another’s view.

If you have any questions or comments about Sooke or Victoria, BC real estate, or suggestions for future posts, please call me at 250-885-0512, email Tim@TimAyres.ca or fill in my contact form. Thanks for reading/watching!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: advice | BC | homes | juan de fuca | lots | ocean | olympic mountains | properties | Real Estate | Sooke | tips | trees | Victoria | view

September 8th, 2009

Most cameras measure the light from the center of the frame, which is what they use to calculate exposure time and other variables which determine how the picture looks. When you shoot towards a window that is brightly lit, it almost always fools the camera into thinking that the scene is brighter than it actually is, and therefore underexposing the room like this. To avoid this, do one or more of the following: shoot at an angle to focus on the corner of the room rather than the window – this will give the camera a more realistic idea of exposure conditions. Use flash. Turn on the lights.

See all the usual suspects here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: bad | exposure | horrible | lighting | MLS | photo | photography | Real Estate | realtor | tips

In my continuing series, First-Time-Buyer Fridays, I answer a common question from a first-time buyer. If you have a question to submit, first-time-buyer or experienced investor, put one in the comments below, or fire me an e-mail at Tim@TimAyres.ca.

“Needs TLC”

Q. I made an offer to purchase a house and my inspector found a few problems. How do I know when to walk away?

A. Unfortunately, not all houses are created equal, and you may find that after finally getting an offer accepted on your first home, that the inspection report turns up some issues you missed on your initial viewing of the property. This is normal – it’s the inspector’s job to pick apart the various systems of the home and point out to you everything you’re taking on when you buy the house. The big question is – what is acceptable and what’s too much?

When I bought my home, it was only 11 years old. Everything that I needed to change was merely cosmetic, and if worse came to worse, I could always wait (and suffer through the pastel pink walls and mint-green carpet). But if you’re buying an older home, things like knob-and-tube wiring, a faulty roof, or a cracked or leaking foundation might be a reality and turn your dream home into a nightmare – and this is why an inspection is the best $400 you can spend when you’re shopping for a home.

You should be prepared to replace a few things and make a few changes once you move in, but you’ll probably want a good idea as to how much money this is going to cost. For example, if your inspection report finds that the roof is failing and you’ll soon need to replace it, it’s not hard to get a roofing contractor over for a quick drive-by estimate. It’s another thing altogether if your inspector suspects there may be substandard wiring, cracks in the foundation, or failing stucco or other exterior cladding. These repairs are often much more costly – and sometimes cover up other problems not visible to your inspector. It’s not necessarily the cost of the repairs that is the greatest cause for concern.It’s what you don’t know that can cost the most. If you aren’t comfortable with this, it might be a signal that it’s time to be glad you had an inspection, walk away, and move on to another property.

Your REALTOR® has probably seen lots of similar houses in his or her career and can certainly help counsel you, but you should always get reliable repair estimates from reputable contractors – they are the ones you’ll be writing a cheque to for repairs. The decision to walk away or not has to be your own; you need to be comfortable with any repairs or upgrades that may be necessary when you take ownership of the house.

A smart buyer will also consider if the house will be difficult to sell in a few years’ time if these issues are not looked after when he or she owns the house. The roof might not be leaking now, but the last thing you want is to take a hit on the price of your home because a subsequent buyer doesn’t want to fix the problems you inherited from the previous owner!

As with dating, there are plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to buying houses, and your REALTOR® will help you find the right house. And, also like dating, you’ll probably find that you love that house even more than you did the one you let get away.

I’d love to answer your questions about buying or selling a house. Give me a call at 250-885-0512, e-mail me at Tim@TimAyres.ca or fill in my contact form. Connect with me on Twitter at Twitter.com/TimAyres.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: BC | cost of repairs | first time buyer | foundation | ftb | FTB Friday | inspection | issues | leaky | problems | Real Estate | roof | Sooke | stucco | tips | Victoria

Could this be your next home?

I will be co-hosting a series of real estate seminars on Thursday, June 11th at the Juan de Fuca Library, beside the rec centre on the Island Highway. Joining  me are Alexis Mills, a mortgage broker, and Jeremy Kimm, a financial planner, for three different perspectives about buying and selling real estate.

We have two seminars planned for the evening. You can attend one or both, depending on your needs.

Your presenters are:

Tim Ayres – Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty: Tim has a unique approach to real estate, and offers sound, impartial advice to all clients, coaching them along every step of the way. Tim’s no-pressure approach makes his clients feel at ease, empowered, and confident in their real estate transactions.

Alexis Mills – Global Mortgage Corp: Alexis is a true professional in the mortgage world, offering her clients outstanding service and the best rates, bar none. Alexis works incredibly hard on every mortgage, ensuring her clients are matched with the best mortgage product in today’s ever-increasingly complex world of mortgage financing.

Jeremy Kimm – Investors Group: Jeremy has an enthusiastic, yet straight-forward approach to financial services. From life insurance to long-and-short-term investment planning and more, Jeremy’s friendly deameanor and expert knowledge enables his clients to ensure they have the most effective financial plan going forward.

6:45-8:00pm at the Juan De Fuca Library: Upsizing, Downsizing, Investment, and Vacation Properties. Join us for an informative look at moving up or moving down in the Victoria real estate market, purchasing an investment property, and purchasing a vacation property. You’ll learn about buying and selling strategies, mortgage requirements and innovations to help you save, and about the potential tax consequences and how to avoid them.

8:00-9:00pm at the Juan De Fuca Library: Buying Your First Home. First time buyers drive the real estate market in most areas. They allow the move-up buyers to move up and have been instrumental in kick-starting our real estate market in recent months. How can you take advantage of record-low interest rates, falling real estate prices, and government incentives to purchase your first home? What are the steps involved? How can I save a down payment? This very popular seminar has helped many first-time buyers get into their first homes in the past few years.

You can attend both seminars if you wish!

Seminars are free, but space is limited! Please call Tim at 250-885-0512 or fill in the form below to reserve your seat:

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: advice | answers | Buying | Colwood | first time | ftb | investing | learning | Real Estate | Selling | seminar | Sooke | tips | Victoria

Q. There are lots of potential homes in my price range. How can I narrow down the field so I don’t waste time viewing homes I really have no interest in buying?

A. Many first time buyers are hit with this problem. Often, because they’re just starting out and want to make sure they don’t miss any potential homes, they search REALTOR.ca for all homes under a certain price level, and go from there. This is what I would call a shotgun approach. Sometimes, a buyer will get so many results it’s overwhelming. So an exercise I like to have my first time buyers do is the Needs vs Wants Inventory.

It’s simple really. Just take a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns, one entitled Needs, and the other Wants. Then think of all the home features or attributes of your lifestyle and put them in the appropriate column. For example, if you have pets and intend on taking them with you to your new home, then obviously “pets” goes on the needs side.

If you like stainless steel appliances, but are willing to cope with harvest gold, then that goes in the wants column. Thinking about this further, you could put the commute time to work in both columns. Put the maximum commute time you’d allow on the needs side, and the ideal commute time on the wants side.

Continue down the page and you should be able to come up with a pretty good summary of what you’re looking for. Talk to an agent and ask him or her to search for listings that match your criteria. This will really help narrow it down and will ensure that you find a home that will be the perfect balance between what you really need and what you want.

If you’re a first- second- or twenty-time buyer and have a question you’d like answered, contact me and I’ll get you a prompt, accurate response!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Tagged: advice | Buying | first time buyer | FTB Friday | hints | inventory | needs | prices | tips | wants

They're a little crooked, but soundly built!

Welcome to the first edition of First-time Buyer Friday! In this new section of the blog, I’ll chat about a different topic each week that is specifically important to first time buyers in the Victoria and Sooke marketplace. I’ve been working with a lot of first-time buyers lately, so I am getting a lot of questions from my clients which inspired me to start writing about them. Sometimes the post will come in video format, other times written.

Q. What’s the first step in owning my own home?

A. With Victoria and Sooke real estate prices dropping, and interest rates at historic lows, many renters are considering making a move to their own property. Other than surfing around on Realtor.ca, your first step should probably be to meet with a qualified mortgage broker or your bank to determine how much you can afford, and to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This will help you in numerous ways. First, it gives you the confidence that you are financially able to purchase when you find the right home, and will save you valuable time by focusing only on properties you can afford.

Working with a mortgage broker has several advantages. Being independent, they have access to many different lenders, and will work for you to get you the best rate and the mortgage product that best suits your needs. Contrast this to a bank’s mortgage officer, who is usually tied to that bank’s mortgages and has limited flexibility to offer different products.

If you have any questions about mortgages, buying, or anything else real estate related, contact me at 250-885-0512, Twitter.com/TimAyres or Tim@TimAyres.ca. I would be happy to refer you to a mortgage broker to get you started!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Popularity: 10% [?]

Tagged: first time buyer | friday | ftb | FTB Friday | mortgage | pre-approval | Sooke | tips | Victoria real estate

February 23rd, 2009

As I approach one year’s worth of Horrible MLS Photos, several things become apparent. There is no shortage of horrible photos from which to choose to display here. And, of that set of photos, the most common sub-set is that of bathrooms. Unless they’re huge, bathrooms look awful most of the time unless you are using a wide-angle lens.

I talk a lot on this blog about wide-angle lenses, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever demonstrated the difference. Have a look below, and you’ll see that the difference is amazing. Both pictures were taken from the same position in the bathroom. The top picture was taken with a regular point-and-shoot, and the bottom with a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with a 10-20mm wide-angle lens.

Regular Point-And-Shoot

Wide-Angle Lens

It’s not hard to see the difference it makes, especially with small rooms.

See all the usual suspects here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: bad | bathroom | examples | horrible | MLS | photo | photography | Real Estate | realtor | tips

November 28th, 2008

It’s probably not that dark in this room, but the bright light coming in the window and the white blinds have thrown off the camera’s light meter, causing the camera to think the room is brighter than it actually is, and thereby underexposing it. The same thing fooled the camera into not firing a flash to illuminate the room a little more. This can be avoided by setting the camera to fire the flash with every shot, instead of automatically. Now, the same can’t be said for the REALTOR®, who should have first of all turned the lights on, and second, realized that this was a bad shot after reviewing it on the camera’s LCD screen.

See all the usual suspects here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: bad | dark | dining room | horrible | lighting | MLS | photo | photography | Real Estate | realtor | tips

November 27th, 2008

Hallway To Hell

Today, something different. A contest to see if you’ve all been paying attention for the last 268 days. Can anyone out there in Internet-land tell me what’s wrong with this photo, and three ways this photo could be improved? Answers in the comments, please!

I will send the first person three people to answer correctly one of my lovely fiancee’s hand-painted Driftwood Santa Christmas ornaments. Make sure you fill in a correct e-mail address in the comment form (only I can see them, they don’t get posted on the blog). Comments are being held in moderation for this contest until later today; you won’t see them appear until I release them.

See all the usual suspects here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Tagged: bad | comment | contest | hallway | horrible | MLS | photo | photography | Real Estate | realtor | tips