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Jun 30

Mariner’s Village In Sooke To Include New Medical Centre

Mariner's Village, Sooke, Master Concept

Sooke is quickly becoming one of the province’s fastest growing communities. New neighbourhoods are under construction, new parks and trails being established, and new commercial developments are being undertaken. Perhaps the most exciting of these developments is the Mariner’s Village project. Mariner’s Village is a mixed-use, multi-phase waterfront development which will include condominiums and townhouses, a new marina, restaurants, shops, offices and more.

Much more than just a subdivision, Mariner’s Village is the first step in the re-imagining of downtown Sooke. The town’s official community plan calls for enhanced development south of Sooke Road (Hwy 14) to improve public access and sight lines of our spectacular waterfront of the Sooke Harbour and Basin.

For a few years, there has been talk about a new medical centre being built in Sooke – more comprehensive and modern than the town’s existing small clinics, scattered about the community. In the plan for Mariner’s Village is the “Sooke Professional Wellnes Centre,” a large (perhaps up to 10,000 sqft) facility complete with doctors’ offices, Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) space, lab space, x-ray clinic, and other medical and wellness facilities.

A more comprehensive medical facility is essential for our town’s growth, especially considering that the nearest hospital is 25-35 minutes’ drive away in View Royal. And for the communities further west of Sooke like Shirley, Port Renfrew and Jordan River, it will be even more critical.

The project is just getting started, with its sales office for the first residential phase having just opened a couple of weeks ago. While it will take some time for this facility to be built, it will be worth the wait. If you want more information about Mariner’s Village or any other developments or neighbourhoods in Sooke, please call me at 250-885-0512, email Tim@TimAyres.ca or fill in my contact form.

Want to know why Sooke is the place to be? Contact me!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Jun 14

Upcoming Music Festivals In Sooke and Port Renfrew

Clover Point Drifters

The Clover Point Drifters will perform at the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival

Sooke River Bluegrass Festival and Tall Tree Music Festival

Back once again, the ever popular Sooke River Bluegrass festival goes this coming weekend, June 18-20 for three full days of music, camping, and hopefully, sunshine.

Held every 3rd weekend in June, the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival is well known for being a family-friendly affair, and the setting couldn’t be better – at the Sooke River Campground, along the banks of the river. As music festivals go, it’s tremendously affordable, with a weekend pass going for only $35, and single day passes also available. There is on-site camping for both tents and RVs, and a huge lineup of players, including The Spinney Brothers and Four Chords of Wood.

With the summer weather having finally arrived, I can’t think of a better way to take in some great music!

Tall Tree Music Festival

Tall Tree Music Festival

New (as far as I know) this year is the Tall Tree Music Festival on June 25 and 26th, being held on the edge of the earth in beautiful and rustic Port Renfrew, about an hour’s drive west along the highway from Sooke.

A 2 day festival featuring bands such as Aidan Knight, Current Swell and, uh, Donkey Dong (yeah, you probably don’t want to Google that), you’ll be listening and camping on the site of the old Rec Retreat on Baird Road just past the general store in Port Renfrew. This site is soon to become Wild Coast Cottages (post on this to come soon). The festival is being held in support of “Avatar Grove,” the stand of old-growth trees recently “discovered” in the area. A group called Ancient Forest Alliance wants to protect this special place for all to enjoy for posterity.

Anything happening in Renfrew is a great idea in my opinion. The tiny village of about 200 is well known for great fishing, and as a jumping off point to hike the West Coast Trail or the Juan De Fuca Trail. I predict that it will grow in popularity in the coming years, much like Tofino has.

If you go:

  • NO DRINKING DRIVING – and there will be roadblocks (pretty easy when there’s only one road).
  • Uneven ground & coastal weather - bring good footwear & clothes
  • If you plan to camp on site you must buy a camping pass separately
  • There is no gas in Renfrew so GAS UP IN SOOKE  (or Lake Cowichan if you’re coming that way)!
  • No cash available on site - BRING CASH
  • No vehicles on site – caravans can stay in the parking lot
  • Carpool – let’s save the planet & avoid congestion. Free parking for carpools of 3 or more.
  • 19+ event – there will be a Salt Spring Ales beer garden
  • No campfires, no pets, no bad attitudes.

Have an event in the Sooke Region this summer? Send me the details and I’ll post about it here!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Jun 5

Led Zeppelin Tribute Act Whole Lotta Led In Lake Cowichan

Not exactly Sooke related, but if I was going to be in town next weekend I’d definitely make the drive up the Malahat to check out this show. Whole Lotta Led is quite simply the best Led Zeppelin tribute band in the world. Hailing from Whistler, BC, the band has played shows all over the world, thrilling Zep fans with their authentic sound and energy.

My pretty-much stepbrother Greg and the rest of the group will be at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena on Saturday, June 12 for what promises to be a great show. Show starts at 8, and tickets are $20 per person or $35 per couple, available at Cowichan Lake Sports Arena, Youbou Hall, Curves (Lake Cowichan) & the Cowichan Ticket Centre (Duncan).

Check out the video below from one of their live shows. The sound is a little muted.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Jun 1

Bank Of Canada Raises Interest Rate to 0.5% At June 2010 Meeting

Only one direction to go!

This morning at its June 1, 2010 meeting, the Bank of Canada raised its key overnight lending rate (the rate at which it lends funds to chartered banks) one-quarter per cent (25 basis points) to 0.5%, its first rate hike in almost three years.

What can we expect? Banks will be increasing their prime lending rates. This is the rate upon which variable-rate mortgages are based, as well as other borrowing products such as personal loans, and some credit cards. The quarter-per cent hike translates into about $12 more per $100,000 of borrowed funds.

One thing to consider if you’re going to be renewing your mortgage or taking out a new mortgage when you buy, is that the lender discount from prime rate has been increasing (best I’ve heard is prime -0.6% lately), which may help make up for this first rate hike. Talk to an experienced mortgage broker and see what your options are.

The Bank of Canada’s move to increase rates comes amid a shaky worldwide recovery and only time will tell if more rate hikes will be necessary.

Bottom line: don’t panic. Rates are still historically low and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. Mortgage rates have been on a generally downward trend for about 30 years.

The full Bank of Canada news release can be found here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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May 14

Victoria BC Real Estate Buyers Profile – April 2010

Modern homes in Victoria, BC. Photo: pnwra on Flickr

It’s once again time to look at our “on the street” snapshot of Victoria-are real estate buyer activity. April’s data from our Member Market Survey has just been released by the Victoria Real Estate Board. Each month, agents who’ve completed a transaction while acting for a buyer are polled on various questions about their buyers. The goal is to get a snapshot of the situation on the street directly from agents who are actively involved serving their clients.

Highlights from this month’s data:

  • The trend of decreasing number of first-time buyers continued, with  19.23% identified as such
  • Nearly one-third of buyers were moving from one property to a similar one. Perhaps this correlates with the lower number of first-time buyers in recent months; after they sell their smaller homes to first-timers, this set of buyers is now shopping for their ‘move-up’ house.
  • This month, single females bought fewer houses than single males.
  • As usual, the fast majority of buyers (67%) moved within the greater Victoria area. The next largest group came from within Canada, but outside B.C.
  • The Western Communities were more popular with buyers than the Saanich Peninsula.

As our inventory of properties on the market increases, there continues to be more choice in the market for buyers. Not surprisingly, most agents were reporting fewer instances of multiple offers (54 vs 12 reporting more multiple offers).

Check out the full details of this month’s survey here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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May 6

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Victoria’s Largest Garage Sale: Royal LePage Garage Sale For Shelter [Video]

On May 15, 2010, in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, Royal LePage REALTORS® across Canada will be holding massive garage sales in their communities. Building on the success of last year’s event, Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty will be holding what we believe is the largest garage sale in Victoria history!

With the generous support of our clients, friends, and AMJ Campbell Van Lines, we’ve been able to amass more than 8 storage containers of household items, furniture, knick-knacks and more garage sale treasures. The response from the community has been overwhelming and you’re definitely not going to want to miss this sale. There will be deals galore, and all for a great cause.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is our national charity, which supports local women’s and children’s shelters and national violence prevention programs. The best thing about the Shelter Foundation is that because its administration costs are covered by Royal Lepage, 100% of every dollar donated goes towards women and children in need.

The sale will run from 9:00 to 3:00 and is being held at AMJ Campbell’s warehouse in Langford at the corner of Jacklin and West Shore Parkway [map]. Enter off West Shore Parkway and look for our REALTOR® volunteers and signs.

Check out this short video (click through if you can’t see it on your email or feed reader) showing the sheer volume of stuff we have to sell. Last year, lots of great stuff went for a quarter, so you’re sure to get some great deals!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Apr 26

Sociable! Book Launch in Victoria, BC

This Thursday, April 29th, 2010, Vancouver-based entrepreneur Stephen Jagger and professional sales trainer Shane Gibson will be at the Downtown Victoria Chapters store to launch their new book, Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-Down.

The event starts at 5:30 with a networking opportunity for social-media-curious businesspeople, and then a presentation from Steve and Shane about social media and the unique way they wrote the book. Q&A will follow, and Shane and Stephen will sign your copy of the book.

If you’re interested in learning how social media can help your business, I’d highly recommend you attend this event and pick up a copy of the book. Many of the ideas and methods they teach I have used to build my business, and in today’s business world, it’s not acceptable to answer “What’s your social media strategy?” with a blank stare.

The event is free, and you can confirm your attendance here. Invite your friends and business associates – after all, social media is all about “the more, the merrier!”

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Apr 22

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What is a Strata Duplex – And Why Are They So Great?

I’ve always been a fan of strata duplexes – and I’ve never understood why some people shy away from them. Often, I find the same people who would not buy a duplex would quite readily buy a townhouse, which seems counter-intuitive to me.

A strata duplex is a duplex which is registered under the Strata Property Act. The purpose of such registration is to allow each side to have a separate title, and therefore, enable each side to belong to different owners. You could think of a strata duplex as a 2-unit condo or townhouse complex. Each side is a separate strata lot (like each unit in a condo building), and the common property is the exterior of the building including the roof, and sometimes, a common driveway. Usually the yard area is designated as limited common property: common property designated for the exclusive use of a certain strata lot.

The difference between a strata duplex and a condo or townhouse lies in the way the Strata Property Act affects the owners. Typically, strata duplexes are much less formal than condos or townhouses. Technically, they are subject to the same rules and regulations as any other strata – they must have a council, records, bylaws, collect strata fees, and contribute to a contingency fund. However, in practice, most strata duplexes do none of this. Beyond splitting the cost for insurance (a fire/earthquake policy covering the exterior of the building and common property liability) and common property maintenance and repairs (cleaning gutters, roof maintenance, etc), there is very little strata-like business that goes on in a strata duplex.

Strata duplexes are great because they are often larger and cheaper than a comparable townhouse, and don’t have some of the potential headaches that come with strata property ownership. Instead of 50 other owners to deal with and make happy, there are two. Good neighbour policy will prevail in most cases and the owners will come to an agreement about repairs and maintenance. In addition, you will often find that strata duplexes have much larger lots than the tiny postage-stamp that you’d have in a townhouse.

Sometimes, you can find a half duplex with a rental suite in it, making it ever-more-affordable and potentially attractive from an investor’s standpoint. It’s important to note, however, that most suites in duplexes are unauthorized.

If you’re considering buying a townhome or condo, you should look into a half duplex – you might be surprised to find a great alternative. If you decide to buy a half duplex, it would be wise to inquire with the owner of the other half about maintenance responsibilities. Obviously, it’s no good to replace just your half of the roof if the whole thing is getting to the point of replacement and the other owner refuses or doesn’t have the money. You’ll want to ensure the other owner is on the same page as you about replacing it.

If you’ve got a strata duplex to sell, and want an agent who understands this market segment, I’d love an interview. For more information about strata duplexes, including current listings, contact me.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Apr 15

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First Comes Love….

One of our first dates

Then Comes Marriage….

One of my favourite shots from the wedding

Then Comes….

Due late October!

!!!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Apr 13

Victoria BC Real Estate Buyers Profile – March 2010

Last month’s data from our Member Market Survey has just been released by the Victoria Real Estate Board. Each month, agents who’ve completed one ore more transactions while acting on behalf of a buyer are polled on various questions about their buyers. The goal is to get a snapshot of the situation on the street directly from agents who are actively involved serving their clients.

Highlights from this month’s data:

  • First-time buyers did not represent the largest segment of the buying population, with 27.85% identified as such
  • More people moved into a condo or townhouse from a single family home than vice versa (10.76% vs 8.23%).
  • Once again, single females bought more properties last month than single males. (23 vs. 16)
  • One in five buyers were classified as empty-nesters/retired.

Check out the full details of this month’s survey here.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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