Is this the year you stop paying rent and start paying yourself? If you’re considering buying your first home in 2012, you should make sure that you join me on February 15th (Langford) or February 16th (Sooke) for a free and informative interactive seminar – Buying Your First Home. 

I’ll be joined by Robert Boyd, Mortgage Broker with Dominion Lending  and  Jeremy Kimm,  CFP, FMA, Financial Consultant, Investors Group Financial Services Inc. Topics covered will include:

• Creative ways to save (or find!) a down payment
• Mortgages – all about rates, terms, down payment requirements, and more
• The home buying process – what’s involved and how does it all work

You’ll leave armed with the knowledge you need to have a positive and exciting experience when you search for that new home. Whether you want to buy right away, or you’ve set a goal for the future, we’d love to have you along.

Registration is free and easy, but space is limited. Either call Tim at 250-885-0512 or visit TimAyres.ca/seminars and fill in the form.

MLS® 303643 – $369,900

I’m pleased to present this beautiful family home now available in the Broom Hill area of Sooke. On a quiet cul-de-sac you’ll find this 1725 sqft, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom rancher on nearly a quarter acre…

With all the space that a family needs, you’ll just fall in love with this well-maintained home and all it has to offer. A spacious kitchen, a fenced back yard, double garage, master with ensuite bath – this house has it all. For complete information, including a floor plan, lots more pictures, and a high-definition walk-through video tour, please visit this property on my marketing site at TimAyres.ca/98. If you have any questions, contact me!

It’s the end of the first week of January, and by now you should have received your 2012 BC Assessment notice in the mail, or checked online to see what the provincial assessment authority values your property at. Most people simply open it, read it, and file it away with their other house documents. It makes great water-cooler banter, as colleagues ask “what was yours assessed at?” and “did yours go up or down?” But what if you disagree with your assessment?

BC Assessment’s mandate is to estimate the market value of your property as of July 1 of the previous year. They do this by using sale data from properties that sell during the year to compare them to yours and come up with a value that a buyer might have been willing to pay had it been for sale. They also get building permit data from municipalities. When you do an addition or alteration and take out a permit, the value of the permit is taken into account also.

If you believe your assessment is either too high or too low, you can dispute it. You have until January 31 to file your appeal (known as a ‘complaint’ or ‘review’ at this stage). Having gone through this myself last year, I thought I’d share what I learned.

I bought my house last fall, and BC Assessment valued it at over $100,000 more than what I paid for it. Because I felt I had a case, I decided to complain about my assessment. It is recommended that before you file a formal complaint, you call the local assessment office listed on your assessment notice and discuss your concerns. They will explain their reasoning behind the assessment. If that still doesn’t satisfy your concerns, you can then file a formal complaint. The easiest way is to do this online. Once you’ve filled in the form, you’ll be contacted with the date of your hearing.

Hearings are held by a Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP). PARPs are comprised of three lay people who are appointed by the minister responsible for BC Assessment. They are not employees of BC Assessment and are not necessarily experts in the assessment field. Their role is to listen to both sides and decide, based on the preponderance of evidence, who is correct.

Now, the hard part – proving your case. It’s easy to disagree with a paper notice, it’s entirely different to go up against a government assessment officer in the PARP hearing! I must admit, I was intimidated, despite valuing properties every day in my profession. You’ll need to gather evidence to support your claim. I would recommend first starting at e-valueBC, BC Assessment’s online property information checker. It’s available from the start of the assessment season in early January until March 31. You can enter your property’s details and select up to 8 other properties to compare it to. For example, if you knew that John’s house down the street sold in June for $400,000 and it’s very similar to yours, and your assessment came in at $450,000, you might be able to use John’s house to compare to yours to support the case.

The more information you bring, the better. Photographs of your property and of the comparable properties you’re using will also help prove your case. I also recommend using the CRD Atlas to print aerial photos and maps of your property and the comparables you are using. This visual aid will help the PARP understand your case. At the review hearing, you’ll be asked to present your case first. You can call witnesses, if necessary. If you have a written presentation, you will need to bring five copies. After your presentation, the assessor will give his or hers. He or she will likely sound a lot more professional and polished than you will, since they do this all the time! After both sides have presented, either can ask questions of the other. The panel usually makes its decisions within a few minutes – they will leave the room to deliberate. However in some cases (mine included), they will reserve judgment and you’ll get their decision by mail a few weeks later.

I was almost certain that I would be unsuccessful, as the assessor’s presentation was much better than mine, but I guess they found my evidence convincing, as my assessment was reduced to just over what I paid for the home, which I thought was fair.

If you still disagree with the PARP’s decision, you can appeal to the Property Assessment Appeal Board before April 30.

BC Assessment’s website contains lots of FAQs and information on the dispute process:

• Appeal Guide (short form)
• Fact Sheet
• FAQ
• And the mother of them all, The Guide (27 page PDF)

Were you satisfied with your assessment notice this year? Have you ever disputed an assessment? What was the outcome?

]]> http://whatthesooke.com/2012/01/06/disputing-your-2012-bc-assessment-value/feed/ 0 http://whatthesooke.com/2011/12/23/the-whiffin-spit-christmas-tree-a-west-coast-christmas-tradition/ http://whatthesooke.com/2011/12/23/the-whiffin-spit-christmas-tree-a-west-coast-christmas-tradition/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:12:40 +0000 Tim Ayres http://whatthesooke.com/?p=7194

The Whiffin Spit Christmas Tree

When I first came to Sooke to look at the house I eventually bought, I took a walk out Whiffin Spit. I knew nothing about the community that would become my home and my chosen place to start a family. I didn’t even know what Whiffin Spit was, I was just driving around exploring and found this cool seaside park with a light at the end of the path. It was just after Christmas, and as I meandered along the path, in addition to the many friendly people I saw and lots of dogs, there it was, this tree.

A lone Sitka Spruce, perched somewhat precariously on this exposed, windswept, salty spit of land. It had been decorated with all sorts of different ornaments. It was clear to me immediately that it was something special, and the eclectic array of ornamentations amused me. The salmon flashers and other bits of maritime and fishing-related items hung from its boughs and other home-made items made me think “How West Coast is this?!” I’ve enjoyed visiting the tree every year since and today went down to the spit to snap a few pictures for you.

With everything from plain old Christmas balls to driftwood, this is a real display of Island culture and I was amazed once again at the variety. There were many cute kids’ crafts on the tree, and also a number of touching tributes to lost family members, both human and canine, which is fitting as the Spit is a favourite for both to stroll.

I think my favourites are the ornaments fashioned from fishing gear, floats, and crab trap bait containers:

So, who decorates the tree every year? Well of course, it’s a public park, so anyone is welcome. But there is a group of local elves who has been taking care of the decorating and un-decorating of the tree since 1995. Read the interesting story, and learn about how you can help, here.

A bit of a bonus to my stroll down on the Spit today were the waves. They were big. I used to live very near the Spit so I know that’s not terribly uncommon in the winter, but it was a lot of fun to watch, and to photograph. The sun even poked its way through the clouds for a while and it looked spectacular. Here’s my favourite of the wave pictures. See more on Facebook.

The weather forecast isn’t great for Christmas, but I hope you’ve had a chance to stroll by the Tree in the days leading up – we’ve sure had spectacular weather for December. But if you haven’t, make sure you head down when we get a break in the weather like we had this afternoon! Below are all the pictures I took of the tree today. Merry Christmas, Sooke (and beyond)!

Photo Credit: Mutley *--* on Flickr

One of the things that attracts people to Sooke is the price of housing. My clients are always amazed at what they can afford in Sooke compared to Victoria, or even just 20 minutes down the road in Langford. But have you ever wondered just how much cheaper homes are out here? Well, thankfully, CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) has crunched the numbers for us and they believe that by choosing to live in Sooke, you save about 24% over a home in Langford, all other things equal. In a study completed this fall, CMHC examined a large data set of 2,144 completed home sales from January to September 2011. They accounted for things like house size, lot size, age of home, and many other variables and found, compared to a home in Langford:

• Buyers pay a premium of 75% to live in Oak Bay
• Buyers pay a premium of 44% to live in the city of Victoria
• Buyers pay a premium of 35% to live in Saanich East
• Buyers pay a premium of 24% to live in Sidney
• Buyers pay a premium of 18% to live in Saanich West
• Buyers enjoy a 24% discount to live in Sooke.

Let’s have a look at a few recent sales to see how they compare to this study.

This home on Wild Ridge Way in Langford sold recently for $455,000. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 1,667 square feet on about a 4000 sqft lot. It is brand new, built in 2011.

Let’s compare it to this home which recently sold on Steeple Chase, in Sooke. It too is about 1600 sqft, has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, on about 4000 sqft of land in a new subdivision, and was built brand new this year. But it sold for $360,000 – about 21% less than the similar house in Langford.

I believe the Sooke property is in a better location – just a short walk to an elementary and middle school, and walking distance to the town centre. The Langford home is way out Happy Valley Road, not really close to anything (although the Galloping Goose Trail is quite handy to it).

I know there’s nothing we can do about the extra time spent commuting to and from Sooke – about 20 minutes extra, each way – but I often hear people talk about the gas they’ll be saving by living closer to Victoria. Let’s calculate, just for fun, how much gas you could buy with the $95,000 you saved by buying in Sooke.

Let’s assume $1.20/l for gas (it’s been above and below this for the last little while, so I’d say it’s a fair average). $95,000 / 1.20 = 79,167 litres of gas. Assuming a 60-litre tank (I’d venture to guess that most commuter cars have smaller tanks), that’s 1,319 tanks of gas. Let’s assume you filled it once a week (maybe a little less frequently, but not out of the question for a 9-to-5-Monday-to-Friday commuter), that is about 25 years of gasoline for your car. Now obviously, this isn’t very scientific, and doesn’t account for inflation and the inevitable rise in the cost of oil, but it sure does illustrate that the gas savings argument doesn’t hold water.

Some other interesting tidbits in the study (again, all other factors being equal):

• Newer homes (10 years old or less) carried a 14% premium
• A home with a view averaged a 10% premium
• Older homes (30 or more years old) were 6% cheaper

If you’d like to read the entire report (which includes economic and housing outlooks for 2012 for the entire region), you can find it here.

So, knowing this, would you like to know more about moving to Sooke? Drop me a line or leave a comment – I’d be happy to get you all the information you need.

 SOLD! $308,000

Bring your mop and bucket and take advantage of this rare opportunity! South-sloping 3.06 acres with a 1996-built (approx.) 1250 sqft 3 bedroom 1 bathroom rancher with ocean glimpses from large front deck. Located just 20 mins west of Sooke, this property has amazing potential and is located close to surfing beaches, rainforest trails, and amazing salmon fishing. Totally private, this property has plenty of room to store the toys or to expand the existing home. Need a shop/garage? Lots of room for that too. A little TLC and some elbow grease will go a long way to making this one shine like it should! More info or book a viewing at http://TimAyres.ca/96

6463 Willowpark Way, Sunriver Estates, Sooke

Welcome to a new series on What The Sooke!? Each week, I’m going to profile one of my current listings. If you’ve ever checked out my listings before, you know that I’m pretty descriptive and I do my utmost to tell a story about the property I am representing. However, there’s only so much I can do to tell you about my listings, since I don’t live in them! So, I’ve sent out a short questionnaire to the sellers, who’ll tell me in their own words why their property is special. 

6463 Willowpark Way is a Driftwood plan in Sunriver Estates, but it’s like no other in the neighbourhood. Here’s what I had to say about this amazing property, and below, let’s ask C. & C., the owners, why their home is great.

What are your top three favourite features of your home and why?

• For me one of my favourite features is the fireplace, it’s unique being polished cement, but in an understated way.
• The yard is a great size for either dogs or kids.  The dogs can actually get some speed going when running for the ball.
•  I just love all the [extra] windows, it’s nice and bright, I couldn’t live in a dark house.

Custom, unique polished concrete fireplace

Huge, fully fenced yard

The den has one of several extra custom windows

 What’s special about your home’s location? Tell me about the neighbourhood and why you like it.

It’s a nice neighbourhood with a lot of really nice people around you.  It is the perfect kids and dog neighbourhood.  I often land up going down to the river on the trail with the dogs, and have scoped out the best 5k and 10k running loop incorporating both hill training and trail running.  Generally all the neighbours care about and for their property and seem to take care of things that need to be done.

There are lots of homes for sale right now, why should a buyer choose yours?

Generally what I love most about the house is how all the various items came together, this includes the lighting, the dark cabinets, the fireplace and the colours.  Everything just seem to come together nicely and provide for a comfortable, nicely presented home.

The kitchen is a favourite room

 

For more information or to book a private tour of this amazing property, contact your REALTOR®, or see TimAyres.ca/93 today!

6463 Willowpark Way, MLS® 296848

$419,900

This incredible executive-style home features incredible value built in with its many, many extras and upgrades. It is priced well below replacement value and there simply is nothing like it in Sunriver Estates! At 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and approximately 1750 sqft of living space, this stylish residence is ready for new owners to love it as much as the current ones do. From top to bottom, nothing has been left out – custom light fixtures throughout the home, double garage, brand new exterior paint, new ‘hand-scraped’ floors, ceramic tile, custom matching cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms, heated tile floors, crown molding, additional pot lights, a slick custom polished concrete fireplace mantel, gas stove and BBQ outlet, super high-end appliances, the list goes on and on! Lots more information at http://TimAyres.ca/93 including a floor plan and video walk-through. If you’re looking in Sunriver Estates, you definitely need to get inside this home!

THIS PROPERTY IS NOW SOLD!

This bright, clean, and beautifully updated ocean-view townhouse in an oceanfront complex is truly a bargain for the quality and size of the unit. Dare to compare – there are a few other homes in this price range, but all are much smaller and none have ocean views and beach access.

At nearly 2200 square feet, this 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom unit has a bright, updated kitchen, engineered hardwood floors, new paint throughout, updated bathrooms, light fixtures, and will be having new energy-efficient windows installed in July. Practically across the street from Saseenos Elementary School,  this outstanding family home would suit perfectly a family with children – there is even a large play room in the basement! Commuting to Victoria? You’re just a few metres from the bus stop, and already on the Victoria side of Sooke! Be sure to check out TimAyres.ca/86 for floor plans, lots of pictures, video tour, and more!

One of the many beautiful displays at Bombora Gifts

$150,000

 Here is your opportunity to own a  turnkey, established boutique right in the heart of the growing community of Sooke, on Vancouver Island, BC. Bombora Gifts specliazes in quality gift items for all occasions, candles, gourmet foods and teas.

 The current owners have spent years cultivating relationships with suppliers both local and international to bring the best into their boutique. The business is profitable and reliable, and is now ready for somebody to take it to the next level. Bombora enjoys great local clientele who know that Bombora is the go-to place for something truly unique and special. The selection rivals that of any downtown boutique. The shop also enjoys repeat business from the many visitors to Sooke, an increasingly busy year-round destination, having just celebrated the opening of a brand new resort and conference centre on the waterfront. More information on this fabulous opportunity can be found at http://TimAyres.ca/87