Blog Feed – Page 15 – What The Sooke?!

What’s Building In Sooke? Projects Update [Photos]

A while back, I wrote about the BC Spirit Square that was announced for Ed Macgregor Park in Sooke. The oft-vandalized BC Government sign visible from the roadway had been sitting there for months with not a lot of action behind it in the park. Well, as I was passing by the other day I got a glimpse of the outdoor performance space that was promised as part of the Spirit Square:

The outdoor stage in the new Spirit Square

In addition to the stage, washrooms, lighting and drainage/erosion control are being installed. Ed Macgregor park is getting better and better – imagine the Sooke Philharmonic Fling concert being played on a nice new stage, and being able to walk from downtown along the waterfront boardwalk to enjoy it!

* * *

Every day I drive past the site of the new Prestige Hotel being built along the waterfront in Sooke. As I’ve written before, this is an amazing development and will be a welcome asset to our town, for visitors and locals alike. Work has been progressing steadily since October on the project and it appears that the foundation is nearing completion:

The Foundation of the Prestige Hotel in Sooke near completion

I hope to take some more photos as construction on this project continues.

Sooke is definitely moving up in the world – with its stunning natural beauty, relatively affordable housing, and small-town charm, it’s no surprise.

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Is Sunriver Estates in Sooke a Strata?

Sunriver Estates in Sooke has many different home designs, including this Riverstone plan.

This is a question I get all the time from people who are interested in buying a home in Sooke’s popular Sunriver Estates subdivision.

The answer is no, Sunriver is not a strata. There are no councils, meetings, minutes, or strata fees. Each detached home in the development is a fee simple title, which is the same as most other detached homes in British Columbia. However, there is a townhouse complex at Sunriver, which is a strata with the usual implications thereof.

What Sunriver is, is a planned community, meaning that you can’t simply purchase a lot and build whatever home you please on it. The developer at Sunriver has the exclusive rights to sell the lots, and will only do so with the purchase of a building contract to go with it. There are a number of different home designs to choose from, both single level and two-storey, and almost all the homes can have a basement built under them for an extra level.

While Sunriver Estates in Sooke is not a strata, people often ask me about the “rules” for the community. A common rumour is that you’re not allowed to have a boat or RV in your driveway at Sunriver. This isn’t exactly accurate. All homes at Sunriver have a building scheme registered on title. A building scheme is a set of restrictions that a developer will register on the title to the lots to ensure a community that is uniform in appearance and neat and tidy. For example, it’s common for a developer that is selling only building lots to stipulate a minimum size for the homes or that mobile homes are not allowed.

Sunriver’s building scheme has a few stipulations about boats and RVs at Sunriver. Basically, they want them out of sight. Keep them in the back yard or screened behind a fence or lattice and you’ll have no problems. That being said, there is always the question of who enforces a building scheme, how they would do that, what the penalty would be for violation, and under what conditions would they enforce it, i.e., would it take a complaint from a neighbour?

Take a drive around Sunriver – you’ll see plenty of examples of boats and RVs in various states of compliance or non-compliance with the building scheme.

If you have any questions about Sunriver Estates, please take a moment to email me at Tim@TimAyres.ca, call me at 250-885-0512, or fill in my contact form – I’m always happy to help.

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Upcoming Free Victoria BC Real Estate Seminar: Buying A Home

SookeHouseForSale — House for Sale in Sooke

Is 2010 the year you decide to stop paying rent and invest in your future in the form of your very own home? How much do you need and how can you save for a down payment? What’s the best type of mortgage for you? What homes are available and what sorts of programs are out there to help a first-time buyer?

All these questions and more will be answered at a fun, free, interactive seminar I’m putting on next month with two other professionals.

A Certified Financial Planner will talk about how to save for that ever-important down payment, and government programs to assist home buyers. Find out the details of how to borrow from your RRSP tax-free to help you buy a house, and other tricks of the trade.

Robert Boyd, Mortgage Expert with Dominion Lending will present on the various types of mortgages that are available, how to apply, and how to get the best rate possible to save you money. Learn about mortgages and rates, amortization and prepayment and take the mystery out of mortgages

Tim Ayres (that’s me!), REALTOR® with Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty will walk you through the home-buying process – how we search for a home together, showings, offers, negotiation and finally, getting the keys to your new home. Find out what to look for, how to ensure you get what you need, and how having an experienced REALTOR® on your side can help.

When: February 9th, 2010, 7PM.

Where: Investors Group Westshore office, 201 – 630 Goldstream [map] – [street view]

The seminar is free, but we have limited space, so please phone me at 250-885-0512, fill in the form below or visit TimAyres.ca/seminars for more information.

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–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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A Day In The Life of A Hero: Sooke Fire and Rescue Blog

Sooke Fire Dept — Sooke Fire Department image credit: Mike Byrne, ClocktowerImages.com

I’m not sure how this escaped my Sooke Internet Radar™, as I’m usually up to speed on just about anybody doing anything online in our town, but did you know that the Sooke Volunteer Fire Department has a blog?

I discovered it yesterday via a Twitter search for Sooke. It appears to be mainly a forum for keeping the department’s many volunteers up to date on what’s been happening lately, but makes an interesting read for observers who’d like to know what all the sirens are about.

The blog is regularly updated, with the latest post being from January 18th, its tenth post so far of the year. There are a few pictures and lots of insight as to what it’s like being the first on the scene.

I highly recommend you check it out, and follow along the daily activities of those volunteers who help keep us safe in Sooke. Make sure you check out the sidebar near the bottom, which shows the most recent 30 incident responses.

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Sleeping Around In Sooke – Reb Stevenson’s Toronto Star Column [Video]

I love Twitter. I also love living in a town with a unique name. It’s easy to monitor the goings-on in the online world with a search for Sooke saved as an RSS feed or in one of the many Twitter desktop clients like Tweetdeck. A month or so ago I discovered that travel and lifestyle writer Reb Stevenson had found her way out to our little seaside community from the Center Of The Universe (Toronto), to stay a few nights in the Sooke Harbour House and see what our town was all about. Reb’s column, Sleeping Around, runs in the Toronto Star the fourth Saturday of each month.

Below is the video she put together about her stay. Looks like you had fun, Reb, despite the cold and drizzly December weather. Hey, beats the snow in Toronto. Thanks for profiling Sooke and come back soon!

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Victoria BC Real Estate Buyer’s Profile – Where are the Buyers Coming From?

An initiative we started late last year at the Victoria Real Estate Board is giving us some excellent data on market trends in the Victoria BC real estate market. As a director and chair of a Communications Task Force, I helped devise a market survey that is sent out via email at the end of the month to each Victoria-area REALTOR® who sold a house to a buyer that month.

The data that comes in is an invaluable snapshot of the situation for the average agent ‘on the street’ as to where the buyers are coming from, what they’re buying, and other interesting data.

I just received this past month’s results this morning. Some interesting facts:

31% of buyers last month were first-time buyers
51% of buyers purchased with a conventional (ie, more than 25% downpayment) mortgage.
15% of buyers were single females, a trend that has been noticeably increasing in recent years
Nearly three-quarters of buyers were moving within the Greater Victoria area, and 3.5% were from outside of Canada.
82% of buyers found the property through information provided by a REALTOR® (client portal, PCS, phone call, etc.), or through REALTOR.ca

I’ll continue to post this information on a monthly basis, as it is a “real world” snapshot of activity in our marketplace. You can read the full survey results here.

If you have any questions about buying or selling real estate, I am always available to chat. Call me any time, directly, at 250-885-0512, email Tim@TimAyres.ca, or find me on Twitter.

If 2010 is the year to buy your first home, I invite you to an informative, free seminar on February 9. Hear from a financial planner, mortgage broker, and me about creating a plan to save for a down payment, get a good mortgage and find a great home. More details and sign-up can be found at TimAyres.ca/seminars

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Victoria Christmas Events: Sooke Santa Skate This Sunday, December 20, 2009

The annual Sooke Santa Skate, put on by our team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty and SEAPARC, will be held this Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at the SEAPARC Arena. Join us from 1:30 until 3:00 for a fun, family event. Admission is by donation of non-perishable food items, new, unwrapped toys, or cash to support Sooke families in need this Christmas.

Your local REALTORS® from the Royal LePage Coast Capital office will be on hand passing out free and tasty hot chocolate and hot dogs and collecting your generous donations. Skate rentals are also included if you do not have your own. Bring your camera and get a memorable picture with Skating Santa Claus!

Last year’s event was a success, despite having been postponed due to adverse road conditions brought on by the wild winter weather we had last December. Hopefully we’ll have a typically mild day, making it easy for everyone to safely get to the arena.

I hope to see you there!

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Butchart Gardens Christmas Lights Display

Last night, my wife and I got out and enjoyed the crisp December evening and headed out to world-famous Butchart Gardens on the Saanich Peninsula. Every year they decorate the gardens in thousands of lights, creating a truly magical Christmas experience. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, it was a gorgeous, starlit evening, and the lights were amazing. The gardens are decked out in a Twelve Days of Christmas theme, so along the garden paths there are little vignettes displaying the different parts of the famous song. It was fun to hear everyone reciting or singing “fiiiiiive golden rings” and so on as they approached the various displays along the route.

I brought along my camera, tripod and shutter release to get some long exposure shots of the lights. Lights at night are one of my favourite things to photograph, and I think the results turned out quite well.

There was a brass quartet playing Christmas carols, a carousel, and a skating rink set up for all to enjoy. The admission might seem a little steep at $23.50 for adults (lots less for kids, price list here) but if you buy a yearly pass and go more than twice it pays for itself (many will go once a season, or more if you have guests in from out of town).

I hadn’t been out to Butchart Gardens in about 5 years or more, and I had forgotten how lucky we are to have such a world-class attraction in our back yard. It truly is a top-notch operation and it’s no surprise how popular it remains, after over 100 years in existence.

Enjoy these photos – you can view the rest on my Flickr page.

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Sooke Spirit Festival was a Success – Sailpast Video

This past Saturday saw the 2nd annual Sooke Spirit Festival which was a resounding success. What started as a small event in a snowstorm last year, grew into a well organized and well attended family affair this year.

I was driving the lead boat (the Coast Guard Auxiliary boat) in the sailpast, and managed to shoot a little bit of video to give you an idea what it looked like out there if you missed it. What a perfect night to be on the water. A little chilly, but the wind held off until after the sailpast, which was a big plus. There were lots of people on the boardwalk watching the dozen-plus decorated boats sparkle on the crystal-clear and calm evening on Sooke Harbour.

Check out the video I shot below. It’s mostly of the boats getting ready and of the beautiful harbour before sundown, as I was driving the boat during the actual sailpast. If anyone has any better video, shoot me an email and let me know and I’ll post it!

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Sooke Spirit Festival – Parade and Sailpast – Saturday, Dec 5

The Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce and The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit #37 – Sooke invite one and all to the Sooke Spirit Festival, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th, 2009. Right in the heart of the town centre, come join us in getting into the Christmas spirit!

What’s happening?

Shopping: The parade route in the centre of town will feature concessions selling holiday treats and gifts, and many Sooke businesses will have special Spirit Festival deals!
Santa Claus Parade: Starting at 2:30, the big guy in red will travel down Sooke Road through the centre of town.
Sailpast: Led by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, celebrate Sooke’s maritime heritage and enjoy the lighted parade of boats of all sizes from the Rotary Pier or Whiffen Spit.
Music: The fabulous Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Sooke Community Theatre at 7:30. Don’t miss it! This is a paid event with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Sooke Christmas Bureau. Info at SookePhil.ca

We have been blessed with fantastic weather this year, and while it will be cool and crisp, there won’t be rain (or a snow storm like last year!) This is an awesome free family event you won’t want to miss.

Other family events this year in Sooke include the Sooke Santa Skate, put on by me and the team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty. Stay tuned to 642Blog for more information about this other wonderful Christmas family event.

–Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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