The Royal couple, Charles and Camilla are visiting our beautiful city - they arrived late afternoon yesterday, and although Camilla admitted to being a bit jet-lagged they were "on show" for a few hours on the lawns of the Legislature. The crowds welcomed them and even though a lot of people couldn't care less about the Royal family, the people of Victoria always turn out to see and cheer them.
It won't be long before they will be back again for the Winter Olypics in February 2010, in nearby Vancouver and Whistler. But for now, I'm sure they will enjoy our city which is now splendid in Autumn colours, with the golden leaves falling on the ground.
#6 Island on Sparkling, Pristine Cowichan Lake, Sheltered Amongst the Mountains of the Cowichan Valley ...
On British Columbia's beautiful Vancouver Island, it is rare to find a private island available for purchase. Enjoy relaxing, adventure and building your personal retreat. Access is an easy 0.31km (310 metres) to this beautiful 3.69 acre island on Cowichan Lake. The Cowichan Valley is world renowned as an exceptional recreation area, with sport fishing, hiking and water sports.
You can feel miles from everywhere, yet the island is actually highly accessible and convenient to amenities. Here is a wonderful opportunity to own your island paradise, in this emerging waterfront market.
For more photos, virtual tour and information please view my website:
Sept. 2009 Property Sales Highest in 17 Years for Month of September!
The Victoria area real estate market showed signs of growing strength last month as property sales rose to their highest level for the month of September since 1992 accompanied by modest price increases for single family homes and condominiums.
A total of 776 homes and other properties sold in September through the Victoria Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), up from the 764 sales in August and up nearly 50 per cent compared to the 512 sales in September of last year.
Victoria Real Estate Board President, Chris Markham, says the market has clearly recovered and now appears to be very stable, "The last seven months have shown a steady improvement in sales and price stability. It’s very encouraging when we look back over the past several years and see sales now exceeding typical levels for this time of year."
There were 3,419 properties available for sale at the end of September, down 28 per cent from the 4,754 properties available in the same month a year ago. "We are now seeing some renewed upward pressure on prices as a result of the declining inventory," noted Markham.
The average price for single family homes sold in Greater Victoria last month was $619,936, up from $596,498 in August. Markham noted that the average price was affected by 24 sales of over $1 million. "These included five sales of over $2 million, three in Saanich East, one in Victoria and one on the Gulf Islands which had a significant impact on the overall average price," he stated. The median price increased $10,000 to $550,000. The six-month average was $581,498.
The overall average price for condominiums was $325,106 last month, up from $317,312 in August. The average for the last six months was $311,546. The median price for condominiums in September was $295,000. The average price of all townhomes sold last month was $441,966 down from $455,430 in August. The median price dropped slightly to $415,000. The six month average was $426,521.
MLS® sales last month included 437 single family homes, 197 condominiums, 79 townhomes and 15 manufactured homes.
Taken from the Victoria Real Estate Board website.
Dreams become reality in this gorgeous custom home.
The spacious open plan rooms take full advantage of one of the premier Bear Mountain fairway lots, showcasing panoramic mountain views with maximum privacy.
The Master suite covers the entire top floor. The two-level main floor foyer opens onto the Great Room, a gourmet kitchen and separate dining room and study.
Adjoining the entertainment sized (1775 sq. ft) terrace are the guest bedroom, games and media rooms and office.
Since my grandmother died her idyllic old stone house (well cottage really), in Shropshire has been passed on to my Uncle. I thought I'd put a couple of photos on here to show you the old stone building.
The cottage, built in the early 1800's and sitting in the hillside, originally belonged to the local Farrier. The stables are in the smaller building to the right. The house has 2 ft thick walls, original beams, and an original wooden spiral staircase leading up to 3 small bedrooms. It's a fantastic place in summer, but can be quite cool in winter, even with the open fire and Aga. The lane is only wide enough for one car at a time, and when the flock of sheep come running down it you have to back up the lane to the nearest grassy bank to allow them to pass.
Below is another view from Moelydd Hill, which is part of Offa's Dyke, described by Wikipedia as:
Offa's Dyke (Welsh: Clawdd Offa) is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to 65 feet (20 m) wide (including its surrounding ditch) and 8 feet (2.5 m) high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys. It has been the subject of considerable research in recent years, dispelling many of the earlier understandings.
Join us as we walk to support Canadian Autism research, by joining the British Columbia Walk/Run Now for Autism.
My wife, our son and other members of my family have been fundraising and will be walking on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 from the Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, BC. The Walk/Run starts at 10 a.m. and finishes at 12 noon. The Walk is 3 - 4 km and the run is 5 km.
About Autism (from the Walk Now For Autism website)
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls.
Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.
To learn more about Autism please click the Autism Speaks website.
Property Sales in August Follow Usual Summer Trend September 1, 2009
The number of property sales in the Greater Victoria area slowed during August but sales were again significantly higher than a year ago. Prices, meantime, remained stable with some increase for single family homes. A total of 764 homes and other properties sold in August through the Victoria Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), down from the 933 sales in July but up 48 per cent compared to the 517 sales in August of last year.
Victoria Real Estate Board President, Chris Markham, says it is usual for sales to slow in August, "Many people take holidays in August so it is not surprising to see sales soften somewhat. We are very pleased, however, to note the significant increase in sales last month compared to August of a year ago which gives further evidence of the strengthening of the market."
There were 3,509 properties available for sale at the end of August, down 25 per cent from the 4,657 properties available in the same month a year ago. "The decline in the number of properties available for sale will continue to place some upward pressure on prices," said Markham. Sales so far this year are running over six per cent higher than in the first eight months of last year.
The average price for single family homes sold in Greater Victoria last month was $596,498, up from $565,469 in July. Markham noted that the average price was affected by 17 sales of over $1 million. "These included two sales of over $4 million, one in Saanich East and one in Central Saanich, and these had a significant impact on the overall average price," he stated. The median price increased $20,000 to $540,000. The six-month average was $569,546. The overall average price for condominiums was $317,312 last month, down from $328,441 in July. The average for the last six months was $307,347. The median price for condominiums in August remained unchanged at $290,000. The average price of all townhomes sold last month was $455,430 up from $443,109 in July. The median price dropped slightly to $419,000. The six month average was $421,565.
MLS® sales last month included 403 single family homes, 218 condominiums, 91 townhomes and 11 manufactured homes.
Courtesy of the Victoria Real Estate Board
Please contact me to learn about my Referral Program:
It's a great time to buy ... according to our local newspapers: "Real Estate in Victoria is On The Rebound."
Many of the best homes are sold shortly after they are listed. Want to know why? The buyers learned about the new listing first!
Please contact me or visit my website to receive my daily Hot New Listings Alerts. These lists show homes with addresses and photos, even before they hit the MLS.
I can also send you a list of homes within a specific price range - it can save you hours of surfing the MLS!
This Labour Day weekend celebrates the 32nd Victoria Classic Boat Festival in our beautiful Inner Harbour. Bordering the harbour are the BC Legislative Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and the ivy-covered Fairmont Empress Hotel.
For over 150 years many sail and power vessels have gathered here and this weekend will see over 100 historic vessels positioned in the heart of Victoria.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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