Commercial opportunities on Salt Spring Island...live/work in "paradise"! - 08/30/11 12:32 PM
Here are some investment opportunities, to consider...future appreciation...prices have reduced, sellers are motivated, interest rates are at historic lows...time to be proactive, make your offer, and go forward! 1. A lakefront resort, with 9 appealing cottages in place, & zoned for 22 in total. The Cottage Resort on St Mary Lake enjoys an alluring English Country flavor...is sunny, private, quiet...ask me about the strata resort opportunity that is possible on this 5+ acre forest/meadow mix...lovely lakefront! 2. Anne's Oceanfront B&B has a stellar reputation, and this home offers a split between guest and family accommodation that ensures owner privacy! 6+ acres...develop … (8 comments)

Truly a "best buy" opportunity, oceanview, on Salt Spring Island! - 08/27/11 04:26 PM
Here is a very stylish opportunity for immediate enjoyment. A Wilco Construction home (one of Salt Spring's top builders; winners of several B.C. awards), and a custom design built ten years ago, this Channel Ridge beauty awaits your subtle updates. Formal entry/foyer, spacious hallway, large living with dramatic window treatment and vaulted ceiling, sliders out to expansive oceanview deck, to expand summer season living pleasures. Large country kitchen, with dining off, and walk in pantry, plus mudroom/laundry room, with powder room off (easy access to rear garden and patio). Library/den or office (could be second bedroom, if desired, with generous closet … (6 comments)

Summer-summer continues in the wonderful Pacific Northwest Coast! - 08/27/11 12:55 PM

Summer weather was late in the Pacific Northwest Coast this year. We were calling Spring & early Summer names like Mayvember, Juneuary, Julyuary...finally, August delivered on the sun and the warmer temperatures! Sometimes, September and October are warm & sunny, too...it gets darker earlier, though, as the sun drops lower in the sky. Still lots to do and see & enjoy, as we drift from late August into early September...out for lunch or dinner? Patio dining at Harbour House Hotel, at Calvin's Bistro, at Salt Spring Inn, at Moby's, at Bocados Bistro, at Auntie Pesto's, at Treehouse Cafe, at Seaside … (6 comments)

More things to be aware of, on special Salt Spring Island! - 08/26/11 01:36 PM
The local weekly newspaper, The Driftwood, is now carrying the same version of the traditional print newspaper in digital form...subscribe to either.
The Salt Spring Arts Council initiative has resulted in the Arts in the Community pamphlet...pick up a copy at ArtCraft or go online: www.ssartscouncil.com/newsletter.html The opening event is a rare seminar & demonstration with Robert Bateman, on Sept 24, at Fulford Hall. Participants will learn about the celebrated artist's life as an educator, artist, & environmental advocate...don't miss this opportunity!
Salt Spring Zen Circle offers a half-day meditation retreat on Aug 28, from 8 to noon, at inspiring Ango … (2 comments)

Things to do & to enjoy on Salt Spring, end of August.... - 08/25/11 01:34 PM
August 25, 2011. Run, don't walk, to catch the annual Photosynthesis show at ArtSpring's Gallery...show runs to Sept 11th, & showcases the creative vision of 24 very different photographic visions. Very very interesting! Live music at Treehouse Cafe: tonight, enjoy Tom Hooper, Friday catch Synergy, Saturday it's Julia Beattie & Friends, Sunday it's Tara, Monday showcases Jordan Kurtz, Tuesday discover this week's Open Stage with David Jacquest, & Wednesday it's Gemma G...talent talent, every evening! Music from 7 to 10:30, nightly. August 27th, it's PechaKucha on Salt Spring...tickets at Salt Spring Books. Ives Rousselle & Daniela Wood, two graphic designers, are … (0 comments)

Private Islands...the authentic "retreat" opportunity! - 08/24/11 08:15 PM
Looking to be "apart" from the fray? Seeking a safe haven? What about a private island retreat? Nestled close to all services/amenities, including hospital, and with power from larger Vancouver Island (back up generator, too), there are three such gems awaiting your discovery...close to Sidney by the Sea, and to Victoria, and in the heart of the best protected boating waters in the world, and with a temperate climate that encourages the growing of one's own food, these potentials are available: Pym Island: Johnstone Island: Coming soon: another close by island treasure...call me for more information and the opportunity to view … (13 comments)

Being self-sufficient...could be a good plan! - 08/24/11 12:40 PM
As world uncertainty continues, there is a complimentary human desire to own a bit of land...to be able to grow one's own food...fresh peas, beans, corn, beets, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs...grapes...an orchard with apples, pears, cherries, plums...nut trees (walnuts, hazlenuts)...lucky us that we live in a temperate micro-climate that allows this. What about this timber-peg custom home, on 10 acres, with barn/workshop structure in place, plus fenced garden, studio space...a forest/pasture mix, & just a short stroll to the ocean! Here's an undeveloped 10 acres, awaiting your design & development ideas! A pasture/forest mix, in the heart of the … (8 comments)

Call me, if you are looking for Salt Spring Island real estate opportunities! - 08/22/11 05:19 PM

Thinking of a retreat? Somewhere to enjoy for summers and weekends for now, and to retire to later? Whenever the siren song of lifestyle change hums its melody to you? Give me a call...lots of opportunities, in all styles and price points. Right now it truly is the classic buyer's market moment for a real estate purchase on Salt Spring Island or on another Gulf Island. Secondary home/discretionary areas have remained "flat"/inactive, globally, and Salt Spring & the Islands have been similarly afflicted by the "reluctant buyer" syndrome. Interest rates remain historically low...sellers, after 5 if not 6 years of … (6 comments)

Summer thoughts.... - 08/22/11 04:59 PM
There is something wondrously easing about the sea...gleaming on a summer day. The rippling sound, the sheen of sunlight sliding across the bay, the snap of sails while tacking, the gulls calling from Chocolate Beach, the smooth dive of a Harbour Seal.... Later, at anchor, the delicious plunge into the sea's embrace, the enfolding cove...there is nothing quite like the sun on salt slicked skin, after the swim...is it our lizard past that makes us so sleekly eased, beachside? Ah...summer...no wonder people chase it!
When we know that Fall is almost here, does it make it even sweeter?
 
 
 
… (4 comments)

Some retreat opportunities, in all price ranges, on special Salt Spring Island! - 08/20/11 10:16 PM
Here's a retreat property needing driveway, septic, well, some tree removal to bring back the view...right now, there's a trail to a "hard tent" camping cabin, just steps from a great beach. This is the definitive "holding property"....all reasonable offers considered. Wow...delectable oceanview almost 5 acres, meadow/forest mix, zoned for main home, separate guest cottage, separate studio. Close to beach, & in an area of fine homes. A best buy opportunity & sellers welcome offers. Switzerland on Salt Spring! 9 beautiful acres in a prestigious area, close to all amenities, yet privately serene. Bring your architect & make your offer! Close … (2 comments)

Extraordinary architect designed oceanview beauty, on Salt Spring Island! - 08/20/11 09:45 PM
WOW! Here is an amazing home, designed by the premier West Vancouver architectural firm, Blue Sky Architecture, and beautifully executed by one of Salt Spring's premier builders. The very best, and sited on a superlative ocean view property...26 private & tranquil acres enfold this interpretation of the Frank Lloyd Wright ethic. Dramatic ocean vistas...a panorama of islands & mountains (Mt Baker, Mt Rainier, the Olympics)...it is stunningly beautiful. The home enjoys superb finishes, and offers a private master wing, separate guest options, a dream kitchen, media room...custom woodwork, windows that blur the separation between inner and outer lifestyles...dramatic oceanview patio...natural landscaping … (10 comments)

Best buy oceanview opportunities, on Salt Spring Island! - 08/17/11 12:37 PM
Looking for homes with flair, with all day sun exposures, and with privacy and ocean views? Here are two great opportunities, for your pleasure! $629,000 asking & open to an offer:  custom designed/Wilco construction (one of the Island's top builders), with dramatic living, lovely kiitchen, dining off, walk-in pantry, guest bed/or den, with solarium off and sauna...mudroom entry/laundry & powder room, plus formal entry/foyer, and spacious master bedroom (great walk-in closet)...all on main level.   Upper level offers loft style office/sitting area, and second master bedroom (ensuite).    Easy access to deer fenced veggie garden/orchard.   Easy care landscaping, separate double garage, workshop/garden shed.    … (2 comments)

Two best buy oceanfront choices on Salt Spring Island! - 08/16/11 01:35 PM
Very "best buy" opportunities on the waterfront, on Salt Spring Island...lovely walk on beaches, go swimming here, a dock for your boat on one option and a mooring buoy in a protected bay for the other. $767,000 asking, and open to serious offers, this approximately .8 of an acre enjoys mature landscaping, a terrific beach, mooring buoy in a protected bay, for your seasonal boat moorage pleasure, plus a renovated three bed/two bath home, galley style kitchen, oceanside solarium dining, hot tub with a view, wonderful patio (sunrises and sunsets from here), wood floors, tile floor in entry, kitchen, solarium, and … (0 comments)

Head of dog/tail of dog...where in the continuum of change are we? - 08/15/11 12:39 PM
Well, perhaps the best way to think about our particular secondary home / discretionary marketplace is to remember that the Pacific Northwest is usually last to feel a trend, up or down, and especially so on B.C.'s Coast. No one "has to" retire, or buy a retreat home or a recreational holding property in any particular timeframe...in uncertain economic times, such decisions can be put "on hold", of course. However, if the head of the dog of a downmarket shook in Florida three years ago, then the tail is our area, and it's been shaking strongly throughout 2010/11. Late, but firmly … (2 comments)

Yes, you can have horses here, on this almost 5 pastoral acres! - 08/14/11 04:02 PM
Here's a sweetheart of a rural/pastoral property, awaiting your pleasure! Located at Salt Spring's pristine "south end", and enjoying all day sun exposure (morning and evening sunshine, here!), the property lends itself to keeping horses, sheep, and there's a great fenced veggie garden area, too. Be self-sufficient, here! Seasonal creek, forest trails, pasture, pond...close to all amenities, too, yet in its own private world. The plus? Two houses! Main home: welcoming formal entry/foyer, large country kitchen with dining off, spacious living with vistas over the pasture, guest bath, mudroom/laundry/storage area, bedroom or potential office off, plus master sitting/with ensuite. Upper level … (8 comments)

Different kinds of investing, in real estate....secondary homes area is just one style. - 08/11/11 01:10 PM
Real estate investing is an interesting concept. The idea of creating a passive income stream is a very worthy one. Always remembering the old adage, "you make your money when you buy", is an important first step. No matter what kind of real estate trend is in play, whether a sellers or a buyers market, there is always opportunity...just not the same opportunity. It's a long tail approach to creating and increasing one's net worth...a fix and flip is not as easy as it sounds, although we're always hearing about such lucky outcomes! In a secondary home/discretionary and resort-based region, it's … (6 comments)

It's not all about the sea! Some equestrian opportunities on Salt Spring Island! - 08/11/11 12:54 PM
Looking for an equestrian property? Yes, this is an Island and the ocean experience is an important aspect, but that rural/pastoral choice is also enjoyed, here. There's 10+ acres, in the beautiful Fulford Valley, just steps from Burgoyne Valley Park, and a short stroll to the ocean. Lovely timber-peg home! Adjacent pastoral 10+ acres is also available! A 20+ acre horse property on North End Road awaits your discovery...unique family home, plus great barn...it's all in place here! On Musgrave Road, at Salt Spring's special "south end", there's 25 pastoral acres, with beautiful and large pond, awaiting your development ideas...sunny property! … (0 comments)

Whispers of shift...rumours of change.... - 08/08/11 12:31 PM

Whispers of shift...rumours of change, in a slowly evolving upward direction. In secondary home/discretionary areas, though, it's difficult to catch such tendrils. One sale, here and there, doesn't make a market pattern. In my specific Salt Spring Island & Southern Gulf Islands region, the main sales are in entry level residential options...on one island, this might mean below $450,000, & on another it might mean below $700,000...big variation between islands in this grouping. Variation might have to do with amenities offered and ease of arrivals, but not always. Whatever that "ceiling figure" might be, it is entry level residential that … (6 comments)

Recreational waterfronts on Salt Spring Island...now's the time to buy! - 08/06/11 12:43 PM
Looking for a recreational waterfront retreat right now, with a retirement opportunity for later? Here's an oceanfront opportunity, with 2 bed/2 bath, plus separate one bedroom suite...entertainment living/dining, appealing kitchen. Great dock...keep your boat at home! Private, sunny, & close to everything. Just move in! Here's a private & tranquil lakefront choice...the tide is always in! Custom home, garden level a separate suite, easy care landscaping...forest/meadow mix. Sunsets, here! Private & quiet area.... New home, oceanfront, perfect retirement awaits you...beachcomb, here! Private, sunny, panoramic views of ocean, islands, mountains...a beautiful Zen/Scandanavian allure here...inspiring! Appealing lakefront, with immediate summer/weekender use and retirement … (4 comments)

Whether we like it or not, more change coming....might as well go with the flow! - 08/06/11 12:13 PM
The turbulence continues...what occurs in the U.S. affects all countries. Ripple effects in Europe, in Asia, in South America, in Russia, in Africa...totally interconnected. A web based model, remember...full of random links. The ongoing economic uncertainties persist, with no serious glimmer of solution. Borders are now only visible on maps. Information cannot be contained within oldstyle physical boundaries, nor can outcomes. It's very difficult for most people to truly understand what is going on...I'm not sure that economists and other supposed experts understand, either! 20th Century ideas don't help out now, and yet are constantly referred to. We are not allowed … (6 comments)

More things to do & to enjoy...summer on Salt Spring! - 08/05/11 04:11 PM

Looking for a vineyard tour experience? Enjoy Music in the Vineyard, daily, 11 to 5, with complimentary wine tastings paired with local foods. At Salt Spring Vineyard! Be sure & discover Dreia Nickerson's beautiful hand made jewelry (Elfin Works), at the Saturday Market in the Park. I've been on Salt Spring since 1989, and Dreia's talented artistry has been a mainstay of the Market, in all that time. Looking to be toned? Call DebFit...her Ganges studio is the place to be! Catch iconic Peter McFarlane's latest work at his Shapeshifters show at Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art. Ten sculptures, based … (4 comments)

Things to do & to see & to enjoy...summer on Salt Spring! - 08/05/11 12:09 PM
Lots happening...still summer season on amazing Salt Spring Island (yes, I know, I saw those "back to school" ads, too).... Live music choices: Jose Sanchez and his Cuban Dance Party are bringing together 8 great musicians, on Friday and Saturday (Aug 5 & 6), beginning at 7 p.m.   Co-sponsored by Salt Spring Jazz & Blues Society, and the Friday night concert will be filmed by Greg Pauker of Sculptor Systems.   Congratulations to wonderful Treehouse Cafe! Victoria's "band of the year", Skyla J and the Vibes, play Moby's this weekend, too.   A mix of reggae, soul and house music, they're on stage … (2 comments)

Thetis Island oceanfront beauty...sweep of sand & crushed shell beach! - 08/04/11 06:13 PM
Superb oceanfront awaits your pleasure...on tranquil Thetis Island! A very talented architect worked with the owners to create a most appealing "summer/weekender" retreat home, nestled at water's edge, with a spectacular sweep of beach at your doorstep. A boat launch allows you to easily access the ocean, and there is protected anchorage in this generous bay..    Fish and crab right off your beach! The one level home offers a stylish country kitchen (yes, an Aga!), perfect for a couple and great for entertaining, with separate laundry off (with a view!), plus storage/wine room.    The dining area, at seaside, plus a pleasing … (2 comments)

Summer, suddenly...here....in Pacific Northwest Coast! - 08/02/11 11:12 AM
Finally, the Pacific Northwest Coast is enjoying "real" Summer...and how beautiful it is! The Southern Gulf Islands are located in some of the best protected boating waters in the world...adjacent to the U.S. San Juan Islands, this is truly an amazing archipelago of very special Islands, all with their own signature, and yet all sharing the unique micro-climate known as "cool Mediterranean". Pick up the book "Gunkholing the Gulf Islands" and try on the suggested anchorages for size. Foodie paradises, vineyards, lavender fields, artist colonies, musicians, writers, painters, fabric artists, live theatre, concerts...an environmentally protected area...a seaside treasure! Lucky Islanders.... The … (8 comments)

 
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Li Read

Salt Spring Island, BC

More about me…

Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)

Address: # 4 - 105 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2V5

Office Phone: (250) 537-8763

Cell Phone: (250) 537-7647

Email Me

real estate, b.c. real estate, salt spring island real estate, Canadian real estate, luxury real estate, waterfront specialist, private islands specialist, estate style properties, secondary home marketplace, active rain, Li at Sea to Sky Premier Properties, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Pender Islands, Saturna Island, Salt Spring Island, southern Vancouver Island.


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