Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH's Blog

Native Plants on the Gulf Islands

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:04:16 -0700

Tomorrow (May 27^th), our Coast Realty Office on Gabriola will be closed and all the Realtors ® and staff will head over to the Gabriola Museum give back to the community by caring for the Native Plant garden at the Museum. I thought I would get a head start and do a little web research about a few of the native plants I've seen on walks and came across the Chocolate Lily (one of my favourites) on the The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) website. The website has great information on how to beautify your garden with native plants, removing invasive plants and restore Garry Oak Habitat. It also lists nurseries on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that supply native plants. If you're on the island this summer stop by the Museum to view some of Gabriola's native plant species.

It will be FULL DAY kindergarten on Gabriola in 2010 !

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:47:28 -0800

I was with my kids at Gymnastics in Nanaimo tonight and there was a buzz going around about which schools were selected for full day kindergarten beginning in Fall 2010. I checked the School District 68 site when I got home and found a link to Full Day Kindergarten in the news. This sheet also contains answers to frequently asked questions and lists the schools selected.
For parents with children attending kindergarten in Sept. 2010, you should enroll your child soon as registration opened on Jan 4. (Submitted by: Tina Lynch)

Groundhog Day

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:31:19 -0800

The old folklore suggests that if the Groundhog sees his shadow today, we're in for 6 more weeks of winter, apparently it's a 39% chance of correctly predicting the weather. Well, I guess it's great news for the Winter Olympics that the groundhog saw his shadow today, although I was trying to dodge my shadow this morning in hopes that Spring would be here. Oh well, just more time to plan a low maintenance, draught tolerant garden on Gabriola.

New Tax Credit for Public Transportation (BC Ferries)

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:10:59 -0800

A friend of mine just let me know about a new tax credit that the Federal Government has brought in for use of public transportation. The BC Ferries website has information about qualifying your ferry trips for a tax credit and it looks like you will need to have 16 round trips in a 31 day period, which will effect residents on Gabriola that commute to Nanaimo for work. These will need to be paid for using an electronic payment card. You will need to register your BC Ferries experience card online or by phoning the Customer Service Center (1 888 223 3779). Once a card is registered you will be able to obtain a travel history report, this can be printed and will show all the trips taken on the card. For more information about the federal income tax credit for public transit, visit the Canada Revenue Agency Website and talk with your accountant. You may also want to read the full article on the BC Ferry website.

Canada Home Renovation Tax Credit - Making the most of it.

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:03:15 -0800

It's that time of year, when I'm rifling through my pockets, purses, drawers and files looking for every last receipt. This year, I'm making sure I set aside a stack that I can use towards the Home Renoation Tax Credit. I wanted to check what I could include towards it, and it was suprisingly more than I had realized.
Canadian homeowners can get up to $1,350 in tax credits for home renovations made between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010 (so you have two weeks if you haven't done your home renovations yet).
The HRTC allows families to claim 15 per cent of home improvement expenses, between $1,000 and $10,000, on their 2009 income tax return. This gives families up to $1,350in nonrefundable tax credits, which reduce the total amount of income tax they must pay.

Here's a list of eligible expenses from the Canada Revenue Agency website:

· Renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or basement

· Windows and doors

· New flooring - carpet, linoleum, hardwood, floating laminate, etc.

· New furnace, woodstove, boiler, fireplace, water softener, water heater, or oil tank

· Permanent home ventilation systems

· Central air conditioner

· Permanent reverse osmosis systems

· Septic systems

· Wells

· Electrical wiring in the home (e.g., changing from 100 amp to 200 amp service)

· Home security system (monthly fees do not qualify)

· Solar panels and solar panel trackers

· Painting the interior or exterior of a house

· Building an addition, garage, deck, garden/storage shed, or fence

· Re-shingling a roof

· A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway

· Exterior shutters and awnings

· Permanent swimming pools (in ground and above ground)

· Permanent hot tub and installation costs

· Pool liners

· Solar heaters and heat pumps for pools (does not include solar blankets)

· Landscaping: new sod, perennial shrubs and flowers, trees, large rocks, permanent garden lighting, permanent water fountain, permanent ponds, large permanent garden ornaments

· Retaining wall

· Associated costs such as installation, building plans, permits, professional services, equipment rentals, and incidental expenses

· Fixtures - blinds, shades, shutters, lights, ceiling fans, etc.

I'm going home to add up my receipts and see if I need to complete any more home renovations in the next few weeks, might be a busy month on Gabriola. (Submitted by: Tina Lynch)

Coast Realty - Future Focus Group

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:50:59 -0700

Last week, Jennifer and I went to Coast Realty's head office in Nanaimo to take part in a future focus group. This group included 17 Coast Realty Representatives from all of our offices. We're looking at helping our company to come up with a strategic plan and a clear vision for the future, and ensuring that we stay up with technology. We feel that by participating in this process we can help to ensure that our company continues to meet the expectations of our clients, and that our company can support us in the level of customer service we strive to provide. If you, as our clients, have any input that you would like us to bring forward, please let us know.

Beauty beneath the waves: Diving on Gabriola

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:27:44 -0700

It’s a different view when you explore what lies under the surface, can you believe that another world exists so close to us ? It seems so easy to miss this, until you see photos of the beauty below. Shannon Poirier & Don Knowles came to the Island as dive enthusiasts, quickly they decided to buy property and began building their home. They now have a company called Ocean’s Blue Diving which offers diver training from beginner to Divemaster. As someone that’s a bit reluctant to learn all the technical components of diving, I was excited to see that they offer a discover snorkeling course for $50, for me this is the perfect introduction to the world below. They also offer wreck diving, deep diving, night, navigation, drift diving, dive gear rentals and compressed air. Enjoy life at a different level and gain a new prospective.

Buy Local, what the heck !

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:54:08 -0700

Well one of the perks of shopping at the road sidestand, versus something that you might pick up at the big box stores from half way around the world, is the character that goes with it.

When I stopped by to check out the stand at the corner of Thompson and South Road, I found this sign. I would have been happy to pay 50 cents for my new Greek Oregano seedlings, but thought the marked down price of 25 cents was great. I wasn't really planning on any more herbs for the garden, but what the heck !

I got a free laugh out of the deal as well and thought it was a great marketing approach, a little different then we see in our Real Estate promotional material.

Home Inspectors to be licensed in BC

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:19:30 -0700

In January, the BC government announced that as of the 31 March 2009, home inspectors will need to be licensed. BC is the first province in Canada to license home inspectors to better protect buyers & ensure qualified inspections.

Currently, a home inspector training is voluntary thus leading to different levels of training and qualifications.

After consultation from consumers and the industry the province opted for licensing under the Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) – this will help home buyers on Gabriola and throughout BC, to ensure that the person doing the inspection has the qualifications to make a professional assessment. It will also offer home inspectors the backing of a professional organization to help ensure that the home inspector follows their standards of practices & codes of ethics.

The BPCPA will protect the buyer’s interest by:
· Assessing the qualifications of & requiring mandatory licenses for home inspectors.
· Receiving & responding to complaints from consumers.
· Monitoring compliance through inspection & enforcement, with penalties.

In order to find out if a home inspector is licensed ask a home inspector to show you a current license issued by the BPCPA. Or check the website at: www.bpcpa.ca to verify that your home inspector is licensed.

Additional information on the licensing of Home Inspectors is available online at the Business Practices & Consumers Protection Authority Website at: www.bpcpa.ca .

Time is Running

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:13:35 -0700

In January, one of my girlfriends signed me up for a facebook running group, a group of 6 of us that have been through the good times and the bad during our 20 year friendship (and I’m young). How could I resist joining these friends when I looked and saw the picture of the girls running a race in heels, I knew this was going to be fun and another one of our group adventures.

Three of us live close enough to join the Running Room in Nanaimo together, close means I’ll hop on the ferry once a week and that one of us drives 1 hour to get there. The training we get at the Running Room is definitely worth the effort, we listen to the informative speakers and learn effective and safe ways to run, apparently not in heels! We finished our last group hill run last night, there is nothing like the pressure of a whistle to get you moving up and down the hill 16 times and of course your running with about 30 others. Next week we start our speed training, and we will continue until we complete the Vancouver BMO half-marathon on May 3rd.

There are lots of trails and roads on Gabriola that offer great training potential, I prefer to stick to the trails when I can as I love the adventure of turning down a new path and find it easier on the body. Gabriola Lands and Trails Trust (GALTT) has a website that is an excellent resource for Island trails and has a trails map http://www.galtt.ca/ .

Relocating Homes

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:49:15 -0800

Over the years several homes to Gabriola have come as reclaimed homes from various areas. As real estate values have soared in parts of the Province, the land value is so great in some cases that it affords home owners the opportunity to build new. But with all the “green” and recycling initiatives, the idea of relocating homes, instead of demolishing them, has had a strong appeal.

Many of our relocated homes to the island have come from the mainland, via a barge, allowing a home to be relocated a greater distance than by trucking it. It’s quite the site to see from the shores of the island, a home floating past, and coming into Descanso Bay, where it is then put on a truck and delivered to a property, usually in the middle of the night.

The T&T property which was recently sold, had a home on the property that effected the development potential of the property, but instead of demolishing the home, the owners took care to have the home relocated. The new owners of the home, are very excited about the opportunity to keep some of the islands heritage. The “character” home, that many of us drove past on a daily basis without much notice, is believed to have been constructed circa the 1940’s and from long time islanders, the folklore goes that it served as the post office between 1943 to the early 1950’s. The new owners, even discovered a door in the home, that one time served as a drive-thru for the post office! It has been private residence since then to a couple of long time island families, and now is being moved on the island to a new site, where it will be renovated. It’s great to see that more of Gabriola’s heritage is being preserved! (If anyone has more history on this particular home, could you please email us with the details- we love the heritage stories.)

There are several home listings from Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver down to the US of homes for sale to be relocated. Nickel Brothers, is one of the moving companies of homes, have a wonderful website offering information on current stock, frequently asked questions, to process and so much more, check them out at: http://www.nickelbros.com/ .

Greening your Title

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:40:00 -0800

Kate Emmings of the Islands Trust Fund was on Gabriola this weekend, to provide information on, “The Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program,” which offers an incentive for island landowners to protect natural & geological features of your property while reducing taxes.

Through the program NAPTEP, an island landowner can receive up to 65% property tax exemption on the portion of land of their property which is protected through covenants.

Properties that are eligible may include; relatively undisturbed natural area that is a good example of an important ecosystem, important natural area that provides key habitat to rare native plant or animal species, or naturally occurring special geological features.

A conservation covenant is an agreement between the landowner and conservancy group, in this case the Islands Trust Fund, which sets out specific restrictions or requirements that the landowner will uphold to ensure conservation of the covenanted portion of the land forever. Because these covenants are registered on title, they will be passed along to future homeowners in perpetuity, so once you’re in the program, there is no turning back.

On the Islands Trust Fund website at: http://www.islandstrustfund.bc.ca/, one can obtain information on the program, along with an application guide to calculating some of the costs & benefits of the program. The application deadline is 1 April 2009, in order to see possible property tax relief in 2010.

***There may be legal & potential tax implications – so each applicant is advised to seek independent legal & accounting advice.

Gabriola Island - Holiday Shopping

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:35:20 -0800

With the holiday season upon us, we wanted to share some of "island ideas" & showcase some island businesses, over the next couple of weeks, to help make your holiday shop easier....

New Society Publishers http://www.newsociety.com/
New Society Publishers, is now a 20 year old island company who's mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society. They employ approx. 12 island residents, including the two owners. They offer a wide variety of books & some fabulous green building books & cookbooks - that we have in our personal collection.

Greenbeans http://www.greenbeans.ca/
This relatively new island online company offers a healthier more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottle & thermos bottles. They also offer hemp bags, everything from market bags to backpacks. We have had opportunity to use the klean kanteens that they offer for sale, and would highly recommend them!

Gabriola Coffee Company e. organiccoffeeongab@shaw.ca
Gabriola Coffee Co. features 100% Certified Organically grown coffee beans, custom roasted and blended to please the most discerning coffee lover. Their roasting process develops the coffee's peak aromatic characteristics resulting in the perfect cup, smooth and rich in flavour and aroma. Email Di for additional information on their variety of offerings - this is a great way to wake up on Christmas morning!

Happy Shopping!

Growing Beyond the Market Place...

Tina, Randi & Jennifer LYNCH (Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd.) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:47:04 -0800

With the current situation in Real Estate we have decided to focus on marketing Gabriola Island in other areas and to investigate marketing tools and trends. Randi & Jennifer have just returned from attending NAR (National Association of Realtors) in Orlando. This 4 day event features key note speakers such as Lance Armstrong and Joe Theismann, provides numerous seminars in marketing, green sustainable living ideas and technology, and has an expo with over 500 exhibitors with leading edge products.
We also plan to have Jennifer & myself attend the BANFF Western Connection from Jan 31- Feb.2, as we feel networking locally & internationally are both key components in our Real Estate business.
During the next few months you'll see that we'll be implementing some of the new ideas that we learn and we will be working on integrating new technology into our business.