Paul's Blog

Can you spot the Halifax Icon?

2008-10-03T19:56:33Z

On a recent trip downtown I brought my camera along. Let me see if I can jog your memories from years gone by - Maybe some of you were here recently ,but it pretty much remanes timeless.

People Wandering from the Historic Properties to the Pier 21 where the cruise ships tie up. If its a nice day you might catch me at the my local fav. for a keiths or two.

The Lower Deck - Part of a three level complex housing a restaurant and two great pubs.

Part of the Historic Properties. Feels like your in a different era.

Then theres the Nova Scotian Crystal building where you can watch them hand craft magnificent works in crystal.

The Millennium building where Halifax made the news by hosting the G8 conference.

And of course! Our famous tug boat.

No wonder people seem to want to come here. -The lifestyle is so layed back!

You can see all these photos and much more if you check out my website - www.homesearchnovascotia.com

The pulse of the Nova Scotian market. The prognosis is good........for now.

2008-09-29T20:13:05Z

Reporting from the scene - Here in downtown Halifax , Nova Scotia. Only 450 miles from Boston -as the crow flies.

I guess if your going to take a boat.....3 or 4 days straight down the coast across the gulf of Maine -no course change - all the way to Nantucket.

So close to the U.S. and all the termoil thats been happening gripping the markets there and we have so far escaped much of the turn down so far- in the markets.

There was a good article in the Nova Scotia Business Review recently That documented the stats so far this year. Overall we are down a bit over last year ,but the inventory and the price for the units has remained fairly steady.

On a personal note - I'm seeing a fair bit of activity in the Halifax condo market as new buildings come stream in the coming months. See - www.homesearchnovascotia.com

Its Election time! How about a contest !

2008-09-19T20:01:42Z

With Elections running in both Canada and the U.S. its getting pretty boring hearing the same ol same ol.

Lets hope we both end up better off!

I had an exellent idea today while I strained my eyes and brain trying to figure out my webpage.

How about we put a weeks worth of Starbucks or Tims if your Canadian on the line. You send me your best ideas for my home page links. How do I make them appealing? Have a look at The home page and tell me what you think?

Its a POINT2 site. And I need two links --- 1 to listings and 2 to condos

The bullets or buttons must be colored something appropriate for the page and include HTML so I can paste to appropriate spots. I'm useless at design I'm afraid and would really appreciate some help.

Like I said -- I'll post the winner on Oct 01/2008

Halifax economy remains strong

2008-09-16T22:23:35Z

A new report by the Conference Board of Canada has shed new light on the rosy economic prospects for the region. Halifax is expecting growth of 2.4% this year - The highest east of Manitoba. Due to construction projects just getting started and well underway.

The RIM building in Bedford is expected to be completed in the coming month with 1100 employees. --- for example.

This is the Armoury Square Condominium Building. Nearing Completion - very close to the downtown core.

There are numerous projects that have recent approvals as well - expected to get started 4th Quarter.

You can read about the report in a news snippet from the Nova Scotia Business Journal.

Check out www.homesearchnovascotia.com for the latest on Halifax and it's construcion projects and condos.

A toast to Active Rain! And how it transformed my business. - Part 1

2008-09-01T23:19:14Z

First of all I'll start by saying thanks to everyone who has contributed to this wonderful site over the last year and 2 months. I joined in June of 2007, I simply wanted to see what was involved with this blogging thing that I had read about.

It has now been 14 months since I started my learning. I determined early on in the process that the industry was changing and evolving into something completely different than I was used to. - My blogging worked and soon my cheif source of leads came from the blog.

On November 16 - I suffered a stroke. It was high blood pressure. Took me completely by suprise. In the hospital for 8 days. Anyway - I have a complete recovery . I went from not being able to talk to perfectly normal speech. I had to learn the keyboard over again. Right brain thinking has made me see things with a different light. My thinking is somewhat clearer now than it used to be.

The new me has teamed up with an investor in my business and I've just purchased some professional camera gear. I'm going to build a website based on these photos. And I will gain a huge advantage over my competetors as far as listings go. Combined with 25 -30 Professional shots ,I will offer a staging consult at no cost to the customer with payment at closing.

Website will be officially announced in two weeks - Part 2

I feel I owe it all to active Rain.

Here are some sample picts. I hope you all enjoy!

Photo 1 - Granbury Place Condo -- Taken with 17- 85mm lens on my canon EOS 49d

Photo 2 -- Kitchen in finished unit. 10 -22 wide angle view

Photo 3 -- Views from 12th floor. - Bedford Basin - Fairview Cove Container Terminal

A tour of St. Margaret's Bay

2008-08-27T21:22:36Z

I went for a quick spin in the boat with my son yesterday. I wanted to test my new camera - A Canon 40D.

Here are a few shots I took as we rounded the end of Mason's Point looking in various directions.

This is looking across at sheeps head Island - An upscale oceanfront subdivision. One house fetched $825,000 Canadian last fall.

This is a shot looking at Alongside at Mason's Point . - Very popular!

And this of a house currently on the market at $989,000 on the end of Mason's Point.

And to finish it off - A photo of Shining Waters Marine. It has become a destination for visiting yachts and includes a great restaurant over looking the water. I recommend a water tour from Shining Waters. - Or for the more adventurous -Rent a sea kayak and see the area up close!

Just 25 minutes to Halifax -- The St. Margarets Bay communities remain highly attractive now and should Double in value over the next 10 years.

Ocean Links at Brule Point.

2008-08-01T20:52:54Z

Stay tuned for more info on the residenses to be built at the ocean links at Brule Pt. near Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.

I will have up to date information on my web site - homesearchnovascotia.com as it becomes available.

Here is a recent article as posted in the Nova scotia Busiess Journal- Brule Point

The homes will be heated by a geo-thermal system. And the links shall be irrigated by treated sewage and waste water that passes through an ellaborate filter system.

It is a welcome change in this province to see such forward thinking when it comes to housing!

How do blogs affect your webite rankings?

2008-06-10T21:20:20Z

Call me crazy - but how exactly does it work? I understand that including your website link in your blog not only adds a link to your site but provides some traffic as well.

For instance Active Rain. - Does your profile affect how it links?

Do the tags that I have in Active Rain provide some mystical help?

I am working on a new site --- www.homesearchnovascotia.com

For some reason the number of links has jumped to almost 500 while I have been working on the site.

I know I didn't put them all in there . Where did they come from? All I know is that I was a member here since last june and I recently went back and added a link to my site in about 25 +- Posts.

Any input would be gladly appreciated!

Clipper - Round the world yacht race stops in Halifax.

2008-06-09T19:49:11Z

The Halifax waterfront was buzzing today! With record heat

it was a carnival atmosphere all along the boardwalk!

The Clipper round the world race just finished its New York to Halifax leg and the boats are
In town for 4 days. Quite an impressive Site!

With 10 teams - Each displaying it's Stop-over port .

Team Nova Scotia under sail .

Hull & Humber - Recently clocked 29knots at one point during Leg!
Must have felt like a runaway 68' Freight Car!

Just one more World Class attraction on Halifax's Waterfront. Making it one more reason its why people
want to move here! - www.homesearchnovascotia.com

St. Margarets Bay - A boaters haven.

2008-06-09T06:34:09Z

Just minutes from Halifax lies St Margaret's Bay. The most sought after oceanfrontage in nova Scotia. Some of the best sailing on the whole eastern seaboard as well!

Schooner Cove on inside of Mason's Point looking over to Allen Heights.

Cheifly middle class - Its a great place for growing up! - The sailing school runs every summer and we have several world class olympians as graduates.

Mariners Anchorage - a very popular seaside subdivion -with a sailing club and jr. program to boot!

There are endless coves and inlets. In the summer -the water is swimmable being in the high 70's.
Homes sell from the low end $390.000 and the high end approaching 2Mil.

The marina at Shining waters - a world class fascility! Not only a boating mecca - a restaurant and meeting place !

Todd's Island looking out to Mason's Point and Allen Heights.

A place where coming home has a whole new meaning!

See More at www.homesearchnovascotia.com

St. Margaret's Bay , Nova Scotia - Oceanfront sales up in May!

2008-06-03T21:12:36Z

Masons Point , Indian Point - Places that had spotty sales in recent years. Well -things have turned around!

Masons Point for one has enjoyed 4 sales in the past months and the craigview shore and peggy's cove rd. have

seen the same in May!

The bench mark for the average 10 yr old home seems to sit at +- $580,000 -$595,000 . There are very little left on the market now, and it seems the average vendor is still apprehensive about selling. The sales are below their feel for what their home should be worth.

I can't see oceanfront homes increasing in value before mid-2009 . And if your willing too wait and do the improvements--- 7- 10 years should reap you around a cool Million.

But if your thinking of selling anytime soon you will still get a fair value.

PS - Check out my website at -- homesearchnovascotia.com

It is currently under construction.

Hydrostone Place - Trendy boutique condo in Halifax

2008-05-29T19:54:59Z

Hydrostone Place - Live in the up and coming Hydrostone -within walking distance of the market.

Almost completed! - June 10 /08 - Move in dates in August!

Sept 15 /2008 -- People moving in weekly!

See prices and interior shots.

The Hydrostone is a neighbourhood in the North End of the Halifax Penninsula. It consists of ten short parallel streets and is bordered by Duffus Street to the north, Young Street to the south, Isleville Street to the west and Novalea Drive to the east.

The neighbourhood was designed by architect Thomas Adams to provide housing for working-class families displaced by the Halifax Explosion in 1917. The neighbourhood draws its name from the special cinderblocks from which the houses were constructed. Most of the dwellings are row-houses in groups of four and six, except for the large, two-storey single-family houses at the eastern end of each street. Some have been converted to sets of flats.

All of the streets in the Hydrostone are boulevards except Stanley Place. These boulevards have treed, grassy strips which serve as communal outdoor space for the neighbourhood.

It is a registered National Historic Site.

The suites are all 1200 sq ft plus - which is huge for a new condo in Halifax.
Indoor parking spot and storage included.

20 left around the $300,000 mark.

I would recommend seeing the model suite if you are looking at a condo in Halifax.

Walk to extra trendy Hydrostone Market and Enjoy the Bakery, The best pizza in town, or italian food!

See this and other condos at -- homesearchnovascotia.com

The Market from the other end

Point2 limitations?

2008-05-23T21:28:51Z

I've been thinking to myself - I wonder if my website will be able to reach heights of other non - point2 sites if proper care is taken in SEO and content? Do search engines favour them? It seems so.

My personal take as a "non techy" guy is that it is the content of the pages and the tags coresponding that page is what the search engines like. Good information like google maps and rich photos are helpful.

Does anyone have input as to whether or not point2 platforms have any limitations? I'd like to think not.

I would appreciate some feedback.

Paul Viau

Prospect - Simply Beautiful

2008-05-15T21:19:56Z

I was recently out taking pictures for my website homesearchnovascotia.com

If you travel south towards Peggy's Cove you come to a number of lefts you can take. The first being

Terence Bay. An old fishing village that is still operating as one today.

Here is the view looking East.

Hard to believe its just 20 minutes to a major city like Halifax!

Down the next road is Prospect Bay. Its just like sitting right off the North Atlantic!

Imagine what this little village is like during a hurricane!

Houses out here on the Ocean routinely sell for $300,000 .

Link to me and I'll return the favour!

2008-04-23T19:45:04Z

I've been working on my web site rankings as of late. My site is weeks new and under construction. homesearchnovascotia.com is the name and its designed to do just that. Sell Nova Scotia! Both condos and oceanfront.

It's a Point2 site (professional) and is getting noticed already!

Here is a challenge to you all! We all need links! The amount of links from other web sites improves your overall rating for web searches. If you put a link to my web site I will put a reciprocal link to yours from mine. Win win !

Please let me know your website address. And as a bonus -- I will comment on your blog as well.

Thank You all!

homesearchnovascotia.com - A work in progess. Point2 site

2008-04-22T20:18:23Z

Well - I finally bit the bullet and stepped away from my company site. I learned a fair amount blogging over the past 10 months and I finally realized that all my work was boosting the company site which was doing nothing for me personally. Its trial and error I must admit ,but through google maps and good photos embedded in the site I'm starting to get noticed!

Now I'm motivated to start blogging about Nova Scotia again! Particularly Condos and Oceanfront related stuff. It all will pay-off in the end. I got on average of one lead a day in the past few days based on my sites visibility due to the blogs on Active Rain!

Check it out by the way. It's homesearchnovascotia.com

Its not finished yet but I'm getting closer.

It's designed to be a buyers agent site - I just have to add the projects in the specific areas and then the Oceanfront props per area . It is a huge project but allready I'm getting feedback.

Stay tuned for the finished product.

Oceanfront properties are going fast - this season In St. Margaret's Bay!

2008-03-26T08:50:05Z

If your a seller on the ocean than this is the year to jump in and join the crowd! 2 major sales in the last week! And one midrange . These properties sat for 2 years at Prices $50,000 - $100,000 more and finally they are reasonably priced. The influx from Alberta seems to be making a difference !

Land should move this season as well because new construction is all the rage. Bungalows are very popular with the people coming in. Open spaces with lots of windows seem to be a hit.

St. Margaret's Bay and it's closeness to Halifax will make any purchase pay dividends. I have ideas that things will basically double in the next 10 Years!

My new web site is at homesearchnovascotia.com

Why not check it out!

Blog tweaking - How far back do you go?

2008-03-24T21:22:29Z

As far as tweaking goes. Going back and changing tags, changing the title and making sure the body ties in with the title and the tags. How far can you go back in time and bring a post back to the for-front again. I mean seriously -the more current the post is the better . But does the original date stamp reflect the posts rating?

Take for example An old post on St. Margaret's Bay Oceanfront values

Dated June 12/2007

It could use a makeover after all I've learned about tags and such since .

I guess my question is ----- Would I get more luck updating that one or maybe a more recent post like

2007 Oceanfront Results are in! - St. Margaret’s Bay and Halifax South – Nova Scotia

done Jan04/2008?

I havn't seen this question asked and hope someone has the answer.

would appreciate feedback!

"Horton hears a who"- and how blogging and Localism are so important!

2008-03-21T06:50:42Z

I'm a firm believer of blogging and I've read countless articles on the subject. Once a day- just like the vitamin commercial.

I went to the movie "Horton hears a who" the other day with my kids. Although .........I probably would have gone anyway, but they were a good excuse. ha It was excellent! The one message I got from it was - If we don't bang on the drum and make outrageous noises ..........well we won't get noticed!

We don't have to bang on the drum but be consistent in your blogging and get serious about your postings. Treat it like it's part of your business plan and commit to it ! Lets face it - It works. Blogging works ! So lets get serious and post those blogs. Post to localism too, and get noticed!

Over the next week why not post something to localism? Something about your community that grabs your attention. I just recently joined the Localism Success and Accountability Group. It makes me more accountable.

How about you? Will Horton hear you?

Oceanfront trends 2008 - St. Margaret's Bay and South Shore Nova Scotia

2008-03-18T14:56:34Z

Well! As I see it ,after sitting on the sidelines for this particularly horrible winter. Taking the time to access all the MLS data. The homes that sat most of last year and the year before are finally settling out at prices In the mid to high five hundred thousand range. And I can say they all will sell this season -with out a doubt.

I sifted through my buyers this week and re-visited them all. They will all buy this season and that will create a need for new blood! So to speak. New homes to put for sale ,and in a tested market! For once! You will be able to create a CMA for a property and have some sense of security in knowing what it will indeed sell for. Based on the comparables.

It will be a year of reflection for those properties that are truly overpriced and need to come in line or else face another year of painful rejection.

Land should do well this year ,for new construction is the one bright light were it will fetch more dollars than regular homes. -Especially if the finishes are done with Quality in mind!

Allen Heights , Mason's Point , Sheeps head Island, Indian Point and Mariner's Anchorage will do well with their proximity to the city but the older ,outdated homes will still lag!

I look forward to good weather and Spring-like conditions and dealing with all my clients this season!

All the best!

Paul can be reached at 902-499-2950

Why not check out my new website at homesearchnovascotia.com

Catalog

Bishop's Landing - A high end waterfront condo project.

2008-02-21T12:01:02Z

Situated immediately downtown across from the brewery market property with boutiques and shops scattered on the lower level .Stroll down to the historic properties or dine in one of Halifax's fine seafood restaurants. When the tall ships sail in ,see them docked on your own back yard.

151 units in total with prices starting in the High $400,000's. This is the best of Halifax!

Why not contact me for more info! 499-2950

or e-mail prviau@gmail.com check out mt website at homesearchnovascotia.com

Back to more condos

Downtown on the Commons. Armoury Square is Halifax's newest Condominium.

2008-02-21T11:38:21Z

Ready soon! Upscale condos right on the commons! Halifax - Downtown! 2 Bedrooms with 1200 Sq Ft starting at $287,357. Thats a good size unit for retirement crowd for sure! What better view!

Including underground parking and Air-conditioning! Each unit will have 9' ceilings and exciting, modern open feel.

Quite a few 3 bedroom available in $360-370 range including the penthouse at 1669 SQ FT for #510,383.

As seen across the commons on Feb 14/2008. homesearchnovascotia.com

April 02/08

Albertans can't get enough of Halifax Condos.

2008-02-18T20:52:38Z

In the eighties and nineties Alberta was the place go and make money! Anyone with a trade seemed to head out to land of opportunity. it's a trend that is even more magnetizing today making Nova Scotia the oldest overall by demographics in the country.

Well - The people who ventured west in the eighties and nineties made their money,invested in housing and saw incredible gains over the last 10 - 15 -20 years. So - as soon as the markets start to slow they decided to sell and head home.

Most with equity ranging from $500,000 plus. So why not head east and invest $250-$300,000 in a brand new condo and put the rest in the bank. A few might also pick up a place in Florida for the winter months. Its a trend that is happening and this year will be no exception. This year we have The Gladstone project with approx 34 left, The Hydrostone with approx 20. Cunard st. with Armoury square should be ready late in the year. Plenty left down at Bishops Landing.And lots more.

Downtown living is popular where you can walk to the popular historic halifax waterfront . There is also a movement afoot where people want to live off the penninsula and close to the major arteries and shopping. ie : Mont Royal and Regency park condominiums.

See my condo directory at my ever evolving Condo blog and have a look at the various buildings and see what they have to offer.

See more condos at homesearchnovascotia.com

Paul Viau - Cell 902-499-2950

Faulkland Condos - Downtown Halifax , N.S.

2008-02-14T17:32:27Z

Quite possibly the most affordable condos in Halifax. Literally Blocks from the

downtown core. Ideal for Students or an ideal Investment. Ready In Spring (may) 2009.

Take Note!

Artists Conception

Priced From $129,558 and upwards to #251,414.

Map Showing Distance to QE2 Health Sciences Centre. More condos at -- homesearchnovascotia.com

For more Information please contact me At:

Give me call at 902-499-2950

Or prviau@gmail.com Back to more condos

Gladstone Ridge tower Condominium. Halifax -west end.

2008-02-09T13:12:02Z

Gladstone Ridge Towers Condominium.

33 units left on various floors. As of Feb 08 /2008

This popular west end development offers concrete and steel construction.

The Developer -Westwood Developments - A very good condo developer with a good track record.

Offering parking and storage, six brand new appliances, a fitness room, outdoor pool, and loads of windows,

More condos at homesearchnovascotia.com

Floor plans vary from 888 Sq ft with prices as of feb 17 2008 at $248,000

Up to 1694 Sq. ft. and condo fees @ 390. $549,900

Looking East towards the bridge. With Telephoto.

The gym at Gladstone Ridge.

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