About Southern Gulf Islands, BC

Anthem at Merrill Ranch brings spectacular amenities and a small-town feel where you can truly live, work and play. As a Resident in Anthem at Merrill Ranch you can get to know your neighbors and keep up to date with news and events on your very own community webpage,www.OurAnthemMR.net.

I also want to remind you thatPoston Butte Golf Club is operated byTroon Golf, widely regarded as one of the world’s premier golf management companies. The rare combination ofDel Webb, Gary Panks and Troon Golf ensures pristine playing conditions, a challenging layout and impeccable service. Whether playing with your regular foursome or guests, you’ll be proud to say this is your home course. For more information, you can view our website atwww.PostonButteGC.com

The Del Webb Community of Anthem is located in the southeast Valley, just north of historic Florence Arizona. Anthem at Merrill Ranch, is a master planned community combining family neighborhoods and active adult living into one larger, multi-generational community. Anthem at Merrill Ranch is designed with all the activities and amenities you would expect from a Del Webb community. Pulte Homes has become the nation's largest homebuilder. Pulte Homes in Anthem at Merrill Ranch is one of the Top 10 Best Selling Homes in the USA. Amenities include: • Over 60-acre park • 6 lighted softball and baseball fields (coming soon) • 6 Soccer fields (coming soon) • Sand volleyball courts • Multi-purpose fields • Basketball/multi-purpose courts • Skateboard Park (coming soon) • Adventure Playground, Splash Pad & 3-Level Castle • 4-acre catch and release fishing lake • Outdoor Plaza Amphitheater • Picnic Ramadas with BBQ’s • Miles of hiking and biking trails.....

To view available Anthem at Merrill Ranch Homes, go to our web site at: http://www.MerrillRanchRealEstateExpert.com

The RAR regulation (Riparian issues), brought into law at the provincial government level, and left to municipalities to further interpret, in their individual areas, is causing an opinion divide on Salt Spring.

It appears that the Trust on Salt Spring is extending their current development permit area bylaw, re preservation of fish habitat, to cover approximately 60% of the Island.

Please make sure you're informed as to what the local trust committee is proposing, what impact this may have on your particular property, and what the costs will be to you re development of your property should it fall within the boundaries of this newly expanded DPA (development permit area).

It's simply about information and understanding.

In this election year (civic election in the Fall), are the current trustees rushing this into law, without full and transparent explanation?

(These are the same trustees who espoused the "precautionary principle": take time, do nothing if uncertain of outcomes, in case the outcome is disastrous...this principle was meant to apply in a research lab, where microbes in the search for disease antidotes might conceivably get out of control. These trustees applied this scientific concept to land use issues).

Now, however, they appear to be rushing this DPA restrictive measure through, without real public presentation/discussion. The posting of a daytime meeting in the Trust office, where it would only be seen if one happened to go into the Trust office for some other reason, and discover it posted on the bulletin board there, is not good enough re disclosure.

Salt Spring Islanders are environmentally aware, and that's why most people choose to live here. Fish habitats are important to all Islanders.

The issue is simply that the local trustees have not presented their RAR interpretation clearly. As a property owner, it's essential that you understand the ramifications of what is proposed (and what is almost law), and that you understand the potential costs to you. As a property buyer, same thing: it's about information, clearly presented and transparent to the public.

This is important...apathy is no excuse.

Check it out, and be informed!

MLS®.ca and Realtor®.ca - the good, the bad, but definitely not ugly!

By Carol Budnyk, Royal LePage Coast Capital, November 4, 2010

For months the public has been hearing and reading controversial reports presented by the media regarding negotiations, and the subsequent consent agreement, between the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Competition Tribunal. The issue was alleged discrimination on the part of CREA against "mere postings" being allowed in a Member Board's MLS®.

MY OPINION

I welcome this change as a great opportunity for true professionals in the real estate industry to showcase their personal services offered to their clients, over and above the basic posting on REALTOR®.ca. As a dedicated REALTOR®, recognizing the changing face of real estate services available in Canada, I am hard at work putting together a schedule of service level options available to a Seller. Much to my advantage, I will be pinpointing each and every service I provided to my Sellers in the past, some of which were not documented or clearly defined (bonus services). Fortunately, I welcome change!

As a full-service REALTOR® I continue to offer my all-inclusive real estate sales package to those who understand and embrace the value of contracting with a full-service REALTOR®.

THE FACTS

The following was extracted from the Notice of Application issued by the Competition Tribunal to CREA (the "Parties") and provides a description of the Competition Tribunal's concern:

"that CREA and its members have used CREA' s control of the MLS and related trademarks to impose exclusionary restrictions on their use; that CREA enacted these restrictions with the intent of having a negative exclusionary effect on real estate brokers and agents (collectively referred to as "brokers") seeking to provide less than a full package of brokerage services; and that these restrictions lessen or prevent competition substantially in the market for residential real estate services in Canada."

A Consent Agreement was reached between the Parties, which contains the following CREA preclusion:

"AND WHEREAS IT IS AGREED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT CREA does not accept theallegations of the Commissioner and nothing in this Agreement will be taken as an admission or acceptance by the Commissioner or CREA of any facts, liability, wrongdoing, submissions, legal argument or conclusions for any other purposes,"

Consequently the CREA has amended its Agency Pillar Rule 17.1.1.2 to read as follows:

"A listing REAL TOR®/brokerage must act as agent for the seller to post, amend or remove a property listing in a Board's MLS® System. The nature of any additionalservices to be provided by the listing REALTOR®/brokerage to the seller is determined by agreement between the listing REALTOR®/brokerage and the seller."

"If you throw yourself into the adventure of life, you get something out of it"... a remark, in passing, by an artist.

Keeping that in mind, give yourself a treat, and wander our amazing galleries in Ganges Village: Steffich Fine Art Gallery, Gallery 8, Starfish Gallery, Pegasus Gallery, Jill Louise Campbell Gallery, Salt Spring Gallery of Fine Art.

The walls of coffee houses and restaurants also showcase artistic expression: Cafe Talia, TJ Beans, Salt Spring Roasting Company, Harbour House Hotel, Calvin's Bistro, Bocados Bistro.

Don't overlook the presentations at ArtSpring: Gallery and Lobby, both.

Rock Salt Cafe at the "south end" also showcases art, as does Frankly Scarlet in Ganges.

In the "summer season", ArtCraft at Mahon Hall is in session!

We haven't even mentioned the home studios...endlessly inspiring!

How lucky we are, on special Salt Spring Island!

Enjoy your exploring, of the artistic vision....

As Picasso promised: "Art washes the dust from one's Soul".