About Victoria's Langford

Island Brew Byou, Victoria Open House March 10, 2012 noon to 4 pm

As many of our clients know, Peter and Linda Pfann, like to share a little wine celebration with our friends and clients from time to time.
One of the ways we do this is by way creating and giving some of our favourite wines, to our friends and clients all over Greater Victoria.
For years now we have created our wines specially for you at: "Island Brew Byou" owned and operated by Derek and Pat Kyle at 871 Station Ave. in Langford (250) 474-2550 islandbrewbyou@shaw.ca.

Today Island Brew Byou, Victoria is holding an Open House March 10, 2012 noon to 4 pm
With Samples, Prizes and celebrate their 13th Anniversary, with a 15% discount for the month of March on all beer, wine, ciders and coolers.
Or print the $ 10.00 brew bucks and bring it in to their store

Pat and Derek are truly dedicated and committed in creating a welcome and pleasant environment to create your "brew" from beer, wine, cider there are choices galore and the quality is supreme, and by making your own the savings are amazing compared to liquor store bought products.

Pat and Derek, have always been extremely helpful, honest and have offered a Pfanntastic Service and Value to us and all their clients, and if you have an opportunity to "make" your own wine, beer, or cider, we highly recommend Island Brew Byou on Station Ave. in Langford BC.

We like Island Brew Byou So much, that if you use our Pfanntastic Real Estate Services in 2012 we will Reimburse you the cost of your wine kit and brewing charges up to $ 300.00 some conditions do apply and this offer can't be combined with any other offers.

If you would like to take advantage of our Victoria Real Estate Services and The Free Wine (approx 30 bottles of premium wine valued approx. $ 250.00)

Please complete the form below, and we will make sure your wine will be ready when you are ready to move.......

Langford BC, Real Estate Single Family Homes

Real Estate Market Update Jan.-Sept. 2011.

Peter and Linda Pfann, are Victoria, BC, Realtors assisting clients (both local and around the world) with buying, selling, investing and retiring in and around your Pfanntastic Greater Victoria, BC Canada Home since 1986 and we are pleased to provide you with the current market statistics for Single Family Homes in Langford BC

The Areas and Neighbourhoods Forming Langford BC Are:
Atkins, Fairway, Florence Lake, Glen Lake, Goldstream, Happy Valley, Humpback Jacklin, Langford Lake, Langford Proper, Luxton, Mill Hill, Thetis Heights and Walfred

Langford BC is Part of the Westshore area , and is likely the fastest growing Municipality in the Greater Victoria Area on Vancouver Island.

Summary Review of the Langford BC Single Family Homes Graph's Provided

• Compared to the same month Last Year (Slide 1) most Neighbourhoods in Langford BC show that Median Prices are holding. The Florence Lake area remains the highest median priced area in Langford BC.
• The Spread between Average list and sales Prices in Langford BC (slide 2) Year to Date, are relatively close for most areas indicating that sellers are really taking note of their Realtors Recommendations. ( a spread of 1 to 3 % is considered a typical and healthy spread between asking and selling price.
• The 3 year list to sale price average review for Langford BC in Slide 4, indicates that the recent drop in sales price averages is starting to also pull the asking prices down. We caution sellers to not get to optimistic in their expectations (as the Graph also shows) higher asking prices do not result in higher sales prices.
• With slide 5 one can clearly identify the end of the boom period in in 2008 and the sharp increase of inventory and overall decline in number of sales in Langford BC, this relatively high spread is keeping prices level and on the decline in Langford and although Real Estate is being sold in good numbers in the area Inventory is remaining vey high. (read Buyer Opportunities).
• The Last Slide Reviews the past 3 years listing inventory levels and projects the number of months worth of inventory available in Langford BC. The Peeks and Valley seem to run paralel with the end of the month when most sales are recorded. With current inventory trends in Langford we are near a balanced Market in Most of Langford BC for single Family Homes at this time, However by the end of November Inventory will drop off substantially for the holidays

The Langford BC, property information included is very area specific, however we do not recommend to use this information to establish the value of your property, as there are just too many details that influence the value of any one property. We would encourage you to contact us for any specific Property Value Estimate Requirements you may have in Langford BC.

This Langford BC Market Update Report only covers Single Family Homes, for information about Condominiums, town-homes, Duplexes, investment properties and or any other property or ownership forms, please contact Peter and Linda Pfann, and it will be our pleasure to provide with any required market update information or use our Pfanntastic (online) Free Market Snapshot Tool (see details below the market update information.

• Are You Considering Buying, Investing in, Selling, Real Estate in Langford BC? Please use our FREE MLS Market Update Service.
• Current Greater Victoria Real Estate Board Statistical Reports (courtesy VREB)
• Langford BC, Resources (jobs, schools, health care, relocation, properties).
• Getting to know Langford BC.

On our Live interactive map (at the bottom of this report) you will see some of the current Langford BC properties for sale (this is just a snapshot and not intended to be a complete inventory). For a more complete available homes for sale index, we offer our Free Properties Search Services

Langford BC, Real Estate Single Family Homes

Real Estate Market Update Jan.-Sept. 2011.

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria Market Activity, includingnew listings, current and recent sales, price adjustments, statistics, graphs and a variety of additional handy real estate tools for your benefit. This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it Victoria Market Snapshot, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and provides you with an updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as per your requirements.
The Pfanntastic Victoria Market Snapshot Service is Free, The Information is Invaluable, Request Your Victoria Market Snap Shot Right Now!

MY FRIEND THE HUNTSMAN AND HIS ENGLISH FOX HOUNDS

We were out to Dinner with a friend and client last night Derrick Mobey. Derrick is what I call A Gentleman's Gentleman. Derrick is a retired Huntsman, who learned his profession in Jolly Old England before moving to Canada.

It was Derrick's 80th birthday a month ago while we were on holidays and we wanted to take him out for one of his favorite dinner dishes Liver and Onion.

After Dinner we went back to his home. Derrick showed us many of his photos including some from his early days in England as a Huntsman and one of the Fox Hound Packs he was responsible for. I asked Derrick if he would let me post a couple of his photos and a explantion along with them...

Here's Derrick's Story he sent along with these two photo of 90 plus English Fox hounds in one......Enjoys a little history.

Hi Fred,

In this picture I believe there are 98 hounds, the people are friends visiting, The reason all the Hounds are looking to the front is because the Hunt Staff, Huntsman and Whipper-ins are behind the camera. These kennels are in Suffolk England.

These are English Foxhounds and only registered Hunting Clubs have them, there is no individual ownership of this breed of hound in Brittan. Every hound has a name which it has to respond to which they do! Hunt staff also have to know all their names and what hound it belongs to. The first season with a club is the hardest then one only has to learn new puppies names.

Permission is always obtained from land owners for Horses and Hounds to go over their land well before the hunt .

Hounds are counted in Couples! (2 hounds One Couple. 3 hounds 1.1/2, couple) in this picture 49 couple. on average 14.1/2. couple are taken hunting, Hunt Staff count them as often as possible to make sure none are lost.

In Canada most of the hunting these days is drag-hunting where a sent is laid for hounds to follow. the hunt this way has control over where hounds and horses go!

Derrick

Silence Before the Salmon Run in Langford BC, Near Victoria

A quick visit to Goldstream Park, is always good for some wonderful relaxing time along some of the many trails.
It does almost feel like the park knows to relax just before its biggest season to the year is about to start.....

Salmon Spawning Season is just around the corner, and although nobody knows for sure if and how many Salmon will return this year, the Finlayson Arm and Goldstream Rive are ready for it.

Over the next month or so, the Salmon will start to arrive, to complete their cycle of life by using their birth place to lay the eggs for the next generation, and then they themselves become the food upon which thousands of others will feast.

The Bald Eagles, some bears and many other species of wildlife will all come together in and around Goldstream River and this amazing piece of Nature we call Goldstream Park, which is so much more than a beautiful stand of young and older trees.

Although the Trees are a sight that will impress many with some amazing 300+ year old Western Red Cedar and the likes., this season is all about the Salmon and its off spring.

We hope you enjoy our little pre-salmon run tour of Goldstream park and we hope you will come and visit us soon.

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria Market Activity, includingnew listings, current and recent sales, price adjustments, statistics, graphs and a variety of additional handy real estate tools for your benefit. This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it Victoria Market Snapshot, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and provides you with an updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as per your requirements.
The Pfanntastic Victoria Market Snapshot Service is Free, The Information is Invaluable, Request Your Victoria Market Snap Shot Right Now!

ActiveRain has announced a personal Kindergarten Story Contest. This is my entry blog. It is just a short 'down Memory Lane' story that describes my first classroom experiences. There were no kindergartens to go to as there was no such thing in 1948 in the Greater Victoria School District. But since I would like to enter this contest, I will tell you about my playschool experience—that is, as far as my mind can remember that far back.

I do remember that it was a long bus ride (about 15 miles) to this ‘school’ which was at that time considered ‘out in the country.’ This area is now one of the fastest growing areas of Greater Victoria. It is called Langford today, which is now a city unto itself. This bus was a green coloured school-type bus (gas engine in the front, mechanical brakes, uncomfortable seats, etc.). It looked like a truck with a long nose in front and, because I loved trucks, I loved the bus ride. There were many of these green buses that were all housed at a bus depot in downtown Victoria across the street from the large department store call the Hudson’s Bay Co. All the buses had “Veteran Stage Lines” written across the front and on the side. Someone drove me to this bus depot each day.

I was 5 years old and so were all the other kids. There were about 20 of us that made the trek every weekday. I remember that when we got off the bus, the teacher was waiting for us at the side of the road. She always hid the street crossing “Stop Sign” in the Scotch broom bushes at the side of the road. The school was across the street from where we were let off and we needed the sign to stop traffic so that we could cross safely. It was our job to find the sign and bring it to her. The successful detective was made king or queen for the day. Needless to say, there was a lot of pushing and shoving to get to the front of the bus when it finally came to a stop in order to be one of the first kids off the bus.

I remember the first day at this playschool—the strong pleasant smell of new varnish on the large tables that were to be our working areas is still seared in my memory bank. I don’t remember a lot of what we learned, but I do know that I enjoyed my time at the playschool. I do have one very vivid memory, however. It was a memory of Easter! I can see myself sitting at the table and making a little Easter basket out of clay with flowers coming out of it. The best part was the fun I had shaping the flower petals and twisting the stems. Then we got to paint it all sorts of neat colours.

The teacher had a kiln in the back room and we all got to have our creations ‘fired.’ I’ll never forget the excitement of coming back the next day to see my basket on the table with all the others--and rock hard instead of soft. Of course, mine was the best and most colourful! I bet every kid thought that about his or her magnificent achievement.

To continue with the Easter story was my memory of looking through the windows of the school and seeing a very large bunny walking around outside on the grounds, then coming into the classroom to visit us. We weren’t allowed to touch the bunny, but the teacher asked him a lot of questions to which he either nodded or shook his head—no words. One of the bits of information we were to glean from this teacher/bunny dialog was that there were Easter eggs hidden outside. Each of us was given a brand new brown paper bag and told to go and find all the colourful eggs. Needless to say, I found my fair share. When we came back inside the Easter bunny was gone. I will never forget that exciting day so very long ago!

I remember that at the end of each day we all rode back to the bus depot. I was picked up by my step mother at the end of the day. Dinner was soon served at the table at home, so I believe it was a full day of attendance at the playschool—a long enjoyable day full of experiences.

That is pretty much all I remember over 60 years ago of my first experience at classroom learning. Thanks for the memories...