The Victoria Real Estate Board showcases, every Labour Day Weekend, the Classic Boat Festival in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Although I live on Salt Spring Island, and sell real estate on Salt Spring & the Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Penders, Saturna, and the water access only Islands "in between"), I work in the Victoria Real Estate Board area, and so support this great event. I love classic boats, classic cars, heritage houses, and films that extoll a previous lifetime (Gosford Park, Brideshead Revisited, etc.). Some of the ships on view, this Labour Day Weekend holiday, are truly beautiful, and are definitely "works of art"! The Olympus is here, plus Deer Leap, and several other gems -- ships created in 1926, in 1907, in 1954, in 1930s...plus steam ships, and incredible "run about" speed boats, by Chris Craft and other makers. If you read this blog entry, and are in the area, try to catch this -- it's on throughout Sunday, the 31st, too. If not, mark your calendars for next year, and try to be in Victoria to enjoy the splendour of these prime yachts! Enjoy!
I'm still in that hybrid realtor moment, half way between the old and the new styles of communication, and my blueprint for change includes mastering the video world. I think to see "moving pictures" of a listing, with a realtor's remarks heard at the same time, is a truly profound shift in real estate marketing. I work in a seasonal/destination/resort style area, and it's a short season, but very intense. No time, then, to deal with the client base and learn something new, in the "summer season". I'm looking forward to the pauses at the close of Sept., so that I can become totally proficient in the video opportunities out there. While the market seems to be in a "pause mode", with slow buyer response (they do look, but don't act), it's a golden opportunity to make some changes in the presentation of my material. Good photos are a "must", of course, and to do video to match excellent "stills" is going to take some trial and error, on my part. Looking forward to this "upgrade", though! The internet erased geography, and created a global marketplace. Essential, then, to show a property to this non-local buyer profile, via good video content. Your thoughts?
I wonder how many U.S. people realize the strong message that is being sent to the rest of the world, by the current election process, about what a democracy actually means? All other countries and systems of government can see, played out in real time, with endless commentary on both sides of any question, the value of living in a democratic society. The message that anyone can achieve, that dreams can be met, that it's possible to encourage dialogue about how the country should be "run", that people are not incarcerated in prison for thought that runs counter to established government mandates, that one can voice opinion and be heard...it's a very very interesting drama that is unfolding on a world stage, in a way that wasn't really possible before the internet (which erases geography). It's a valuable lesson to see that a democratic society isn't a "pre-packaged" envelope, but is a bit messy around the edges, as different people express their different concerns and desires for a government policy. The individual voice is still a powerful voice, in a democratic nation. It's an object lesson to societies that do not trust their populations. Impressive, to view this election process. Thank you!
Ever wanted to own your own private Canadian Gulf Island? Now is the time to fulfill that dream!
I have 3 private islands listed:
Round Island
Second Sisters Island
Pym Island
If you're a private island potential buyer, it's important to be "sea worthy" -- you will need your own boat,
and will know how to read charts, moor safely, be "boat and ocean worthy". The sea is just a highway,
but one does have to understand the rules of this liquid road!
Also, you have to find out whether you like to be close to other amenities, or whether you want to be
"out there", in a more wilderness setting. My Pym Island listing, for example, is connected to power
(off nearby Vancouver Island), and is only an 8 minute boat trip to a marina/boat slip/parking space,
& so is only 10 minutes from Sidney and from Victoria -- lots of amenities nearby, then!). My
Second Sisters Island is close to Ganges Village amenities, on special Salt Spring Island, so, again, is
close to civilization, though with a lovely sense of privacy. My Round Island listing is close to Chemainus
& Duncan communities, on mid-Vancouver Island, so, again, it's "nearby" yet offers that incredible sense
of "otherness". For "real wilderness", check into my Vargas Island listing, 20 minutes north of Tofino,
on Vancouver Island's dramatic "west coast". This is exceptional property, and there is the option to
connect to a cable, delivering power, but you are not close to amenities such as shopping, hospital, etc.
To be comfortable on Vargas, then, which is incredibly beautiful, you would also need to be self-sufficient.
Are you a contender to enjoy your own private island? Give me a call, and let's go view!
Labour Day Weekend? What? Already? Where did summer evaporate to? Well, I know that it's technically still summer until around Sept. 20th, but it always seems to me that we lurch into Fall with the Labour Day holiday weekend. So, what does Fall hold? The days get shorter in this Pacific Northwest Coast region, but September itself holds harvest pleasures -- the Fall Fair, the Nineth Annual Apple Festival (historic apple orchards on this Island!), gallery/studio tours to showcase creations for early Xmas purchases, the "winter" race schedule at the Sailing Club switches from Wednesday evening to Sunday, the Saturday Market in the Park and the Tuesday organic foods market remain busy throughout September, though. There are still tourists around, but it's at a lesser pace, and the Islanders begin to appear in the restaurants and coffee houses again, and can be seen meandering around the Village. Is it still called the "shoulder season"? Less frantically busy, and one can find a parking space in "downtown Ganges". The Fall season of theatre and music presentations starts at ArtSpring, evening classes begin (how about Tango lessons? French conversation classes? A brush up on Quick Books? you decide!), and the enjoyment of sunny summer-like afternoons, with crisper evenings. Trails of fog will feather across the Harbour, and burn off by noon. Fall also has its pleasures, and a quieter rhythm can be one of them.
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Successfully connecting buyers & sellers on Salt Spring Island & on all Southern Gulf Islands, since 1989. I offer superb market knowledge & work for the best interests of my clients. See Li!
I love my career, and have been a real estate agent on Salt Spring Island, also selling on the adjacent Southern Gulf
Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Saturna, & water access only options, in between (Wise, Parker, Secret, Gossip, DeCourcy,
Phillimore Point), since 1989.
Living & working on a Gulf Island is very different from a "city scape". Boats & floatplanes are also a part of one's
work life, not just cars & highways (although the sea is just a highway, really).
I now work under the Vancouver Real Estate Board, and achieved Gold Award MLS recognition for the past ten consecutive years, while at the Victoria Board (MLS President's Award for same). In the various companies i've worked for, since 1989, I was always a 'top producer', and connected many sellers and buyers. Sales awards (at company levels, MLS/Board levels, & internationally -- references upon request) are an indicator, from one's peers in the industry, of excellence in customer service.
By the way, "Li" is a nick-name for Liane, and it rhymes with "see". Thanks!
Say hello to Bobbi, my "unlicenced assistant"! Jack Russell Terriers are "smart cookies",and Bobbi
is also a calm one (yes, it's true!). When you view property with me, she's sometimes along for
the ride -- I supply the cookies!
Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands are "governed" by the B.C. Provincial Government,
under the Islands Trust.
The Trust came into being in 1974, with a "preserve & protect" mandate, to keep the Islands as these
pristine and park-like enviroments, for the benefit of all B.C. residents, "forever". Two trustees per
Island (not representative of population, then) are elected every three years, in the B.C. civic elections,
to manage the Trust bylaws/official community plan, on each Island. These strong zoning/density bylaws
control (& effectively "cap") growth. Limited supply, and a strong buyer demand, usually result in higher prices, regardless of market trend in play at any given time. There will always be a low inventory of properties for sale, then, on any Gulf Island, due to this Islands Trust mandate.
There is no industry on the Gulf Islands. Salt Spring Island is the largest and best serviced of the Southern
Gulf Islands (Gabriola, Thetis, Galiano, Salt Spring, Pender, Mayne, & Saturna Islands are the ferry accessed
options), with a year round lifestyle, and all the amenities required in the 21st Century.
One doesn't "have to" leave Salt Spring Island for anything, but it's easy to go to Vancouver or to Victoria or to
mid-Vancouver Island locations, on day trips. There are three separate ferries that service the Island, plus
three regularly scheduled (year round) floatplane services, so it's very simple to do daytrips to major centres,
and to return easily to the Island's charm. In the "season", there's also a floatplane service from Seattle to
Salt Spring Island.
Low supply coupled with high demand, though, often results in price escalation. The internet erased geography,
and so the buyer profile for this area is mainly from out of province, and often from out of country.
Although the Islands Trust wasn't set up to create an expensive "enclave" area, it has had this result. As soon as
one "caps" growth, for whatever reason (in this case, for environmental protection reasons), and the buyer
profile is a global one (post-internet), which means more buyers than inventory, regardless of real estate market
trends, at any given time, one has an expensive buy-in locale.
Sellers and realtors do not set a market; only buyers do that. The Islands Trust, however, is responsible for a
no-growth policy that guarantees an escalating price point in the real estate marketplace.
I have the knowledge and the expertise and the strong negotiating skills to help you to have a pleasing experience, whether selling or buying.
This is a magical Island, and I look forward to introducing it to you.
Please ask for me, by name, when you visit Salt Spring Island. I have an office in "downtown Ganges". A quick call to my cell (250-537-7647) will allow us to connect. My office is located at: # 4 - 105 Rainbow Road, across from the Harbour.
P.S. "Li" rhymes with "see"! "See Li for Successful Solutions" is my promise to my clientele.
Look forward to meeting you!
Toll free: 1-866-405-9229
liread33@gmail.com
It's definitely different than selling in a city enviroment.
For one thing, I work in what is known as a secondary home or discretionary market. No one "has to"
move to Salt Spring Island or another Southern Gulf Island -- it's all by choice!
In a primary residence (city) area, there might actually be "comparables".
In a discretionary/secondary home marketplace, though, it's full of "custom" homes and even
undeveloped land will be its unique self, without any "comparable".
Difficult for an appraiser, then, as there is so much that is specific to each property, with no real equivalent
anywhere else on the Island, plus, with a limited inventory "ever" (there's that Islands Trust, and its cap on
growth), it means the listing inventory is never very large, and so the "solds" statistics aren't very informative.
Time lags are a part of all sales, too. First, the prospective buyer has to hear about this area and
then they make plans to travel here, to view.
The entire Coast is very appealing, and so often the Island gets "interviewed", and then so do
other coastal communities. One has to sell the Island, first, thus, before one can get around to selling
a particular property on it.
Two visits, then, if not three, become the pattern, and since the buyers aren't
"local", the time between trips can be as long as 5 to 7 months!
It can take, then, between one and four years to sell any property on a Gulf Island, including on Salt Spring
Island, and the main reason for this is because the buyer isn't "local", and the decision to purchase is a "choice",
both in the "where" and in the "when".
This time lag feature makes a "days on market" tag on an mls listing irrelevant.
In my area, there's a weekly local paper, and a monthly real estate supplement. Neither of these
are seen until the buyer arrives on Island, and so they do not offer an advertising vehicle that "brings"
a buyer. No one googles Salt Spring Island, or the Southern Gulf Islands, unless they're encouraged to
do so.
Print ads, then, in targeted venues, where the buyer profile lives, are still important in a
non-local/discretionary marketplace. If you think you saw an ad by me, in your area, you probably did!
I hope you responded, and went onto my principal website (www.liread.com).
We all do "floor duty days", but open houses don't work here, as the buyer isn't local. We're getting our
own radio station, but it's not up and running yet, so there's no t.v. or radio media spots, either. Signage
on a lawn (or up on a tree, if you're going by in a boat, and would see that more easily) is apparent, but,
again, not viewed until the buyer physically arrives on Island.
People don't move around on the Island; they arrive, they're here, then, if they have to leave
(usually only for personal reasons), they list. Then comes the search for the buyer,
who lives somewhere else in the world!
This non-local aspect to the buyer profile means that a realtor has to keep an eye on market
conditions in those buyer areas, as the B.C. market outlook won't have much relevance.
I wouldn't live anywhere else, though! This is an exceptional lifestyle choice!
If you drop into Salt Spring, please ask for me by name -- I'm the Managing Broker, of Sea to Sky Premier
Properties (Salt Spring), and I have an office in "downtown" Ganges Village (in the Clement, Murphy, Woodward law
office building, at the corner of the main road (Lower Ganges Road) & Rainbow Road. There's parking behind,
off Rainbow Road. My office (# 4 - 105 Rainbow Road) faces onto the main street, and enjoys a Harbour view. It's
adjacent to Stone Walrus Gallery). A quick call to my cell (250-537-7647) will connect us.
I look forward to meeting you, and to offering my expertise and my superlative market knowledge
and my strong negotiating skills for your benefit, during your search for your special Island gem.
Looking forward to your call!
P.S. Here's one of those "differences":
Selling real estate on Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands is not like it would
be in a city or a town marketplace.
I was driving up a roughed in roadway, on a heavily forested acreage, recently, and
there, at the side of the roughed in driveway, were two baby racoons. The clients took
these photos, before we bundled them into my dog's car bed, wrapped in towels that I keep
for wiping off a muddy dog, on rainy days, so that we could deliver them to the Salt
Spring Wildlife Rescue Centre.
That was an interesting visit, too! Looking for a place to give a charitable donation?
Think of the Wildlife Centre -- on Lang's Road, it's not open to the public, and they have
a unique project there. Saving abandoned wildlife is one of them. (Yes, we did check with
the Wildlife Centre before we brought the babies in. Sometimes the mother is just off
foraging for food, but in the case of these racoons, they really were abandoned).
It was an adventure!
liread33@gmail.com
www.liread.com
Large list of satisfied clients upon request. Privacy is an important concern, especially in a small
community; I can supply references, but I prefer not to place same in this venue. Thank you!
With twenty years in the business, successfully connecting sellers and buyers on Salt Spring Island
and on the Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Saturna & water access only islands
in between: Wise, Secret, Gossip, Parker, DeCourcy, Hudson, etc.), I bring to each sales transaction:
enthusiasm, expertise, superb market knowledge, strong negotiating skills, and a sincere desire to create
a successful buying or selling experience for you, the client.
Referrals are welcomed and are cared for.
"See Li for Successful Solutions" is my promise to my clientele. ("Li" rhymes with "see").
P.S. No one wants the cell tower near them, on this beautiful and quirky Island, and so when you call my
cell (250-537-7647), you might get the voice mail Please leave me a message. I do return all calls, asap, & will
find a cell zone to do so!
Appreciated!
liread33@gmail.com
Toll free: 1-866-405-9229
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