Salt Spring Island Industrial Land Needs Assessment Report. To be a consultant and write reports, that's the life. There seems to be so many reports and so little action ever. It is an interesting report prepared for the Island Trust. The recommendations from the report make perfect sense, basically stream line the complex zoning, I wish I had thought of that (maybe I did … [Read more...]
Can you Trust the Islands Trust? I don’t after the letter they sent me…
August 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I'm sorry but I have a split personality some-days I mildly like the Islands Trust and tend to blame all the dysfunction of Salt Spring on the CRD (Capital Regional District). FYI (for your information) CRD falls between local government (municipal/town/city or in our case the Islands Trust) and provincial government. It's a made in BC regional government system that makes the CRD basically … [Read more...]
TV show Realty Reality on Salt Spring
August 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
So glad shooting for the new Real Estate TV show "Realty Reality" is over. It was a lot of work. It all looks so easy on TV but in reality it was not easy. I think they were waiting for the "moment" to happen. You know the big fall down the steps or fall of the dock. I think they did shoot a few moments hopefully they will end up on the cutting room floor. The worst part was actually getting all … [Read more...]
Transition Year Expected for BC Housing Market
May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Transition Year Expected for BC Housing Market BCREA 2013 Second Quarter Housing Forecast Vancouver, BC – May 9, 2013. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2013 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today. BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales are forecast to edge up 1.9 per cent to 68,900 units this year, before increasing a further 6.5 per cent … [Read more...]
All candidate Q&A salt spring
May 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
All Candidate Q&A on Salt Spring at GISS on May 2, 2013 Video by Scott Simmons. … [Read more...]
BC Home Sales Tick “slightly” Higher in March
April 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
BC Home Sales Tick Higher in March Vancouver, BC – April 15, 2013. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 5,661 residential sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC during March, up 6.6 per cent from February on a seasonally adjusted basis, but down 17.7 per cent compared to March 2012. Total sales dollar volume was down 18.5 per … [Read more...]
6 million dollar fire hall?
March 5, 2013 By 8 Comments
Does Salt Spring really need to spend $6,000,000 on a fire hall? First, I must say I applaud all the Salt Spring Island volunteer firefighters and the volunteer board members. In my humble opinion, the island owes the volunteers a debt of gratitude. They are going above and beyond the call of duty to community, so my hat is off to them. What is a fire hall? According to wikipedia A fire … [Read more...]
Does the home get sunlight?
February 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
If you’re planning to live on Salt Spring year-round, one of the most important things to consider when buying a property is SUNLIGHT. Do the neighbor’s trees or a mountain block the sun during the winter months? According to Salt Spring real estate mythology, “If they buy in August, they will list in November and sell in December.” Unfortunately, this myth is sad, but true. The long dark … [Read more...]
Real Estate legal update Feb 2013
February 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Number 460, February 2013 A BAD INSPECTION REPORT When a buyer refuses, for a legitimate reason, to remove a subject clause because of a bad inspection report, what is the listing licensee to do with that knowledge? This was the issue in a recent case where the court found the listing licensee liable for $47,000 in damages for failing to fully tell subsequent buyers about problems … [Read more...]
News Release from BCREA
February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
BC Home Sales Remain Subdued but Stable Vancouver, BC – February 18, 2013. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 3,410 residential sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC during January, up 1.8 per cent from December on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis, but down 13.6 per cent compared to January 2012. Similarly, total sales … [Read more...]
CFSI FM Salt Spring Radio has been SOLD
February 8, 2013 By 3 Comments
Updated Feb 13, 2012 CFSI has been sold to a Surrey BC Company. Satnam Media Group (BC) Ltd. (Satnam BC). Attached is a letter that came from the CRTC regarding the sale. CRTC CFSI Letter Some of the programmers meet with Mr Sukhdev S. Dhillon owner of Satnam Media group on Feb 11, 2013 at the Harbour House hotel on Salt Spring. The meeting went well. Mr Dhillon said he hopes to build … [Read more...]
Why is Salt Spring Stagnant – BC Ferries part 2
February 4, 2013 By 7 Comments
I have lived full-time on Salt Spring for over 12 years and have been riding the ferries since 1964. See video. I like the ferries. I like all the ships, the crews, and yes, I love the breakfast on the Queen of Nanaimo. I have been on the Salt Spring Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) for 5 years. Here is the website I made for our committee. I have made many positive comments on things they … [Read more...]
News Release from Victoria Real Estate board
February 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2013 SALES DOWN BUT PRICES HOLD IN GREATER VICTORIA REAL ESTATE MARKET VICTORIA, BC–A slow start to the year in Victoria’s real estate market is evidence that buyers are continuing to wait for prices to drop. Although January … [Read more...]
Why is Salt Spring Stagnant?
January 30, 2013 By 32 Comments
Is Salt Spring suffering stagnation from over regulation? If not then why is the Vesuvius pub empty? Why is the Fulford Hotel shut down? Why are there commercial lots in Fulford and Long Harbour sitting on the market for years and not selling? Why are commercial buildings for sale for over 5 years? Why did one of our two golf course shut down? Why are two out of two commercial lots in Fernwood for … [Read more...]
VOW, PCS and IDX what are they
December 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What is a VOW and or what is PCS? VOW stands for “Virtual Office Website” A VOW is where the public can enter their contact information, get a password, describe property interest, and then conduct searches of all available Salt Spring Island MLS® listings. Listing display rules are set by the CREA® Canadian Real Estate Association. Once a visitor becomes a bona fide customer / client they … [Read more...]
Moving with Sea Containers
November 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Hi Scott. You were asking if I could write a piece for your blog about our experience of moving across Canada with shipping (sea) containers by train – so here goes. This was a long move – 6000 km from New Brunswick to Salt Spring Island. We wanted a moving option that was going to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and not break the bank. I recall you mentioned that you have had clients … [Read more...]
Home inspection on Salt Spring Island
August 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Home inspection on Salt Spring Island happened yesterday at a 42 year old log home. To accomplish the home inspections the buyer brought in a Home Inspector, Geo-technical Engineer and a local Salt Spring contractor. Jeff the home inspector tells the story about the bag of Gold he found in an attic; gold story How many people would like to find a bag of gold in an attic? Here … [Read more...]
Salt Spring home face lift
August 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
My clients bought this dated salt spring home a month ago and are upgrading it. The home was built in 1996 and is structurally 100% perfect. It seams as if the original owner skimped on the finishing. The main up grade Alex Denny (salt spring master carpenter) will be doing for the owners is re-finishing the oak hardwood floors. Audio clip about home face lift Part 1 Home Face lift Part 2 … [Read more...]
Salt Spring new Indoor Tennis facility
July 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Fernando and all the Salt Spring Tennis Association should be very proud of their new indoor tennis court. I had no ideal that there are only 32 other indoor tennis facilities in all of Canada. This was one long build with many sorted details that went on for a 10 year period. The actual building phase went very fast as to compared to all the other hiccups along the way. The island is going … [Read more...]
Houses Made of Wood and Light by Michele Dunkerley
June 26, 2012 By 1 Comment
The Radio Real Estate show was honored to have Michele Dunkerley author of 'Houses Made of Wood and Light' on the show today. The book is about noted Salt Spring architect Hank Schubart. If you have ever been in a Shubart home you would probably know it. As per the press release “The book traces the career of an architect who had a genius for finding the perfect site for a home and for … [Read more...]
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