Vancouver Island Real Estate Projects

Blinds Billiards and Baubles is the Comox Valley's Exclusive Hunter Douglas Gallery

Blinds Billiards and Baubles is an exclusive Hunter Douglas Gallery in the Comox Valley. From their Comox showroom, Blinds Billiards and Baubles showcases the complete Hunter Douglas product line including Silhouette, Pirouette, Vignette, and the full Alustra collection. Hunter Douglas's 20/20 Gold Guarantee insures that the client is completely satisfied with their product choices. Owners Tracey and John McGinnis chose to sell Hunter Douglas because of their unmatched quality, competitive prices, and innovative products. The majority of the window shades, shutters, blinds and draperies offered are Canadian-made. Clients are welcome to stop by the Comox Gallery showroom to see what is available. In-home consultations are done to ensure accurate measuring, and select appropriate styles and colours. Trained, professional installers, including owner John McGinnis, will typically have the completed product installed in the clients home with in one month.Stop in and visit Blinds Billiards and Baubles to find quality and service worth remembering. Call them today at 250.941.7824.

Polaris ATV Clearance at WesternOne Rentals & Sales in Comox

WesternOne Rentals & Sales in Comox is holding a Polaris ATV factory authorized clearance that includes up to $2,500 in rebates and 6 months with no payments on select models. WesternOne Rentals & Sales currently stocks Polaris ATV’s and Ranger/RZR Utility Vehicles at its Comox Valley location. Canada’s number one selling ATV is now available for sale or rent at WesternOne in Comox. Stop by the location to test drive one of the many models available, at WesternOne Rentals & Sales, a Vancouver Island’s Polaris Ranger/RZR dealer. With factory trained and certified technicians for any servicing needs and with financing available, WesternOne Polaris Dealers are ready to help you enjoy an outdoor ATV adventure this year. To contact the WesternOne Polaris Sales, Rental and Service Departments call 250-339-4518 or 1-877-339-4518.

Qualicum Landing New Beachfront Homes Win 6 Silver CARE Awards

Qualicum Landing, a beachfront new home development near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, has won six Silver CARE awards. Founded by the Canadian Home Builders Association, the CARE awards (Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence) showcase Vancouver Island construction achievements in several categories every year.Qualicum Landing has been honoured as a Silver Winner for: Project of the year; Best outdoor living area; Best environmental achievement; Best new subdivision; Best interior design under 2500 sq.ft.; and Best spec home under 2500 sq.ft - lot # 4 and lot # 23. In September, Gold winners will be announced in these and other categories, selected from the group of Silver winners. "When we started Qualicum Landing we knew we were building more than just a development, we were creating a legacy. A rare waterfront community that would stand the test of time,” said the developers in a press release. Chris Cross of Palladian Homes and John Larson of C.A Designs, and Lana MacRae of The Interior Design Group were recognized for their efforts. “Their creative approach to design, and overall love for their work has taken our 15 raw acres of waterfront and turned it into the Luxury Beach House Community we all enjoy today.” Qualicum Landing is now more than 80 per cent sold, with a select few new homes and lots remaining for sale.

Sunny Lots for Sale in Lake Cowichan at The Slopes at the Lake

The Slopes at the Lake in the town of Lake Cowichan offers large residential lots for sale. The Vancouver Island residential lots for sale at the Slopes at the Lake are large and sunny and located in a family-friendly residential neighbourhood. The large lots include underground services and range in size from 10,193 sq. ft. to 18,382 sq ft. There is a building scheme in place to help keep everyone's homes and yards attractive, while still allowing for the variety of styles the West Coast is so popular for. The south slope of the community has sun all day, and the area features mountain and valley views and lots of greenspace. Only minutes from the lake and surrounded by this Vancouver Island region’s many recreational opportunities, The Slopes at the Lake is located in the Town of Lake Cowichan near the larger community of Duncan. Only 4 residential lots remain for sale in Phase I on The Slopes of the Lake at Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island. Phase II has also seen a number of sales, and only 15 lots are still for sale, awaiting new custom homes. Lots at this development start at only $94,500.  

Vancouver Island Real Estate Buyer's Profile Released by VIREB

The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board has released its 2010 Buyer Profile, tracking where people are coming from, what they’re buying and why. Statistics provided are for the overall VIREB area, and for each individual Zone (Duncan/Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Port Alberni/West Coast, Parksville/Qualicum, Comox Valley, Campbell River, North Island, and Islands areas). 6,272 letters were sent to residential buyers obtained from the MLS database for 2010. 1,582 responses were completed and entered into a database, from which the Buyer Profile was developed. Cameron Muir, Chief Economist with the British Columbia Real Estate Association, said the VIREB Buyer Profile reveals interesting demographic trends. “Statistically this year’s Buyer Profile is very similar to last year’s with 16% of the buyers buying their first home and 41% were buying for retirement.” Low mortgage rates and attractive pricing were key drivers again for 2010’s buyers. “Mortgage rates are not expected to increase much over the summer and when the increases begin, they are expected to be gradual,” Cameron added. VIREB president Jim Stewart said, “This document reinforces why people move here: lifestyle, affordability, accessibility and all of the other amenities that make Vancouver Island such a great place to live.” 96% of sales transactions were homes purchased as a principal residence, with just 2% as investments or rentals, signaling little speculation in the market. The Buyer Profile also shows the popular home characteristics from the MLS database with the highest frequency. The most popular was a single-family detached unit (representing 60% of all sales,) with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a double garage and a vinyl exterior, with ocean or mountain views.  

South Vancouver Island Ocean Front Lots for Sale at Silver Spray

Silver Spray in Sooke offers serviced, estate building lots starting at only $219,000. With “Nature in the backyard, culture in the front yard” Silver Spray offers the best of southern Vancouver Island living. This oceanfront development is just 26 miles southwest of Victoria. No other BC oceanfront real estate can match Silver Spray for pristine natural beauty, while being so conveniently accessible from the world-renowned city of Victoria. This 174-acre community along the Strait of Juan De Fuca offers and exceptional selection of serviced residential lots in an idyllic park-like oceanfront development. Silver Spray has been carefully designed and envisioned to include 127 private residential estate lots; a sheltered marina, executive 9-hole golf course, and destination resort & spa. Phases III and IV are now selling.

The Slopes at the Lake Offers Sunny Building Lots in Lake Cowichan

The Slopes at the Lake in the town of Lake Cowichan offers large residential lots for sale just minutes from the lake itself. The friendly Vancouver Island lifestyle of this well-planned community awaits, with underground services and a large variety of residential lots for sale to choose from. The large lots at the Slopes at Lake Cowichan range in size from 10,193 sq. ft. to 18,382 sq ft. There is a building scheme in place to help keep everyone's homes and yards attractive, while still allowing for the variety of styles the West Coast is so popular for. This south slope of the community has sun all day, and the area feaures mountain and valley views and lots of greenspace. The Slopes at the Lake is close to the business centre of the Town of Lake Cowichan and less than 20 minutes to all the services that Duncan has to offer, and yet located in the heart of one of British Columbia's best recreation areas. Phase II is now selling at The Slopes at the Lake.

Vacation Suites at Parkside Victoria a Popular Option

Vacation Suites at the Parkside Victoria are selling quickly and some of the more popular suite layouts are sold out. Available for quarter-share ownership, these vacation suites in the heart of Victoria on Vancouver Island offer the flexibility to use the vacation suite or to place the suite into the hotel’s booking pool and earn income on the investment. Saturna and Saltspring Suites are sold out, and only 1 Mayne Suite, and 2 Cortes and Denman Suites remain. Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa is a sustainable resort hotel targeting LEED Platinum Certification. Parkside features a full day spa, 25-metre indoor pool, rooftop gardens, designer furnishings, gourmet kitchens and inviting bedrooms. Some of downtown Victoria's most popular attractions are just steps away, including the city's best shopping, dining, golf, sightseeing, and culture.

The New Oak Bay Beach Hotel on Victoria's Oak Bay Waterfront Offers Luxury Condominiums

The largest construction project in Oak Bay's history, the $52-million Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria - with 100 hotel rooms and 20 private residences - is scheduled to be complete in less than a year, with an opening for the May long weekend of 2012. When completed, the hotel and luxury residences - Victoria luxury waterfront new condominiums - are expected to draw tourists and snowbirds to Vancouver Island and one of the country's leading environmental buildings. The new residences and vacation hotel suites will feature sweeping views of Channel Island and Mount Baker straight ahead and of the Olympics to the south and other gulf Islands to the North. The roof is expected to be capped and windows in by July, and then most of the work will move inside. That's when owner Kevin Walker will bring back thousands of bricks and beams and other memorabilia from the old Oak Bay Beach Hotel and start rebuilding fireplaces, wine cellars and putting the favourite Snug Pub back into place. The massive concrete structure is built to the highest seismic standards. More than 70 massive bolts have been drilled into the bedrock - some up to 35 feet - on the bottom floor to anchor the whole building into place. Each of the floors is webbed with four-foot-thick concrete spines that cradle two-foot-thick slabs. This is about as solid as a building can be, noted Walker. "We're building a 200-year structure here,” he said. Excerpted from the Victoria Times Colonist

Vancouver Island Real Estate Numbers Hold Steady through April

Multiple Listing Service sales summary data released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board for April 2011, shows a 13 per cent decline in single family unit sales compared to April 2010 and an almost nine per cent decrease from last month.The average price of a single family home sold in April 2011 through the VIREB MLS system was $353,613, up one per cent from the $348,423 posted in April 2010, similar to March 2011 $347,522“We are seeing long term stability in the market with no dramatic upward pressure on prices expected,” Jim Stewart, president of VIREB said. “Although you need to look at a larger window than one month to establish a trend it is encouraging to see consumer interest in our smaller markets of Campbell River and Port Alberni.”There were 868 single family homes listed in April, bringing the active single family homes listed in the VIREB region through MLS to 2,944, up from 2,818 this time last year.For the 12-month period from the end of April 2010 to April 2011, average sale prices across VIREB's six zones saw: Campbell River down 1 per cent (to $292,949), the Comox Valley up 2 per cent (to $355,976), Nanaimo also up 2 per cent (to $374,501), Parksville/Qualicum was up 2 per cent (to $408,162) and the Cowichan Valley was up 2 per cent (to $360,029).