Vancouver Island Real Estate News from Rudi Widdershoven - TeamW-November 2013
Posted on
November 21, 2013
by
Rudi Widdershoven
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Vancouver Island Real Estate News from Rudi Widdershoven - TeamW |
November 2013 |
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 Fall is almost over and we had a pretty good October weather wise and the beginning of November has been quite pleasant as well - stayed dry for Remembrance Day ceremonies locally. We hope everyone had a chance to take a few moments to pay their respect to those who gave so much so that we can have the life we do. We got to take in the parade in Comox with our 21/2 year old grandson while his Dad marched with the RMP contingent.
Hard to believe that in less than 2 weeks it will be December no doubt in full swing for the Christmas Season. "Life is too short to waste. Dreams are fulfilled only through action, not through endless planning to take action." - David J. Schwartz
Thanks so much for checking out this month's newsletter. Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments regarding the articles, or real estate in general -- it'd be great to hear from you!
Warmest Regards,
Rudi W. (& Trish)
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Healthy Vancouver Island Home Sales Continue
Reaping Returns on Repairs
Beware of SMiShing
Moorecroft Regional Park
Food for Thought
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Healthy Vancouver Island Home Sales Continue
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 Sales activity across the Vancouver Island housing market area continued to improve in the month of October, resulting in a 29 per cent increase in unit sales over this time last year.
As sales momentum continues to build after a particularly slow market last year, we are witnessing a return to our historical averages across the board area.
The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) reports that there were a total of 352 single-family homes sold in the VIREB area on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in October 2013. This signifies a 29 per cent increase compared to the 272 sales recorded in October 2012.
For single family home sales in the greater Parksville - Qualicum Beach area we saw a 41% increase for October (55 sales versus 39) and an overall increase of 17% Year to Date. Current inventory of homes for sale is down 13%.
If you are interested in further market information contact Rudi or visit
http://rudiw.com/blog.html/parksville-qualicum-real-estate-market-stats-oct-2013-2879689 for the October Graphstats. If you would like detailed information on particular areas or particular style of properties contact Rudi directly. |
Reaping Returns on Repairs
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 If you plan on selling your home in the near future, you'll want to tackle any necessary repairs ahead of time as buyers will be completely turned off if your home appears to have been neglected.
Buyers also factor fix-up jobs into the purchase price, often overestimating the costs involved, so it's best to just take care of them yourself. Here are a few repairs to consider:
- Grimy Grout - Dirty grout is a real turn off, so apply new caulking to freshen up the entire room.
- Fresh Paint - Fill in all holes and cracks in the walls before painting. Make sure to repair and paint your baseboards so they don't look beaten up compared to your fresh walls.
- Rough Roof - If your roof needs replacing, it's better to do it before you sell as buyers get so turned off by the cost and hassle that it could be a potential deal breaker.
- Curb Appeal - Your home needs to make a perfect first impression so patch cracks in the driveway, caulk windows, spruce up your porch and invest in some landscaping.
- Dripping Faucets - A dripping tap can signal expensive plumbing repairs to buyers. It'll probably only need a new rubber washer that costs less than a dollar so get it fixed!
- Kitchen is Key - Kitchens are critical and can make or break a sale. Repainting cabinets, adding new hardware or installing a new countertop are all worthwhile investments.
Buying a home is an emotional experience so it's critical to create an incredible first impression that'll make buyers want to own your home the moment they set eyes on it! Although it may initially seem like a hassle to repair a home you'll soon be moving out of, it'll be well worth the time and money in the end. |
Beware of SMiShing
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 Smishing is the SMS (short message or text) version of email phishing where cyber criminals hook you through texts asking you to call a number or visit a website so they can steal your information.
The latest identity theft scam starts with a text saying your debit card is blocked and then directs you to a website that asks you for various personal details in order to lift the hold.
You’ll soon start to see the traditional lottery and cruise scams coming via texts so don't let your guard down just because they're texts and not emails as scammers are relying on this new phishing scheme to lure in their victims.
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Moorecroft Regional Park
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 On Sunday the 17th Trish and I took advantage of the nice weather and checked out Moorecroft Regional Park located at the end of Stewart Road in Nanoose Bay.
It is a wonderful tranquil 85 acres which includes shoreline and spectacular views across the Georgia Strait. There are approximately 32 hectares of natural forest featuring a variety of tree species. Two intermittent creeks run through the property, and two eagle nesting sites have been identified. The property also contains a wetland area known as Skipsey Lake, an open field and a network of walking trails.
It was incredibly quiet, to the point you could 'hear' the sea lion swimming by. We just explored the waterfront portion where Trish found a great heart shaped rock and Rudi got to skip rocks across the water. Even the seagulls were taking advantage of the calmness by lounging on the rocks in the inlet while the sailing club from Schooner Cove Marina were sailing by with the sun glistening on their sails.
It was our first time we had been to the property since it became a regional park (it had been many years ago when our children attened camps there) and we wonder what has taken us so long to explore. We look forward to taking advantage of the trails one day. If you would like more information or directions visit the RDN web site at http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms.asp?wpID=2605.
One word of caution, watch your step on the wet logs - the fall is not an experience you want :) |
Food for Thought
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 "Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire |
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Oh by the way, I am never too busy for any of your introductions. If you know of anyone that may benefit from my help please contact me with their name and number and let them know that I will be in touch . I would be privileged to assist them!
If you would like to keep up on the market and would like automatic email notifications of new listings, sales, etc. Click here or drop us an email or give us a call: 250-248-1071 / team@teamw.ca
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