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Vancouver Island Real Estate News from Rudi Widdershoven-TeamW-October-2013

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Rudi Widdershoven

	Vancouver Island Real Estate News from Rudi Widdershoven - TeamW	October 2013

Hi Paul,

Happy Thanksgiving!

We certainly hope that you have the opportunity to spend time with family and/or friends on the long weekend and take time to give Thanks for all we have in our lives. Personally we are very thankful for this amazing place we call home & the people we share it with (family, friends, clients). Life is pretty darn good! We are also very grateful for your continued support.

Fall is definitely here with leaves changing colors and sunrises being later in the morning - after we awake which gives us the opportunity to enjoy the colorful skies.

Business has been very good this fall as activity has increased. There are still good opportunities in the market for those that are looking at a move, if you know of someone thinking of moving to the Island or making a move locally please let us know. Thanks so much!

Thanks 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)

Third Quarter Sales Reflect Steady Market Growth
Planning a Family Fire Escape Plan
The Principles of Pricing
Extraordinary Uses for Epsom Salts

Third Quarter Sales Reflect Steady Market Growth

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) sales summary data for September released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) shows housing sales activity across Vancouver Island was up 29 per cent compared to last year, while average sale price remained virtually unchanged.

In the Oceanside are the statistics for the month of September shows the increase in sales volumes continues with September showing an increase of 27% over last September in single family sales for the great Parksville Qualicum Beach area (15% for the 1^st 9 months of the year) and a decrease of 19% in homes listed (-10% for the year to date). The average price of homes being sold is down 2% for September and year to date.

It continues to be interesting to look at the sub-areas within the region: Parksville’s single family home sale were up 36% for September, 28% for the 1^st 9 months; while Fairwinds is down 75% for September and 19% for the year.

If you wish to explore further or know the statistics for different style of properties please contact TeamW or visit our posting of the reports at
http://teamw-parksvillequalicumbeachrealestate.com/parksville-real-estate-sales-activity-september-2013/

Starting next month, VIREB will be introducing a new method of statistical reporting called the MLS® Home Price Index, or HPI. This system provides a more consistent trend analysis and is a better indicator of property value than averages, which are easily skewed by the sale of high-end or low-end properties; particularly in some of our smaller market areas.

Planning a Family Fire Escape Plan

Planning for a house fire isn't something most people want to think about; however a fire escape plan could mean the difference between life and death. Here are a few points to consider:

draw up a floor plan of your home that shows at least two ways out of each room
crawl through escape routes with your family during semi-annual practice drills
ensure there are no obstacles in front of windows, doors and escape routes
family members need to know how to open all windows and remove screens
make sure escape ladders are accessible and not buried in the back of closets
designate a special meeting place for all family members once you've evacuated
remind children never to re-enter a burning home under any circumstances

If you live in a condo or apartment building, ensure you know the evacuation plan and do some practice drills. Being prepared and knowing what to expect is key in any emergency situation. Having a fire escape plan could save your family the precious minutes that make the difference between life and death.

The Principles of Pricing

Pricing your home correctly is critical to a successful sale as it will help your home sell for the most amount of money, in the shortest amount of time.

Determining a home's asking price involves comparing similar homes that have recently sold while taking past, present and future local market trends into account.

Although you may have your own personal opinion of what your home's worth, it's important to be realistic and unbiased. In the end, the market will determine your home's true value.

There's always a huge buzz when a new property hits the market but if the price is too high, it will quickly become stale and there won't be any incentive for buyers to make a swift, strong offer. Worse yet, buyers will start to wonder what's wrong with it!

Overpricing your property will also help your competition as buyers will see other homes in your area as much better deals since they're less expensive. If your home is priced at fair market value, those same buyers will consider your home more seriously.

Having your property sit on the market is also inconvenient as you'll constantly have to keep it in a show-ready state. Furthermore, carrying costs such as mortgage interest, insurance, taxes and utilities will quickly add up if you get stuck carrying two homes at once.

Pricing a home is part art and part science. Market factors such as the economy, time of year and interest rates can all make a huge difference. Your home only gets one chance to make a great first impression so it's critical to enlist the services of a professional real estate agent to help you get things done properly from start to finish.

Extraordinary Uses for Epsom Salts

Adding epsom salts, which contain magnesium sulfate to your bath helps to relax muscles and relieve stress. Here are a few lesser known uses for epsom salts:

use them to fertilize your garden
sprinkle them around your garbage cans to deter animals
mix them with dish soap to scrub stains away
soaking in epsom salts can help draw out a splinter

These are just a few of the many benefits of epsom salts -- an inexpensive, natural product that can be found at any drugstore.

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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