For more details on this listing check out full photos and floorplans here.
One of our passions (besides real estate of course) is getting involved in international charity. We’re always on the lookout for fun ways to help out. When we heard about an opportunity to raise $10,000 to build a school in Sierra Leone we were super excited, and wanted to share it with you! Here’s some background on the campaign.
1. We have been supporting an amazing group of kids and teachers in Sierra Leone (West Africa) over the past year and it’s been so cool to get involved and help out financially. Patricia and I have been contributing towards the operation of the school BUT what they really need is a school building.
2. Why raise money to build schools?? In terms of donating to international development, building a school has to be the BEST investment possible. If you are looking to see a return on your donation, and want your money to make a real and lasting change in a community, then education is the number one way to accomplish this. Nelson Mandela sums this up nicely – “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.“
3. Why Sierra Leone?? Remember the movie Blood Diamond with Matt Damon? Well, that was based in Sierra Leone. Although the war is over, the country remains one of the world’s poorest nations in the world.
4. Why CAUSE Canada?? My parents founded and have been running an organization called CAUSE Canada for the past 28 years. I know for a fact that the money we raise will go directly towards building a school in Sierra Leone. CAUSE is involved in tons of different projects throughout West Africa and Central America and are experts when it comes to efficient development work.
And here is the super exciting part – we’re building a school in Sierra Leone with 33 of our friends, families, and clients. We’ve organized it for that it’s a dollar amount that everyone can afford! Here’s a 2 min video explaining how 33 normal people can come together to achieve something extraordinary, and be the change the world needs! If you want to help out then jump on-board. Or if you have any questions send us a quick email.
http://pocketchangeheroes.com/christinaandpatricia/?page_id=708&narration=cause-narration
Victoria is a great city for real estate investors. We have one of the lowest vacancy rates in Canada, which means that rental properties are in high demand. Victoria is home to UVIC, Camosun, and a large Navy Base which means that there are many qualified renters in the market.
There are always fabulous deals to be found which can result in a positive cash flow for investors (especially in our current real estate market). If you’re thinking about starting a real estate rental portfolio I can send you my top 10 list of available condos on the market that yield great rental returns. In the meantime enjoy this video all about obtaining investment property financing.
Email me at Christina@ChristinaCarrick.ca
One issue of primary concern to all homeowners trying to sell their homes is, “How do I make sure my property is seen by the maximum number of people?” Of equal importance probablyshould be, “How do I make sure the maximum number of people who are motivated or likely to buy my home see my property?”
The answers to both questions lie with the real estate professionals you entrust to sell yourhome and the extensive network of listings they use to access properties throughout the Greater Victoria area. The real estate professionals are your REALTORS® and the network is called the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®). REALTORS® are experts, trained and licensed in the field of real estate, who help people buy and sell homes. All REALTORS® in the Victoria area are members of the Victoria Real Estate Board which operates the MLS® system.
What is MLS®? – The Multiple Listing Service® is best described as a co-operative marketing system to ensure maximum exposure of properties for sale. Fundamentally, it is a central registry of properties used by REALTORS® to match buyers with properties for sale. Most homes sold in Canada are sold via the MLS® systems operated by real estate boards across the country.MLS® is a sophisticated computer database of properties indexed by price, location, type ofhome, number of bedrooms, amenities and so forth. All properties listed on the Victoria Real Estate Board’s MLS® system can be viewed on the Internet at www.mls.ca.
The Advantages For Consumers – The major benefit of MLS® to consumers is that it allows the REALTOR® to use his or her skills to full advantage. REALTORS® are experts in determining what a potential buyer wants in a home — and a large part of the REALTOR®’s job lies in finding properties that meet a buyer’s needs. Using the MLS®, a REALTOR® can search the database for homesthat suit budgets, location preferences and family requirements, and quickly put together a short list of suitable homes. This means that when it comes to view homes in earnest, buyers know exactly what homes they want to see, what their options are and what types of properties the market has to offer.What’s good for the buyer is also good for the seller.
The main obstacle for any seller is to find qualified, motivated buyers and the only way to overcome this is to match your home with the requirements of as many potential buyers as possible. The MLS® system cuts through the complexities, exposes your property to people most likely to purchase it and makes sure you won’t waste your time showing your home to those who are not truly interested.
So, when you have made the decision to sell, make sure you ask your REALTOR® about an MLS® listing. It could be that your REALTOR® will already know a number of potential buyers, but listing your home on MLS® will ensure wide exposure of your home to a broadrange of interested people.
The Victoria Real Estate Board has published the sales statistics for September.
Real estate sales activity softened throughout Greater Victoria last month with a total of 458 homes and other properties selling through the Victoria Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), down from 542 sales in August. Sales last month were, however, 16 per cent higher than the 395 sales in September of last year. Prices, meantime, remained mixed depending on the property type.
Victoria Real Estate Board President, Dennis Fimrite, noted that the overall market remains stable despite some easing of sales in September. “There has been some softening in activity over the last year with sales so far this year running about 10 per cent below last year’s levels. However, sales during the last two months have been higher than in August and September of last year and we anticipate stable market conditions for the balance of this year.” Fimrite noted that despite economic uncertainty, interest rates remain very attractive and this is positive news for buyers. He added that that there were 17 single family home sales of over $1 million in September including one in Saanich East at over $6 million.
Fimrite added that the number of properties available for sale remained virtually unchanged last month with inventory levels currently 14 per cent higher than a year ago. “The number of properties available for sale declined very slightly last month to 4,940 compared to 4,944 at the end of August.”
The average price for single-family homes sold in Greater Victoria last month was $622,393, down from $652,841 in August. The median price also declined to $535,000 while the six-month average increased slightly to $622,519. The overall average price for condominiums last month was $332,490, down from $339,057 in August. The average for the last six months increased slightly to $331,209. The median price for condominiums in September also increased to $279,900. The average price of all townhomes sold last month showed little change at $436,039 compared to $437,079 in August. The median price declined to $391,000 while the six month average increased slightly to $447,127.
MLS® sales last month included 244 single family homes, 128 condominiums, 52 townhomes and 12 manufactured homes.
We started Home for the Honeymoon because we wanted to find a creative solution to a modern day problem. Home for the Honeymoon was created with the goal of helping contemporary couples realize the big dream of owning a home more easily and efficiently.
This past Saturday we attended our first Bridal Show and would like to thank everyone at The Victoria Bridal Expo for making our first wedding show such an amazing success!!! It was so much fun to meet all of the vendors in Victoria and especially, all of the brides who are planning their nuptials for the 2012 wedding season!
Our booth came together pretty well… We must say so ourselves!!!!
For more details on Home for the Honeymoon visit our website or checkout these top 5 reasons to use Home for the Honeeymoon
Many first time home buyers toil with the idea of ’taking the plunge’ and finally purchasing a property of their own. For many the prospect of becoming a home owner is both scary and exciting all at once.
A great way to gain valuable insight into what being a first time home buyer is really like is to hear from others who’ve had a similar experience.
I asked the Stringers our past clients to share the experience of purchasing their first home and to tell me frankly what went well and what could have been better.
I learned from their answers and hope you do too!
- How long have you been in your home? 8 months
- What type of home were you looking for? Small house or townhouse
- Why did you choose to work with Christina and Patricia? They were recommended highly by friends.
- What was the biggest factor that influenced your decision to buy a home? We were tired of paying someone elses mortgage via rent. Wanted something we could invest in.
- Describe some of the things that you thought were easy about the home buying process. Actually all of it, we expected it to be really stressful but found that Patricia was so skilled and experienced that it took the scariness out of buying our first home.
- What where some of the things you found hard about it? Again, honestly the confidence we found in Patricia relieved the difficulty we thought we were going to encounter. Figuring out the timing of documents just after purchasing was the only time is was slightly confusing.
- What advice would offer someone buying their first home? Don’t expect to find the perfect home, find the perfect home for you. Every place is going to have something to deal with, it’s just a matter of what you are willing to deal with. It’s an exciting experience so breathe and go with it.
- Describe the funniest thing that’s happened to you in the purchase process. We were ‘sure’ twice that we found THE place and I didn’t want to even look at more places but with my husband and Patricia’s encouragement we looked at more and found our current home, thank God we didn’t stop at the first two because our home meets our preferences way more! Also amusing was a place we looked at that had dozens of bathtubs strewn over the property
- Describe the worst thing. Can’t think of anything negative in this process.
- What are the qualities about your home that make living there enjoyable? We are able to have our pets live with us without consent of a ‘landlord’, the forest behind our yard is beautiful, it is mostly quiet and peaceful and has a good size yard for the dogs. We are paying less a month for our mortgage than our previous rent! It’s OURS! looking forward to having our first house one day and we are loving our first home now.
Here are a few things to ask your self when deliberating your readiness to take the next step towards home ownership.
1. Do you have job stability?
2. Can you stay in your new home for at least the next 5 years?
3. Are there properties on the market for you to buy that are more affordable than rent?
These are just a few of the opening questions that you’ll want to consider as you work with your real estate agent to determine what’s right for you.
The stats are in. All in all August was a good month for real estate sales in Victoria. The median selling price on a single family home in Greater Victoria was $547, 000, the average was $652,841 and the six-month average was $621,960.
The overall average price for condominiums last month was $339,047, the six month average was $329,951 and the median was $271,500.
Sales were up from August last year with a total of 542 homes sold which is a great sign that our housing market is stable. While last month’s sales were strong overall inventory is still robust.
So what does this mean? If you’re a buyer this is a great time to get into the market. Interest rates remain low providing greater accessibility to the market place and lots of inventory means you’ve got more choices.
If you’re a seller be sure to put your best foot forward. Things like decluttering and staging your home can go a long way if you want to outperform your competition.
We are happy to announce that our listing in 365 Waterfront has sold – and we have another happy client! 365 Waterfront is one of my favorite buildings in Victoria, BC and I would recommend the development for all those buyers looking for amazing quality, an active lifestyle, and great location. Here is a video I shot on-site to introduce the building. Although our listing is now sold, I have plenty of information available about the other units listed for sale, and having worked for CONCERT properties (the developer) in the past I understand the development and know all the floorplans and features. If you would like more information about available units, pricing, and floorplans please email Christina@ChristinaCarrick.ca or call 250-857-6045.
A Bank Representative is employed by a single financial institution and is promoting that institution’s mortgage products.
A Mortgage Broker is licensed by the Province of BC and can offer the products of many different institutions including Banks, Credit Unions and Mortgage Companies. Brokers attempt to match the clients’ circumstances with the best options available from the full spectrum of lenders.
What’s a Virtual Bank?
It’s a term that has been coined to describe Mortgage Companies that do not have large public branch networks. They are Canadian Companies or Banks that may have Canadian ownership (like Canadian Western Bank) or international ownership (like ING Direct). These companies have lower overhead than many Banks and pass on the savings in the form of lower interest rates.
Mortgage Brokers often recommend these institutions to their clients to help them save money. These lenders often offer better prepayment options and lower penalties than the Banks while still providing full portability. Clients are offered the choice of one of these lenders or one of the large traditional Banks.
Some of these non-traditional lenders have been operating in Canada for 20 years or more, and have more mortgages under administration than many branch-based financial institutions. Many of these companies raise the money they lend by using the Canada Mortgage Bond program. This means that the lender pays to protect the mortgage with an insurer like CMHC. This provides an extra level of protection that isn’t always present with the large Canadian Banks.
The best advices when looking for a mortgage … carefully examine all the choices available. Meet with a mortgage professional and compare the features of mortgages offered by several different institutions. You shop carefully for your daily household needs. Shop even more carefully for your mortgage!
For more information about the benefits of working with a mortgage broker, or to meet for private consultation to assess your needs please contact Liz Prins at Liz@MortgageCanada.com or visit www.mortgagesbyliz.ca
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