Thursday 18 August 2022

Real Estate and Service Providers

Working in residential real estate you get to know the local building inspectors, city hall staff, mortgage brokers and insurance brokers through helping your clients with purchasing and selling properties. These are the service provides and relationships most experienced agents will nurture over the years, and BC Oceanfront is no exception.

Working in niche real estate such as remote, recreational and resort property sales however, there are other service providers that we also get to know.

1. Water taxis. When trailering a boat just doesn't fit in the schedule, or there are other properties to be viewed on the way, or the boat is on the other side of the island, sometimes taking a water taxi is a better way to get to a property. And certainly for other agents and for prospective buyers, water taxis are sometimes the best option. 

2. Float planes. When boating somewhere will take too long, or the property is simply more easily accessed from the air, chartering a flight with a float plane is the way to go. At one point Ed did own a float plane, but in recent years BCO has worked with local charter companies for flights when needed.

3. Well Diggers. Can a well be dug or drilled? Has one been dug or drilled that information is needed for? Well diggers are the people you need to talk to.



4. Waste Water Practitioners. Septic systems and grey water systems are a big deal on properties outside of service areas, and knowing who the experts are helps.

5. Surveyors. Sometimes property boundaries haven't been checked in over 50 years, or sometimes there are questions about easements or shared areas. If this is important to a buyer, then a surveyor is needed. 

There are more service providers we use on occasion, but these are some of the most important. Because we work in this type of real estate regularly, we know who to call and what information to ask for, allowing us to be of assistance to our clients and to market our listings fully.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!


Thursday 4 August 2022

Who Is Buying Remote Property?

When people ask about the types of real estate we sell, one of the things that fascinates a lot of them is the remote property sector. While people may daydream about getting away from it all, very few actually pursue owning a remote piece of property; one that has no road access, no visible neighbours and no services.

So who are the prospective buyers looking at this type of property? Surprisingly, there is no specific buyer profile. While they do all share a desire for remote land, their reasons for it and their demographics are as different as can be.

Off-grid living has become a popular topic on social media and there are a handful of reality shows that address it as well. This attracts a variety of people, whether they be young people feeling that they want to start their lives being self-sufficient and independent, or older people who have experienced a life change and feel the need to disconnect from society in some ways. Families, couples and single people all express interest in this desire to live off-grid.

For other prospective buyers it is about having a place to connect with nature completely. They may not want to live full-time on the property, but instead are looking to have a private place where they can go and camp for several weeks at a time and disconnect.

Some prospective buyers want a piece of remote land as security. These are people who are concerned about climate issues, or political issues, or societal issues, and feel it would be of benefit to have a piece of land somewhere remote ‘just in case’.

Finally, there are those looking to establish a family legacy. Whether they plan to develop the property or not, they like the idea of a remote piece of the west coast being in their family for generations to come.

Whatever their reasons, we are happy to work with all prospective buyers as one of the few real estate teams to market and source remote properties along the BC coast.

It’s a Coastal Lifestyle … Live It!