Looking Forward to 2016 at BC Oceanfront

As this will be the last blog post of the year, we thought we would share our BCO outlook for 2016 (this went out with our calendars on our newsletter). We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday and all the best in the new year.

Looking Forward to 2016

A new year is a great time for assessing practices and implementing any new procedures. At the BCO office we are always looking to make our systems, procedures and marketing program the best they can be to create success for all our clients, and we look forward to an exciting and productive 2016.

As we are currently in a buyer’s market, we will see that continue into 2016. Certainly in the recreational market we see great buying opportunities as prices are still at cyclical lows. We can expect that US interest will continue, and to that end we do see our number of US visitors to the website increasing. Acreages and oceanfront undeveloped properties continue to be of interest to many potential buyers, as the appeal of a piece of land out on the coast attracts many more urban residents looking to get away from a more hectic life. Recreational development projects, such as the acreages at Discovery Passage, have been attracting much attention as well. Ed, and the BCO Team, use the 20 years plus of experience and the wealth of information gathered over that time to work on behalf of clients in helping them achieve their goals.

Campbell River has seen a busy year, with work moving forward on both the new hospital and the John Hart Dam project. We have also seen the completion and opening of a new Berwick Residence downtown and right next door a new Comfort Inn. Mt. Washington was recently reported as sold. All of this development is good news for the city.

Ed and Shelley, as well as the BCO unlicensed office assistants Jennifer and Kate, look forward to working with our clients in 2016.

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

Creating the BCO Calendar

When we say the new BCO calendar has been in the works for years, we aren't kidding! The idea has been in the office for at least 6 or 7 years. Every year we moved a little closer, until this year it finally happened.

The hardest thing about putting the calendar together was choosing the photos. With the number of properties we market Ed and Shelley have thousands of reference photos. Add in the amount of time we all spend outdoors and you have another thousand photos between the team, easily. Getting that down to first 30, and then 13, photos was not an easy task.

This one didn't make it

We are pleased with the final product and are already looking forward to choosing the photos for next year.

In the meantime, we are giving away calendars! Head over to our Facebook page to participate in the contest.

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

Embracing the Wet West Coast Weather

It's true, on Vancouver Island we experience some of the mildest weather in Canada. This makes for lovely, comfortably warm summers and allows us the benefit of four distinct seasons. It also means that come fall and winter we experience a fair amount of rain.

Rushing river from fall rains are worth the hike.

As true west coasters and islanders, we know that you can't hide from the rain. Weeks like this one, where the wind and rain has been quite relentless, remind us that our forests are lush for a reason. So, we don't let it stop us from living an active life.

Wet leaves and bright green ferns - sure signs of an island winter.

Storm watching is a popular past time when the weather gets like this. For some the wild west coast of the island is where they want to be, and places like Tofino now offer great storm watching packages for those who want to spend time on the rugged coast. But even on the east coast of the island the storms are spectacular.

After the storm - logs washed up on Campbell River's shore.

Good, waterproof gear helps in this weather, as does good footwear. Don't bother with umbrellas - the wind generally defeats them.

This year is supposed to be an El Nino year, which means generally wetter and milder weather for the coast, although there is little consensus among forecasters as to what it will look like this year. Last year was unseasonably dry in the winter, so a wet winter will not be a bad thing for our forests, rivers, lakes and mountains.
 
Just be sure to gear up - and remember, a little water never hurt anyone.

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

What are FINTRAC forms and why do you have to fill them out?

FINTRAC forms have become a standard part of the Real Estate paperwork. FINTRAC stands for Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. The completion of these documents by realtors and the brokerages they work for is a federal requirement.

According to the government's FINTRAC website: FINTRAC is part of Canada's national initiative to combat money laundering and terrorist activity financing. It is a specialized agency created to collect, analyze and disclose financial information and intelligence on suspected money laundering and terrorist activities financing.

Not only is filling out the documents required for every transaction, the documents need to be witnessed by a professional, in our case either a realtor or a notary/lawyer. A realtor in a cooperating office generally will not charge for this service (so if you are a Royal LePage client you can go to any RLP office to fill out the paperwork) but a notary/lawyer generally will.

The information collected is kept locked away and confidential, by the brokerage office. It does not stay in our files.

For more information on this, please visit the website: http://www.fintrac.gc.ca/intro-eng.asp

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

Personal Real Estate Corporation

You may notice that Shelley's name has gotten a little longer in advertising after this week. Like Ed, Shelley has become a personal real estate corporation, and as such now has a real estate license in the name of the corporation. Real Estate Council of BC regulations require advertising to have her full corporation name.

So the ad text will get a little longer as the BC Oceanfront Team is now Ed Handja Personal Real Estate Corporation and Shelley McKay Personal Real Estate Corporation. Same great BCO service and experience; more paperwork for Shelley!

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

Vancouver Island Amenities

When people think of the islands and the coast of BC, they think of rugged wilderness, large trees and vast spaces. While these are all accurate and definitely part of the charm of the coast, what people don't realize are just how many amenities Vancouver Island offers as well.

The four main urban areas on Vancouver Island are (in order of population) Victoria, Nanaimo, the Comox Valley (including Courtenay and Comox) and Campbell River. All of these centres have major hospitals (Victoria has two) and vibrant downtown districts.

Vancouver Island has two universities. The University of Victoria has been around for 50 years and attracts students from across Canada as well as many international students. It is also a popular choice for students on Vancouver Island. The second university is Vancouver Island University, which is based in Nanaimo. It was originally Malaspina College, and in 2008 was granted full university status under its new name.

The Save On Foods Memorial Center regularly features high profile music acts. MacPherson and Royal Theatres in Victoria and Port Theatre in Nanaimo attract major stage and dance productions, while the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay and the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River provide a nice variety of live entertainment for those communities. Victoria also boasts the world-class Royal BC Museum as well as an art gallery.

Both Victoria and Nanaimo have a number of indoor shopping malls, including The Bay Centre and Mayfair Mall in Victoria, and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo - all very popular with island residents. All the urban centres have a wide variety of shopping available.

One of the appeals of living on Vancouver Island is that you can truly have it all. Anywhere you live on the island offers amazing coastal beauty, while all the amenities needed or wanted are also available.

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

Signs on the Water

Looking at the land from the water offers a different perspective. One of the things people who are out sight seeing or fishing for the first time may have questions about are some of the markings you can see on apparently unoccupied land. These can appear to be art work or secret messages, but actually they are for the benefit of everyone.

When fishing in amongst the islands and just off the coast, it is the responsibility of the person fishing to know and follow the regulations set out by the Department of Fisheries. These regulations include closures, places in the water where fishing is not allowed, or is only allowed to certain sectors of the fishing community (commercial, sport, etc). The boundary markers are generally visible from the water, some newer than others, some faded with time (many boundaries have been in place for years). Sometimes good old-fashioned signs work.

The markers are generally a triangle and a square, although there is no clear definition on the DFO website as to which is used when and generally the regulations will simply say "between the boundary markers at ..." Whenever you see one of these markers, search the shore opposite (often in a bay) for its mate. Line the two markers up, and the "invisible line" between the two markers is your boundary. You don't want to get caught on the wrong side of the line, as there can be hefty fines!

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