Slowly, we are emerging into "real Spring"....March is nearby, March Break is the beginning of the "strong" real estate sales season, and this year is showing a marked uptick in sales volume.
In entry level property opportunities, the spread between list and sale pricing continues to narrow. As things sell off, there are few new options coming onstream. In the upper tier property pricings, we are seeing buyers deliver markedly lower offers, even though sellers had reduced before the point of the sale. This may continue throughout the first third of this year, as the inventory in "over one million" priced properties remains high.
Buyers are definitely back, though, in secondary home/discretionary marketplaces, and this would include on all Gulf Islands, on Vancouver Island, on the Sunshine Coast, and in the B.C. Interior communities (including that popular Okanagan "grid"). These were the rural areas that did not see the uptick, experienced in 2009 and the first part of 2010, by primary residence/city markets. Now, it appears that all areas are on board for increased sales activity, perhaps for first time since early 2007...good news for sellers and for buyers.
Consumers may be returning to hard asset investment options due to fear of currency instability and resulting inflation, and also a general seeking of a "safe haven" environment.
Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands are very nicely positioned for that kind of "protected purchase".
More information? Call me!
Also, if you're on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Plaxo, contact me through those media. I have been experimenting with the social media marketing opportunities since March, 2008. It is definitely "different days" in presentation of listings and attracting of buyers.
What an interesting time we live in....ah, change....well, as I've always maintained, "in change lies opportunity".
liread33@gmail.com
How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me!
