March 30, 2009
Yesterday was one of those enticing days of sun and breeze and clear skies...after this most unusual Pacific Northwest Coast winter season, it seemed as if Spring was at long last imminent. I know that it's been Spring officially, since the calendar pointed it out, back on March 20th, but the weather pattern hasn't paid any attention! This has been a La Nina year, following on the El Nino of 2008, and it can often deliver severe weather patterns throughout North America. Apparently, on this Coast, it's broken records set back in the 60s, in a previous La Nina pattern. We are lucky, though, not to experience hurricanes, or river flooding, or several feet of snow, or tornadoes.... Yesterday, though, promised a "summer to come" feeling, and everyone is waiting for the flip out of March and into April....
Please check out my Spring Newsletter (I do this quarterly, and put it up on my website, now, as opposed to mailing it): www.liread.com/newsltr.htm
Looking for things to do/places to see/ways to jumpstart into Spring? Ask me for "Li's List"!
I'm attending a major real estate conference at the close of April, and will have an opportunity to present my area/my listings, to creative and productive realtors from an international basis, and this is always something that ends up delivering buyers to our area. More information? Give me a call!
Last October, I began a series of blogs, and continued to comment as the months unrolled. I've discovered, over time, that I'm only six months "ahead" of events, and it seemed to me, starting last October, that cash might be the final bubble, and that we would see saavy investor buyers looking at good real estate investments, again, as a way to preserve capital. I do think this is now "afoot", and we will find media reporting shifting from total gloom.
Media reports are always based on statistics from the previous 90 to 120 days, as they report the "past". Busy realtors, truly in the moment, always know the "now". This is what sellers and appraisers count on. Inventory has remained "thin", and this is very noticable as soon as one prioritizes by price and property type.
For a serious buyer, attracted by sellers willing to entertain offers, by low interest rates, by a low Can. dollar against the U.S., the Pound, and the Euro, and by an understanding that the Islands Trust has created a "protected investment" area (which wasn't their intent, but which is the outcome of their mandate of "to preserve & protect"), it all makes it a potentially good selling time, this Spring/Summer/early Fall (our traditional sales window, in our secondary home/discretionary marketplace), and for the first time in three years. For the Gulf Islands, including Salt Spring Island, the "pause" occurred throughout 2006 and 2007, although was not fully understood until 2008. More info? Give me a call!
April 30th is the Driftwood Newspaper's annual Women in Business" feature. If you are in business, on a Gulf Island, be sure to contact the local weekly newspaper, The Driftwood", and be a part of this. Always enjoyable, and one always learns a lot! Networking opportunity, held at the Harbour House Hotel.
Keep in mind that the start of Vesuvius Bay Road from the intersection at Central to the first church is now a 30 zone due to the nearby playground. I think it is a good bet a few people will get caught racing for the ferry.
Looking for a 'best buy" acreage, as a holding property, on special Salt Spring Island? Here's an opportunity for you!
For the very best in real estate information, and access to all listings, please give me a call. How may I help you to buy your special Gulf Island or Salt Spring Island property? liread33@gmail.com
How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me!
