Your Guide to the products & services available on Vancouver Island for Seniors and their families.
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices March 2013 You’ve loved your home, raised your kids here, enjoyed so many years being comfortable…but things have changed. The kids have long gone, the house is too big, the yard-work is too much and it’s just simply time to move to a more suitable living situation. You look around, take…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices December 2012 Real estate, over the long haul, is one of the safest most lucrative investments to be made. This is how many of the wealthiest people have made their fortune. But it’s also a way the average Canadian can invest in order to better themselves financially. Here are six…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices October 2012 For years government agencies have pushed for seniors to stay in their houses as long as possible. This is well intentioned but in my opinion and experience, many elderly seniors stay in their home far longer than is best for their emotional, social and physical health and well-being. …
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices July 2012 There is no other concept within real estate that is more misunderstood than tax assessed value as it relates or doesn’t relate to market value. Let’s start with definitions. Market value is the value buyers place on a property. It’s what buyers are willing and able to pay…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices May 2012 Like the blind leading the blind, I am amazed how many people will take advice from everyone except the very people who are trained and active in a particular field. Perhaps because there might be a fee attached to getting expert advice, people don’t take this route, but…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices March 2012 I just listened to an interview with mortgage broker, Peter Finch, expounding on Canada’s predicament with CMHC, Canada’s Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This is the governing body responsible for providing mandatory mortgage insurance. Apparently, should mortgage rates increase more than 1.5%, it could spell trouble for many…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices February 2012 When I first got into the Real Estate industry 22 years ago, I was told that 8.9% for a 5 year term was probably the best I would ever see. Having experienced the record high of 21% in 1981, I had to agree that 8.9% looked very good….
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices December 2011 Depends. If it is a buyer’s market, which it is at the moment, December is a very good time to buy. The reason? The Christmas season is traditionally one of the slowest times for real estate sales. Sellers who don’t really need to sell often take their…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices November 2011 One of the biggest reasons empty-nesters tell me that they want to move from their existing home, is to get away from the stairs! Yes, the stairs that used provide separation from eating and sleeping has now or is becoming a complete roadblock to easy living. It’s not…
Archive ∙ Back to Island Voices September 2011 In my 21 years of involvement in the real estate business, I’ve helped a lot of young people buy their first home. It’s really an exciting time for them. To think they are actually going to own their own piece of real estate! They can decorate the…