Clarice Coty's Blog

Lake Cowichan Development ‘The Slopes at the Lake’ Features Large Residential Lots for Sale

Clarice — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:48:15 +0000

The Slopes at the Lake in Lake Cowichan offers large residential new home lots for sale, in a well established community of upscale homes. Lots for single family homes at the Slopes at the Lake start at $94,500.
A family-friendly community is growing at the Slopes at the Lake in Lake Cowichan on Southern Vancouver Island. A number of new homes have already been built, and families are enjoying community amenities including a children’s playground and walking trails.
The large lots at the Slopes at the Lake range in size from 10,193 sq. ft. to 18,382 sq ft. and include lots suited to a variety of home styles and plans, including main level ranchers and walkout basements.
Also within this well-established Lake Cowichan neighbourhood, is a property that is 3.44 acres in size, with approved zoning in place for a patio home development. Underground services have been installed to the property line. This turn-key multi-family project property is being offered for sale at $649,900.
To view the properties for sale at the Slopes at the Lake, visit the development in the Town of Lake Cowichan.

Three Teams Short Listed for Construction of Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge

Clarice — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:34:25 +0000

Three teams have been selected to compete in the Request for Proposal to replace the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria.
“This project is really big for our city,” Greg Baynton, chief executive officer of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, told the Journal of Commerce.
“This project is not only large, it is very complex and there are a lot of stakeholders involved. There are architectural and aesthetic concerns because of the bridge’s historic importance and its location in the harbor. There are also budget implications for the city due to the size of the project.”
The City of Victoria announced the three lead shortlisted proponents: PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc., Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. (Kiewit), and EC Driver & Associates Inc.
“As far as timing goes, it’s a buyers’ market,” said Baynton. “The city couldn’t be tendering at a better time for getting the best value with the taxpayers’ money.”
The City of Victoria will issue a RFP later this month to the three successful firms, which will be invited to participate in a detailed engineering review of the bridge designs and submit indicative pricing in June. The three firms will then submit a fixed price proposal, which will be evaluated by October 2012.
Construction of the new bridge is expected to create about 900 jobs and is scheduled to be complete by 2016. The estimated cost of replacing the Johnson Street Bridge is $92.8 million.
The first major milestone in the replacement project took place on Feb. 22, when the Arctic Tuk – the largest barge and crane in Western Canada – was positioned in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
The rail bridge and 500 ton counterweight were separated from the road bridge and carefully removed by the massive crane, which is mounted on a 105-metre-long barge and is capable of lifting 600 tonnes.

Beachfront Luxury Home Community Qualicum Landing Nearing a Sell-Out

Clarice — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:16:11 +0000

Qualicum Landing, a luxury beachfront new home development along Vancouver Island’s east coast, is now more than 80% sold out. And the laid-back West Coast lifestyle in the gated community has been one of the key selling features. Qualicum Landing combines the best of strata living with the flexibility of a full-sized single-family home.
“It’s a lifestyle choice – lock-and-leave – that really appeals to vacation home buyers and those looking for a place to retire,” sales manager Lynn Robison, recently told the Calgary Herald. “Total exterior maintenance of the homes is taken care of – gutter cleaning, trim painting – everything.”
Qualicum Landing is located only a 10-minute drive from the town of Qualicum Beach which, in turn, is a half-hour drive northwest of Nanaimo. The development offers 500 feet of private, sandy beachfront, and if you tire of the scenery, a private clubhouse offers a pool, spa, fitness centre and owner’s lounge, alongside a community garden and waterfront recreational area.
Qualicum Landing received six Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards in 2011, including one for environmental achievement.
“We’re also reclaiming a salmon-spawning creek right next to our property and have our own waste water management system on site,” Robison said.
Only 11 of the 62 homes remain for sale. Qualicum Landing has instituted “red-line pricing” on the remaining homes that range from 1,070 to 2,000 square feet. Prices start at $399,000.
For more information, visit the Qualicum Landing website and inquire about the “fly ‘n’ buy” offer.

Custom Built Ocean View Home For Sale a Highlight of My Quadra Island Getaway

Clarice — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:48:49 +0000

I have just returned from spending a wonderful weekend on Quadra Island , located only a 10 minute ferry ride from Campbell River, on Vancouver Island.
Our group stayed at April Point, a beautiful resort, located on the oceanfront overlooking Discovery Passage.
One of the highlights of my trip was visiting a custom built ocean view home for sale, located in Heriot Bay, overlooking Rebecca Spit and Drew Harbour.
The property contains the main home and a second home (a carriage house). The main home faces, for stunning sunrise views from the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom on the upper level. The same ocean views are available from the main floor as well.
One of the main features of this home is a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in the main living room which can be seen from the open concept kitchen and dining area. The main home has a cozy feel to it, because of its design, and contains 3,200 sq. ft. of living space.
I really liked the 1500 sq. ft. wrap-around deck on the upper floor, which provides lots of space to enjoy outdoor living in the warmer months of the year.
This property offers great value, with two homes beautifully situated on 1.4 acres on one of the most scenic, ocean view properties on Quadra Island, a piece of paradise, located only 15 minutes from Vancouver Island. Price is $799,000.
For more information, contact custom home builder Tamarack Construction at 250.203.1979 or email tamarack@gicable.com.

Courtenay’s Latest Habitat for Humanity Build Has Council Support

Clarice — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:49:23 +0000

City planning staff are recommending approval of six new Habitat for Humanity homes in Courtenay. Three duplexes are proposed for a site at 1580 Piercy Avenue, but before construction can begin, a development permit with several variances will have to be approved by council. Council will have a final vote on June 11.
The project will build six homes on the site in three buildings. Each home will offer three bedrooms.
Habitat’s build coordinator for the project, Peter Sanderson, said the homes would be the latest of 1,600 built in Canada by the non-profit organization. He estimated 10,000 volunteer hours would go into the new development.
Three unique teams are being assembled to help progress aspects of the project, each leading on the construction of one of the homes: A Women’s Build – the first women-only project undertaken by Habitat west of Toronto; a Mountie House, involving the RCMP and local students; and a third team led by the 191 Construction Division at CFB Comox, who would use the build as a teaching project for Canadian Forces personnel.

Port Alberni Sees Homes Sales and Prices Up in the First Quarter of 2012

Clarice — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:06:28 +0000

The first quarter of 2012 saw more home sales than the same time frame of the previous year in the Port Alberni/WestCoast area.
The total number of single family homes sold was 58, from January 2012 to the end of March, 2012. For the same period the year before, 54 single family homes were sold in the area. The difference is an increase of 7%, according to numbers released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board.
If the first month of the second quarter is any indication, the trend seems to be continuing. Sales were up two units to 22 from March to April, and the average house price was up $37,560 to $244,850 from $207,290 in March, according to VIREB.
Year over year however, saw a 17% decrease in the average house price from April 2011 ($296,552) to April 2012.
However, VIREB president-elect and Coast Realty managing broker Gary Gray said in a small market like Port Alberni, with large discrepancies in price across the market, large jumps and drops are not uncommon.
With lake view homes and property on Sproat Lake selling for anywhere from $500,000 to $800,000, a couple of large purchases like that can really skew the numbers, he said. Houses in town typically range from $150,000 to $400,000.

New Floor Plan Options Coming to Kettle Creek Station in Langford

Clarice — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:11:49 +0000

Kettle Creek Station in Langford will soon be unveiling a new series of floor plans for their affordable family homes. At Kettle Creek, you can own a new home near Victoria, B.C. for as little at $289,000 – including net HST, appliance packages and no strata fees.
They currently offer 10 different floor plans to choose from all priced under $420,000, owning a home – and one with luxury touches – is easy at Kettle Creek Station.
Kettle Creek Station has been designed to create a vibrant community that welcomes families, first time home buyers, couples looking to downsize or individuals who want to own their home and land but want a smaller footprint. Designed with efficiency and open concept living in mind, these Kettle Creek new homes are very affordable and provide bright spacious living areas, designer décor options and your own backyard. One, two and three-bedroom new homes range from $289,000 to $419,000. To get sneak peek of the new floor plans, email them at info@KettleCreekStation.com.

Home Sales Up, Prices Down In April’s Vancouver Island Real Estate Market

Clarice — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:32:38 +0000

Housing sales rose in Nanaimo last month, but average selling prices dipped, matching a trend seen over much of the Island. The number of sales was up 31% in Nanaimo in April over the same month last year, while average selling prices dropped 2%, according to number released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board.
Other communities on Vancouver Island saw a similar pattern, with average prices down by as much as 17% in the Port Alberni/West area. The Comox Valley, with a 1% increase, was the only region to see a boost in prices. Unit sales were up in just three of six markets in the VIREB region.
Sales volumes typically rise in the spring, and with 114 units sold last month, compared to 87 a year ago. As of April 30, VIREB had 2,141 listings in the region, an increase of 13 units, or almost 7% from last year.

Major Projects in Greater Victoria Mean A Jump in Building Permit Values

Clarice — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:03:05 +0000

Building permit values in Greater Victoria for the 1^st quarter of 2012 are up 33 per cent over the same period last year. The value of building permits for March in Greater Victoria was $53.4 million.
The $350-million Uptown development continues to be a major generator of construction and jobs in the capital region, with more than 180 workers currently on site, as it aims for substantial completion by September. When finished, the project will have 658,000 sq ft of retail space, and 205,000 sq ft of office space.
Other major projects in the region include Hillside Centre’s $50-million expansion, the $104million helicopter squadron at Victoria International Airport, a $1-billion Capital City Centre mixed-use development in Colwood, and an upcoming utility corridor at CFB Esquimalt, estimated to cost close to $20 million.
Developer David Chard is planning a 90-unit condominium project at 640 Michigan St. and is currently working on Sovereign – a 36-unit condo project on Broughton Street.

Banner Landscaping Can Complete Your Comox Valley Landscaping Project

Clarice — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:45:22 +0000

Spring is well on its way and its time to get started on those landscaping projects. Banner Landscaping in the Comox Valley specializes in complete landscaping installations for commercial developments and for new homes in Comox, Courtenay and the Comox Valley. Banner Landscaping has bobcats, excavators and all of the equipment needed to complete any landscaping project.
Banner Landscaping can install paving stones and retaining walls, or a complete landscaping project with irrigation and water features.
Banner Landscaping’s Comox Valley crew is courteous and knowledgeable and will ensure that you have an outdoor space to be proud of. Give them a call at 250.792.1835.