Survey looks at older residents's needs

A new survey will give Sechelt residents aged 50-plus a chance to weigh in on how well the community is meeting their needs.

“We're trying to establish a kind of benchmark or baseline information around seniors' wants and needs,” said Sue Jackel, team leader for the Sechelt Residents' Survey Project group, a recently-formed citizens group which is overseeing the project

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Coast Market Gaining Steam

The Sunshine Coast real estate market is starting to pick up on the heels of a turnaround in the Metro Vancouver market

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Canada posts record July for real estate sales, B.C. tips into balanced market

Record July sales in Metro Vancouver and Victoria helped lift British Columbia's real estate market into balanced conditions between buyers and sellers across the province, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported Friday, compared with last summer's slide into buyer's territory.

Across the country, meanwhile, markets experienced record sales in July posting their biggest year-over-year increase in two years.

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Real estate markets race to record July home sales

Home sales in the Lower Mainland burst out of their long slump in July as first-time homebuyers, lured by lower prices and rock-bottom interest rates, flooded into the market.

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Sechelt Developer Recognized in Recent Awards

Wakefield Beach Homes in Sechelt was recognized in the recent fourth annual Wood Design Awards, winning an award for "Interior Beauty of Wood".

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Family builders intend to maintain close ties

Greypointe Properties has teamed up with Wakefield Homes for the sale of 30 freehold ocean-view lots at their SilverStone development in Sechelt, with the aim of taking the hassle out of vacation home shopping.

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The price of paradise: $30,000 a month

So you didn't inherit a sprawling lakefront compound or mountain retreat. This summer, if you have a cool $30,000 or $40,000 to spend, you can rent the Canadian cottage dream for a month.

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The theme is relaxed indulgence

Painted Boat is being built on the site of the former Lowe's Resort, a family-run business that catered its down-home style to seasonal fishing tourists, and is marketed to families who enjoy the Sunshine Coast and who appreciate the resort's amenities.

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Cottage prices outpace housing market

The average national price for a waterfront cottage or cabin, jumped 12 per cent to $427,589 this spring while the average national price of an existing home climbed a smaller 9.3 per cent to $305,542.

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Hunting for a slice of Canadian paradise

Dreaming of sitting on the deck of a cottage, soaking in the view and then going for a swim? Despite soaring costs of premium waterfront properties, bargains can still be found nearby.

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Developer targets Sunshine Coast

Vision of residential, resort and industrial projects would bring in thousands of residents

An Abbotsford-based developer has plans for the Sunshine Coast that would bring thousands of new residents and a Whistler-style resort to the area

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Recreation is booming

B.C.'s recreation market is as searing as the urban residential sector.

While much of it is being propelled by "aging baby boomers," there's plenty of action coming from younger buyers and so-called "lifestyle" buyers intent on grabbing their piece of paradise... "never before have those aged 50-plus been such a strong segment of the recreational property market."

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CNI acquires 3,286 acres

Abbotsford-based Columbia National Investments (CNI) has recently acquired more than 3,000 acres of land on the Sunshine Coast

"Demand for housing  is at an all-time high on the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland," said Steve Dunton, CEO for CNI in a telephone interview with The Coast Reporter. "More and more people are choosing to live outside the Vancouver downtown core and are commuting. I have to admit our new focus on the Sunshine Coast is one of the most exciting projects of our care...

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Sunshine Coast quietly setting record year-over-year price increases

Western Investor - Summer 2006

While the rest of the Lower Mainland's real estate market has been white-hot the last couple of years, the Sunshine Coast has quietly been setting year-over-year price increases faster even than Vancouver.

The average Sunshine Coast detached house price is now north of $380,000, double what it was five years ago.

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Rich at any age: choosing a vacation property

In summer weekends, Canada's urban centres become virtual ghost towns as city slickers - and their tag-along family and friends - flock to cottages for a little R&R. While you may have spent your 30's and 40's being one of those tag-alongs, your 50's could be the right time to think about a recreational property of your own. After all, your mortgage may be paid off (or close to it) and you're probably starting to think about what you'd like to do in your retirement years.

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Cottage price growth still strong in West

While the market for cottages is slowing in Ontario, sales in Western Canada are going up.Conditions are tightest in markets that offer a selection of affordable cottages, such as B.C.'s Sunshine Coast.  The report didn't forecast demand for cottages to ease anytime soon, as baby boomers fuel the current market.

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Mortgage Rates - stay short or go long term?

Home owners should plan for the eventuality that interest rates will increase. How do you do that? The easiest solution is to lock into a long term mortgage rate. The more difficult solution is to take advantage of today's low rates in a variable rate mortgage but plan for higher interest rates down the road.

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Choosing a mortgage

Today, the marketing gurus have been working overtime at all the banks to give consumers a myriad of mortgage options. These options are great, but they tend to muddy the waters.The most important issue with any mortgage is the cost. Your goal is to minimize your cost so you should be very conscious of interest rates and how they are calculated.

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