In celebration of our gorgeous new townhome listing at #12-127 Aldersmith Place, we sneakily hid an object in our Seller's home with a photo of Rosemarie and Tom on it.

How to Play: All you have to do is watch the video below carefully and when you find where the object is hidden, send us a quick email of what and where it is to: info@homeward.team and we will randomly draw a name from our list of winners. You will win that object!

( Contest closes July 31st 2016 )

- Good luck and Have Fun!:

Rosemarie and Tom

OPEN HOUSE: Sat June 4th & Sun June 5th 2-4pm

2360 Cranmore Road, Oak Bay

Listed at $925,000

MLS#366005

OPEN HOUSE SAT & SUN 2-4, Here's your opportunity to own a beautiful 2800+sqft 5 bedroom home, w/ great potential, on a tree lined street in the heart of Oak Bay! Upstairs features: Coved ceilings; inlaid hardwood floors, big south facing picture windows in spacious kitchen and living/dining rm; sun room; good sized bedrooms. Downstairs has: private garden level entrance; 3 bedrooms inc. master w/ ensuite; kitchen area; family/living rm; storage. Perfect for teens or inlaw use! The property boasts a landscaped/tiered & fenced backyard, newer garden shed w/ tools, patios & raised beds. BONUS: a 2 car garage w/ workshop, & multi-car driveway! Close to OB Rec., OB High, Save-On Foods, OB Village, Willows Beach, bus routes & all amenities!

June 1, 2016 Victoria, BC

A total of 1,289 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this May, an increase of 42.4 per cent compared to the 905 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,406 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of May, 40.5 per cent fewer than the 4,043 active listings at the end of May 2015.

"These are very interesting times in local real estate," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "The market we are experiencing has exceeded our expectations. There are influences in the marketplace that we do not fully understand yet, like the impact of out-of-town buyers and millenials moving into the market, and the seemingly sudden international attention our island city has started to receive. And some folks may be buying now because they are concerned that the market is going to continue to increase in value. Traditionally spring is the most active season for real estate, so it will be interesting to see if this feverish pace continues into the summer months." 

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in May, 2015 was $593,200. The benchmark value for the same home in May 2016 has increased by 19 per cent to $706,500.

"We define months of inventory as the number of months it would take to sell our entire inventory of active listings at the current rate of sales if no new listings became available. In May last year we had 4.5 months of inventory and in May 2014 we saw 6.5 months. This year, May had 1.9 months of inventory. Last year in June we saw 4.4 months of inventory, so if the pattern continues we may see less inventory than in previous years. Current low inventory dictates that pressures moving prices up could well remain strong, particularly in the core region. It can be a challenging time to get into the market," adds Nugent.  "As always, a local REALTOR® can help buyers with a strategy to get into a home and can help sellers to create a pricing plan to best reflect the current value of their property. Our Realtors have access to regular education on best practices, including how to navigate multiple offers, which is something many buyers encounter as they shop for houses in some of our more popular neighbourhoods. I think the key right now is to be patient, consider options like different neighbourhoods or types of housing and to prepare with your Realtor as much as possible ahead of time so that you are best positioned to make your move."

OPEN HOUSE: SATURDAY MAY 14TH 1-3PM

#317-1485 GARNET ROAD

LISTED AT $189,000

MLS#364798

May 2, 2016 Victoria, BC

A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this April, an increase of 53 per cent compared to the 840 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April, 34 per cent fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.

“We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market. Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue – low mortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live,” notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. “The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. We’ve also tracked a slight increase in Lower Mainland buyers. Reports from the first quarter of 2016 show that 8.2 per cent of buyers are from the Lower Mainland, and last year we counted 7.4 per cent.  It’s also noteworthy that we’ve seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta (last year we saw 5.7 per cent, this quarter we saw 3.9 per cent), a small increase in buyers from the US (from 0.8 per cent to 1 per cent) and an increase in buyers from Asia (from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent this quarter).” 

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700. The benchmark value for the same home in April 2016 has increased by 17.7 per cent to $684,900.

“If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you’re looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we’ve seen in years past,” adds Nugent. “As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods. Working with a REALTOR® to create a purchase strategy will put you ahead of the game, and ensure you end up with the right property for you.”

I just received this special gold award pin from the Victoria Real Estate Board for being in the top 10% in Victoria for 5 years! I have received two other pins in the past from the Board and every time, including this, the award has arrived in a Birks box and every time it has hit me emotionally. This time it seems to have really hit me  as this is a special award.  It makes me think of my mother. My mother grew up in Toronto and  for all my years as a child and teenager she worked in the financial district in a tall skyscraper for a well-established law firm. She was a “secretary” for a QC lawyer. She  worked pre and during the “Mad Men” era.  She loved Birks and identified that store with significance.  For many years my mother would receive a Christmas gift from her boss from Birks. It was always something special for the dining room. We loved watching her unwrap these beautiful gifts. They usually came with meticulously and elegantly put together layers of bows, paper,  boxes and tissue paper before even a hint of a gift was revealed. We all knew that mom loved Birks.  I remember going with my brother one year to buy her a Christmas gift. He knew exactly where to go and what to get. Trying to keep up to his pace he took me with him into Birks , pointed at the item bought it and was out of there in less than 5 minutes. I swear! He knew he couldn’t go wrong because it was from Birks. He was right. My mother loved that gift from him. I  know my mom would have seen this pin as special because it was made from Birks.  It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it! I miss her so much!  Here’s to you, mom!

 Rosemarie

OPEN HOUSE: Saturday April 16th 2-4PM

#311-1485 Garnet Road

Listed at $159,000

MLS#363278

OPEN 2-4 SAT APR. 16- #311-1485 Garnet Rd YOUR BEST NEXT MOVE! The age 55+ owners/residents of Rosebank Gardens enjoy an exceptional & unique style of independent/community living! They own & manage their suite, the building, the facilities, & the services! Fees cover a daily chef-cooked meal, weekly housekeeping, 24 hour staffing, & building maintenance. Facilities include a large common/dining room, laundry on each floor, guest suite, & available parking. Nestled in a quiet, treed urban oasis, it's a walk to the library, groceries, & Univ. Mall. South facing #311 is a bright, premium, top-floor suite with skylight, large living room, cathedral ceiling in master, balcony overlooking the quiet garden, full open-concept kitchen, & large in-suite storage room. Rosemarie Colterman & Tom Oak Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty 250 592-4422

Another Busy Month in the Victoria Real Estate Market

April 1, 2016 Victoria BC - The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on Multiple Listing Service® real estate activity in the Victoria area for the month of March 2016. 

A total of 1,121 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this March, an increase of 52.7 per cent compared to the 734 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,618 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of March, 30.5 per cent fewer than the 3,769 active listings at the end of March 2015.

"I think the strong uptick in the market has surprised many of us! The business cycles of real estate are affected by economic drivers and it's clear that this cycle has all possible drivers running at top speed. Many different factors may be contributing to this activity," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "Pent up demand from the slower years of 2008 to 2013, lower than historic mortgage rates, strong interest from out of town buyers, a buoyant economy that's attracting job seekers and the lifestyle and beauty that Victoria and area offers all contribute to the activity we've seen this year."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in March 2015 was $569,700. The benchmark value for the same home in March 2016 has increased by 16.4 per cent to $663,300.

"Though we represent a relatively small geographic area, there is variation in price and inventory in different neighbourhoods," adds Nugent. "Areas near the downtown core continue to see high demand for houses and condos, as do most areas in the Peninsula. The West Shore has also strengthened considerably but pricing remains lower than in the core because there has been more inventory to meet demand. Further out of town there has been less demand, but overall all areas have now strengthened in sales. More than ever I encourage buyers and sellers to connect with a local REALTOR® to develop a strategic approach in this fast moving market."

We now have an accepted offer.