Thursday 28 May 2015

Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island

Rebecca Spit, on Quadra Island, is one of those magical places that you find on the east coast of Vancouver Island and throughout the magnificent Discovery Islands. The spit itself is a provincial park, although there is a campground just at the beginning of the spit on private land.

 The park is a long narrow spit with narrow shoreline on either side, paths, a large field in the centre, picnic tables and bbq spots and outhouse washrooms. The road in is a narrow dirt road with parking areas, ending about half way down the spit with a large parking area at the field.
 This is a popular spot for school field trips, dog walking, swimming and sight seeing. The eastern side of the spit looks out towards Cortes Island and is full of driftwood that is excellent for fort-building.

The west side looks over Drew Harbour, which is right next to Heriot Bay. There are often boats moored out in the Harbour, and the west side has nice pebble beach areas, perfect for swimming. This is the side where the picnic tables are located.


 
 


The spit is wonderful in all seasons, and is a fabulous place to spend a day, or an afternoon, or even an hour.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!
 
 
(Blog post reprint from July 2013)

Thursday 21 May 2015

Working with Aerial Photos

For years Ed has been known as the guy who uses aerial photography on his listings. Considering the nature of many of the properties marketed by the BC Oceanfront Team, aerial photos are a big help. Photos from the shore are nice, but photos on land of a large acreage (especially if it is raw land) can only give a small feel of the overall property.
 Discovery Passage Lots

Aerial photos convey location, topography (somewhat, although photos can flatten perspective), surroundings and size. They can give a better understanding of where improvements may be on a property and also of access in and around properties.
Lyall Pt and lots

Putting lines on aerial photos is not an exact science. These are done using extensive mapping, landmarks and Ed's knowledge of the properties. It takes time to sort through the photos to choose the best angles and see which ones capture the property.
before and after lines, Channel Rock NW1/4

Taking the photos is a challenge as well. Ed and/or Shelley take mapping with them and tend to err on the side of caution by taking photos to either side of where they think the property is as well. Viewing property from the air is quite different than visiting on land or by water. Sometimes an arrow is used on a further away shot or when getting the lines accurate is proving too difficult.
Gossip Island arrow to lot

Aerial photography is an important component of BC Oceanfront's marketing, and one we will continue to use to the best advantage we can.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!

Thursday 14 May 2015

After the Offer

You've found your dream property, you've had a look at it and you're ready to make an offer. What comes next?

There is a lot of paperwork involved with buying property, but there is also a lot of due diligence involved. Whether the property is local or remote, residential or recreational, there are things about the property that you may want to have checked and/or verified before you commit completely to purchasing.

Due to the diverse range of properties we sell in the BC Oceanfront office at Royal LePage Advance Realty, we have a wealth of resource information when it comes to the various inspections a property may require and who might be available to perform those inspections.

These could be:
  • For properties that aren't on city sewer system a septic inspection could mean having someone come out and check the system, as well as verifying with the local health authority that the system has a valid permit.
  • For properties that aren't on city water, a water inspection insuring that water lines, wells or other domestic water sources are all in healthy, working order.
  • Building inspections, for all properties with improvements on them. If wood stoves are involved then certain certifications (WETT) are required of the building inspector so they can also check the wood stove system.
  • Docks and moorage for oceanfront properties, to insure all is in safe, working order and properly permitted.
  • Electrical systems - this can require an electrician for a basic wired system or an alternative energy systems company for off-grid power systems.
These are just some of the onsite inspections our office arranges for clients. Most of these require Ed or Shelley's attendance, and some properties can require several days of inspections depending on the complexity of the systems.

When you work with the BC Oceanfront Team, you are benefitting from a group experienced with the logistics and inspections required for all types of properties - good for your peace of mind.
 
It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!

Thursday 7 May 2015

Dreaming of Private Islands

"I know you guys - you sell islands!"
Sheep Island
 
It's true; the BC Oceanfront Team, at the Royal LePage Advance Realty Campbell River office, sells private islands - whole, entire islands that are privately owned and come in a price range to suit many budgets.
North Trail Island

Owning an island in reality of course requires a lot of thought and planning. How will you get there? (Generally boat, sometimes float plane.) Do you want protected or open water? How far do you want to be from civilization? Do you want to build your own island escape? Or do you want an island someone else has developed into an amazing retreat already?

Farquharson Island

For some people owning any island is enough. These islands may never be developed or built on. They will remain a natural escape from the world, perhaps for camping on or just day trips. For some people, just knowing that they have that remote island is the dream.

 Round Island

Other people want to live on their islands, at least some of the time if not full-time (and some definitely want to live there full time). Having a developed property on an island raises a number of questions that should be dealt with during the consideration phase. Questions such as: Where does the power come from? How will water be obtained? How will the building materials get there? Some people circumvent all these complicated issued by buying an island already developed that only requires general maintenance and upkeep. But others want to create their own personal retreat and place. For them, the work and the creation of their person island domain is part of the desire.

Shewell Island
 
Within the BCO office there is a wealth of knowledge about the realities of coastal properties, including private islands. Ed has spent years working in the remote areas of the coast, making relationships, gathering information and seeing over time what works and what doesn’t. The BCO office team specializes in gathering information about remote areas.

Sturt Island
 
Islands are a dream for so many, and here at BCO, we really can help make that dream come true.
 
It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!