Christmas Cash Contest

It’s been almost a year since we started our Real Estate TV episodes, and in celebration, we’re hosting a Christmas Cash Contest! Christmas is one of those times where everyone could use a little extra cash, so we’re giving away FOUR $100 Visa® Gift cards. That’s right, four! Even better, we’ve got more than one way to win those gift cards! We’ll get to the details, but before we do, make sure you’re following our Facebook page. A complete set of rules, terms, and conditions is available on our Facebook page in the info section. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Thursday, November 29, 2018!

We’ve got two ways for you to win that Christmas Cash!

Christmas Cash Contest: Chance #1!

Our first chance for you to win is by liking and sharing our contest video. You’ll then be entered to win a $100 Visa® Gift card. At the end of the contest, the winner will be selected randomly from our participants. Spread the word!

Christmas Cash Contest: Chance #2

Our second chance for you to win is by telling us what you want to see featured on a Real Estate TV episode in 2019! You can send us your idea for an episode via Facebook Messenger on the Courtney & Anglin Facebook page, or by email to info@courtneyanglin.com. If you have more than one idea, submit them separately to increase your chances of winning! We’ll pick our favourites, and the top three ideas will each win a $100 Visa® Gift card! If more than one of your ideas wins, you’ll receive one gift card for each winning entry.

We have had a great time making and sharing our videos with you. Our episodes have featured a wide variety of topics! Some episodes have focused on the amazing place we call home and the wonderful things we can do here, like riding the chair lift on Mount Washington!

Other episodes have featured the legal aspects of owning a home, like how to comply with regulations when you have sensitive fish habitat on your land or how to legally build that dream shop. We’ve answered a couple of real estate questions too, like why many houses don’t have basements, or why you might want to build on an urban lot.

We’ve even thrown in some Comox Valley history in our episode on the E&N Railway and we’ve also dealt with a haunted house in our episode on stigmatized properties.

It’s been wonderful to share the amazing Comox Valley with you and give you a little insight into what we do! We’re looking forward to creating more episodes in 2019, and we’re particularly excited for your ideas! We can’t wait to hear about what you’d like to see in a future episode. The Comox Valley has something for just about everyone. Whether you’re thinking of buying a property here, or you’re selling one, we’d love to hear from you. We love our jobs, and we can’t wait to help you find your dream home. Give us a call today.

Recently, we featured one of our newest show homes from the Ridge on an episode of Real Estate TV. The Ridge is in a great location and is a great representation of the beauty of the Comox Valley. It’s a new development, and there are many benefits to purchasing a newly constructed home. As part of the process, show homes are a great way to find out if new construction is what you’re really after in a home. They can also tell you if the neighbourhood is right for you.

What is The Ridge?

The Ridge is a fabulous neighbourhood in the Comox Valley. It’s a quiet area with walking trails, great views, and it’s close to everything the Comox Valley has to offer. The Ridge is a new residential area and is currently in Phase 2, with Phase 3 on the way soon! Our featured show home is built with the Denman floor plan. This show home features Whirlpool® appliances, quartz countertops, and a beautiful natural gas fireplace. The master bedroom boasts a 4pc ensuite bathroom with a fantastic fully tiled, glass enclosed shower and a pair of his and hers sinks with quartz countertops as well. Upstairs, the home has 2 large bedrooms and a huge family room with beautiful views.

What are the benefits of looking at a show home?

Show homes are a great tool for you, as a potential buyer. They give you the opportunity to view the floor plan in detail, instead of as a blueprint. This is particularly useful if you’ve been looking at the floor plan utilized in the show home, since you can get a feel for how the space might work for you. Show homes are also a great way for you to familiarize yourself with the builders. If you haven’t decided on a floor plan or a builder, this is a great opportunity to see what’s available. When visiting a show home, you can also get a feel for the neighbourhood and the area nearby, such as how long it takes to get there, what coffee shops or stores might be nearby, and what parks or walking trails are near the neighbourhood.

Why should I buy in a new residential area?

Purchasing in a new residential area has many advantages. The houses are custom built and brand new. New houses are built to the latest specifications and codes, so renovations and updates aren’t required. They’re also significantly more energy efficient up front, with no retrofits needed. With new developments, there’s plenty of choice. This means you’ll likely get a say in floor plans, lot locations, finishes, and exteriors. Some developments have a few guildelines, such as varied or uniform exteriors, which may direct your choices. Be sure to read up on the development’s guidelines, to make sure it’s the right fit for you and your family.

It’s a good idea to visit at least one show home when you’re looking at buying a house. They offer lots of possibilities that aren’t available in an older home and they might just be the perfect fit! If you’d like to visit the show home featured on our episode, we’re on location Saturdays from 12pm – 2pm. If you’re thinking about purchasing new construction, give us a call!

It’s not often that you come across a home with as many selling features as this one. Located at 4826 Kilmarnock Drive, this home features direct access to the beach via a 30’ panhandle. If that weren’t exciting enough, this 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home sits on a third of an acre with stunning views and many updated features throughout the space. Selling features like these helps attract buyers to your home. Identifying these features can really make a listing stand out. So, what parts of your home classify as selling features?

Selling Features: Kitchen and Bathroom Updates!

If you browse through a couple of listings, you’ll see that many of the selling features include updates. There’s a good reason for that. Properly completed updates send a message to the buyer that they won’t need to do a bunch of maintenance on these areas as soon as they buy it. Some of the most common updates are kitchens and bathrooms, which see a lot of use and require regular upkeep to keep them in good shape. In our new listing, the owners updated the kitchen to include a granite countertop and island. The kitchen also features stainless steel appliances, a luxury to any home cook.

Selling Features: It’s All About Location!

Location is often advertised as a selling feature. This is somewhat buyer dependant, as each person has their own idea of what makes the perfect place for a home. For young families, this could be a home situated close to schools or parks. For a professional couple working long hours, a quiet location might be their preference. Other considerations could include proximity to shopping or a location with a view. In our new listing, the home’s selling features include walk-on access to the beach and beautiful ocean views from many places in the home. Talk about a great location!

Selling Features: Comforts and Luxuries.

If being situated on a beach with a fully updated kitchen isn’t enough for you, there’s more selling features to consider! Many people look for comfort and luxuries in home purchases. This is entirely personal preference, as each person has their own understanding of what luxury or comfort is to them. For some, it’s extra rooms, a large master bedroom, or an ensuite master bathroom. For others, it’s outside entertaining space, hardwood floors, or walk-in closets. Still others value hot tubs and fireplaces as the ultimate in luxury. The possibilities are endless. Our new listing has multiple selling features in this area. It features a natural gas fireplace in the living room and a newer deck that’s accessible from the master bedroom via sliding doors.

Each of these selling features contribute to attracting a buyer. Whether you’ve got a couple of selling features or many, they’ll be a big consideration for any potential buyers looking at your property.  If you’d like to take a look at 4826 Kilmarnock Drive, give us a call! If you’d like to see what your home and its selling features are worth, we’d be delighted to hear from you! Don’t wait, contact us today!

The end of October is a spooky time of year and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn about stigmatized properties! What does that mean? Should you buy stigmatized properties? What if you like haunted houses? These are all great questions. Stigma is hard to define, especially on a property. Preferences are individual too, adding to the complication. While this may seem mysterious, have no fear! We’re going to walk you through it. Let’s start with taking a look at what it means.

What are stigmatized properties?

Simply put, they are properties that have psychological events surrounding them. Sound spooky? For some people it can be! One example is a home that has been the site of a tragic event like a sudden death or homicide on the property. Other examples could be criminal in nature. For instance, the home could have suspected ties to a member of organized crime, or perhaps it has been the previous target of a break-and-enter or vandalism. This idea can also include sexual offenders living in the vicinity. And, maybe you guessed it, this also includes reports of a property being haunted.

Can I tell what listings are stigmatized properties?

Disclosure of stigmatized properties is not required in British Columbia. Since stigma isn’t considered a defect on the property legally, these types of situations rely on the idea of “buyer beware”. This simply means that buyers are responsible for making sure the property is suitable for what they’d like to use it for.  Sellers have the option to either answer questions about potentially stigmatized properties directly, or they can refuse to answer and get the buyer to do their own research.  The good news is that if you feel uncomfortable with any of these events, your Realtor® can help out! They can look into what happened to a property you are interested in.

Should I buy stigmatized properties?

There are a few things to consider before you make a decision to buy a home where a pyschological event has taken place. Firstly, these events bring up different reactions depending on how old you are, your gender, your religion, and your family. Secondly, there can also be more to the story. For instance, a death on the property could refer to something tragic, but it could also refer to a loved one passing on with family nearby. It could have happened recently, or a long time ago. Having your questions answered is the best way to decide how you feel about what has taken place, and to know if the stigma affects your own perception.

In the end, stigma is really a matter of perspective. The best thing you can do is think carefully about what would bother you and what wouldn’t. Make sure to define your concerns as specifically as possible. As you’ve seen, the concern of a death on the property gets more complicated when you start asking questions, and for many people, some of the answers to those questions can actually reduce the stigma surrounding the event. Whatever you decide, talk to your Realtor® about any concerns, as they can find out what has happened to a property you are looking at. They can also steer you to different properties if there are known events surrounding specific properties ahead of time. If you’re looking to buy a home in the Comox Valley, whether you want a haunted, spooky home or a regular one, give us a call! If you want to know what your home is worth in this busy market, we do that too. Contact us today!

In our last post, we talked condo insurance, and this time, we’re discussing home insurance. With fall in the air, many people heading down south for the winter. We took the opportunity to visit Neesja again to discuss the impact an extended vacation has on your home insurance. Many people want to know what an extended vacation does to their home insurance policy while they’re away. What do you need to do for your coverage to be valid? We have some answers.

Before figuring out what needs to be done, we need to distinguish two important terms in home insurance. The first is the term unoccupied. With home insurance, unoccupied refers to a home that is empty for an extended period of time, and where there is intention to return. In simple terms, that means the occupants have gone on an extended holiday, but they’ll be back. The second term is vacant. Home insurance policies consider vacant as a reference to an empty home where there is no intention to return. For example, a home can be considered vacant when the owner of the house no longer lives there, but the next occupants haven’t moved in yet. These two home insurance terms are important, because your trip south renders your house unoccupied, not vacant. Unoccupied properties have different requirements in your home insurance policy than vacant ones, so it’s a good idea to check your home insurance and make sure you’ve done what’s needed for coverage while you’re away.

What needs to be done while you’re away? Are you covered during the winter? How long can you be gone? Each of these questions have answers that are unique to your policy. The best way to make sure you have the facts is by talking with your insurance broker. Different home insurance policies will have different requirements on things like turning off the heat or shutting off the water. If you haven’t discussed extended vacations with your broker, many insurance providers also offer specific coverage on home insurance for extended holidays, so make sure your policy is up to date.

One of the biggest issues for unoccupied homes is the increased risk of damage or theft. More specifically, damages from things like broken water pipes can go on for several weeks before discovery, increasing your risk of significant damage. Once your policy is up to date and you’ve looked after the details needed to keep your home insurance policy current, you should ensure that someone is checking your property during your time away. This will help to reduce your risk of damage, as well as making sure that your home looks occupied. Some of the things this person should look after are yard maintenance, such as lawn mowing, and collecting your mail. If you receive the newspaper, you can request to be excluded from deliveries for a specified period of time. This will keep things from piling up on your doorstep. If you don’t have anyone close by who can do these things for you, the Comox Valley is home to Valley Home Check, a company that offers regular monitoring for homes that are unoccupied. They offer multiple services, including indoor pet care, and will email you regular reports while you’re away.

When it’s time to head south, make sure you check with your broker about what’s required for your home insurance. In any case, you should make sure that someone stops by your home regularly to make certain your home is in good condition while you’re gone, and to prevent theft. If you’re thinking of calling the Comox Valley home for all of the year, or part of it, we’d love to chat with you! If you’re curious about what your Comox Valley home is worth, give us a call today!

We recently visited with Neesja at Waypoint Insurance in Courtenay to discuss the differences between strata and condo insurance policies. During our visit, we found out why it’s necessary to carry condo insurance in addition to strata insurance. Strata insurance and condo insurance policies each cover separate things, so you actually need both to be covered in an emergency. There’s also a few things you should be aware of if you are renting in a strata building or if you own a duplex.

Strata insurance policies are half of the equation. By law, strata corporations are required to maintain a minimum level of insurance. However, there are several conditions that aren’t part of the minimum coverage requirements, like earthquakes or overland flooding. Check your strata’s insurance information to find out what’s in their individual policy. Overall, strata insurance policies cover the exterior of the building, as well as the interior of your condo with its original finishes. This includes anything physically attached to the building, such as countertops and toilets, but excludes things like stoves and dishwashers. It also means that any upgrades, such as adding hardwood flooring or installing new countertops, will not be covered. Additionally, strata insurance policies do not cover your belongings, so you’ll need separate coverage to handle this, in the form of a condo insurance policy.

Seeing that there are many gaps in coverage without it, the condo insurance policy is worth adding in. Condo insurance covers what strata insurance does not. Holding a condo insurance policy means that betterments and improvements made to your property are covered in an emergency. This policy also covers the contents of your unit, as well as liability. The condo insurance policy actually has a lot of customization available to it, as well. You can talk to your insurance broker about additional coverage above the strata’s policy or adding insurance for significant upgrades beyond betterments. You can also be eligible for coverage regarding situations where you may be responsible for damage to another unit or earthquake coverage. Before you discuss condo insurance or earthquake coverage, be sure to check the cost of the deductible for your strata corporation and what’s in the strata’s policy, so you can get the right coverage for your unit.

Did you know? Duplexes are treated the same way as condos for insurance purposes. Duplexes require a separate insurance policy for the building, as well as a condo insurance policy for the contents, just like a strata unit. Another good thing to know about condo insurance is that insurance carried by a landlord or a strata does not cover renters. This means that tenants renting in a strata building need to carry their own insurance as well to be compensated in the event of an emergency.

Insurance in a strata is different than a regular house and you should definitely purchase condo insurance to make sure you’re properly covered in an emergency. Be sure to bring your questions, as well as information about your strata’s coverage, to meetings with your insurance broker. This will help to prevent you from missing important details and get you the right coverage. If you’re thinking of buying a strata unit, or if you’re curious about what your home might be worth in this market, give us a call!

An accessory building, also known as your dream shop, can be valuable when it’s done properly. Now that you’ve finally received permission to build it, there’s a few things you need to be aware of before you start!

First, what is an accessory building? It’s defined as ancillary and subordinate to a permitted principal use or building on the same lot. That basically means that they’re an accessory to the main building on the lot and are not meant to be another principal building. Examples of an accessory building can include a shop, greenhouse, shed, boathouse, storage building, or a private studio, among others. Any of these structures will have a specific set of guidelines to adhere to, as an accessory building. Now that you know what your dream shop really is, it’s time to go to city hall to start the permit process. In the Comox Valley, you’ll need to head to the CVRD Planning Department.

During the planning and permit process, you’ll find out the limits on your new building. Accessory buildings are limited to specific heights. In the Comox Valley, an accessory building are generally limited to 6m, measured from the average natural grade of the peak of the roof, depending on where the building is located on the land. An accessory building is also limited by setbacks on property lines. Property setbacks for the Comox Valley area can be found by using the CVRD’s iMap2.1 tool. You should then confirm the property setbacks with the planning department. You’ll also find out about your maximum lot coverage, which is a percentage stated on your zoning bylaw. Maximum lot coverage is basically just a measure of how much impervious space you can have on your lot. All of these restrictions will be important when submitting the paperwork for your accessory building, so make sure you’ve done your research and have planned accordingly. Be thorough! You don’t want your permit to be denied because of a technicality. If you need clarification, contact the planning department to confirm.

Once you’ve got the details sorted out and you’ve submitted your paperwork, you can expect approximately 3 – 5 weeks before your plan may be approved. Then you can put your plan in action and start building that shop! Accessory buildings can add really add value to your property when you sell, especially when they’re done right and permitted properly. They can also be something to consider when you’re buying too! If you aren’t buying a home with an accessory building already in place, all of these limits should be questions to think about. It will be important later if you decide to build. If you do want to construct a shop or other building on the lot later, all this information can be found during the buying process. Having this info ahead of time will prevent you from ending up with an accessory building the size of a doghouse when you do go to build it.

Have fun building your dream shop! If you are thinking about buying real estate in the Comox Valley, and you’d like to build on the lot in the future, we can help you get the information you need. If you’d like to know what your property is worth and you’re thinking of selling, we can help with that too! Contact us today!