Current Entries February 28, 2010. "People always get what they ask for; the only trouble is that they never know, until they get it, what it actually is that they have asked for." (Aldous Huxley) February 27, 2010. Here's an opportunity to enjoy a peaceful lakefront property, on special Salt Spring Island! Recently renovated/upgraded, this level entry home offers open plan living (vaulted ceiling, stone feature fireplace), dining with sliders out to spacious deck (expand summer living pleasures), country kitchen. Three bedrooms (master ensuite), full bath, old growth wood flooring, tile bathrooms. Lower garden level offers family room, bedroom, bath, laundry/mudroom (could be a separate suite, if desired). Sunny decking, patio, separate workshop/studio space. Fruit trees, meadow area leading to lake and dock. St. Mary Lake offers swimming, canoeing, freshwater fishing (trout and smallmouth bass). The rural ambiance and privacy of this property is immensely appealing -- sunny, quiet, yet close to all amenities. Retirement? Summer/weekender? The choice is yours! February 26, 2010. Mark your calendars! Be at Mahon Hall on March 6th, from 1 to 5 p.m., for the "Let's Grow More Food This Year!" -- a community action dialogue on making Salt Spring more food reliant. The event is sponsored by Transition Salt Spring, Island Natural Growers, and the Salt Spring Seed Sanctuary. Salt Spring Film Festival at GISS and The Fritz, starting tonight and through to the 28th. Tonight, at The Harbour House Hotel: live music with Paul Mobray. Tomorrow it's Ramesh Meyers. Richard Wood, one of the most highly regarded fiddlers from Canada's East Coast, plays Moby's on Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. Catch The Two Daves Show every Monday, 2 to 5 p.m., on Salt Spring's community radio station (107.9 fm or streaming audio at www.cfsi-fm.com). Bubba's Blues on Sunday afternoon. My show on Monday's 7 to 9 a.m. (Music, interviews, this and that -- not about real estate). Bobby B Cool plays 50s/60s rock on Tuesdays. Solar Heat focuses on Jazz on Fridays. Check out the program roster on the website! The Olympics fervour and pride has been felt on Salt Spring, too -- Islanders have been involved in many behind the scenes volunteering aspects, in Vancouver and in Whistler. The excitement of the Games is drawing to a close, and the knitting together of the fabric of this country is an outcome that wasn't forseen. Meanwhile...Spring continues! February 25, 2010. Green -- it's beyond mainstream! Locally, Salt Spring and the Southern Gulf Islands are in the forefront of the "green revolution". Salt Spring is also a "foodies" paradise -- organic opportunities, and it's definitely possible to do the 10k diet, never mind the 100k diet! Bruce's Kitchen is a pivotal shaper of the organic movement! Find him in Harbour Centre, adjacent to Centennial Park. The Harbour House Hotel is another option. Salt Spring Woodworks is in their final Sale week. Check this out, and ask Celia about the Sculpture Garden. Something very unique! Don't miss The Juicy Amazing Goddess Woman Event, March 5 to 8, at Salt Spring's Farmer's Institute. Silken Lauman speaks on the 8th -- schedule and tickets online at www.BestAbundantLife.com (be there!). Mark your calendars: Darryl Chonka plays at The Treehouse, March 5th. This is talent, not to be missed! March 1st (yes, unbelievably, that's this coming Monday!) be at Fulford Hall, to enjoy the Salt Spring Folk Club's presentation of traditional folk songs and cutting edge bluegrass! Show starts at 7 p.m., at Fulford Hall. Tickets at Salt Spring Books, Acoustic Planet, and Stuff and Nonsense. Tonight: catch Blues: Soul Shakedown and Friends at Moby's (8 to 11 p.m.). Saturday, catch Auntie Kate and The Uncles of Funk (8 to 11 p.m.). Catch my live radio show this coming Monday -- interviewing the new owner of the former J.Mitchell Gallery (now called Gallery 8), at 8 a.m. Drop by this dramatic and eclectic gallery, (in Grace Point Square), to enjoy its new "look". Enjoy some artistic flair from this Gallery 8 at Calvin's Bistro, too! It's already Spring -- maybe not according to the calendar, but our weather pattern this year has blossoms, bulbs, and enthusiasm erupting into our daily lives! Enjoy! And, have you planted your garden yet? Get with the program! February 24, 2010. " All that we experience is subjective. There is no sensation without interpretation. We create the world and ourselves; Only when we stop do we see the truth." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") February 23, 2010. Don't forget to tune into my weekly live radio show, Monday mornings, from 7 to 9 a.m. (PST). If you're within range, it's at 107.9 fm (otherwise, it's via streaming audio, off the website: www.cfsi-fm.com). It's not about real estate! I love what I do, connecting buyers and sellers on Salt Spring Island, on the Southern Gulf Islands, and on Southern Vancouver Island, and have been very lucky to have met so many lovely and interesting people during my 20 years in real estate. They all have their story to tell. That's what my show is about -- Island charms, "happenings"/events, and, of course, interviews of the Islanders! For a taste of some previous interviews, check out the podcasts on my website (www.liread.com/radio.htm). I also get to play music I like, and I hope my listeners share my taste-buds! My signature opener is always Elvin Bishop's "Let It Flow" -- seems to sum up my philosophy. Comments are always welcome, plus suggestions about ideas for the show/people to interview. What an eclectic and "electric" Island we dream on. Lucky us! February 22, 2010. Wow! 12 + acres -- a dream awaits your pleasure on tranquil and rural Denman Island! New home, custom designed and built (a Zen-Scandanavian modern ethic) -- cook's dream kitchen, dining off, dramatic living with vaulted ceiling, formal entry, family room, exercise room with climbing wall, radiant infloor heat, custom European windows and doors, easy access to extensive patio spaces from all principal rooms...double staircases to upper level: one side offers three bed, full bath, community gathering space/playroom -- the ideal children's wing! The other side, with its own stair access if desired, accesses the master "suite" (with spacious view decking off). You will love the bathrooms -- a mirror image of the best of French or German "moderne"! This home breathes quality in execution, with a dramatic and creative flair in design. Many unique features here, to surprise and to delight you! The property is deer fenced and offers easy maintenance "natural" landscaping features. Enjoy the bamboo "frame"...privacy with flair! A short stroll to a great walk-on beach, the perfect walking/beachcombing experience, and warm ocean swimming. Fronting on a natural marsh, enjoy canoing the tributaries, and the vistas over the "lake" in its midst. A bird-watcher's paradise! Denman is one of the mid-area Gulf Islands, with a 10 minute ferry trip from Buckley Bay, on Vancouver Island, and then a short drive to Courtenay (all services/amenities close by, then). Skiing at nearby stellar Mt. Washington, too! Tranquility, a rural gem, arable land -- be self-sufficient, here. The "village" offers a yesteryear charm.... The plus? An amazing "shop". The owner is a craftsman custom cabinet maker, and this is a state of the art space! You will be labelling it "the mansion", and not calling it a shop! New home, sensational space for a home occupation use, wonderful rural landscape, sunny (e/s/w exposures here), private...here is your archtypal dream property. Discover it today -- call me for appointment to view! February 21, 2010. Canadians have been typically typecast as the "quiet North Americans", it seems. Traditional English Canadians that is -- Francophone Canadians have always understood la joie de vivre! With the Winter Olympic 2010 Games, in Vancouver and Whistler, something seems to have happened...in its quiet Canadian way, naturally! An explosion of enthusiasm has occurred! It is very "un-Canadian" to paint the flag on cheekbones, to wear red and white clothing, with a flag motif, if possible, to break into spontaneous and slightly off key renditions of the national anthem (O Canada...we stand on guard for thee...), and it's very strange to see a happy meshing of strangers into a club called Canadian! And yet...there it all is! What did the Manitoba winner of the Gold Medal for skeleton racing say? It's the point of sport, to engage in friendly rivalry, with equals -- the best of the best go to the Olympics, and mere seconds separate the first place finish from the fifth place. Sadness and Joy coexist in an Olympic venue...in life, we are in the midst of death, as the great philosophers remind us. The tragedy of the death of the luge racer, from Georgia, on a practice run, before the Olympics had even opened, and then the wild enthusiasm for Alex Biladeau, Gold Medal for Men's Mogul race, with the heart-warming story of his inclusion of his brother, a Cerebral Palsey victim, in his life...it created that yin/yang story of real life events. So many stories, and all of them linked with this unexpected and whole-hearted bonding with the Olympic experience, right across the country. It started with that Canada-wide Torch relay, and built into the euphoric pride being expressed in Vancouver and in Whistler.... Does this mean we've finally grown into ourselves? I suspect we're going to see a lot of media reporting about the deep inner meaning of it all, in the Canadian psyche. For the time being, enjoy! Value the passion and the perseverence that delivered these athletes to the Games. They are the best of the best, and in some way, we're all "winners", as they carry us all along with them. Inspiring, eh? February 20, 2010. Here's a terrific opportunity to live and to enjoy a resort based working lifestyle, on special Salt Spring Island! This 5 + lakefront resort enjoys excellent repeat business, and has been a family run enterprise. With English Country charm, the 9 cottages can be expanded to a total of 21, if one wished to build out the resort's capability. Or, go from resort zoning to strata resort zoning -- this allows one to sell off the cottages to individual owners, although it remains as a resort, and when not occupied by the owners, it would remain in a rental pool. One might even consider approaching the Trust to downzone from this valuable commercial designation, to residential, and it may then be possible to softly subdivide into lakefront parcels. Worth a discussion! This is a worthwhile holding property, continuing current useage, while pondering all the options. The current zoning is very rare, and the location on St. Mary Lake is prime (sunny, quiet, private, serene mountain and lake vistas). The lake is stocked with fish (trout and small mouth bass, and salmon also spawn in the nearby creeks. Call me, for details, and check out my website, too (www.liread.com), under the commercial/business label in the listing portfolio section on the main menu. Don't overlook this enormous potential. February 19, 2010. Olympics fever hits Vancouver, & Whistler, & B.C., & Canada...it's great, eh? It's definitely a very unseasonably early Spring, in both Vancouver & in Whistler, which brings with it its own dilemmas, weather-wise, but for the spectators of the events, it's unbelievably wonderful! Newscasts of world events, which interrupt the "local news" of medal performances, also show division and strife, elsewhere, and terrible blizzard conditions in unseasonably cold/snowy east coast venues. Anyone watching the newscast on CTV, or catching it in the U.S. on NBC, and looking beyond the talking heads at the international broadcasting venue in Vancouver, will wonder where that magical city lives! Vancouver was looking its best this morning, with the glow of sunrise spilling across the North Shore mountains (yes, they were green!), rippling the Harbour's grey into blue, and the Canada Place "sails" silhouetted against the growing light...it was magical. We who live on this Pacific Northwest Coastal "rim", whether in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland, or whether on the "sunshine coast" of Sechelt & Gibson's, or whether in one of the many stellar Vancouver Island communities, or on one of the spectactular (& protected) Gulf Islands, know that we are lucky indeed. One of the offshoots from the Olympics moment, filled with passion, joy, disappointment, tragedy, beauty (just like any good Greek play), is certainly the discovery of this very underacknowledged "wet coast", swimming contentedly in the Salish Sea. It is one of the treasures of the world....enjoy! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! February 18, 2010. Don't forget the Course Calendar opportunities, for early Spring 2010, with the Salt Spring Island Community Education. Some options: Soup, soup, beautiful soup; Tenant rights & obligations; Level 1 Spanish; An intro to astrology; Astrology, beyond the basics; Bee-lightful lanterns; A tisket, a tasket, a little linen basket; Gardening with the folks from Foxglove; Square foot gardening; The art of scrapbooks. Check out their website ( www.ssicommunityed.org). Feed the mind! J. Mitchell Gallery, in Grace Point Square, has undergone a dramatic transformation, under its new ownership. Now called Gallery 8, the new owner, Razali Wahab, welcomes you to enjoy the new "look" at the Gallery. Calvin's Bistro is also showcasing many paiintings, basketry gems, pottery, all from the stable of talented artists that showcase their works through Gallery 8. Be sure to drop by and check it out! Spring show coming up soon. Catch Vaughn Fulford's White Dogs of Texas at ArtSpring, at 7 p.m. on February 27th. The show will be staged in ArtSpring's Gallery Space...don't miss this talented performer. Tickets at ArtSpring ticket centre (250-537-2102). Salt Spring's Chamber Players present a Concert Entre Amis at 2:30 p.m., on February 21st. Jim & Laurie Stubbs, pianist Matthew Stubbs, cellist Paula Kiffner, and members of the Victoria Symphony showcase a chamber concert featuring works by: Albinoni, Alexandre Tansman, and Franz Schubert. Enjoy! Did you know that every other Friday, the Legion presents old-time jamming? Call them, 250-537-5822 for more details! Toe-tappin...... Salt Spring Woodworks annual February sale is still ongoing...drop by and check out their treasures! Feb 26 to 28th, it's the 11th Annual Salt Spring Documentary Film Festival! Films show at The Fritz movie theatre and also at GISS. Opening night gala at GISS, at 6 p.m., on the 26th -- featuring "The Yes Men Fix the World". Live music with Alvaro Sanchez & Chamigos. Light dinner fare and desserts (chef Bruce Wood and Laughing Daughters Bakery). Check the times and locations on the Driftwood's website. Al fresco dining, definitely at lunch, can be enjoyed these dramatically warm and sunny days at: Treehouse Cafe, Cafe Talia, TJ Beans, Rendezvous Cafe, Auntie Pesto's, Seaside Kitchen, Rock Salt Cafe, Calvin's Bistro, Salt Spring Inn, Moby's, Harbour House Hotel, Falconshead Grill, Marketplace Cafe, Bruce's Kitchen, Barb's Buns, etc. etc. etc. We are in a foodies paradise, and the weather is like late April/early May...wow! Enjoying those Olympics? Great coverage on CTV (in HD, if you have it), and if you're in the U.S., it's also on NBC. Who wouldn't fall in love with this West Coast treasure? Started your garden yet? Pick up the Salt Spring Island's Local Organic Food Guide, at the Chamber office...be inspired! Don't forget to catch my live radio show, on Mondays, 7 to 9 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time)...music, interviews, timely topics, and not about real estate. I love my career, and look forward to connecting with people about real estate, but after 20 years in the business, I really wanted to showcase all of the many interesting people I've been lucky to meet. That's the point of the show! I do put up some interviews on my website ( www.liread.com/radio.htm), in case you missed them. We live in a very eclectic and always passionate and interesting community...am wanting to showcase this side of the island on my show; your suggestions are always welcome. Thank you! (107.9 fm or www.cfsi-fm.com). February 17, 2010. "When admiring a painting, Don't examine the paint. When meeting an artist, Don't look at the brush." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") February 16, 2010. This coming weekend is the Literary Festival on Galiano Island, held at the Galiano Inn in Sturdies Bay, and sponsored by Galiano Books. Be there...it's a super event! Friday, Feb. 19th to Sunday, Feb. 21st. Call Galiano Books for ticket information. Also, on Salt Spring, on the 20th, 7 to 9 p.m., at Mahon Hall, there's a film and talk, a benefit for community to community projects, in Africa. More info? Call Gary McNutt, at 250-930-4279. Next time you're at Louis' Cafe Talia, on Hereford Avenue, enjoy the paintings...Don Hodgins is featured at this moment. Original paintings and fine art reproductions are offered by Don Hodgins...very talented! I especially enjoyed his "iris" painting.... Mark your calendars for the March 5 - 8 event, at the Farmer's Institute, on Rainbow Road, as Salt Spring welcomes The Juicy Amazing Goddess Woman Event. Presented by Sacred Space Productions, the event begins on the 5th, at 5:30 to 11:00 p.m., with local fabulous food, women in voice & music, & a release your inner dancing goddess with an all-ages toonie family dance! On March 6 & 7th, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be presentations, original theatre & dance performance pieces, inspiring visual & body art, elemental expression and a discovery of your local services, products & organizations in support of women & families. Free childcare is available in three hour blocks for the weekend, at Farmer's Institute, & must be reserved ahead of time. A special presentation on the 7th, with three time Olympian, author, mother, & child advocate: Silken Laumann. A private catered reception at 5 p.m., with the presentation at 7 p.m. (tickets available at Salt Spring Books & online at: www.BestAbundantLife.com). Something different on creative & eclectic Salt Spring Island! Don't forget to tune into my weekly Monday morning radio show on the local community station (107.9 fm or www.cfsi-fm.com) -- it's weekly, Mondays, 7 to 9 a.m. (PST). My "producer" is Dave Gordon, who also has a show with Dave Roland, Monday afternoons (The Two Daves Show). My show isn't about real estate....I love what I do, and truly enjoy connecting sellers and buyers, but that's my "day job" (we all have one, as we make ends meet), and my show is about the Island, the interesting people who inhabit it, and all the unique things they do here. I call it "a little of this and a little of that". We are so lucky to live here, and to be inspired, daily, by fellow Islanders and by the beauty of the locale...this is the flavour of what I'm doing on my show. Check it out! Critiques are welcomed! Enjoy your next coffee break at Rendezvous Cafe, in the Salt Spring Marina area, across from Moby's Pub...Brigitte's delicacies must be savoured! The weather is unbelievably mild this winter...more like a lengthy very early Spring! Maybe this will be one of those years where we can go swimming in the local lakes by April! This is a year to consider planting a garden, and to becoming part of the "home grown" food revolution. Local is a word that we will hear more of this year, with an encouragement to foster self-sufficiency & sustainability. We are lucky on Salt Spring, and on neighbouring Vancouver Island, to be a part of a "foodies paradise". Lots of people to give us advice, too. The Year of the Tiger began on Sunday, the 14th. A time of challenge, perhaps, but also of great innovation & creativity. Time to dare, and to do that thing we've been thinking about, but were too nervous to try...there's only the "now", remember! Get with the program! Speaking of creativity...what is that Ipad about, anyway...maybe the real platform for the 21st Century? Can't wait to try it out! February 15, 2010. Here's a unique opportunity on special Salt Spring! One of North America's rare organic golf courses is for sale...$1,250,000 asking price (Canadian Dollars), for this 32 + acre lakefront golf course. The plus? The adjacent 36 + lakefront acres is also available, also asking $1,250,000 (Can. $). Heirloom orchard, arable land. Another plus? An adjacent 11 + lakeview acres, with rustic home, detached workshop/storage building, asking in mid-700,000s, (currently tenanted; 24 hour notice required), is also available. It adds up to approximately 80 acres, sunny (e/s/w exposures), close to all amenities yet quiet and private, and with potential for vineyards, orchards, seed propagation...you decide! The 32 acre golf course and the adjacent 36 acres of undeveloped land enfold Blackburn Lake. Incredible opportunity here, and it's on Salt Spring Island -- the Southern Gulf Island with the year-round lifestyle! Call me, for more details/appointments to view. February 14, 2010. Today is the beginning of Chinese New Year -- the Year of the Tiger. "A Tiger year suggests political instability and the likely outbreak of hostilities between former allies arising out of problems that were foreshadowed in the Rat year. An assassination or impeachment of a political leader leads to a cooling of the global economy. High-risk speculation is exactly that." (from "The Chinese Astrology Bible" by Derek Walters). Sounds like a year of turmoil, challenge, endings and beginnings...and opportunity. In change, there is always opportunity, if one is looking "forward". Today is also Valentine's Day -- apparently, the biggest day of the year for sending a greeting card, after Christmas! Take your sweetie out to dinner and celebrate either (or both) Valentine's / Chinese New Year! Check out the Olympic Games coverage -- Vancouver and Whistler are on show, for the world! Meantime, our very early Spring continues.... February 13, 2010. "Accomplish your visions. Persevere in your ambitions. Only then can you negate Visions and ambitions." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") February 12, 2010. It's here! Tonight, at 6 p.m., the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics begins, in Vancouver! The Games start on the 13th, and run through to the 28th. Lots of snow at Whistler, and the one event for Cypress Bowl, on one of the Lower Mainland mountains, is ready, too. The rest of North America seems to be in a perpetual snow storm, breaking records all over the place for the amount of snow in a 24 hour period; here, on the Lower Mainland of B.C., it's very early Spring! There seem to be, always, at any world event, not just at the Olympics, a group of people who try to bring attention to the inadequacies they see in societal issues. It is their right, in our western world, to express their opinion. Important, though, to remember the real meaning behind the Olympics -- the athletes have trained long and hard for their moment to "go for the gold", and all of us need to help them to achieve their dreams, with our support and our attention. In all cultures, from very early times, it is considered a mark of goodness to welcome the stranger. Vancouver and Whistler are welcoming the world to our area, and all of us need to remember to be good ambassadors for our region. Enjoy the opening ceremony, enjoy the games (whether in person, or on t.v., or via the web), be inspired to follow the lead of the athletes, who have given their "all" for their passion in life. It's terrific that it's taking place in our "back yard"! February 11, 2010. It's the Year of the Tiger, in the Asian horoscope, and Golden Island Restaurant, in Upper Ganges Centre, is holding their annual Chinese New Year dinner. The actual New Year day is February 14th, this year. By reservation only, the Golden Island special New Year's menu, is available on Feb. 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th. Enjoy! (Check out, too, on their place mats, your Chinese animal sign, and see how it fares in this Year of the Tiger). Special Valentine menu choices, at Calvin's Bistro, at Rock Salt Cafe (they're offering a Valentine's Brunch, too), Tree House Cafe is offering a Valentine's Brunch, Auntie Pesto's has a great menu selection, too, for dinner (reservations, please), Falconshead Grill & Lounge at the Golf Club, and the Harbour House also has a 3 course menu for your pleasure on the 14th. Enjoy! A special poetry reading, on Valentine's Day, at ArtSpring...Don McKay & George Sipos, 3 p.m., in the ArtSpring Gallery. Wave, if you see me! This weekend is the 14th Annual Seedy Saturday, presented by Island Natural Growers. Friday, the 12th, there are two films, starting at 7 p.m., admission by donation. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., you will want to take in all of the presentations. At the Farmers Institute on Rainbow Road. It's $20 for workshops and $10 for lunch. Don't miss this event! Bruce's Kitchen, in Harbour Centre (formerly Gasoline Alley) offers farm to table cuisine, featuring local food sources. Bruce offers catering, and it's an eat in /or take out "downtown" location. Mark your calendars, too, for the "From Table to Field: an Islands Conference on Agriculture, Community & the Environment", held this time on Galiano Island, starting at 9 a.m., on March 21st. Phone: 250-539-2175 for more information. Tonight, at Moby's, it's Blues: Soul Shakedown & friends, from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, it's Live Music: The Sutcliffes, from 8 to 11 p.m., and Sunday it's Jazz/Folk, with Darryl Alsbrook, 7 to 10 p.m. Don't forget to watch the opening ceremony, in Vancouver, at B.C. Place, for the 2010 Winter Olympics, on February 12th, at 6 p.m.. Whether in person, via t.v., or on the Web...it's an event to remember! The Artists Way course is coming to Salt Spring: Wednesday afternoons beginning Feb. 24th, from 2 to 4 p.m., and Wednesday evenings, beginning March 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. Contact Robert Birch at 250-653-0036, for details/costs. As usual, lots to do and to see, in this supposed "off season"! February 10, 2010. A totally beautiful retreat home, on spectacular Salt Spring Island, awaits your pleasure! Essentially a new home; totally renovated, with superior finishes, this jewel of a home offers a dream kitchen, welcoming living room (feature fireplace), dining with an oceanview, library/den area adjacent. Large mudroom/laundry area, with guest bath...perfect for the gardener! Main entry enjoys a covered deck...easy country living! Cherry wood floors, and concrete for easy maintenance in mudroom and covered entry deck. Master bedroom, with terrific ensuite, is reached via exterior stair or by glass elevator from main level -- a whimsical tree house experience with an oceanview! The plus? Separate guest/studio. Spacious oceanside decking, covered, expands summer living pleasures, too. Deer fenced easy care garden, around home, with patio and outdoor barbecue area. Remainder of property is in natural and easy-care state. Private, sunny, with its own dock...keep your boat at home! Serene marine vistas, over Long Harbour and beyond, to Prevost Island. A peaceful property, in an area of very fine homes. Enjoy! February 9, 2010. The real estate industry continues its serpentine ride through a huge change period in how the business is done. Until the mid-70s, all information and all sales people were controlled by a real estate company. Realtors were more like employees of their company. The mls system was not as varied or as wide-ranging in format. Many listings were company "exclusives". The consumer of the service chose on a company level, when they decided to list their property. Buyers went to a company "name", when searching for a property to buy. Companies trained their sales people, took 50 percent of the commission earned, and paid for company oriented ads, Board fees, office supplies, etc. The agents were incidental to the company "name". In the mid-70s, Dave Linegar invented the agent-oriented system under the name Re/Max. The company controlled business models fought this new concept, and it took some years for the then revolutionary agent-oriented business model to become the "norm". By the late 80s, the agent oriented business model was in place, as the accepted model. Many old companies disappeared, and those who remained in business had to copy the Re/Max model, and change their format. Franchises sprang up -- each office was individually owned and operated, with the corporate presence an umbrella title over all the individual offices. The corporate office sold products to the agents working at the individual offices (letterhead, signage, cards, promo pieces) -- some agents paid for such extras/others didn't. There was choice. The agents paid a fee to the corporate office, for the franchise connection, and also paid a fee to the owner of that individually owned and operated local office. Theoretically the remainder of the commission went to the real estate agent. (However, individual advertising, marketing the agent, not the company, plus Board/MLS fees, office supplies, signage, biz cards, etc., were now the responsibility of the individual agent). Control of their own mini-real estate business was the responsibility of each agent, working under a company "label". Again, it was up to each agent how much they wanted to spend to create an individual market presence in their local area, and this was not a corporate mandated decision. Re/Max, Coldwell-Banker, Royal Lepage (a Canadian franchise), Century 21, Sotheby's, Macdonald Realty (a Vancouver firm now just beginning to franchise offices), Prudential, Coast Realty (a Vancouver Island franchise, made up of many now defunct NRS/Block Bros franchise locations), Realty Executives, Keller Williams (the fastest growing franchise in the U.S.), 1 Percent Realty, etc., are all agent-centric and franchise business models. The owner of the individual office would be able to subsidize the office operating costs, off the fee charged to the real estate agent working there, but would only make a profit if a lot of agents chose that corporate "umbrella" name to operate under. This is why franchises prefer large offices. The consumer of the real estate service mainly chose an individual realtor to contact, in this agent-centric model of business, to sell or buy, and only marginally was influenced by the company the realtor worked under. A realtor who treated him/herself as a business, spent money to market themselves, would come to the fore in the consciousness of the public. The corporate offices had logos for other things they offered, including company membership in other specialized groups, and individual realtors could use these logos in promoting themselves. Unless they paid, though, to utilize what was offered, it was just corporate window-dressing. It was up to the individual agent what they chose to use (cost to them). Consumers would have had to inquire whether a realtor was actually taking advantage of these extras, or just "borrowing" the logo from their corporate office. Underneath these two very different business models (the company centric and the agent centric), however, it was basically business as usual, from the consumer's perspective. The information on properties was held by the realtors. The MLS system had become much more important in the agent-centric world, and the consumer, teased with some partial information on the MLS customer side, had to contact a realtor to get "all" the information. Real estate, then, was still being treated as a regional/local matter, and if someone wanted the information on an area/a neighbourhood, schools, services, etc., not just property information, they had to contact a realtor. Instead of a company, they would seek out a particular agent. Referral business between these franchise "pods" was important, pre-internet, but not after. Now, we're well into a new phase, and the real estate industry is late to the table of change. It is the outcome of the internet revolution. This third business model is consumer-centric, and it affects all businesses. The customer is now in control of all processes. The car industry, the travel industry, and the stock market side of investment felt this significant shift earlier, and it is now real estate's turn, as a style of business to be changed completely. The internet erased time and geography, first. This opened up local regions to a buyer from somewhere else. Suddenly, real estate trends were global, and "local" patterns could no longer be isolated. Once the internet became mainstream, the consumer was searching for all information on the Web. The realtor was no longer the repository of information about schools, civic opportunities, services, amenities offered, climate, business options -- all that could be found on an internet search, and the "choosing" of an area had taken place before any call to a realtor. Now, recognizing the new business shift to the consumer, we are finally seeing new real estate business models coming forward. Some may last, some may evolve, some may disappear -- it's the brief transition period between "what was" and "what now is". The most dramatic new company model is Redfin. This company is looking towards Canada. For the past couple of years, CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association) has been involved in a lawsuit, brought by a real estate company in Ottawa, and challenging the control of information by CREA / MLS system. Under this system, all consumers must still go to a realtor for full information on a property. CREA has been fighting this challenge. In the U.S., there are competing "mls style" companies, such as Zillow, where a consumer can find out all property information, and not "have to" contact a realtor. The U.S. mls system is now offering something similar -- to remain in business, they are having to evolve their platform, to be able to answer the consumers demands. Redfin is a company that hires office employees, not agents. The seller's commission has 2 parts -- half to the listing agent and half to the buyer's agent. With all information available via the web, Redfin's approach is to give the buyer's side of a commission to the buyer. Very different, and, yes, totally consumer oriented. I think we will see a lot of new biz models, plus amalgamations of the old 20th Century franchise/agent-centric models, as they try to change to meet the demands of this consumer revolution. It's not clear, yet, what the outcome will be for the real estate industry. For myself, I continue to offer both a strong "local presence", plus partnerships with both national and international affiliations. I do think this is a way to reinvent the service for today's "global village" and tech saavy consumer. I look forward to discussing these important aspects with you, and to sharing my ideas. I remind everyone that change offers opportunity. There is a door in every wall. It's usually wallpapered over, so you do have to feel around, to find the doorknob, and to open it onto the "next great thing". It's there, though! Looking for the very best in service and knowledge, in your property search, on Salt Spring Island or on the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! I work for you. How may I help you to buy your Island dream? February 8, 2010. BBC news reports : US to probe Toyota brake problem Economy and jobs worries stock markets and oil Bank of England's time-out for quantitative easing plan Vegetative state patients can respond to questions Dinosaur had flamboyant multi-coloured plumage Exoplanet gas spotted from Earth Symbian phone operating system goes open source North Korea relaxes free market restrictions China hits back at US over trade & currency Iraq election campaigning delayed Romania to host US missle shield February 7, 2010. Evening classes....lots to choose from! Art History Through the Ages starting on Feb. 23rd. Landlord and Tenant Rights and Obligations, on Feb 24 and March 3. Young Toastmasters Starting Seeds beginning on Feb. 20th. Blues, Blues, Blues beginning on Feb. 17th. The Mysteries of Canadian Law, starting on Feb. 18th. Growing Your Own Food, on Feb. 20th. How Does This Thing Work? On Feb. 24th, learn what your Blackberry can do! Starting and Running Your Own Salt Spring Business. See if there's still room...began on Jan. 27th. Call SSI Community Education (250-537-0037) for more details, costs of courses, etc. This hybrid moment, between Winter and Spring, is the time to feed our minds! Tune into my live radio show, tomorrow morning, on the Community Radio station at 107.9 on your fm dial, or, on the Web, at: www.cfsi-fm.com (it's live, from 7 to 9 a.m., PST, every Monday...interviewing the interesting people I've been lucky to meet, during my 20 years on Island. Check out some previous interviews, on my website (www.liread.com/radio.htm) with the magic of podcasting!). February 6, 2010. Here's an exceptional opportunity! One plus acre, private and sunny, on community water system, and with ocean views over Long Harbour and Ganges Harbour! On special Scott Point, this beauty was completely redesigned/renovated (essentially a new home) and has been very softly "lived in" by owner. Architect designed, custom builder, easy care landscaping, "natural" ambiance. So peaceful! Three ensuite bedrooms, open plan living/dining, great kitchen, sep. laundry/mudroom, spa bath (with Japanese flair). The plus? Great separate studio space, plumbed -- artist? home occupation? guest space? you decide! An excellent buy, here. Tranquility awaits..... February 5, 2010. Tonight, the Olympic Torch arrives in Whistler...if you're around, at 5 p.m., you will be part of the excitement! I do think there will be significant spinoff from the Olympics discovery moment. Whether people are present for the Games or are watching T.V. or via the Web, they will see in the background the splendour of both Vancouver and of Whistler. The entire coastal "rim" (Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast) will benefit from this discovery -- we are such an underacknowledged area. If we're from the Coast, or have lived here for some substantial time, we will be under the illusion that this beauty and pristine natural quality is still evident everywhere. It's not! Lucky us to be here. I can see that many others, once they've experienced the coastal allure, will be wanting a seasonal residence, at the very least, and a retirement opportunity if they can. Might take 3 to 5 months after the actual event, to see people start to turn up, but they'll get here! I have a seven foot kiosk/DVD presentation of my area/listings, in a high visibility area in Whistler Village, during the Olympics and for the remainder of the year. I'm "out there"! Valentine's Day is fast approaching: special dinner at Harbour House Hotel, at Auntie Pesto's, and at Calvin's Bistro. Chinese New Year falls on February 14th this year, and Golden Island Restaurant will be hosting their annual Chinese New Year Special Dinners, on the 12, 13, 14, 15th. It's the Year of the Tiger...extreme activity, I think! Bocados Bistro is having a special dinner, on Feb. 10th, a fundraiser for Haiti...be there! Call them, for reservations/more info. Calvin's Bistro reopens for their season, tonight, with a special three course dinner menu, and their regular menu, too. New gallery art display, too (Gallery 8). Moby's showcases Rock/Dance, tomorrow night, 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, the 7th, it's Jazz at Moby's, 7 to 10 p.m. Don't forget tonight is the Haiti fundraiser with a one performance benefit of Shirley Valentine, at ArtSpring. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Galiano Island is offering a first ever literary fest, Feb. 19 to 21st. Visitors will be able to talk, one to one, with writers and fellow book lovers. Call 1-877-795-2665 for ticket info and suggestions of where to stay. This is something to take part in, if you can! Don't forget the Historical Performance Ensemble, this Sunday, at ArtSpring (Ladies Aires and Dances). The Baroque world unfolds for your pleasure! Salt Spring Woodworks annual February Sale is underway...this is a treasure trove of excellence. Don't miss the sale. Want to know what to do with your Blackberry? Here's a one day course: call 250-537-0037 for information. Sacred Space Productions Presents "The Courage to Shine", with Silken Laumann, on Sunday, March 7th. Mark your calendars! Limited tickets available at Salt Spring Books. Call 250-538-8718 for more details. This is a part of the Juicy Amazing Goddess Woman event, March 5 to 8, at the Island Farmers' Institute on Rainbow Road. Thank you to the Search and Rescue volunteers on Salt Spring...if you're interested in helping out, and training to be an emergency response tracker, contact them for more details! Volunteer...we are the community, after all. Ahhh...this very early Spring weather is wonderful! February 4, 2010. "Do your devotions make you happy? Is your life a joyous song?" (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") February 3, 2010. The real estate industry is in the middle of a huge shift in how it is "done", now that the "real" 21st Century is in play. In Canada, the information on real estate has been controlled by CREA, the Canadian Real Estate Association, and the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) has had control of all real estate information. A consumer, then, had to deal with a realtor, to be able to discover information on properties. In the U.S., for some substantial time, there has been an open door policy in information, with many competing options to the MLS system -- Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow, plus different models of real estate sales, such as Redfin. These U.S. based models have tried to enter Canada. Canadian companies have tried to introduce their own search parameters, and have been prohibited from doing so. An Ottawa company decided to sue CREA, under the Competition Act, by claiming that the best interests of the consumer were not being served. Other companies, in various parts of Canada, including realtors who work under the MLS system, have tried, at various times, to "do their business model" with the information on properties. CREA, and therefore the Boards and realty companies/realtors, have been able to maintain their position in the transaction process...they controlled the information. The government was supposed to respond, by December 2009, re the lawsuit. The timeframe for a decision has been extended. Zillow, Redfin, and other consumer oriented businesses, are awaiting the outcome. CREA, and the MLS system, is really a 20th Century business model. The internet totally changed how the car industry works, plus the stock market side of investment. It is the real estate industry's turn to face this dramatic shift in how information is disseminated. The consumer is now in charge of all business models, and search engines have already replaced realtors as the arbiters of knowledge. The internet has also erased geography and time, so that buyers may turn up from all over the world. That "global village", promised by Marshall McLuhan, back in the 60s, is with us. The role of a real estate agent, then, has changed. Many realtors and companies have not recognized the change, and are wondering why tried and true ways of doing business no longer work. I often think we are in a moment in time, of huge societal change, not unlike the world portrayed in Charles Dickens novels. He was describing the passing away of the old Agrarian world, and the supplantation of it by the new Industrial Age. Depending upon where one sat, in the shift moment, it was either pain or profit. That's where we are today. An old way of dealing with the world is passing away, and a new one entering. The hybrid moment is almost over. A consumer driven world means a new form of connection between sellers and buyers. Unless a real estate company has renovated its way of accomplishing its business, to meet this challenge, and unless individual realtors have remodelled themselves to fit the new paradigm, I can see that there will be a lot of "disappearing acts" occurring. The outcomes for the stock market side of investing are before us. Etrade is there! The Redfin model is at our border. Can't stop it...it's a shift moment between two realities. What is it, again, that a real estate agent offers a consumer? That's for next time! February 2, 2010. Spectacular new home, very fine finishes, wonderful design flair, on 6 + private and sunny acres, with a wrap around view of ocean, islands, and mountains. See Mt. Baker's majesty from here! Dramatic patio and pond feature at home's entrance...easy care landscaping. The property remains in "natural state", with many options for development. Zoned for main home plus separate guest cottage and separate studio. Arable areas...plant a vineyard, perhaps grow olives, create an orchard....keep sheep! Lost of options, here, for your plans. Sunrises and sunsets on this parcel...and, truly, a stellar panoramic viewscape. Level entry home offers dramatic foyer/entry, open plan living and dining with vaulted ceiling, windows that encompass the views, radiant infloor heat, cherry wood floors and cement flooring with a copper sheen and copper inlay design. Stone feature fireplace in living. A cook's dream kitchen, with spacious pantry off, plus mudroom/entry. Guest powder room, with stone feature wall. Exercise room with a view! Master sitting, with spectacular ensuite bathroom (you will love the window wall from the shower, leading out to the hot tub, with a view!), plus separate laundry. Garden level offers gallery/yoga retreat, guest bed/bath, plus media/games room, and a separate office (could be a third bed, if desired. Custom murphy bed for overflow guests, in place). Lots of storage in this home, and a craft space on garden level, too. Access out to patio area that mirrors the decking on main level. So many superlative details here...has to be seen to be appreciated! In an area of very fine homes, close to all amenities, and yet in its own serene world. You will want to stay forever! February 1, 2010. "Every river has its banks, Every ocean has its shores." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")

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