Current Entries October 31, 2008. Here's a lovely gem of a cottage/home -- perfect as a single or a couple's retreat for now, and easy to add onto, for later. Designed after a plan of Thomas Jefferson's honeymoon cottage, by noted artist, Michael Hames, in the early 80s, this sweetie has been renovated/upgraded in 2007/2008. Open plan living/dining, galley style kitchen, spa style bathroom, stacked washer/dryer, on main level, plus large master/sitting room on upper level. Wood floors, stone fireplace up and down, expansive decking both at main entry and rear entry, to expand summer living pleasures. New roof, lovely little workshop/studio, separately sited, and huge opportunity to easily add onto the structure. On comm. water, private property, sunny (e/s/w), close to all amenities, to lake, to golf, to tennis, to theatrre, and to shoppping and ferries, plus to beach accesses, yet in its own quiet world. Lots of hiking/walking trails in this area, too. A best buy opportunity on special Salt Spring Island! Just move in! October 30, 2009 Don't forget the fireworks on Hallowe'en, in Ganges Village. This annual event, with donations from Island businesses, to purchase the fireworks, and with input from the terrific volunteer Fire Fighters re setting them off, brings safe fun to an increasingly popular date. Lots of adult costume parties, now, to celebrate Hallowe'en -- a long way from a "kids only" trick or treat evening. Remember to protect your pets on Hallowe'en -- don't let them near the candy bowl. An overdose of such goodies can kill a dog! Remember that they will be frightened at the noise of fireworks, and keep them indoors. (Looking for some volunteer options? Don't forget the SPCA!). Restaurants are open, and it would be fun to make up a party, and dine out -- Harbour House Hotel, Calvin's Bistro, Salt Spring Inn, Bocados Bistro, Seaside Kitchen, Rock Salt Cafe, Piccolo's, Hastings House, Auntie Pestos...enjoy the festivities! Wave, if you see me! October 29, 2008. It's interesting, this change of office. Some people think, because I'm licenced through a Whistler based company, that I've left the Island! I'm definitely still on Salt Spring! For the past 5 years, I've had a personal office in "downtown Ganges", the seaside village, and that's where I'm now located. It's the front office, facing the main street, (with a view of the Harbour and the marinas, and the boardwalk and the park area), in the Clement, Murphy, Woodward law office building (at the corner of Lower Ganges and Rainbow Roads). There's a parking lot behind the building (access off Rainbow Road), and my office has a side entrance (next to the lawn area). I look forward to your visit! In deciding to be licenced through the Sea to Sky Premier Properties group (& their Whistler office), it was a desire to bring amplified exposure to my listing database that propelled my move. There is no "local market" on Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands, and it's been like this for several years, now. The Southern Gulf Islands became secondary home/discretionary marketplaces, and local advertising is only seen when this buyer profile physically turns up on Island; it doesn't "bring them". Targeted print adverrtising, where the buyer profile lives, is also essential, along with use of the local media options. An extensive internet linked presence is also essential. I offered all of these opportunities, and continue to do so. The company I now work with, however, also does what I do, and there's the amplification to benefit my sellers! The information has to get off Island, now, or no one will come to view the incredible properties and opportunities available on Salt Spring & the Southern Gulf Islands. I am the local representative, then, of the Sea to Sky company, on Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands. I continue to live and to work on Salt Spring, and am easily available. My new toll free number is: 1-866-405-9229. My cell is: 250-537-7647 (there's a voice mail, for those frequent "no service zones" on all Gulf Islands!). My fax remains: 250-537-4287. I look forward to your viist to my office, and the opportunity to catch up. Check out my newsletter for Fall, 2008, for more details on my exciting "move". In change, lies opportunity! October 28, 2008 "At age fifity, every man has the face he deserves." (writer, George Orwell) October 27, 2008. So, we're in the home stretch of the U.S. election for President, and it seems that the whole world is watching the drama of their political process. The credit crunch continues to be a factor in everyone's thinking, and the richochet effect of the stock market has cost many people dearly. House prices continue to fall, and value of hard assets is tumbling. Now, there seems to be a growing concern over the validity of cash as a medium to protect one's capital. With the printing of so much paper currencies, globally, without a clear picture of what's backing same, and with a worry over inflationary pressures, it may be cancelling the old maxim that "cash is king". If so, we may see a turn to hard asset investment, in some areas (protected investment venues -- on the Gulf Islands, there's that Islands Trust!), perhaps only short-term. What was that Chinese curse, again? Oh, yes..."may you live in interesting times". Such global shifting, with everyone in the same boat, and no one exempt, is also a new feature, and may be highlighting the fact that we are now well and truly into the 21st Century, and it's definitely not "business as usual". No road map out there, though! It is a time, however, to remember that humans are creative beings. In shift moments, new opportunities present themselves, and if one is wrapped up in fear mode, with its blinkered approach to events, one will miss the new pathways. Also important to remember that being awash in data isn't being informed. We have to bring our editing function back to the table, so we can parse through all this seemingly evenly weighted data, to discover what is really information, and the way of the future. Let's all take a brisk walk around the block, breathe deeply, ponder the stars, get some perspective, and allow ourselves to free float for a minute, so that we can leave blame and worry and past thinking behind, just for a good hour, and let our essential selves bring up some ideas for the "now". Let all ideas flow forth -- no editing at that point! Write them all down. Chew at them for a bit. Something will stick. There's the path. Share your ideas, and get some sparks jumping between people...next thing you know, we'll be looking down the highway and not in the rear view mirror and that's the attitude that breeds progress and growth. Your thoughts? Always welcome! October 26, 2008. Looking for an oceanfront property, ready to just move into and enjoy? Here it is, on special Salt Spring Island! Easy access by stairs to beachside decking -- warm ocean swimming, here! Foreshore licence in place; build your dock, and keep your boat at home! The architect designed and custom built home (in mid-80s) was renovated and upgraded in 2002, and has been beautifully maintained -- an "as new" opportunity! Dramatic living and dining, with music room area. Cosy den, cook's dream kitchen, wonderful master with ensuite, and all with easy access to expansive decking (expands those summer living pleasures!). Self-contained guest/inlaw "suite" (maybe B & B option?), with private decking off its living area. Two further guest bedooms, full bath, powder room, plus expansive storage and "shower" for dogs. Easy care landscaping, totally deer fenced property, and in an area of quality homes. Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), private, on community water system, and with wide-angle panoramic ocean and mountain views -- it doesn't get any better! You will love this! October 25, 2008. "When you're fifty you start thinking about things you haven't thought about before. I used to think getting old was about vanity -- but actually it's about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is trivial." (writer, Joyce Carol Oates) October 24, 2008. Here's a gem of a property, a true and authentic 1912 Arts and Crafts "original", lovingly restored, with a new addition by a Quebec architect, seamlessly done, blending the 21st Century with the early days of the 20th. Formal living and formal dining, plus cook's dream kitchen, morning room, library/den, powder room on main level. Expansive decking for summer living pleasures. Upper level master "suite", with sitting area, oceanview balconies, and a dream ensuite. Lower (garden level) offers storage, hobby space, and a lovely guest/inlaw "suite", with ocean vistas. The property enjoys sunrises and sunsets, privacy, tranquility. Easy access oceanfront, with oceanside decking (al fresco dining here, in the summer season!). "Walk for miles" when the tide is low. Warm ocean swimming, here. Close to all amenities, yet in its own serene world. Enjoy! October 23, 2008. The very alarming news, of economic woes/downturns, continues. It may be that the dust isn't going to settle, here, until after the outcome of the U.S. election, in early November. Nevertheless, it's important to remember that the internet changed many things. Our communication devices, since cave man days, have always created our societies, and businesses and lifestyles have sprung up, over time, in response to such communication vehicles. Discovery and invention are a part of the human experience, and so society also changes over time, reacting to such inventions. The internet ushered in a new way of being, at the same time as the calendar flipped over, by our reckoning, from the 20th to the 21st Century. When something new comes along, it's normal to try to stuff the past into the future, but it's that old square peg that won't fit into the new round hole! The internet erased time, geography, gender and age. It's about intellect to intellect. It's also about the individual voice. Let's just focus on the time issue, though. Things are now totally "instant". We react instantly, without thought, at any and all events. What can go down, so fast that our heads can't keep up with the pace, and we react totally out of fear, without knowledge, without reflection, without reasoned thought, can also go up the same way. Since time has now become "right now", "always", "immediate", what goes down so fast can also come up with the same speed. Mmmmm...I hear people saying they don't have the time to recoup their losses, that it will be years before they get back to where they were. Is that a 20th Century response to time? In the instant world, of alwaysness, no time, time famine, is it possible that this ricochet effect of down-up-down-up, all sort of linked, at the same time, is the measure of our new world? Problem is, no one has a road map, and that's perhaps why there is so much anxiety out there. Where is our editing function? If we're awash in the endless stream of data, pretending to be informed, we need to remember to pause, to think, to reflect, to make a conscious decision in our actions, and not just to react mindlessly, full of fear...the lemmings did that, and remember what happened to them! Over the cliff! Your thoughts? We are in charge of ourselves, aren't we? The good thing is that we're all in this rocky boat, adrift on this turbulent sea, all together. That also means that anyone of us can spy the direction to reach safe harbour, and so we need to be remembering that we are all creative beings. If you see the route ahead, remember to shout directions. October 22, 2008. BBC news reports : Bernanke supports higher spending Chinese economy growth rate slows India's central bank cuts rates The world's most important number UK borrowing hits a 60-year high France unveils bank rescue plan Fatty acids clue to Alzheimer's Vein tubes 'fitted needlessly' Phoenix fights the big freeze Rock records dino 'dance floor' Shun meat, says UN climate chief 'Big Bang machine' fires up Hi-tech brings families together Google at 10 Compact and bijou - the slums of tomorrow? October 21, 2008. Looking for the perfect summer/weekender, for now, with huge potential for development of your dream home later? Here it is! A completely renovated (in 2006) cedar cottage/home, upgraded kitchen and bathroom, wood floors, wood windows, new roof, new decking, upgraded woodstove...this gem sits on the cleared "half' of the property (a rectangle running width-ways to the oceanfront), and the other "half'" remains in forest (lovely stands of Cedars, here). Wide-angle panoramic ocean and islands and mountain views, plus easy access to a terrific walk on beach. Sandy! When the tide is low, you can "walk for miles". Lovely kayaking from here, too. Close to all amenities, and just minutes from Ganges Village and the Sailing Club, this beautiful property offers privacy and tranquility. Enjoy as that special retreat, for now, and develop the drama later. Turnkey opportunity, too! October 20, 2008. "One side of a ridge is cold and foggy, The other is hot and dry. Just by choosing where you stand, You alter your destiny." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") October 19, 2008 I would like to remind you to check out my monthly Market Analysis. I usually get a new one up on the first of the month, and always by the end of the first week of a month. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to read October's Market Analysis. To find my Market Analysis easily in the future, just click on the View the Exclusive Features under Popular Picks on the homepage and then click Market Analysis. Thanks for reading! October 18, 2008. Here's a super Scott Point Drive opportunity --- sunny (s/sw/w), with expansive & wide-angle panoramic ocean, islands, mountain vistas, offers privacy and options to develop your dream. Panabode cottage home (2 bed / 1 bath, living, dining, kitchen, sep. laundry, with expansive decking for summer living pleasures, plus sep. double panabode garage) is great for summer/weekending, for now. The best building site is still there for your dream home, for later. Two oceanside decks, plus exceptional dock, for immediate use. Very appealing property -- enjoy those sunsets! (Note: good tenant in place; 24 hr. notice, re all showings). October 17, 2008. The Saturday Market in the Park continues till October 25th -- if you're on Island, support the market vendors! Tonight, at El Zocalo, Jock plays solo sax, flute and clarinet (6 p.m.), and Saturday finds Gene Grooms playing the blues (6:30 p.m.). October 21st showcases Peter Matthiessen, at ArtSpring , 8 p.m. (tickets $10). The evening is presented by ArtSpring and Theatre Alive! -- don't miss this. Portraits of Islanders, Drawings & Oils, by R.M. Dupuy, continues at ArtSpring Gallery until October 31st. Tonight, at Lions Hall, find Rae Spoon and James Lamb performing live. Tickets on sale at the Hall, $10, doors open at 7:30 p.m. Stewart Katz plays multiple roles in Oy Calcutta!, a 75 min. musical, at ArtSpring, on Oct. 25th, two shows only. Call ArtSpring for details. Don't forget the Grape Harvest Ball on the 18th! Now for sale -- prints from Eric Klemm's award winning book, Silent Warriors, and other series -- limited time only at a special rate. Call Eric at 250-538-1868. Don't forget that Rona Robbins' Upstairs Bears is now located in Grace Point Square. Call Rona for appt. to view at: 250-538-0964. Hours: Wed to Sat, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Purveyor of Fine Teddies. The Salt Spring Island Rotary Club is presenting their annual Hallowe'en Casino & Spooktacular Bash, on Oct. 25th., at Farmer's Institute on Rainbow Road, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets in advance only. Call The Local in Harbour Centre (formerly Gasoline Alley). Lots to see and to do...Fall on Salt Spring is a "winner"! P.S. Don't forget that on Hallowe'en Night there's fireworks in Ganges Village. Wave if you see me! October 16, 2008. "Express yourself. That is meaning." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") October 15, 2008. The local Driftwood newspaper, along with several other Vancouver Island community newspapers, owned by Black Press, are showcasing sustainability in construction and in lifestyle. Check this out on their online presence, too. An Eye for Colour, the Island's weavers and painters guilds collaborative exhibit is taking place at ArtSpring from Oct. 18th to 26th. Don't overlook this event! Hastings House is offering a pink dessert, each evening, for their dinner dessert special, in the month of October, with all proceeds being donated to breast cancer research. Like to draw? Laugh at cartoons? Here's an opportunity to attend the SSI Painters Guild Fall Workshop, and meet Doug Penhale, and learn about Caricature and Cartoon Drawing. On Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon. To register, call Carolyn Withers (250-537-5114). Don't forget to drop into the Stone Walrus Gallery -- Don and Nora are still selling off their incredible collection, at substantial and dramatic savings. Gift shopping should start here! Some dining out choices? Calvin's Bistro and Salt Spring Inn for lunch and for dinner suggestions. Bocados Bistro for lunch and for dinner. Auntie Pesto's for lunch and for dinner. Just "light lunch"? Cafe Talia and Rendezvous Cafe. Something special? It's Hastings House and Piccolo's, of course! Enjoy! Fall is a calmer time, no lineups, and often one can pop in without a reservation. Spoil yourself! October 14, 2008. It's voting day -- the Canadian Federal Election will be decided tonight. It's a privilege to be able to vote, in a democratic country, with freedom of thought. Make sure you get out there, and make your vote count, too. October 13, 2008. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family and friends! October 12, 2008 "If the boulders are moved, Even a river will change its flow." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations"). October 11, 2008. This is the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend holiday weekend, and the "market in the park" is in full array. Studio galleries around the Island are also all open, and many people are staying here, enjoying the Fall action on Salt Spring. Turkey dinner is on the menu of most restaurants! (Monday is officially Thanksgiving Day). In these very turbulent times, full of anxiety, with housing values & stock market values "down", with heavy losses in the stock markets, and bank/financial institutions in disarray/collapsing/or, not lending, it's important to take "time out", and to remember the essentials of life. We are alive, we can create more simple lifestyles, we can remember to hold our nearest and dearest close to our hearts, we can look in on those less fortunate than ourselves, so that they know they are not forgotten...we can look into spiritual and intellectual well being, not just to our material needs...we can remember to truly say and to feel "thanks", on Thanksgiving Day, as we "count our many blessings". We can also remember to exercise our right to vote, in Tuesday's Federal Election. Remember to cast your vote, as it is a privilege to be able to do so, on the 14th. Don't miss the Small Works show at J. Mitchell Gallery, in Grace Point Square. Have you dropped by Steffich Fine Art Gallery lately? Check out the special room dedicated to the works of Michael Hames. Frankly Scarlet Gallery, also in Grace Point Square, offers eclectic choices in gifts and jewellery. Jill Louise Campbell's Gallery, in the Mouat Building, is another opportunity to enjoy her evocative paintings, with Jill's signature way with colour and light. Enjoy! The Sculpture Garden walk, in Hastings House gardens, is almost over -- if you haven't caught this yet, don't delay. Drop in on Salt Spring Woodworks, too, at the corner of Churchill and Upper Ganges Road. Members of the Alliance of Salt Spring Artists (ASA) are showcased at ArtSpring, until the end of this month. Don't miss! Tonight, enjoy El Zoco Locos Trio, at Cafe El Zocalo, in Harbour Centre. Be at the Lions Hall on October 18th at 8 p.m., to catch the Rocksalt book launch and reading. The book, edited by Mona Fertig adn Harold Rhenisch, includes 108 poets -- it's the only anthology of contemporary B.C. poetry created in 31 years. Another event on October 18th is the Third Annual Grape Harvest Ball, at Fulford Hall -- proceeds are split 50/50 with the Mango Tree Project, which assists in feeding AIDS orphans in Mozambique, and the community centre on Salt Spring. Tickets are $50 per person (call Salt Spring Winery or The Local). Lots to do and to see! Enjoy! October 10, 2008 A very appealing West Coast style home on sunny and private 1.76 acres, and a separate studio. Home offers 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, office / den, large country kitchen with pantry, family room, & living / dining. Property offers easy care landscaping, arable potential, and forest with your own walking trails. Property awaits your ideas! October 9, 2008 Li Read is very pleased to announce that she is now with Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Whistler office), which is an affiliate of Christies Great Estates. Li Read continues to live & work on Salt Spring Island. Li looks forward to serving her clients worldwide & advising on real estate for Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands. Li Read’s information rich website remains at the same URL: LiRead.com. Please contact Li Read today at: toll free 866-405-9229 or cell: 250-537-7647 for appointments to view Li's listings. "See Li for Successful Solutions!" October 8, 2008. Looking for a best buy on special Salt Spring? Walk to schools, to community indoor swimming pool, and to both the "upper" Ganges Village and to the "seaside" Ganges Village. Pretty and private garden, sunny property (rear and private yard faces s/sw/w), quiet neighbourhood, with lots of potential. Great family home or a perfect "starter". Lower level offers opportunity to create a separate suite, if desired. Meantime, it's a family room, office/bedroom. Large workshop for the handyman. Spic and span, and ready to just move into and enjoy. Call Li for appt. to view this good investment "buy". October 7, 2008. "After completion Come new beginnings. To gain strength, Renew the root." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") October 6, 2008. Certainly "interesting times" afoot, lately. I think, myself, that this credit crunch we hear so much about, lately, was already on the radar of the banks/financial institutions much much earlier, and might be why there was a sudden pause in activity, re real estate sales, around the end of October, 2005. The banks were probably "freezing credit", right around then. With the Wall Street Journal characterizing all of 2006 as "stable/inactive", globally, that was no doubt a continuation of the financial sector pulling back. Real estate, although cognizant of global trends, is also a very highly regional item, and so it was a bit odd to find that there was the same "static market", throughout one entire year, world-wide. All of 2007 remained relatively quiet, too, except in the low end residential listings, and that spate of action took place in the earlier part of that year. By the time we were into late April/early May of 2008, with all the media attention on the subprime fiasco/resulting credit crunch (banks wouldn't lend), and the bottoming of the real estate market in key areas of the U.S., everyone was on board re what was going on, and CNN style reporting replayed endlessly. Anyone who listed, then, in our Gulf Islands secondary home/discretionary marketplace, between end of 2005 and now, early October/2008, was caught by the reluctance of the buyer to "act". Although some people were encouraged to reduce prices, by some companies/some realtors, it didn't result in increased showings, and it didn't result in a sale in any short-term timeframe. In being that secondary home marketplace, Salt Spring & the Southern Gulf Islands are affected by events in the home areas of our buyer profile, and not by B.C. economic indicators. Salt Spring & the other Southern Gulf Islands felt the "pause" at least two years before Vancouver/Victoria (primary residence markets), because of being this "recipient marketplace". It may be, then, that we are 2/3s of the way along with this credit problem, and 1/3 to go. It's a truism that the worst items always turn up around the end of something, and we could be seeing this now, with even more collapses. It could be that the reaction of the U.S. gov't, to current events, may stem the tide of panic, and bring a reality check into things. The internet erased geography, and helped to create SSI as a destination venue/secondary home marketplace, but it also made things "immediate", and reactions to any news are always "instant". The Islands may also recover more quickly, too, based on having a non-local buyer profile, than would the Vancouver/Victoria primary residence marketplaces. The main buyers for this area still come from Alberta, Ontario, the U.S., the U.K./Europe, with some smatterings from Australia & even New Zealand, plus expats in Asia. It is very rare that someone from the Vancouver area would buy here, now, and even rarer that they would come out of Victoria. The listing inventory in all property categories remains "thin". Prices have remained pretty stable, too, and those who tried reductions did not achieve a sale any more quickly. The buyer is the other side of the equation, and they have been remaining in cash, for the moment, with a wait and see attitude. No one "has to" purchase on any Gulf Island, and the buyer is in charge of both the "where" and the "when" of all sales transactions in such a discretionary marketplace. If I'm right in my thought about being 1/3 of the way to go, before solidity in the financial markets is felt, then it will be around late January/early Feb., before we would see some activity, again, in sales. All price points/property types have remained "inactive", and it's really been this way from end of 2005 till now. Any sales that do take place usually have had their "beginnings" a year before, and sometimes two years earlier than the resulting "action". It still takes two, if not three visits to the Island, before a buyer will make a decision "for" the island. They do compare and contrast with at least three other areas (Parksville/Qualicum, Sidney/North Saanich, Sunshine Coast -- these are the three main competitors to this area). I am a very proactive person, and I do always try to see a way forward. In all change, there is always opportunity, and it's important to me that my sellers are hugely and well presented, and that I do contact the buyers, on their behalf. For some time, I've been thinking about some changes, reflecting current market conditions, that I think will be very helpful to all my sellers. I do huge amounts of targeted marketing, in several global areas, and this does result in distinct and specific inquiries, to my listed properties, and also has resulted in bringing this non-local buyer to the Islands, in the first place. From buyers, though, there has been a protracted "wait and see" attitude that's been afoot, now, for quite some time. The current financial system distresses may make recovery some months off -- as said above, I have felt that we are 2/3s of the way along a process, with 1/3 to go. Essential, though, to be "positioned", as it will be, I think, a quick take-off, perhaps only for a momentary time period, as the person with some discretionary income will be looking for secure assets, for their portfolio. Cash may not be the place to "be", then, post-bailout. As part of my continuing search to couple all the major things that I do, as an individual real estate agent, with the extra dimension offered by a true premiere & larger-based company, I've been looking for a link with a "21st Century style" realty company, that is doing the same kind of marketing that I do, but with the larger "company edge", and I've found it with a Whistler based realty company. To be a part of this will definitely amplify everything that I will continue to do, and it won't be repetitive coverage, but an amplification to what I offer. Further, with the Olympics being held in 2010, at Whistler, many of the same global potential buyers that are attracted to the Gulf Islands will be in that venue, and to be "displayed" there will add to my marketing presence, on behalf of my sellers. This company also has a connection with the Christie's Great Estates affiliation. The company isn't a "franchise", thus -- Christies will not affiliate with a franchise company, and it truly does have a global presence. I have had a personal office, for some time, in Ganges Village, on Salt Spring, and I cooperate with all realtors, on all Islands, with all companies. I will maintain this personal office, although I will be working through the Whistler company. There will be no change to the "local options" that I already offer, in both print and internet media choices. There will be no change to what I personally do re marketing on behalf of my seller client base, on a national & on a global level, and I do offer very extensive opportunities, in my targeted marketing programs. The amplification, in being connected with this Whistler based company, also with a huge global presence, will only benefit my client base. I will be this company's Salt Spring Island & Southern Gulf Islands representative, working through their company structure, and I will be remaining on Salt Spring. My new company association is: Sea to Sky Premier Properties My new toll free number is: 866-405-9229 My cell # is: 250-537-7647 Look forward to hearing from you! Thank you! Phone/Fax: 250-537-4287 www.liread.com/blog.htm www.liread.com/market.htm October 5, 2008. "Make the mind A single point." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") October 4, 2008. Here's an authentic "west coast contemporary" home, designed by H. Schubart (who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and who moved to Salt Spring from California). Located on a "mini point" of land, with exceptional ocean vistas, this gem also has a foreshore licence, so one can build a dock and keep that boat at home! Spacious living, with feature fireplace, country kitchen, sep. laundry/mudroom, dining room with a view, "den" opening onto expansive oceanside decking. Master/ensuite, plus guest/office, in its own "wing", plus further bedroom/full bathroom. Lower (daylight) level, with ocean views and deck with hot tub, offers a self-contained guest/inlaw suite. Oceanview office, too! Lots of decking to expand those summer living pleasures. Located on prestigious Scott Point, with privacy, the very best sun exposure (s/sw/w), and opportunity to bring your own ideas to this lovely home. Enjoy! October 3, 2008. These truly are those "interesting times". A client, sitting in my office, earlier this week, noted that it was the first time he could think of where the housing market was at a low, the stock market was in violent turmoil, with huge losses, and the banking system/financial world was in chaos (with bank failures), all at one time. In past downturns, it had been one segment of the investment world, but this time it was all three, all at once. I thought about that, and no wonder no one really knows what to do. It's a bit like being at sea, in that "perfect storm" -- one has to lash oneself to the wheel, and ride through it. There is no turning back, or relaxing into "what was". I keep waiting for people with that discretionary income to decide to return to protected real estate, especially in areas that offer eventual upscale in appreciation. It might take 3 or even 5 years to see this, and there could be continuing decline in values, short term, but a hard asset is a hard asset, and if one can afford to keep it, then it is the best place to "hold" for the future. On the Gulf Islands, the provincial government mandated body, known as the Islands Trust, controls growth via strict zoning/density bylaws. The Islands Trust's mandate is "to preserve & protect" the Gulf Islands, for the benefit of all of B.C. residents. To purchase in this kind of an area, then, is to benefit from what I call "protected investment". There will never be a lot of inventory on any Gulf Island, then, as a result of the Trust. Questions? Give me a call! If a lot of currency is being printed, in various countries, to cover massive buyouts in order to protect the financial sectors of the world, and to ease the credit restrictions in place, then what backs same? This might be another concern about to enter the consciousness of worried people, around the world. If cash isn't "king", that old adage, because it becomes valueless, then what? Again, one has to be able to keep all the balls in the air, and be able to cover carrying costs of property ownership, but if that is possible, then it's a good time to lock in discretionary cash by purchasing "good real estate". Essential to be prudent, and to "make your money when you buy". If you already own that good real estate asset, and can carry it all, then it is definitely a time to "hold" same. It is not a time to sell. Underneath all the current turmoil and worries, though, it's also important to remember that we all have a life, and that we need to be paying attention to our "nearest and dearest", to be going for walks and keeping up our physical exercise, to be listening to music and talking to each other, and not watching endless replays on the cable networks about "gloom and doom". Remember: if one is a diver, one is below the turbulent surface of the ocean, where the gales and storms are playing. It's calm below, and full of beauty. Let's remember the calmness of the depth, and not fall into the trap of richocheting around on the surface, like a piece of driftwood. So, read any good books, lately???? October 2, 2008. The very best oceanview opportunity on special Salt Spring Island! Custom designed and built in 2005, this home offers the very best in design flair and finishing quality. Open plan living/dining, with feature stone fireplace, plus a kitchen that will excite you! The perfect entertainment space! Wine storage, large pantry...it's all here. Library/den, with office off, full bath, sep. laundry, plus powder room, and access to expansive decking, with outdoor kitchen and hot tub with a view! Master/study with ensuite, and his and hers dressing rooms, plus separate guest wing (self- sufficient!). Garage, exercise room, capacious storage areas! Sunny (s/sw/w), privacy, acreage to expand upon and to build out the allowable zoning (sep. guest cottage and sep. studio). Close to all amenities, and to wonderful beach accesses, yet in its own private and serene world, with a view that is truly inspirational. Just move in and enjoy this "architectural digest" gem. Call Li for appts. to view! October 1, 2008. "Spring was a time of swaggering declarations. Reaching autumn, one finds few absolutes. Life is mystery and ambiguity, Toward winter, that now seems agreeable and comfortable." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")

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