Chilliwack BC Real Estate: July 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Growing Kindness in Chilliwack

The Star Fm 98.3 Kindness Crew was busy yesterday handing out free Chilliwack corn on the cob. I found it to be a lot of fun. Turns out, giving away free stuff is easy. Our only request,"pay it forward" let's grow kindness as well as corn in Chilliwack.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock
is an award winning full-time real estate specialist with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sales. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Hiking the Hope Lookout

This post starts at the top with the unobstructed vista of Hope, B.C. from the Lookout. It is quite a view - the reward for the 1 and a half hour hike to the top.

Hope BC © Stephen Mullock

It is possible to get to the lookout a lot faster. In fact, there is a statute near the parking lot indicating trail runner speeds between 23 and 29 minutes. I am impressed - this trail although only 2.4 kilometres in length has an average grade of 19.2% and an elevation gain of 480 metres. The conditioning of these trail running athletes must be remarkable. I would rate this trail as being of medium difficulty. Here is a site for hiking and travel directions to the parking lot and trail head.

The group I am with however have ages in the 50s and 60s and so we are taking our time enjoying the forest with frequent breaks for water and rest. I am wearing good hiking shoes and carry poles, water and a lunch to enjoy at the top.

The trail is well maintained and a number of benches are provided for the weary. I manage to find them all.

Pika © Stephen Mullock

As we near the lookout I hear a "whistling" from the scree above and see this little guy in amongst the rocks. Known as the "whistling hare" this small mammal, a Pika, had been sending a high pitched warning call out to other Pikas - humans are near. A very shy creature, I was pleased to get a few photographs before it dove back into the rocks and was gone.

As we returned I was reminded of the force of nature. This picture shows a recent windfall the tree roots splayed upward with ferns and earth still hanging from it.

Close proximity to coastal forests such as this one near Hope, B.C. is just one of many benefits of eastern Fraser Valley living. If you are planning on hiking please be prepared, and remember to "pack out" whatever you "pack in". Happy trails.

Imagine living here....

Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam is one of only two real estate offices in Hope. Give us a call.

Stephen Mullock
is an award winning full-time real estate specialist with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sales. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Best Family Event in July - The Harrison Festival of the Arts

For locals, the Harrison Festival of the Arts is like taking a holiday at home. For visitors it is one more reason to come back to Harrison Lake. Imagine grabbing a lawn chair and setting it up under the branches of a willow tree swaying in the breeze, suddenly you hear an instrument being tuned - just wait, the magic is about to begin. Likely you will not know the song - that is part of the fun of music exploration. The world comes to Harrison Hot Springs from July 11 to the 19th and with them comes their music, stories, art and goods. Check out the festival lineup at harrisonfestival.com.

This year, so far, I have caught three performances. Last Saturday at the Memorial Hall, Ayrad mesmerized us with a Moroccan blend of propulsive music. Soon we were a hip-swaying dancing mass under the spell of Ayrad's massive groove. Such a good time.

Last night on the beach, Don Alder was featured. A guitar virtuoso that packed a huge wow factor. Also I had never seen a harp guitar. It is pictured above.

At the Memorial Hall, this the only Literary Cafe of the festival featured Corin Raymond's "Bookworm". Weaving a tale about the power of books, family and love Corin seemed to plumb my own memories with tales about Spider-Man, Ray Bradbury and the Minotaur. He ended "Bookworm" to a standing ovation. Well done Corin!

I should mention the Memorial Hall is a small, intimate room that is wonderfully air conditioned.

These performances are now all in the past but there is much more to come. Check it out at harrisonfestival.com. See you there....

REAL ESTATE - there are plenty of real estate opportunities in Harrison Hot Springs from beach front condos, river view apartments to single family houses only a short distance away from the beach. Contact me if you are interested I live nearby.

Stephen Mullock
is an award winning full-time real estate specialist with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sales. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Stephen Mullock A Recommended Chilliwack Realtor

Customer service remains a #1 priority with me even after being so many years in the real estate business, so, a letter like the following means a lot to me. Thank you David and Monica, you are a wonderful couple, it was a pleasure being your Realtor©.

Our experience:

We recently moved from Ottawa to Chilliwack. In preparing for the move we came across Stephen Mullock’s realty website which we found to be an excellent source of information for both the real estate market and for general information on the Chilliwack area. When it came time for us to start our search for a house in Chilliwack, we decided to call Steve.

From the very beginning, Steve was the consummate professional. He zeroed in very quickly on our needs and was able to show us houses that we were really interested in. This was very important to us since we had a limited amount of time for house hunting and did not want to waste any time.

Steve was very flexible in dealing with us and was always able to accommodate our schedule and our needs. His knowledge of the housing market in the Lower Fraser Valley is excellent. His years of experience in the industry really proved helpful to us. He knows the pluses and minuses of all the communities within the area.

When it came time to make an offer, Steve guided us effortlessly through the entire process and made a number of excellent suggestions regarding the offer.

Both my wife and I found it to be a very pleasurable experience dealing with Steve. He was able to put us both at ease and did not put any pressure on us. His recommendations were always made with our best interests in mind. We have no hesitation in giving Steve my highest recommendation for anyone interested in a realtor in the Chilliwack area.

David and Monica B.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Royal LePage National Garage Sale for Shelter 2015 - In a word "Successful"

Royal LePage offices from across Canada take part in a National Garage Sale for Shelter on the first Saturday of the Mother's Day weekend. Bargain hunters converge on these garage sales searching for past treasures finding them a new home and our office monies for the local Ann Davis Transition Society.

While this event took place in May the numbers are finally in. We raised over $3,400 this year, not bad, and nationally more than $240,000 was collected for use in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. This is Canada's largest foundation dedicated to the funding of violence prevention programs and shelter. Hopefully, many new beginnings can come from these funds.

Running such a large garage sale can be a challenge and we were lucky to have a number of Royal LePage people that unselfishly gave of their time and made this event such a success. In particular, Karen Booth and our fine staff.

I did my part as well but somehow also found time to play with a Star War light sabre. May the force be with you...

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock
is an award winning full-time real estate specialist with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sales. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Chilliwack* Real Estate Sales Review and Analysis June 2015

HOT that is how the weather has been and it is also how the Chilliwack* real estate market was this past June 2015. How HOT was it?

Well, the Chilliwack* residential real estate market for the "month of June 2015" was the best "June" that has EVER BEEN recorded in the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board area.

There are a number of reasons that extend beyond the natural beauty of the eastern Fraser Valley, where the 8 communities that make up the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board are located. These factors include: affordable prices relative to the Vancouver and western parts of the Fraser Valley, low interest rates, positive expectations and a good selection of homes.

In general discussions with Chilliwack Realtors, price increases are common but still not universally shared by each housing alternative or area. Appropriate pricing remains essential to secure a sale.

* The Chilliwack* real estate board area (CADREB) which includes the outlying communities of Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope and parts of the Fraser Cascade Regional District.

**This report divides Chilliwack* residential properties into two classifications; single family detached and strata. There is usually a significant difference in market strength between the two classifications and for this reason I like to discuss them separately.

Sales of Single Family Detached Houses

The Chilliwack* real estate board area (CADREB) which includes the outlying communities of Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope and parts of the Fraser Cascade Regional District recorded a total of 250 sales of single family houses in June 2015.

We normally expect Chilliwack* real estate sales in June to be weaker than the in May but they instead increased by 15%. There were 217 Chilliwack* single family detached sales in May and 250 sales in June.

Based on a 10-year average sale information, we should see about 168 sales in June - so 250 confirmed sales indicate HOT market conditions for Chilliwack single family detached homes. June sales were 149% of the 10 year average. While strong market conditions with the exception of February 2015 and November 2014 have prevailed for a year now this is most remarkable showing to date.

2015 - 2011 Market Strength for Chilliwack* Single Family Houses

Single Family House Monthly Unit Sales as % of a 10-Year Monthly Sales Average

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
2015	127%	61	113	124	119	149
2014	94%	100	82	95	100	110	104	116	105	127	98	123
2013	97%	68%	60%	75%	82%	83%	82%	87%	105%	79%	83%	80%
2012	81%	67%	77%	77%	83%	70%	88%	54%	70%	88%	91%	80%
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%	70%	86%	92%

Sale prices on average were 98% of the listing prices for those properties sold.

Inventory has dropped due to sales activity by 8% with 750 detached homes available for sale on this date of writing. This should cause further upward pressure on prices. While it is difficult to predict what might happen my review of pricing in the 1990 - 2000 period indicated the seasonal market high was reached in June 50% of the time.

MONTH	Sales/	Average Sale Price/	Days on Market/	Active Listings
June 2015	250	$396,000	48	750
May 2015	217	$375,000	62	815
June 2014	177	$368,000	57	n/a

June's median sale price was $374,500 - well above the 2015 median average for the first 5 months of $359,000. Last month the median sale price was $365,500.

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes (SFD)

June 2015 - $374,500
May 2015 - $365,500
April 2015 - $383,000
March 2015 - $347,500
February 2015 - $374,500
January 2015 - $324,500
December 2014 - $342,500
November 2014 - $337,500
October 2014 - $334,500
September 2014 - $338,500
August 2014 - $339,500
July 2014 - $346,000
June 2014 - $337,500
May 2014 - $349,000
April 2014 - $341,500
March 2014 - $347,500
February 2014 - $339,000
January 2014 - $348,000

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Homes:

July 1, 2015 - $399,900
June 1, 2015 - $388,900
May 4, 2015 - $389,900
April 1, 2015 - $385,000
March 4, 2015 - $379,900
February 2, 2015 - $369,000
January 6, 2015 - $359,900
December 3, 2014 - $370,000
November 3, 2014 - $369,000
October 1, 2014 - $364,000
September 2, 2014 - $358,500
August 1, 2014 - $359,900
July 1, 2014 - $359,900
June 2, 2014 - $359,900
May 2, 2014 - $364,900
April 8, 2014 - $359,900
March 3, 2014 - $354,900
February 1, 2014 - $349,900

Please remember to use the services of a Realtor© to maximize your chances for a successful purchase or sale. Give me a call if you are looking for a Realtor© in the Chilliwack, Agassiz, Kent or Harrison Hot Springs areas.

Sales of Strata Homes (apartments, townhouses etc.)

Bucking seasonal trend June Chilliwack* strata sales were 111 up from the May total of 103 strata sales.

Based on 10-year average for June, we should expect about 86 sales. There were 111 sales of attached houses like apartments, townhouses, duplexes etc. in June or 130% of the 10-year sales average for this same month.

Sale prices on average were 98% of listing prices of those properties sold.

Inventory is pretty stable at 443 and prices for strata homes seem steady at this time, but, there is often a lag in prices for strata when compared to the single family detached market segment. I expect a higher average price next month based on the strength we are seeing in this market.

MONTH	Sales/	Average Sale Price/	Days on Market/	Active Listings
June 2015	111	$227,000	70	443
May 2015	103	$227,000	77	447
June 2014	109	$224,000	79	n/a

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes

June 2015 - $228,500
May 2015 - $231,500
April 2015 - $230,000
March 2015 - $230,000
February 2015 - $251,500
January 2015 - $231,500
December 2014 - $228,000
November 2014 - $217,500
October 2014 - $216,000
September 2014 - $245,000
August 2014 - $234,500
July 2014 - $234,000
June 2014 - $219,500
May 2014 - $220,500
April 2014 - $220,500
March 2014 - $243,000
February 2014 - $239,000
January 2014 - $216,000

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings:

July 1, 2015 - $214,500
June 1, 2015 - $209,900
May 4, 2015 - $205,000
April 1, 2015 - $220,000
March 4, 2015 - $199,900
February 2, 2015 - $204,500
January 6, 2015 - $195,500
December 1, 2014 - $199,900
November 3, 2014 - $232,500
October 1, 2014 - $210,000
September 2, 2014 - $216,900
Aug 1, 2014 - $214,900
July 1, 2014 - $219,000
June 2, 2014 - $219,900
May 2, 2014 - $214,900
April 8, 2014 - $219,000
March 3, 2014 - $219,900

2015 - 2012 Strata Market Strength

Strata Home Monthly Unit Sales as % of a 10-Year Monthly Sales Average

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
2015	83%	42	120	104	113	130
2014	90%	66	72	106	105	134	86	97	102	104	92	127
2013	100%	81%	89%	73%	87%	99%	84%	85%	79%	108	68%	90%
2012	93%	78%	96%	70%	87%	85%	97%	67%	89%	76%	114	82%

The best advice I can give you is this - remember to use the services of a Realtor© to maximize your chances for a successful purchase or sale. Give me a call if you are looking for professional service in the Chilliwack, Agassiz, Kent or Harrison Hot Springs areas.

The information presented in this post has been prepared by the author Stephen Mullock, using information from the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board. The information has been drawn from sources deemed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information are not guaranteed.

In providing such information, neither Stephen Mullock nor the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board assumes any responsibility or liability.

Copyright © 2015 Stephen Mullock. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock
is an award winning full-time real estate specialist with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sales. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

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