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.
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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.
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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.

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.
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© Stephen Mullock |
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©.
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© Stephen Mullock 2015 |
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.
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 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.
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.
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)
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.
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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