What is your dream? A recreational home in the Gulf Islands? A retirement home? Whatever it is …we have it on Salt Spring Island, the largest of the Canadian Gulf Islands off the coast of British Columbia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Our Islands on the Canadian side and the San Juan Islands on the U.S. side of the border encompass the string of emerald green Islands that shimmer off the west coast of North America.

Easy to get to, Salt Spring Island has become a world destination for those seeking a safe haven from the frenetic pace of urban life. In this age of technology, Islanders can base themselves on Salt Spring Island and communicate with and travel to all parts of the world for business. A world class ferry system and regular float plane service provide access to metropolitan locations in minutes or a few hours. Direct flights between Vancouver and many major U.S. cities brought more American buyers our way in the past decade. That trend has shifted dramatically in the past 2 years because of the weakening American dollar. Americans were buying properties in Canada a few years ago at a 50% discount because of the exchange rate. The discount currently is now considerably less with the Canadian dollar stronger at well over 90 cents against the American dollar.

The climate enjoyed in the BC Gulf Islands is the most moderate in Canada, described as ‘cool Mediterranean'. The climate allows year round outdoor activities such as boating, hiking, tennis and golf and provides a long growing season for gardeners. Whatever you are looking for….a west coast cedar and glass waterfront home; tucked away cottage, ocean view home, rustic or estate farm, upscale town home, pristine undeveloped land to create your own abode…all are available on Salt Spring Island, BC, where we at Island Quest Realty Ltd. are ready to assist you.

Many retirees have moved to Salt Spring in the last decade and are living their dream. Many part-time non-residents enjoy our eclectic and welcoming community for up to 6 months of each year. People from around the world have discovered Salt Spring Island. Parents enjoy the safe environment and supportive community within which to raise their children. Every few seconds, another Canadian retires and starts packing for the trip west towards our wonderful climate and lifestyle.

Like real estate markets everywhere, our local market is demand driven. More than any other factor, the demographic shift continues to drive the demand that drives our market. That demographic bubble won't shift for many years to come. These retirees seek a small town culture. They are looking for a community of residents who are well educated and interesting; a community that is sophisticated in services but rural in nature; that is beautiful and natural in its surroundings; and is within easy reach of centers of commerce. All that is Salt Spring Island.

The Salt Spring market shifted in 2006. The number of homes sold in the past two years has remained steady or increased in all price ranges compared to previous years. What has changed, however, is the supply. Our listing inventory of homes priced over $700,000 has increased far beyond the absorption rate, particularly in the $1,000,000+ range. Here is the data:

Sellers, it's time to be sharp about pricing your property. There are few premiums to be had in our marketplace and you have to be proactive to attract and keep one of those buyers out there. You have very strong competition!

Buyers, there are still many fine properties well priced in our marketplace but it takes the careful guidance of an experienced realtor to lead you through the process. Our responsibilities include introducing you to every property on the market that suits your needs AND to give you guidance on value so that you don't unknowingly, overpay. The ‘due diligence' involved in property inspections, i.e. permit status, water and septic testing; title charges; structural investigations; non-resident tax, GST, and zoning issues, has become very complicated. Many of our buyers are not living here on the Island and don't know the local professionals so we experienced realtors take on the assignment of coordinating those investigations for our clients.

There are no restrictions on non-residents owning property in Canada. Non-resident owners are limited to spending approximately 6 months (cumulative) each calendar year in Canada to satisfy two Canadian government authorities i.e. Immigration and the Canadian Tax Department. There are taxation issues around any capital gain enjoyed when selling but Canada has established a tax treaty with many countries resulting in concessions on Canadian tax owed. Many non-residents have purchased homes here and spend up to six months on Salt Spring Island and six months at their primary residence in their country of tax base. Rules for immigrating to Canada changed in July 2002. In the top menu bar of our website, click on ‘non-resident info' for links to immigration consultants for more information or contact an Immigration Deptartment close to you.

We offer you many years of award winning local real estate expertise. The majority of our business is from repeat business and personal referrals from satisfied clients. We are caring, thorough, strong negotiators and excellent contract writers. We are very responsive to our clients' questions and needs.

We have a ‘property watch' program which matches waiting buyers to new listings. If you would like us to add you to the program, please contact one of us with details of what you hope to buy. We will outline what we can do for you and what you can do to prepare for your purchase. We understand that your property may be your largest investment. We also understand that many of you want to dramatically change your lifestyle. We can help. Buying is a business decision as well as an emotional one. We are very good at listening and we are very good at take care of business, including after-purchase assistance. All of our clients have become friends and our goal is to keep our ‘clients for life'.

Highlights:

• World Destination
  
• Demographic Shift
  
• Buyer's Market ?
  
• Property Watch Program

"When we started our search over the internet, Donna responded to all our emails promptly and gave us information as soon as we requested it. She was very well organized for my quick trip to Salt Spring with all available homes. She had a good grasp of what we wanted. She was very informative about the problems, advantages, etc. of the homes I looked at and felt that she gave very good advice when it came to putting in an offer. Thank you Donna.

J.W.

"Kelly was very professional, good to work with and easy to get a hold of."

D.R. & C.R.

"I particularly appreciated Kelly's integrity and honesty and I would feel comfortable to have her on any side of my fence, Buyer or Seller."

A. Berg

"I have bought and sold houses before and this experience with Donna as my realtor far surpassed any of my previous experiences.

I so appreciated Donna's professional approach, and always felt that my interests were listened to and taken into consideration. Other real estate experiences have felt quite emotional, but this time selling my house I felt calm and relaxed, knowing the listing was in good hands."

M. Garrity

Donna was "the most helpful, professional, astute agent I have ever had the pleasure to work with. She is the 'best'."

I.M.

"We greatly appreciated the dedicated hard work Donna did on our behalf. We also liked her straight forward answers to our questions, in addition to keeping us so well informed about the market and the progress on our property. We always felt we were 'in good hands' and that proved to be the case."

G. & B

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