Chilliwack BC Real Estate

46145 Gore Ave. Chilliwack - Build now, Build later

2012-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

This week, my real estate business took me to this rather large, flat, undeveloped 66' x 122' lot in a lovely, older Chilliwack neighbourhood valued for its heritage buildings, sidewalk lined streets, lane-way access and proximity to core amenities..

Franky, I was looking for a unique selling proposition for this property listed by Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty at $189,000 and was happy to find a somewhat special idea - one of those rare "win now and win again" strategies. (Click here for listing details)

A bit of background first, we are seeing the beginning of a transformation in the residential sections of the City of Chilliwack supported by a Downtown Land Use Plan.  Lots of this size are being rezoned to a R1D zone and then being subdivided into two parcels. Did you know that 66', also called a chain was used in surveys as it was the amount of room needed to turn a carriage and team of two horses around. Today, such thinking is outdated and the need to make better use of the land has increased; especially since Chilliwack has such a growing population. The result is smaller more compact lots are being created. Here are some beautiful examples of newer residential houses on easy to maintain smaller lots in the Chilliwack real estate market as of this date (click here).

Lane way coach housing under R1C zoning is also slowly popping up to increase densification - but frankly, this is an idea that should be discarded or overhauled. The examples of coach housing in Chilliwack I saw yesterday are, for the most part, truly awful.

View Larger Map

Possibilities:

1. The lot at 46145 Gore Ave. Chilliwack is zoned R2 which would allow a single family detached house to be built.

2.  A rezoning process to R1D makes sense there are great examples of housing styles well suited for a 33' wide lot on Coote Street.

3.  What if you cannot afford to subdivide right now? I would suggest leaving the property zoned R2 for now, build a house on one half of the property and leave a 33' x 122' lot to be subdivided off in the future. Build now and build again - a win, win strategy. Make sure this strategy will work with the consultation of the City of Chilliwack planning department.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI
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.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Conditions and Sales Analysis - February 2012

2012-02-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

Dug this driveway out a few times.

The weather was pretty brutal in the month of January for us, delicate Fraser Valley west coasters, and, as a result, the sale of single family detached houses in the Chilliwack* Fraser Cheam area suffered. As we leave the poor weather behind we can expect to see a resurgence of real estate listings coming onto the market and a return of stronger sale figures. What are the January sale figures suggesting about 2012?

It is interesting to note that the average price for a single family detached house in the Chilliwack Fraser Cheam real estate multiple listing area has not changed significantly from a year ago. This suggests that the market may be at its bottom. Why? Prices are always "sticky" on the way down but eventually plateau; sometimes for long periods of time. I believe this is what is happening currently. The last strong Chilliwack real estate market, believe it or not, was 5 years ago in January 2007 with 99 sales in the month - at that time when the average sale price of a Chilliwack single family residence was $300,000. Mortgage rates also factor into the equation, currently these are very low and show no sign of increasing in the near future. Nine single family houses for every 100 homes on the Chilliwack real estate MLS sold in the month of January 2012 - giving a fine advantage to buyers looking to purchase.

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Jan 2012	70	$312,000	81	773
Dec 2011	82	$314,500	82	722
Jan 2011	80	$316,000	80	n/a

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes (SFD): January 2012 - $311,000 up from $300,000 last month.

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Homes: February 1, 2012 - $369,900 - similar to a last month.

2012 - 2011 Market Strength

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
2012	81%
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%	70%	86%	92%

As mentioned, it is not surprising that sales were down in January as the weather was quite poor. There will be a spill-over effect when we look at the February 2012 statistics and we can expect, a similar dampening effect (I guess that comes with the snow and rain).

STRATA HOMES

The sale of strata units (townhouses, apartments) with 43 for the month is reasonable; we would expect the ten-year average of 46 for the month of January. Seven strata homes are selling each month for every 100 units on the market. Clearly, the market for strata homes remains in Buyer's territory - plenty of selection and good pricing with an average list price of $210,000.

Chilliwack*Strata Housing Sales Report for January 2012

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Jan 2012	43	$225,000	88	493
Dec 2011	39	$215,000	100	445
Jan 2011	39	$208,000	76	n/a

Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: January 2012 - $237,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: February 1, 2012 - $210,000

Stephen Mullock RI
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.

British Columbia's Affordability Crisis

2012-01-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

There is an interesting story in today's Vancouver Sun with this headline "Vancouver displaces Sydney as second-most expensive housing market on well-known survey" an article written by Hu-YongYu and Bloomberg. If there is something that Canadians want it is, at some point, to be able to buy a home. Sadly, it is looking like that option may be slipping out of the grasp of more and more British Columbians.

The 54 page report that the Vancouver Sun authors are referring to is the "8th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey 2012" by Wendell Cox and (Demographia) and Hugh Pavletich (Performanace Urban Planning). This group has been looking at affordability issues in English speaking countries for some time and have built up a fine reputation.

What is alarming in the report is that they have identified 6 severely unaffordable cities in Canada and the top 4 are in British Columbia. Severely unaffordable being defined as cities where a family median income multiplier of 5.1, or more, is required to acquire median priced housing. Now, I believe this "median priced housing" includes everything from apartments, townhouses, houses to homes on acreage.

Vancouver's median priced property in the third quarter the report states was $678,500.

When I looked, at single family detached house sales in Vancouver during the year 2011, I found an average sale price of $1,640,000. I add this note to clarify and show that if you are thinking about buying a house, on its own lot, in Vancouver the problem is really a lot worse than illustrated.

Vancouver wasn't the only bad news. The top 6 "severely unaffordable" cities in Canada are:

City Median Multiplier 5.1 and over

Vancouver 10.6
Abbotsford 7.0
Victoria 6.6
Kelowna 6.6
Toronto 5.6
Montreal 5.1

Wow! British Columbia likes to lead the way in Canada but I, like many parents, prefer to hope that my children, someday, will have an opportunity to buy real estate property without bankrupting their future. Clearly, this report is showing a significant problem with affordability in British Columbia.
What is the culprit? According to Cox and Pavletich "the record shows that smart growth (urban consolidation and compact city policies) is incompatible with housing affordability." Locally, that would mean zoning practises, ALR reserves and other forms of artificial boundaries imposed on development by government.

It is important to note that the report does not factor in the availability and cost of money. Perhaps Canada has benefited more than other nations with our stable banking system and competitive rates? As of this date a 5 year term, 25 year amortization mortgage could be obtained at the discounted rate of 3.09%. There may be other elements at play as well, such as, size, quality and age of the housing stock.

What about Chilliwack, BC? How does it compare? In 2011, the average sale price of residential property, (houses, apartments, townhouses etc.), sold for $301,000. Quite a ways from the lofty prices of Vancouver and even those in Abbotsford, but, I suspect, Chilliwack, Agassiz & Harrison Hot Springs would still be rated as "moderately unaffordable" even if they remains the most affordable housing options in the Fraser Valley.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI
is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

What happened to our Fraser Valley Mortgage Rates?

2012-01-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

Brad Currie RI, is a mortgage broker (Versa Mortgages), a professional member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia and a long time pal of mine. Last week, he sent me a very short and concise review of the type of mortgage market we experienced in 2011 and what to expect in 2012. If you are planning to purchase a new home or refinance in the Fraser Valley this is important information to understand.

Brad Currie RI reports:

The year started off with Prime Rate at 3.00% and ended the same. The Bank of Canada did not change the Prime Rate at all in 2011. The last change in the Prime was in August 2010.

What did change in the area of variable rate mortgages was the discount lenders were offering for those arranging an adjustable rate mortgage. In January 2011, a typical discount off prime was 80 basis points This past September, when both the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada announced they see no reason to increase interest rates for at least 2 years, the Chartered Banks lead the way by slowly and methodically reducing the discounts to only 10 basis points. Other lenders have followed as well.

Therefore, in January this past year, if you arranged a variable rate mortgage your rate was 2.20%. Today, the rate would be 2.90%

This had lead to the increased popularity for a 5 year fixed rate mortgage. In January 2011 a typical 5 year rate was 3.79%. Today is is 3.49% with a number of lenders offering promotional rates of 3.19% to 3.29% for fast closing transactions.

What does 2012 have in store for interest rates?

It would appear at this time, our low interest rate environment will continue. The present economic problems in Europe are being sited as a reason our rates will remain low. Economic activity in China is also slowing. Until there are some consistent positive economic signs, we can expect rates to remain stable going forward.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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.

There Once Was A Forest Here

2012-01-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

There Once Was a Forest Here © Stephen Mullock

Driving through the Chilliwack eastern farmland is usually a restful and thoughtful time, but, as darkness approaches and shadows lengthen even the familiar can suddenly transform.

Yesterday, I found this somewhat battered birch growing up through a cedar stump. Long ago, before the birch tree took up residence, this was a towering evergreen a part of a forest like that on the hillside beyond. Cedar and Douglas Fir trees once filled the Fraser Valley floor and what a different world that must have been. Settlers arrived in the 1860s and the transformation of the fertile valley floor from forest to farm began. Only the odd, old, stump like this one remains to remind us of that former time.

The shape and the shadow of the tree creates an almost "Tim Burton" like figure, with upraised arms a head in the middle and long a skirt, the light illuminating the shape from behind creates a haunting image even in daylight.

The Chilliwack Fraser Cheam area is full of spectacular scenery changing with the sun, cloud, shadows and light - a rich pageant of sights enriching the lives of its people.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: December 2011

2011-12-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

This, the first post of the year, looks at the performance of the December 2011 real estate market in the Chilliwack* & District area which extends from Boston Bar to the Vedder Canal west of Chilliwack an area I call "Fraser Cheam" British Columbia, Canada. This analysis will be of interest to homeowners, people considering a purchase in 2012, real estate professionals and the curious. Every real estate property is unique, and consequently, if you are thinking about acquiring or selling a property in the Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs Fraser Cheam communities I would advise that you get the professional services of a member of the Real Estate Institute of BC (RI or REIBC) or a Realtor®.

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for December 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Dec 2011	80	$314,500	82	722
Nov 2011	95	$306,000	71	956
Dec 2010	79	$288,000	67	n/a

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes (SFD): December 2011 - $314,500

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Homes: January 3, 2012 - $369,000

2011 Market Strength

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
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%	70%	86%	92%

A couple of comments, the first is that December was a good month for Chilliwack single family detached house sales - with a strength of about 92% of what we would expect sales to be for the month of December. That is quite encouraging. I also see that the listings of homes for sale has dropped significantly from 956 to 722 reflecting that many sellers elect to take their property off the Chilliwack real estate market for the holiday season. Average sale prices have bounced upward once again and are up significantly from the poor showing a year ago. All in all everything is looking good for 2012.

STRATA HOMES

The sale of strata units (townhouses, apartments) with 39 for the month is also a respectable result; we would expect the ten-year average of 43 for the month of December. Still there is a large inventory of townhouses and apartments and less than 10% of them are selling each month. Sellers should to show some flexibility in their negotiations.

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for November 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Dec 2011	39	$215,000	100	445
Nov 2011	39	$193,000	63	566
Dec 2010	41	$218,500	88	n/a

Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: December 2011 - $214,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: October 1, 2011 - $206,500

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time Realtor® with 30 years of experience and a professional member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia.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.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

And shall I ask at the day's end once more

What beauty is....

Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917)

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Almost Dawn...

2011-12-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

Almost Dawn © Stephen Mullock

Wisps of fog cling to the frosty farm fields as dawnapproaches in a sky of pinks and blues. Another December day is about to begin in the beautiful ChilliwackFraser Cheam area.

In the distance, wesee Mount McGuire and Mount Sleese raising their heads in readiness for the sun.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T08:20:00.001-08:00

This post looks at the performance of the November 2011 real estate market in the Chilliwack* & District area which extends from Boston Bar to the Vedder Canal west of Chilliwack an area I call "Fraser Cheam". This analysis will be of interest to homeowners, buyers and sellers of real estate, but, readers are advised for reviews of specific real estate properties the services of a real estate professional member of the REIBC or a Realtor® (Royal LePage in Chilliwack) should always be used.

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for November 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Nov 2011	95	$306,000	71	956
Oct 2011	95	$357,000	87	1014
Nov 2010	109	$341,000	84	n/a

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes (SFD): November 2011 - $300,000

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Homes: December 2, 2011 - $374,500

2011 Market Strength

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
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%	70%	86%

The number of sales remained unchanged at 95 from a month ago and that is a positive sign, as in general, the number of sales drop off, just a little, during the late fall and winter markets. If we look at November sales of single family detached homes (SFD) for the decade prior to this one we see monthly sale totals as low as 38 in 2008 (financial meltdown) and as high as 160 in 2005. On average, over this ten-year period there were 111 single family home sales in the month of November. So for November 2011 we are at about 86% (95 divided by 111) of what could be considered as a normal Chilliwack* single family attached real estate market. Not bad but a market still having a large upside for improvement.

There are 10 sales of single family homes per 100 houses listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service. The number of listings is dropping as would be expected for this time of year, down from 1014 to 956 currently.

You will notice that the average house price seems to have taken a steep dive downward from an average of $357,000 in October 2011 to $306,000 and I would caution reading too much into these numbers. With a smaller number of sales average prices tend to bounce around more than if a larger number of sales were being analyzed. Do I think that prices have softened -yes- but not too the scale these numbers suggest. If you would like to find out the value of your property I would suggest, once again, the use of a
real estate professional member of the REIBC or a Realtor® (Royal LePage in Chilliwack). The best way to evaluate a single family home is compare it to recent sales and listings of similar dwellings in the neighbourhood a process that requires local knowledge, experience and a lot of skill.

There are as of this date good selections of single family homes for sale in the Chilliwack area - in fact there are 956 of them. The low interest rates, the fine selection of homes and motivated sellers make this an excellent time for a purchase of Chilliwack real estate.

STRATA HOMES

The sale of strata units (townhouses, apartments) with 39 for the month is low; we would expect the ten-year average of 55 for the month of November. Only 7 strata homes are selling each month for every 100 units on the market.

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for November 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Nov 2011	39	$193,000	63	566
Oct 2011	64	$204,000	66	566
Nov 2010	39	$201,000	77	n/a

Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: November 2011 - $202,500

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: October 1, 2011 - $209,900

FOR SALE: Abbotsford Custom 2 Storey House - $529,000 (click image for details)

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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 (Chilliwack) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service.

Winter Garden Suggestions for Chilliwack Fraser Cheam

2011-11-29T08:45:00.001-08:00

I waswondering yesterday if it was possible to create a winter garden equally asfabulous as beautiful summer scenery we all love here in the Chilliwack FraserCheam. With a rich fertile soil base anda longer growing season this area is a rarity in the tough Canadian environment. We do have seasons though and after thebrilliance of our Fall colours, as shown in a recent post, we are left with alot of overcast days, rain, and snow before Spring begins the cycle of plantregeneration once again.

Too manya garden is a representation of their piece of paradise a place to appreciatethe seasons as they unfold but what about winter? Is it possible to transformthat barren winter landscape into a place to enjoy?

I visiteda couple of Chilliwack’s major nurseries, Minter Country Gardens and the Little Mountain Greenhouses to find the answers.

Poinsettias, Little Mountain Greenhouse

It turns out;there sadly are not a lot of creative solutions to be found at either business.It seems that most people in the Chilliwack Fraser Cheam area come November arepretty happy to put their gardens “to bed” for the winter and concentrate onthe holiday interior of their homes. AsI walked down row upon row of poinsettias it also became apparent as to whatthe most popular flower of purchase is.

Did you know that they have locally hand-painted poinsettias in a wide rangeof designer colours: sea foam, grand mariner, Erotica (complete with peacockfeathers), Merlot, and purple haze to name a few (Little Mountain Greenhouses)?

DiscouragedI decided to create a list of my own, because once December is over there isstill January, February and March before we see any significant rebirth of theplant world again. I also hope that if youhave a suggestion that you will add it to this post so that it can be shared.

Winter Lighting: It is always a sad day at our house when it seems too late after Christmas to leave outside Christmas lights turned on. The lightshanging from our house’s soffits get removed and put away until the nextDecember. It is a dark time of the yearand exterior lights add some needed cheer so wrap a tree in LED mini lights orplant some yard lights, they will provide a soft glow in the snow.

Sit Outdoors: Now the best way to sit outsideis in a heated hot tub and let the snow come down. Hot tubs are great places to relax and thereare several stores in Chilliwackthat specialize in this product. A couple of these stores are J. Adams and Sons and Granville Spas. The J. Adams and Sons store provides free spa water analysis which is a real help with hot tub maintenance.

Anotherpossible way to enjoy the outside is with an outdoor patio heater and a chairthat is significantly protected from the elements. The heater will keep you warm and comfortableand provide a nice lighting in the evening. Grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate on the way out.

Perhaps afire pit is permitted in your neighbourhood – I’m thinking hot rum toddy intow but if you insist on marshmallows okay.


Kale for Colour © Stephen Mullock

Adding Colour: There are a number ofplants like Kale and trees like the Holly, Fir and Cypress that seem peculiarlysuited to the winter season and if your yard permits a planting or two accentedwith lighting will transform a routine backyard into something magical.

For people in apartments and townhouses smallplanters can provide a creative outlet for design using bare branches,evergreen boughs and berried limbs.

Takingtime to enjoy your winter garden is good for you and keeps you acquainted withthe seasons of the natural world. Be sure to carry a camera, you will besurprised at the variety of birds that migrate through this area taking a briefbreak in your Chilliwackwinter wonderland. Snow has a way of making everything lookmagical so don’t miss out on the special experience of being out and about inyour own winter wonderland.

Imagine living here...

Comments:
Sue Williams: bird feeders can also add something nice to a garden...especially when they all come round to feed..if the feeder is close to a window u can take photos without disturbing the birds...a fb friend of mine does this with squirrels...she gets amazing squirrel shots :)

Real Estate Winter Tip
Real Estate in the Chilliwack Fraser Cheam area, is shownmore and more after the work day is over and in darkness this time of year, dueto our shorter winter daylight. Accenting your home with lighting to enhance its curb appeal during thisseason will help your property standout from the other competition. Always make sure that your interior lightsare on and complementary to the room.

Are you a Langley/Surrey Investor or Developer?

For Sale: 4.785 acre Future Development Site in Clayton West, Surrey NCP - Phase 1 area. Excellent property, key location with 331' of frontage. Call me for more details.

Address 18638 74th Ave. Surrey
Multiple Listing F1126964 (click)
Price $4,200,000

November Skies

2011-11-24T16:22:00.001-08:00

There are times in November when it just rains and rains and the last few days have been that way. I guess that is why it is so green here. As a result, when the sun breaks through, even for a few moments, it feels like magic. It was near sunset yesterday when the sun, like a jewel, illuminated this Fraser Cheam setting. Please click on the image to make it larger.

Imagine living here...

Are you a Langley/Surrey Investor or Developer?

For Sale: 4.785 acre Future Development Site in Clayton West, Surrey NCP - Phase 1 area. Excellent property, key location with 331' of frontage. Call me for more details.

Address 18638 74th Ave. Surrey
Multiple Listing F1126964 (click)
Price $4,200,000

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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 (Chilliwack) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Fall Colour - Agassiz B.C.

2011-11-20T09:33:00.001-08:00

All pictures © Stephen Mullock

Towering Beech, Elm and Oak trees are the leaf holdouts today when three of these photographs were taken. Pioneer Park, Agassiz is quite unique in respect to providing a public place with giant sized trees; it is very nice to take a walk under their canopy.

Picture two, is of the Norwegian Maple I planted 21 years ago specifically for its fall colour.

Picture three shows Mount Cheam from alongside the Fraser River a gentle sweep of clouds and the moon rises above this beautiful part of the Fraser Valley.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

CMHC 17th Annual Housing Outlook Review

2011-11-17T08:42:00.001-08:00

The health of the BC real estate market is of vital importance to buyers and sellers and, a barometer, of sorts, on the economic health of the province. The Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) every year presents hard numbers, graphs and charts galore in an endeavour to make sense of both what has transpired and what is about to unfold. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending CMHC's 17th Annual Housing Outlook in downtown Vancouver, BC.

The morning, before the coffee break, has two major presenters Carol Frketich, Regional Economist CMHC and Robyn Adamache, Senior Market Analyst CMHC. Carol's job is to present the Provincial Outlook and Robyn is left with boiling down the market to look specifically at the Metro Vancouver area.

There is a problem of course, with this approach, the Provincial Outlook is so heavily weighted by Vancouver real estate sales it winds up looking like not much more than a watered down Vancouver outlook of not much assistance.

Perhaps, it would be better to have a Beyond Vancouver (+90 kilometres) Outlook to get better sense of what is happening in that 95% of BC existing beyond the bright lights and bike lanes of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Housing Market 2011 - 2012

It is very clear that the Vancouver market, fuelled by a world class reputation and an onslaught of Asian investors, is moving in isolation from the remainder of the province. Did you know that there are more Chinese millionaires than there are Canadians? The good news is these Asian investors are long term holders of real estate and so are quite unlike the speculators of the run-up of Vancouver values prior to the financial meltdown in 2008. They are looking for properties of good design close to universities, quality schools and transit corridors. Stories, or urban legends, abound about Mainland Chinese investors arriving by airplane and over the weekend purchasing a half dozen properties valued in excess of 6 million dollars each. It is reported that 74% of luxury housing is being purchased by Chinese buyers driving values in this niche market upward.

The average housing price in Greater Vancouver is expected to be worth 17% more in value by the end of this year! This Greater Vancouver housing price average have been driven largely by sale prices of single family homes, up 26% ,from a previous peak in 2008 prior to the meltdown, townhouses by 12% and apartments only 1%. The crazy part is that no one there seemed worried about sustainability for local families.

Bidding wars are common occurrences in the Vancouver market and CMHC has developed a new index that is comprised of sales in excess of listing price - one figure I heard yesterday was as high as 36% in the west side of Vancouver. Wow. Are these properties grossly under-priced or is this a marketing strategy?

Many Bright Spots for 2012

2012 - A Balanced market will result in provincial average prices growing by 2%
2012 - A 9% increase in provincial home sales
2012 - New housing unit sales will grow moderately from 16,000 in 2011 to 17,000
Interest rates are expected to remain stable, one year posted rates in the 3.4 - 3.8% range and 5 year posted rates to be 5.2 - 5.7%
Employment gains mainly centred in Vancouver in 2011 will spread throughout the province
More full time jobs will be created

What does this mean?

My take away from the Vancouver Housing Outlook is that 2012 will be slightly better than 2011 with more employment being created in the province. It is worth noting that the unemployment rate fell from 8.2% at this time in 2010 to 7.3% currently. I will not try to paint the Beyond Vancouver Market in 2012 as anything but a market that continue to require a lot of work, time and expertise to achieve a sale. In contrast, areas from Langley to Vancouver will continue to see happy days although maybe not as sunny as in 2011.

It also means that it is a great time to cash out of Vancouver and head into the Fraser Valley. According to BCREA the average housing price, year end, in Greater Vancouver is expected to be $782,000 while the Chilliwack average is only $297,000! Move out into the nearby, beautiful Fraser Valley and put some money in the bank.

Imagine living here...

Forecasting Resources : a must read - BCREA Housing Forecast November 2011
- CMHC depth and analysis

For any specific BC real estate property questions you might have it is recommended that you consult with a professional member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia or a Realtor®.

Are you a Langley/Surrey Investor or Developer?

For Sale: 4.785 acre Future Development Site in Clayton West, Surrey NCP - Phase 1 area. Excellent property, key location with 331' of frontage. Call me for more details.

Address 18638 74th Ave. Surrey
Multiple Listing F1126964 (click)
Price $4,200,000

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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, telephone 604-792-0077, for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack Farmland Sun Ray Magic

2011-11-14T13:12:00.001-08:00

Beam of Light © Stephen Mullock

For a moment, this dark weekend past, the clouds parted and a beam of light reached down to the Chilliwack soil - magic in a fleeting moment.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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 (Chilliwack) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

BCREA 2011 - 4th Quarter Housing Forecast & the 100 mile Real Estate appetite

2011-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

The hundred kilometer appetite for real estate around Vancouver once again dominates sales and potentially skews thinking about the health of the British Columbian real estate market.

I always read with interest the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) housing forecasts and was delighted yesterday to receive the fourth quarter housing forecast just released on November 8, 2011. Cameron Muir, Chief Economist and his team do a great job and I appreciate the depth of analysis but worry that public policy might be developed solely on the basis of these figures without regard for the vast area that lies further than 100 kilometers from the Vancouver downtown core.

According to the BCREA forecast, provincial average BC housing prices will rise by 11.8% to $505,178 by year end 2011 and unit sales increase 3.2% over 2010 totals to 77,000. No doubt, television broadcasters will soon once again be painting a glowing picture of the BC housing market - but once you leave that 100 km area around Vancouver what does the remainder of this vast province look like? I was curious, as I am a Chilliwack Fraser Cheam Realtor© working primarily in the eastern Fraser Valley outside of the 100 km radius, I decided to boil down the same numbers given by BCREA but excluded the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley real estate board areas from the calculations.

You may wonder what that leaves. Well there are 11 member real estate boards in the province the remaining 9 boards are Victoria, Vancouver Island, Chilliwack and District, Powell River Sunshine Coast, Kamloops and District, Okanagan Mainline, South Okanagan/Northern Lights, Kootenay and BC Northern. An area of about 874,000 square kilometers or to put it more simply, 95% of the province.

After the number crunching was over I found that the average sale price drops from the provincial average of $505,178 to $344,482. In other words, average housing prices are almost a third cheaper in areas outside the 100 km Vancouver real estate area. Will the "outside the 100 km real estate area" enjoy the 11.8% average house price increase projected for the entire province? No. The projections once the Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board areas are again removed are that average home prices in the remainder of the province fall from the 2010 average of $350,657 to a projected year end average of $344,482; a drop of 1.7%. Sale unit numbers for this area beyond 100 km also drop by 3% from 29,519 in 2010 to 28,870 projected for the end of 2011.

Quite a contrast from the rosy provincial picture when Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Real Estate Boards are included and something that policy makers need to be aware of.

If you are wondering what impact the current market is having on the value of your British Columbia real estate property I would suggest that you contact either a professional member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia or a local Realtor®.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Taking Flight - Golden Moments Above the Clouds

2011-11-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

My family and I took a much needed holiday two weeks ago, and I packed my camera onto the airplane. Why? One to avoid any rough handling by baggage people and, secondly, you never know what will come in handy as a Realtor® in Chilliwack the and Fraser Cheam area. Unfortunately, it was an overcast October morning, but as we climbed, for a few moments, a sky of yellow, orange, sienna, red and gold materialized against a backdrop of majestic purple mountains. Beautiful....

Mount Cheam Above The Clouds © Stephen Mullock

Mount Baker Molten Morning © Stephen Mullock

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RIis an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Every month I have a look at the relative strength of the Chilliwack* residential real estate market using data from the Multiple Listing Services of the Chilliwack & District and Fraser Valley real estate boards. This approach is quite different from the normal reporting that focuses mainly on sale prices are they up or down. While sale prices are important, my experience suggests that sellers of real estate are equally concerned about whether they will be able to sell at all, hence, the strength of the market is vital.

This post looks at the performance of October 2011 in the Chilliwack & District area which extends from Boston Bar to the Vedder Canal west of Chilliwack an area I call Fraser Cheam. The analysis will be of interest to buyers and sellers of real estate, but, readers are advised for reviews of specific properties the services of a real estate professional member of the REIBC or a Realtor® should be used.

My credentials are fairly simple, over 30 years real estate experience in the local Chilliwack-Fraser Cheam real estate market and a sense of humour.

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for October 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Oct 2011	95	$357,000	87	1014
Sept 2011	116	$333,000	77	1078
Oct 2010	109	$350,000	60	n/a

Median SALE Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes: October 2011 - $342,000

Median LISTING Price of active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Homes: November 2, 2011 - $369,900

I have been feeling great of late about the market, and, it seems in the last few days I have noticed more and more "Sold" stickers on real estate property for sale signs, however, the October numbers tell another story. In the Chilliwack single family detached housing market there were only 95 sales in the 31 days of October. In the decade before 2011 only one "October" was worse; that was 2008 at the height or depths of the financial meltdown. As shown below market strength has slipped from a respectable showing in September of 86% to a not so delightful 70%.

Average sale prices of single family houses crept upward but there is a fair amount of volatility around such numbers and a single month's average do not tell the tale. The successful negotiations that I was involved in this past month required sellers to be very flexible on their list prices, and, with the current list to sale ratio of only 9 houses selling in a 100 that situation is expected to continue.

2011 Market Strength

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
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%	70%

STRATA HOMES

The sale of strata units (townhouses, apartments) with 64 for the month was a great improvement over a sluggish strata market in September with its poor showing of 40 sales. Still only 11 strata homes are selling each month for every 100 units on the market.

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for October 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Oct 2011	64	$204,000	66	566
Sept 2011	40	$223,000	61	591
Oct 2010	54	$214,000	74	n/a

Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: October 2011 - $194,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: October 1, 2011 - $214,900

Using a Realtor® or professional member of the REIBC with local knowledge and experience is the best way to navigate through these difficult times.

NEW LISTING - DEVELOPERS TAKE NOTE

Just listed a 4.785 acre parcel in the West Clayton area of Langley (Surrey) British Columbia for the price of $4,200,000. This parcel is in Phase One of a development process currently underway by the City of Surrey. The property is located at 18638 74th Ave. Langley. Appointments are required to view please give me a call if you are interested.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time Realtor® with 30 years of experience and hundreds of sale. He is a professional member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia (REIBC). Stephen, works out of the Chilliwack office of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty, 604-792-0077. Thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Fraser Cheam communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz or Harrison Hot Springs? Contact Steve (click here) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

A Chilliwack Ghost Story - Part Two

2011-10-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Let Me Rest for a Spell © Stephen Mullock

A Chilliwack Ghost Story - Part One begins with a bang or shall I say a hammering that will not stop.

Please read Part One, first before proceeding further with this article.

It is 1951, and the knocking continues night and day like a jackhammer pounding on the exterior of 150 Brooks Ave. Chilliwack, undermining the health of its occupants, a middle aged woman called Anna Duryba, and, her 14 year old niece Kathleen.

A deputy sheriff is posted in the house at night hoping to find the prankster. Spot lights are brought in and a series of experts. The banging continues, sometimes 30 times a night and as close as six feet away. Rev. Clarke suggests that perhaps a poltergeist is present and the niece Kathleen is sent away to Vancouver. For three weeks the house is quiet.

Below is the story as it unfolded in the local newspaper, The Chilliwack Progress. It shows a family and community struggling to come to grips with what appears to be the supernatural.

December 12, 1951 The Chilliwack Progress

First indication of the approach of the "ghost" came Monday night when a small dog in the basement started to bark" said Mr. Duryba.

Alec Duryba, the brother of Anna, had been staying at the house since the banging on the exterior walls had begun in October. Kathleen, it seems, had returned from her sojourn in Vancouver. "I went outside with my gun but there was nothing there," Alec said. "I told my niece it was just rain dripping on the leaves that the dog had heard. Then a few minutes after we heard the banging. It went on for an hour on the east wall and on the south wall."

January 2, 1952 The Chilliwack Progress

A kitchen window, protected by a metal screen, is broken from the outside. "A creamy stain remained on the shattered glass" said Alec. The screened window is repaired to be broken again Saturday afternoon. The dining room window was smashed on Monday.

"The window- hammering went on in daylight while members of the Duryba Family stood watching, unable to discover the source of the hammering."

"I think that I'll have to go to the doctor again. Every time I hear that hammering I just go all to pieces. My nerves are all gone," Anna tearfully says.

January 12, 1952 The Chilliwack Progress

Water diviner, Peter Hiebert suggested that the "ghost" consists no more than an unfortunate combination of hardpan, quicksand and air under the home of Anna Duryba. The quicksand lies under the hardpan and a "vein" of water snakes through the quicksand directly under the Duryba home close to all four walls. Above the quicksand is a thick layer of hardpan upon which the house has been built. "A combination of drought last summer, cleaning out of the nearby Semiault creek and a new drainage ditch has lowered the water table. When the water flowed out of the quicksand, it left low pressure pockets. Air rushes into these pockets causing the hammering which shakes the home and breaks the windows." "It will stop again", he said, "with the spring rains".

February 13, 1952 The Chilliwack Progress

After a two week quiet spell the Duryba ghost started pounding again Friday putting to an end speculation that the hammering would stop when the water table rose once again. - you see, the Duryba basement is flooded at the time.

A new theory from Alec Duryba is that some malicious prankster has a hidding place on the north side of the residence as all sound since the snow had fallen had come from that side of the home. He suggests that as soon as the snow melts, and, no footprints can be left, the banging on all sides of the dwelling would resume. They do.

March 5, 1952 The Chilliwack Progress

This is the final reporting of this story in The Chilliwack Progress. The article reads:

Discovery of various metal objects, held together with wire, in flowerbeds beside the home of Anna Duryba, has raised speculation as to whether the "Duryba ghost" is the work of a mechanically minded prankster.

Pounding on the outer walls of the home have been heard since early last fall without explanation.

During the past two weeks, six objects have been dug up in flowerbeds around the house by Alex Duryba, uncle of the owner, who lives next door at 150 Brooks avenue.

Police, however, state they know of no way in which the objects could cause the pounding.

Found have been a small wrench with wire wrapped around it, a valve and wire, and nails wired together in an unusual manner. Several of the objects have had lengths of copper wire attached to them.

Discovery was originally made by Mayor T.T. McCammon, for whom Miss Duryba formerly worked. He noticed the copper wire projecting above the ground while visiting the Durybas.

Mr. Duryba says that as each of the objects was discovered and removed, the hammering stopped at that section of the house.

Some ghost stories just fade away - as did this one, thankfully, for Anna and Kathleen. I wish that I could write a Hollywood ending to these events one that would including them finding an ancient burial site and putting to rest a troubled soul. This story however is real and not Hollywood and so a lot of questions are unanswered. I leave it for yourself to decide.

Were these metal objects the source of torment? If so, how could they be without a power source? Do curses work? Was the haunting the result of a poltergeist? A ghost? What was the material found on the broken window, could it be ghost ectoplasm? Was it just a poor foundation? I can tell you after 30 years of selling real estate in the Chilliwack area I have never heard of foundation problems that sounded like this one. A clever and malicious prankster? Some individual determined to drive Anna Duryba and Kathleen from their home so that it could be purchased at a bargain price?

I did look in the telephone directory to see if anyone with the family name of Duryba still lived in the area but there were no entries. The house is long since been removed and a church built on the site - home to the holy spirit.

If you were living in the area at the time and have some information to add, please send me a message.

Imagine living here....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Chilliwack Halloween Joke 1951 - 1952

Knock, Knock

Who's There

Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock

Sources: All quotes may be found in the articles of The Chilliwack Progress as dated above in the article.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

A Chilliwack Ghost Story - Part One

2011-10-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

The "Thing" began its incessant pounding on the exterior walls of 150 Brooks Ave. Chilliwack in October 1951. It was so strong that it shook the building. Inside this home lived Anna Duryba, who formerly worked doing domestic jobs around the town, and her 14 year old niece, Kathleen. The niece had moved to Chilliwack in May from Saskatchewan to be her aunt's companion. They were convinced that someone was playing a prank on them. They did not believe in ghosts.

A quick check around the home found nothing that would explain the banging.

The pounding continued, sometimes with the ferocity of a jackhammer boom - boom - boom for as long as an hour at a time. Day and night the violent knocking kept them from getting a good rest.

Five weeks later Anna Duryba had lost 20 pounds and women were suffering from a mental strain, few can imagine, that was when the local Chilliwack Progress newspaper got hold of the story.

A bit about the property, this wasn't some sort of Gothic mansion or chilly castle rather it was almost the opposite. The property was a small little house with four rooms and a simple asphalt shingle siding exterior. It stood on 4 acres of carefully tended raspberry canes and was close to another Brook's Ave. home owned by Anna's brother Alec Duryba.

November 25, 1951, The Chilliwack Progress

Alec tells of one eerie experience: "We heard it banging one night and I ran outside. I ran outside and looked around and couldn't see anything. I turned around and just then I felt sort of a wind go by me but I could not see anything."

Other times Alec and his niece would try and catch their tormentor in the act. "We run outside when we hear it." he said. "Nothing there. Then we hear it on the other side of the house and we run around there - nothing there either. Sometimes we go in opposite directions around the house but we never see anything."

Kathleen adds "I heard him once and ran to the window. I yelled "Go ahead, do it again, you silly fool." Right away I heard it again - bang - bang - bang - right under the window. I was standing right there and see there was no one there."

Alec adopted a tougher strategy "One time I fired my shotgun twice into the raspberries." "I thought that might scare him away but right after that I heard it again". "I was standing there right in front of the window and I could hear it and the window rattling, what was I suppose to do - shoot the gun into the window?".

Day and night the pounding continued, spot lights were installed, the house was surrounded by neighbours but as always nothing was seen. Possible culprits such as an electrical problem or something wired into the service of the dwelling were tested by shutting off the power - but the knocking continued.

In a search for an explanation, Anna seemed to remember a man dropping by and asking her how much she wanted for the place. "We told him it wasn't for sale but he said he wanted to buy a little place and he liked this. He came back another time when I wasn't home." Reader please always use a Realtor®.

November 28, 1951, The Chilliwack Progress

Reverend W. J. T. Clarke, pastor of St. Thomas Anglican Church suggested that the strange happening at 150 Brooks Ave. Chilliwack might be the work of a poltergeist. "Strange noises and objects moving through the air - in this case stones* - are the most common. Usually, there is little damage done and there is no apparent logical reason for it all." Rev. Clarke said. He went on "The inexplicable occurrences are usually associated with one person. When that person leaves the scene, the happenings usually stop."

A deputy sheriff, Al Edwards became the special investigator of this case and was posted every night in the house. He said, "No explanation has so far been made as to how the noises in the home are caused. These bangings have occurred as many as 30 times in a single night and have been heard by people standing within six feet of the spot. The bangings, violent enough to shake windows visibly, move rapidly about the outer walls of the house".

A host of natural causes were considered including, radio station, aircraft beam transmissions and possible subterranean effects from minerals and the nearby mountains without success. Hundreds of spectators began to turn up on the street and the driveway to 150 Brooks Ave. Chilliwack was blocked off.

Kathleen, was taken to Vancouver both for her health and to test this notion that the work of a poltergeist was the cause of the strange knocking, window tapping and window breaking. For three weeks the Thing was quiet.

Check back by October 28th for the conclusion of the Chilliwack haunting.

Notes
* All members of the family had by this time been struck by small stones.

Sources:

The Chilliwack Progress November 25, 1951
The Chilliwack Progress November 28, 1951

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Mount Cheam's Peak View

2011-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post living in the Chilliwack* area comes with the added bonus of incredible natural beauty right at hand. There is always something interesting to see or visit. A week ago, I took a hike to the top of Mount Cheam, the most revered mountain in the eastern Fraser Valley but unfortunately my camera ran out of battery power. I was able to take some shots from the top with the camera of a generous fellow hiker. It was a remarkably clear day and some hikers said that they could see the ocean.

This is the view from the top of Mount Cheam at 2,112 m (6,929 feet) looking westward over Agassiz and Chilliwack. You can see Harrison Lake to the right, the muddy Fraser River the town of Agassiz through the centre and Chilliwack and the Cheam ridge to the left. Please click on the picture to make it larger.

Mount Cheam View © Stephen Mullock

Mount Cheam I have recently learned from a reading of "Sepass Tales Songs of Y AIL MIHTH" means high. The notes in this book tells how the English ear has turned Mount Tsee-am (meaning high) to Mount Cheam (pronounced Chee - am). Many times locally I hear it pronounced She - am.

Of course, hundreds of pictures were taken on this hike - that is the beauty of a digital camera isn't it. That is, so long as it has power.

Here are a selection of some other photographs taken by myself and others, I hope you enjoy them.


Hermann Hikers on the Mount Cheam peak ©


Stag © Helle Hansen

Mount Baker from Mount Cheam © Stephen Mullock

Stephen Mullock & Lady Peak © Helle Hansen

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: October 1, 2011

2011-10-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

This post looks at the relative strength of the Chilliwack* residential real estate market in the month of September 2011. This "armchair analysis" of mine uses data from the Multiple Listing Services of the Chilliwack & District and Fraser Valley real estate boards. Each real estate market is comprised of a number of neighbourhoods and reviews of specific properties should involve the services of a real estate professional member of the REIBC or a Realtor®.

My credentials are fairly simple, over 30 years real estate experience in the Chilliwack real estate market and an active curiosity.

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for September 2011

For Sale: 6432 Wilson Road - New Price

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Sept 2011	116	$333,000	77	1078
Aug 2011	127	$349,000	78	1128
Sept 2010	104	$313,000	66	n/a

NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes: September 2011 - $331,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: October 1, 2011 - $379,900

There are a number of areas I regularly explore and the first is one that answers the question "How is the market". A few years ago, I realized that seasonal influences impact the Chilliwack* market and so comparing sale numbers with those of a month earlier only told part of the story. In the present situation we see that September 2011 had 116 single family sales down from 127 in August. This may seem bad but we expect sales to taper off this time of year.

A better measure is one that compares sales volume with a 10 year average for the month. Looking at the previous 10 year of Septembers we can derive an average sale volume of 135 for the month of September. So the September 2011 was operating at about 86% of that average (116/135).

A level of comparative sales volume similar to that in August 2011.

2011 Market Strength

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

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%	86%

What's happening with single family house prices? The market for single family houses in the Chilliwack* area remains in Buyer Market territory with a sales to listing ratio of about 11%. This applies downward pressure on prices and we see that the average sale price did slip from $349,000 in August 2011 to $333,000 in September 2011. I would once again caution relying on this information for a specific property as not all types and neighbourhood rise and fall at the same rate. If you are interested in determining value employ the services of a real estate professional with a local knowledge and expertise.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for September 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Sept 2011	40	$223,000	61	591
Aug 2011	64	$211,000	86	553
Sept 2010	31	$210,000	70	n/a

NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: September 2011 - $229,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: October 1, 2011 - $215,000

September 2011 was a disappointing month for the sale of strata homes (apartments, townhouses, duplexes) with only 40 sales compared to a 10 year September average of 61. Inventory levels have shot up as a result.

FORECAST

On August 25, 2011 the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2011 third quarter housing forecast which calls for a moderate growth in sales for the coming year, but at a rate still well below activity levels recorded in the previous decade. Page two of the document deserves a closer look as it breaks down the province into the 11 real estate board areas that serve it and their specific results. From this table it is easy to understand that while as a province, home price might be increasing, this is due almost completely to the heated markets in Vancouver and the western Fraser Valley.

This is a great time for those in Vancouver and the western Fraser Valley take advantage of this price arbitrage by selling and then buying in another part of the province - I hear that properties in the eastern Fraser Valley are pretty nice.

Imagine living here....

Featured properties as of October 1, 2011

1645 No. 9 Hwy. Agassiz - $249,900
34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford - $529,000
6432 Wilson Road, Agassiz - $599,000

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Mount Cheam BC - Legend and Sin

2011-09-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Chilliwack* is encircled with a necklace of mountains but none capture the attention and imagination of residents more than Mount Cheam (pronounced locally as "She-am"). This is a landmark that the eye seeks out perhaps because of its pyramid shape or the way light and shadow move across her face. Morning sunlight comes from behind her as the day begins. I have gazed at her thousands of times each time finding a new expression. This week, with the Hermann Hiking Group, I went to her summit for only the second time in my life - a great privilege.

Dog Face (Lady Peak) explained

The previous day an onslaught of rain and wind had blasted the eastern Fraser Valley but when I awoke except for a veil of clouds lightly concealing Cheam from view the skies are remarkably clear.

We muster at stops in Agassiz, Popkum and Sardis with a group of 20 being assigned to the 4x4 vehicles necessary to climb up to the staging area located off the Chilliwack Lake Road; more specifically 27 km from the Vedder bridge. I am grateful to be placed in Sid's truck both because of his experience driving these rough decommissioned gravel roads and his company. Along the route Shelley in the back tells us there are 82 dips to cross before we get there and that number 53 is a real bad one. I start a count and in between the lunging about I reminiscence about the many legends that surround Cheam.

The folklore about Mount Cheam is both beautiful and haunting. It is the stuff of life and death, transformation and love. As explained in an earlier post, Mount Cheam, is the wife of Mount Baker and she returned to this place in order to look after both the First Nation people and the Fraser River salmon, fish once essential to their way of life. Behind her keeping her company is "Lady Peak" but to locals this was always "Dog Face", Mount Cheam's canine companion.

Number 53 lives up to its reputation as the truck grinds over its edge. We stop a few times to take in the view. The green hues of the alpine meadows intensify and then recede as light breaks through the clouds. We are almost a mile high. Magic.

Mount Cheam and Lady Peak, BC

It is 17.5 km from Chilliwack Lake Road bumping along a gravel road to the top staging area. Thankfully an outhouse washroom has been built and is properly equipped that is long way to bang about in a truck.

The rain and wind of a day earlier has made the skies crystal clear and a wonderful blue.

I am on the hunt for beauty as we begin our trek. Beauty it turns out is all around us.

Hermann Hikers and Lady Peak, BC

We pass Spoon Lake which has an interesting impact shape I once thought was the result of a meteor and wrote about it in a post called Cheam and the Great Ice Giant. There is some speculation that Spoon Lake is a kettle lake formed back in the days of the glaciers when a large ball of ice and debris came slamming down from a great height and then melted away leaving the lake. I look at the embankment it carved away and still think meteor. Have a look.

Spoon Lake, Cheam Ridge, BC

Back to the hike, the clouds continue to make a quite a show for us on Dog Face and I do my best to capture something awesome in the quickly moving light.

Cloud Play on Lady Peak, BC

I take one more picture of Mount Baker across an alpine meadow and wouldn't you know it my camera runs out of power. A terrible sin - so sorry.

Mount Baker from Cheam Ridge, BC

The views at the top were captured on another hiker's camera and I will try to get some of these fantastic pictures up soon. Meanwhile check out the Hermann Hikers Group site.

Living in Chilliwack* comes with the advantage of a having large natural landscape in your backyard.

Imagine living here....

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

The discovery of Hot Springs at Harrison Hot Springs

2011-09-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Harrison Lake BC near Hot Springs

Harrison Hot Springs was once a marsh full of cranberry bushes and, apparently, never was a habitation site by the First Nation people of the area. Given today's upscale Village, modern residential subdivisions and lake view apartments that enjoy a location next to both a hot springs and the largest lake in the Lower Mainland it almost seems hard to imagine. The First Nation peoples would have known and believed in the curative effects coming from these strange steaming waters of Harrison Lake. Legend says that white people discovered the hot springs by accident. Gold prospectors exhausted after a winter of mining fell from their canoe into the lake waters and to certain doom only to discover that they were warm!

There are two hot springs at the south end of Harrison Lake the "Potash" with a temperature of 40° C and the "Sulfur" with a temperature of 65° C. People from around the world travel here for the curative properties of these mineral rich hot springs. Of course these waters are cooled to maximize comfort so to ease the aches and stress of bathers.

Over the years I have also heard of a number of natural hot springs up the side of the lake but have never had a chance to see them.

Today, you are welcome to visit the public pool or if staying at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel enjoy either the two indoor or 3 outdoor pools. Locals, often take a wander up the west side of the lake to one of the hot springs sources. I like to think that those gold miners must have splashed into the water close by; I can only imagine the smiles on those weary fortune hunters. That must have been a very good day.

Imagine living here....

To find real estate properties for sale in Harrison Hot Springs just click on the link below. If you have any questions, contact me, I live close to Harrison Hot Springs.

REALTOR® MLS Residential Listings for Sale

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

2011-09-15T21:09:00.000-07:00


Lake and the Needle Peak


Diana

Weathered and bowed

Needle Peak BC

Exploring the local rich nature beauty is an added benefit to Chilliwack* living as these recent hiking pictures show. This series comes from the Needle Peak area of the Coquihalla Summit. A beautiful Alpine lake being feed by a large wall of melting snow was a pleasant surprise. All photographs if clicked will appear larger.

Imagine living here...

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of September 15, 2011)

This wonderful Agassiz acreage is on the market for $599,000 please give me a call for more information. Click on the picture to read the detail.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Steve & Ian climb Elk Mountain, Chilliwack BC

2011-09-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is a great little video that friend and fellow Royal LePage Realtor© Ian Meissner did of our climb up Elk Mountain, Chilliwack, B.C. - enjoy.

My photographs and comments of our trek can be found in the following post call Elk Mountain - Hike 5.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Elk Mountain - Hike 5

2011-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of the big advantages of the Chilliwack* area comes from its proximity to rivers, lakes, forest and mountains. Life in this area is richer with nature right on the doorstep and the Chilliwack* has great diversity. My hiking trips are included to give you some sense of the special place we live in.

The west coast rain forest grows dense and deep, sunlight must really stretch to reach the ground, as a result the underbrush is kept low to the earth. My long time friend, Ian Meissner, has joined me today for the hike up Elk Mountain and for the next two hours I pant and push my body upward the elevation gain being 800 meters (2625 feet). Ian, who has become very fit in recent years, has little difficulty but the trail is moderately difficult and a good level of fitness is required along with hiking shoes and plenty of water. This is a popular trail that is quite wide and in good condition.

Mount Baker

I had hoped to catch a good view of Mount Baker from the trail and once we hit the meadow I am not disappointed. This dormant volcano lies in Washington State and unfortunately cannot be seen from Chilliwack as a range of mountains are in between. Still, I often think of Mount Baker as the Volcano in my backyard. Back in December 1880, it is reported that night "the sky was so bright you could read a newspaper by it" and that the daytime sky was filled with bright red clouds of acid smoke.* Mount Baker seems peaceful on this blue sky day.

The difficult hike up to the meadows has been well worth the effort and we are greeted with a wide variety of views some near and others far. Looking northward across the Fraser Valley we can see Agassiz, Harrison Lake, to the west is Chilliwack, Sardis, Cultus Lake and the Chilliwack River Valley. Please click on the next image to make it larger.

Chilliwack and Cultus Lake © Stephen Mullock

Ian Meissner, On Top of the World

Thistle and Sleeping Bee

Sleese Mtn. and Border Peaks

Indian Paintbrush

Chilliwack from Elk Mountain

A flag flies brightly above the Valley marking this as a special place - Elk Mountain.

Imagine living here....

Source Notes:
* Five Corners The Story of Chilliwack by Bruce Ramsey

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: September 1, 2011

2011-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

This post is part of an ongoing monthly series that examines the relative strength of the Chilliwack* real estate market from data, provided through the Multiple Listing Services of the Chilliwack and District Real Estate and Fraser Valley Real Estate Boards. It will be of interest to anyone that owns or is considering a purchase of real estate in the Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs or Hope communities. This Chilliwack* real estate "armchair analysis" of mine is general in substance, and, as properties are unique, in their very nature, a more specific overview of an individual property should involve the use of a real estate professional member of the (REIBC) or a Realtor®.

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for August 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Aug 2011	127	$349,000	78	1128
July 2011	127	$348,000	80	1139
Aug 2010	97	$296,000	66	n/a

NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes: August 2011 - $338,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: September 1, 2011 - $379,900

With a sales to list ratio of 11.2%, 127 sales over an average listing inventory of 1133 properties, Chilliwack's* August real estate market showed a nice improvement over that of July's. Looking, further back, at the dismal results of August 2010, 97 sales, it is good to see the 2011 market that much stronger. Having said that, this period is running at about 86% of where it should be and remains a challenging time for sellers and real estate agents alike.

Buyers have many advantages in this type of real estate market, good selection, reasonable prices and low mortgage interest rates. If you are interested in purchasing in the Chilliwack* market I would be pleased to be of assistance.

The average Chilliwack* home price of $349,000 in August 2011 remains stable when compared to the average home price a month ago.

2011 Market Strength

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

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%	86%

The above chart very simply tells us when the market is running and when it is retreating. My sense is that when the market is running at about 85% healthy expectations are present.

August, was a much stronger month for sales than July when seasonal factors are considered, even though the same number of sales, 127, occurred in each of the two months.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for August 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Aug 2011	64	$211,000	86	553
July 2011	50	$210,000	81	592
Aug 2010	45	$195,000	77	n/a

NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: August 2011 - $225,000

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: September 1, 2011 - $194,900

August 2011 was a pretty decent month for sales of strata units (townhouses, apartments) in the Chilliwack* real estate board area with 64 sales in total. Prices were up from a year ago and similar to those a month ago in July 2011. There remains a healthy inventory of strata units for Buyers to choose from. Given some of the complex issues surrounding the strata form of real estate the services of a real estate professional (REIBC) or a Realtor® should always be employed.

FORECAST

On August 25, 2011 the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2011 third quarter housing forecast which calls for a moderate growth in sales for the coming year, but at a rate still well below activity levels recorded in the previous decade. Page two of the document deserves a closer look as it breaks down the province into the 11 real estate board areas that serve it and their specific results. From this table it is easy to understand that while as a province, home price might be increasing, this is due almost completely to the heated markets in Vancouver and the western Fraser Valley.

This is a great time for those in Vancouver and the western Fraser Valley take advantage of this price arbitrage by selling and then buying in another part of the province - I hear that properties in the eastern Fraser Valley are pretty nice.

Imagine living here....

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of September 1, 2011)

1645 No. 9 Hwy. Agassiz - $249,900
34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford - $539,000
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs - $459,000
6432 Wilson Road, Agassiz - $599,000

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chadsey Lake, Sumas Mountain, BC - Hike 4

2011-08-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

Clouds over Chadsey Lake © Stephen Mullock

There are a number of fast moving streams to cross and few logs to climb over, but, as usual, the hiking here is just as simple as placing one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, this is a trudge and at other times a brisk walk through the trees. From H, I hear about the "magic forest" that's ahead of us, and how, when she last came through here, clouds clung to the evergreens creating an enchanted landscape. We wind our way up pushing through underbrush in some areas, past large fern growths, at last, we come to a view point and have a look northward over the Valley.

Sumas Mountain View © Stephen Mullock

Hiking is not just about the destination, rather it is about the journey. Alien looking plants and mushrooms found along the way are examined with delight. I enjoy the taste of some huckleberries along the way.

Huckleberries © Stephen Mullock

Tree Growth © Stephen Mullock

Cotton Grass © Stephen Mullock

There is a real difference when we reach the upper forest, the "magic" one that is. The trees are taller over 100' in height, the light is more muted and uniform, the underbrush has all but disappeared, brown trunks rise tall against a field of ever green. This is indeed a beautiful place.

After 3 hours of hiking we reach Chadsey Lake where we rest. Like a gift just waiting for me, I find a huge eagle feather about 20" in length...magic.

Chadsey Lake, Sumas Mountain © Stephen Mullock

Quick Facts
"Sumas" is a Halqemeylem word meaning "a big level opening" according to Wikipedia to the Sumas Prairie below.

Sumas Mountain has special significance to the First Nation people as it sheltered them through a legendary great flood eerily similar to the story of Noah. This story was recounted in an earlier post called Sumas Mountain and the Great Flood.

Name Details for Sumas

Hike Sumas Mountain

The Sumas Peak has an elevation of 910m or 2,986 feet above sea level.

Imagine living here...

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 1, 2011)

34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs
6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz

4545 Humphrey Road, Agassiz

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

1645 No. 9 Highway, Agassiz, B.C.

2011-08-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

In today's world of uncertain financial markets and low returns is a small rental house with up-zoning potential a wise investment? Taking this new listing made me re-examine this question. This post will be of interest to people looking for a home/investment property and those looking to diversify their portfolios with rental real estate.

1685 No. 9 Hwy. Agassiz, B.C.

As, I went around measuring and photographing my latest real estate listing, located at 1645 No. 9 Hwy. Agassiz B.C., a thought kept resonating with me "what makes a good real estate investment"?

I decided that there are three questions that have to be answered first: (1) would this house met your family needs; (2) are you prepared to rent it out and be a landlord; and, (3) can you hold the property for a minimum period of say 3-5 years? If the answer was "yes" to 2 of the 3 questions I wondered what advantages a property such as this one held.

There were a number of benefits to this particular property as I saw them, but, each property is different:

.414 acres

a small acquisition cost of $249,900, well below the Chilliwack* real estate house median average price August 1, 2011 of $388,800.
District of Kent OCP (Official Community Plan) supporting an "upzoning" of this property from a single family to a medium density zone. Current redevelopment in immediate area verifying redevelopment interest in location.
good property dimensions of 86.7' x 207.9' for a total area of .414 acres
Good older house conditions, upgrades including:

two bedrooms on the main but upper 1/2 storey storage area could be used if needed as bedroom
newer natural gas furnace
circuit breaker style electrical service
a low maintenance vinyl siding exterior

double carport added to an older single vehicle garage

nice heritage design elements
there are some limitations to older homes though, one being small bedroom closets - a trip to IKEA for a wardrobe would solve this,
other storage areas include an upper half storey and an unfinished full basement

upgraded interior with galley style modern kitchen having a natural gas stove
well kept rooms with plenty of windows

To crunch some numbers, assuming you have a 20% down-payment, a mortgage loan of $200,000 at 3.5% on a 25 year amortization, your monthly payment will cost $998. Of course, if the property is being purchased as your main residence a down payment as small as 5% might be possible. Please note that mortgage rates change frequently, so ask me if you need a hand with calculations - I received these numbers from a mortgage broker I work with.

The final question of what is the potential return is an excellent one, we can see a number of trends:

population growth throughout the Fraser Valley;
demand for townhouses is increasing and will outstrip the construction of single family houses in the near future;
developments within a walkable distances to good amenities/transportation are sought after;

Other simple, not meant to be trite, observations:

you can touch this type of investment (real estate) and understand it;
They are not making land any more.

I will not try to give an anticipated % increase based on the past, there is a risk in every purchase that you must decide upon. Over time the purchase of real estate has been the best investment most area residents have made. Let me know if you are interested in more information about this property.

Imagine living here...

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 23, 2011)

6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz
4544 Humphrey Road, Agassiz
241 Balsam Road, Harrison Hot Springs
34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Harrison Lake, BC - Looking for Awesome

2011-08-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday night, one of those perfect summer evenings, clear skies but not too hot. In fact, in recent days the first trees have started to turn and poplar leaves now dot parking lots and forest trails alike. I'm heading towards Green Point, Harrison Lake, part of a 1,217 hectare area known as the Sasquatch Provincial Park. I am looking for the awesome.

Let's talk about awesome for a moment, I think of awesome as a experience, that brings a rush of unexpected emotional pleasure, perhaps a sense of moral goodness or some sort of spiritual connection. I see, awesome, in design sometimes and other times nature. Most recently, I found it at Lindeman Lake before that it was this crazy orb-like forest spider web that was shining like a thousand constellations in the dappled light filtering down between the trees. Okay, maybe I am easily amused - but I am okay with that.

As I head up Rockwell Drive, the sun has about an hour left in it - the road winds up and down the mountains that hug the east side of Harrison Lake. I notice a lot of waterfront properties are up for sale and enjoying these last few minutes before sunset. There might be some deals here, one property just reduced its asking price by a whooping $600,000! I would love to be the Realtor® that sells one of them! Harrison Lake's Rockwell Bay Estates look very attractive in the light so I stop and take a picture.

Rockwell Bay Estates, Harrison Lake, BC © Stephen Mullock

There are three cars in the Green Point parking lot as I get out. On the pebble beach I see two striking blonde women on beach towels about 80' apart. Cellular telephones are pressed to their ears. Modern times, I wonder if they are talking to one another?

I trudge past them, my feet crunching small stones underfoot, hoping to get a good twilight picture of the little island just offshore. Waves lap the beach with quite a din. I listen to the sound - could I get use to that noise if I was a waterfront home owner?

Along the way I notice black against the stones a large raven feather about a foot long. A feather of this size would be important for flight, it would be missed.

Unfortunately, this evening the island pictures are not so great, as I head back I pick up the feather, two ravens wheel high above me calling out. As I move around the bay, I see that the blondes have not moved and remain on their phones.

I look back for one last picture and there it is....

Bird Spirit over Harrison Lake © Stephen Mullock

Imagine living here....

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 19, 2011)

6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz
4544 Humphrey Road, Agassiz
241 Balsam Road, Harrison Hot Springs
34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Lindeman and Greendrop Lake - Hike 3

2011-08-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Lindeman Lake © Stephen Mullock

Consider the entire package when you are thinking about relocating, the Chilliwack* area has plenty to offer including a spectacular natural setting which I have been exploring in a series of local hikes. My first hike took me up the Coquihalla, my second to the Harrison Lake Forestry lookout, the destination this time, Lindeman and Greendrop Lake, BC.

The skies are overcast - with showers in the forecast - but we find rain as we drive down the Chilliwack Valley road, the windshield wipers beat a rhythm, and then all at once, the asphalt roadway is dry - my third hike of the season to Lindeman and Greendrop Lake might still be a dry one - with any luck. If it rains I am told we will only go as far as Lindeman Lake the rocky trail beyond gets slippery and dangerous when wet.

As we drive I am thinking about Charlie Lindeman (1869 - 1943), one of the last true mountain men to live in these parts. Like a lot of other young men he claimed land in the Chilliwack River Valley in the early 1890s. He built himself a 15' x 30' log cabin on the north side of Chilliwack Lake, grew a garden, and lived there with two Airedale dogs called Boob and Ben. Many men came into the Chilliwack River Valley looking for gold, silver, some logged and most left disappointed after a time, Charlie Lindeman stayed; he liked the wilderness. Charlie never married, and, only a couple times a year would venture into Chilliwack for supplies. He loved the forests, enjoyed isolation and being a self reliant man. To earn money he taught himself how to trap marten and ringed a trap-line around Chilliwack Lake at about the 4,000 foot mark. Mostly I am remembering a picture of Charlie Lindeman, from the book called "In the Arms of the Mountains, A History of the Chilliwack River Valley" (2006), he is sitting on a rough hewed wood bench against a log house wall with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile of contentment a yard wide.

Parking the car to the side of a rising Chilliwack Lake road we pile rocks behind the tires. Empty vehicles have been known to lose there grip and start drifting down the road, usually into another parked car.

The Hermann Hikers are soon assembled, 10 on this day and our trek to Charlie's namesake Lindeman Lake begins at 9 am.

The first part of this popular trail requires a bit of steep climbing through the forest. Beside us Post Creek rushes by, very pretty, under forest canopy. Evidence of a wind storm some 4 years ago, the same storm that devastated Vancouver's Stanley Park, is all around, large trees blown down, snapped and splintered.

Post Creek, Chilliwack BC © Stephen Mullock

The walk to the lake takes us about 2 hours with a number of breaks to capture the beauty of this place with our cameras. We cross over Post Creek using log bridges and clamber over rocks, finally we reach Lindeman Lake and I am startled by the clarity and the emerald green colour of Lindeman Lake. As the sun darts in and out of the clouds these hues amplify and then recede. I can see why Charlie Lindeman loved it here.

Lindeman Lake © Stephen Mullock

Lindeman Lake, BC Emerald Greens

My attention is then taken to a craggy rock outcropping called the Castle or the Gargoyles guarding this jewel-like lake. With their sharp dagger-like serrated edges they look like something from a horror fantasy. Clouds are being burnt off as the sun momentarily blesses the scene; then the Castle and attendant Gargoyles once more are enveloped by clouds to materialize once again just moments later.

Caste and Gargoyles, Lindeman Lake BC, peak through clouds

After a few minutes rest we are off to Greendrop Lake leaving Lindeman Lake behind us.

Up the rocks with Lindeman Lake BC behind

There are plenty of rocky areas between the two lakes, known as talus or scree, where choosing you footing must be carefully done. We take our time picking our way through these uneven surfaces.

Scree or Talus Rock

Moving back into the forests plenty of interesting sights both small and large await us.

Looking up Cedar Tree Hollow

After another 2 hours we arrive at Greendrop Lake. Unfortunately, the clouds have bunched up a bit and it does not show itself to good advantage. I am happy to rest my legs, eat my lunch and marvel at some of nearby old cedars, maybe 100-200 years old.

With some good rest breaks we return to our vehicles at about 4 pm. without a single drop of rain falling on us.

Imagine living here....

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 11, 2011)

34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs
6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz
4545 Humphrey Road, Agassiz
Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Twilight Concert Series in Agassiz BC

2011-08-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Park Twilight Concert Series - Agassiz

Emerging Talent

They come to the Park for any number of reasons, to be entertained, to meet up with friends, family, to cheer on the performers, some just to pass the time. They unfold their lawn chairs on the grass, under the leaves, well away from the stage so as not to be noticed, it is easier to slip away that way. The feet of children dangle from a cherry tree, a burden its' branches have often borne. If you have troubles no need to remember them this evening, let the music embrace you, if only for an hour. There are days of love to recall, and, as each tune is played, they tumble down sweet like fruit from a tree.

The Pioneer Park Twilight Concert Series is a pretty laid back affair held every Wednesday Night in Pioneer Park, Agassiz from 6:30 - 8:00 PM until the end of August, so grab a chair and make yourself friendly.

Shelia, Laura and Marilee

Strange Fruit in Cherry Tree

Imagine living here...

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 9, 2011)

34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs
6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz
4545 Humphrey Road, Agassiz

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Harrison Lake Forestry Outlook - Hike 2

2011-08-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Harrison Lake and Mount Cheam

Up a dusty road along the west side of Harrison Lake we drove. The weather was a perfect 25° C and I had all but recovered from my first hike of the year. Heck, to be truthful, the first time, in many years. I was bouncing along in the backseat of pickup truck with, hiker dog extraordinaire, "Takoda" whom you may remember from a previous post. Takoda, I learned is a word from the Sioux language meaning friend to all. A very appropriate name for a dog that is brave enough to chase away bears and quiet enough that you barely notice her. Oh, I should mention I was with some fine people as well, but, I do like that dog, experienced hikers from the Hermann's Hikers group and some friends from my first foray into the BC forests.

A few years ago, my family in convoy with another group attempted to find the Forestry Lookout on the west side of Harrison Lake but the age of our children and the steepness of the path turned us away. Somewhere along this dusty gravel road is a hubcap from our 1986 Camry. I wasn't going back to try and find it but I happy with the thought that I would finally see that, so far, elusive Forestry Lookout.

I am not sure how these lookouts worked in the past as they predate cellular telephones and personal computers. What did they do if they saw a forest fire? Send a smoke signal? Perhaps, they had a satellite telephone? If you know add a comment. Anyways, I do know that they were staffed and had a small shelter to keep them dry and out of harms (bears) way.

We had to pull over once for a logging truck hauling a full load but otherwise the 24 mile ride up the road was uneventful. The picture above was taken just as we left the truck and it turns out that it was one of best vantage points of the day. Looking over a logging clear-cut the glacier fed waters of Harrison Lake appear tranquil, beyond them, the BC coastal mountain tower with the highest peak to the right being Mount Cheam.

Some old bear scat (poop) was found close to where we parked the truck. I was told it wasn't fresh as it wasn't steaming. Not so much a reassuring thought. Anyways, I was quickly armed with an orange container of bear spray and told a horror story about a woman that thought bear spray was to be used like bug spray; her children being the unfortunate victims of this stupidity.

Finding the trail-head turned out to a bit of a problem because the logging has destroyed a former stone cairn. Our local experienced hikers came through however eventually locating the trail-head, thereafter it was well marked with tree tags and the occasional trail marker.

Hiking photographers, myself included took in the views and snapped away.

Turns out this trail is not "a walk in the park". We had to cross a number of treacherous log jams and then bushwhack our way through the underbrush. There were steep parts as well and I was happy that we had not dragged our young children up here so many years ago. Hiking though is as much about the journey and companionship as it is about the destination. Along the way, I enjoyed myself savouring the sour taste of small ripe, red, huckleberries and talking with new friends.

Two hours of hiking later some of us bruised, others scratched, several missing sunglasses we reached the lookout.

We live in an area of natural beauty and wonder...imagine living here.

All photographs © Stephen Mullock

Interested in hiking in this spectacular part of the world? Here are some handy links:

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 5, 2011)

34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs
6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz
4545 Humphrey Road, Agassiz

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: August 1, 2011

2011-08-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for July 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
July 2011	127	$348,000	80	1139
June 2011	165	$361,000	63	1073
July 2010	99	$343,000	61	n/a

NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Homes: July 2011 - $344,500

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: August 1, 2011 - $388,800

At the request of a good friend, this month I have added Median Sale Price to our statistical mix. Thanks for the suggestion V.

My hopes were up last month, as reported last month, the sales of single family houses were in resurgence following a three month slide.

We usually do expect the number of sales to fall off slightly in July, as, many of those family who want to be moved before school begins have made their purchase. Sales as a result traditionally fall off by 3% between June and July. Sales fell 23% between June 2011 and July 2011. N'uff said.

Over a 10-year period we would normally expect July to see on average 172 sales, so 127 represents about 74% of what we would usually anticipate and a market very similar to what we had in March and April this year.

2011 Market Strength

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

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July
2011	85%	91%	75%	70%	68%	93%	74%

The above is another new feature which very simply tells us when the market is running and when it is retreating. My sense is that when the market is running at about 85% healthy expectations are present in the market.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for July 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
July 2011	50	$210,000	81	592
June 2011	65	$232,000	52	537
July 2010	44	$228,000	79	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: August 1, 2011 - $219,900
NEW - Median Sale Price of Chilliwack* Strata Homes: July 2011 - $202,000

The sale of Strata Units (apartments, townhouses) in the Chilliwack* area is seen here as being once again firmly stuck in territory benefiting the Buyer with only 50 sales on an average inventory of 565 for the month. Only 8.8% of the listing inventory was sold; usually, we would expect about 75 Strata Home sales in July on a 10 year average.

Sellers need to ensure that they are working with a professional local real estate agent and that all parts of their marketing mix are in order such as: price, product condition, access (place), and promotion. All items should be reviewed on a frequent basis and new sales and competitors discussed. Once that is done prepare to be patient. I have a tailored program that keeps my clients up to date on values in their neighbourhood; other real estate agents will have similar services as well.

Featured Real Estate Properties for Sale (as of August 1, 2011)

34856 Marshall Road, Abbotsford
241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs
6342 Wilson Road, Agassiz

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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 Mullock of Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty (click here) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service; you’ll be happy you did.

BC Hiking - My First Hike

2011-07-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

I got a call late on Tuesday night from my friend Helle,"Steve, we are going hiking tomorrow and I was wondering if you would be interested"?

The Chilliwack Fraser-Cheam area is next to some of the best hiking in the world, from lofty peaks, to valley trails the sights are unforgettable and uniquely west coast. I said "I'm in".

At 9:00 am the entire group was assembled at the Popkum roundabout to meet and carpool. There was a nice mixture of beginners, five of us including a couple visiting from Denmark and 3 experienced leaders including my friend Helle. I should mention the dog - Takoda a mixed breed with a wonderful attitude and terrific poser. After introductions we were off to a section of the Trans Canada Trail and former Kettle Valley rail line up the Coquihalia Highway.

Takoda amongst the Hawk-weed

The couple from Denmark, turned out to be father and daughter named Ulf, somehow I heard Wolf, and Rosa, I thought was Rose. Ulf and Rosa were coming close to the end of their month long holiday in western Canada. They had already enjoyed the Rockies and been out on a hike just two days prior. In contrast I hadn't hiked for a decade and, okay, I am also carrying a few extra pounds.

One concern of mine when hiking is bears but I was reassured to learn that the group is quite chatty thereby advertising its presence in the forests so that no bears are surprised, they then have time to retreat. Sometimes hikers wear bells on their backpacks for the same purpose. Bear spray, bear bangers are also kept readily at hand.

No Bells, Black Beat Scat

I asked Wolf, "How can you tell whether you are in Grizzly or Black bear country"? He told me that a massive shoulder hump gives the Grizzly bear away; that and the hiker bells found in Grizzley scat (poop).

We turned off the Coquihalla Highway 5 at the Portia intersection, parked, shouldered our packs, wiggled through a massive yellow gate and began walking, it was 9:45 am.

This hike, the Coquihalla Summit Trail, took us along in part down the former Kettle Valley Railway and in part along the Trans Canada Trail. The grades are not difficult. It soon became evident that along with mushrooms a riot of wildflowers were in bloom and the photographers in the group were given time to take some pictures of them.

Wild Mushroom

Through a forest canopy we walked.

The wildflowers were quickly named by our leader Sue and Tracey and included Hawk-weed, Red Columbine, the delicate forest Tiger Lily, Red Paint Brush, Yellow Salsify, Oxeye Daisies and the list just goes on and on....

Wild Strawberries

My favourite plant were the wild strawberries. These berries although "pea" sized packed a real punch of flavour putting store bought strawberries to shame.

At 1 o'clock we arrived at an old railway snowshed and had a break for lunch. I was ready for a rest and a chance to explore this old structure.

Snowshed KVR

We could tell from some of the dates stamped into the concrete that a lot of railway work had been done in 1944 and 1956 and couldn't help but think when, and why, it was decommissioned. This dramatic tag may tell the tale as to when.

Work Train Last Supper June 20, 1962

After our break we continued on through a second traintunnel and then to the "Hole in the Wall". The “Hole in the Wall” is a circular holeapproximately 4’ in diameter cut through a solid granite wall. It is open tothe sky for about 8’ and then it falls into a lower opening and finally emergesas a waterfall. The following photograph does not do it justice.

Hole in the Wall KVR

Hiking it turns out is a great way to get to know people and talking helps those miles disappear. At about 2 PM we turned around. This time fewer pictures were taken, the party was on the march!

A blister on my right heal began to form, fortunately these hikers are well prepared and a band aid solution materialized. A few miles further my left heel began to complain and a second a band aid was offered. About 5 pm my wife called to "ask where are you" in a hushed tone I said "we are still walking...that is hiking... I'm all in."

A day later, I am feeling fine and looking forward to another hike in the near future.

Imagine living here...

Interested in hiking in this spectacular part of the world? Here are some handy links:

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Agassiz's Agricultural Experimental Farm

2011-07-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Canada's experimental farms are celebrating their 125th birthday and last Saturday the Agassiz Experimental Farm opened its' doors to visitors like me. The Agassiz Experimental Farm is not quite 125 years old as it was established as one of Canada's original 5 farms by William Saunders in 1888. Saunders was taken by the almost tropical farm environment Agassiz presented and the relatively mild winter conditions. In the following years since a host of tropical plants have been grown including lemons, limes and kiwi. Unfortunately, for such trees, it seems the farm is still too far north. While the farm was initially used to evaluate livestock and fruit trees suitable for the climate today it is a modern, state of the art, research laboratory and dairy. It is one of our area treasures.

It takes a great deal of work to organize an Open House for the public and I'd like to thank the employees of the Agassiz Experimental Farm for the interactive and fun way they presented their work. Here are a few pictures of the day.


The Commons


Dominion Experimental Farm Agassiz 1888


Research Laboratory and Mount Cheam Agassiz

Chicks of all colours


Stately Old Agassiz Research Barn

Agassiz Cows enjoying a meal

Into the Sunlight - Hurray!

Imagine living here....

Featured real estate offerings on this date:

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

A Sense of Place - 6432 Wilson Road, Agassiz, BC

2011-07-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a little real estate secret - "really special properties are hard to find" - just this past week I found this one, now listed for sale at $599,000.

There once was a scientist who worked at the nearby Agassiz's Agricultural Research Station, then as now, there were concerns about "energy". He decided to build a wiser more Earth friendly structure on a 2.85 acre parcel 1.5 miles out of town. A landscape architect was consulted.

They planted a forest along the north side of the parcel to break the winter winds and lessen its' chill. A driveway under a leafy canopy is the entry today. They liked it - it seemed that the work world along with their cares were shrugged off at the roadway.

The house design also hunched its shoulders against the northern winter weather with an earth berm along the north side and a reduced number of window openings on this, the colder side of the house. They thought how lovely their residence would be framed by the trees of this forest. On the east side of the property a fern garden was planted.

As friendly as forests can be, they can also be dark and so a meadow on the south side of the home was planted so that as much sunlight as possible could get into the south side of their abode.

The passage of the Sun in the sky was carefully considered so that the house might take full advantage of the solar rays and naturally warm its interior.

Good views were essential and this property offered plenty of nearby hills and mountains.

A great deal of thought went into the integration of the natural world with the interior of the house. A very private, sunny, brick patio area was built right off the kitchen. Sometimes they would catch sight of this owl in a nearby pine tree.

Other sustainability ideas included a greenhouse to the side of the house; making it easy to grab some fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits for the kitchen table. Fruit bearing bushes, a hazelnut orchard (currently maintained by a nearby farmer) and a wide assortment of ornamental trees materialized. A philosopher stone was placed at the base of a cherry tree so that they could rest and reflect on the bounty of this acreage.

As much thought that went into the exterior also went into the interior of the home. Here are some pictures of it wonderful rooms. They wisely decided that the master bedroom should be located on the main floor. Two more bedrooms both with vaulted ceilings are upstairs, as well, as a writing area with a wonderful but distracting mountain view. The use of wood sash windows, wood burning fireplaces, wood clad vaulted ceilings, extensive brick and an air heat exchange unit are only a few of the features.

Watching the sun rise over Mount Cheam with a mug of coffee on the upper balcony (since renovated) was always a treat; as this winter picture shows.

As stated at the beginning, this is a very special place and worthy of your attention - let's get together - my mobile number is 604-378-9000.

For room sizes and other details click here for a Printer Friendly Detail Sheet.

Imagine living here...

All pictures and content © copyright to Stephen Mullock and Trish Fushtey
Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Harrison Hot Springs Festival of the Arts 2011: A Cultural Mash-Up

2011-07-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

These are the days, when music, art, craft, sun and beach blend and merge into the Harrison Festival of the Arts. My friends what fine days they are, with a mash-up of international sounds and people, a celebration of music, theatre, dance and visual arts on every day until July 17th, 2011.

What does a cultural event, like this festival, have to do with real estate you might ask? Other than the fact that I have a wonderful house and workshop at 241 Balsam Ave. for sale at $459,900 and a tidy, furnished one bedroom apartment for $274,900 at 328 Esplanade Ave? [Shameless and unapologetic plug]. In the Village of Harrison Hot Springs, isn't it just more entertainment in a world whirling with voices clamouring to be heard? Hey, you can stay at home and watch "America's Got Talent" or rent a DVD and never leave the cocoon of your home or, grab a lawn chair, step out and saunter down to the beach. Your life will be the richer for the experience, I know mine has been impacted and I believe that our local communities are better for it.

Los Morenos

I was brought up Chilliwack, BC then a small town of 20,000 located within the Fraser Cheam area of the eastern Fraser Valley. "Canada" in the early years of my life was divided between Canadian English, the local Canadian First Nation people and a distant Canadian French. Here on the west coast, "French" was more an acknowledgment, but still an important one, to a larger Canadian commitment. My "French" was taught by a chain smoking teacher who would plug us into headphones and a taped program of instruction and then, he would slip out to his real interest - the dark room. Canada has changed; the "World" has come to realize that this country isn't all igloos and polar bears. With these new peoples, carried to Canada, in their spirits and minds, has come the art, music, theatre and ideas of a planet. Some of the best are being presented right here at the Harrison Festival of the Arts. Imagine living in a community supportive of such an embraceable philosophy of inclusion and evolution - that's where you should live. They say the "World needs more Canada" for the next few days it is alive and well at the Harrison Festival of the Arts.

Here are some pictures I snapped off this weekend, I hope you enjoy them.

Art and Craft Merchants (spent some $s here, reasonable prices)

Celtic Music Trad Band

Joel Fafard

Madagascar Slim

Locarno (one of the best sets of the show)

Just underway and running every day until July 17, 2011 the Harrison Festival of the Arts, bring your friends and if you see me there say hello or "bonjour".

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Harrison Hot Springs; Todd Richard "Journey On" Debut

2011-07-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Todd Richard Journey On

Canada Day, Harrison Hot Springs BC, the sun is shining and Todd Richard is debuting his new CD "Journey On" his deep baritone energizing the crowd with a rich rumble and shiny wit. I will admit that I come from a rock and roll perspective and don't know a heck of lot about country music, other than having enough sense to know what I like, and, that includes Todd Richard. Rock, has been a territory dominated with too many wimpy boys with high falsetto voices of late it is nice to hear a man's voice.

Todd Richard is playing this Friday July 8th, 2011 at the Chilliwack Party in the Park sharp at 8 pm and I recommend purchasing his CD - I have. It is available at iTunes and at Myspace Music.

Find more artists like Todd Richard at Myspace Music

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: July 2, 2011

2011-07-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for June 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
June 2011	165	$361,000	63	1073
May 2011	128	$355,000	66	1064
June 2010	150	$363,000	61	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: July 2, 2011 - $379,900

Good news for a change...
the market for single family houses in Chilliwack* strengthened for the first time since February 2011 with 165 sales in June. Over a 10-year period we would normally expect June to see on average 177 sales, so 165 represents about 93% of what we would usually anticipate. Not bad, a big improvement over the sorry state that was the May numbers.

Average sale prices have been slowly improving up since the beginning of the year and currently are hovering around $361,000; this time a year ago they were $363,000. Prices tend to expand through the spring and summer months and then retreat in the fall and winter. The exception to this occurs when there is a boom underway. At present there are 1,064 listings of single family houses in the Chilliwack area and the market seems to be moving from a Buyers Market into a Balanced Market. No Boom. A 15.4% sale to listing ratio occurred in June a month earlier this was only at 12%.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for June 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
June 2011	65	$232,000	52	537
May 2011	70	$220,000	82	524
June 2010	70	$213,000	83	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: July 2, 2011 - $214,900

Not so rosy for...
the sale of Strata Units (apartments, townhouses) in the Chilliwack* area; this was an under-performer in June. Usually, we would expect about 77 sales on a 10 year average. Only 9.8% of the listing inventory was sold; the Chilliwack Strata Market falling once again into Buyer's territory.

Sellers need to ensure that they are working with a professional local real estate agent and that all parts of their marketing mix are in order such as: price, product condition, access (place), and promotion. All items should be reviewed on a frequent basis and new sales and competitors discussed. Once that is done prepare to be patient. I have a tailored program that keeps my clients up to date on values in their neighbourhood; other real estate agents will have similar services as well.

If you are interested in the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia's most recent journey into Smithers British Columbia have a look at Sojourn in Smithers by Alicia. This site also has a couple fresh posts about this remarkable community "Looking for the Soul of Smithers BC" and "Smithers Old Church and the Meditation Garden". I hope you enjoy them.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Smithers "Old Church" and the Meditation Gardens

2011-06-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Part Two of: Looking for the Soul of Smithers BC
I was foot weary, alone, and while a friendly face is always welcomed what I needed most was a moment to rest. I slogged southward on King Street, as I had heard good things about a "Meditation Garden" at the "Old Church"; I was hoping for a place to put my feet up. A day earlier, Evi, had told me that a group of volunteers would be planting annuals there, but, the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia meetings I was attending kept me away. I don't mind a bit of gardening or lending a helping hand.

The "Old Church", formerly St. James Anglican Church had been built in 1913 the same year the Grand Pacific Trunk Railway rolled through the newly established Town of Smithers.

The Anglican congregation eventually outgrew the Old Church and vacated to a new location in 1975. The simple little church, left to the town, fell into a deep silence and a state of disrepair.

The salvation of the "Old Church" was one of those projects that the local Smithereens, (love that name), obviously take a great deal of pride in; as by this time in my travels, several locals had directed me there for a "look-see". On the throes of being torn down, an Australian, of all people, (I wish I had his name, as all great initiatives require leadership) urged the Town to preserve one of Smithers oldest remaining buildings as a place for use by the Arts and for non-profits.

In 2004, the building was restored and today serves as a community assembly and concert hall holding up to 90 souls at a time.

[While most small communities provide tremendous tax supported assets to "sports" (massive fields, ice arenas, swimming pools, lights, washrooms etc.) too few resources are usually given to the "arts" it is nice to see that Smithers and its' Smithereens are behind both.]

Old Church, Smithers BC

The "Old Church" is situated on a standard sized lot, one block east of Main Street at the corner of King Street and First Ave. Unfortunately by the time I arrived the building, run by the Bulkley Valley Museum, was closed, fortunately, the non-denominational meditation garden was still open.

Meditation Garden, Old Church, Smithers BC

They're great and worth a visit. Along the east side of the "Old Church" is a brick walkway, a transition zone of a sorts where you can begin to shrug off your worldly concerns. Gates confront you at a covered entry. You must decide to enter. Mazes were once used by monks for meditation purposes but here the space is restricted and so a circular pathway must suffice. Flanked by two lengthy wood benches it is a place for quiet thoughts and simple appreciation. The goal of such spots is to still your thoughts for a moment, forget the past, to stop thinking about the future and simply to be mindful of the present. The beauty of this place helped to set my mind at rest, and yes, my feet were happy too...

Happy feet

Forget days past, heart broken, put all memory by!
No grief on the hill-side, no pity in the sky,
Joy that may not be spoken fills mead and flower and tree.

~William Morris (1834-96) from Fair Weather and Foul

Stephen Mullock RI
is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Looking for the Soul of Smithers BC

2011-06-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just returned yesterday, from a series of Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia (REFBC) strategic planning sessions held in the northern British Columbian city of Smithers B.C. While there, before and after the meetings I explored Smithers, on foot, looking for the differences between Smithers and cities like Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs. Would I find Smithers a more complete, a more alive, for lack of a better word let's call it a more soulful place to live. I went looking for the Soul of Smithers BC.

Hudson Bay Mountain, Smithers BC

Smithers is like an island surrounded by a sea of mountains and foam of trees. Hudson Bay Mountain towers above all, its white caps remote, serene and beautiful. Lower down, ski runs have been carved. This is a community that embraces and thrives on winter.

I met a lot of people from Chilliwack and Agassiz while I was there. It is easy to pick out the strangers and a friendly enough question to ask is "where are you from"? It gave me a chance to talk about common friends like Earla Legualt and Ken Schwaerzle and to promise to send along regards.

Just like Vancouver, Smithers has a dedicated view towards wilderness and parks with extensive trail circling most of the city. Unlike the large block of land that forms Vancouver's Stanley Park, Smithers offers an extensive trail system which almost encircles the entire town. I spent a number of hours walking through wetlands (mosquitoes apparently like me), along the Bulkley River and into deep aspen forests. These places helped me still my thoughts and bring me back in touch with the natural world. The preservation of these places demonstrates something great and unexpected in a small town...soul.

Smithers like Chilliwack has a Main Street called Main Street. Wide brick sidewalks and an imported Bavarian Alpine style greet the visitors in a neat and tidy and just likable way.

Someday, I am hoping to see one of our smaller BC communities develop a "unique to the BC area" set of architectural guidelines that, in this case, would say "Smithers" and no where else in the world. Okay, that is just my wish; I realize a lot of people like the friendly atmosphere that a European Village scene suggests.

Main Street, Smithers, BC,

The housing, in contrast, was very exciting especially this one block.

From the grace of a North American Arts and Crafts house...

to a Leed Platinum Net-Zero Modern residence....

in just a few steps; amazing range in such a small town.

I was interested in the cultural life and found a strong presence in this community from a Tuesday open mike night at the Blue Fin Sushi Bar, music festivals to the farmers market there were plenty of linkages for people to meet and greet one another. I bought some tickets in support of the Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society and a chance to win a Rayco Acoustic Guitar worth $3,200.

One story I heard from former REFBC Governor Charlie Northrup was that the residents of Smithers had successful rebuked the Canada Post suggestion of the installation of super-boxes. Residents in Smithers want pick up their mail at one common post office and, hopefully, bump into a neighbour or two. Recognition that a community's strength requires such face to face encounters to keep it alive.

It was a short stay, productive meetings and a wonderful glimpse into the heart of a fine community. I am looking forward to a return trip someday soon I hope.

A part two will follow in the coming days about what is perhaps the most soulful corner in Smithers.

All pictures and content copyright © to Stephen Mullock.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Sun Rays on the Fraser River

2011-06-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

It seems that 2011 has seen its fair share of cloudy days, so, when the sun began to peak through the clouds, last night, it felt like magic. I found these Sun Rays back-lighting a Fraser River island in dreamy landscape and did my best to capture the moment.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack Real Estate Market Mid Month and Canuck Fever

2011-06-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Before getting to the statistics - Go, Canucks, Go! Tonight, the Stanley Cup will either be awarded to the Vancouver Canucks or the Boston Bruins. I think this is Johnny Canuck's year....

Moving away from hockey back to real estate I thought that the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) end of May survey was quite interesting for sellers and buyers involved or considering a sale or purchase in the Chilliwack* - Fraser Cheam real estate market:

The BCREA 3 page report breaks down activity within British Columbia (BC) by Real Estate Board including the Chilliwack* Fraser Cheam area serviced by the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.

This BCREA report documents the current, challenging, real estate market for Sellers and Real Estate Agents that this blog has been writing about. Some of the more important statistics include:

     (a) Inventory, the number of residential properties available for sale, is up by 5.5 %, when comparing end of May 2011 to May 2010, making this a very competitive market for Sellers and an opportunity for Buyers;

     (b) There were 20% fewer sales in May than one year ago;

   (c) January to May 31, 2011 shows 13.8% fewer sales than the January to May 31 period in 2010. As pointed out in my review on June 1, 2011 the real estate market in Chilliwack has been showing accelerating slippage in recent months - a real concern.

     (d) average Chilliwack* Fraser Cheam residential prices May 2011, for all types - single family & strata were 4.8% lower than one year ago in May 2010.

If you like statistics the economic team at BCREA do a terrific job especially when specific sub-markets such as the Chilliwack- Fraser Cheam area can be isolated from the speculative markets in Vancouver.

What to do, if you are selling?

Keep up to date through sites such as this Blog with general trends in the market,
Keep your property ready to show and make access easy,
Good luck plays a part in all sales do not hastily reject an offer. And, finally...

Go, Canucks, Go!

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Benjamin Harrison the "Harrison" in Harrison Hot Springs

2011-06-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

As discussed in the previous post the "Harrison" place name was first used in 1828 when Governor Simpson named the Harrison River in honour of Benjamin Harrison a deputy Governor of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). Because "Harrison" is a name assigned to such areas as Harrison Hot Springs, Harrison Mills, Harrison Lake, Harrison River, Harrison Bay etc. I thought it might be interesting to have a look at the man and his role with the Hudson Bay Company that in the early 1800s established itself with a series of Forts throughout our province, then called New Caledonia, for purposes of the fur trade.

Hudson Bay Forts in Southern British Columbia

The Royal Charter of 1670 gave the Hudson Bay Company immense powers which included the right to make laws, administer justice, undertake military action, wage war or make peace with non-Christian people as well as a total monopoly over trade in all territories drained by the Hudson Bay. Wow, broad sweeping powers that in the wrong hands could be misused without recourse.

The Executive of the HBC was comprised of a Governor, a deputy Governor and 7 directors all elected from a meeting of the shareholders held in November. Benjamin Harrison rose to the station of Deputy Governor in 1835-1839, but at the time of the naming of Harrison River he would have been a director. This was a man of considerable standing with the HBC; in fact, Benjamin Harrison was a shareholder and committee member for 47 years. To top things off his brother in-law Sir John Pelly (also a cousin) was Governor for 30 years at the HBC.

Benjamin Harrison was a devout Anglican and part of a Clapham evangelical sect that was dedicated to advancing humanitarian efforts such as the abolition of slavery. They weren't so keen on the dissolution of the class system, still very prevalent in Britain at the time, even though they believed the disadvantaged had a better chance of being received in heaven.

Harrison was deeply concerned with the spiritual well being of the North American Natives and wished to see them converted to Christianity assigning a HBC Chaplain to the task. The First Nation people were terribly exploited through alcohol and it was important to Harrison that the HBC take a humanitarian stand on this issue as well as offering equitable trades. Ideals that were likely at odds with the actual business being conducted thousands of miles away from London.

Benjamin Harrison was a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries and a number of other important boards in particular Guy's Hospital in London. Harrison served a lengthy term as treasurer at Guy's handling this role as a bit of a tyrant and unpaid volunteer for fifty years.

It is always difficult to judge someone especially when the "times" are so different. Was such an autocratic hold on the hospital necessary? Then again, to be an unpaid volunteer for 50 years is pretty remarkable. Also outstanding is, his re-election to the powerful HBC London Office for 47 years and his attempts to instill the need for fair trading practices with the North American Natives. I am sure he had more than a few flaws, who doesn't, but, all in all Benjamin Harrison seems like a good candidate for the naming honours afforded him in this, then, remote, wild and dangerous corner of North America.

The best information about Benjamin Harrison comes from the excellent book "The People of the Harrison" (1990) by Daphne Sleigh and available for sale at the Agassiz Harrison Museum.

Imagine living here....

To find real estate property for sale in the Harrison Hot Springs Village, Harrison Mills or along Harrison Lake click here. Should you have any questions on these properties I would be pleased to help as your local area Realtor©.

View Harrison Lake and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Harrison Hot Springs BC Place Name Origin

2011-06-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

The "Harrison" name is used a lot on the north side of the Fraser River between Mission and Agassiz BC. Some of the places identified with the name include Harrison Hot Springs, Harrison Lake, Harrison River, Harrison Mills and the Harrison Knoll. In addition there are well over 20+ businesses and organizations called Harrison Something . An outsider might expect that given the heavy usage a statue of the person, a portrait, a lot might be known about these individual, Benjamin Harrison, but no, there isn't.

View Larger Map
Maybe for good reason, for one, Benjamin Harrison was English and never visited the area, or, North America for that matter, and secondly, his name got associated with this area a long time ago in 1828.

It was a era before settlers and gold rushes when the Hudson Bay Company ran a fur trade empire and a big chunk of North America as well, for their shareholders, called the Company of Adventurers. British Columbia, known as New Caledonia, was a wilderness and especially on the heavily forested coastal area if there wasn't a trail or waterway it became very difficult to get around. Beaver pelts were in high demand and the HBC in need of making a profit.

The Hudson Bay Company centred in Fort Langley was anxious to open up fur trading routes with the First Nation people of the interior. An alternative to the ever dangerous Fraser River was sought after and a promising alternative river to the Fraser known to the Natives as "Pinkslitsa" explored. Governor Sir George Simpson, had a look at the river in 1828 and was so pleased he sent the following dispatch to London "As it promises to become important to our interests, in this quarter, not only as a practicable route to and from the interior but as an opening to us a new tract of country, which the Natives say is Rich in Beaver, I have taken the liberty of naming it after one of the Members of Your Honble. Board "Harrisons River".*

Now, Sir George Simpson, nicknamed the "Little Emperor" while possessing great administrative skills was also, by many accounts a lousy human being. Leading me to wonder what sort of man was Benjamin Harrison? I will see what I can find and report back in the next post.

*The best information and the quote above comes from the excellent book "The People of the Harrison" (1990) by Daphne Sleigh and available for sale at the Agassiz Harrison Museum.

Imagine living here....

To find real estate property for sale in the Harrison Hot Springs Village, Harrison Mills or along Harrison Lake click here. Should you have any questions on these properties I would be pleased to help as I am a local area Realtor©.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

New Masthead for Fraser Cheam

2011-06-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

The new masthead at the top of the Blog shows British Columbia's Fraser River winding its way through the Fraser Valley between Chilliwack and the District of Kent (Agassiz). The Fraser River is British Columbia's most important river some 1,375 miles (2,213 km) n length it drains two mountain ranges and an area of 85,000 square miles of land. In the picture above the height of the River is near its crest, swollen with the annual late spring freshet. Along the river edges, recently bare trees have been transformed into blankets of green; from the folds a chorus of bird song is heard. In the distance, Mount Cheam (She-am) looms regally over the River.

A loud honking along the Fraser River alerted me to a large flock of Canadian Geese flying eastward you can see them on the left shoulder of Mount Cheam. Perhaps, they were heading towards the Cheam wetlands for the night.

Turning around I also noticed that light was streaming off of Mount Agassiz to a Red Barn on the Valley Floor. The tranquil nature of the photograph with the huge tree shadows appeals to me. I hope that you like it.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: June 1, 2011

2011-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for May 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
May 2011	128	$355,000	66	1094
April 2011	118	$350,000	70	1046
May 2010	170	$366,000	62	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: June 1, 2011 - $379,900

Sometimes, it is hard to determine whether you are winning or losing especially when all you get to see is carefully selected information and all you hear is double speak that is why I like to do my own analysis.

For instance, if all you saw was the information above you would see that prices on average for Single Family Houses in Chilliwack* went up in value. That on average they required fewer days to sell - that's good as well. Prices on average for Single Family Homes in Chilliwack* were less in May than the same time a year ago. You'd probably say that is expected - we are not living in Vancouver. By the way, Cameron Muir BCREA Chief Economist wrote an excellent article explaining some of the statistical problems surrounding a strong Vancouver market in an article called "Appearances Can Be Deceiving". You might have an unsettling feeling if you looked at the inventory of 1094 houses and considered the 128 sales this past May a 12% sale to listing ratio firmly in Buyers Market Territory. What you wouldn't know is that this May was the worst May in 10 years and that the Chilliwack Real Estate Market for Single Family Houses is currently in decline - appearances can be deceiving.

How was this conclusion reached? Well on average, the Chilliwack* Single Family Housing market, in "May" during the last ten years, 2001 - 2010, had 187 May sales on average. So 128 sales this month divided by the 10 year average of 187 (128 / 187) = 68%. If we call this turnover Velocity then the Chilliwack real estate market is in decline as the Velocity level in March was 75%, April 70% and now 68% in May. The Chilliwack Real Estate Market for Single Family Houses is in decline.

What can be done? I get a number of inquires each week and this week I received one from a 45 year old family man exploring the thought of getting a real estate license. While real estate sales remains a challenging and interesting job it is hard to say that there is a good living to be made in it currently. So where usually 6 months salary would usually be needed to start a career perhaps an 8 month bankroll, given the market, might be more in line.

Sellers need to ensure that they are working with a professional local real estate agent and that all parts of their marketing mix are in order such as: price, product condition, access (place), and promotion. All items should be reviewed on a frequent basis and new sales and competitors discussed. Once that is done prepare to be patient. I have a tailored program that keeps my clients up to date on values in their neighbourhood; other real estate agents will have something similar.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for May 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
May 2011	70	$220,000	82	524
Apr 2011	69	$209,000	69	511
May 2010	75	$222,000	59	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: May 1, 2011 - $227,500

The Strata Market part of the Chilliwack* real market is faring much better and I would be considered it as being in the bottom of a Balanced Real Estate Market with a sale to listing ratio of 16%. Good news. Compared with a 10 year average for Strata Sales in May the Velocity rate is at 86%, holding steady from last month and not too bad given the still fragile nature of the economy.

Now for something on the lighter side...Michael Scott's Words of Wisdom

Notes:
This review and analysis looks at the residential markets in the Chilliwack* British Columbia area for the month of May 2011. It is divided into two sections: single family houses and strata homes (apartments and townhouses) and is based upon my armchair analysis work. Use it at your own discretion.

The analysis above is based on my interpretation of information provided by the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board and does not take into account private sales.

*The term "Chilliwack" is used here quite loosely to refer to an area serviced by the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board which includes communities such as Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Yale and Boston Bar. The Fraser Valley West area embraces the entire Fraser Valley Real Estate Board area which extends from Abbotsford to Delta.

Copyright June 1, 2011 by Stephen Mullock.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Fraser River Floods 1894 & 1948

2011-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

There once was a time, long ago, that the Fraser River flowed across the Fraser Valley unchallenged and unchecked by the dikes that hem her in today. A force of nature,the Fraser River can be accommodating to the traveler, beautiful and deadly all at the same time, especially, when in flood.

Old timers still talk of "The Flood of 1948" but this was only one of a series of floods that have periodically plagued the Fraser Valley. In 1894, settlers in the Fraser Valley watched a similar event but losses were light given that there were few farms. The landscape of Chilliwack was quite different as well, the area was crisscrossed with rivers, and streams, the large shallow Sumas Lake further complicated drainage.

Chilliwack and Sumas Lake

Still the 1894 flood gave engineers a high-water mark to measure the annual freshet which usually crests in late May or early June. A high snow pack and a sudden increase in temperature can see the snow melt and sluice down countless streams and creeks into the Fraser River adding to its volume. Bruce Hutchison recounts the effects of the 1948 flood, somewhat sensationally, in his great book called "The Fraser"...

Quietly, slowly, inexorably the brown water rose beside the farm land below the canyon and the delta at the river's mouth. Before it earth dikes crumbled and dissolved like sugar, or suddenly, under pressure from below, exploded, tossing trees, stumps and barns into the air. A cargo of uprooted trees and flotsam from the interior poured out to the sea, and with it poured the carcasses of milk cows, horses, pigs and sheep to be washed up on the rocks of the gulf islands and even on the beaches around Victoria. The two transcontinental railway grades were submerged. Except by air Vancouver was isolated from the rest of Canada.

All animal life fled before the water and a cat was actually seen swimming down the river with a mouse riding on its back.

After the 1948 flood governments recognized that seriousness of a reoccurring flood threat and stronger dikes were built to elevations 2 feet above the 1948 high-water peak. Other helpful measures that lessen the flow into the Fraser River include the diversion of the Nechako River and the construction of a number of water storage areas along the Fraser for hydroelectricity production. Still, there remains a sense of nervousness amongst the locals, some years, when the mighty Fraser River begins to rise in the late spring.

Interesting Links

Chilliwack Museum
Agassiz Harrison Museum

For more information on the preventative Fraser River dike work undertaken since 1948 click here.
History of the Fraser River dikes click here.
For snow pack and flood watch sites, Provincial Emergency Program click here.
Definitions and descriptions click here.

*Photograph shows boys on home made rafts and men in canoes on Mill Street during the flood of 1894. The photo was taken at the corner of Wellington looking north on Mill Street. Two houses in the background are the residences of W.A. Rose and G. Wilkinson, Victoria Ave. West. Benjamin Southwell Bradshaw sitting in canoe. Two of five boys on raft include Roy Chadsey and Alex Chadsey. Norm McGillivray visible on right with dog. Don McGillivray standing behind Norm.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack River Valley - Real Estate

2011-05-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Chilliwack River Valley is a special place of roaring rivers, towering mountains, emerald forests and tranquil beauty. Buying real estate and living in Chilliwack comes with many advantages perhaps the biggest one is our proximity to wilderness. Whether you want to hike, fish, kayak, dirt-bike, or, simply sit by the river and watch the river flow, the Chilliwack River Valley is a world class outdoor playground.

The photograph above was taken a week ago and shows the Chilliwack River during its May runoff an old bridge abutment standing like a monolith.

The Chilliwack River Valley is sparsely populated and lies within the Fraser Valley Regional District. Finding real estate in the area is not really easily accommodated and the resources of a Realtor© is recommended. I would like to stress that the Valley does have a number of "sensitive" areas that can potentially impact the use and enjoyment of property make sure that you seek a local real estate agent knowledgeable about the Chilliwack River Valley.

Prices for real estate at the time of writing ranged from $49,000 for a mobile on a leased pad to $800,000 for a custom home. On this date here were the 34 residential properties available as of this date, arranged by price, on 12 pages (click here). Of course through time new properties come available and prices change so look at this information with some discretion.

Here are additional photographs taken that day, I hope that you enjoy them.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Sumas Mountain and the Great Flood or Tsunami

2011-05-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

There is a story in "Five Corners the Story of Chilliwack" by Bruce Ramsey that tells of the drowning of a world, the end of a culture and the beginning of a new one. While it can be compared to the story of Noah I find echoes of a more recent event, the March 2011 Japanese Tsunami.

From "Five Corners the Story of Chilliwack" by Bruce Ramsey

"During the flood here in this valley there was a man who told his people to build a good canoe, and he said, there will be one mountain that's not going to be clear out of sight. The top will be there and that's where the people are going to be saved, those that are going to have a canoe".

"But a lot of people did not believe him, for they said, "There are a lot of high mountains; we can climb up there." Well when the time came that the flood started they began to climb Sumas Mountain, or as the Indians call it Tuhk-kay-ugh, and it didn't go out of sight during the flood. They went to the top and they had a long rope that was the Indian's work, braided of some kind of skin and trees, and they tied themselves up.

The story says there were three canoes*; one was lost there, one broke away and nobody knows where it went. When the water began to recede and about half of Sumas Mountain was visible they began to go down and they found a cave where they stayed until they could see the low land was dry.

And that the people that came down Sumas Mountain to the dry lands below changed their language from the old Chilkwayuhik language to the Halkomelem tongue which is in use today.

At that moment there began, to the old traditions, the birth of the present rich native culture, particularly basket weaving, of which it has been said there are few superior counterparts in the world.

Thoughts

The Chilliwack, Agassiz and Abbotsford areas are ringed along their edges with mountains of all sizes and rising in the middle of the Valley are a number of prominent peaks the largest being Sumas Mountain. Escape to higher ground, everywhere, would seem to be readily at hand.

The idea of "a man" telling a river traveling people to build a "good canoe" must have sounded like strange advice indeed. The natives would have been quite familiar with the Fraser River floods; in a time long before dikes were built to hem the Fraser's water in. Their solution would have been simple, climb or jump into a canoe and move to higher ground. What if instead of a flood it was a Tsunami?

A Tsunami would explain why there would be no time to travel to another mountain and the force of the water would explain why

"They went to the top and they had a long rope that was the Indian's work, braided of some kind of skin and trees, and they tied themselves up."
So was it a flood or something else?

The last two paragraphs are eerie as massive cultural changes take place after this event including language and basket weaving. Where the earlier inhabitants wiped out by this catastrophic event?

* What of the missing canoes? I found this, almost by accident the day after I wrote this post, in the book "The People of the Harrison" by Daphne Sleigh, "One of the most specific flood stories describes how a group of Chehalis and Scowlitz people crowded on to rafts and escaped across the Fraser to Sumas Mountain to take refuge from the rising water. They moored there, but some of the land mass of the mountain broke away and carried the raft southward to Washington, where - so the story goes - the survivors became the Chehalis and Cowlitz tribes of that state."

Quick Facts
"Sumas" is a Halqemeylem word meaning "a big level opening" referring according to Wikipedia to the Sumas Prairie below.

Name Details for Sumas
Hike Sumas Mountain

The Sumas Peak has an elevation of 910m or 2,986 feet above sea level.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Nature Anew - Air, Earth, Water

2011-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

On my way to Mission B.C. yesterday to pick up my daughter from the West Coast Express I had a chance to enjoy a spring day and reflect on the cycle of life that is beginning once again.

The Tree swallows are an active lot but I was lucky enough to find a nest in an old tree where one perched long enough for me to take this photograph.

The forest floor is slowly coming to life as these Licorice ferns struggle show from their mossy bed.

The lilies were wonderfully skirted and glowing in a late afternoon light. Can anyone tell me if these are the False Lily-Of-The-Valley?

I enjoyed the ripples on the water but if you look into the water you can also see the fish that were hugging the shoreline on their journey.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Chilliwack* Real Estate Market Analysis and Review: May 1, 2011

2011-05-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Housing Sales Report for April 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
April 2011	118	$350,000	70	1046
March 2011	115	$326,000	76	949
April 2010	146	$363,000	55	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Single Family Detached Real Estate Listings: May 1, 2011 - $379,000

There was some good news in April, just not a lot, in regards to single family house sales in the Chilliwack Fraser Cheam area of the eastern Fraser Valley. My review and analysis of the residential real estate market shows a trend that was first noticed in my posting of a month ago - that sales in the Chilliwack single family housing market were in fact slowing. What do I base my conclusions upon? As you can see from the graph above there were 118 sales in the month of April 2011 as compared to 115 sales in March 2011; and folks might be cheered from this news. If you looked no further than that you could be happy as clam. The truth is, however that, a seasonal selling market would always predict more sales of single family houses in the Chilliwack* area in April as compared to March. A year ago, the month of April 2010 produced 146 single family house sales in the Chilliwack* area. The 10 year average for single family house sales in Chilliwack* is 168 sales. So, the velocity of last month's activity performed at 70% of the 10 year average. Last March the velocity was at 75% of the March 10 year average. Chug Chug chug...

What was the good news? Well the average sale price of a single family house rose indicating, not so much a buoyant rise in home prices but, rather, that purchases of higher priced properties have returned - something that has been lacking in recent months.

This remains an excellent time for buyers with a good supply of Chilliwack* real estate properties to choose from. Sellers are advised to check all aspects of your marketing. Make sure that the house is neat, tidy, easy to show, priced to the market, and offering a competitive real estate commission or bonus to real estate agents.

STRATA HOMES

Chilliwack* Strata Housing Sales Report for April 2011

MONTH	Sales	Average Sale Price	Days on Market	Active Listings
Apr 2011	69	$209,000	69	511
Mar 2011	73	$212,000	67	479
Apr 2010	84	$228,000	99	n/a

Median Price of Active Chilliwack* Strata Real Estate Listings: May 1, 2011 - $219,900

Sales of Chilliwack* Strata residences (apartments, townhouses) fell off as well in April with sale numbers that were even lower than those in March. There were 69 sales of Chilliwack* Strata homes in April down from the 73 sales in March 2011. This was also lower than the 10 year sales average of 80 so velocity is running at about 85% of the 10 year average. This is a bit of a disappointing turnaround as Strata sales had been solid in February and March as reported in the February and the March Post.

Same advice to Buyers and Sellers as found above.

Notes:
This review and analysis looks at the residential markets in the Chilliwack* British Columbia area for the month of April 2011. It is divided into two sections: single family houses and strata homes (apartments and townhouses) and is based upon my armchair analysis work. Use it at your own discretion.

The analysis above is based on my interpretation of information provided by the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board and does not take into account private sales.

*The term "Chilliwack" is used here quite loosely to refer to an area serviced by the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board which includes communities such as Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Yale and Boston Bar. The Fraser Valley West area embraces the entire Fraser Valley Real Estate Board area which extends from Abbotsford to Delta.

Copyright May 1, 2011 by Stephen Mullock.
Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Spring Shadows

2011-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

I thought this simple composition of yellow flowers and the shadows of tree limbs, still bare, told the story of an annual miracle, a new growing season has begun.

Imagine living here...

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Great Rooms - The Geography We Call Home

2011-04-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

The term "Great Room" has worked its way into everyday real estate chatter and has had a significant impact on Chilliwack* residential design. The "Great Room", in a sense, is a hybrid of function calling on design from the Medieval Halls of ancient times to the family rooms of the 1950s. They are places where the private lives of the house meet and engage the public. Owners love them but the question a purchaser has to ask themselves is "Is this layout design the right one for my family"? .

The rationale of the Great Room is to enlarge the "living" area of the house by avoiding duplication in other parts. For instance gone is the separate and infrequently used dining room. Also, often missing is the formal living room. Instead, a Great Room - part kitchen, part dining and living room combines these spaces creating a wonderful flexibility in the home. For this reason Great Rooms are gaining in popularity in new residential designs. For an example of flexibility, in a Great Room design, even the largest holiday feast can be accommodated comfortably.

Above, we see the 800 square foot "Great Room" of Todd and Sylvia Richard, a house located in Harrison Hot Springs. B.C. Todd Richard, T/R, is a rising country artist with a new CD soon to be released so it is little surprise to see a room that reflects his connection to music and the outdoors. A wood decked vaulted ceiling turns this room into a cathedral where voice and guitar can mix their magic. A massive river rock fireplace casts a warm glow and serves as the room's focal point, hearth and home, a half moon window illuminating the scene from above. These rooms can be easily themed to echo the owners interests it is not difficult to imagine this same room full of antiques, modern furniture or featuring a stately grand piano.

To one side of the room the kitchen and dining area are positioned, once again, B.C. finest product "wood" is prominently used adding warmth and beauty. Saddle up to the kitchen eating bar and share a glass of wine, tell a joke or two, then, move across the room to a more comfortable seating area. The environment of the Great Room encouraging and enhancing many ways people can meet, mingle and talk.

When shopping for a home Buyers should consider whether they need a more formal arrangement of rooms or are looking for an expansive Great Room experience. At times that is determined by your furniture, perhaps you have a formal dining room set that you can not part with, or, you simply are looking for a little more separation of function, then, a more conventional layout will be better. If however, you are looking for a large space to host family and friends a Great Room is a wise choice for the geography we call home.

At the time of writing the above property 241 Balsam Ave. Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. is available for sale through Stephen Mullock at Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty if you would like more details please contact me.

Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.

Sky Magic - Sun Dogs, Rainbows and Fog bows

2011-04-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

The sky is a constantly changing feature of the eastern Fraser Valley from bright blue skies to threatening wind and rain storms. The Chilliwack Fraser Cheam sky is a lively place and many times a lovely one as well, as previously shown in the former picture of the week Aerial Ballet. All you have to do is look up to see the magic, here are some recent apparitions.

Sun Dogs, Mock Suns, Parhelia
Driving home earlier this month I noticed two bright spots horizontal to the sun and stopped the car to take this picture. I used a camera feature that allows me to take shots of sunsets and the result is as shown to the side. Information on Sun Dogs.

Rainbows
There was once a marketing push to refer to the Fraser Cheam area as "rainbow country" given their frequency here. Rumours say that at the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold; apparently everywhere in the Chilliwack Fraser Cheam area.

Fogbow
I took a walk on a foggy morning in early March and was surprised to see this "fogbow" suspended above the road. No pots of gold at the end though just a fog Bank. Information about fog bows.

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Stephen Mullock RI is an award winning full-time real estate agent 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) for experience, local knowledge and friendly service you’ll be happy you did.