Westhill Consulting British Colombia, Hong Kong, Jakarta, USA - House Hunting This Spring? 5 Tips From Real Estate Experts Across The Country

Spring and all its glory is right around the corner—just take a look at the signs all around you.

No, we’re not talking about the budding flowers or the chirping birds—we’re referring to those “For Sale” signs that start popping up on lawns across the country as the weather starts heating up.

And once the home-buying season commences … so do the bidding wars and mad dashes from one open house to another.

Since the housing market can be a tricky one to suss out, we asked agents across the country to give us their assessments for this season’s real estate landscape.

Their overarching observation? This will be a competitive home-buying season—so if you snooze, you may lose out on that four-bedroom colonial you’ve been eyeing.

“The major pitfall is lack of preparation,” says David Yocum, a Redfin real estate agent based in Chicago. “The [housing] recovery appears slow due to a lack of inventory and a low participation rate among first-time buyers, but it’s still a competitive seller’s market.”

This is the following tips for Spring House-Hunting:

Spring House-Hunting Tip #1: Close That Laptop—and Canvass Old-Fashioned Open Houses

These days, using real estate sites to explore your options is par for the course: 90% of people search for listings online during their home-buying process.

Kicking off your search online is a good move, but don’t dawdle too long behind the computer screen—inventory is expected to be tight in many major markets, so you literally want to hit the ground running.

“In our market we hope for a burst of new inventory in the spring, but that doesn’t always happen,” says Richard Seaton, vice president at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in the Washington, D.C., area. “Even if that burst comes, demand will outstrip supply, so buyers have to be in a position to make a decision quickly.”

Spring House-Hunting Tip #2: Educate Yourself on Market Values and Trends

“Buyers need to get up to speed quickly on market values so they know the right decision when it presents itself,” Yocum says. “The more quickly buyers can educate themselves, the more successful the home search will be.”

This, of course, is where it’s really all about location, location, location. According to the Case-Shiller 2014 home price index, San Francisco saw the largest annual regional gain at 9.3%, while other major markets—like New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.—saw less than 2%.

Spring House-Hunting Tip #3: Nab Low Mortgage Rates—Now

Another reason not to dawdle too long? You want to take advantage of low interest rates while they last.

“Mortgage rates are still historically low, allowing buyers to wrap up the most house their money will afford them at payment levels that should be affordable for decades,” Yocum says.

In fact, interest rates are so low that, in many markets, monthly mortgage payments are less than rent, adds Seaton. “Most predictions are that the fabulously low interest rates will stay that way through the spring, and that the variety of loan packages available to buyers will continue to multiply,” he adds.

Spring House-Hunting Tip #4: Build Your Home-Buying Dream Team Before You Bid

If spring-cleaning season has you in a hyper-organized mood, channel some of that spirit into your house hunting—in order to be a serious frontrunner in a bidding war, you’ll need to have all of your ducks in a row.

So not only will you need a savvy real estate agent, but you’ll also want your lender, inspector and attorney at the ready so you can act fast, says Yocum.

Spring House-Hunting Tip #5: Keep Sweeten-the-Deal Moves in Mind

So you’ve finally found that dream Tudor on a half-acre—but you’re stuck in a bidding war with another equally prepared buyer. How do you win by a nose?

For one, include an escalation clause, along with your offer, suggests Seaton. This is an amount that you’d automatically be willing to pay above a competing bid.

For example, let’s say you add an escalation clause of $3,000 to your bid of $200,000. If a second offer comes in at $205,000, your bid would get bumped to $208,000. If you’re in a hot market, a significant escalation factor could really pique seller interest, Seaton adds.

More related info? Westhills Consulting will here for you. Westhills offers a wide variety of innovative housing styles and options. Whether you’re looking for a 3, 4 or 5 bedroom home with or without a suite, a townhome or our new and innovative small footprint home, you’ll find it at Westhills. Follow us on Twitter @WesthillsCBC for more updates.

Go green by investing in railway improvements

There is a lot of talk about “going green,” global warming, ice caps melting and rising sea levels. At the same time we are investing millions, if not billions, of dollars to improve and widen roads and bridges so we can accommodate even more vehicles.

Aren’t vehicles the very things that contribute to the above-mentioned problems?

Instead we should be investing in modes of transportation that are green — like trains. Here on Vancouver Island we have the fantastic opportunity to bring a railway back to life that has been neglected for decades. The infrastructure is already in place (like tracks, bridges, crossings and stations). I know it needs upgrading and it will cost quite a bit of money, but it will be money well spent.

It’s almost certain that the cost of energy is going up over the coming years, and owning a vehicle will get more expensive. An improved train system would be good for commuting, tourism and business. Anyone in doubt should drive to Victoria in the morning and experience the “Colwood Crawl.” Then try to imagine what it will be like in 10 years.

Let’s look into the future and support this train before it’s too late.

Source: http://www.westhillsbc.com/news/933435139

Who we are | Westhills - Our-story

Our-story

The Westhills lands encompass 209 hectares (517 acres) of rolling sloped lands, knolls, and rocky outcroppings and are located in the City of Langford. Originally comprised of two large parcels, the properties were held for decades by two local families. In 2006, the owners of the westernmost lands formed the Westhills Land Corporation (WLC) to develop the site. Westhills subsequently acquired the second parcel, which was already zoned for residential development and a lakeside pub.

By adapting these strategies to meet the unique requirements of the Westhills site, the developers have created a warm and welcoming community that honor’s their foundation principles of sustainability, affordability, design excellence and quality construction.

Due in large part to the vision of Langford Mayor Stewart Young and Council, the Westhills Master Plan was arrived at through a design charette process involving a variety of stakeholders and consultants. These included The US Green Building Council, the Canada Green Building Council, the BC Ministry of Community Services and the Design Centre for Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Through this planning process the City of Langford has been able to form a cohesive partnership with the owner of Westhills Land Corporation, with a commitment to excellence in environmental design.

The resulting Westhills Master Plan embodies their goal of creating a unique, large-scale master-planned community based on principals of social and environmental sustainability. Major guiding factors of the design and implementation of Westhills are: considerations of location, alternative transportation modes, environmental preservation, community agriculture, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. These characteristics are demonstrated in the creation of approximately 6000 new residential units, with supporting commercial, civic and educational facilities. Approximately 84 hectares (208 acres) is designated as park and open space (equivalent to 40% of the total land area).

The Westhills vision includes buildings that will accommodate both live and work spaces, a village Centre, neighbourhood retail service centres, an internal commuter bus service, and a commuter rail station. High quality public spaces, mixed uses, cultural and educational facilities and residences will provide for a community available to all ages and various income levels.

Westhill Consulting British Colombia BC Day Celebration

The Westhills BC Day Celebration has passed us by and what a celebration it was! With well over 3, 500 people attend and at one point over 800 children on the field playing and running about, we welcomed a number of musical talents to the Westhills stage over the course of several hours.

The well-organized event brought out friends and family, as well as neighbours throughout Westhills and the surrounding community, to listen to live and local musicians, while the kids had a safe, fun place to play. It was a fantastic atmosphere as everyone enjoyed the afternoon.

This particular event has identified support from the local community for an alternative venue and opportunity for live music, right here in Langford! Clearly, from the number of families that attended this year’s event, it was an appreciated convenience to have a family-friendly, FREE event that was close to home for those that live in the West Shore.

In reflecting on the day, this event could not have taken place without the support of the City of Langford and many local businesses that contributed resources. Volunteers, musicians, artists and artisans, as well as those that attended the Westhills BC Day Celebration had a blast! You’ll have to look forward to next year’s event, as it promises to be just as fun as this year!

Westhill Consulting British Colombia Fall Landscaping Maintenance

After the pleasant busyness of the late-summer and early-autumn harvesting crunch, and before the winter rains truly set in, youll enjoy a window of fine weather and working conditions to do a little garden and landscape maintenance. Part of the joy of the season on Vancouver Island is its calm, its meditative quality—the unhurried preparation for shortening days, cooler temperatures, maritime rains, all on the heels of heat and produce bounties.

First off, clean up your spread. Remove the above ground husks of any perennials that have browned and died back, and gather ground litter like dried leaves and twigs. Such detritus—as well as big weed patches and discarded equipment—is excellent for cultivating slugs, which you most certainly don't want in your garden beds. On the subject of slugs, autumn is a great time to apply some anti-slug defenses such as beer traps. Baiting out slugs in early autumn, before they've laid eggs, can save you much hassle later on—and doing another round of bait later on in the season can target the hatchlings you missed. Westhill Consulting British Colombia

Nows a good time to transplant, because plants you get in the soil in autumn have time to adjust to the ambient conditions and develop root systems ahead of next summer water stresses. You should also get spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths into the ground now. You can prune back most hardy species this time of year as well.

If your a garlic fan—and few aren't given the plant's impressive culinary, homeopathic, and ornamental properties—mid-to late fall is an excellent time to get some cloves in the ground. In our climate—and, really, most temperate climates, save for those with truly severe winters—bulb development seems to proceed best by overwintering. The plants are thus exposed to stimulating cold and are ready all the earlier to produce stalks and leaves in late winter and early spring. Place the cloves upright—that is, in the vertical position they were in the bulb—with their tips a couple of inches below the surface.

Perhaps you've planted garlic and other vegetables to be overwintered—kale, lettuce, carrots, and the like—this fall. Buffer the fluffed-out and amended soil they're now nestled in against the pelting winter rains with a mulch of some kind. Dried leaves, straw, and even cardboard are examples. If using organic material as your mulch, try to make sure it's free of weed seeds; otherwise, you may be causing as much trouble as your saving.

Speaking of weeds, a proper layer of mulch will help smother some of the next generation. To make your life easier, be sure to conduct a thorough weeding in the autumn to knock back as much as you can those species that may lie dormant or, worse, flourish in the wintertime. Wedding can be an absolute chore, tough on the knees, the back, and the hands, but it's a necessary one, and your future spring and summer incarnation—the one readying all manner of edibles and ornamentals to go into the ground—will thank you for your autumn labours. If you simply can't attend as fully as you'd like to all corners of your property, at least make an effort to remove any remaining seed-heads (This can be as simple a process as swiftly clipping them off and hauling them away, without worrying about excavating the root system.) It isn't a perfect solution, but you will be making some kind of headway against those opportunistic non-desirables that—in between bouts of cursing and back spasms—we sometimes ruefully honor for their absolute tenacity.

If you've got irrigation installed, blow out your hoses to avoid freezing ruptures. Pressurized air can rid your system of residual water. Nows also a good time to do a general inspection of all of your landscaping infrastructure—fences, edging, raised beds, and the like—ahead of potentially damaging winter storms and the odd freeze.

So, get out there on these pleasant autumn days and get your hands dirty! Above all else, youll be communing with your garden and your larger yard during a special time of year and thus deeply perceiving the seasonal cycle.

The Life of a Resident in Westhill Consulting British Colombia

About six months ago we had the terrific pleasure of sitting down for coffee with Janet, a resident living in Lakeview Ridge of Westhills. While chit-chatting about her love for the community she now calls home, she told an amazing story about her next-door neighbour, Angela, and their small world tale of having grown up on the East Coast and realizing they had the same sister! Read as Angela tells us more....

The update – Janet and I are moving closer to finding our long, last sister Judy. As far as we are concerned, we were meant to find one another and have since continued to develop their beautiful friendship.

Sitting down with Angela in her beautiful, Westhills home on a nice, crisp fall day, we sipped coffee and she shared her Westhills story. Her and her husband Roy moved into their Westhills home in September of 2010. Every Saturday Angela would trek on site to photograph the progress of her homey construction so that she could share her excitement with her friends and family.

Once she had moved into Lakeview Ridge, Angela and Janet met and formed a bond almost immediately. They went on to co-founded the Real Ladies of Langford Lake, a group of "fun-loving gals who live on Langford Lake and just want to have a good time". The ladies took a break over the summer, but have gathered a few more members since we spoke with Janet. They are now looking forward to getting some activity/mingling events organized for this fall!

The ladies group is one of the reasons that Angela adores Westhills. "There is a sense of community here and people desire to connect with their neighbours, particularly now in our fast paced world."

This community feeling is not difficult to sense. Angela participates in her street garage/driveway parties, where neighbours will all pull out their lawn chairs and sit in their front yards socializing with one another. The party is on if one of the garage doors is open past 4PM – bring your favourite beverage!

We couldn't help but notice that Norah, Angela's kitty was also a part of the neighbourhood and a very valued part of Angela and Roy's family. Norah doesn't go outside, but often can be found peeking out the window at her animal friends as they pass through her yard.

Now being a resident of Westhills for over two years, Angela said that her top favourite reasons for living in Westhills started with the setting, as the grounds and surrounding areas are taken care of so well, including the introduction of Parklands, a park bordering Lakeview Ridge, Glenvale, Parkdale Creek and future phases of Westhills. This new park features two playgrounds, one for preschoolers and one for older children.

The second, Angela said, was the incredible value for money Westhills homes offer. Angela was particularly impressed with the opportunity to customize her home with the options, upgrades and colours she wanted. Her Westhills home is truly hers.

Lastly, the location of Westhills is a fantastic reason for living in the neighbourhood. Her and Roy can walk down to grab a coffee within ten minutes of leaving their home. The amenities in the area are outstanding – grocery shopping, home décor, clothing, electronics, plus the recreational opportunities like Langford Lanes Bowling, City Centre Park and the outdoor exercise circuit, walking trails and Langford Lake!

Beyond anything though, Angela wanted to be clear, "A friendly, welcoming community creates vibrancy that others want to be a part of" and that is why she has recommended that her friends check out the neighbourhood! It's clear that the community of Westhills embraces and respects everyone which has ensured a safe and charming place to live and play.

Westhill Consulting British Columbia Resident's BBQ

Over the past weekend Westhills hosted a resident's BBQ. It was a great opportunity to bring together neighbours from Lakeview Ridge, Parkdale Creek and Glenvale, for some food, fun and a chance to mingle and what location better than Parklands in Westhills?!

More than 250 people attended and the buzz afterwards shouted out success! Residents in each of the subdivisions meet with one another and chatted about things that were happening in and around Westhills.

The weather was perfect.... a bit windy to start but got nicer as the afternoon wore on, but not too hot. It was great for hanging out for a couple of hours and throwing down on the burgers, hotdogs and salads that were prepared.

Many Westhills children came out to play on the new playground and fill their tummies with lunch. There were games for the kids like Frisbee and races, and everyone left with a prize. A number of Westhills dogs came out to enjoy the dog treats and water we had for them!

All in all, the resident's BBQ was a fabulous success. We look forward to next year’s event!