Local Micro Breweries Thriving in Victoria

Five Victoria breweries came home with awards from this year’s BC Beer Awards in Vancouver.

Congratulations to the breweries in Greater Victoria including newly opened Ile Sauvage and Whistle Buoy Brewing, along with the established 4 Mile Brewing Co., Lighthouse Brewing and Vancouver Island Brewing.

Ile Sauvage Brewing Company and Whistle Buoy Brewing took top honours in the European sour category for their Shiro Shiro Berliner Weisse, while Ile Sauvage placed third in the smoke-and-wood-aged-beer category and was also named rookie of the year. Whistle Buoy took home a third-place award for its Gulagubben in the specialty beer category. Vancouver Island Brewing’s Hermannator Ice Bock and Dominion Dark Lager placed first and third, respectively, in the dark and strong European categories. Lighthouse Brewing took third place in the spice beer category for its Nightwatch, second place for Shipwreck in the North American IPA category and second place in the Imperial IPA category for Numbskull. Four Mile Brewing placed first for its Hazy Citra Pale Ale in the North American pale ale category.

Canadian Job Numbers Are Out

British Columbia lost 18,000 jobs in November according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for November 2019. The Canadian economy lost 71,200 jobs in November and overall unemployment rate went up 0.4 percent from the month before; the worst jobs report since 2009, when Canada was still dealing with the aftermath of the global economic crisis. The natural resources sector had the biggest hit with 25,000 (7.2 per cent) lost jobs. The largest impacts were felt in Alberta and British Columbia.

CTV Report on Victoria Property Assessments

BC Assessment’s preliminary 2020 projected market value for the province includes moderate changes in Greater Victoria, where single family homes could see a 10% drop in value while condos could drop by 5%. However, the assessment agency notes that residential properties could also rise by 5%. It depends on specific neighbourhoods.

The official value changes will be announced on January 2nd, 2020. Check out their current report
https://info.bcassessment.ca//news/Pages/2020-property-assessments-reflect-BC-moderating-markets.aspx

Greater Victoria Neighbourhood: Brentwood Bay

Brentwood Bay is a lovely, picturesque village in Central Saanich situated on the Saanich Inlet. It is home to famous attractions as Butchart Gardens, the Victoria Butterfly Gardens and the Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa. Once a limestone quarry, Butchart Gardens is now filled with flowers, a luxurious 20-hectare estate attracting over one million visitors a year. Victoria Butterfly Gardens houses hundreds of exotic butterflies flying free in an indoor tropical rain forest. Brentwood Bay Resort offers 36 beautifully designed accommodations featuring king-sized beds, down comforters, gas fireplaces, floor to ceiling windows and spa-like bathrooms.

The BC Ferries terminal in Brentwood Bay connects to Mill Bay, providing an alternative travel route to the Malahat for those traveling up-island. Described as the Island’s most Beautiful Shortcut, this is a very convenient and particularly scenic route across the Saanich Inlet.

This rapidly developing village offers excellent accommodation, waterfront restaurants, and all amenities, and is a jumping off point for kayakers, canoeists and mountain hikers. Hiking aficionados will appreciate the excellent hiking and abundance of wildlife in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park which protects one of the last remaining natural areas in Greater Victoria.

Schools include Brentwood Elementary, Bayside Middle School and Brentwood School of Music.

Interesting fact: The town was originally named Sluggett after an early settler, but it was renamed Brentwood Bay for the British town of Brentwood, Essex, hometown of R.M. Horne-Payne, president of the British Columbia Electric Company in the 1920s.

Yacht club’s Sea of Lights

Friday Dec. 6, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s annual Sea of Lights hits the water on December 6th, with boats leaving the Ripon Road club at 6:45 p.m. and passing Cattle Point about 7 p.m. There will be good viewing at Willows Beach about 7:15 p.m., with the Kiwanis Club offering hot chocolate by donation at the Willows Beach pavilion. Hot chocolate and coffee donated by Cadboro Bay businesses will be served.

Selling Your Home During the Holidays?

Some people need to sell over the holidays, and some buyers have no alternative but to buy a home during the holidays. Whether or not it's best to put or to keep your home on the market comes down to personal preference, but there are some benefits and drawbacks you should consider as you make your decision.

Benefits:
Buyers who are looking through Christmas tend to be serious. Few people are ‘kicking tires’ this time of year.

Reduced inventory over the holidays generally means less competition even though the pool of buyers also dips. Canadians from snow-bound areas – meaning most Canadians outside of Victoria – might be motivated to start looking online for a house in our green-year-round city.

If you have a hard-to-sell home with drawbacks and defects, it might rise to the top when there are fewer homes for sale over the holidays.

Drawbacks:
It's inconvenient during the holidays to always be ready for a home showing at a moment's notice. Not everybody wants to keep the house spic and span when cooking, wrapping gifts, and throwing parties.

You're appealing to a much smaller inventory of buyers.

It's difficult to finance transactions in December if the offer is received mid-month. Buyers who want to close after the New Year will probably make offers in January.

Many Realtors® are taking their vacations in December and unavailable as the market moves into a seasonal slowdown.

Tips for Holiday Showings: 
Scale Back the Holiday Decorations. You don't have to altogether avoid putting up a Christmas tree, menorah, or any other seasonal displays, but you should aim to keep the decorations to a minimum. Don't block or cover selling features such as fireplace mantels, stairs, or stained-glass windows. Too many decorations can be overwhelming and distracting. Don't make the mistake of thinking buyers will "see past it," because they likely will not.

Use Seasonal Smells to Your Advantage. People are motivated to buy through emotion, and some of our deepest and dearest emotions are linked to the smells of the holiday season. Setting out a plate of cookies on the counter along with festive paper napkins for guests or spicy apple cider simmering on the stove along with cups and serving utensils will go a long way to making your home smell wonderful.

If you need to sell or buy your home during the Christmas season, give me a call to discuss strategies.

Surveying Canadians About Debt

Debt is on Canadian’s minds according to a survey conducted by Manulife which, rather alarmingly, is called “Is Household Debt Cracking Canada’s Financial Foundation?” The survey claims two in five of their respondents are worried they will not get out of debt in their lifetime.

However, it goes on to stipulate that most Canadians are comfortable with their mortgage obligations; 73 per cent stating they feel “somewhat or very” comfortable with the amount they owe on their mortgage, and 22 per cent saying they feel “very” comfortable.

How many Canadians currently have a mortgage? 42 per cent own a house or condo and are paying a mortgage. Breaking it down by demographic, 58 per cent of the Gen-Xers, 46 per cent of the Millennials and 30 per cent of the Boomers. They lower number of Boomers with a mortgage is partly because more of them managed to pay it off.