Where to buy a house in Victoria

[tavistock]

We're looking at buying a permanent home in Victoria and am wondering if James Bay, Oak Bay, or somewhere in between, say the Fairfield area will hold long term values. Perhaps you know of a different area that has good value and has great long term growth potential.



Am I correct in assuming that houses prices in Victoria are soft and that perhaps the best time to buy would be in the Spring, next year. We're only looking at houses, not condos.



Appreciate your comments and thanks in advance

 

[AlisonKeighan]

Hi,



I've lived in Victoria for the past 16 years. All three neighbourhoods you mentioned are good ones and I think they will hold long term values. I currently live in Oak Bay, work in James Bay and I used to live in Fairfield. As a place to live, I would prefer Fairfield or Oak Bay. James Bay has a mix of housing and of residents. Perhaps you could say it is in a bit of transition, which could result in higher appreciation over the long term, but I'm not sure of that. You also have to contend with considerable tourist traffic around James Bay, which can be a bit of a nuisance, especially during the summer.



Fairfield is great, but if you live close to the water, you may find temperatures there are sometimes a few degrees cooler than elsewhere in Victoria, particularly in late summer when fog rolls in over the Strait.



If you're looking for a realtor, please let me know. I can recommend a couple that I'm sure you'd like.



Good luck,

Alison

 

[tavistock]

Many thanks for your reply, Alison. You have concurred with pretty much everything I've concluded during my 2 years of studying the Victoria area.



I've experimented with 3 different realtors but without much luck. The one I'm dealing with at the moment is a former builder and one of the top specialists in the James Bay area. However, I don't mind receiving one or two "new" names in case things don't work out with my existing realtor (my first 2 realtors "retired" ...haha)



One more request: is there another area of Victoria that I should be looking at?



Thanks

 

[AlisonKeighan]

Meagan Caters and John Bodnar, both with Newport Realty are excellent. I have personal experience with Meagan, but know John primarily by reputation.



MEAGAN

CATERS

Phone: (250) 385-2033

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.meagancaters.com



JOHN

BODNAR

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.johnbodnar.com

 

[AlisonKeighan]

I forgot to answer your other question.



Other neighbourhoods you might like: Cadboro Bay, Ten Mile Point and Queenswood. All are in Saanich. Ten Mile Point and Queenswood are typically quite pricey but both are really beautiful areas. Cadboro Bay has a good community feel and has some more reasonably priced homes.



Good luck with your search.