Sooke and the Power to Play

Or Why Sooke, BC is becoming a top choice for West Coast living.

It used to be that some only thought of Sooke as a 2^nd choice because their housing dollars wouldn’t allow them to locate closer to Victoria – but that has changed.  So why is Sooke fast becoming a top choice for homebuyers?  Well, start with a quaint west coast community that has a friendly small town feel and is next to beautiful beaches, parks, and forests.  Then add more and more amenities such as public boardwalks, boat docks, fishing, shopping, cool coffee shops, and award winning restaurants and finally top it off with the lowest housing costs in the Victoria area and it becomes pretty clear – Sooke offers a top notch return on lifestyle.

Another factor increasing the attractiveness of Sooke has been the growth of the City of Langford and all that it offers. While Sooke has many wonderful community merchants, and we recommend shopping and attending community events in Sooke whenever you can, we also recognize that there are some purchases and entertainment that require going to a larger centre. If you need your fix of Victoria’s charm, the drive is always worth it though we find most Sooke residents now head to Langford.

“Langford is rapidly becoming the new town centre for Greater Victoria,” says Dan Spinner, CEO of the Westshore Chamber of Commerce. Not only does Langford offer all major amenities and entertainment a short 20-minute drive from Sooke, it is also a growing employment centre for Greater Victoria.

We’ve counted down our top four favourite places for you to spend your disposable cash in Langford – a booming city that’s located just 20 minutes east of Sooke.

1. Shopping – When you need a big box store, you need a big box store, it’s just that simple. Pick up a coffee at the Stick in the Mud coffee house in Sooke and then enjoy the drive to Langford’s Millstream Village or Westshore Town Centre and have your pick of Costco, Best Buy, Home Sense, Winners, Canadian Tire, Golf Town, and more. See you in power tool aisle at Home Depot.
2. The Cineplex Odeon at Westshore Town Centre- As the first theatre on Vancouver Island to go fully digital, the newly-opened Cineplex Odeon at Westshore Town Centre has a crisper picture, sharper sound and more vivid images than other local screens. The theatre is home to seven auditoriums (four with 3D technology) – and while tickets can be a bit pricier ($12 for adults, $9.50 for children/seniors and an extra $3 for the UltraAVX theatre), you can afford it with what you’ve saved by living in Sooke. You might even find yourself splurging for popcorn… (900-2945 Jacklin Road.)
3. Market on Millstream ­– Named 2009’s Canadian Independent Grocer, the locally-owned Market on Millstream is your recipe to fresh produce, local meats and organic, vegan or gluten-free products. With an on-site bakery, deli and floral shop and hundreds of local, BC or Canadian-produced items, this is your perfect one-stop-shop to full body health and wellness. ­(125-2401C Millstream Road.) You might also want to pop in next door at Everything Wine for a tasting and experience Victoria’s largest wine store.
4. Langford Lanes – What list would be complete without including the hip, new bowling alley at the Langford Sportsplex? Situated beside the soccer pitch, family fun park and a spanking new hockey arena, Langford Lanes puts life back in the game we enjoyed as kids. This facility has a licensed 6 lane VIP Room that will make you want to rush out and buy a pair of two tone bowling shoes. (1097 Langford Parkway)

There are so many more things to do in Langford and the West Shore to mention here but for true adventure check out our blog Sooke – A Place where even Indiana Jones wouldn’t get bored.

All the best,

Blair

Totangi Properties is the developer of the Sooke, BC Real Estate development, Woodland Creek – an award winning community of affordable, new homes for sale that use geo-thermal heating and air conditioning and are Built Green certified. Follow us on twitter at @woodland_creek and Facebook at facebook.com/woodlandcreeksookebc.

Move to to Sooke, Save a bundle, and Live better!

Crowned by MSN Money as Canada’s second most Expensive City to Buy a Home, Victoria’s average single-family dwelling sells for a whopping $524,258 – compare that to Sooke’s average of $395,120 and you can see why more and more people are cashing in their equity and heading from Victoria and other urban centres to Sooke.

Cash in your equity and head to Sooke for princely lifestyle.

Here at Woodland Creek, you can buy one of our, three-bedroom, three bathroom homes for just $389,900 – about the same price as a one-bedroom condo in downtown Victoria. But maybe condo-life doesn’t sound so bad to you: less square-footage to clean, located in walking distance to downtown attractions and eateries and no lawn to mow. Before taking the leap, consider these top three complaints I hear again and again about downsizing to a condo:

 Strata Fees – Oliver Katz of DFH Realty says that one of the biggest challenges of going from owning a single-family property to a condo is adjusting to the world of strata councils and fees. Not only do you have to pay steep monthly payments to receive the same privileges you enjoyed as a homeowner, but also decisions about how you live are no longer within your control. Found a beautiful curtain fabric that’ll look perfect in your place? Sorry, only white window coverings are permitted. Want a canine companion to keep you company? Your search might be limited to pooches 15 pounds or less. (And if it’s a barker, expect noise complaints and maybe even strata fines – yikes!) If you want to speak to Oliver and chat in greater detail about strata-shock, call 250-642-6480 or email info@sookeshometeam.com .

 Relearning Daily Routines – As a homeowner, there are numerous little things you take for granted – and once you move to a condo, many of your daily routines go out the window. Suddenly you’re wistful about the days when you could just drive up to your front door and unload groceries, avoiding elevator rides and long treks down building corridors. Oh, and remember the time when you could have guests over and they could park in front of your home, avoiding those pesky downtown street parking fees and the risk of tow-away if the dinner party goes a bit longer than expected? Sigh.

 Lack of Space – According to Oliver Katz of DFH Realty, downsizing from a 2,400-square-foot home to a 900-square-foot apartment is simply too big of a leap for most people. While the extra space might be perceived as neither wanted nor needed, Katz says most people still desire sufficient space for their hobbies, home offices and the occasional visit from the grandkids. Not to mention a spot to stow the vacuum cleaner away from view.

It can be a wise financial decision to sell a larger house and relocate to a small community according to a recent MoneySense article, noting the average Canadian home has doubled in value since 2001.

And with a move to our Woodland Creek development, you’re also winning in terms of extra square footage and price. Since our homes are brand new and built with awesome, eco-friendly features (we are the first housing development in Sooke to offer homes with geo-exchange heating, cooling and hot water), you don’t have to invest a dime in upgrading your home prior to move-in and you are protected by a full new home warranty.

Just think: no more Saturdays spent repairing the deck, fixing broken screens or touching up chipped paint. All you have to do is grab a glass of wine, head to your patio and put up your feet.

Now this is what retirement is really all about!

Best regards,

Blair

Totangi Properties is the developer of the Sooke, BC Real Estate development, Woodland Creek – an award winning community of affordable, new homes for sale that use geo-thermal heating and air conditioning and are Built Green certified. Follow us on twitter at @woodland_creek and facebook at facebook.com/woodlandcreeksookebc.

On the heels of  last week’s positive announcement by government providing certainty and increased relief from HST for new home buyers, today the BC Government announced another incentive for new home buyers in British Columbia. BC First Time Home Buyers are eligible for an income tax credit bonus effective February 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 calculated at 5% of purchase price, up to a maximum of $10,000.

On top of this incentive, new homes on Callumwood Lane at Woodland Creek are Built Green Gold certified and exceed an Energuide Rating of 80 qualifying them for additional financial incentives from CMHC and Genworth Financial.

Details for the new program are as follow:

ELIGIBLE FIRST-TIME NEW HOME BUYER

You will qualify as a first-time new home buyer if:

• You purchase or build an eligible new home located in B.C.;
• You, or for couples, you and your spouse or common law partner, have never previously owned a primary residence;
• You file a 2011 B.C. resident personal income tax return, or if you move to B.C. after December 31, 2011, you file a 2012 B.C. resident personal income tax return (you will not be eligible for the bonus if you move to B.C. after December 31, 2012);
• You are eligible for the B.C. HST New Housing Rebate; and
• You intend to live in the home as your primary residence.

ELIGIBLE NEW HOME

An eligible new home includes new homes (i.e., newly constructed and substantially renovated homes) that are purchased from a builder and that are owner-built. The bonus will be available in respect of new homes purchased from a builder where:

• A written agreement of purchase and sale is entered into on or after February 21, 2012;
• HST is payable on the home (e.g., HST will generally be payable if ownership or possession of the home transfers before April 1, 2013 – see further details below); and
• No one else has claimed a bonus in respect of the home.

Learn how to take advantage of this opportunity by contacting our sales team at Woodland Creek.

Full details of the First Time Buyers Grant are available at this link.

Totangi Properties is the developer of the Sooke, BC Real Estate development, Woodland Creek – an award winning community of affordable, new homes for sale that use geo-thermal heating and cooling and are Built Green certified. Follow us on twitter at @woodland_creek and facebook at facebook.com/woodlandcreeksookebc.

Located just 45 minutes from downtown Victoria  and only 20 minutes to City of Langford the new service and shopping hub of Victoria, it’s no wonder why Sooke has earned a rep as one of Southern Vancouver Island’s more popular bedroom communities..

And when you compare the average price of a single family home in Sooke ($395,120) to this region’s other nearby commuter towns, such as Colwood ($445,610), Sidney ($506,944), Langford ($524,059), Metchosin ($570,000), it’s easy to see why Sooke reigns as bedroom-community-king.

But wait just a second before you grab those furry bunny slippers – Sooke has so much more than just great real estate prices and accessibility. Sticking out like a pea hidden in a pile of commuter-town mattresses, the town of Sooke thrives with plenty of outdoor adventure opportunities (everything from biking to hiking and beachcombing), an active arts scene, a number of world class restaurants and cafés and more. In fact, Sooke has a lifestyle that’s more akin to spunky than sleepy.

So what’re you waiting for? Head to Sooke to find out what we’ve been hiding behind our closed (bedroom) doors for all these years.

Blair and Warren Robertson of Totangi Properties, created the Sooke, BC Real Estate development, Woodland Creek – a community of affordable, new homes for sale that use geo-thermal energy heating. They are unabashed Sooke supporters, tweeting as @woodland_creek with the hashtags, #sooke, #ysookerox and updating fans with Sooke offers and deals at facebook.com/woodlandcreeksookebc.

Woodland Creek named a finalist for CHBA awards, both provincial (Georgie) and national (SAM)

December 14, 2011, Sooke, BC – Woodland Creek, an eco-conscious development project located in Sooke, BC, has received high marks from both the provincial and national branches of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association(CHBA), having been named a finalist for a Georgie and a SAM – awards that celebrate homebuilding excellence.

Winners of the 2011 CHBA National SAM Awards will be announced on Mar. 17, 2012 in Mont-Tremblant, QC. As a finalist in the category of Best Website, Woodland Creek, a planned 180-residence neighbourhood, has experienced sales success despite a downturned economy – something, developers say, is credited in part to having a strong web presence.

“In a competitive market, it’s essential for developments to have a great website that’s easy to navigate, is packed with information and shows consistent branding – one missing piece and you’ve lost the buyer,” said Blair Robertson, co-owner of Totangi Properties Ltd., the developer behind Woodland Creek. “Our website is chockfull of plans and images, showcasing our development and the homes within it, and our blog reveals interesting tidbits about our Sooke community, such as the best beaches and swimming spots.”

And, according to Robertson, just as important as developers having a quality website is having the ability engage appropriately on social media: “Facebook and Twitter aren’t purely for real estate marketing, they’re for conversations, community-building.”

In 2011 alone, Woodland Creek has gained nearly 1,000 Facebook fans and 400 Twitter followers by hosting innovative campaigns (such as donating $2 to Power to Be, a local charitable organization, for every new Facebook fan) and posting informative content about why living in Sooke is great (such as tweeting local deals and hotspots using the hashtag #ysookerox).

Winners of the 2011 Georgie Awards will be named on Feb. 25, 2012 in Vancouver, BC. Woodland Creek was picked as a finalist in three separate categories: Best Single Family Detached Home up to 2,000 Sq. Ft. under $350,000, Best Logo and Best Project Specific Website.

“Our Woodland Creek development emphasizes that premium homes with innovative design and unique, Earth-friendly features don’t have to come with a sky-high price tag,” said Robertson. “It’s no secret that our natural resources are getting scarce and energy costs are increasing  – what good is it to any of us if only a small percentage can actually afford to purchase energy-optimized homes?”

Woodland Creek is the first housing development in Sooke to offer homes with geo-exchange heating, cooling and hot water. Homes in the current phase of Woodland Creek are constructed to certified BuiltGreen standards with features that include gourmet kitchens, walk-in glass showers, engineered wood flooring, heated tile floors, and natural gas fireplaces. On completion, Woodland Creek will include a total of 180 residences (100 single-family and 80 townhomes), a neighbourhood commercial area and a park with a pond, walking trails and playground.

Being named a finalist for both the Georgie and SAM Awards comes on the heels of another significant accolade for Woodland Creek: last fall, the development project earned a gold award for Best Website, and Silver Awards for Best Single Family Spec Home under 2500 square feet, and Best Marketing at the 2011 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence.

For more information about Totangi Properties Ltd. or Woodland Creek, visit www.totangi.ca or www.woodlandcreek.ca.

About Totangi Properties Ltd. and Woodland Creek

Totangi Properties is a locally-owned and operated property development and land management company established in 1968. Brothers Warren and Blair Robertson work closely with a talented team of local professionals and the District of Sooke in the creation of Woodland Creek and are committed to creating affordable, high-quality residential properties with lasting homeowner value. For more information, visit www.totangi.ca.

About the Canadian Home Builders’ Association

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association is the voice of the residential construction industry in Canada, representing more than 8,500 member firms across the country. Membership spans new home builders, renovators, developers, trade contractors, building material manufacturers and suppliers, lenders and other professionals in the housing sector.

Play-Stay… Do not Pay

ReLocation Vacation – Travel to Sooke, buy a home, earn some dough!

Looking to relocate to a small town? Want to downsize and pocket the different in your housing equity? Want to get more for your housing dollar? Or are you just ready to get out of the big city and slow down your pace?

The small town of Sooke BC (located just a 35-minute drive from downtown Victoria) is so charming, and down right hospitable, that we want to encourage more out-of-towners to experience and re-locate to our town.

West Coast Get-Away Experience

Sooke is known for lifestyle enhancing outdoor experiences: from hiking the West Coast rainforest to beachcombing the Oceanside and cycling some of the many bike routes like the Galloping Goose trail.

And it is a great vacation experience! It has dozens of cool shops, award winning restaurants and a range of annual festivals and events – Sooke is a fantastic place to live and play in the middle of ruggedly beautiful, west coast scenery.

The Sooke Relocation Vacation promotion encourages people to get out and experience Sooke like those who have already purchased at Woodland Creek.

And best of all? Those who fall in love with the town and end up buying a new sale property from Totangi Properties Ltd. in the Woodland Creek neighbourhood will have their Sooke vacation expenses reimbursed – to a maximum of $1,000.

Accommodation ideas for Relocation Vacation-ers

Interested in vacationing in Sooke? Here are some ideas:

Sooke Harbour House – Geared towards Sooke visitors who enjoy the finer things in life, this package is the perfect way to relax after a long day spent exploring some of the town’s many art galleries, museums, festivals and events. Relocation Vacation-ers receive two nights at 50 per cent off regular room rates until December 22, 2012, daily breakfast served in-room, a bottle of fine BC sparkling wine, house-made truffles and a four-course dinner for two each night. Contact the Sooke Harbour House at 250.642.3421 for rates and other romantic packages!

By the Sea B&B – Sooke visitors looking for a small (and a bit quirky) Oceanside community to settle down in needn’t look further. This package is for Relocation Vacation-ers willing to step outside the box and spend a few nights aboard a 24-metre (80-foot) North Sea Trawler, located in the spectacular Sooke Harbour. Book a stay on Friday or Saturday and join the captain for a handmade sushi dinner! The affordable cost per night starts at $120 per person leaving you room to buy works from Sooke artists to complement your Woodland Creek home.

Sooke Relocation Vacation Details

Click here for full details on the Sooke Relocation Vacation real estate deal.

And here is the short form (read the long form above for all the small print!):

• Applies to qualifying individuals entering into an unconditional offer to purchase a new home purchase contract from Totangi Properties Ltd. during the promotion period.
• The promotion applies to new home sales from Totangi Properties Ltd. not re-sales. Our latest phase is on Callumwood Lane.
• The promotion starts October 26, 2011 and runs until October 2, 2012

Totangi Properties Ltd. will reimburse you up to $1,000 after closing on your new home – applies to eligible (original) receipts: any receipt related to a Sooke, BC Relocation Vacation from a Sooke, BC business. Includes complete cost of hotel, food, Sooke activities, purchase of Sooke art including tax. May include 1 overnight stay in Victoria, BC as long as it is combined with a stay in Sooke, BC.

Any questions? Ask our Sooke Real Estate Agents.

SIGN UP HERE for more information about Woodland Creek and Sooke.

There are some other homes in Woodland Creek from a different developer – they aren’t eligible for the promotion. It’s gotta be Totangi to get your Relocation Vacation!

The Woodland Creek Sooke BC new home neighbourhood will include a total of 180 residences (100 single-family and 80 townhomes) of affordably priced real estate, from $384,900 (net HST included) and will include a pond, walking trails and a playground. Keeping in step with their strong commitment to sustainability, Totangi Properties Ltd. created Woodland Creek to be the first new housing development in Sooke to offer residences with geo-exchange heating, cooling and hot water.

The current phase of the Woodland Creek real estate development in Sooke BC is constructed to certified Built Green standards and have features that include gourmet kitchens, walk-in glass showers, engineered wood flooring, master suite walk-in closets and natural gas fireplaces.

About Totangi Properties Ltd. and Woodland Creek
Totangi Properties Ltd. is a locally owned and operated property development and land management company established in 1968. Brothers Warren and Blair Robertson work closely with a talented team of local professionals and the District of Sooke in the creation of Woodland Creek and are committed to creating affordable, high-quality residential properties with lasting homeowner value. For more information, visit www.totangi.ca.

A combination of online and offline ingenuity has won Woodland Creek, an Earth-friendly development project in Sooke, BC, a gold award at the 2011 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) event.

“Earning the gold award for Best Website by CARE, an association that recognizes homebuilding excellence on Vancouver Island, is a top honour,” said Blair Robertson, co-owner of Totangi Properties Ltd., the developer behind Woodland Creek. “This achievement is one we proudly share with our talented graphic designer and website creator, Rebecca Gerein of Anonymous Art.”

At the 2011 CARE Awards, Woodland Creek also took home the silver spot for Best Overall Marketing Campaign and Best Single Family Detached Spec Home Under 2,500 sq. ft., the latter given for the developer’s functional and efficient Arbutus design – a plan that boasts accessible, main-floor living and appeals to a wide range of buyers, from young families to seniors.

“It’s an honour to earn these two additional awards,” said Robertson. “As a whole, our marketing efforts are pretty unique for a development company: we focus on community engagement as well as promotion. Sooke is a fabulous place to live and work and showing off its attributes and community initiatives, such as the Sooke Fine Arts Show, goes hand-in-hand with attracting Woodland Creek buyers. We use a broad range of tools, from traditional print media and radio to a number of social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.”

Woodland Creek is the first housing development in Sooke to offer homes with geo-exchange heating, cooling and hot water. And with prices that start at $384,900 (net HST included), the single-family residence project has garnered much interest from the public.

“Since my father first started our family business more than 40 years ago, the Totangi vision has been the same: build smart by offering quality homes at an affordable price,” said Robertson. “Together with our partners, Woodland Creek embraces this buyer-consciousness – receiving recognition from our homeowners and other partners, such as CARE, shows that we’re truly on the right track.”

In partnership with SC Smith Building Company, the current phase of Woodland Creek are constructed to certified Built Green standards with features that include gourmet kitchens, walk-in glass showers, engineered wood flooring, master suite walk-in closets and natural gas fireplaces. On completion, the neighbourhood will include a total of 180 residences (100 single-family and 80 townhomes), an area zoned for neighbourhood commercial use and a park with a pond, walking trails and playground.

About Totangi Properties Ltd. and Woodland Creek

Totangi Properties is a locally-owned and operated property development and land management company established in 1968. Brothers Warren and Blair Robertson work closely with a talented team of local professionals and the District of Sooke in the creation of Woodland Creek and are committed to creating affordable, high-quality residential properties with lasting homeowner value. For more information, visit www.totangi.ca.

We love summer in Sooke – -  now that it’s here.  With West Coast beaches, fishing, whale watching, kayaking, hiking, and fine food at your doorstep the charming town of Sooke, British Columbia offers a lot. So over the next month I will blog about what I think are some ‘cool things’ to do in Sooke and with our partners in the Sooke community create some neat offers to get you out to experience some real Sooke fun.

We also think it’s cool that the new homes in Woodland Creek are green and conserve energy, but did you know that another great feature of a Geothermal (or Geo Exchange) system is that it Air Conditions the home during warmer months.

Callumwood Lane, the lastest phase of Woodland Creek, offers homes with geothermal heating, air conditioning, and hot water. Woodland Creek is the first neighbourhood in Sooke to offer this energy and cost efficient form of climate control for homes. The result is you live in a better, healthier, and more comfortable environment and at the same time consume less energy, save money, and reduce your carbon foot print.  That’s smart living. (more…)