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Sooke Real Estate at Power to Play

New home development in Sooke BC supports Power to Play

Sooke and the Power to Play

 

It’s spring so it’s time to unleash our Woodland Creek “Up the Creek” team at the Power to Play event on May 27, 2012. We will be participating in an all day, mind and body bending outdoor adventure race to raise money for the Power to Be.

 

The event is to support Power to Be adventure-based programs that connect families living with significant life barriers with their abilities through activity and nature.  Last year we discovered the power of social media to help us support and sustain the wonderful impact that Power to Be has in our community (see our blog “The Power to Be (Social)” . We’d are excited this year to build on this approach and ask for your support once again.

 

You can watch our Woodland Creek Sooke BC Facebook page for our dirty pictures (I mean mud and lots of it – last year was insane!) though we hope you will help us further support the Power to Be by helping us reach our goal of $3,000 through our Power to Play giving page.
Until May 26, 2012, for every new Facebook like, we will give $2.00 to the Power to Be up to a total of Cdn $2,000.

 

For our current Facebook friends, please make a comment on this blog, share the URL to this blog, or tweet out your support using the hashtag #powertobe . Follow us on twitter at @woodland_creek

 

For every action, we will send another $2.00 to Power to Be.
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Woodland Creek is a community of new homes in the community of Sooke, BC. Brothers Warren and Blair Robertson are Sooke real estate developers and community supporters who love the outdoors but would normally avoid the kind of mud slinging found during Power to Play!
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.

How to Increase your Return on Lifestyle – the Sooke formula.

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 2nd 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 LanesWhat 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.

 

Sooke Real Estate Sense

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 $379,900 – 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.

Woodland Creek earns top marks at annual CARE awards

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.

 

Sooke: a place where even Indiana Jones wouldn’t get bored.

Things to do in Sooke

From breaking out the hooks, lines and sinkers to strapping on a lifejacket and exploring the Pacific Ocean’s whales, Sooke, BC has just about everything you want when it comes to adventuring.

I’ve counted down my Top Four Sooke adventures below (it’s really my wife’s Top Four, as she loves to get me out of the house). And there’s always room for more. Let me know some of your faves: post me a comment here on this blog, or on the Woodland Creek Facebook page or tweet me on Twitter @Woodland_Creek!

4. Diving into .

As the only potholes that don’t make me curse, a visit to Sooke Potholes is an awesome trek into BC’s beautiful backyard. Explore the nearby wooded trails before taking a dip in the cool, clean natural pools. Make it a day and pack up the family and a picnic lunch.

3. Having a whale of a time with .

As a family-owned company that focuses on respecting the environment, I have a whale of a time with Sooke Coastal Explorations. Jump aboard the 12-passenger Zodiac and head out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Southern Vancouver Island’s dramatic, windswept coastline. We just might encounter killer whales, porpoises, humpback whales and more.

2. Making up some good ole’ fish tales.

Grab that tackle kit and join – hop aboard a scheduled charter or head out with the family or some buddies. We’re lucky enough to have a great, year-round fishing season here in Sooke, with our local waters packed with pink salmon, silvers, halibut and more.

1. Hiking with a llama… and a sandwich.

Yes, you read that right. Where else but Sooke can you harness up a and take it on a three-hour trek through thick forests en route to the beautiful Pacific Ocean? Once you reach your destination, pull out your lunch from your very own llama-pack (think: large fanny pack) and chow down (don’t forget to triple saran wrap your PB&J beforehand – I heard llama sweat isn’t that tasty).

All the best,

Blair

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.

Photograph from www.sookepotholes.com courtesy Natalie Harvey

Doing the Right Thing at Woodland Creek

Once in a while something happens that get some special attention.  Sometimes its a bad thing, sometime its a good thing, and sometimes its the right thing.  At Woodland Creek my brother Warren and I set out to do the right thing.

We wanted to create a liveable community and well built homes that we would want to live in ourselves. We ignored the naysayers that suggested that you can’t build feature rich, energy efficient green homes in an affordable manner. We believed that the wonderful oceanside community of Sooke was the right place to do it. And we believed that people who value quality, energy conservation, and community would be attracted to Woodland Creek. We are happy that we stuck with our values and did the right thing.

Our goal was then and remains today, to build quality homes and neighbourhoods that offer superior long term value to the homeowner. By long term value we mean that over time the craftmanship and features in the homes continue to retain and add value to the homes. Professional home and interior design translates into great home plans with pleasing interior and exterior design schemes. With our Built Green certified building partner Steve Smith of SC Smith Building Company, each home is built with care and an eye to detail.

We love what we do and we appreciate the positive comments we get as we walk through the neighbourhood. Everyday there are new challenges and opportunities to make a better community and better homes for our customers and we commit to meet them head on.  Thanks for your support.

 

Blair Robertson

Totangi Properties