Mar 15/17 – Mike and Nikki’s March Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2017
Prince Rupert (& Area) Real Estate

We are rolling along! So far this year we are consistent with last year. The average house price is down but we are only judging from 2 months; last year quite a few high-end homes were sold in February.

SALES (all types):
# of sales in February 2016 – 17
# of sales in February 2017 – 17

YEAR-TO-DATE SALES (all types)
As of February, 2016 – 25
As of February, 2017 – 31

TYPES OF PROPERTIES SOLD IN FEBRUARY 2017:
1- Land
16 – Houses

NUMBER OF ACTIVE LISTINGS (all types):
As of February, 2016 – 158
As of February, 2017 – 159

AVERAGE SALE PRICE OF A HOUSE (YEAR-TO-DATE)
As of February 28, 2016 – $ 298,623
As of February 28, 2017 – $ 252,440

TOTAL SALES OF ALL TYPES (YEAR-TO-DATE)
As of February 28, 2016 – $ 8,189,720
As of February 28, 2017 – $ 8,506,450

The stats are based in whole or in part on information supplied by the BC Northern Real Estate Board for the period January 1, 2016 through February 28, 2017.

Whether you’re jetting off on a last-minute trip to escape the cold or it’s a long-awaited family vacation, one thing you’ll need to enjoy it is peace of mind. Here are some ways to ensure your home is secure while you are away, leaving you with no bigger worry than which local restaurant to try for dinner.

The one time you might not want to save electricity

While leaving your lights on during your entire vacation won’t fool anyone, you can still use timers to give the impression that your home is occupied. Hook up timers to lights and stereos and make sure they are somewhere easy to see/hear.

Be careful what you post online

We all love social media, but sometimes you should be careful about what you post. Avoid announcing your impending departure — who knows who might be reading about your soon-to-be-empty home!

Don’t let your phone give you away

Don’t change your voicemail message to mention your trip — again, you don’t know who’s listening. Also, a landline ringing and ringing can be another sign of an empty home. Turn the volume down so it can’t be heard from outside, or set it to go straight to the answering machine.

Drawing your curtains

People disagree over whether curtains should be left open or closed. The best idea is to leave them as you normally would so that nothing appears different from outside. If you decide to leave them open, remove anything valuable from sight. It’s a good idea to walk around outside before you leave in order to check what is visible.

Unplug your garage door

By cutting off the power, you will stop anyone from using a universal remote to open it. You should also make sure the connecting door from your home to the garage is locked, just in case anyone does get in that way.

Block sliding doors

Even if someone manages to pick the lock on balcony or patio doors, putting a length of wood in the tracks will prevent them from sliding open.

Stop mail from piling up

A big pile of unread mail and newspapers can be another sign that no one is home. To avoid this, ask someone to stop by and move your mail, or speak to the postal service about stopping delivery while you are away.