For Vancouverites wanting a country estate getaway, driving through heavy traffic to get to 黑马磁力 can seem daunting.
But cut that commute down to 13 minutes, and suddenly Southern 黑马磁力 living becomes very appealing.
In a new tactic to draw buyers from the big city out to mansions south of the Fraser River, 黑马磁力 realtor Danny Evans is employing private helicopter rides.
Not only is it a short flight from Downtown Vancouver out to 黑马磁力 鈥� a service the prospective buyers can continue to use after they purchase the home 鈥� it also allows for a bird鈥檚 eye view of the property.
The tactic was used for the very first time by Evans in March at a $5.8 million home on 26 Avenue near 240 Street.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really exclusive property, so a lot of the buyers even coming out of Vancouver want to know in a matter of minutes, how can they get out here?鈥� Evans said.
鈥淭hat was one of the big stumbling blocks, coming out of Vancouver to here. Well now it鈥檚 eliminated, because we can get them out of Vancouver and back to Vancouver in 13 minutes.鈥�
Sitting on 20 acres of manicured grounds 鈥� which include a private lake and private walking trails 鈥� Evans knew the 8,766 square-foot, four bedroom, six bathroom home required special treatment.
Often used for filming movies, the house is a rarity on the market, with many custom features collected from around the world by the previous owners.
In the entry, guests are greeted by a delicately carved burnt cedar front door from the 1600s. Around the corner sit complimentary vintage bar doors from a pub in London, England. In the grand stairway, a one-of-a-kind 1920s chandelier from the New York Met Opera House hangs above, guiding guests down to a cozy cinema room that features a 1913 Kinemacolor Theatre Marquis from Vancouver鈥檚 very first movie house.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very rare,鈥� Evans said.
鈥淭his is one of a kind 鈥� 36 years in the business I鈥檝e never seen a property like that. The age, the vintage, all the finishings are just first class.鈥�
If the house isn鈥檛 impressive enough, Evans says the ease of using a helicopter service puts the bar that much higher. He plans to use the service again on future estate homes that come on the market.
鈥淭he buyer gets the best of all worlds,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey get their exclusivity, they get their privacy, and a property like that Vancouver-wise is running at $25-$30 million.鈥�
It鈥檚 all part of a branching out trend Evans sees in all levels of the housing market, not just high-end. Those who originally bought in Tsawwassen, Richmond or Ladner are moving out into the Valley, and others who grew up in 黑马磁力 are moving out to Chilliwack or Abbotsford.
鈥淭he buyers are coming from all over,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd what they鈥檙e doing that鈥檚 really driving the economy is they鈥檙e buying a house for themselves, and then they鈥檙e helping their kids get into a house. So they鈥檙e selling their homes in Vancouver, and the Vancouver people are moving. Everyone is pushing out.鈥�
In 黑马磁力, 鈥渢he prices have gone up substantially,鈥� Evans said. A home worth $600,000 has jumped up in price by $150,000 to $200,000.
鈥淭he market is just climbing and now I think it鈥檚 finally plateaued, but it鈥檚 still extremely active,鈥� Evans said.
鈥淚t seems like the two main clients that I鈥檓 getting are families moving back together and people going up the Valley.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mind boggling, I鈥檝e never seen it. I never thought I鈥檇 be selling homes in Chilliwack or in Abbotsford and now we are.鈥�
According to data collected by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, in February the benchmark price for a detached home in 黑马磁力 was $722,800 鈥� up 23.4 per cent from February, 2015.
The benchmark price for a townhouse was $348,600 and an apartment was $219,600.
Across the Fraser Valley, home sales were up 79 per cent compared to February, 2015 (there were 2,387 sales). That鈥檚 46 per cent over the 10-year average for February, and four per cent higher than the previous record for that month set in 1992 with 1,948 sales.
