to see a list of Oceanfront and Lakefront Houses for Sale in the Gulf Islands.  The area includes Saltspring Island, Mayne Island, N. & S. Pender Islands, Galiano Island, Saturna Island and Piers Island. This list represents those properties listed by real estate brokerages in Victoria which have opted in to Reciprocity. The full list of Oceanfront and Lakefront Houses for Sale in the Gulf Islands includes all listings by all brokerages.  Please  or my Lighthouse Real Estate Team business partner, Steve Alford to have the full list emailed to you.    04/13/2014

 to see a list of Manufactured Homes for sale in the Gulf Islands.  The area includes Salt Spring Island, S. & N. Pender Islands, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Saturna Island and Piers Island.  Check out this website to find information about the Gulf Islands. This list represents those properties listed by real estate brokerages in Victoria which have opted in to Reciprocity. The full list of Manufactured (Mobile) Homes for Sale in the Gulf Islands includes all listings by all brokerages.  Please  or my Lighthouse Real Estate Team business partner, Steve Alford to have the full list emailed to you.    04/05/2014

Click here to see a list of houses under $500,000 for sale in the Gulf Islands. The area includes Salt Spring Island, S. & N. Pender Islands, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Saturna Island and Piers Island.  This list represents those homes listed by real estate brokerages in Victoria which have opted into Reciprocity. The full list of Houses Under $500,000 in Gulf Islands includes all listings by all brokerages. Please contact me or my Lighthouse Real Estate Team business partner, Steve Alford, to have the full list emailed to you.   11/06/2013

Click here to see a list of houses with extra accommodation (mortgage helper) for sale in the Gulf Islands, near Victoria.  The Gulf Islands that are served by the Victoria Real Estate Board include Salt Spring Island, South & North Pender Islands, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Saturna Island, Piers Island among other smaller islands.  Check out this website to find information about the Gulf Islands. This list represents those homes listed by real estate brokerages in Victoria which have opted in to Reciprocity.  The full list of Houses with Extra Accommodations in Gulf Islands includes all listings by all brokerages.  Please contact me or my Lighthouse Real Estate Team business partner, Steve Alford, to have the full list emailed to you. 10/27/2013

SALT SPRING ISLAND OPEN AIR MARKET VISITYesterday we headed to Salt Spring Island for their Saturday Open Air Market. Salt Spring’s Open Air Market is rated one of the Best in Canada.Weather was great, Sunny, but not too Hot. We arrived at the Ferry Terminal about 9:25 am  for the 10 am  sailing...and we soon found nearly 100 other cars ahead of us..Yes we missed the 10 am Sailing and we waited two hours for a Noon sailing to Salt Spring. The wait was worth it, our trip by Ferry was only about 25 minutes to Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island. Then a 20 minute Drive to Ganges where the main town is and the Saturday Open Air Market. Market Vendors were offering, Food, Crafts, Art, Jewelry, Home made Clothing, Jams, Spices, Fresh Veggies Fresh Bakery goods, treasures,and Much more... We... 07/15/2012

Press Release. Happy Valentine’s Day with a twist… Have you Hugged Your Realtor today. On a day like today, where “love” is in the air, and we share our appreciation for those that improve our lives and wellbeing in some way, my question to you is…… Have you Hugged Your Realtor today? I was reminded about this very question by a fellow Realtor and great colleague on beautiful Salt Spring Island BC, Canada between Vancouver Island and the BC Lower mainland. This fellow Realtor wrote a very inspiring story that you can read here on her “Active Rain Blog”. Her name is Li Read, and I have never actually met Li, but from her Blogging, writing and sharing at http://activerain.com/blogs/liread I feel that I not only know Li, I know so much about her love for her community, her Island and her p... 02/14/2011

January 18, 2011... Canadian Bank Prime rate is currently 3.00%. TD Canada Trust is offering 3.35% APR on a 1 year fixed closed mortgage. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) was up 119.09 points closing at 13,559.20. Canadian dollar exchange rate dropped today 58 basis points to 100.72 USD*.   01/18/2011

Spring 2010Salt Spring Island real estate in the spring 2010 is a TOTAL buyers market. However, only some Salt Spring Island home sellers have lowered their prices to reflect the large number of listings. Salt Spring Island Properties that are priced to sell are bought quickly with competing offers. One home we listed in June, at a realistic asking price, had an offer in just days. This is the exception to the rule on Salt Spring.  At this time (April 2010) Salt Spring has about 390 properties on the Multiple Listing Service.  Over that last month we have had approx 10 sales.  This puts our Sales to Listing ratio at about 3%.  If the sales to listing ratio hits 25% one can expect prices to go up, if it hits 10% or less prices will generally go down.  In the $2 million plus price range t... 01/07/2010

The new salt spring island radio station went live this week. Tune in to CFSI at 107.9 fm or www.cfsi-fm.com My new show the "Real Estate show" had it's debue this week. I have asked another agent on the island if he would work with me on the show and it has worked out great. John is a great agent and brings lots of wisdom with him to the show. The show is on Tuesday at 12 noon and goes for an hour. If you miss the show you can down load it from my web site at http://www.escapetosaltspring.com/Radio_Real_Estate/page_1846497.html The first show was about why hire an Realtor. The next show is about buying salt spring real estate. Tune in to CFSI salt spring only radio station. Cheers Scott 09/17/2009

What an exciting week we've had! Sun, then snow, then more sun. I think it's a sign that spring is on it's way. Yes, there are flowers in my garden already!   I had a great breakfast meeting last week with Tom Navatril, of Royal LePage on Salt Spring Island. We discussed the industry in general, and the market, which has been slow but hopefully will be warming up. Home staging on Salt Spring hasn't totally taken off yet, it seems that the realtors are all aware, and in favor of home staging. However, some of the  homeowners don't seem to be as savvy....yet.  I am planning on doing some information meetings and press releases for the local paper etc... Education, as we all know is very important.  I'm looking forward to more opportunities to save homeowners' money! Plus, it's just so muc... 03/08/2009

I really think things are looking up for Salt Spring Island real estate. It seems as if the worst of the worst might be behind us. We have had lots of buyers out looking and hope to see the first deal of the year soon. My new forum on my web site http://www.escapetosaltspring.com has been a big sucsess with lots of new comments from buyers and sellers. The buyers seem to be waiting for a 25% reduction in asking prices and the sellers are just holding on and saying make me an offer.   CheersScott 01/19/2009

It has come to my attention that some stray bunnies have moved in to my yard. I have been working around the clock chasing them but they are fast. If you see me out with Scott in town I'm really there because he does not want to leave me at home. I have been going a little bunny crazy lately and Scott is trying to socialize me more. He wants me to clean up and be a respectable Salt Spring Island real estate dog...ug...What he does not understand is it is in my DNA to want to chase bunnies. I know they are quite and cuddly but come on they are wild and need to be chased off. The last thing we need is a pet bunny. So to all the neighbors I apologize for my antics but I can not stop until this place is bunny free.Have you seen Scott's new listing in the south very cool very funky artist pl... 01/13/2008

The Salt Spring island real estate market is in a state of "price compression".Price compression is when the bottom end houses do not go down in price (they are in the 400k range and they are selling fast) but the top end houses over 2 million are dropping asking prices and are still not selling.This real estate price compression goes all the way through the market and makes all the houses, over that bottom price, drop in price.The market is like a slinky that is fixed at the bottom and stretched. At the top end the slinky is very stretched out but at the bottom end the links are very close. This is what happens when the market takes off; the high end soars and the bottom end is fixed in place or rises a little. When the market turns into a buyers market and there are lots of listings, ... 12/29/2007

Salt Spring Island reality check if your house is listed at over a million it will sell soon. A million is just not a million any more. With the USD in free fall the Canadian government is in close pursuit and will have to devalue the currency fast. Start up the press and print that paper money as fast as we can.The problem is that we have a minority federal government that will need to muster a lot of votes in Ontario. Ontario is very dependent on Auto parts jobs and the high dollar will kill so many jobs. So we are in a devaluation period of paper currency. As one pundit put it currencies are in a race to the bottom.So if you are trying to sell your million dollar house it will get easier in the spring when the interest rates will come down and the CND will drop below the USD.cheersSc... 12/01/2007

Salt Spring Island real estate news "craigslist"... as some of you know I like Craigslist. I try and post on there as many times as I can. I have had 100s of ads on Craigslist and find it great.I was cruising Hawaii craigslist and saw a Cal 20 sail boat for $2400 with slip. Well I almost phoned, I luv the Cal 20 great little boat. Just think of the fun of owning a sailboat in Hawaii. Cheep holidays, could rent it out, think of the possibilities...That is what is so cool about Craigslist it is all on there. Jobs, houses and boats and other thing of course.If anyone would like to be my partner in the Cal 20 let me know. It would be easier to ask June (my wife) for half the money for this. Somehow I know her answer.That is what this blog is about your dream of Salt Spring and getting here.... 12/01/2007

Salt Spring Island condo page gets new photos... I have added a few new photo galleries to my Salt Spring Island condo page. The galleries are pictures of condos on the island. Check it out here http://www.escapetosaltspring.com/Salt_Spring_Condo/page_1823057.html . I'm really happy how it has turned out.I really think we have a nice selection of high quality condos on the island. They vary in price from 1 million range and down to the $350k range.If you have any Salt Spring Island condominium questions do not hesitate to email me.CheersScott 11/29/2007

I would rather be in Toronto today watching the grey cup live. Of course I would be cheering for the green riders.I will be a great day for Canadian foot ball. The grey cup is just such a great Canadian institution. I was just watching the pre game show on CBC it was just so Canadian. It's a divided league that pits east against west. The league suffers from an inferiority complex just like Canada does. What else is really Canadian? Hockey maybe but after living in Calgary and going to the foot ball games for 10 years the CFL is so Canadian. Ok it's not as great as the NFL not as showy but it's exciting and the players are not making 10,000,000 a year. The average salary is somewhere around 50k.The best news is that no mater who wins today they will take the grey cup home and Toronto wo... 11/25/2007

I have two blogs going and have been struggling to find out what to do with the other blog. I now know I am going to do daily stats on the other blog. Here is the link http://www.escapetosaltspring.com/blogs/scott_simmons/archive/2007/11/24/salt-spring-island-real-estate-news-251-mls-listings.aspxI will put the stats for all the Gulf Island including; Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna. The stats will include new listings, sold, expired listings. I think this is valuable info and the consumers will like it.This blog will contain all the Salt Spring news and blurbs.Stay tuned.CheersScotthttp://www.escapetosaltspring.com  11/24/2007

Salt Spring Island FSBO. Calling all Salt Spring Island for sale by owner. I have watched some of these house sit on the market for months and not sell. It is not that your house in not nice, it is not as if it is over priced. The reason it is not selling is no one can find your house. At any given time there are 2500 people looking for houses on Salt Spring. I get this figure by thinking there are 50 Realtors on the island and the average Realtor has 50 people using PCS to view the properties. If you are not on the MLS no one will see your house. The PCS system draws it's listings off the MLS. The MLS is like a huge mall full of houses that are for sale and your house in not in the mall not even in the mall parking lot. To find out how to get your house on the MLS call me at 538-8316ch... 11/23/2007

Salt Spring Island apples are finished the season is over, it's over....YA... I have never seen so many apples in my life. My wife owns Bishops brew house that makes fruit wines, cyders and port. She asked me to man the apple press for a "little" while. I did not know it would be two month of none stop apple grinding. I had no ideal that there are so many people on Salt Spring that make apple cyder, wine or juice. I literally would have truck show up loaded with hundreds of pounds of apples.The good news is that I did not need to go to the gym for two months. I had such a great work out. I really do like good physical labour. Here is the link to the new bishops brew house blog http://bishopsbrew.blogspot.com/  11/23/2007