Real Estate & Life on Hornby Island

Mushroom and Eggplant Moussaka

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:59:42 +0000

Here is a great recipe for a vegetarian moussaka. This would be delightful with a roast lamb and Greek salad for Easter dinner…well, there’s always next year!

1.Slice 3 medium eggplants 1/2 ” thick, salt lightly and bake on cookie sheet 350 degrees, 15 min. or til tender.

2. Mushroom Sauce Slice 2 pounds mushrooms. Saute in butter with 1 large chopped onion and garlic minced.

add – 6 oz. tomato paste

- 1/4 c. chopped parlsley

- salt, pepper

-1/4 c. red wine - Simmer until liquid is absorbed.

And last – Add 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 c. grated Parmesan or chedder cheese, and 2 beaten eggs

3. White Sauce

1/4 c. butter melted in saucepagn, add equal flour, whisk into roux, and add 2 1/2 c. milk. Whisk over low heat til thick.

Beat in 2 egg yolks.

4. Butter large casserole. Cover bottom with eggplant slices, then half the mushroom sauce. Add remaining eggplant and cover with remaining mushroom sauce. Sprinkle on bread crumbs and extra grated cheese.

350 degree oven – bake 35 minutes, covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

Goodbye to Winter

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:43:49 +0000

Finally, Spring seems to be on its way. Before the oak trees leaf out in their spring coat I have a couple of pictures of the winter lichen clinging to the branches.

Japanese Eggplant Recipe

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:22:20 +0000

We had a version of this recipe in a Chinese restaurant on Molokai in Hawaii more than 20 years ago. We have approximated it ever since in our kitchen. Cutting the eggplant as I describe is not essential but give it a try. I tend not to cook from recipes and so please experiment with amounts of ingredients.

Take 3 or 4 Japanese eggplants (the long ones) and cut them lengthwise in quarters. Place a chopstick along side ea. lengthwise quarter and chop every cm. or two. The chopstick prevents the knife from severing the sections completely. Set aside.

Meanwhile, saute an onion and some garlic and then add a pound or so of hamburger (turkey burger works well, too) and brown. Mix some tomato paste (half a tin) with water (cup or two) and add to cooked meat mixture. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce and a shot of a hot sauce,too. Cook till it looks and smells good and is somewhat thickened. Taste and add salt, pepper, more soy sauce or ? Add more tomato mixture if it gets too dry. Lastly, lay the eggplant pieces carefully on top and cook til they are done. Serve on rice.

Bank Announces Increased Mortgage Rates

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:04:35 +0000

The Vancouver Sun reports today that, as widely anticipated, The Bank of Montreal is increasing their mortgage rates.

Vancouver Sun March 29, 2012

“Bank of Montreal is increasing its interest rates effective today, the bank announced in a news release. The new five-year closed rate is 5.44 per cent, up 0.20 percentage points, while the five-year low rate fixed mortgages that was at 2.99 per cent will now be at 3.49 per cent. The 10-year low-rate fixed mortgage was at 3.99 and will now be at 4.49 per cent. ”

This announcement comes on the heels of B.M.O.s survey results in yesterday’s Sun that show how B.C. homeowners perceive an interest hike would affect the affordability of housing for them. According to Ian Smith (Vancouver Sun, March 28, 2012) only half of B. C.’s homeowners believe that they could afford their mortgages if they were increased by a full 2%. The average mortgage in Vancouver is between $500,000 and $600,000. With BMO’s 5 year rate as of yesterday (2.99%), with a 25 year amortization, a $500,000 mortgage would cost $2,364./mo. At 4.99% (a full 2% increase) it would increase by $541./mo which would be $2905./mo.

Although interest rates have been expected to increase, most analysts have predicted that they would hold steady through 2012. Today’s announcement put a bit of jump on those speculations.

Family Dances

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:01:30 +0000

Last night was a rainy Friday in February and at the Hornby Community Hall families came out to dance to Celtic tunes with June Cannon calling and local foot stompin’ musicians. It was a treat to see all ages dancing together on the dance floor, parents and toddlers, kidlets, and grandparents, too.

And the Band plays on!

June calls a Circle Dance.

And now for a Line Dance, folks!

Gender is no issue here when choosing a partner!

Olivier on fiddle, Mary Lynn on accordion, and Glen on mandolin

Ken on guitar and Lawrence on Bouzouki

Sadly, this was the last Family Dance of the winter season. What an opportunity this has been for grandparents, parents, and children to come out and dance together.

Housing Forcast Update

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:41:55 +0000

Modest Growth and Low Interest Rates Predicted for First Quarter of 2012

BCREA 2012 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update
Vancouver, BC – January 27, 2012.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2012 First Quarter Housing Forecast Update today. “Modest economic growth at home and abroad is expected to limit growth in consumer demand both this year and in 2013,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential salesare forecast to increase 2.1 per cent from 76,817 units in 2011 to 78,400 units this year, increasing a further 2.7 per cent to 80,500 units in 2013. The 15-year average is 79,000 unit sales. A record 106,310 MLS® residential sales were recorded in 2005.

“While European sovereign debt concerns and a sluggish US economy will continue to impact consumer confidence, strong demand in the bond market is expected to keep mortgage interest rates at or near record lows for most of 2012,” added Muir.

Home prices in most BC markets are forecast to experience little change over the next 24 months as
the supply of homes for sale more closely matches consumer demand. The average MLS®
residential price in the province is forecast to edge down 2.2 per cent to $548,500 this year and
remain relatively unchanged in 2013, albeit increasing 0.8 per cent to $553,000.

Comox Valley Real Estate News

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:09:29 +0000

Home sales up but lots in short supply

By Philip Round, Comox Valley Echo July 8, 2011

June sales of single-family homes in the Comox Valley were up 5 per cent on the same month last year – but the average price dropped 4 per cent compared to 12 months ago.

New figures from the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board this week show 88 single-family homes changed hands locally in June compared to 84 in the same month last year.

The average price paid was just under $349,000 in contrast to $362,000 in June 2010.

The number of sales placed the Comox Valley in the number two spot of the six regions north of the Malahat within the real estate board’s area.

Nanaimo took top position in June with 100 sales and Port Alberni and the West Coast brought up the rear with 27.

Real estate board president Jim Stewart said across the Island there were “marginal fluctuations in unit listings and sales numbers, indicating a stabilizing market.”

But away from single-family homes, Stewart added there had been some particularly encouraging sales figures, particularly for waterfront homes and lots.

However, in the Comox Valley there is now relatively limited choice for people wanting to buy ready-serviced lots, with the lowest number of listings of such properties for some time.

Marty Douglas of Coast Realty Group in Courtenay said at the last count only 27 lots were listed within the three Comox Valley municipalities, whereas in Campbell River alone there were 138.

That imbalance was opening up a significant price difference of around $70,000 between similar lots in the two communities, which would inevitably impact new house prices.

For the longer term, he said, the potential inventory of lots in the Comox Valley was enormous, with so many new developments proposed. But for now there was a distinct shortage, reflecting a 46 per cent fall in lot sales here compared to last year.

In the first five months of this year, 37 lots were bought in the Comox Valley, but only three of them went for under $100,000. The average price had come in at just over $167,000.

Yet in Campbell River, over the same period, 86 per cent of lots there had sold for less than $100,000, Douglas noted.

pround@comoxvalleyecho.com

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Window Shopping in Paris

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:51:44 +0000

Ascending from this mod metro in the 1st arr. we begin a day of leche vitrine (window licking as the french say).

Wow! Copper pots in the window. Let’s look in here….!

This reminds me of coq a vin. I must enter.

Lovely pots! I wonder what the prices are like? OMG thousands of euro!

Well...I realize that some old Parisienne shops still price in francs! That explains it.

Onward and upwards to the Bon Marche.

Gilded in gold with prices to match!

Time for a fashion hit so we head to |Avenue Montaigne.

On the way we discover more Parisienne wonders such as a leather laundry hamper.

Armani

Chloe

Ralph Lauren's son married George Bush's granddaughter, Lauren Bush who became Lauren Lauren.

The window display might overshadow the fashion statement.

OOOHHH! Look at those baby clothes!

This is heaven for grandma's!

Little girl's dresses look as though they came from days gone by!

All that window licking has whetted our appetites. Let's grab some food and head back to Place Dauphine.

Home at last…..For our ‘just desserts’!

New Mortgage Rules

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:45:45 +0000

Here is a link to the latest changes by Mr. Flaherty regarding mortgage qualifications as of March 18, 2011.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/flaherty-details-new-mortgage-rules/article1872599/

Spring is on the way!

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:41:21 +0000

It may still be January but I have proof that spring is not far away. Driving along Pacific Blvd. in Vancouver, exiting the west end and entering the Burrard Street bridge, I glanced at that row of heritage houses that miraculously have survived the urban onslaught. Believe it or not, the plum trees in front of those grande dames were in blossum. Ahhhhh! Such a sweet sign. Can spring be far behind?

In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to love. If you are no longer in that category perhaps your mind turns to thoughts of selling your home. I am never (well, hardly ever) happy to see a veteran Hornbyite setting sail from our shores, but change is inevitable.

If you are considering selling your property, call me for a free estimate of the value of your home in today’s market. Let me tell you about my marketing strategies.

For example, I have just signed a contract with Homes & Lands to be able to market your property in their magazine distribution. With over 25,000 copies printed every 28 days you can be sure that your property is viewed by thousands of people, not to mention the RE/MAX data base which exposes many more thousands to your property.

No wonder RE/MAX was the sales leader on Hornby in 2010! We also have a new opportunity to create websites for each and every listing in our care.

Call me today for your free market evaluation and let me tell you how I can market and sell your property.

Call me anytime at 1-866-335-2510

or direct on my cell at 250 650 1988

I’m always happy to hear from you!