Italian Sweets Plus La Vazza Espresso

Feb 28, 2011

Courtesy of Barbara Harrington of Royal Shell Real Estate Sanibel, FL (Feb. 24, 2011) – If you’re salivating just reading this, you must make a stop at the new Dolce Tesoro in Tahitian Gardens on Periwinkle Way. This new “sweet treasure” is proof that good things come in small packages. Delectable sweet treats; espresso coffee, cupcakes, chocolate fountain and pizza (!) call this small yet elegant space home.

Superb equestrian estate property, lakefront, 78 +/- acres....beauty!

Feb 26, 2011 — Liane ("Li") Read, Sea to Sky Real Estate

Amazing 78 +/- acre equestrian/farm property, on special Salt Spring Island! Located on the shores of St. Mary Lake, close to all services/amenities, and yet wonderfully serene, the acreage offers many options. A first-class equestrian centre on site, plus family home, plus pasture, plus potential vineyard and herb garden components.    Arrive by ferry, to the Island, or come in by private floatplane to your lakefront dock.

Raffi, and his Child Honouring Centre is underway, on Salt Spring Island!

Feb 26, 2011 — Liane ("Li") Read, Sea to Sky Real Estate

Salt Spring is very lucky to have Raffi Cavoukian now living here, and also to be the core location of his Centre for Child Honouring. This idea of respecting earth and child, as a model for a sustainable and humanistic life path, for the benefit of the entire world, has been with Raffi for several years...check out Raffi's new essay, The Right to a Future, on the Centre's website, and find a shorter version on Huffington Post. The Centre's Speakers Series offers Joel Bakan on April 3rd and Annie Leonard on May 28th. Local sponsors are Harbour House Hotel and Country Grocer. A world renowned children's entertainer (how many Beluga Grads are out there?), Raffi's shift from entertaining to creating a new paradigm, which begins with valuing the smallest and most fragile of us, the child, is a profound call to all of us. Interested? Want to be a part of the Centre's work? Check out the website, and get involved!

Live radio...lots of fun!

Feb 26, 2011 — Liane ("Li") Read, Sea to Sky Real Estate

Am still having fun doing my live radio show on Salt Spring's community radio station. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 7 and 9 a.m., Pacific Time, you can catch my "All Things Salt Spring...and More" morning show, at 107.9fm, if you're in the immediate neighbourhood, or, via streaming audio off the station's website (www.cfsi-fm.com). Turns out, I had the very first show on the radio, in mid-September, 2009.    My producer had the second show, that day. Have learned a lot since then, and it's been a totally interesting experience! I didn't want to do a real estate show, as that was about "me"...instead, have been interviewing the many people I've encountered in my 20+ year career on Salt Spring Island (and the Southern Gulf Islands)...so many different stories and experiences!...and I want to showcase them all. Someday, I'll write my book about real estate, but the radio isn't that venue! Just some of the "guests", so far: Jan Rabson, with a passion for "old radio" and a voice-over business;

In change, lies opportunity...."go for it"!

Feb 26, 2011 — Liane ("Li") Read, Sea to Sky Real Estate

So many dramatic changes in the real estate industry....we are almost through the "transition period". In the post-internet world, the consumer holds the power of decision, and also sets the benchmark for a marketing presence that encourages their action. Print media continue to disappear, as their advertising base dries up.  Specialty magazines may still be in evidence, but they are quickly emphasizing their internet sites...print has now become the loss leader side of their business. It's difficult for all business models that had "the success secret", in the latter years of the 20th and the first 8 years of the 21st Century, to successfully jump the fence into the shift of the "now".   That goes for "hybrid"/BG ("before google") realtors, too. The franchise system in real estate, with its agent-centred business model, is limping along, struggling to stay out of the abyss of  oblivion.   Pre-internet, their referral systems did offer an edge.   Now, the company playing field is level. The mls system, late to the table of change, continues to try to stuff the former model of information control into a web design that calls for free dissemination of data. Costs of realty companies, mls and board affiliations, continue to escalate and these costs are always passed on to realtors. At the same time, the role of a realtor has changed, in the perception of both the seller (purveyor) and the buyer (consumer).   Specific commission recompense, for services rendered, is no longer "a given".   The reality is that commission structures are falling in the favour of the consumer, not the company or realtor. Further, at the same time that change was visiting the way real estate information was made available to consumers, the economic meltdowns occurred and the housing bubble burst...the industry was plunged into a massive downturn. The aftermath of such enormous change is always chaotic. In change lies opportunity.... So important to keep practicing our peripheral vision exercises, with that wider field of perception, to ignore the siren song of tunnel vision, and to sniff the wind like wolves, seeking the new that leads us beyond the confusion maze.... Whether or not it makes sense to us, it's essential to take part in the building of business relationships on the social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube could be the momentary "big three".    There are bound to be others, coming along....   The rules of good face to face marketing need to be translated into the dynamics of social media marketing.      Remember when websites were thought of as unnecessary to a successful career?   Not so long ago.... The one to one nature of the web holds promise for a relationship sales model...if we think about the service of real estate sales, at a mainstreet/grass roots/community based level, then it's an easy dance to offer that at the global village level.   Technology is just about methodology...content is still the mainstay.   What's in your brain? The watchword for the "now"?   Try it...don't hang back...leap into the new that keeps popping up newly. What is it called?   The Net? Well, that means the jump lands into safety, right? Go for it!

New Listing! Ventana Way Aptos, California

Feb 25, 2011 — Sally Lyng, David Lyng Real Estate

Don’t miss your opportunity to own a phenomenal custom home in Seascape’s “The Uplands”, a privately gated community in Aptos, California.  This fabulous Mediterranean is framed by lush tropical landscaping and enjoys sweeping views of the Monterey Bay, an expansive greenbelt and the Seascape community. The home was designed with the view in mind and as such, the living space is oriented toward the many large windows, which make the home light and sun-filled.  Upon entering the formal foyer, you notice the beautiful leaded and beveled glass on the double front doors along with the marble medallion and border insets in the Travertine floors. 

Last Minute Luxurious Spring Break Getaway Beaver Creek Style

Feb 25, 2011

Courtesy of Mark of Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rentals Need a last minute luxurious getaway? Think Beaver Creek this spring break. This amazing property known as the "Ski Safari" is located just steps from Beaver Creek Village and directly on the mountain. This 4,400 sq ft home is like visiting a world class African Hunting Lodge in the heart of the mountains. The home is uniquely decorated with wonderful furnishings and art work. In the winter you can ski right up and out to your home and in the summer you can begin and end your hike directly from your back door.

Spring Getaway in Paris

Feb 25, 2011

Courtesy of Julia Cockrell of Handsome Properties Spring is just around the corner and if you haven’t done so already it’s time to start thinking about where to spend your spring vacation. What better place than Paris, France? With every other vacationer in Mexico or the tropics, Paris will be yours to explore. Free from the massive crowds of tourists, spring is one of the best times to visit Paris. With hardly any lines to wait in, visiting in the spring can be a great way to get the most out of your Paris vacation. Handsome Properties International offers a variety of beautiful apartments for rent from Studios to 4 bedrooms. All are located in the best districts of Paris, near familiar attractions, and are luxuriously appointed. Monceau Majestic is beautifully renovated with a balcony and located in the 17th near the Arc de Triomphe. Walk to shopping along the Champs Elysees while seeing the sights.

Rancho Santa Fe: Where a Bygone Era of Gracious Rural Living has Never Gone By

Feb 23, 2011

Courtesy of Robert Kenyon of Willis Allen Real Estate The Rancho Santa Fe Community The community of Rancho Santa Fe comprises some 6,200 acres populated by approximately 1780 homes. It is located approximately 30 miles to the north of downtown San Diego and approximately 10 miles east of the coastline. The homes enjoy great swaths of openness between them, with the average lot size being over 2 acres of land. The homes vastly differ in size with square footage ranging from 1,700 to 15,000 square feet in size. There are some 86 Condominiums located within what is referred to as the Village.

Undeveloped land...the best buy opportunity?

Feb 22, 2011 — Liane ("Li") Read, Sea to Sky Real Estate

Looking for an undeveloped property purchase, one that holds appreciation potential/would be an excellent holding property?   Here's one, on the doorstep of Ganges Village, an easy walk to town, and with frontage on both Drake and Seaview Roads.    The plus?   It's duplex zoned!    Another option?   Almost five acres, zoned for main home, separate guest cottage, separate studio, with all day sun exposure (sunrises and sunsets, from here!), plus a short stroll to a beach, plus seasonal moorage for your boat in the protected bay.    A best buy price, here!
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