Whistler Real Estate Information :: The Linnell Group of Realtors Real Estate Blog

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee January 30, 2012

Dean Linnell — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:28:11 -0800

Good Morning!

Over the weekend I was quite busy with buyers and took a total of four groups out looking at a wide range of properties from quartershares and Phase 2 hotel suites all the way up to large townhomes in the $700,000 to $800,000 range. The thing that stood out most for me was what one of my clients said in the car yesterday. He said "I wonder if the Whistler market will ever come back?".

Now, I've always been a bit of a contrarian in my thinking and investing so this was music to my ears. When the average buyer out there in the market thinks that the market may never come back then you know you're at the bottom. When everyone thinks it's doom and gloom and pricing may never recover, you know it's time to start buying Whistler property hand over fist.

Notable New Listings

I've recently took over a batch of Evolution listings. Eric Lum with my company was taking care of the majority of the Evolution listings but he's now moved on to work at a new project in Vancouver so I inherited his Evolution quartershare listings. Click here to get familiar with what I have on offer there. Evolution is really a more intimate and more luxurious than The Legends and definitely worth the extra money.

1719 Pinewood Drive in Pemberton at Pemberton Plateau is a gorgeous 4,000 sq. ft. custom home with custom cabinets, in-floor heating throughout, views to die for, a separate 2 bedroom suite, tinted concrete floors and the list goes on. Offered at $995,000

#324 Coast Hotel is a steal of a deal for a 2 bedroom corner suite at the Phase 2 covenanted Coast Blackcomb Suites. This ski-in/ski-out property on the hill at Blackcomb allows for owner use of 28 days winter and 28 days summer and is far and away the lowest price you'll find any 2 bedroom condo in Whistler. I've recently sold a 2 bedroom in this building for $255,000 and we have another under contract as of this morning. This one is next to go!

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 7 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past week.

Click here for all the sold properties for the past week.

And as always, CLICK HERE for a little bit of Monday Morning Coffee inspiration. Enjoy!

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee January 24, 2012

Dean Linnell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:25:06 -0800

Good Afternoon!

The week has already gotten away from me but I still wanted to make sure that you got your weekly update from me. I'll keep it brief.

I know by the very strong sales activity in the past 4 months that most buyers are starting to think this way but I think it bears repeating:

In 5 years time you're going to be kicking yourself that you didn't buy 2 or more Whistler properties right now. The market for buyers here in Whistler is really that good.

Ok - enough of the sales pitch.

Notable New Listings

1434 Alder Drive in Pemberton was brought on the market just before Christmas but didn't make it into Monday Morning Coffee until now (sorry Angela & Jeff). This is an incredible 4.5 bed/3.5 bath custom home backing onto parkland and all within a 5 minute walk of the grocery store and town centre in Pemberton. This is a really fantastic family home and a big value at $589,000. Click here to view the video tour & other details. Pemberton is only 25 minutes north of Pemberton folks!

Another great buy for a custom Pemberton home with stunning views is 7305 Pinewood Place. This is a home at Pemberton Plateau featuring 3 bedrooms/2.5 baths, 3,400 sq. ft., a 5.1 surround media room, a separate gym and office with separate exterior entrance, an in-home office, vaulted ceilings, huge windows with tons of light and much more. Offered at $839,000. Click here for the video tour.

I have just listed a really amazing piece of Pemberton property at 1370 Fernwood that is very unique. I've recorded a quick video preview so take a look here. The views will knock your socks off. Interior pix are being taken in the coming days after the owners finish staging.

Notable Price Adjustments

#102C Evolution is a 2 bedroom quartershare just reduced to $114,000.

#318A Legends is a 1 bedroom quartershare on the "creek side" of the complex and now on at $59,000.

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 7 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past week.

Click here for all the sold properties for the past week.

And as always, CLICK HERE for a little bit of Monday Morning Coffee inspiration. Enjoy!

8617 Drifter Way - Video Tour

Dean Linnell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:29:15 -0800

Please do not heistate to let me know if you have any questions or require additional information about this property.

#330 Lake Placid Lodge - Video Tour

Dean Linnell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:25:39 -0800

Please do not heistate to let me know if you have any questions or require additional information about this property.

#306 First Tracks Lodge - Video Tour

Dean Linnell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:29:00 -0800

Please do not heistate to let me know if you have any questions or require additional information about this property.

1370 Fernwood Drive Pemberton - Preview

Dean Linnell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:15:35 -0800

In the coming days, we are listing a hidden gem of Pemberton and I wanted you to be the first to know as I share this sneak peak of this unique property. Built in 1955, this 2 bedroom, 1 bath home perches high on a plateau with a 270 degree, breathtaking view of the Pemberton valley. This property is a little less than an acre with approvals in place for future subdivision to split the lot with the house and the building lot next door. Listing price is $599,000 for this amazing parcel. A full video tour of the interior as well as all amenities will be coming shortly. Call me if you're interested. Great opportunities with this one!

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee January 16, 2012

Dean Linnell — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:25:06 -0800

Good Morning!

Just a quick update as we head into the new week.

There's been a bit more movement in the Phase 2 and quartershare side of things this week with a couple of offers in the works over the past week on Coast Hotel studio and 2 bedroom suites as well as some strong interest in our recent price reduction on 4875C Casabella quartershare at Montebello at $159,000. I've also had some recent showings at my listing of 7305 Pinewood Place in Pemberton over the past week by a group of three Russians driving a very new, clean, and white Mercedes S600 looking to invest in Pemberton. Very interesting...

Notable New Listings

I mentioned last week that we had just listed #56 Whiski Jack which is an incredible 3 bedroom/1.5 bath townhome with stunning clifftop views over all of Whistler Creekside. Well, behold all of it's 1,127 sq. ft. glory! Offered at $499,000 this is a hugely desirable location that just doesn't come up every day. Take a look and let me know when you'd like to schedule a showing.

We've also just listed 2 quarters of an incredible 1 bedroom quartershare at The Legends that's arguably the best one bedroom suite in the building. #527 A&B is top floor and overlooking the pool, Creekside Gondola base and Peak to Creek. Offered at the amazing price of $64,000 this is one you'll want to book a viewing of asap before it's gone.

Now, here's something I want to throw out at you. What would you expect to pay for a 3 bedroom, Phase 1, ski-in/ski-out condo at Whistler? $700,000 or $800,000 or if you were at the base of one of the gondolas, how about over $1 million? How does around $500,000 sound? Yes, you read that right. I have all four quarters of #401 Legends which is a beautiful 3 bedroom/2 bath corner unit with vaulted ceilings at The Legends for $135,000 per quarter. Walk out the door and you're 50 steps from the Creekside Gondola. Enough said. Give it some thought...

Notable Price Adjustments

#21 Snowberry is a 3 bedroom/2 bath fully renovated townhome at Blackcomb that was just price reduced from $879,000 to $839,000. This is huge value for an over 1,700 sq. ft. townhome just steps from the slopes at Blackcomb Benchlands. Click here for the video.

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 7 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past week.

Click here for all the sold properties for the past week.

And as always, CLICK HERE for a little bit of Monday Morning Coffee inspiration. Enjoy!

December 2011 Year End Market Update

Dean Linnell — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:02:38 -0800

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee January 9, 2012

Dean Linnell — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:27:10 -0800

Good Morning!

Well, the holiday season is now finished and what a huge one it was! Seems like the crowds decided to flock back in droves and the skiing was great. One of the reasons I'm told is that Europe has had a very slow start to the year with no real snow until about 10 days ago. Same goes for the U.S. and I've learned that there a lot of the American ski resorts are still not open. With Whistler being the only sure bet for great skiing in December I think many travellers changed their reservations over to Whistler. I was on the mountain on one day over the Christmas break with the kids and there were 28,000 skiers on both mountains that day! It didn't feel too crowded on the slopes or the lift lines but the Whistler Village was crazy. Being a local is a big plus since I have a 6th sense about where to go on the hill and down in town during the busy times to avoid big crowds as much as possible.

My wife Betsy and I used to be ski instructors back in the 90s here in Whistler and we still have connections to the Whistler Blackcomb Snow School so in anticipation of a huge holiday season we were brought out of retirement to teach skiing for 6 days from December 26th to Dec. 31st. We ended up being assigned to teach Hilary Swank who was up in Whistler for a private holiday. We spent 4 days with Hilary and she was just wonderful to ski with and get to know. What a great experience to be able to rub shoulders with a true A-List Hollywood star. Very fun! Click here for the obligatory "Dean smiling with a celebrity" shot.

Before we move onto the new listings and sales links below, please take a moment to watch this one minute video I put together that highlights the killer views from a new listing we have coming up at Whiski Jack later today. Whiski Jack is a townhome complex sitting on the clifftop overlooking Whistler Creekside. The views from this 3 bedroom/1.5 bath, 1,127 sq. ft. unit are incredible and the price is really fantastic at $499,000. Sorry but I don't have interior video or photos yet. This should be up on my blog within the next 48 hours.

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 14 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past 2 weeks.

Click here for all the sold properties for the past 2 weeks.

And as always, CLICK HERE for a little bit of Monday Morning Coffee inspiration. Enjoy!

#56 Whiski Jack Preview

Dean Linnell — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:27:32 -0800

We just listed this incredible 3 bedroom townhome on 3 levels which has some of the best views I've ever seen in Whistler. Whiski Jack was built in 1978 but has been very well taken care of. As you can see in the video below this townhome is perched high on the cliff overlooking all of Whistler Creekside. A full video tour of the interior as well as all amenities will be coming shortly. Call me if you're interested. Offered at $499,000 this one's gonna go fast!

Greater Vancouver Real Estate Stats - December 2011

Dean Linnell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:14:36 -0800

Greater Vancouver Real Estate Stats - December 2011

For a more comprehensive look at all the December 2011 real estate stats, as released by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, REBGV December 2011 Stats.

Christmas Crazy Train in Whistler

Dean Linnell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:53:52 -0800

Post Christmas Whistler Real Estate Market Update

Dean Linnell — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:47:31 -0800

Just a quick update for you regarding all the real estate activity in Whistler over the December holiday period. Lots of buyers in town snapping up the deals this year and also getting a few turns in on the mountain as well. Great snow and killer deals out there right now!

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee December 19, 2011

Dean Linnell — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:41:43 -0800

Good Morning!

Just a quick update for you this morning as I'm sure you're just as busy over the Christmas holidays as I am. If you have any questions about the current crop of available properties or would like me to come by to discuss selling your Whistler property I'm available on the cell number below or on email and am available for showings for the entire Christmas holidays. Just let me know if you're in town now or planning to be arriving in the coming weeks and we can discuss what you're looking for in a Whistler property and set up a time to meet.

One bit of info I thought I would share out this morning is the fact that there is precious little snow in Europe and the U.S. right now. According to Tourism Whistler this is causing a huge spike in reservations to Whistler this year as we have more snow at the moment than anyone including full coverage right to the valley. Looks like it's shaping up to be a very good season especially on the business front. We all know that when there are more visitors here in town we have more eyeballs on the real estate options which are at pricing levels we haven't seen in close to 10 years.

If you're thinking of selling then your timing is perfect. Give me a call and we'll get your property on the market and in front of those buyers who are just rolling into town now (and I mean that literally). I tried to turn left onto the highway at the Rimrock today and it took me nearly 10 minutes! The volume of visitors arriving into town on the highway from the south was staggering. All aboard the crazy train folks! It's gonna be a big, big season!

This week we've got a grand total of 950 active listings in the Whistler and Pemberton area which is down by another 10 from last week. As I mentioned in last week's update this is the lowest amount of active listings we've had since January 2009 which is nearly 3 years ago! Lower inventory means the already extremely low Whistler pricing is firming up. So, if you're looking for the bottom, it looks like it's here folks!

Here's a graph that shows the active listing inventory over the past 5 years:

And here's another that shows the properties that have sold each month for the past 5 years as well.

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 14 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past 2 weeks.

Click here for all the sold properties for the past week.

And as always, CLICK HERE for a little bit of Monday Morning Coffee inspiration. Enjoy!

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee - December 12, 2011

Dean Linnell — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:42:00 -0800

Good Morning!

Just a quick update for you this morning as I'm away in northern Ontario visiting my 96 year old father. Good visit over the past weekend and I'm just heading back to Whistler tomorrow. If you have any questions about the current crop of available properties or would like me to come by to discuss selling your Whistler property I'm available on the cell number below or on email and will be back in the office tomorrow afternoon.

This week we've still got a grand total of 960 active listings in the Whistler and Pemberton area (same as last week). As I mentioned in last week's update this is the lowest amount of active listings we've had since January 2009 which is nearly 3 years ago! Lower inventory means the already extremely low Whistler pricing is firming up. So, if you're looking for the bottom, it looks like it's here folks!

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 7 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past week.

CLICK HERE for your Monday Morning Coffee. Enjoy!

November 2011 Housing Market Update REBGV

Dean Linnell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:05:03 -0800

Below is a short video of the November 2011 housing market statistics as released by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. As you may or may not be aware, typically the Whistler real estate market does the opposite to the Vancouver market. If you see the market slowing in the lower mainland then investors there look elsewhere to make a buck and they turn their attention north up the highway to Whistler. Makes sense doesn't it? We see this cycle time and time again and it's happening again now.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Calculating Absorption Rate

Dean Linnell — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:56:00 -0800

What does it mean when people talk about the absorption rate when it comes to real estate in Whistler or anywhere else for that matter? Let me take a few minutes to break down what the term means and how it is calculated:

ABSORPTION RATE – Is the rate at which homes are selling in a specific area.

There are 3 pieces of information you will need to find absorption rate:

The specific time frame
The number of sold properties during that time frame
The number of active properties right now

Here is how I calculated the absorption rate for the entire Whistler market based on November 2011 Whistler Listing Service Market Data:

THE DATA:

1. Time Frame = 334 days (total days from January 1, 2011 to November 31, 2011)
2. Number of Sold Properties = 508 (from January 1, 2011 to November 31, 2011)
3. Number of Active Properties = 806 (at the end of November 31, 2011)

CALCULATIONS:

Rate of Property Sales = .65748 – 1 property is sold every .65748 days. This number is found by taking 334/508 (Time Frame/Number of Sold Properties)

Absorption Rate = 529.92 Days. Found by taking 806 x .65748 (Number of Active Properties x Rate of Property Sales)

What does this tell us?

If market conditions do not change and if no new listings come on the market it will take 529.92 days for the current inventory to sell at the current pace of the market.

Whistler Monday Morning Coffee December 5, 2011

Dean Linnell — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:37:04 -0800

Good Morning!

Last week we we're finally allowed to show you the sold listing data again. However, this week it seems we have a glitch in our Whistler Listing Service which is preventing the sold data from being displayed. I've been told that by the start of January that data should be back up and running so watch my Monday Morning Coffee in the coming weeks and we'll have that back up for you.ssss

I also mentioned to last week that I posted some statistical charts showing the Whistler real estate market trends here over the years. If you missed that last week you can click here to access a wealth of charted data on the key metrics that are important for anyone who's following the Whistler real estate market. I just wanted to keep that out there just in case you hadn't viewed it since it's pretty compelling info.

One great new listing I wanted to outline is a 3 bedroom plus loft townhome at #4 Snowberry in Blackcomb Benchlands. Listed at $849,000 this is a steal of a deal and has been renovated with a spa-style bathroom as well as new furnishings and gorgeous built-in cabinetry and desks in the bedrooms.

This week we've got a grand total of 960 active listings in the Whistler and Pemberton areawhich is down by a whopping 57 from last week (not all solds - some are expireds & cancellations). This is the lowest amount of active listings we've had since January 2009 which is nearly 3 years ago.

Go ahead and click here for all the newest listings in Whistler and Pemberton in the past 7 days.

Click here for all the price adjusted properties for the past week.

CLICK HERE for your Monday Morning Coffee. Enjoy!

Fall Whistler Real Estate Market Update

Dean Linnell — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:19:54 -0800

Our broker/owner here at Sutton Group - West Coast Realty Whistler was kind enough to share his market insights from his recent newsletter. Thanks for allowing me to post this up on my blog Ron!

Late Fall 2011 Real Estate Market - Whistler - November 30, 2011.
The past 3 months (Sept/Oct/Nov) have seen the most sales activity YTD. Since September 1st the Whistler Listing System (WLS) recorded 165 Firm Sales (average 55/month). The other most active months were June 48 sales, April & May 40 sales each.

Selling Values - continue to be soft. Listing inventory remains high for most Property-Types. Buyer demand is low to moderate depending on the "Property-Type." Listing inventory should diminish with the start of the winter season as many unsold listings will come off the market to be rented or used-personally.

Selling values will probably continue to be soft through 2012 as buyers look for motivated sellers and "The Best Value".

Restricted-use condo-hotel units (Phase 2) and shared- ownership (quarter-share etc): Current selling prices are 40% to 50% lower than the last 2 price peaks - (2007/08 and 2002/03).

Unrestricted condos/townhomes (Phase 1) in Whistler Village / Upper Village: Current selling values are off 15% to 20%.

Residential homes, cabins, townhomes, condos: These have weathered the post October 2008 financial storm much better - dropping 10% to 20% - since 2007. Moderate buyer demand mainly supported by Greater Vancouver & local buyers, buying for personal-use.

In my opinion...It's a good time to buy if you can find the right property match at the right price. However it appears many potential Whistler buyers are still waiting and watching. For sellers it is a challenging time to get the values they want. The question is “What will happen in 2012?” Crystal Ball Real Estate?... As always... Time will Tell.

The one thing we know is... It’s one of the best early season starts to the winter and it will be a great season in Whistler! If you have a place here, then enjoy it with your family and friends!

Key Points:

 Primary buying activity is in the under-$1M price point, with 1-2 bedroom townhouse/condo properties being the most popular.
 Chalets are selling for much less than the replacement cost. Most activity is under $2M. Limited activity $2M to $3M.
 Harmonized Sales Tax (HST 12%) is still an issue, since the primary buyer audience is from the Metro Vancouver area. These buyers are looking for personal use rather than rental investment, so properties with HST paid are very attractive.
 For buyers it is a good time to buy with low interest rates and the forecast of rates dropping even further - a variable mortgage could be an attractive benefit.
 Buyers are looking for value. With mortgage rates and selling prices attractively low, if you can find the right property at the right price now and you are looking at long term ownership, then act now. You'll get the use and enjoyment of your Whistler Retreat immediately!

#410 Holiday Inn - Video Tour

Dean Linnell — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:43:30 -0800

Please do not heistate to let me know if you have any questions or require additional information about this property.